Chapter 29: Not Marriage, but Investment
Everyone watched with wide eyes as Ye Ning and the matriarch of the Jiang family walked into the small noodle stall, their expressions first confused at the suddenness, then shocked.
“Look at Ning Ger! Without the Zhou family, he’s climbed onto an even better branch.”
“Right? Compared to the Jiang family, what even is the Zhou family?”
“Oh, Fang Niulao couple, you two really had no foresight. You cut ties with Ning Ger earlier, and now you regret it, don’t you?”
To deny regret was impossible. Mother Ye felt her heart churn like hot oil, anxiously watching Ye Ning’s back. She whispered softly to Father Ye, “Old man, should we… go talk to Ning Ger?”
Although her voice was low, others still overheard and laughed: “Yes! Fang Niulao, you should swallow your pride and beg Ning Ger. Who knows? Your Ye family might rise to glory too!”
Father Ye’s face darkened like a cloud of smoke. Trembling with anger, the thought of losing face enraged him. He shoved Mother Ye aside and stomped his cane, shouting, “No one is to go find Ye Ning! Our family has long been cut off from him. I will not have a bastard like him in my house!”
Having said that, he turned sharply and strode away.
“Oh! That stubborn old man…”
Mother Ye slapped her thigh in frustration. “At a time like this, why care so much about face?!”
She had no choice. Feeling extremely reluctant, she stole one last glance at the noodle stall before following Father Ye.
Ye Ning entered the small noodle stall and invited the matriarch to sit.
The stall was still too small to have been renovated; from the counter, one could see straight into the kitchen. The matriarch laughed, covering her mouth with her handkerchief: “I wondered where that basket of fresh Sichuan pepper leaves had gone. Turns out Xin’er brought them here.”
Ye Ning said, “Indeed, it was just now brought by Young Master Jiang. If Madam Jiang still wants them, I merely picked the tender shoots and haven’t processed them yet. You can take them back if you wish.”
“No need,” the matriarch waved her hand. “These pepper leaves are precious, only available at this season. Our chefs rarely know how to handle them properly. They either grind them into powder or use just a couple of leaves for flavor. They call it rare, but I think it’s a waste. Since my son brought them for you, you should just accept them.”
Ye Ning didn’t hesitate. “Very well. I’ll prepare the pepper leaves shortly. Madam Jiang, you’ll be the first to taste them.”
Jiang Changxin chimed in, “I want to eat too.”
The matriarch was astonished. “Xin’er, you want to eat them? You usually dislike strong aromas. Pepper leaves are very fragrant.”
Indeed, while the scent was not pungent, it was a strong flavor for Jiang Changxin.
Determined to show that Ye Ning was special to him, he nodded resolutely: “If Ye Ning made it, I’ll eat it!”
The matriarch laughed, charmed by his antics. “See, I wasn’t wrong about him. Ye Ning, to Xin’er, you really are different…”
She looked at Jiang Changxin. “Xin’er, go play for a bit. Don’t wander far. Come back shortly.”
Jiang Changxin understood; his mother was likely there to speak about marriage. He nodded happily and left the noodle stall.
Ye Ning spoke first. “I haven’t yet thanked Madam Jiang for earlier.”
The matriarch smiled. “I wasn’t here just to help you out. I came to talk about marriage, truly.”
Ye Ning was stunned, momentarily speechless.
Though he didn’t speak much, Ye Ning was sharp-witted. Anyone trying to out-argue him usually had to weigh their words carefully; in everyday life, he often left others speechless in debates.
The matriarch said, “I’ve never seen Xin’er so fond of someone. He’s my son, so I know him well. Don’t be fooled by his constant smiles—except for us and his grandfather, he rarely pays attention to anyone else. But you… since he met you, he always wants to be around you.”
She paused, then added, “In short, Xin’er likes you.”
“Of course…”
A trace of bitterness appeared in the matriarch’s smile. “I also know Xin’er… has a mental deficiency. My Jiang family values reason. If you don’t fancy Xin’er, we won’t force you.”
Ye Ning didn’t respond directly. Instead, he asked abruptly, “Perhaps Madam Jiang has heard? The village says I fell into an ice hole before the new year and damaged my body, so I may never be able to have children.”
For a Ger, infertility was a massive scandal. If married, he could be sent away; if unmarried, he might never find a suitable match.
Ye Ning, a modern-minded straight man, felt no sadness about the news. In fact, he was secretly relieved—he could even use it as a shield if needed to decline the Jiang family’s proposal.
The matriarch was slightly surprised by his sudden mention. Infertility for a Ger was a huge matter. She hesitated briefly, carefully choosing her words to avoid hurting Ye Ning’s pride.
Finally, she spoke softly, smiling casually. “Perhaps you haven’t heard. I’ll tell you a secret. Don’t tell anyone else…”
She took a deep breath. “Actually—Xin’er is not my biological son. My husband and I never had children. Perhaps we lacked the fortune. We took medicine, consulted shamans, but in the end, Old Master brought home a sickly little boy from outside. That was Xin’er…”
She fell into memories, sighing. “When he first came, he was sick and injured, barely alive. Old Master said he rescued him from a band of bandits while returning to the countryside after resigning. His biological parents were gone. So pitiful… When I saw him, I couldn’t help but feel compassion. Perhaps it was fate. Even though I couldn’t have children, I still wanted to be a mother.”
Ye Ning naturally understood that Jiang Changxin was not Madam Jiang’s biological son. He also knew what she didn’t: that Xin’er was actually a prince of the current emperor, the legitimate son of the late Empress Cheng, who had been displaced. Eventually, he would be sought and returned.
Unfortunately…
When Jiang Changxin returned to the grand palace, the Jiang family, having harbored an “imperial offender,” was exposed by the Zhou family and exterminated by the eunuch faction. Old Master Jiang, Master Jiang, and even the matriarch all met tragic deaths, their remains lost.
Ye Ning hadn’t expected the matriarch to confide this to him. By telling him, it confirmed that Madam Jiang could not bear children—a huge scandal.
Ye Ning hesitated. “Why would Madam Jiang tell Ye Ning this?”
The matriarch smiled. “I just want you to know that everyone has flaws. Don’t get hung up on one point. If others look down on you, it’s their blindness. Look at me—I still live well, don’t I?”
Ye Ning felt a surge of gratitude for her honesty. But frankly… he was a straight man; he could not marry another man.
The matriarch noticed his hesitation. “You don’t need to rush to refuse me. Listen to what I have to say next…”
She stood up and looked around, saying, “I know your cooking skills are excellent, you have talent, and you have many fresh ideas. You want to open a big shop, but this small noodle stall is far too cramped, restricting you and not allowing you to fully display your talent… If you were to join our Jiang family, I could invest in your noodle stall. The stall would still be yours to run; you’d just give me a portion of the profits each year. Even if the business didn’t do well, it would still be considered mine—I’d cover the difference for you.”
Ye Ning looked at the matriarch of the Jiang family. Wait… had Madam Jiang just switched to talking business?
“In Qingtian Village, your noodle stall is number one, but do you really want to limit yourself to just this village? With your skills, you could open stalls in the county, the city, even the capital, expanding across all of Great Liang. Wouldn’t you need someone to support you in that?”
The matriarch smiled. “Not hiding anything from you, my natal family, the Quan family, are the best at business. I grew up balancing accounts and serving meals, so for these miscellaneous matters, why not leave them to me?”
“And that’s not all,” she continued. “Fang Niulao, do you think that because your engagement with the Ye family was broken, you have no future troubles? If they see your noodle business grow, wouldn’t they try to leech off you? You won’t have to deal with it; I can handle it for you.”
“Your talent and skill shouldn’t be wasted on trivial matters. Focus on cooking, running your business, and doing what you love and enjoy—that’s enough.”
Ye Ning’s mind stirred. He had to admit, Madam Jiang’s words were compelling. His usual weaknesses—family squabbles, trivial household affairs—were things he did not want to deal with. If someone could handle them, it would be perfect.
Running a business was not easy, especially a big one: finding shop locations, decorating, hiring staff, managing operations—all required expertise. Ye Ning had never done this before; he was a novice. With someone’s help, the effort would be halved and results doubled.
And regarding the Jiang family… what rare spices, seasonal fruits, and vegetables they had! Compared to piles of gold and silver, these were Ye Ning’s true favorites. In the apocalyptic days, he had dreamed of seeing fresh pepper leaves again. Now that he was here, he didn’t need to go hungry to dream.
Most importantly…
Jiang Changxin was a prince, destined to be found, appointed crown prince, inherit the throne, and ascend to supreme power. If Ye Ning established good relations with him, he could also enjoy protection in the future.
Thinking this through, Ye Ning realized this didn’t feel like marrying—it felt like investing.
Moreover, Jiang Changxin was still a naive, innocent boy. He only smiled foolishly at Ye Ning and had no understanding of love. Marrying someone so innocent meant Ye Ning didn’t need to worry about romantic complications, right?
Ye Ning ran the numbers in his head, weighing all the pros and cons, and concluded—there was nothing bad to be found, only benefits.
The matriarch noticed his furrowed brow and silence. After a moment, she said, “It’s fine if you don’t accept this marriage. After all, my son…”
After leaving the noodle stall, Jiang Changxin had not gone far. He circled back and crouched beneath the window of the stall, kneeling on one knee to listen.
Cheng Zhao and Yu Yuan joined him, and the three squatted in a line, eavesdropping. Cheng Zhao whispered, “Usually I’m the one eavesdropping, but now our master has grown up enough to eavesdrop too.”
Jiang Changxin, just as the critical moment arrived, was distracted by Cheng Zhao chattering in his ear like a giant wasp. He glanced at Yu Yuan, who understood immediately. Without a word from Jiang Changxin, Yu Yuan covered Cheng Zhao’s mouth, silencing him completely.
Cheng Zhao muffled, “Mmm mmm mmm…”
Finally, quiet returned. Jiang Changxin held his breath and focused, just in time to hear Ye Ning’s voice.
Ye Ning’s tone was clear and carried a hint of solemnity as he said, “I accept this marriage.
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