Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Amid the enthusiastic toasts from friends and old classmates, Nan Shuyi didn't turn anyone away, drinking two glasses for every toast. By the end, even Zhou Yi and the other groomsmen started taking drinks for him, and even Jiang Yifeng and Jiang Yiting were persuaded to have a few drinks. By the time the banquet was nearly over, Jiang Yifeng was staggering, stumbled to the restroom, hugged the toilet, and vomited violently.

The only one who remained completely sober was Jiang Yicen.

Guests left one after another. As a member of the host family, Jiang Yicen helped Nan Anru and his wife see off the last guest, while Nan Shuyi lounged on the sofa in the lounge area, his suit jacket unbuttoned, collar slightly open, resting, his eyes closed.

Nan Anru asked Jiang Yicen, "He looks pretty drunk. Would you like to go home or stay at the hotel?"

Jiang Yicen's luggage had been sent to Nan Shuyi's residence two days prior. The house was a coming-of-age gift from Nan Shuyi's family, located close to his current company, so Nan Shuyi had chosen it as their marital home.

Since they were married, they naturally couldn't be separated—Nan Anru would be the first to object.

Jiang Yicen deeply respected Nan Anru, because he saw a bit of his own father in him.

"I'm fine either way. Nan Shuyi and I will come to visit you another day."

Nan Anru: "We're family, no need for formalities. You two get a good rest tonight. Come home for lunch tomorrow. Remember to tell Nan Shuyi."

Jiang Yicen nodded obediently, "I will."

Nan Anru grew increasingly fond of this young man. He simply handed him a bank card: "I didn't get a chance to give this to you earlier. No limit—buy whatever you like."

A card with no limit? How much could you even spend with that? The bank doesn't issue cards without a limit. He had no idea how to use it; he'd have to look it up online later. Jiang Yicen hesitated, glancing at Nan Shuyi, who was slumped as if asleep, hoping Nan Shuyi would give him some direction.

Nan Anru chuckled, "What are you looking at him for? This is from me."

Jiang Yicen had no choice but to accept, "Then I'll accept it, since you insist."

Nan Anru was far more generous than Jiang Gongming, with a broader vision.

Nan Shuyi was thoroughly drunk. Nan Anru instructed Assistant An to stay behind and send the young gentlemen home, and arranged for those too intoxicated to leave to stay overnight at Yongjiang Hotel. Jiang Yicen had nothing to worry about; there were enough hands.

The entire Yongjiang Hotel had been booked by the Nan and Jiang families today. Now that everyone had left, only Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi remained in the spacious lounge.

Jiang Yicen carefully sat down next to Nan Shuyi. He leaned back on the sofa and gazed up at the crystal chandelier, as if still in that era, sitting in the hotel before it was sold, savoring his second brother’s favorite coffee. He used to drink tea with the elderly, but later, he gradually came to love coffee—the roasted aroma blended with milk and sugar, sweet and fragrant.

Nan Shuyi was really drunk, but sleeping on the lounge sofa wasn't appropriate. Jiang Yicen called the hotel manager to help escort him back to the temporary wedding suite.

He took off Nan Shuyi's jacket and shoes. Just as he was about to cover him with the blanket, Nan Shuyi grabbed his hand and pressed it against his waist.

Nan Shuyi frowned, "I feel awful."

Jiang Yicen leaned in and asked, "Where does it feel uncomfortable?"

Nan Shuyi kept his eyes closed and said, almost automatically, "The belt is digging in. It's uncomfortable."

Jiang Yicen had only ever unbuckled his own belt, never attended to anyone else. Even before his death, he had a housekeeper managing his daily needs.

"Alright, I'll undo it for you."

Jiang Yicen undid the belt buckle smoothly. He even spent a moment admiring Nan Shuyi's firm waist—through his shirt, he could see the outline of abs. If they had just been heading toward friendship, those racy words he'd overheard wouldn't have flashed through his mind, but now his ears gradually reddened.

He seemed to be letting his thoughts wander a bit too far. Fortunately, Nan Shuyi was drunk.

Nan Shuyi was quiet when drunk, not even snoring.

Jiang Yicen traced along his jawline upward. This face was truly unforgettable. Before today, Nan Shuyi had been his fiancé; now he was his husband.

In the days when he was born, arranged marriages where the bride didn't see her husband until the wedding night were still common in rural areas. He supposed he was luckier than most people in that regard.

Nan Shuyi came from an excellent family, had a top-tier education, and no bad habits. Other than the fact that he was a man, there wasn't anything to criticize.

Now Nan Shuyi was resting, while Jiang Yicen kept to himself.

After a moment's thought, he took the room card and left the suite. Knowing the way well, he took the newly replaced elevator down to the first floor and found the kitchen.

The current Yongjiang Hotel seemed to have changed hands several times, now under unknown ownership. The hotel’s management was far from strict—completely lax, almost negligent. On his way to the kitchen, he even saw waiters smoking and playing games in the stairwell.

This was his second time returning to his family's hotel since arriving in the modern era. He might not have his brothers' sharp business acumen, but he could see that what was once a bustling, reservation-only restaurant was now almost empty.

Still, as the saying goes, even a dying camel is still bigger than a horse. The fact that his and Nan Shuyi's wedding was held here meant the hotel's reputation still held, enough to save face and provide a respectable venue for both families.

But could he really buy Yongjiang Hotel back?

The kitchen was being cleaned up, with no spills or mess in sight. Jiang Yicen asked a young worker who was busy cleaning.

"Excuse me, is the head chef here?"

"The head chef? My mentor is on break. What can I help you with?"

The kitchen at Yongjiang Hotel was tucked away deep inside the large building, with winding paths. To prevent customers from wandering in by accident, signs reading "Kitchen Area, No Admittance" were placed at every corner. Even if someone managed to barge in, they might not find the actual kitchen.

The young worker thought that since the visitor had found this place, he must be someone special.

Jiang Yicen said, "I'd like to ask the head chef to prepare a few dishes."

The young worker replied, "You can just place an order with us. I'll get today's menu for you." Then, remembering something, he slapped his forehead, "Oh, right—today is a wedding banquet, so we only have the banquet menu."

Jiang Yicen: "My request might be a bit special. Could you please find the head chef? I need to speak with him directly. Thank you."

The young worker: "Please wait a moment."

Seeing that the visitor was clearly not an ordinary person, the young worker wiped his hands on his apron and went out.

While waiting, Jiang Yicen observed the layout of the new kitchen. It was quite different from before.

The kitchen was now more spacious and brighter, equipped with many modern appliances he had never seen before, some featuring timers. Cleanliness was decent. He looked up and noticed several surveillance cameras installed in the corners.

He had only recently learned about surveillance cameras. The Jiang family had installed several at their entrance. Such machines could save a lot of labor and enhance security by helping to prevent emergencies or catch problems early. Similarly, in the kitchen, they could monitor staff without being physically present and see if anyone was slacking off or doing things unrelated to their work.

Modern times were truly wonderful. The era was advancing rapidly, and technology was progressing by leaps and bounds. Even if he studied day and night, he could never learn everything.

Jiang Yicen explored the kitchen, eager to learn. Soon, a middle-aged man in a chef's hat walked in.

It was the head chef, who looked somewhat surprised to see the groom of today's wedding banquet.

Chef Xu: "Hello, sir. How can I help you?"

Jiang Yicen: "I'd like to ask you to prepare a few dishes."

Chef Xu: "May I ask which dishes you'd like? Today's banquet menu was set in advance, and we may not have all the ingredients ready on short notice."

Jiang Yicen asked, "What fresh ingredients do you have available now?"

Chef Xu: "For meat, we have chicken, duck, and fish. For vegetables, we have the seasonal spring bamboo shoots from our city. Spring vegetables include red toon shoots. For soup ingredients, we have fresh morels and Chinese yam. Common dried goods—red dates, shiitake mushrooms, and the like—are fully stocked."

Jiang Yicen settled on five dishes: "Morel chicken soup, beer duck, steamed fish, braised spring bamboo shoots, and scrambled eggs with Chinese toon."

Chef Xu quickly jotted down: "Alright, what time should it be delivered?"

Jiang Yicen checked the time. It was now two in the afternoon. Nan Shuyi would likely need about three hours to sober up.

"Deliver it at five, but I have a small request."

Chef Xu: "Please go ahead."

Jiang Yicen: "Use fresh spring morels with free-range chicken for the soup. The chicken soup should be clear and light. For the beer duck, remove the fishy taste and enhance flavor. Use young ginger instead of aged ginger. I see there's fresh perilla on the counter; you can add that, and some chili, but not too spicy. For the oil-braised spring bamboo shoots, use 'Dadi Lei' bamboo shoots. Since there's no earthen stove here to slow-braise, just stir-fry them as you normally would. For the vegetables, handle them as you see fit."

Chef Xu was taken aback after hearing his order. This guest's demands were indeed picky, but every word hit the mark, precisely where chefs tend to fall short. He hadn't had anyone make such specific requests in a long time. The guests here usually just ordered and took whatever was served; very few made requests to the head chef.

Jiang Yicen: "By the way, do you have bighead carp?"

Chef Xu: "Yes."

Jiang Yicen: "Please use the fish head to make a bowl of hangover soup and send it to the suite on the fifth floor."

Chef Xu asked hesitantly: "The hangover soup from the ancient text 'Yin Shan Zheng Yao'?"

Jiang Yicen: "Yes."

Chef Xu: "I may not be able to make it to your taste. Please forgive me if it doesn't meet your standards."

This young man was a real food connoisseur. At first, he thought the young master was just showing off, but as he spoke more, it became clear he really knew his food and had very detailed requirements—a true gourmet.

Jiang Yicen: "It's fine. Just go ahead."

Chef Xu: "We'll prepare the meal and send it over."

Jiang Yicen nodded and turned to leave.

The apprentice beside him was dumbfounded: "Master, do we really have to listen to that young master? Does he even know what he's talking about?"

Chef Xu: "He knows how to eat way better than you. Go catch me a fish."

Ever since the new executive chef at the restaurant started pushing that trendy new Chinese cuisine every day, he hadn't seriously practiced traditional cooking techniques in a long time. Suddenly, he felt a surge of motivation.

·

Nan Shuyi was woken up by the sound of voices.

He was really drunk this time. He had no memory of how he got back to the room, but he did recognize the room.

This was the temporary rest room he shared with Jiang Yicen at Yongjiang Hotel.

His head was spinning. The smell of alcohol hadn't fully dissipated, and he reeked of it.

Nan Shuyi washed his face and walked from the bathroom to the living room. He was still dizzy and felt heavy, pressing his temples in discomfort.

He saw Jiang Yicen, now in a light-colored shirt without his jacket, holding a white porcelain bowl. Standing next to him was a middle-aged man in a chef's hat, and behind them was the manager of Yongjiang Hotel, who was in charge of today's banquet.

In the traditional standards of the culinary world, the higher and more pleated a chef's hat, the more skilled and experienced they are.

Nan Shuyi had recently taken over two companies, and he clearly recognized that the man talking to Jiang Yicen was the head chef.

He knew Chef Xu; he had recently considered poaching him for his family's restaurant, but the chef was arrogant and had rejected the headhunter's invitation.

Yet now, he was respectfully asking Jiang Yicen, "Mr. Jiang, how is the chicken soup? This was made according to your method."

Jiang Yicen took a sip, put down the bowl, and said, "The soup is rich, but there's too much ginger, adding a hint of spiciness that overpowers the soup's fresh sweetness. One notch less on the spice would make it a perfect dish."

Chef Xu nodded: "That's what I tasted too."

He appreciated Mr. Jiang's feedback—just a few words that hit the mark.

Then, from the plate his apprentice was holding, the chef took another bowl and handed it to Jiang Yicen.

"This is the traditional hangover soup. Please taste it. I don't make it often."

As Jiang Yicen put down the bowl, he saw Nan Shuyi standing at the door pressing his temples.

He picked up the bowl and walked toward Nan Shuyi: "Feeling unwell? Drink this hangover soup."

Nan Shuyi: ???

His mind flashed with the internet meme, "Dàláng, it's time to take your medicine."

But under Jiang Yicen's concerned gaze, Nan Shuyi still gallantly downed the hangover soup in one gulp.