Chapter 64

After obediently playing the role of a good student for half a month, just as Wang Dongqi thought Qian Jianing had “turned over a new leaf” and was ready to study seriously, she resumed her class-skipping habits. But there was nothing Wang Dongqi could do—she was a student who knew more than the principal. Even when teaching her, he was always on edge, worried he’d say something wrong and damage his authority as a teacher. Having a student like her was both a blessing and a headache for teachers.

Having rested for over a month, Qian Jianing completely relaxed. But after quietly calculating her net worth, she once again felt a sense of urgency. She was still far from gathering the fortune needed to return the Treasure Bowl to the Heavenly Court. She had to work harder. Once she amassed a net worth of ten billion and sent the Treasure Bowl back, she would do nothing but cruise around the world—no one would be able to stop her then!

Humming a little tune, Qian Jianing returned to the courtyard house and took down the “Closed” sign. At the market, the vegetable, fish, and meat vendors happened to run into Old Tu, who was unloading box after box of exquisite ingredients from his van. They couldn’t help but crowd around for a look. “These vegetables are amazing—how much per pound?”

Old Tu, always friendly, smiled and said, “Hard to put a price on them. You wouldn’t be able to buy them anyway.”

After checking the ingredients, Qian Jianing settled the day’s accounts with the vendors. She had carefully selected these vendors for their integrity and good character. Buying from them was always reassuring.

The vendors rode off one by one on their tricycles, and Qian Jianing invited Old Tu inside for snacks. After spending the New Year in the mortal realm, the Earth Deity looked much more refreshed than before. As he nibbled on immortal pastries, he chatted with her, “Thank you for the incense offerings during the New Year. We all enjoyed it.”

During the New Year, Qian Jianing had gone to Baiyun Temple in the Imperial Capital and burned plenty of high-grade incense for the deities there. For those without dedicated statues, like the Mountain God, the Earth Deity, the Treasure Bowl, and the minor deities from Xiantao.com, she had set up nameplates in her courtyard and kept incense burning for seven days and nights in a special censer she had bought using top-up funds from Xiantao.com.

Back in Zibo City, Qian Jianing had already gotten into the habit of offering incense in the backyard. Since Li Wanzhen and Qian Guosheng didn’t mind, and even warned Qian Jiafeng to stay away out of respect for the deities, she was free to continue.

After devouring a whole basket of immortal pastries, Old Tu took a satisfied sip of tea and said, “By the way, didn’t the Treasure Bowl give you a packet of immortal tea before the New Year?”

Thinking of the unforgettable flavor of that tea, Qian Jianing nodded. “It really was good tea. I’ve been drinking it sparingly.”

The Earth Deity coughed lightly. “Well, the thing is, that packet of tea wouldn’t even qualify as beginner-grade in the Immortal Realm. It’s just a few leaves from a newly-sentient tea plant—not even minor immortals want to drink it. But during the New Year, after receiving your offerings, that tea spirit got envious and asked me to pass along a message: if you’re willing to buy its tea leaves with incense offerings, it’ll list them on Xiantao.com for sale.”

Qian Jianing was shocked. “It’s actually a low-grade immortal tea? But the Treasure Bowl treated it like a treasure! It even got a tea master to teach me how to taste tea and made me buy a special tea table just for it!”

The Earth Deity looked at her helplessly. “You’ve lived with him for three years—don’t you know him by now? He can collect a single leaf for tens of thousands of years. Of course a few ounces of tea is a big deal to him.”

Qian Jianing was speechless for a while. “Alright, even if the tea is low-grade to immortals, it’s top-quality by human standards. Please tell Old Tu and the tea spirit that I’m happy to buy as soon as it’s listed.”

The Earth Deity stood up. “Got it. I’ll pass on the message. You should see it up for order by tomorrow.”

After sending the Earth Deity off, Qian Jianing returned to the kitchen, dumped the old tea out of her big mug, and brewed a full pot with the immortal tea. She tilted her head back and let out a joyful howl. “I can finally stop rationing my tea!”
—

By eleven o’clock, guests started arriving. Regulars who were used to her cooking had developed picky palates. After more than a month without her food, they were nearly going mad with cravings. Guests kept arriving in waves until around 2 p.m., when Qian Jianing finally finished preparing the last table’s dishes. Luckily, she practiced martial arts for an hour every morning and ate three meals a day of Xiantao.com’s fruits and vegetables. Now with her tea upgraded to immortal tea, this level of workload didn’t bother her at all.

Some customers were still lingering outside, but Qian Jianing had already settled in at the prep counter for her own meal. She had prepared a spicy hotpot: half-fat, half-lean lamb, tender and fresh. After dipping it in the spicy broth for seven seconds and swirling it through the sesame oil and chili dip, the white meat was coated in fiery red oil and gave off a mouthwatering aroma.

She devoured the lamb and tripe, occasionally picking some winter bamboo shoots, sweating profusely as she ate. Elder Wang, seeing only a few customers left in the shop, walked over to the kitchen’s glass window and saw her focused on eating. The hotpot in front of her had seven or eight empty plates around it. She stuffed the last slice of fatty beef into her mouth and let out a burp, lips glistening with chili oil.

A line of people had already formed outside the glass. Watching the spicy hotpot, their just-filled stomachs started craving again. Elder Wang couldn’t help but sigh, “Youth is a blessing. I haven’t dared eat like that in ages.”

Qian Jianing, dripping with sweat, wiped her face with a warm towel and drank two sips of immortal tea, finally feeling refreshed. Noticing some customers still inside the kitchen, she looked at them curiously and stepped out. “Is there something you need? Didn’t get enough to eat?”

Elder Wang looked a bit embarrassed. “Actually, I wanted to ask for a reading.”

Qian Jianing was stunned. She never thought anyone would come to her for a fortune reading. She had only learned the skill to avoid wasting her health-preserving vegetables and medicinal meals on bad people—never intended to read for others.

She scratched her cheek awkwardly. “Elder Wang, I never thought about doing readings for people.”

Elder Wang took a deep breath. “Xiao Qian, I know you have the ability. Honestly, if I had more years left, I wouldn’t trouble you.”

Looking at his snow-white hair, Qian Jianing finally nodded. “The kitchen’s still a mess. Let’s talk at my place.”

It was already time for afternoon classes, but she figured that by the time she went to school, she’d have to return in an hour anyway—might as well skip it. What she didn’t know was that the principal, who had been eagerly waiting to discuss acupuncture with her, was quietly weeping in his office. Qian Jianing’s class absences had gone up again. What was this student so busy with all day?

The others had come along to accompany Elder Wang. Seeing Little Boss Qian agree to do the reading, they took their leave. “We’ll head out then. Take your time, Elder Wang. Looking forward to good news.”

Qian Jianing led Elder Wang to her home, and the two of them sat on the sofa. She brewed a pot of tea with the leaves Dong Bocheng had given her and poured him a generous cup.

“I’m actually looking for someone,” Elder Wang said after taking a sip. “I had a daughter named Wang Xiu’er. She went missing at age seven during wartime. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. I ran newspaper ads in Guangdong for a year but found nothing. We asked people everywhere, even in our hometown, but never got any leads. It’s been fifty years now. At night, my wife and I lie in bed and think about Xiu’er. We don’t even know if she’s still alive. We wonder if we’ll ever see her again in our lifetime.”

His eyes turned red, and he took out a handkerchief to wipe his tears. “Before the New Year, I saw you read that journalist’s fortune. On his way home that day, he got into a bloody accident, and the tabloid was shut down the next day. After the holiday, that fake ‘Master Jin’ was arrested for extortion—just like you predicted in three sentences. Little Boss Qian, I believe you have real ability. Can you help me? If you can find my daughter, I’m willing to give you a courtyard house as a reward.”

Qian Jianing was startled. “No, no, no…”

“Don’t worry,” Elder Wang smiled. “To me, Xiu’er is worth far more than a house. If you can find her, I’ll keep my word.”

Qian Jianing took a deep breath and calmed herself. “Then please give me the birth dates and times for you, your wife, and your daughter.”

As an old-school person, these things are etched into memory. Elder Wang picked up the paper and pen on the table and quickly jotted down the names and birth charts of three individuals.

Qian Jianing had studied metaphysical arts thoroughly—face reading, fortune-telling, feng shui, talismans—she had dabbled in them all. On top of that, the skills passed down from the immortals were the most complete and advanced. Even though she hadn’t had much practical experience, she was far superior to many so-called masters and inheritors.

There were many people who shared the same birth chart, so to identify someone precisely, the birth charts of the parents also had to be used as conditions. Elder Wang watched as Qian Jianing calculated something on her fingers, murmuring words under her breath. He stared nervously at her expression, afraid to see any sign of heaviness on her face.

Fortunately, when Qian Jianing let go of her hands, her expression was relaxed. “She’s still alive.”

Upon hearing this, Elder Wang immediately burst into tears.

“Please, help me find her!”

Qian Jianing couldn’t bear to refuse the old man who had done good deeds all his life—nor could she resist that siheyuan. Right now, the Treasure Bowl was bouncing around in her consciousness, threatening that if she dared turn down that house, it wouldn’t give her any rewards for a year.

Knowing full well the temperament of the Treasure Bowl, she was sure it would follow through.

Under its incessant nagging, Qian Jianing asked, “Do you have anything that Xiuer used before? That would make it easier to find her.”

Elder Wang nodded repeatedly. “We have clothes and a swaddling blanket from when she was little. We’ve carried them with us all these years, no matter where we went.”

Qian Jianing smiled with some ease. “Good. Then let’s head to your place now.”

Elder Wang’s home wasn’t far from Qian Xiaomi’s Private Kitchen. The two of them walked for just over ten minutes and arrived. Elder Wang usually enjoyed going out with his foodie friends to hunt for good eats, so on such days, Grandma Wang would stay home alone, eat a simple meal, and pass the time watching TV.

Walking into Elder Wang’s siheyuan, the place looked a bit deserted due to the lack of human presence.

“We don’t live with our son. My wife gets restless, so we only have them come over on Sundays,” Elder Wang explained as he opened the door and led Qian Jianing inside. Grandma Wang, who was munching on sunflower seeds and watching TV, turned her head at the sound. Upon seeing a guest, she immediately beamed. “Oh, whose lovely daughter is this? So pretty.”

“She’s the young owner of that Home-style Cuisine Restaurant I frequent—Qian Xiaomi’s Private Kitchen. Don’t be fooled by her age. Her cooking is better than the Imperial Capital Hotel’s,” Elder Wang said as he motioned to his wife. “Get some fruit for Little Boss Qian.” Then he went into the room.

Grandma Wang poured Qian Jianing a cup of tea and brought out a plate of washed apples, placing them in front of her. She shouted toward the back room, “Old Wang, why’d you leave the guest to me and run off by yourself?”

“Coming!” Elder Wang rushed back out, holding a swaddling blanket and two pieces of clothing. Grandma Wang’s expression changed immediately. “Old Wang, you can’t give those away. They’re Xiuer’s.”

Elder Wang placed them on the table and sighed. “Little Boss Qian is helping us find someone.”

Grandma Wang was stunned. She stiffly turned her head to look at Qian Jianing, opened her mouth, but didn’t dare speak. She was afraid of being disappointed again.

Qian Jianing reached out and touched the swaddling blanket, then opened her Heavenly Eye. Even after fifty-seven years, the blanket still held a faint trace of its owner’s aura, floating just above it.

“She’s also in the Imperial Capital,” Qian Jianing said. The elderly couple burst into tears and laughter at once. “Really? But our ancestors are from Wu, and we lost her in Guangdong. How could she also be in the Imperial Capital?”

“Thankfully, she is. It doesn’t seem too far either. Come on, I’ll take you to her.” Qian Jianing stood up, but after a few steps, noticed the stunned couple hadn’t followed. She was puzzled. “Don’t you want to go?”

“You can find her just by looking at the blanket?” Elder Wang was in disbelief. “Maybe you should do some calculations or a ritual first?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, but it all seemed too casual to be true. He had searched for his daughter his whole life; it had become an obsession. He couldn’t afford to be wrong—he wouldn’t be able to handle the disappointment.

Qian Jianing thought that it would be better to have more evidence when recognizing family, so she suggested, “If you have any old photos, bring them too.”

Grandma Wang rushed inside and brought out an old photo album, her mouth trembling with nerves. “Little Boss Qian, let’s go now?”

At the door, Qian Jianing hesitated. She didn’t know how far away Elder Wang’s daughter was. Walking might not cut it. Fortunately, Elder Wang was a well-respected elder in the neighborhood. Neighbors usually asked him for help, and he rarely asked for anything in return. But today, he had to.

He knocked on the neighbor’s door. A man in his forties opened it. “Grandpa Wang, what’s up?”

Elder Wang immediately grabbed his wrist. “Gangzi, drive me somewhere!”

Gangzi didn’t ask a thing. “Alright, just wait—I’ll get the keys.”

As the Jeep started up, Qian Jianing looked at the direction the mist on the clothes was pointing. “Turn left.”

Gangzi followed her directions, taking a few turns before Qian Jianing suddenly recognized a familiar gate. She couldn’t help but cover her face—how did this end up at the school? Her teacher’s expression would definitely be weirder now.

The car was stopped by the gatekeeper. The old man came over and looked. When he saw Qian Jianing, he laughed. “Oh hey, Qian Jianing! Skipping class and getting sent back by your family?”

Qian Jianing shielded her face. “I asked for leave.”

The old man laughed even harder. “You never go to class without asking for leave anyway. Go on in!”

The car moved again. Elder Wang was surprised as he looked at Qian Jianing in the front seat. “So you’re a college student here? Doesn’t running a restaurant interfere with classes?” Before she could answer, he remembered what the gatekeeper had said. “So you skip class every day to run the restaurant?”

Qian Jianing pretended she didn’t hear anything.

The car stopped beneath the administration building. Qian Jianing jumped out, trying to end the topic.

Looking at the building, she had a good guess who Elder Wang’s daughter was. She’d seen this teacher’s face in class before but had never connected her to Elder Wang.

She led Elder Wang inside. They soon ran into someone she knew—the principal, Li Chengming, who looked delighted to see her and ignored the others. “Qian Jianing, I was just looking for you! There’s a formula I can’t figure out—can you help me?”

Qian Jianing forced a smile. “Principal, I’ve got something else today.”

Only then did Li Chengming notice the old swaddling blanket in her hands and the three people behind her. “Jianing, who are they?”

Elder Wang stepped forward and extended his right hand. “Hello, I’m Wang Xuesen. I’ve asked Little Boss Qian to help me find my lost daughter.”

“Find your daughter?” Li Chengming was confused.

Elder Wang was eager to meet his daughter, who was now so close. There was no time to explain. He looked anxiously at Qian Jianing, trying to suppress his excitement. “Let’s find Xiuer first.”

Qian Jianing gave the principal an awkward smile. She hadn’t expected her first foray into fortune-telling to be so ironic—the person she had to find turned out to be her teacher. At this point, she could only accept it as fate. For the sake of that siheyuan, who cared about her image as a model student?

Qian Jianing led the group upstairs. Following the mist from the blanket, they reached the innermost office. The mist slipped inside immediately. Li Chengming followed curiously, watching his student act all mystical.

Qian Jianing knocked. A woman’s voice responded, “Come in!”

As soon as Grandma Wang heard the voice, she began sobbing uncontrollably. Qian Jianing patted her back gently. “Grandma, let’s go in and confirm first.”

Just then, Wang Xiuling opened the door and was surprised to see a group of people at her office. Fortunately, she recognized someone in the back and asked, “Principal Li, what’s going on?”

Li Chengming had his suspicions, but he knew Wang Xiuling had parents, so he wasn’t sure how to explain.

Qian Jianing watched the mist rising from the swaddling cloth merge with the mist surrounding Teacher Wang Xiuling, rubbed her eyes, and shut off her Heavenly Eye.

Elder Wang supported his weeping wife while searching Wang Xiuling’s face for traces of the little girl she once was. Wang Xiuling, noticing the elderly couple’s unusual behavior, seemed to recall something. Her expression changed and her lips began to tremble. “Come in and sit first.”

A group of people sat down on the office sofa. Elder Wang, now face to face with Wang Xiuling, didn’t dare ask the question, and instead looked helplessly at Qian Jianing.

Qian Jianing glanced at both parties’ facial features and said with certainty, “Judging by the aura from the swaddling cloth and your facial features, Teacher Wang is indeed your daughter.”

What a dramatic twist! Li Mingcheng was stunned. Although Qian Jianing had accidentally read Teacher Wang Dongqi’s face during a demonstration of “look, listen, question, and feel,” everyone had been focused on the medical skills and didn’t take it seriously. Now that Qian Jianing brought up physiognomy again, Li Mingcheng recalled the incident and stared at her in disbelief. How is this straight-A student so talented? She even knows all this old-school mystical stuff! And she aced Marxist philosophy last semester!

No one paid attention to what the principal was thinking; everyone was staring at Wang Xiuling. As she locked eyes with the elderly couple, tears finally fell from her eyes. She covered her mouth in disbelief. “Is it really you?”

She spoke in her hometown dialect, soft and lilting, though the tones were a bit off from decades of disuse.

Grandma Wang immediately responded in the same dialect, “Xiuer!”

The three of them embraced and began to sob uncontrollably.

Li Mingcheng was at a loss for words. Is finding lost family really this simple? Just call a name and it’s confirmed?

Even more shocked was Gangzi, who had lived next door to the Wang family for years and naturally knew that Elder Wang had lost a daughter fifty years ago. But Elder Wang had searched his whole life to no avail, and now this beautiful young woman just walked in and found her for him? It seemed too unbelievable.

Out of neighborly concern, Gangzi stepped forward and patted Elder Wang on the back. “Grandpa Wang, calm down. Don’t cry yet—double-check first!” He wasn’t trying to be difficult, but the Wang family was quite wealthy, and he was afraid someone might be taking advantage.

The elderly couple wiped their tears and handed over a photo album and a piece of clothing to Wang Xiuling. She looked at the little red-flowered outfit and burst into tears again. “This is the dress I had for my sixth birthday.”

Grandma Wang nodded through her tears and laughter. “You talked about that floral fabric for over a year. Your father couldn’t bear to use it for shoes and bought it just for you.”

Gangzi quickly nudged Elder Wang again. Although he was already sure this was his daughter, Gangzi’s concern made him want to be extra cautious. He wiped his eyes and said, “Xiuer, let Dad look at your ear.”

He didn’t specify which ear, but Wang Xiuling immediately turned her right ear. “Dad, you’re looking for my plum blossom birthmark, right?”

Even the birthmark matched—no way it was fake.

“My girl, it’s all Mom’s fault for losing you!”

The three of them cried all over again. When they finally calmed down, half an hour had passed, and the others had already drunk three pots of tea.

Wang Xiuling wiped away her tears, her face radiant with reunion joy. “Mom, how did you find me?”

Grandma Wang pointed to Qian Jianing. “It was this Little Boss Qian who helped us. She took your swaddling cloth and said you were in the Imperial Capital, then brought us straight here and said the person inside was our daughter.”

Wang Xiuling was shocked. How could someone locate a person so casually—and still be right? This was unbelievable!

Elder Wang was overjoyed at having found his daughter. He stood up and clapped. “Little Boss Qian, thank you so much. Tonight, dinner’s on me at the Imperial Capital Hotel. We need a proper celebration.”

Qian Jianing shook her head and quietly reminded him, “I still have to open my shop tonight.”

Elder Wang had originally planned to treat her as the guest of honor, but hearing that she still wanted to work, he immediately waved his hand. “Then I’ll book your place and treat everyone there. Principal Li, Gangzi, you all have to come. We’re celebrating together.”

Li Mingcheng was confused. “Go where?”

“Little Boss Qian’s restaurant—Qian Xiaomi’s Private Kitchen!”

Li Mingcheng’s eyes widened. “That insanely expensive restaurant where one meal costs a whole month’s salary?”

Elder Wang nodded. “That’s the one!”

Li Mingcheng’s eyes grew even wider. “Qian Jianing runs it?”

Elder Wang beamed with pride. “Little Boss Qian’s cooking is extraordinary—absolutely divine! We call her the Kitchen God in private!”

Li Mingcheng swayed, feeling light-headed. How did a descendant of a miracle doctor suddenly become the Kitchen God? Qian Jianing, what exactly is your major?