Chapter 54: Chapter 52.2

“Do you know who we are? The eldest young master from the rice restaurant on Dongjie Street, the young master from the bank, the eldest young master from the Sihe Restaurant, and the young master from the trading company!”

One of the dandies explained and pointed at Liu Buping: “This is the only son of Master Liu.”

Liu Buping waited for a long time for someone to make way for him. But the people at the door froze for a moment.

This group of people was rich and powerful, and they really couldn’t afford to offend them. However, the fragrance coming from inside was too strong. They had already missed the first batch. If they had to wait for another batch… unwilling.

He turned on the fan and said carelessly to the people lined up at the door, “Get out of my way!”

Lu Dalang still wanted to talk, but Liu Buping became impatient again, saying, “Why are you dwindling so much?”@@novelbin@@

Lu Dalang’s expression remained unchanged, “I’m sorry, this is the rule of the restaurant. You have to queue up.”

His eyes were full of disbelieve, “How dare you ask us to queue up?”

Everyone: “???”

‘Come on, keep your number plate and use it to get your meal later!’

Liu Buping was impatient, “Aren’t there servants here? Go pack it all for me.”

Lu Dalang showed a troubled look, “This… but the restaurant regulations limit three servings per person… You only have six people, so we can’t-” He glanced inside, “Pack up everything for you!”

Liu Buping took a look, saying, “Tsk, this guy is quite thoughtful.”

However, when he thought of Jiang Zhou’s two feather dusters, he instantly withered and could only wait in line bitterly.

Jiang Zhou knew nothing about this.

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The strong aroma wafted through, infusing a lively atmosphere of fireworks into this small, icy town.

As a carriage approached the shop, the narrow road required the crowd’s evacuation before it could pass. The coachman, frustrated by the crowd, “Give away!” and muttering, “Why are there so many people?”

The bustling noise outside caught the attention of those inside the carriage.

The person said: “What’s wrong?”

The groom turned and replied, “Sir, there are too many people on this road. It will take a while to pass.”

The person inside opened the curtain, revealing his face. A quick glance revealed his identity. Two mustaches adorned his face as he commented, “This town is quite lively. If we’re not in a hurry, we should take a good look.”

Lowering his head, he noticed a young man lying beside him, a mere fourteen years old, suffering from a high fever with red-faced, brows tightly furrowed, and whimpering in pain.

“Son, hold on a little longer, dad will take you to see a doctor right away!”

Briefly waking, the young man sensed a familiar aroma, confusion clouding his mind: “Is this the smell of stinky tofu?”

Outside, Liu Buping had his servants carried various items home, including stinky tofu, with its overwhelmingly strong smell.

The young man closed his eyes, carefully sniffing, confirming the familiar smell.

His nose tingled, and he murmured, “I… I’m finally home?”

His soft voice went unheard by the mustache man, who, upon catching the phrase “home,” felt a twinge of sadness: “Don’t worry, son, we’ll be there soon. We can go back!”

With his current task nearly done, the last town inspected, he could soon take his son home.

As the carriage rolled away, the Jiang family restaurant remained bustling.

Since opening, Jiang Zhou and Wen Yan’s time had become increasingly tight. They hired a couple from a slave market to assist. Lu Xiaoniang washed dishes and vegetables, while Ding Bai served food.

Jiang Zhou stayed in the kitchen, and Wen Yan pitched in to help.

Most dishes were pre-prepared, needing only reheating. If Jiang Zhou had other tasks, he could leave Ding Bai in charge.

Today, Jiang Zhou had something to attend to, he wanted to check on the progress of his new house.

He carefully selected a prime location, surrounded by green mountains and facing a tranquil lake. The scenery was captivating, and the area proved to be quite desirable.

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When Jiang Zhou was busy preparing the shop, Liu Erlang had already mobilized his team to work, laying the foundation for construction.

At this moment, Liu Erlang was overseeing the mixing of cement. He had pre-fired the cement as per Jiang Zhou’s instructions.

Upon Jiang Zhou’s arrival, Liu Erlang displayed obvious excitement, exclaiming, “This is truly remarkable!”

Initially he considered it for business, he soon realized the intricacies involved. The material ratios required precise control; otherwise, the fired cement wouldn’t mix with water and solidify. Without Jiang Zhou’s guidance, Liu Erlang admitted he wouldn’t have known the nature or source of the limestone used.

Craftsmen like them, often complacent in their specialized skills and rarely realized their narrow-mindedness. Liu Erlang, acknowledging this, simultaneously embarked on building a house for Jiang Zhou while quietly studying the craft.

“When the cement is mixed, we can begin constructing the frame of the house,” he said to Jiang Zhou.

Acknowledging the effort, Jiang Zhou added, “It’s hard work.”

Liu Erlang’s eyes lit up, countering, “It’s not hard work. In fact, I’ve gained valuable knowledge from you. Understanding this is a whole different level.”

Jiang Zhou modestly replied, “Actually, it’s nothing.”

Drawing on memories from the time traveler, Jiang Zhou had encountered narratives where time travelers developed cement and glass. However, due to the high cost of glass, and limited capital, his focus turned to building his own house with the use of cement.

His father-in-law had a careful discussion with Liu Erlang, asked for his opinion, and decided to start a cement business. Wen Yuanxing was responsible for the supply, and Liu Erlang was responsible for the construction.

In the first year, Wen Yuanxing guaranteed to Liu Erlang that the first batch of supplies would always be prioritized to him.

Regarding Jiang Zhou, Wen Yuanxing stated that the profit from the cement business was 4:6 with Jiang Zhou. Wen Yuanxing 60% while Jiang Zhou 40%.

In reality, Wen Yuanxing mentioned that all of his share would be given to Wen Yan in the future. So, he could live a good life with Jiang Zhou.

The batch of cement used on Jiang Zhou’s house was provided by Wen Yuanxing.

The craftsmen were in full swing, so Jiang Zhou went to serve them lunch in the temporary shed set up nearby.