Chapter 30

At five o’clock in the morning, Qian Jianing opened her eyes right on time. While brushing her teeth and washing her face, she was surprised to see that Qian Jiafeng had gotten up on his own without needing to be called. Qian Jianing couldn’t help but smile at him. “Taking the initiative today, huh?”

Qian Jiafeng wiped his face, squeezed toothpaste onto his brush, and stuffed it into his mouth. “I can’t have you smacking my butt every day. What if you’re too strong and accidentally kill me?”

Qian Jianing burst out laughing. “Honestly, I think sometimes violence is more effective than talking things through a hundred times. If words don’t work, just start throwing punches—why waste the energy?”

Qian Jiafeng shivered and hurriedly finished brushing his teeth before rushing off to practice boxing. Lately, Qian Jianing had taught him a basic set of boxing techniques. Qian Jiafeng could now perform them in proper form, but since he wasn’t strong and hadn’t learned how to harness his energy, his punches looked more like soft slaps—form without force.

Qian Jianing knew this already reflected Qian Jiafeng’s hard work. After all, his body hadn’t undergone enhancement, so being able to pick it up this quickly was already impressive. But Qian Jiafeng felt much more discouraged. His sister had trained for just over ten days and could already smash through a one-meter-thick wooden stake with a single punch. He had trained for a similar amount of time but couldn’t even shatter a radish. Was his talent just that poor, or was his sister a born prodigy?

The chubby boy was completely puzzled and feeling disheartened. Meanwhile, Qian Jianing was off to the side, vigorously practicing a new boxing set. Each punch she threw came with a sharp whistle, making Qian Jiafeng’s eyes light up with admiration. Having such a capable sister as a role model—with the ever-present threat of her fists—meant that even with no clear progress, Qian Jiafeng pulled himself together and diligently continued his practice with textbook precision.

At 6:20 a.m., little chubby Qian Jiafeng wrapped up his routine and exhaled. Qian Jianing looked at his noticeably slimmer belly and nodded with satisfaction. “Keep it up. Once your boxing’s decent, we’ll start sparring.”

Still blissfully unaware of what sparring with Qian Jianing implied, the chubby boy eagerly nodded and bounded off to take a shower, looking forward to that day eagerly.

The weather had cooled a bit by now. Qian Jianing washed her hands and went to the small shop to retrieve the breakfast she had prepared the night before. It included steaming shrimp wontons, crispy and fragrant spiced flatbread, and some braised meat to stuff into the bread. Qian Jiafeng devoured the wontons and followed up with two meat-stuffed flatbreads before standing up groggily. Qian Jianing glanced at his belly, now puffed up again, and sighed—not so silently—this morning’s effort had been wasted.

After putting the dishes back into the kitchen’s dishwasher, Qian Jianing hurried off to school. The new semester had been underway for some time, and to instill a sense of urgency in the students, the teachers had decided to hold a small exam today, in the same format as the college entrance examination, to gauge everyone’s level and sharpen their focus.

When Qian Jianing arrived at the classroom with her lunchbox, Li Xue had already wiped their shared desk and chairs clean. She’d just returned from washing her hands when she saw Qian Jianing with the lunchbox and immediately rushed over to give her a big hug.

Looking at Li Xue, half-hanging from her, Qian Jianing couldn’t help but chuckle. “Missed me? Or just missed the good food I bring you?”

Li Xue thought about it seriously for a moment and answered with all sincerity, “Both. I craved your delicious food. And I missed the way you looked so cool while cooking yesterday.” She jumped down and slung her arm around Qian Jianing’s neck. “Jianing, Jianing, how can you be so amazing? I totally idolize you!”

Qian Jianing shivered at the cheesiness and shoved the lunchbox into her arms. “Alright, enough with the flattery. Take this and stuff your mouth.”

Li Xue giggled and ran to her seat with the lunchbox. Just as she was about to open it, she noticed the whole class turning to stare at her. She quickly slammed the lid shut and glared at them. “What are you all looking at?”

A boy craned his neck, eyeing the lunchbox under Li Xue’s hand. “I just wanted to see what delicious treat Qian Jianing brought you today.”

Another boy, holding a dry bunsen cake, chimed in impatiently, “We’ve still got ten minutes before class. Li Xue, hurry up and open it. Let me enjoy the aroma while I eat this dry brick, otherwise I can’t swallow it.”

Everyone started chanting for Li Xue to open the lunchbox, when Zhang Tian walked into the room. Zhao Ran quickly stood up and pointed toward Li Xue and Qian Jianing. “Look, she brought food again and now a whole crowd is losing their minds like they’ve never eaten before.”

She expected Zhang Tian to join in her disdain, but to her surprise, Zhang Tian didn’t even spare her a glance. She silently returned to her seat, pulled out an English book, and started memorizing vocabulary. Zhao Ran was puzzled by Zhang Tian’s behavior and approached her uneasily. “Tian Tian, what’s wrong?” Seeing Zhang Tian remain silent, Zhao Ran, knowing her vanity well, decided to coax her. “Hey, didn’t you go to that super fancy restaurant last night? Come tell us about it—we’re dying to know.”

Zhang Tian’s face flared bright red. She slammed her book on the desk and stood up, shouting at Zhao Ran, “You’re everywhere! Can you please just shut up?”

Zhao Ran was stunned by Zhang Tian’s reaction. She noticed others watching her with wide eyes and felt her face burn with shame. Muttering “Crazy,” she returned to her seat and sulked in silence with a book.

Witnessing this brief but fiery drama, Li Xue pursed her lips in amusement and proudly winked at Qian Jianing. Qian Jianing remained composed, pulled out an exercise book, and got to work.

Li Xue looked at the lunchbox in her hands, took a deep breath, and eagerly opened it. Inside were steaming shumai dumplings with translucent wrappers that revealed the vibrant green filling.

“Wow, so pretty!” Li Xue exclaimed in awe. She quickly pulled a pair of chopsticks from her backpack, picked up a dumpling, and bit into it. The fragrant broth and tender greens melted smoothly in her mouth like jade-colored lava—rich but not greasy.

Behind her, the student with the dry bun took a huge whiff, puffed his cheeks, chewed furiously, and gulped it down with water. Savoring the lingering aroma in the air, he took another big bite and managed to finish his bun just before Li Xue closed the box. Another student beside him said sympathetically, “Couldn’t you just have congee and buns at home? Why come suffer here?” He shook his head smugly. “It tastes better this way.”

His comment made everyone around laugh. Just as someone was about to tease him, Wang Yarong walked in carrying a stack of test papers, and the classroom instantly quieted. Though this mock exam did not involve changing classrooms, it used two versions of the test, A and B, distributed alternately among students. Although the content and difficulty were similar, no two neighbors had the same paper.

Upon receiving her test paper, Qian Jianing wrote her name and instinctively skimmed through the questions. Compared to the earlier tests after the school year began, this one was on a whole different level. It was filled with traps and long, convoluted problem-solving processes. Miss a step and you’d get the answer wrong.

Qian Jianing flipped the paper over and began answering quickly. Wang Yarong had invited another subject teacher to help proctor the room. One stood on the podium while the other patrolled the room. As Wang Yarong passed by Qian Jianing, she couldn’t help but pause and glance at her test.

Qian Jianing had scored first in her grade in the opening exam with just two points deducted—a stellar result. She had also been performing remarkably well in class and her homework was meticulous. But Wang Yarong still worried she might be a one-time wonder, so she paid extra attention to her.

Oblivious to Wang Yarong’s presence behind her, Qian Jianing scanned the questions—answers instantly appearing in her mind, even the solution steps flashing by in a blink. Wang Yarong watched as she skipped the calculations and filled in the answers on the fill-in-the-blank questions as if doing elementary math. She was amazed: This girl was definitely a genius. Once she gets serious, no one can match her. Thinking about how close Qian Jianing came to being ruined by Chen Kai, Wang Yarong felt lucky: Thank goodness she turned things around, or she’d have been destroyed for life.

Thinking of Chen Kai, she instinctively looked toward the corner and immediately spotted him tossing a crumpled paper ball onto the desk in front of him. Burning with anger, Wang Yarong strode over and snatched it up before the student could react. She opened it and read the scrawled writing: “What’s the answer to the fill-in-the-blank questions?”

With a cold laugh, Wang Yarong grabbed Chen Kai, whose face still had bruises, dragged him outside the classroom, and glared at him in disgust. “Can’t study and you still dare to cheat? Go home and call your parents.”

Chen Kai stared at the gravel on the ground silently. Wang Yarong glanced at him and said coolly, “If you can’t get your parents here, don’t bother coming back to school.”

“My dad can’t take off work,” Chen Kai mumbled.

“Then have your mom come!” Wang Yarong roared, then added under her breath, “What on earth did Qian Jianing ever see in you? She must’ve been blind!”

Turning back into the classroom, Chen Kai looked once more at Qian Jianing’s focused profile through the window, feeling a bitter emptiness in his chest. It had been over two months since they broke up. She soared back into the ranks of star students like a beautiful butterfly, while he sank deeper into the swamp, more and more unable to reach her.

Qian Jianing soon finished the first side of the test, flipped the paper, and scanned her surroundings—catching Chen Kai’s gaze through the window. She expressionlessly turned her head back and resumed answering. A chill ran through Chen Kai’s heart. He touched his still swollen cheek and let out a self-deprecating chuckle. She beat me up like this, and I still have hope? I’m beyond saving. With a long sigh, Chen Kai strode out of the school.

After English was math, then Chinese—all the way until dismissal. Even top student Qian Jianing was seeing stars by the end of it. But tomorrow was Saturday, and she could finally put down her schoolbag and earn a full day’s wages. That thought felt amazing.

Hopping home with her backpack, Qian Jianing once again filled the incense burner in the backyard and recharged her Xiantao account. Yesterday, Qian Guosheng came home to find a large new incense burner in the backyard and was startled. Qian Jianing had already prepared an explanation, casually saying she wanted to pray to the God of Wealth. As soon as Qian Guosheng heard it was about money and his daughter, he cheerfully cleaned up the backyard, even set up an offering table with fruit in front of the burner, and offered to buy her a God of Wealth statue.

Just as Qian Jianing was pondering the statue idea, Treasure Bowl piped up in her mind. “No, no, if you bring him here, he’ll keep an eye on me. Don’t you still want my rewards?”

Qian Jianing immediately changed her stance and firmly declined Qian Guosheng. “No need. It’s the thought that counts.”

Once the incense had fully burned out, Qian Jianing saw her Xiantao account balance was 200 yuan and couldn’t help feeling delighted. With still half an hour before dinner service, she sneaked into the kitchen and opened the Xiantao site to stock up on supplies for tomorrow.

Xiantao worked similarly to the online shopping sites she was used to in her past life, like Taobao. But due to permission limitations, she could only access the fresh produce section. Out of curiosity, she clicked into the “Immortal Realm ingredients” category and sorted by price from high to low. At the top were the legendary ginseng fruit and flat peaches, their price tags blinding her with zeroes. Shaking, she asked Treasure Bowl, “How much money do I have to earn in the human world to buy just one flat peach?”

Treasure Bowl grinned. “Once you collect enough Wealth Energy to send me back to the Immortal Realm, that should be just about enough for one ginseng fruit or flat peach.”

Qian Jianing trembled even harder and finally asked the question she had been avoiding, “So how much money do I have to earn to gather that much Wealth Energy?”

Treasure Bowl replied seriously, “Not much, not much. Only a hundred billion.”

Qian Jianing’s knees gave out and she fell to her knees. “Dear ancestor—why didn’t you just crash land on the head of a billionaire? One hundred billion! I wouldn’t even dare dream that much—it’s insane.”

Treasure Bowl sighed regretfully. “God of Wealth kicked me down before I could even take aim. That’s why I say you and I are destined partners.”

Qian Jianing pressed down on her trembling knees and stared at Treasure Bowl in despair. “What if I can’t earn that much?”

Treasure Bowl frowned at her doubting tone. “How could you not? Don’t underestimate me, Treasure Bowl. I’ve got millions of treasures and connections with all sorts of immortals. With my help, if you can’t earn that much, no one can.”

Seeing his puffed-up confidence, Qian Jianing felt a bit better. After all, she had already been reborn. Earning money? Piece of cake. Worst case, there’s always the next life—but she had to keep those thoughts to herself, or Treasure Bowl would definitely threaten her over virtual coins.

Qian Jianing closed the dream-level “Immortal Realm ingredients” section and switched to the human world’s supplies. She selected all available vegetables, ordered half a pig, 20kg each of beef and lamb, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, and 30kg of spring water. With shipping, the total was exactly 199 yuan.

Qian Jianing’s eyes sparkled at the perfection of that number. “Bowl, I think shopping on Xiantao is way cheaper than going to the market. Why is the Xiantao coin so worthless?”

Treasure Bowl smirked. “It’s not the Xiantao coin—it’s the human food. These have so little spiritual energy that only the lowest-level immortals care for them. But they grow fast—harvested in a day—so some junior immortals like to farm them.”

Just then, a knock came from the courtyard gate. Qian Jianing jumped up. “My groceries are here!”

Opening the gate, she found an elderly man at the doorstep wearing a straw hat and simple summer clothes. He gave her a curious look. “Did you place the order?”

“Yes…” Qian Jianing trailed off. Was this a Mountain God or an Earth God? “How… how should I address you, sir?”

The old man fanned himself with the straw hat. “I’m your Mountain Grandpa.”

Qian Jianing instantly understood—so it was the Mountain God. She wiped her sweat and offered sheepishly, “Mountain Grandpa, want to come in for a bit?”

He waved her off. “Let’s move the stuff in first.” He opened the sealed compartment on a tricycle and began unloading boxes. Unlike the market where vegetables are packed in sacks, the Mountain God’s goods came in transparent containers similar to modern storage bins but even more crystal-clear. Inside, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, and more were neatly arranged, fresh, juicy, and beautiful to look at.

The Mountain God carried five boxes of vegetables into the yard. Qian Jianing quickly helped with a few more trips, and after four or five runs, all the food was finally transferred. The old man washed his hands and wiped his sweat. “This is that gadget made by the God of Food? Pretty cool airflow!”

Qian Jianing peeked out the yard gate to make sure no one was around before relaxing and bringing him a chilled cup of plum juice. The Mountain God downed it in one gulp and stood up. “Alright, time to deliver the next order. Don’t forget to give me five stars, little sister!”

Qian Jianing sighed. “Got it, Mountain Grandpa.”

After she sent him off, curious neighbors flocked to her doorway to check out the premium-looking vegetables. “How much for your produce? Looks super fresh.”

“This chunk of beef is incredible!”

“Are those tomatoes? Never seen them so vibrant.”

The Mountain God shut the compartment doors of his tricycle, blocking their curious eyes. “Not for sale to the public.”

Everyone was stunned and pointed toward Qian Jianing’s courtyard. “But didn’t you just sell to Qian Xiaomi?”

The mountain god wore an enigmatic expression. “She was just lucky to have found a supply channel. If you manage to find one too, I’ll deliver it to you as well.” With that, the old man rode off on his tricycle. The others tried to run after him to ask a few more questions, but the tricycle nimbly wove through a crowd of bicycles and soon disappeared from sight.

“So mysterious,” someone muttered. The group shook their heads and dispersed.

Since these vegetables and meats were already in their cleanest state and couldn’t be washed with ordinary water, Qian Jianing placed all the delivered items behind the folding screen. She would take them directly from the boxes when needed and cook them with spring water collected in the mountains to ensure the spiritual energy within the ingredients wouldn’t be lost.

Sunday came in the blink of an eye. Guests who had been waiting for a week lined up early, all eager to try the so-called “immortal health set meal.” Qian Jiafeng handed out number tags while munching on an apple. The rich, lingering fragrance from the apple had those nearby sniffing curiously. “Where did you buy that apple? Why does it smell so good?”

Qian Jiafeng took a crunchy bite. “My sister said she ordered it from a special orchard.”

“Is it tasty?” A group stared longingly at the apple in his hand.

Completely unaware, Qian Jiafeng continued munching. “It’s especially delicious. Let me think of a word to describe it… sweet and juicy.”

The chubby boy from West City couldn’t hold back any longer. He charged forward and took a huge bite of the apple in Qian Jiafeng’s hand. Caught off guard, Qian Jiafeng looked down to find half his apple gone. He forgot all about distributing tags and chased after the chubby boy with a shout. The crowd watched the two chubby kids play a game of tag and burst into laughter.

The boy from West City was truly relentless when it came to food; normally he found walking exhausting, but now he quickly clambered up to the top of a tree outside the courtyard gate. Sitting on a branch, he cautiously swallowed the bite of apple before sliding down from the tree with a swoosh.

Seeing his chance, Qian Jiafeng pounced and grabbed him. The other boy swiftly offered up a bar of chocolate from his pocket. “Here, you want chocolate? My aunt brought it back from abroad.”

Qian Jiafeng took it and snorted. “I’ll forgive you this time. Next time you steal my food, we’re not friends anymore.”

Stuffing the chocolate into his pants pocket, Qian Jiafeng went back to handing out tags. Meanwhile, the West City boy was tugging at his grandpa’s sleeve, begging to get an apple too, exclaiming dramatically, “Compared to this apple, everything I’ve eaten before was just a cucumber at best.”

After finishing the apple, Qian Jiafeng went inside and came back with a cucumber. The West City boy sniffed the aroma and nearly cried. “The apples I’ve eaten before aren’t even as good as this cucumber!”

Guests who had previously tasted cucumber slices from Qian Jianing nodded knowingly. Those who hadn’t were now brimming with curiosity. They started chatting about the new health set meals, and when they learned the cheapest one was only 128 yuan, many decided to give it a try. Though this price might seem outrageously high elsewhere, at Qian Xiaomi’s eatery, it genuinely wasn’t expensive.

But once inside the restaurant, everyone was stunned by the menu for the health meals. The 128-yuan set included nothing more than tomato scrambled eggs, cold cucumber salad, garlic eggplant, and sweet-and-sour radish—the most basic home-style dishes. Even if you added a steamed fish, all five items together wouldn’t come close to 128 yuan at another restaurant. The first ten customers stared at the menu, unable to decide whether to try this pricey and humble “immortal meal.”

At last, a familiar customer, Grandpa Wang, spoke up. He looked through the glass at the glistening cucumbers and red tomatoes inside and asked, “Why are the dishes in the set menu so simple?”

“Because these few dishes use minimal seasoning. Prepared this way, you can fully appreciate the natural, fragrant taste of the ingredients themselves.” Wearing a white chef’s uniform, Qian Jianing clasped her hands behind her back and smiled serenely. “This health set meal is a new line, and both new and returning customers are enjoying a promotional price. A month from now, the prices will return to their original rate.”

The old man trembled. “Then what’s the regular price for the 128-yuan meal?”

“One hundred eighty-eight!” Qian Jianing smiled. “Whether it’s worth that price or not, you might not believe me. If you’re willing to try, I promise it’ll exceed your expectations.”

The crowd exchanged glances. Some still cautiously ordered their usual favorites, while the more adventurous decided to see if it was worth the cost. Despite the pain to their wallets, they chose a set meal.

Over sixty years old, Meng Yimin came to eat with her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and little grandson. Because their family group was larger, she ordered the 188-yuan health meal, which included an extra serving of celestial chicken soup and marinated water bamboo, plus a complimentary yam cake and freshly squeezed juice.

Meng Yimin and her husband, Xu Haoran, came from a scholarly background. During the political campaigns, the two were sent to remote villages and endured many hardships. After the movement ended, they were reinstated and returned to their hometown with most of their assets restored, but their health never fully recovered.

Having come to terms with life, they were determined to live as freely as possible. They gardened, bought whatever they fancied, and after discovering the delicious fare at this small eatery, they made it a weekly ritual to dine here. Their son Xu Chen and his wife taught in the provincial capital and only visited every few months. This morning, the couple arrived home, and the excited elders brought them straight to the restaurant.

Xu Chen had hoped to relax and chat with his parents first, but before he could even sit down, he was dragged to queue up at “Qian Xiaomi’s shop.” Once inside, he found the environment pleasant, but the prices shockingly high. His wife, Chang Xiaoran, looked at him and couldn’t help remarking, “These prices are absurd. Last time, our work unit hosted guests at a big restaurant in the provincial capital, and even that wasn’t this expensive.”

Meng Yimin looked lovingly at her grandson beside her, gently touching his head. “Sometimes, more expensive doesn’t mean better. There’s a reason behind these prices.”

Hearing her mother-in-law speak with such clear support for the small eatery, Chang Xiaoran said nothing further and turned to watch the girl cooking behind the glass.

The dishes were all simple, and the only one requiring steaming—the celestial chicken—had been prepared beforehand. Less than ten minutes after Meng Yimin placed their order, everything was served.

The dishes were light and vibrant, and Meng Yimin smiled as she looked over them. “Simple as they are, they look truly appetizing.” She picked up a piece of tomato scrambled egg and placed it in her grandson Xu Mingming’s bowl. “Mingming, try this and tell us if it’s tasty.”

Once, when Xu Mingming was little, he hurt his spleen and lost his appetite. Now ten years old, he looked like a child of only seven or eight. Seeing his grandmother offering food, he politely thanked her but showed no interest in eating.

Chang Xiaoran sighed. “Mom, let it be. The long car ride killed his appetite. I’ll make him some noodles later when he’s hungry.”

Meng Yimin shook her head and poured juice for her grandson. “Then drink some juice first. Don’t all kids love this?”

Xu Mingming took the cup and sipped through the straw. The juice was cool, tangy, and sweet, instantly whetting his appetite. Before he knew it, he had finished the whole glass. Meanwhile, Meng Yimin praised every dish on the table. Though each one used simple ingredients and methods, the flavors lingered beautifully, convincing even Xu Chen and Chang Xiaoran, who had earlier complained about the prices.

Looking at the dishes, Xu Mingming suddenly felt a twinge of hunger. He reached out for a piece of yam cake, took a bite, and found it snowy white, cotton-soft, and delicately sweet with a unique aroma. Without realizing, he finished it and picked up a piece of steamed fish with his chopsticks.

The fish was tender and flavorful, with not a hint of fishiness. Topped only with some scallions and ginger and a light drizzle of scallion oil, it brought out the fish’s natural essence perfectly without being greasy. Eagerly, Xu Mingming ate half the fish, leaving only the bones, then moved on to the next dish.

The four adults soon fell silent, watching as Xu Mingming filled his mouth, swallowed hard, drank a bowl of chicken soup in one go, then grabbed a chicken leg.

Meng Yimin was overjoyed. “If Mingming keeps eating like this, he’ll surely shoot up in height within six months.”

Chang Xiaoran was both delighted and worried. Delighted by her son’s renewed appetite, but afraid he’d overeat and feel sick. Seeing that he had eaten a drumstick, downed two bowls of soup, and was eyeing the wings, she quickly stopped him. “Mingming, you’ve already eaten a lot. Too much might upset your stomach.”

Xu Mingming looked puzzled as he nibbled on yam cake. “But my tummy feels really comfortable. I’m just not full yet.”

Meng Yimin immediately said, “It’s rare for him to have an appetite. If he likes it, let him eat more.”

With her approval, Xu Mingming ate even more joyfully, trying every dish and finishing half a plate of yam cake. Finally, he clutched his stomach with a satisfied grin. “I’ve never enjoyed a meal this much.”

Xu Haoran saw his grandson’s rosy cheeks and was thrilled. He turned to his son and daughter-in-law and said, “You two were complaining about your mom’s expensive choice, but if Mingming eats well, no price is too high.”

With Xu Mingming’s appetite restored, the others enjoyed their meal even more. The five of them polished off all seven dishes and even finished the entire bottle of juice.

Rubbing his full stomach, Xu Chen remarked, “I never knew that such ordinary home-style dishes could taste so divine. This must be what they mean by a return to simplicity.”

After the meal, the family paid and went home. That afternoon, Xu Mingming played in his grandparents’ yard and got hungry again before dinner. He ran inside and shouted that he wanted to eat from Qian Xiaomi’s again. Meng Yimin, amazed by his newfound enthusiasm for food, grabbed all the money at home and decided to take him back for another meal.

Every meal Qian Jianing served was different. That evening’s 188-yuan set revolved around steamed dishes. To Chang Xiaoran’s relief, Xu Mingming still ate heartily without any symptoms of overeating. She was finally at ease, knowing her son’s growing appetite would no longer hinder his development.

That night, Meng Yimin and Xu Haoran lay in bed, talking about the health meal. For years, they hardly got a good night’s sleep—something left over from their hard younger days. Most nights they only managed a few hours of rest with the help of sleeping pills.

“The new health set from Qian Xiaomi is really something,” said Meng Yimin. “So simple, yet so delicious—it feels better than feasting on rich meats.”

Xu Haoran nodded in agreement. “She’s a good kid. Not blinded by profit. Only someone with a pure heart could make food this natural and delicious. People like Xu Chen and Xiaoran think expensive restaurants are superior, but do those places have food this genuine? I think they’ve got a lot to learn.”

While they chatted, sleep crept in. As always, they expected to lie awake for hours, but unexpectedly, their breathing slowed, and they drifted into slumber.

At the same time, many people in Zibo City slept peacefully. Those with chronic bronchitis felt their coughs ease. People who usually had backaches found their symptoms lightened…

Yet no one connected their improved health with the health meal they had earlier. Most credited a recent change in medication. Only one man, terminal with liver cancer and declared beyond help, felt such significant pain relief after the meal that he joked, “Maybe this health meal actually *does* provide health.”

From dawn till dusk, Qian Jianing had stayed busy. Many customers were skeptical of the health set, but those who tried it were full of praise. They never knew that the original flavor of vegetables could taste this good. Seeing such rave reviews, even hesitant customers began to give it a try, and the health set meals quickly became a sensation.

Before she knew it, it was her grandmother’s birthday. Qian Jianing hung a temporary closure notice a week in advance and applied for leave. Since she had ranked first in her mock exam, Wang Yarong approved it without fuss—but didn’t hold back on the homework.

Her grandma lived in a town 20 kilometers outside of Zibo City. Early in the morning, Qian Guosheng drove his motor tricycle, carrying the Qian siblings to Yangjia Town in the Zikuang area.

Both Qian Guosheng and Li Wanzhen were from Yangjia Town, and their families had lived close by. Years ago, they both passed an exam and were recruited into a textile factory in the city. Because they were from the same hometown, the factory’s union played matchmaker, and the two finally got married.

From what Qian Jianing remembered, her grandmother’s family was kind. But they always believed that “a married daughter is like water poured out,” so they never involved Li Wanzhen in family matters, afraid to trouble her.

In Qian Jianing’s previous life, after Li Wanzhen died in a car accident, her siblings had actively helped out. But Chen Kai’s mother disliked them for being rural folk and forbade Qian Jianing from seeing them. Even when her aunts came by, they were turned away. After losing her baby, Qian Jianing felt too ashamed to contact them. She sold her home and moved away, never seeing her relatives again—not until her life ended under a falling treasure bowl.

Noticing her lost in thought, Li Wanzhen gently patted Qian Jianing’s hair. “What are you thinking about?”

Qian Jianing snapped out of it and said quietly, “I was wondering why uncle and the others don’t keep in touch with you.”

“Because they don’t want to trouble me,” Li Wanzhen sighed. “I’m the only one in our family who escaped the village life. Your grandmother always said that it wasn’t easy for me to achieve this. The family couldn’t offer much support, so the least they could do was not hold me back. She told your two uncles and three aunts countless times—whatever happens, don’t come looking for me. Everyone should live their own life. Whoever does well, it’s their own ability, and no one has the right to be jealous.”

In her past life, Qian Jianing rarely saw her grandmother’s family. They only met four or five times a year, so the bond wasn’t deep. Hearing Li Wanzhen’s words now, she was deeply moved. She looked back at her and said quietly, “Actually, grandma really loves you. If it were any other old lady in town, she would’ve demanded you support your two younger brothers—or you’d be labeled unfilial.”

Li Wanzhen chuckled. “You think everyone’s like your paternal grandmother—unable to tell right from wrong?”

Qian Jianing was just about to speak when she saw a man being desperately chased by a group of people, heading straight for their tricycle. Qian Guosheng slammed on the brakes, and the man in front crashed headfirst into the tricycle. He clutched his head and was about to curse, but the moment he saw Qian Guosheng, his expression turned from anger to joy. He grabbed his arm and shouted, “Bro, help me pay them back, they’re going to beat me to death!”

Qian Jianing sneered, shaking her wrist slightly, and looked mockingly at Qian Guocheng: You brought this right to our doorstep yourself.