Chapter 6

"Eldest Brother."

Laughter immediately rang out from the room.

Since the matter involved Jiang Weiping, Rong Xi no longer declined. The Hu Clan was generous: Rong Xi and Jiang Weiping each received thirty percent of the coal stove profits, while the Hu Clan retained forty percent.

Rong Xi had merely provided the designs yet received thirty percent of the profits. Aside from Hu Yulin's friendship and the Hu Clan's foresight, Minister Rong's influence must also have factored into the Hu Clan's considerations.

With the contract between the three finalized,

the Hu Clan hired men to make the implements, while Jiang Weiping served as chief craftsman, overseeing the other artisans. As for Rong Xi, he only needed to remain at home and wait for the profits.

Yet faced with such a fine arrangement, Rong Xi felt somewhat guilty and could not help reminding them.

"Brother Xuan Shi, do you know that honeycomb coal balls are easy to make? Once they appear, any craftsman who sees them will know how to produce them. Their profits will only last for a time."

Hu Yulin understood his meaning, his smile as sly as a fox.

"Eldest Brother need not worry. My father once said that though the profit may be small, the name carries weight. Though we may rank among the lowly trades, we have not lost our lofty ambitions." He curled his lips in a smile. "The Hu Clan cannot rely on charcoal generation after generation."

Rong Xi smiled and praised him. "Your father has great insight."

The Hu Clan had risen through charcoal, but they did not wish to be bound by it. Since they had ambition, Rong Xi would naturally help them.

"Brother Shouyuan's skills are exceptional. I have a matter in which I would ask for your help."

After coming to Great Wei, he had missed stir-fried dishes terribly. Yet iron cauldrons were thick and heavy, making such cooking difficult. Thus, he wished to ask Jiang Weiping to forge an iron wok to satisfy his appetite.

Just as Jiang Weiping opened his mouth to agree, Zishi's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Master, the time has come!"

Rong Xi sprang to his feet at once. His meat!

Author's note:

Please leave lots of comments, everyone~ That's what gives the author motivation! Hahaha.

Chapter 6

The fragrance of meat filled the courtyard. The youth stared intently at the earthenware pot, his gaze intoxicated.

Rong Xi walked over, lifted the lid to inspect it, and instructed the youth, "The meat has indeed braised to eight-tenths done. Put in the Taizhou Salted Fish."

Taizhou Salted Fish was a local dried-fish specialty. Braised together with meat, it brought sea and land together in an extraordinarily delicious combination.

Hu and Jiang caught the scent, and both felt their appetites surge as saliva filled their mouths.

Jiang Weiping had never cared much for food, yet the aroma of this dish was enough to hook his very soul. Time suddenly seemed unbearable to endure; he only wished for the sun to set at once and for the hour of Shen to arrive quickly.

Seeing his expression, Hu Yulin understood his thoughts and could not help laughing aloud.

Eldest Brother truly was an interesting man!

"What was the utensil Eldest Brother mentioned earlier?" Jiang Weiping intended to use the topic to distract himself.

Rong Xi smiled frankly. "To tell you the truth, I enjoy food. I found the dishes here rather limited, so I began pondering new ideas. I was once fortunate enough to see a strange book. It said that with a thin cauldron and a strong fire, one could stir-fry dishes over high heat."

"Stir-fry?"

"A thin cauldron?"

Hu and Jiang spoke at the same time.

Hu Yulin cared about cooking techniques, while Jiang Weiping cared about the craftsmanship of iron cauldrons. Faced with their questions, Rong Xi smiled. "That is what the strange book said. I have not seen it myself, either. But knowing that Brother Shouyuan's skills are superb, I thought we might give it a try."

"Could it be that the coal balls and coal stoves also came from that strange book?" Hu Yulin asked with narrowed, smiling eyes, striking straight at the heart of the matter.

Rong Xi smiled and nodded.

These clever ideas had not been his own. He had only borrowed a few of them and did not dare claim them as his own, so he spoke of the strange book. Whether others believed him or not, it put his own mind at ease.

Hu and Jiang clearly did not believe him.

If such a strange book truly existed, how could only Eldest Brother know of it? Eldest Brother must simply have been unwilling to stand out too much and had chosen to hide his talents.

No wonder everyone in the capital spoke ill of him.

Thinking of Rong Xi's background—his birth mother had died early, and his stepmother managed the household—if his reputation became too prominent, he might suffer others' schemes. To deliberately ruin his own reputation like this was something no ordinary person could endure.

Hu and Jiang were deeply moved and felt even more pity for Rong Xi.

Eldest Brother Rong was only sixteen, while they had both already come of age and were several years older. They ought to protect him wholeheartedly.

With this in mind, neither of them asked further. Jiang Weiping replied, "As for the thin cauldron Eldest Brother mentioned, I will think it over carefully after returning. If I produce one, you will be the first I tell."

Rong Xi knew that popularizing thin iron woks was closely tied to ironworking technology.

Great Wei produced little iron. One portion went to farming implements, the other to weapons and armor. Thus, there was no iron left for common use.

If ironworking improved and iron became more widely used among the people, iron woks would naturally emerge.

The core ironworking technology was controlled by the state. Though Jiang Weiping's skills were outstanding, his smelting methods were ultimately somewhat lacking.

Rong Xi understood the principles of iron smelting. He went to the study, took out paper, and handed it to Jiang Weiping. What was written upon it was a step ahead of current ironworking methods.

Jiang Weiping was an expert in this field. Deeply stirred upon seeing it, he immersed himself in its contents, standing still as a clay statue.

At the hour of Shen, the Taizhou Salted Fish braised meat was fully tender. Rong Xi lifted the lid to look, and its rich fragrance burst forth, awakening Master Jiang from his absorption in the marvelous method.

Liu He promptly brought over the food tray and set the lacquered plates atop it. Flatbreads and soup were both prepared upon the plates.

Rong Xi sat in the seat of honor, while Hu and Jiang sat facing one another.

The three divided sixty percent of the meat in the pot, while all the rest was given to Liu He and his grandfather.

The grandfather and grandson were overwhelmed with gratitude and withdrew to the kitchen, where there was naturally no need to say more.

Hu and Jiang took up their chopsticks and tasted it, their minds instantly intoxicated. The meat was tender, soft, and glutinous, melting in their mouths. The salty freshness of the Taizhou Salted Fish blended with the rich smoothness of the pork, leaving a lingering fragrance between their teeth and cheeks.

Scallions, peppers, and fragrant mushrooms embellished the dish, reducing its gaminess, balancing its flavor, and enriching its color. It was simply a stroke of genius.

With this splendid dish, the two gnawed through several flatbreads. Only when their bellies were so full that walking became difficult did they reluctantly lay down their chopsticks and rise.

"Eldest Brother did not seem to eat much just now. Why was that?" Hu Yulin stood beneath the corridor with one hand on his stomach, asking curiously.

When the meat was divided, Rong Xi had only taken two or three pieces, leaving the rest for Hu and Jiang to split between them. He had also eaten only one flatbread, so his appetite had been quite small.

Hearing this, Rong Xi replied helplessly, pointing at his face, "I am too fat, and it is inconvenient to move about, so I wish to eat less and lose weight."

His skin was white as cream, faintly gleaming beneath the rosy evening light. Though plump, he was clean and graceful in bearing, with an extraordinary air that made those who saw him forget all vulgarity.

"Compared to when we first met, Eldest Brother has already grown thinner. You must take care of your health," Hu Yulin said with sincere concern.

Jiang Weiping nodded repeatedly as well.

"I know my limits. You two brothers need not worry." Seeing that they wished to leave, Rong Xi escorted them to the gate of the residence.

Had he not retained a shred of reason, Hu Yulin would truly have wanted to eat at Rong Xi's residence every day.