Chapter 63

According to the customs of Zibo City, the days leading up to the New Year are the busiest: frying tofu and meatballs, steaming buns, slaughtering chickens, stewing meat—everything to prepare the dishes that will be eaten before the Lantern Festival. That way, meals could be served as soon as guests arrived. But now that all four members of the Qian family were in the Imperial Capital, and there weren’t any visiting relatives, they simply skipped all of it. The kitchen at home was fully stocked, and with two master chefs around, they could cook whatever they wanted at any time.

Although no relatives were visiting, there were still friends and close clients to keep in touch with. Qian Jianing prepared ten jars of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in advance. Though it cost quite a bit in offerings, she believed necessary expenses had to be made. Relationships required effort from both sides—it couldn’t all come from one person.

Qian Jianing also began enjoying a rare holiday: going shopping with her family, playing poker and mahjong together after meals—they had a great time.

Soon, it was the 29th day of the lunar month. Dong Bocheng personally brought a trunk full of New Year’s gifts. He was very familiar with the Qian family’s situation, and this time, his gifts covered food, clothing, entertainment, and daily necessities for all four members—a very thorough selection.

Right after Dong Bocheng arrived, Wang Chenchen, Li Shuling, and Chang Xiaoyuan also came bearing gifts. What surprised Qian Jianing most was that Li Yujun came along as well.

Although the Dong family wasn’t involved in politics or the military, their foundation meant they had connections with many influential military and political families in the Imperial Capital. Dong Bocheng knew the Li family had held a birthday banquet at Home-style Cuisine Restaurant, but he didn’t expect them to pay a New Year’s visit to the Qian family—especially with Li Yujun, the Li family’s eldest grandson and future head, among them.

The Li family was equally surprised to see Dong Bocheng. He had considerable influence in the Imperial Capital, with business ventures spanning a wide range of industries. He didn’t seem like someone who would have ties to Qian Jianing.

Since the Qian family didn’t have a tea room, Qian Jianing simply invited everyone into the study. Shelves lined both sides: books on the left, a wall-mounted apothecary cabinet on the right, filled with hundreds of common medicinal herbs in tiny drawers. The house had been rebuilt, and the study now included a large balcony with two soft sofas and a vintage tea table in the middle.

Dong Bocheng, a tea enthusiast, lit up when he saw the tea table. “This is an antique—it must be hundreds of years old.”

Qian Jianing didn’t know much about the table. Treasure Bowl had insisted she trade virtual currency for it, saying it matched the immortal tea he provided.

Since today’s guests were all important, Qian Jianing generously took out a pinch of the immortal tea and placed it in the teapot. This tea didn’t need rinsing and could be brewed directly with boiling spring water.

Dong Bocheng’s eyes sparkled at the unique aroma. “What kind of tea is this? I’ve never smelled anything so fragrant.”

Qian Jianing replied, “It doesn’t have a name. I got a small amount by chance and have only had it twice myself.”

Dong Bocheng grinned. “Then we’re lucky to taste it today.”

Qian Jianing handed out cups to everyone, the last two going to Li Yujun and Wang Chenchen. She glanced at Li Yujun and smiled politely. “You’ve recovered quite well.”

Faced with the culinary talent and life-saving grace of Qian Jianing, Li Yujun couldn’t keep his usual aloofness. His features were visibly softer than usual. “Thanks to your medicinal powder and meals. I’ve been wanting to thank you in person.”

Qian Jianing waved it off warmly. “No need to be so formal. Chenchen and I are classmates, and you’re her brother—no outsiders here.”

Li Yujun’s smile deepened. “Then don’t call me Mr. Li. That sounds too distant. Just call me ‘big brother,’ like Chenchen does.”

Qian Jianing wasn’t the pretentious type and called him “Brother Li” on the spot. Dong Bocheng, eager to grow closer to her, quickly chimed in, “Doctor Qian, I feel like we’re quite familiar, too. Why don’t you stop calling me Mr. Dong…”

Qian Jianing smiled knowingly. “Alright, I’ll call you Uncle Dong from now on, and you can just call me Jianing.”

Dong Bocheng responded with a delighted “Great!” He felt that this visit was absolutely worthwhile. Making friends with a miracle doctor was everyone’s dream, and he was lucky to have made the move before others realized Qian Jianing’s true abilities.

Qian Jianing lifted the teapot and poured tea into each walnut-sized cup. When pouring for Li Yujun, she said, “Strictly speaking, you shouldn’t drink tea. But this one is different—it’s good for the body. You can drink more.”

Li Yujun nodded seriously. The tea smelled amazing—he was definitely having more.

As they sipped and chatted, Dong Bocheng naturally brought up Qian Jianing’s treatment of his father. “Don’t be fooled by how young Jianing is—her medical skills are truly impressive. Our old man is eating and sleeping well now thanks to her prescriptions.”

Though Chang Xiaoyuan and Li Shuling knew she was good, they were shocked to learn she could treat something as serious as cancer.

Wang Chenchen drank happily and chimed in, “Our Jianing is amazing. Not only does she cook well, but she can also heal people. If I were a man, I’d definitely marry her.”

Li Yujun stared intently at his cup. The tea smelled divine—where could one buy it? It’d be perfect for making tea eggs.

The old fox Dong Bocheng suddenly pictured his sons: the eldest was steady, the second easygoing, and the third the most handsome. Which one would be best to pursue Jianing?
—

On New Year’s Eve, the car the Dong family lent to Qian Jianing arrived early. The driver helped her load several jars of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and boxes of fruits and vegetables from Xiantao.com—these were her New Year’s gifts.

Her first stop was the Dong family. One jar of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, one box of fruit, one box of vegetables, plus a handmade dessert gift box—though it didn’t look like much, only those who had tasted it knew how precious it really was.

The car stopped outside the Dong family’s home. Qian Jianing and the driver carried the gifts into the main house, where the whole Dong family had already gathered—even Dong Lanzhu, who had clashed with Qian Jianing the first time they met. But when she saw Old Master Dong smiling so kindly at Qian Jianing, she swallowed her words. Offending Dong Bocheng might mean losing entry into the family home; angering the old man could mean losing her inheritance. She knew which mattered more.

Old Master Dong’s eyes lit up as he saw the jars on the table. “This doesn’t look like a regular medicinal stew container.”

Qian Jianing smiled. “Didn’t you always say you wanted to try Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? I brought one for tonight’s reunion dinner.”

Old Master Dong walked over and couldn’t resist lifting the lid. A rich meaty aroma immediately filled the air. He waved his hand. “Forget tonight—I could eat this whole thing right now.”

Seeing how eager he was, Qian Jianing stood up and took her leave. Still fixated on the jar, Old Master Dong politely called after her, “Why not stay for lunch?”

“No need, I still have a few more stops. You’d better eat it while it’s hot—it won’t taste as good reheated.”

With that, Old Master Dong found a better excuse. “Where’s my bowl? Why hasn’t anyone brought it yet?”

The second gift was for the Li family. Since Qian Jianing wasn’t very familiar with them, she sent it to Wang Chenchen’s home instead. Wang Chenchen’s grandparents had passed, and every New Year, her family went to the Li patriarch’s house. Considering her close friendship with Chenchen, Qian Jianing gave her two jars—one for Chenchen, and the other for the Li patriarch, delivered through her.

The third stop was the home of designer Li Menglong. He had designed the courtyard home Qian Jianing loved so much—especially the backyard, which fulfilled all her dreams of what a home should be. After half a year in the Imperial Capital, she realized how generous Li Menglong had been in only charging her 30,000 yuan. Though it was thanks to Li Mingzhen’s business card, his designs and help deserved her sincere thanks. So, she brought a New Year’s gift to express her gratitude.

Li Menglong lived in a high-end residential community in the Imperial Capital, developed by Mingzhen Real Estate, with an exceptionally beautiful environment. Before coming, Qian Jianing had contacted Li Menglong, so she went directly to his place with her things and knocked on his door.

Li Menglong was a designer, so naturally the home he designed for himself was quite nice. Qian Jianing glanced around the living room; it looked warm and cozy, with every bit of space used thoughtfully.

Taking the gift from Qian Jianing’s hands, Li Menglong smiled and said, “I’ve heard about Qian Xiaomi’s Private Kitchen and how amazing the food is, but the prices are steep—I haven’t been willing to treat myself yet.”

Qian Jianing immediately laughed, “If you go, I’ll give you a 20% discount.”

Li Menglong smiled as he poured her a cup of tea. “Then after the New Year, I’ll definitely go taste this legendary cuisine.”

Since Li Menglong worked in design and was often involved with properties, Qian Jianing thought about how she now had close to a million yuan on hand. Letting the money sit would only lead to devaluation—better to invest early in property or a shop.

Li Menglong knew a lot about this kind of thing—courtyard houses, apartments, commercial properties—with varying prices and locations. So she made plans with him to go house-hunting together after the New Year.

After finishing her tea, Qian Jianing stood up to leave. At the doorway, she hesitated, then turned back. “Actually, I also prepared a New Year gift for President Li, but we only met once, and I feel awkward reaching out to her directly.”

Li Menglong understood what she meant and smiled. “I happen to be delivering a New Year gift to President Li on behalf of our renovation company. If you trust me, I’d be happy to pass yours along too.”

Qian Jianing let out a sigh of relief and smiled gratefully. “Thank you so much. It’s just… there’s kind of a lot of stuff.”

Li Menglong smiled warmly. “No problem. I brought the company car back yesterday. Just load it into the trunk.”

Qian Jianing followed him, transferring all the gifts into his trunk—there were even two jars of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

An hour later, Li Menglong rang the Qian family’s doorbell. Qian Jianing opened the door, and he smiled as he lifted the trunk. “President Li tried your Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and loved it. Even Mr. Xi couldn’t stop praising it. Here’s a return gift from President Li, along with her New Year wishes—she hopes your business continues to flourish.”

Treasure Bowl flipped excitedly in the air upon hearing the blessing. “A blessing from Li Mingzhen! Qian Xiaomi, you’re going to be rich!”

Since there was an outsider present, Qian Jianing didn’t respond to Treasure Bowl and instead glanced curiously at the return gift from Li Wanzhen. It turned out to be two large boxes of seafood. One of them had several lobsters—each longer than her forearm—waving their claws and looking especially fierce. Were these flown in directly?

Qian Jianing sighed, a bit conflicted. She’d only meant to return a favor, but now it felt like she owed an even bigger one.
—

Garlic Lobster, Lobster Porridge, Cheese-Baked Lobster, Steamed Lobster with Garlic and Vermicelli…

As Qian Jiafeng got chubbier from all the delicious food, the New Year quietly passed. On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Li Wanzhen and Qian Guosheng took Qian Jiafeng and boarded a train home. After seeing her family off, Qian Jianing returned to the courtyard house and felt a deep emptiness in the quiet home. For the first time, she felt truly lonely.

She planned to reopen her restaurant after the first month, so in the meantime, with nothing to do, she bought some fermentation starters from Xiantao.com and began brewing her own alcohol using the recipes there. There were many brewing methods, and she tried them all. Xiantao.com had all the ingredients—anything one could think of—so for her, it was like discovering a new and fun game, and she dove into it with great enthusiasm.

The Imperial Capital University of Traditional Chinese Medicine didn’t feel like a northern school at all—it started classes as early as the sixteenth day of the lunar month. Reluctantly, Qian Jianing had to stop her brewing experiments, pack up her backpack, and head to school.

The New Year festivities were still lingering just past the fifteenth, and every student seemed to carry a bit of joy. When they met, they all greeted each other with “Happy New Year.”

With better living standards these days, people not only ate well for the New Year but also dressed nicely. Even those with limited means would splurge on fabric to make a new jacket. Qian Jianing was dressed head-to-toe in new clothes—a thin cashmere sweater under a long wool coat, and knee-high black boots. She looked stunning.

When Wang Chenchen saw Qian Jianing’s coat, her eyes lit up. “That’s the new style from Wangfujing, right? It looks great on you! I wanted one too, but my mom said it’s too cold and wouldn’t buy it.”

Qian Jianing looked at Wang Chenchen wrapped tightly in a down jacket and couldn’t help pinching her cheek with a smile. “Your body’s a bit weak—you should definitely dress warmer.”

Wang Chenchen trusted Qian Jianing completely. If Li Shuling had said that, she might’ve grumbled, but when it came from Qian Jianing, she nodded like an obsessed fan. “You’re right. I’ll listen to you.”

Qian Jianing chuckled at her dazedly cute expression and handed her a box. “I dipped some candied hawthorns this morning. Want one?”

Wang Chenchen immediately nodded, her eyes sparkling like a squirrel’s as she stared at the box in Qian Jianing’s hand. The candied hawthorns were meant to be shared, so Qian Jianing hadn’t skewered them on sticks. Instead, she laid them loose in the box. Each one was perfectly round, red, and shiny, coated with a clear sugar shell that made them look like little jewels.

Wang Chenchen picked one up and popped it into her mouth. It was cold, sweet, and sour—she squinted with pleasure. Other students noticed and quickly gathered around, grabbing one after another until the box was completely empty.

Wang Chenchen only got two and looked a bit disappointed. “Too slow. I didn’t get enough.”

Qian Jianing patted her head and handed her a paper package, whispering, “These are all for you.”

Wang Chenchen peeked inside and found seven or eight skewers—some with hawthorn, some with strawberries and tangerines, some filled with red bean paste, and others sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Beaming with satisfaction, she hugged Qian Jianing’s arm. “You’re the best, Jianing! I love you the most!”

Qian Jianing let her cling to her arm and looked at her helplessly. “You and that sweet mouth of yours.”

The classroom’s heating wasn’t very strong, so students kept their coats on, which also meant the candied hawthorns wouldn’t melt. With ten minutes until class, Wang Chenchen couldn’t resist pulling out a strawberry skewer and biting into it with a loud crunch, her mouth instantly filled with sweetness.

Qian Jianing enjoyed watching her eat—it was such a simple, pure joy that made her whole being glow with happiness. Just watching her lifted one’s mood.

As Wang Chenchen popped the last strawberry into her mouth, Wang Dong walked in with the report cards. She quickly wiped the sugar from her lips and swallowed the fruit, putting on a serious face.

Wang Dong placed the documents on the podium and smiled kindly. “Happy New Year, everyone!”

The students immediately replied cheerfully, “Happy New Year, teacher!”

Wang Dong nodded. “Now that the Lantern Festival has passed, it’s time to focus on studying again. I’ll now read out last semester’s final exam scores. The school has also awarded scholarships based on your overall performance. If you won, please bring your student ID to the finance office after class to collect it.”

The class buzzed with excitement as everyone started guessing each other’s scores. The top students were especially confident, certain they’d made the list.

“First place…” Wang Dong’s voice rang out. The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to him, waiting for their name.

“Qian Jianing.”

The classroom exploded in surprise. Everyone stared at Qian Jianing in disbelief. To the students of Class One of Traditional Chinese Medicine, she was a unique presence—she had entered the Imperial Capital University of TCM with the highest Gaokao score in Shandong Province, but from day one, she left early every day, only attending the first two morning classes, skipping the rest no matter what they were.

What was even stranger was that no one—neither the homeroom teacher nor the department head—cared that Qian Jianing skipped class every day. Even the course instructors automatically skipped over her name during roll call in the last two classes. Although Qian Jianing was very focused when she did attend class and was often praised by teachers, most students didn’t believe she could achieve much under such circumstances. They all thought the myth of the top scorer in the college entrance exam had ended here. Who would have thought she’d end up ranking first in the entire class?!!

Wang Dongqi glanced at the grades at the bottom and smiled even more brightly. “Qian Jianing scored full marks in every subject and earned a first-class scholarship with the top score in her major.”

The students in Class One widened their eyes even further, looking at Qian Jianing as if she were some kind of monster: skipping class every day and still getting full marks—what kind of brain did she have?

Some even held their heads and howled, asking the student next to them with a sorrowful face, “Do you think when Nüwa was molding me, she forgot to put a brain in? How can there be such a huge gap between humans?”

As the room buzzed noisily, Wang Dongqi tapped the lectern. “Don’t be fooled by Qian Jianing’s frequent absences—she actually spends all her free time studying. That’s how she managed to get such outstanding results.”

Qian Jianing covered her face, feeling a little guilty. She couldn’t help but feel like a college student who had accidentally squeezed into a class for elementary schoolers. Even though she crushed the whole department, she still felt a bit embarrassed.

“Second place: Tan Min…”

“Twenty-fifth place: Wang Chenchen!” Wang Chenchen wrote her scores in her notebook, showing no surprise. She had always been the type of student who relied on luck—smart but playful, with unstable grades. After finally making it to college, she wanted to become more ambitious and learn from the top scorer. But then the top scorer skipped more classes than anyone else, leaving Wang Chenchen unsure how to even follow her example.

After jotting down all her subject scores, Wang Chenchen whispered to Qian Jianing, “My mom said if I made it into the top 25, she’d reward me. Mission accomplished!”

Qian Jianing couldn’t help but laugh softly and whispered back, “I get the feeling you’re not that interested in traditional Chinese medicine. Why did you choose this major?”

Wang Chenchen let out a long sigh. “It wasn’t really my choice. My mom thought medicine would be better for girls. At first, I was upset I didn’t get into a Western medical school, but after watching you treat my brother, I realized studying traditional Chinese medicine isn’t bad either.”

Thinking of Wang Chenchen’s brother, who tore his stitches climbing down from the sixth floor just to satisfy a craving, Qian Jianing burst out laughing. There were plenty of people with cravings, but that was the first time she’d seen someone go that far. “How’s your brother now?”

“My brother’s got a ridiculously good constitution—he recovered super fast. Especially after eating that Buddha Jumps Over the Wall you gave us during the New Year, he’s been full of energy. I think he went crazy with cravings. He was planning to pig out when your restaurant opened, but then he suddenly got assigned a new mission and went back to the army on the seventh day of the lunar new year.”

That made Qian Jianing even more curious. “Your brother’s such a foodie—how does he manage in the army? I doubt mess hall food tastes good.”

“He only acts picky at home. If there’s no meat or it tastes bad, he won’t eat. But once he’s back in the army, he’s like a different person—perfectly happy eating pickled vegetables and plain porridge every day. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.” Wang Chenchen looked a little worried. “But he left in such a hurry this time. I wonder if the mission is dangerous. He’s always like that—whenever duty calls, he just drops everything else.”

Thinking of the long scar on Li Yujun’s chest, Qian Jianing couldn’t help zoning out a little. “Maybe that’s just the belief that comes with being a soldier.”

“What?” Wang Chenchen asked in a low voice. Qian Jianing’s voice had been too soft; she didn’t hear clearly.

“Nothing!” Qian Jianing gave a small smile. “I just suddenly admire your brother a lot. Next time he comes back, tell him I’m buying him dinner!”