Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

"Especially this tripe, let me teach you. Pick up a slice, dip it up and down... seven or eight dips, and it's ready to eat. If you cook it for too long, it won't be crisp anymore, it'll become soft and mushy, which will affect the taste."

Gu Nanzhi led everyone in demonstrating how to eat hot pot, and they all followed her example, picking up tripe and placing it into the boiling red broth.

"Okay, quick, you guys try it, dip it in the water..."

Gu Nanzhi looked at everyone expectantly. Now, facing a meal where they had never embraced before, none of them remained skeptical.

Instead, they were somewhat impatient.

The red broth hot pot looked inexplicably appetizing, and the aroma had already whetted their taste buds.

The tripe enters the mouth, and upon chewing, the first sensation is its crispness, followed by the lingering aroma brought about by this unique way of eating it...

"How are you? How are you? Huaiqing? He Mobai? Cangling..."

She was met with unanimous affirmation; this different way of eating certainly made a difference. Who would have thought that offal could taste so good when prepared this way...?

"tasty,"

"Madam, you're right, it's delicious!"

"The texture is just so unique!"

Gu Nanzhi looked quite confident; that was absolutely necessary.

There's no hot pot that can't be cooked to perfection; if one meal isn't enough, have two.

"It's delicious, so everyone should eat more. Cook the other meat slices a little longer..."

As Gu Nanzhi spoke, Jun Yanchen had already blanched a piece of tripe and placed it in her bowl.

"Nan Nan, you eat too,"

"Okay, everyone eat, Huaiqing, you eat too, but just try a little bit of everything. You're not really suited to such strong flavors right now. I made you a medicinal porridge. You can eat more next time when you're fully recovered."

"Okay, whatever you say."

Jun Yanchen couldn't indulge himself too much, so for this hot and spicy hot pot meal, he became the waiter serving Gu Nanzhi alone.

While preparing soup and vegetables for her, he ate his own special portion of medicinal porridge.

With someone serving her, Gu Nanzhi ate to her heart's content.

A hot pot meal was hot, spicy, and satisfying.

Everyone is like this, and under the hot and spicy hot pot, everyone seems more like a family than just a master-servant relationship.

"Madam, the way you described eating it is so delicious! It's perfect for a cool day like this."

"This hot pot is so comforting!"

"........."

After enjoying this hot pot meal, Huai Xu felt even more grateful to his wife. If it weren't for her, he would have already left today, and he wouldn't have had this opportunity to enjoy it.

As expected, one still needs to curry favor with the lady...

Everyone felt incredibly refreshed after the hot pot meal. Even Xu Mama and He Xin'er, who harbored resentment towards Gu Nanzhi, had to admit that this way of eating was indeed unique and novel...

After dinner, Gu Nanzhi and the others gathered in Jun Yanchen's room again. Gu Nanzhi took out several more blueprints, transforming into a little money-grubber.

"Huaiqing, Huaixu, do you want to make money? Look at this, this thing, when assembled, is called a honeycomb stove. This kind of stove is most practical in winter. Once it's lit, it's several times warmer than any brazier, and the whole house will be warm."

It can also be used as a table...

Gu Nanzhi explained at length, and the others listened attentively and began to examine the blueprints.

The blueprints are very well drawn and clearly labeled; any blacksmith could easily forge the desired item based on them...

"You guys take this thing, manufacture it, then do a good job of advertising it, and sell it exclusively to rich people. You're sure to make a fortune this winter, what do you say?"

This thing is quite different from ordinary stoves; it looks really good. These days, with the harsh winter approaching, heating is indeed a problem. Wealthy families, those who are sensitive to the cold, can even put two or three braziers in their rooms...

If this stuff is really that warm, then there's no worry about it selling...

"Madam, is this thing you're talking about really that good?"

"Absolutely, I just forgot about it before, otherwise I would have had one made and brought back for use. You can experience it for yourself when you come."

If we had this stove, we could even put our hot pot on it...

"So? Interested? If not, fine, I'll just go to town and have a blacksmith make a couple to take home..."

Jun Yanchen subtly gave Huai Xu a look, and the latter then spoke.

"Madam, of course I'm interested in making money. I'll have someone arrange it. If it makes money, how much would you like to take?"

"Three parts for you, seven parts for me, since you're the one doing all the work,"

Gu Nanzhi held up three fingers.

Huai Xu thought to himself, "Madam, you really have no manners at all. You even know he's the one doing all the work, and this is already seven-tenths done... Sigh..."

Alright, alright, what can I say, she's the lady of the house.

It's just Panax notoginseng; whether it'll make money is still unknown, so let's not lose money...

"make a deal"

Gu Nanzhi took out the agreement that had already been written.

"Okay, sign and put your fingerprints on it,"

Huai Xu was completely caught off guard. His wife must have a master, so she knew he would agree and had prepared the agreement beforehand.

What else could he say? He couldn't resist.

I had no choice but to sign it obediently.

"Okay, then hurry up and make two for us. It's getting colder and colder. I've annotated all the details on the drawings, so there shouldn't be anything you don't understand, right?"

Huai Xu gave Gu Nanzhi a resentful look.

"No, Madam's drawings are exquisite."

He used to be the one in control when he was doing business, but now, with his wife, he could only obey her.

"Madam, could you please tell me your hot pot recipe from today? I'd like to use it to open a restaurant and share the profits with you."

The young man is quite shrewd; he's already set his sights on her hot pot broth recipe.

"I'm planning to open my own restaurant. I've already looked for a shop in the city. However, it's not impossible for you to open one, but it can only be a branch of ours. Our main branch will take 40% of the profits, and if you open a branch elsewhere, you have to claim that this way of eating was taught to you by Junlan..."

Gu Nanzhi quickly made a calculation in her mind.

Her explanation puzzled Huai Xu and the others. Taking a cut of profits was normal, but why emphasize Jun Lan's name?

"Madam, why?"

Gu Nanzhi and Jun Yanchen exchanged a glance, then their gazes swept over He Mobai, Cang Ling, Bai Cang, and Huai Xu.

"Of course, it's because your master and I are going to do something big in Junlan. Wasn't Junlan previously an obscure borderland? Since the dog emperor has sent us here, we naturally have to develop this place properly..."