Male superiority and female superiority: forced love

In the afternoon, Qin Guanzhi came back and went back to the room without saying a word. He did not leave the room until the evening.

"Sir, are things going well at the shop?" Yu Yu looked at him worriedly.

Qin Guanzhi shook his head and did not answer.

"Where's Miss Ruan?" he asked. He'd stopped by Wuping Street today and bought some snacks and rouge, thinking the girl might like them.

"Sister Ruan is in the kitchen." Yu Yu stared at the two packets of snacks and swallowed his saliva.

"What is Miss Ruan doing in the kitchen?" Qin Guanzhi raised his eyes suddenly, and suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart.

Could it be that A Yu asked her to cook?

Yu Yu drew circles on the ground with his feet and smiled awkwardly, "Miss Ruan said her cooking is delicious. Let's try her cooking."

"So, you just let her cook?" Qin Guanzhi held his forehead with one hand and took a sip of cold tea with the other.

Ah Yu had always been clever, so why did he become so confused at the crucial moment? He shook his head and walked towards the kitchen.

The rich aroma hit him in the face, making him quicken his pace.

Ruan Chuyin made scrambled eggs with green onions, pan-fried pork belly and scallion soup with aji fish today.

"Miss Ruan, did you make all these?" Qin Guanzhi walked closer, stared blankly at the three dishes that had just come out of the pot on the stove, and rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"Yes, let me try it later." Ruan Chuyin wiped her hands with a smile and picked up the plate.

Seeing this, Qin Guanzhi hurriedly took it and put it on the food table.

The three of them sat at the table, not even picking up their chopsticks.

Qin Guanzhi and Yu Yu looked at the bright yellow scrambled eggs and realized for the first time that eggs could be fried with green onions.

"Try it quickly." Seeing that their eyes were almost glued to the dishes, Ruan Chuyin urged them with a smile.

She has loved cooking since she was a child, and several of her close friends praised her cooking skills and suggested that she become a food blogger. Unfortunately, she was socially anxious and had a fragile heart, so she had to give up this "money-making" career.

Now that I've traveled to this strange world, I have no real strengths except my culinary skills. I heard from A Yu that Qin Guanzhi was planning to open a restaurant, and since I had nowhere else to go, I figured I might as well repay his kindness and help him out.

Qin Guanzhi picked up a piece of scrambled egg and put it in his mouth, his eyes suddenly lit up.

The fresh fragrance of chopped green onions and the delicate texture of eggs blend perfectly together, with just the right amount of saltiness and fragrance, making it extremely delicious.

Yu Yu looked at the young master's intoxicated expression and quickly picked up a piece. As soon as he put it in his mouth, he couldn't wait to shovel down a big mouthful of rice. He could eat two bowls of rice with just this one dish.

"Sister Ruan, this scrambled eggs is so delicious!" Yu Yu praised while eating.

It was strange. Using the same ingredients, why couldn't he make such delicious scrambled eggs? Was it just because of the scallions and salt? Question marks kept flashing in his mind, and he picked up his chopsticks faster and faster.

Qin Guanzhi's gaze shifted to the pork belly. The meat was golden brown, its aroma enticing. The dish was minimally oiled, appearing clean and refreshing. A bite of the meat's juices burst forth in his mouth, rich yet not greasy, with a subtle sweetness and a rich texture. Most importantly, the dish lacked any hint of muttony.

"Miss Ruan, has this pork been specially processed?" Qin Guanzhi was extremely curious. Even in the best restaurants in the capital or at imperial banquets, one could not eat pork without any mutton smell.

Ruan Chuyin cleared her throat and explained, "To make this pan-fried pork belly, you first need to remove the skin and soak it in clean water for half an hour. Then, add salt, green onions, ginger, and wine and bring to a boil in cold water. Skim off the foam and wait for some of the water to evaporate. Then, reduce the heat and fry slowly until the skin is golden brown and serve. Next time, I'll make a secret scallion oil sauce; it'll taste even better when dipped in."

No wonder it tastes refreshing and delicious, it turns out that pork belly can be cooked this way.

Qin Guanzhi's eyes suddenly became enlightened, and the look he gave Ruan Chuyin became as hot as if he had discovered a golden treasure pot.

"Come and try this fish soup." Ruan Chuyin felt as sweet as honey when she received the compliment.

Green chopped green onions float on the milky white soup, which looks very beautiful.

Yu Yu didn't like eating fish. After hesitating for a while, he scooped a small bowl out of courtesy, silently stirred the white soup with a spoon, and secretly glanced at the young master's expression.

Qin Guanzhi rarely drank fish soup on weekdays. The lingering earthy smell put him off, so whenever he prepared fish, he would usually choose to braise or grill it.

He took a sip and found the soup to be rich and mellow with little fishy smell. It was much better than he had imagined and he couldn't help but marvel at it.

"Miss Ruan, this Ji fish soup is the best fish soup I have ever tasted." After saying that, she picked up another piece of fish, but was surprised to find that there were shiitake mushrooms in the fish.

"Miss Ruan, is it because we added shiitake mushrooms that the soup becomes so white?" Qin Guanzhi was shocked. Every dish that Ruan Chuyin made today brought him the ultimate taste enjoyment, making him unable to stop.

Ruan Chuyin did not keep it to herself and generously revealed the secret: "No. When making this dish, you have to heat the pan before putting the fish in and fry it. Wait until the skin turns golden brown before adding boiling water. This way, the soup base will be white and fresh. Shiitake mushrooms are added to enhance the flavor." In fact, the taste would be better if some tofu and pepper were added, but the ingredients and condiments here are limited, so shiitake mushrooms are used instead.

Qin Guanzhi drank the fish soup silently, his mind full of thoughts, and his eyes gradually became dim.

"Mr. Qin, have you encountered any troubles?" Ruan Chuyin frowned slightly when she saw that he was in a bad mood.

Yu Yu paused with the spoon in his hand and secretly glanced at the master. He thought to himself that he was probably worried about money.

He could count on his fingers how much silver the young master had and how much he had spent. He might as well just sell those ridiculously expensive books. This time, he had pissed off the general and his wife. Not only had their financial resources been cut off, but their official career as well. Even if he took the imperial examination, it would be useless. Unless he brought his wife back home. For example... Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at Ruan Chuyin again.

"I've taken a fancy to a shop in town, but the owner only wants it for sale and not for rent," Qin Guanzhi said frankly.

"Puff." Yu Yu couldn't help but choke. As expected, the young master was worried about money.

Ruan Chuyin blinked her beautiful eyes and asked, "How much does the shop owner want?"

Qin Guanzhi was silent for a moment and replied, "Ten thousand taels."

"So expensive? Sir, the price is almost catching up with that in the capital." Yu Yu exclaimed.

Wushui Town is just a third-tier town. Asking for 10,000 taels is like taking advantage of a young master!

"This shop is two stories high and is located in the best location in Wushui Town. The owner's surname is Chen, and he runs a grain and rice store. He originally agreed to rent it out for 500 taels per month, with a contract renewing for half a year. But he changed his mind a day later. Boss Chen said that the "Hua Manlou" next door is interested in buying his shop for 9,000 taels, and if I am willing to pay 10,000 taels, he will sell it to me sincerely." Qin Guanzhi said in a sullen tone.

Yu Yu lowered his head and shook his head inwardly. Let alone ten thousand taels, even a thousand taels might not be something the young master could afford right now. It would be better to find a way to marry Sister Ruan back home. When the general and his wife calmed down, what would they want?

"Mr. Qin, Boss Chen is only interested in profit. Even if you offered him ten thousand taels, he wouldn't sell the restaurant to you outright. He'd definitely go to Hua Manlou and ask for a higher price. As the saying goes, good wine needs no bush. It's better to buy a smaller shop first to test the waters. If you don't make any money, it'll be easy to sell later." Ruan Chuyin expressed her thoughts. She could tell that Mr. Qin wasn't well off, otherwise he wouldn't have sold his carriage and settled in Xiaohe Village.

Over the past two days, Yu Yu had been constantly sending goodies to her room: silk nightgowns, pearl earrings, jade bracelets, a gilded bronze mirror, and a black jade comb. Besides these, he also bought her three sets of beautiful dresses and three pairs of matching embroidered shoes and socks. He even bought her a larger wardrobe.

She has not been out of the house since she came to Xiaohe Village, so she doesn't know what the prices are like outside, but judging from the quality of these items, they are definitely not cheap.

Qin Guanzhi looked at Ruan Chuyin with a complicated expression, with emotion, admiration and hesitation in his eyes.

Maybe he was really too impatient and wanted to become a fat man in one go.

"How about I go with you to town tomorrow to look for a shop?" Ruan Chuyin suggested. It would be a good opportunity to see what this otherworldly world is like.

Qin Guanzhi pondered for a moment and nodded, "Okay. There are bound to be a lot of people on the street, so why not wear a veil when you are not around?" He had bought two pieces of gauze before, and now they just came in handy.

"Mi Li? You mean you want me to cover my face?" Ruan Chuyin paused. How could I see the road clearly while wearing that thing?

Yu Yu quickly explained, "Sister Ruan, you are so beautiful. If you don't wear the veil, you might be targeted by someone with bad intentions. It's safer to wear it."

"Ayu is right, and it's not uncommon to see girls wearing veils on the street," Qin Guanzhi added.

He knew Ruan Chuyin had fled from elsewhere, but he didn't ask for details, nor did he want to. Everyone has secrets, and Miss Ruan would speak out when she wanted to.

"Okay." Although Ruan Chuyin didn't like this, she could feel the concern of Master Qin and A Yu for her. As a newcomer, it was better to be cautious.