Chapter 453: Trouble on the First Day of Business

“Mr. Gu, it took me a long time to figure it out afterward.”

“Making lamb soup is just like being a person. Only when you do it with your whole heart will the lamb soup taste good.”

“Thinking back to that time, I was so eager to form a connection with you that I foolishly made you some lamb soup… Looking back, you were absolutely right not to eat it. That lamb soup would’ve only made people sick.”

As he spoke, Jin Wan rolled out each piece of dough into equally sized circles. His face carried a wistful smile the entire time.

Upon hearing this, Gu Ning’an, standing behind him, smiled and asked, “I thought your first words would be asking whether I’m satisfied with the lamb soup you make now—and whether it’s ruined the Sun family’s reputation.”

“Haha~~” Jin Wan burst into laughter. “Mr. Gu, if you weren’t satisfied, wouldn’t you have turned around and walked away already?”

“You guessed wrong,” Gu Ning’an shook his head. “Just for the fact that you carried on Granny Sun’s persistence—even if your lamb soup wasn’t very tasty—I’d still come to see you.”

Hearing that, Jin Wan paused briefly. As he handed the rolled dough over to be baked, he smiled and said, “Hearing you say that… makes all those years of hardship worth it.”

Gu Ning’an’s gaze fell on the old-fashioned baking stove. “Is that the same one Granny Sun used back in the day?”

“That’s right,” Jin Wan nodded and gestured to the rolling pin and other tools on the counter. “All of these were passed down by my mother… And honestly, these old tools just feel right in the hands. The lamb soup tastes better when made with them.”

“If I had used this full set back when I was at your house, Mr. Gu, the lamb soup wouldn’t have tasted that bad.”

Gu Ning’an chuckled, “Wouldn’t have tasted that bad—so just mildly bad, then?”

“Hahaha~” Jin Wan laughed heartily. “Never thought someone like you, sir, would joke around like that.”

“Oh?” Gu Ning’an smiled. “I’m human too. Why wouldn’t I joke?”

Human?

Jin Wan hesitated, then swallowed back the words, You’re not human…

He had meant it in the sense of Gu being immortal or otherworldly, but still thought better of saying it out loud…

So he quickly changed the subject. “Sir, let me tell you about what I experienced during the twenty years I was away from home.”

Gu Ning’an pulled over a small stool and sat down. “Sure, let’s hear what kind of strange adventures you had.”

“Haha~” Jin Wan looked at Gu Ning’an casually finding a seat and sitting down like it was second nature. He couldn’t help but feel that, though they shouldn’t be this familiar, they were chatting like old friends reunited after many years.

“Where should I start?” Jin Wan withdrew his gaze and fell into thought. “Let’s begin from when I arrived in Lin County and set up my first stall.”

“Mr. Gu, you wouldn’t believe it. I was so confident back then. I’d spent weeks at my son and daughter-in-law’s place, practicing lamb soup by the hundreds of bowls, to the point they got so sick of it they almost threw up. Only then did I feel ready to set up a stall.”

“That day, I got up early, picked the busiest spot I could find, lit the fire, rolled the dough, and started selling lamb soup.”

“My first customer… was a little beggar. I saw how skinny and malnourished he was, so I gave him a bowl for free.”

“At first, he ate without any problem. But right after, when more customers came and were about to pay for lamb soup, that little beggar suddenly doubled over and started vomiting violently…”

“Now think—if you saw that happen at a brand new food stall, just when you were about to try something, what would you think?”

Gu Ning’an answered, “I’d assume either the lamb soup tasted awful, or it was unsanitary.”

“Exactly!” Jin Wan nodded. “And the worst part was, it happened to a beggar. A little beggar who barely eats anything day to day—he should be able to stomach just about anything. That’s common knowledge.”

“Thinking it over, everyone figured there must be something wrong with my lamb soup.”

“Someone even called over the constables.”

“Well, that’s some terrible luck—getting the authorities involved on your first day.” Gu Ning’an chuckled. “What happened after that?”

“After that?”

“You probably won’t believe it!”

While speaking, Jin Wan picked up a knife and began slicing the lamb. With practiced motions, neat slices of well-marbled meat landed on a plate.

“That little beggar, after vomiting, tried to say something to the constables…”

“But he couldn’t catch his breath and fainted right there on the spot.”

“The constables thought he had died, so they took both him and me back to the yamen…”

Jin Wan gave a wry smile. “First day selling lamb soup, first bowl… and I ended up in the magistrate’s office. Tell me that’s not pure misfortune.”

Gu Ning’an laughed, “What happened next?”

“Thankfully, the little beggar woke up.”

“He explained that it had just been too long since he’d had any meat, and he ate too fast. Plus, the lamb flavor was strong, so it made him sick.”

Just then, the rich aroma of tea wafted over, and Jin Wan turned to see that, at some point, Mr. Gu had already brewed two cups of tea.

“Have a sip before continuing,” Gu Ning’an said with a smile, holding out a cup.

“Oh, sure thing!” Jin Wan grinned as he walked over, wiped the flour off his hands on a clean damp cloth, and took the cup, downing it in one gulp.

“Whoa!”

“This tea’s excellent!”

“What’s it called?”

Setting the cup down, Jin Wan poured himself another and returned to the stove.

Gu Ning’an replied, “Wishing Spring. A close friend of mine roasted it himself. If you like it, I can give you some.”

“That’d be great!” Jin Wan chuckled, then said, “Now, where was I?”

“You were saying the little beggar explained things for you,” Gu Ning’an reminded him.

“Ah, right!” Jin Wan nodded and kept working as he spoke. “That incident turned out okay in the end. But too many people saw it. And you know how people talk—it spreads like wildfire, gets more exaggerated every time.”

“Someone even started a rumor that my lamb soup was cursed and eating it would give you epilepsy…”

Gu Ning’an clicked his tongue. “So you had no choice but to take your business elsewhere?”

“Exactly!” Jin Wan nodded. “So I moved to a small village near Lin County.”

“At first, business was slow. But I didn’t mind—I wasn’t doing it to make money. I just wanted people to give me feedback after eating.”

“If someone gave me a good suggestion, I wouldn’t even charge them.”

“And over time, in the villages I frequented, no one had complaints anymore. Everyone loved my lamb soup. If they didn’t eat it for a few days, they’d start craving it.”

“Once I reached that point, I figured it was time to move on and try selling in a completely new village…”