Jiang Da, unfazed as always, smiled and greeted, “Running errands for the hotel again?”
“Yeah, after this one, I’m off for the day.”
It turns out this young man works for the Li Group and regularly runs errands for two five-star hotels downtown at this hour to buy pancakes. Because of the large orders, he always goes to the back of the line.
Typically, Jiang Da and Han Yunru would finish this order just as they were about to close up.
“Go inside and take a seat. It’ll be about an hour.”
“Thanks, Brother Jiang!” The young man, familiar with the place, went inside. Han Yunru brought him a cup of iced tea.
“Thank you, ma’am!”
“No worries.”
“Whoa, are you hiring new help?” the young man asked, noticing the six men busily working around the place.
Han Yunru replied, “Just some friends helping out.”
“Ah, I see… Your business is really booming, isn’t it?” Six people helping, and they were barely keeping up.
“Not too bad. We manage.”
After fifty minutes, the order was ready. The delivery guy carried several heavy plastic bags to his car.
“Brother Jiang, I’m off!”
“Take care on the road.”
“Will do!”
By now, it was already 10:15 p.m.
Jiang Da wiped his hands, removed his mask, and prepared to close up. He remembered his junior brothers were still there; they’d worked hard all day. He softened his tone, “Where are you planning to stay tonight?”
The six men looked at each other, confused. They hadn’t booked a hotel since they came straight from the train station.
Jiang Da sighed, realizing they hadn’t eaten either. “Fine, if you have nowhere to stay, come to my place. I’ll fix up some food for you.”
San Pang’s eyes lit up. “Sounds great!”
He’d been worried he wouldn’t get a chance to persuade their senior brother.
But… seeing how well this business was doing, no wonder the eldest wasn’t keen on returning to Cao Ji.
However, as good as this business was, it was still a small shop with limited potential for real money. It’d take a place like Cao Ji’s big chain to make a real mark.
….
After closing the shop, Jiang Da and Han Yunru typically rode an electric bike home, but with six additional people today, that wouldn’t work.
Han Yunru suggested, “I heard that after 10 p.m., if the distance is under five kilometers, property management can send a car.”
Jiang Da remembered, “Right, I’ll call them.”
“Eldest brother, where do you live? Is it far? How do we get there? By taxi or bus?”
Jiang Da, finishing his call, replied, “Wait ten minutes. The car will be here soon.”
“Wait here?”
“Mm-hmm.”
San Panger looked around, puzzled. Is there no bus stop here? Special feature of Linhuai?
Before he could complain, two black Mercedes arrived at the shop. The driver rolled down the window and politely asked, “Are you Mr. Jiang Da?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Please get in.”
Still bewildered, San Panger and the others climbed into the cars. Before long, they found themselves inside an elegant villa.
“…S-Senior brother, is this your house?”
“Yes, make yourselves comfortable. I’ll go fix some dishes.” Rolling up his sleeves, Jiang Da headed to the kitchen, with Han Yunru following.
San Panger felt dizzy. The house was incredibly spacious, the crystal chandeliers cast a soft, non-dazzling glow, and the air carried a refreshing hint of mint. Yet, he couldn’t shake off the light-headedness.
Staggering back half a step, he plopped onto the sofa.
The moment he sank in, he felt its supreme comfort—even better than the one at Mistress’s villa.
And that sofa supposedly cost half a million!
Then… how much did this one cost?
A shiver ran down San Panger’s spine.
The others were equally stunned by their surroundings.
A standalone villa, exquisitely decorated, with a front courtyard and a backyard garden. They even had a Mercedes for transportation—this…
Fuman hesitated. “Second Senior Brother, should we… even be here?”
San Panger was speechless.
Da Zhuang looked around, growing more excited the more he saw. “D*mn, I didn’t expect Senior Brother to be doing so well—he even lives in a villa! This place is way nicer than Mistress’s house!”
Ah Biao asked, “How much do you think this cost?”
Xiangqing estimated, “At least eight figures.”
“Hiss— That expensive?! We thought Senior Brother was just running a small shop, making ends meet. But now he’s living in a villa?! Would he even be willing to come back with us?”
Silence fell over the group.
San Panger spoke up, “We won’t know until we try. It’s not like we don’t have a chance.”
“Yeah, we have to try.”
Cao Dou, however, quietly shook his head.
Jiang Da had already made his stance clear—he wasn’t going back to the Cao family, nor was he interested in fighting with that mother and son.
Now, this villa was just another way of telling them: There was no point in interfering.
But his senior brothers didn’t seem to get the message.
Or maybe… they were just deceiving themselves?
Upstairs, Jiang Fuyue and her younger brother heard the commotion and stepped out of their rooms, looking down at the living room from the second floor.
“Sister, it’s Uncle San Panger and the others.”
Jiang Fuyue glanced over. “Mm.”
“Why haven’t I seen them before?”
“Because there was no reason to see them before.”
Little Brother Jiang asked, “And is there a reason now?”
“Maybe.”
“…Oh.” He wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.
Not long after, Jiang Da finished cooking and invited them to the dining room.
The six of them followed, making their way past a partition wall—only to be shocked once again by the sheer luxury and refinement of the dining area.
The table.
The chairs.
The chandelier.
Everything screamed money.
Jiang Da said simply, “Sit.”
“…Alright.” San Panger nodded blankly.
But as the meal went on, none of them could truly enjoy the food.
Later, Han Yunru prepared guest rooms for them, even setting out brand-new toiletries before heading upstairs.
Jiang Da soon followed, but just as he reached the stairs, he ran into his two children.
“Daddy!” Little Brother Jiang called out.
Meanwhile, Jiang Fuyue leaned against the railing, watching with an amused yet unreadable expression—as if she had been waiting for this moment.
Jiang Da met his daughter’s assessing gaze and could only respond with an awkward laugh.
What happened next was a dramatic story none of them expected—
A tale that involved poverty, apprenticeship, betrayal, and unexpected success…
Thirty-three years ago…
Jiang Da was fifteen years old, and his family was so poor they could barely afford to eat. After finishing middle school, he was sent to apprentice under Chef Cao, a well-known cook in the neighboring village.
Chef Cao, full name Cao Dayong, came from a long line of chefs. It was even rumored that his ancestors had cooked for the last emperor of China.
At the time, he only ran a small food stall—selling rice noodles in the morning and stir-fried dishes in the afternoon and evening.
His food was good, portions were generous, and business was booming.
Cao Dayong had a childhood sweetheart for a wife, but she suffered from polio and had trouble walking. Though their marriage was strong, they had never been able to have children.
Jiang Da officially became his apprentice, having performed the traditional bowing ceremony and offering tea. Cao Dayong not only took him in but also extended his support to the Jiang family.
From then on, Jiang Da lived with them, learning everything from washing pots and wielding the wok to tending the fire and perfecting stir-fry techniques.
He even helped his mistress with farm work and handicrafts—hardworking and diligent in everything he did.
Over time, the couple began to see him as half a son.
Back then, their small restaurant was already called “Cao Ji”, a name passed down for generations.
But at the time, it had no proper signboard—just a wooden plank with “Cao Ji” written in chalk, alongside a handwritten menu featuring dishes like stir-fried kidney, squirrelfish, and candied sweet potatoes.
Jiang Da had been an apprentice for two years when Cao Dayong’s “golden year” arrived.
One morning, just like any other, a stranger from out of town entered the restaurant.
The man’s Mandarin was slightly off, but he was very talkative.
Before he even finished a bowl of noodles, he had already analyzed Cao Dayong’s entire business model and revenue stream.
“Small businesses are still businesses. The key is learning how to grow.”
That morning, Cao Dayong didn’t do any business at all.
Instead, he half-closed the shop and spent hours listening to the stranger talk—feeling like he had just discovered an opportunity.
One month later, he took the money meant for a new house and rented a two-story shop in town.
Half a month of renovations later, “Cao Ji” officially reopened—this time as a proper restaurant, specializing in local cuisine.
Finally, they had a real signboard.
But three months later, the business was failing.
The restaurant was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Cao Dayong was losing sleep every night, his temper worsening by the day.
By then, Jiang Da was a competent cook, working in the kitchen as an assistant.
Seeing his master so distraught, he wanted to help—but there was nothing he could do.
So, he secretly used leftover ingredients to make “Da Bao Yuan Er”, a kind of stuffed pancake, offering it as a free side dish to attract customers.
And to his surprise…
Some people actually came back just for that pancake.
Of course, they would still shake their heads at the main dishes—
“The food is alright, but nothing special. Just like every other restaurant around here.”
“But those stuffed pancakes? Delicious.”
Jiang Da was stunned.
That’s when he learned—what they called “Da Bao Yuan Er” was actually just known as “panckes” outside of their town.
One day, Cao Dayong happened to overhear these customer remarks.
And in that moment, a lightbulb went off in his head…
