Chapter 48

“Come on, let’s get started!” Qian Jianing rubbed her hands together, her face full of excitement.

Treasure Bowl let out a long sigh, glanced at the trash in its own pocket, thought for a moment, then waved its little hand. A lottery interface appeared in front of Qian Jianing.

Looking at the spinning wheel before her, Qian Jianing read the prizes aloud one by one: “A pinch of Immortal Soil — effect: promotes plant growth; a flower petal — effect: fills the surrounding area with fragrance; an evergreen leaf — effect: keeps plants green year-round; a stone — effect: very pretty…”

Qian Jianing couldn’t keep reading. She sighed deeply and tried to reason with Treasure Bowl: “Come on, can’t you dig out something decent from your junk pile?”

Treasure Bowl raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying these things are useless?”

“Well… they’re not completely useless. But they’re all pretty mediocre. Nice to have, but not essential. How about we skip the lottery and you just give me everything? And throw in an upgraded Immortal Realm kitchen set as a housewarming gift.”

Treasure Bowl was stunned by Qian Jianing’s shamelessness. “Xiaomi, you weren’t like this before! What happened to you?!”

Qian Jianing grinned, “That’s your influence! I’ve been learning from you all along! And come on, you’re seriously making me draw for these lame items? Just hand them over!”

“But giving them to you directly feels painful,” Treasure Bowl said, clutching its chest. “It goes against my core principles.”

“Think of it as me helping you lighten your trash load. Do you know how much of that soil you’re hoarding?”

Treasure Bowl sneaked a peek into its pocket and saw a towering mountain. Back when it first gained form, it thought its pocket was too empty and moved an unclaimed mountain from the Immortal Realm into it. That pile of prizes was just a random handful from the mountain.

Treasure Bowl squeezed its chubby belly and thought for a while. “Fine, I can give them to you. But tonight, I want divine cake and osmanthus sweet porridge.”

Qian Jianing agreed readily. “No problem. I’ll even add extra osmanthus sugar!”

“Fine, fine, take it all.” Treasure Bowl waved its hand, and a pile of dirt appeared out of thin air. Qian Jianing stared at the petals, leaves, stones, twigs, and roots mixed in with the soil, momentarily speechless. Treasure Bowl actually blushed a little at her expression, puffing up in embarrassment. “Be grateful! It’s free stuff — don’t be picky!”

Qian Jianing picked up the oddly-shaped stone and asked, “I just want to know — what part of this stone is supposed to be ‘very pretty’?”

Treasure Bowl grabbed it and threw it to the ground. The small stone suddenly grew, standing half as tall as a person. Treasure Bowl winked proudly. “It’s better-looking when it’s big, right?”

Qian Jianing circled it twice. She recalled how decorative stones were quite popular in the future. Not sure if it was this kind though. She figured she’d ask Li Menglong tomorrow to help mount it on a base and find a good spot to place it.

As for the rest of the “treasures,” Qian Jianing followed Treasure Bowl’s suggestions: she crushed the leaf and buried it in the potted plants, placed the petal in her bedroom, threw the soil in the vegetable patch, buried the flower root next to other plants, and planted the twig in an empty spot in the backyard. Treasure Bowl claimed it would grow into a tea tree. Looking at the flimsy little twig, barely as long as a child’s arm, Qian Jianing doubted she’d ever live to see tea from it.

After tidying everything up, Qian Jianing happily ran back to the main hall and looked eagerly at Treasure Bowl, who was munching on fruit at the table. “Hey, about that upgraded Immortal Realm kitchen equipment — are you giving it to me or not?”

Treasure Bowl hesitated mid-bite. “How about this — you buy it, and I’ll give you another gift.”

“What gift?” Qian Jianing eyed him suspiciously. “You better not try to trick me with another tree root.”

“You’ll see.” Treasure Bowl rummaged in his pocket and finally pulled out a sparkling gold bracelet. Qian Jianing’s eyes lit up instantly. “Whoa! You’re suddenly being so generous? A gold bracelet?!”

Treasure Bowl’s eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly stuffed it back. “What are you thinking? No way am I giving it to you! Just letting you borrow it for a few days!”

Seeing Qian Jianing immediately deflate, Treasure Bowl hurried to explain. “Do you know what this is? It’s the bracelet of the Wealth-attracting Child — a powerful charm for prosperity. I wouldn’t even consider lending it out if I weren’t worried your new restaurant would have slow business at the start. This is purely to help you make money.”

Qian Jianing had also been worried about the early days of her new private restaurant. Back in Zibo City, she’d already built a reputation with her food stall before opening a full restaurant — many customers came specifically for her cooking. Word of mouth and curious bystanders had boosted her business. But now, starting fresh in the Imperial Capital, duplicating that would take too much time and effort. Hearing this was about money, she immediately sobered up and sat up straight. “So, how do I use the gold bracelet?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll place it in the courtyard’s wealth-gathering spot. But it can only stay for nine days. If it’s there any longer, the higher-ups might notice. I don’t want the God of Wealth using this as an excuse to dock my pay.”

“You get a salary?” Qian Jianing sat beside him, curious, wrapping an arm around his soft, pudgy shoulders. “Tell me — how much do you make a month?”

Treasure Bowl looked at her warily. “I’m not telling you. You always try to trick me out of my treasures.” He slapped her hand away and summoned the exchange interface. “Hurry up and buy your Immortal kitchen setup.”

Qian Jianing tapped the purchase button, and a little house-shaped item appeared in Treasure Bowl’s hand. With a wave, the house model vanished. Suddenly, the kitchen was upgraded: a new row of dish cabinets, ingredient shelves, dedicated produce-washing sinks, and in the outer kitchen, stoves, ovens, prep tables, and dough stations all popped into place — even complete sets of various pots and pans.

At the same time, air conditioners appeared in all the rooms — main hall, side rooms, and private dining rooms — ensuring a comfortable temperature. A wind chime was added to the front door; it would ring crisply when guests arrived.

Qian Jianing was overjoyed. “Wow, this is really generous of you! And you only charged two thousand extra for all this?”

Treasure Bowl turned away, annoyed. He hadn’t realized the gadget made by Food Elder included free pots — otherwise, he would’ve charged per item. Regretting the missed profit, he grumpily pushed the exchange screen toward Qian Jianing. “See if there’s anything else you want to buy.”

Qian Jianing shook her head. There were many good things, but she was saving up for a Life Extension Talisman. Unless necessary, she didn’t want to waste money.

Treasure Bowl didn’t push it. With a wave, he dismissed the interface and disappeared in a puff. “Don’t forget the divine cake and osmanthus porridge!”

“Got it!” Qian Jianing opened Xiantao.com and started ordering ingredients — especially the sweet osmanthus jam made by Jade Rabbit.

That evening, the chubby little doll sat on a tall chair, one hand holding divine cake, the other scooping up osmanthus porridge. His chubby face was full of bliss, and his voice had a sweet, childish lilt. “Xiaomi, your divine cake keeps getting better! If you make an even tastier osmanthus cake next time, I’ll give you something even nicer for your next lottery draw.”

Qian Jianing pinched his soft cheek. “Deal! I’ll keep working hard!”
—

August 5, Sunday. Qian Xiaomi’s private kitchen officially opened.

Early in the morning, Treasure Bowl ran into the courtyard with the golden bracelet. No one knew where he hid it, but judging from his personality, it was definitely somewhere no one could find.

Following tradition, Qian Jianing lit two strings of firecrackers at the door. As they went off, kids nearby and idle adults came out to watch. Seeing that it was the courtyard at the end of the hutong, the neighbors all looked on with curiosity.

Ever since the house was sold, the neighbors hadn’t seen its new owner. First came a year of noisy renovations by a construction company—building, planting trees, and generally making a big fuss. Some curious neighbors had sneaked around the screen wall for a peek and said the place looked like a grand old family estate, stately and impressive. No one knew what the owner looked like, only that Old Zhang, who had helped broker the sale, mentioned she was a very pretty young woman.

Now, that very young woman was standing at the front gate, nodding politely to the curious neighbors as she brought out a steaming tray of dumplings. Each dumpling was no larger than a thumb, with delicate pleats along the edges and a shiny, exquisite appearance.

“I made these myself—please give them a try,” said Qian Jianing, dressed in a spotless white chef’s uniform, smiling warmly as she held out the tray.

As soon as people heard there were free samples, the crowd surged forward. No one cared that the dumplings were still steaming hot; they grabbed one and popped it into their mouths. The hot-water dough gave the skin a chewy, elastic texture and a rich, wheaty aroma. The filling was made from meat shaved off pork bones, mixed with shiitake mushrooms and broth-seasoned aspic made from pork skin. One bite released a burst of umami-rich juices that could awaken anyone’s appetite.

There were exactly one hundred dumplings in the tray. Neighbors, passersby, and tourists visiting the Imperial Capital all joined the tasting line. In no time, the dumplings were gone.

Seeing the look of satisfaction and delight on everyone’s faces, Qian Jianing smiled and placed a specially prepared menu on a small stand beside the gate before heading back into the courtyard.

It was hard not to be enchanted by her cooking. Those who had tasted the dumplings still felt unsatisfied and wanted to try more. Now that the menu was out, the crowd rushed over, eager to see what else was available—and to check the prices and figure out how many dishes their wallets could handle.

The menu had been designed by Qian Jianing based on future-style menus, complete with photos and descriptions. She even hired a professional photographer to take close-up shots of every dish.

The photographer, Mi Xiaolin, was a foodie himself. The aromas during the shoot nearly made it impossible for him to keep working—he kept swallowing hard, hands trembling as he held the camera. After two dishes, he couldn’t hold back anymore and shyly asked Qian Jianing if she’d be willing to pay him not in money, but in food.

Originally, Qian Jianing had planned to send all these dishes to Treasure Bowl for the immortals who had taught her. But seeing Mi Xiaolin practically drooling, she agreed.

She brought out a stack of small bowls. For each dish, after Mi Xiaolin took the photo, she carefully scooped out a small portion for him without ruining the presentation. By the end, the small bowls filled two entire tables.

After tasting her food, Mi Xiaolin instantly became her biggest fan. If he had a tail, it would have wagged like a jump rope. He repeatedly swore he’d develop the best possible photos for her.

Back home, he pushed aside all his other work and locked himself in the darkroom for a whole day and night, determined to produce perfect prints with no color distortion.

With no Photoshop available in this era, everything depended on the photographer’s skill. Mi Xiaolin, hoping for another free meal when he returned the photos, worked with intense focus to ensure each print had vivid color and clean composition. Knowing the photos were for a menu, he even offered to do the layout and contacted the best advertising agency for production. When Qian Jianing received the final product, she was amazed—it was even better than she’d imagined. The dishes looked so delicious that just seeing the photos made her want to dig in.

The neighbors gathered outside the private restaurant had the same reaction. The dishes looked incredible—too good to be true. How could food look that delicious? They all longed to go inside and order a plate.

But as their eyes reluctantly shifted from the photos to the prices beside them, they were instantly sobered.

“These prices are insane!”

“One dish costs more than my family’s food budget for a whole month!”

“No wonder the courtyard looks like a royal mansion—it’s a high-end restaurant!”

…

Though most couldn’t afford the dishes, everyone still flipped through the entire menu before finally heading home, clutching their rumbling stomachs. Just looking at the pictures made them feel like they were starving.

Sixty-seven people had tried the free samples. Some left because they hadn’t planned to eat out; others walked away after seeing the high prices. Only twenty-three remained. Seeing the crowd thinning, they stepped up to check the menu more closely.

These twenty-three people included local residents, spontaneous passersby, and out-of-town tourists wandering through the alleys. All had been drawn in by the flavor of the dumplings—and all happened to be well-off.

Some didn’t even bother with the menu and walked straight in. Others hesitated briefly before deciding. Inside the kitchen, behind a wall of glass, Qian Jianing stood nervously with her hands clenched. She kept asking, “Treasure Bowl, do you think we’ll get our first customer today?”

Treasure Bowl answered calmly, “Of course. The Wealth Boy’s golden ring ranks just below the God of Wealth’s pouch of treasure. Relax.”

Just then, the crisp sound of wind chimes rang out at the front gate. Qian Jianing exhaled in relief. That sound meant a customer had arrived.

The first to enter was Jin Yongxu, around sixty years old and a well-known gourmet in the area. He claimed to be a direct eighth-generation descendant of Emperor Kangxi’s line. Born in the Imperial Capital, he had moved abroad with his parents after liberation and only returned a few years ago to buy a home nearby. No one knew whether his lineage claim was true, but one thing was certain—he was wealthy.

Normally, in this heat, Jin Yongxu wouldn’t have stepped outside. But today, something compelled him. Sitting at home, watching TV, he felt restless for no reason. Against his own logic, he got up and walked out into the blazing sun. As he approached a crowd near the alley, curiosity drew him in. And just as he got close, someone handed him a tray of dumplings.

Though he claimed noble roots, Jin Yongxu wasn’t picky about where he ate—fancy restaurants or roadside stalls were all the same to him, as long as the food was good.

After years of fine dining, he had a discerning palate. One look at the dumpling skins told him they’d be springy and chewy. Sure enough, one bite confirmed it—the skin was elastic, the meat tender and juicy, the filling richly flavorful. Though he’d eaten plenty of delicacies in his life, this was the first time a simple dumpling had moved him so deeply.

As the crowd dispersed, he walked into the courtyard, hands behind his back. The moment he entered, he was greeted by lush greenery. Maybe it was the dense foliage, but it felt noticeably cooler and more refreshing inside.

Just as he was about to enter the main room, a large ornamental rock in the yard caught his eye. He circled it curiously, unable to tell where it came from, but admiring its indescribable beauty.

As he stood there, several others who had read the menu began trickling in. Jin Yongxu gave the stone one last glance and followed them inside.

The first impression inside the main room was spaciousness, elegance, and cool comfort. Though the glass-walled kitchen on the east side felt a bit out of place, Jin Yongxu found it enjoyable to watch the chef at work—it added to the experience of dining.

Seeing the guests arrive, Qian Jianing relaxed slightly. She distributed menus to the tables and smiled sweetly. “It looks like most of you came alone or in pairs. You’re welcome to order à la carte, or if you’d like to try more dishes, you can choose a set meal. Just give me a price range and I’ll take care of the rest—meat, veggies, soup, and staple dishes. The portions might be smaller, but you’ll get a full variety.”

Jin Yongxu closed his menu and waved her over. “I’ll take a set meal,” he said. Then, thinking of the menu prices, he added, “Budget: three hundred yuan.”

Qian Jianing nodded and said with a bright smile, “We require payment in advance here.”

Jin Yongxu was glad he had the habit of carrying a bag with him. Otherwise, given the dining standards here, he might have had to pawn his gold watch to pay for the meal. The other guests had also just happened to pass by and weren’t in groups of friends—most were alone or in pairs. It would be hard to sample much by ordering à la carte, so they all chose set meals instead. Some opted for the 200 yuan set, others the 300 yuan one. After stating their preferences, they let Qian Jianing decide the menu.

All the ingredients in the kitchen had already been washed and drained. Qian Jianing brought out a tub of large, lively crabs from the inner room, quickly cleaned and shelled them, and picked out the white crab meat. She added fish lips and simmered them in a rich broth made from old duck, Jinhua ham, dried scallops, and conpoy. This became the first dish of the day—Crab Roe with Fish Lips.

Jin Yongxu looked at the small covered bowl in front of him. The golden broth of the crab roe and fish lips was rich and flavorful, moist and tender. With just a touch of vinegar added before serving, the dish burst with umami the moment it entered the mouth.

The second dish Qian Jianing prepared was Vegetarian Goose, made by wrapping mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and assorted vegetables in moist tofu skin, then frying and smoking it. The flavor was delicious and even more refined and mellow than real goose meat.

The third dish on Jin Yongxu’s table was Stir-Fried Chicken Breast, originally created in the Qing Dynasty’s imperial kitchen and supposedly once featured in the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast. Though Jin Yongxu claimed to be a descendant of royalty, the Qing dynasty had already fallen by the time he was born, so he’d never tasted the authentic version. Still, the ingredients for this dish were simple and easy to handle—the chicken breast was tender and smooth without the dryness usually associated with it, tasting even better than regular chicken.

Next came Three-Shrimp Tofu, Pan-Seared Egg Custard, and Stir-Fried Water Bamboo. Once everything had been served and eaten, Qian Jianing brought out a bowl of Pearl Meatball Soup and a portion of white rice to complete the set meal.

Jin Yongxu noticed there wasn’t much rice in the bowl, but each grain was pristine, white, and translucent. The aroma hit him even before he tasted it. He picked up a small amount with his chopsticks and took a bite—it was springy, smooth, and carried a lingering fragrance.

“What kind of rice is this? It’s incredibly delicious.” He couldn’t help but take another bite, his face showing deep thought. “It’s softer than Dongbei Da Mi, clearer in color than Liulin tribute rice, and more fragrant than Imperial Rice. I’ve never tasted a variety like this before.”

The small bowl of rice only took about ten bites to finish. Jin Yongxu felt unsatisfied. As Qian Jianing came out with another dish, he waved to her, unable to resist asking, “Boss, where does this rice come from?”

Qian Jianing gave a sweet smile. “I’m not entirely sure. I bought it from a supplier. I heard it’s cultivated in the mountains by themselves. It has extremely low yield and a high price, and it’s not usually sold to outsiders.”

Watching Qian Jianing walk back into the kitchen, Jin Yongxu’s face showed admiration. Who would have thought that in a small alley in the Imperial Capital, one could enjoy such rare delicacies and exotic ingredients? He felt incredibly lucky.

Thinking of that thick menu, Jin Yongxu felt like his meals for the coming year were already taken care of.