CMWKSD -Chapter 47 The Cunning Couple

Ji Yiqing smiled inscrutably. “Master Wang, don’t be in a hurry. This is only the first one.”

Wang Sheng and Madam Wang exchanged an excited glance. “Young Master Ji has more good things?”

Ji Yiqing took a small jar out of a cloth bag. “Please prepare a pot of boiling water and another of warm water.”

Wang Sheng, trusting him completely, immediately ordered someone to prepare them.

On the table were several small bowls. Ji Yiqing opened the jar. Wang Sheng only saw some white powder and had no idea what it was. A faint, pleasant fragrance wafted from it.

Ji Yiqing scooped a spoonful of the powder into each bowl, then poured in the boiling water and stirred. Gradually, the powder became extremely thick. Then he added the warm water.

The thick powder dissolved partially but remained very viscous, becoming slightly translucent. The light, delicate fragrance filled the room, giving anyone who smelled it a sense of comfort.

Ji Yiqing added a few goji berries to each bowl, then sprinkled a small handful of osmanthus flowers. The delicate aroma of lotus combined with the osmanthus made even Wang Jinnian, who usually disliked sweets, swallow hard.

Ji Yiqing handed the prepared lotus powder to Wang Sheng. “Master Wang, please taste it.”

He repeated the same steps for the remaining bowls until everyone had one.

On the side, Jiu Yue watched Ji Yiqing showing off. This guy really could be a top salesperson, just from his looks and this confident manner. Buy! All of it!

Jiu Yue’s bright eyes fixed on Ji Yiqing. As he placed the last bowl in front of her, suddenly being stared at so openly made his ears flush instantly.

Even while sitting, he could feel Jiu Yue’s gaze, but fortunately Wang Sheng and the others were focused on tasting the lotus powder and didn’t notice Jiu Yue’s slightly audacious stare.

But Ji Yiqing couldn’t take it.

He cleared his throat twice. Jiu Yue was still staring.

His face turned red. Taking advantage of no one paying attention, he gently pinched Jiu Yue’s knee under the table.

Jiu Yue blinked in surprise, looking at him in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Ji Yiqing leaned closer and whispered, “Wife, don’t look at me like that… your husband…”

Only then did Jiu Yue notice his face, ears, and even neck were flushed bright red. Oh ho, still a little innocent, huh.

Jiu Yue quickly withdrew her gaze and started tasting the lotus powder. Ji Yiqing’s skills at preparing it had truly reached perfection.

After finishing, Wang Sheng was utterly pleased. “And what is this exactly?”

Ji Yiqing didn’t directly say “lotus powder,” to avoid giving it away. “White Jade Bowl,” he replied.

Seeing Ji Yiqing promoting it so enthusiastically, Jiu Yue added a few remarks of her own. “This White Jade Bowl can clear heat and cool the blood, relieve constipation and diarrhea, enrich the blood and generate flesh, stop bleeding, disperse bruises, calm the mind, and aid sleep. Besides osmanthus, you can also add crushed red dates, honey, or rock sugar—each gives a different taste.”

“Especially suitable for those with poor appetite or sleep issues. Just avoid combining it with cold-natured foods.”

Madam Wang’s eyes lit up hearing these benefits. “It even has these effects?”

Jiu Yue shrugged. “It’s dietary therapy. Master Wang should know it well by now, right?”

Indeed, Wang Jinnian had experienced it firsthand. Most ancient people believed that medicine carried some toxicity, so few would treat traditional medicine as food. But Jiu Yue’s prescriptions for him, apart from the daily medicinal meals, were mostly dietary remedies. She might not be able to cook them herself, but she knew the principles.

After about a month, Wang Jinnian could not only eat and sleep well but was also able to go outside.

Wang Sheng thought even further. This clearly came from Jiu Yue. Otherwise, how would she know so much? And… did she know even more dietary remedies?

If he could put these recipes into his restaurant… make a dedicated menu for healthful dishes… it would surely attract everyone.

Almost unable to wait, he looked at Ji Yiqing. “Young Master Ji, and this…”

Ji Yiqing smiled. “Master Wang, don’t be in a hurry. This is only the second one. There are a few more. Once my second aunt finishes cooking, you’ll see.”

By now, Wang Sheng and Madam Wang were quite anxious. As business people, they naturally understood the value of Ji Yiqing’s offerings. Perhaps their Wang family could leverage these items to advance further, even entering the core circles of the city or prefecture.

After finishing one bowl, Wang Nuannuan, a little foodie, wanted another but refrained, thinking someone else was preparing food.

Ji Yiqing casually conversed with Wang Sheng. Madam Wang was itching to rush to the kitchen to urge them.

Jiu Yue, having been fed by Shen Mei over the past few days, wasn’t very hungry herself, as she hadn’t really thought about what to eat, and Shen Mei kept creating varied dishes.

Thinking of this, Jiu Yue had Ji Yiqing take out her pulse pillow. Now, whenever they went out, Ji Yiqing carried her small medicine box, making him essentially a little medicine assistant.

“Just in time. While the dishes haven’t arrived yet, let me check Young Master Wang’s pulse.”

Sure enough, everyone’s attention shifted to Jiu Yue. Wang Jinnian, slightly embarrassed, placed his wrist on the pulse pillow.

Ji Yiqing also placed a handkerchief on Wang Jinnian’s wrist. Being out in public, even when diagnosing, they had to avoid careless eyes that could ruin Jiu Yue’s reputation.

Jiu Yue nodded while taking the pulse. She liked patients who listened well—followed prescriptions exactly, did not do what they weren’t supposed to, and this made everything so easy.

“Recovery is good. Continue taking the prescription for two or three more months, and you’ll be just like a normal person, able to live a regular life.”

Hearing this, Madam Wang and Master Wang’s eyes instantly became moist. Even strong-willed Wang Jinnian couldn’t help choking up a little.

After decades of suffering from this poison, he thought his life would be this way forever.

But Jiu Yue told them he could still live like a normal person. That was enough—truly enough.

They no longer hoped for more. As long as he could live like a normal person, no longer sickly, no longer constantly worried about when he might die—they would be content.

At that moment, the innkeeper personally brought the dishes.

Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish was the main dish. The innkeeper brought it himself, along with crispy pork coated in starch and fried with eggs, stir-fried black fungus with green bamboo shoots and meat, and cold sweet potato noodles.

There was also a mushroom-based soup with meat slices cooked in egg white, and a bamboo tray with a whole plate of sweet potato and egg pancakes.

Finally, each person received a bowl of hot, sizzling, numbing and spicy sour noodles.

Oh, Wang Jinnian and Wang Nuannuan couldn’t eat the sour noodles yet—they were still taking medicine.

Ji Yiqing could eat very little; his face had not fully recovered.