Chapter 37

After successfully purchasing a house she was satisfied with, the most important task of Qian Jianing’s trip to the Imperial Capital was complete, and the remaining time was perfect for sightseeing. In her previous life, Qian Jianing had been constantly struggling to make a living and had only ever dreamed of visiting the Imperial Capital. Now, with time to spare, that dream could finally come true.

Bundled up in a thick coat and carrying her backpack, Qian Jianing headed to a breakfast shop near her hotel. She ordered two deep-fried dough sticks and a bowl of soy milk, then found a place to sit. The shop was small but fairly crowded, mostly with elderly folks and a few middle-aged customers.

“I heard the Forbidden City is hosting a Li Mingzhen exhibition,” said one middle-aged man, biting into his fried dough stick. “They said on TV that the artifacts on display have never been shown to the public before.”

“I also heard that Li Mingzhen included her own set of three Xuande incense burners,” another marveled. “How is this woman so capable? So young and already accomplishing such major things.”

Qian Jianing paused with her bowl of soy milk. The name Li Mingzhen was one she had heard in her previous life—a textbook example of a life well-lived. At eighteen, she was admitted to the journalism department of Imperial Capital University and also studied French. After graduating, she became a reporter for a national news agency and married a diplomat. Later, she was stationed abroad in France, and during those years overseas, she recovered a vast number of precious Chinese artifacts and donated them all to the country. It was said that foreign governments had mixed feelings about her—grateful that she was able to recover priceless treasures they thought lost forever, yet frustrated because she would only barter, not sell. In the end, they had no choice but to hand over valuable Chinese artifacts to her.

Later, this remarkable woman returned home, resigned from her journalist post, and began doing business. By the time Qian Jianing was hit by Treasure Bowl in her past life, Li Mingzhen had already led her companies to dominate various industries. She then moved to the northeast to work on forest restoration efforts. Truly someone both admirable and awe-inspiring.

To think that someone she had once admired from a distance was now so close—it made Qian Jianing even more excited about her visit to the Forbidden City. She hurriedly finished her breakfast, wrapped her scarf around her neck, and headed straight there.

Tourism hadn’t yet become a trend in this era, so there weren’t many out-of-town visitors in the Imperial Capital. The swirling snow also deterred many locals from going out. Consequently, after buying her ticket and entering the Forbidden City, Qian Jianing was surprised to find the vast palace grounds nearly devoid of people.

It was her first time at the Forbidden City, so she didn’t rush straight to the exhibition hall. Instead, she walked under an umbrella through the palace courtyards, exploring the buildings with curiosity and leaving a trail of cute footprints in the thick snow. The palace, under the white snow, looked even more mysterious, solemn, majestic, and peaceful than usual.

After wandering through most of the palace, Qian Jianing finally saw the exhibition hall at the East Six Palaces. She closed her umbrella and left it at the entrance, stepping inside—only to find that someone had arrived before her.

It appeared to be a family: a young couple with two chubby, rosy-cheeked toddlers, browsing the exhibits. The young woman bent down and softly explained to her children, pointing to a porcelain piece, “This is called blue-and-white porcelain, a type of underglaze colored ware. This particular artifact is a meiping vase from the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty…”

Qian Jianing knew next to nothing about cultural relics—her visit was purely out of curiosity. Seeing how familiar the woman was with each piece, able to fluently explain the historical background and value of every artifact the kids pointed to, Qian Jianing couldn’t help but step closer and listen in.

The exhibition hall was large, filled with numerous invaluable artifacts. Qian Jianing saw items she had only ever heard about in her previous life but had never seen. Following behind the family of four, she spent two full hours touring the entire exhibit. By the time they returned to the entrance, it was nearly noon. The young woman picked up one of the kids and turned to her with a gentle smile, “Are you a student?”

Upon getting a clear look at her face, Qian Jianing’s eyes widened. That familiar facial structure, the exquisitely beautiful features—it was identical to the Li Mingzhen she had seen on television in her past life. Only now, she appeared about twenty years old, looking sweeter and more adorable.

“I know you, Ms. Li,” Qian Jianing said, feeling her palms begin to sweat as she smiled, “It was too dim inside; I didn’t recognize you just now.”

Li Mingzhen showed no surprise—only smiled faintly. By now, she was a public figure, often greeted by strangers on the street. Qian Jianing, captivated by her smile, realized that calling her merely “beautiful” didn’t do her justice. Her presence and charisma were utterly magnetic.

Unwrapping her scarf slightly, Qian Jianing nervously introduced herself, “I’m Qian Jianing, from Lu Province. I came here to buy a siheyuan. I was very lucky—found the right house just a few days after arriving, and I’ve already completed the ownership transfer.”

Li Mingzhen looked at her in surprise and smiled, “You’re young, but you’ve got a good eye for investment.”

Embarrassed, Qian Jianing shook her head, “It’s not just for investment. I want to get into Imperial Capital University and then open a small restaurant here, which is why I bought the house.” As she said this, she suddenly remembered that Li Mingzhen owned real estate, construction, and renovation companies, so she couldn’t help but ask, “My siheyuan needs some modifications. Do you know where I could find a construction team? I’m not familiar with the area.”

Li Mingzhen thought for a moment and said, “If you trust me, you can contact the renovation company under my name.” She set her child down, pulled a business card and pen from her bag, wrote down an address, and said, “You can go there tomorrow for a consultation.”

Qian Jianing felt like her luck in the Imperial Capital was through the roof. Not only had she bought her ideal siheyuan at a great price, she’d also run into Li Mingzhen at the Forbidden City and instantly resolved her biggest concern—renovation. Feeling elated, Qian Jianing mused, “Maybe Li Mingzhen is my lucky star.”

Unnoticed, the snowfall outside had stopped. A man who had been standing in the shadows stepped out, opened an umbrella, and smiled warmly at Li Mingzhen, “Zhenzhen, time to go home.”

Li Mingzhen glanced back at him, giving him a sweet smile. Each carrying a child, the couple politely nodded at Qian Jianing and turned to leave the exhibition hall.

Qian Jianing stared at their backs in a daze. That family’s good looks were practically unreal. In her previous life, everyone knew Li Mingzhen’s husband was a diplomat, but no media had ever published his photo. Now that she had seen him, Qian Jianing finally understood why he had remained out of the public eye: he was simply too stunning. A man that handsome would cause chaos—better to keep him hidden!

Suddenly, the voice of the Treasure Bowl rang in her mind, “Xiaomi, what are you thinking?”

Eyes sparkling with admiration, Qian Jianing replied, “Isn’t Ms. Li Mingzhen amazing? If you’d landed on her head instead of mine, wouldn’t you have returned to the heavens easily?”

Treasure Bowl gulped and shook its head in fear, “If I had dropped on her, I wouldn’t be thinking about going back to heaven. I’d be smashed to pieces on the spot.”

That made Qian Jianing’s eyes light up, “No wonder she’s my idol. Her aura’s so strong even immortals shy away. I’ve decided—she’s my life goal. I’m going to work hard to follow her footsteps and make it onto the Forbes Rich List with her.”

Treasure Bowl, watching Qian Jianing practically float with excitement, couldn’t help but pour a little cold water on her dream, “Then you’ll need to keep working hard. You’ve only made 100,000 yuan so far and already spent 65,000. Her current assets are nine digits more than yours.”

But Qian Jianing was undeterred, “Everyone starts somewhere! I know I’ll get closer to her day by day. Bowlie, I really think the Imperial Capital is my lucky place. Everything’s gone so smoothly since I got here. Do you think once I get into Imperial Capital University, earning money will become even easier?”

Treasure Bowl wholeheartedly agreed, “Absolutely. There are tons of rich people in the Imperial Capital!”

That unexpected encounter left Qian Jianing in high spirits all day. After leaving the Forbidden City, she went to try the legendary Peking Duck at Quanjude, then wandered around Wangfujing before finally returning to her hotel.

Just as she set down her backpack and took a sip of hot water, there was a knock at the door. When Qian Jianing opened it, she saw the elderly couple who had sold her the house. They handed her a ring of keys and smiled, “We’ve bought train tickets for tomorrow morning and need to get to the station early, so we’re dropping off the keys now.”

Qian Jianing quickly stepped aside to invite them in, but the old woman waved her off with a smile, “No need, we still have some packing to do. Since we’re going far away, we’re leaving behind things like the bed, cupboards, and bedding. So once you move your personal belongings in, you can live there right away. It’s safer than staying in a hotel.”

Qian Jianing thanked them again and walked them to the door, solemnly bidding them farewell, “Safe travels.”

With the house officially hers and Li Mingzhen’s contact in hand, Qian Jianing woke early the next morning and went straight to the address written on the card. Handing the card to the receptionist—a young woman at the front desk—she smiled shyly, “I was referred by President Li. I’m looking for help renovating a house.”

The young girl glanced at the business card and immediately became very enthusiastic, ushering Qian Jianing into a meeting room, then quickly went off to bring a designer.

The person who came looked to be around thirty. Qian Jianing knew that domestic schools nowadays didn’t have specialized programs for interior design, so she wasn’t quite sure about his qualifications. However, she already had a rough idea for her house— as long as the builder could follow her vision, the overall result wouldn’t be too far off.

After a brief self-introduction, the two got straight to the point. Qian Jianing pulled out a piece of paper and drew the layout of her property on it: “I have a siheyuan with two courtyards. The house in the back is basically abandoned. I want to rebuild a house on the original foundation. There aren’t many requirements—just two bedrooms, a study, and a bathroom. As for the front house, I want to convert it into a private restaurant. The main house will be an open dining area and kitchen. The kitchen will be split into two rooms: the inner room for the dish cabinet and vegetables, and the outer one for food preparation. The outer room should have floor-to-ceiling glass windows.”

Qian Jianing paused and glanced at the designer, Li Menglong. He nodded, signaling that he understood. “What about the side rooms on the left and right?”

Qian Jianing thought for a bit and said, “Convert the side rooms into private dining rooms. Each can hold a table for ten people, and I want a classic Huaguo style. The bathroom should be placed in the rear hall, and it might require connecting to the sewage pipe.” She hesitated and then asked the question she cared most about: “How much is all of this going to cost?”

Li Menglong looked at the notes he had taken, then replied seriously: “I can’t give you a quote right now since I haven’t seen the actual layout and dimensions. If it’s convenient, could you take me to see the house?”

Qian Jianing stood up. “Let’s go now then. To be honest, I can only stay here for ten more days or so. I have to return home before the New Year, so I’d like to get this settled as soon as possible.”

Unlike in the future, Imperial Capital wasn’t that big yet. They took a bus and only rode for two stops before arriving at Qian Jianing’s newly purchased courtyard. She unlocked the large padlock hanging on the door and invited him in.

Li Menglong first walked around to examine the layout, then pulled out a measuring tape and began recording dimensions as he measured. By the time he finished collecting all data, an hour had passed. He put away his notebook and gave Qian Jianing a smile. “I need to go back and do the budgeting. I’ll have the design plan and detailed quote ready for you by next Monday.”

Today was Thursday. In an era without computers, a four-day turnaround for a design plan and quote was already incredibly fast. Qian Jianing nodded and arranged to meet Li Menglong at the renovation company at 9 a.m. on Monday.

With the important stuff taken care of, Qian Jianing returned to her hotel, checked out, and dragged her minimal luggage back to the siheyuan. The elderly couple who lived there before were very tidy; before leaving, they had cleaned everything thoroughly. The sheets and bedding had been freshly washed and were folded neatly on the bed.

Qian Jianing hadn’t brought any bedding with her. Plus, the old couple’s blankets looked new and clean—much better than the ones in the hotel. She took a walk around the house and discovered there was a water heater in the bathroom. Excited, she quickly heated some water and indulged in a nice, hot shower.

With damp hair cascading down her back, Qian Jianing opened Xiantao.com and ordered some vegetables, winter bamboo shoots, pork belly, and rice. After several days of eating at small restaurants, she was deeply craving her own home-cooked meals.

Perhaps the landlord gods and mountain gods had their own jurisdictions, for this time the delivery didn’t come from the familiar mountain god, but from a pitch-black, short, and skinny old man. As soon as Qian Jianing opened the door, he bluntly said, “I’m your local land god.” Qian Jianing immediately understood—this was the local earth deity.

After signing the delivery slip, Qian Jianing took the box of meat and vegetables she had ordered. The earth deity gave her a once-over and curiously asked, “You’re the girl who got hit by the Treasure Bowl?”

Qian Jianing looked awkward. So the news about her getting transported by the Treasure Bowl had spread all over the Immortal Realm?

Seeing the look on her face, the earth deity, full of admiration, handed her an extra bag of tomatoes. “You are the first one in tens of thousands of years to dig a reward out of the Treasure Bowl. Truly impressive.”

Dazed, Qian Jianing watched as the deity gave her a thumbs up, then turned and rode away on his tricycle, disappearing from sight.

Qian Jianing wondered if she might just make it into the history books of the Immortal Realm.

****

Every winter, Qian Jianing craved meat. She felt that only meat could give her the warmth needed to fight off the cold. After taking the pork out of the box, she couldn’t help but gasp in admiration. Who knew how pigs were raised in the Immortal Realm, but the pork belly was beautiful—an even distribution of fat and lean meat, and the skin was crystal clear, looking delightfully chewy.

The kitchen in this siheyuan was located in the rear hall. It had both a gas stove and a traditional large iron wok. Seeing the pile of firewood stacked in the corner, Qian Jianing decided to use the iron wok to braise the meat—food cooked this way always turned out more fragrant and flavorful.

She poured oil into the wok, and once it heated up, she caramelized some sugar until it turned golden, then added the neatly chopped pork belly…

Since there was no range hood, she cracked open the windows for ventilation. While the meat was simmering, she steamed the rice and brought out the winter bamboo shoots she had bought. The most tender part of a winter bamboo shoot was the tip—the more tender, the better the taste. These Immortal Realm bamboo shoots seemed like they’d been genetically perfected—every part of them was as tender as a tip.

About forty minutes later, Qian Jianing added more firewood to the stove, reduced the red-braised pork sauce, and filled a small bowl to the brim. She lifted the lid on the steamed rice—the glistening, snowy-white rice released a tempting aroma. The dry stir-fried winter bamboo shoots cooked on the gas stove were also done by now, filling the kitchen with their rich fragrance.

The rear hall was pretty spacious and doubled as a dining area. Qian Jianing brought the food to the table, placed a spoonful of saucy red-braised pork over the rice, and eagerly took a bite. After being repeatedly stir-fried and simmered, the fat in the pork had been fully rendered. The texture was tender and sweet, rich but not greasy, and the lean meat soft but not dry. With just a touch of pressure from the tongue, the succulent meat melted in her mouth. The glistening pork skin was silky with a hint of elasticity, and combined with the fragrant rice, it was a perfect match.

Qian Jianing devoured two big bites of red-braised pork with rice before adding some bamboo shoots to her bowl. Glossy, fresh, tender, and crisp, they were a delight to eat. Alternating between meat, bamboo shoots, and rice, she was so moved by the taste that her eyes welled up. She had always thought of herself as someone who wasn’t picky about food, but a few days of eating out had made her realize—she wasn’t non-picky; she just didn’t fuss over food she made herself. Food from outside really didn’t suit her palate.

Meanwhile, far away in Zibo City, in front of the tightly shut doors of Qian Xiaomi’s shop, a group of people came by with hopeful eyes. Seeing no signs of the shop reopening, they slumped away in disappointment.

After eating her fill, Qian Jianing collapsed into a chair, and it seemed she could hear a group of people crying out in despair: “Qian Xiaomi, if you don’t come back soon, we’re going to starve!”