Chapter Forty-Two: Inner Monologue

Bai Ruolan possessed a fair complexion and a rosy glow, perhaps because the Bai family had only just fallen into misfortune and she had yet to suffer much. However, she was acutely aware of her own position, carrying herself with a touch of timidity and shyness—exactly the type Jia Ping'an favored.

In particular, the hint of exotic charm in her demeanor, her lowered gaze, and her myriad expressions of allure were enough to make Jia Ping'an forget everything else after just one glance.

By comparison, the girl Chan Shi in Ningguta was also quite attractive. Jia Ping'an had once visited her with Guo Tongfang; without her white veil, she looked somewhat like the celebrity Xiao Hong'en and possessed a beauty of her own. Yet, in Jia Ping'an’s eyes, she was clearly a notch below Bai Ruolan.

"Zhou Wenbing is really something; those three thousand taels were certainly well spent," Jia Ping'an thought to himself. He soon shifted his gaze, looking over the other girls one by one.

Regrettably, you get what you pay for. Seeing no other beauties comparable to Bai Ruolan, Jia Ping'an turned his attention to the ten chefs standing in line.

In this era, cooking was not a profession that commanded much respect. As the Book of Mencius stated, "The gentleman keeps away from the kitchen." Consequently, few men were willing to cook, and those who did held a relatively low social status.

"Who is Shi Erdong?" Jia Ping'an asked after scanning the ten men.

"Master, it is I," replied the first man in line—the thinnest and most gaunt of the group—with an honest, simple-minded expression.

"You are Shi Erdong? I heard your culinary skills are exceptional?" Seeing the man step forward, Jia Ping'an began to doubt the accuracy of the information provided by Zhou Wenbing.

After all, in his impression, chefs were supposed to be portly, even gluttonous. He forgot who said it, but the saying went that no matter who went hungry, a chef never would. Yet, this Shi Erdong looked clearly malnourished.

"I can cook, but I wouldn't dare claim it's exceptional," Shi Erdong said, scratching his head with a look of embarrassment.

"Very well. The kitchen is over there, and there are ingredients. Prepare a few dishes for me to taste." Thinking that since they were already here, he should at least give him a chance to show his skills.

Of course, if the man proved mediocre, Jia Ping'an would have to relegate him to manual labor. In his eyes, the chef of a restaurant was a crucial position that required genuine skill. Otherwise, no matter how good the environment was, if the food didn't taste good, making a profit would be essentially impossible.

"Very well," Shi Erdong agreed immediately, not at all intimidated by the new master's request to test his skills.

"Chang Chao, take him over," Jia Ping'an said with a wave of his hand. He then addressed the other nine chefs: "You all go as well. Each of you may prepare one of your signature dishes to be tested."

"Yes!" The group was delighted, looking eager to prove their worth.

After the men left, Jia Ping'an turned his gaze back to the fifty girls. "Which of you is skilled at needlework? You may step forward now."

Men were expected to master the Six Arts and Eight Elegances, while women were taught the Six Arts and Four Virtues, with needlework being the most common. When Jia Ping'an asked, almost everyone raised their hands; even Bai Ruolan seemed familiar with it. Jia Ping'an nodded with a smile and said, "Good. We will start by making your clothes. Report your sizes and hand them in."

***

On their first meeting, Jia Ping'an had no intention of making things difficult. They would start by making clothes, and in the afternoon, he would teach them posture and the basic principles of serving guests. By the evening, Master Tong would come to teach them more literacy, aiming to comprehensively improve their cultivation.

Jia Ping'an had positioned his restaurant to serve the powerful, the influential, and the wealthy. Ordinary people were not within their target clientele; otherwise, how could he ever recoup the investment in such a restaurant? Facts would eventually prove that the money of the wealthy was the easiest to earn.

The new master had been introduced, and a regular routine began. Morning: sewing; afternoon: posture training; evening: cultural studies. Life was very fulfilling.

Shi Erdong's cooking did not disappoint; on the contrary, it stunned Jia Ping'an. In an era where spices were not abundant, it was truly rare to be able to make food taste so delicious. It was worth noting that in this era, humanity had already learned to use woks for stir-frying rather than just steaming.

In short, Jia Ping'an was very satisfied with Shi Erdong's skills. While the other nine were not quite as good, they still exceeded his expectations. It seemed the money had been well spent.

"Excellent. Here are some recipes and some seasonings I've concocted. For the time being, stay in the kitchen, test them one by one, and try to create even more delicious dishes. If there is anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

Satisfied, Jia Ping'an sought further excellence. After leaving the items for Shi Erdong and the others, he headed straight for the room where Bai Ruolan was staying.

This was not because Jia Ping'an intended anything untoward; he was going there to teach her a new melody. In an era without the internet, television, or radio, people's primary entertainment was listening to music. Whichever establishment had the most pleasing and diverse repertoire often gained an advantage, naturally attracting more patrons.

According to Jia Ping'an's understanding, while there were melodies in this era, the variety was limited, and famous ancient pieces from future generations were entirely non-existent. This was his opportunity.

Anything he brought forth that hadn't yet appeared in this world would be attributed to him. This would not only bring him wealth but, more importantly, an influence that money could not buy. One should never underestimate influence; it could often serve as a protective shield or even a "get out of jail free" card.

Today, the first piece Jia Ping'an intended to teach Bai Ruolan was "Ambush from Ten Sides."

In his previous world, this piece originated at the end of the Qin Dynasty, but here, the Qin Empire had never unified the land, and the piece did not exist. In his previous life, Jia Ping'an had listened to the original many times, and with his memory now sharpened by the cleansing effects of the spirit spring water, many previously fuzzy details had become crystal clear.

In her room, Bai Ruolan was incredibly nervous. When posture training ended that afternoon, Chang Chao had come to inform her that the Master would be visiting her in the evening to "discuss ancient music."

Visiting at night? To "discuss"?

Bai Ruolan did not believe things were as simple as they sounded; it was clear that the Master had certain intentions toward her.

***

Although Bai Ruolan had mentally prepared herself for this before arriving—after all, few men could see a woman of her beauty without having such thoughts—she never expected it to happen so quickly. This was only her second night in Ningguta.

Yesterday was her arrival; exhausted from the journey, she had simply washed and gone to sleep. Now that she had finally recovered some energy, was he coming to see her already?

Lost in these thoughts, Bai Ruolan hadn't eaten much that evening. Even though the ten chefs had displayed their full potential and used the new seasonings, making the food taste far better than anything she had eaten before, she found it tasteless. The reason was simple: indescribable images kept flashing through her mind.

Back at the Bai house, Bai Ruolan had been instilled with certain ideas about how to serve a man. Although there were no formal classes on physiology in this era, the lessons from her mother were often more explicit and direct than any lecture. Because she knew what this entailed, Bai Ruolan, no longer naive, grew increasingly restless. Unlike her maid, Qingyan, who didn't overthink things and had eaten heartily, praising the chef's skills, Bai Ruolan was a bundle of nerves.

When the meal was finished, Qingyan helped Bai Ruolan back to her room and noticed she was different from usual. "Sister, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Oh, no," Bai Ruolan quickly denied. Such shameful matters were things she could think about in her heart, but she would never speak of them aloud.

"As long as you are well. The Master is coming tonight, so we mustn't delay," Qingyan said with a very serious expression. To her, whoever provided the food was the one to serve. Since Jia Ping'an would likely be supporting them from now on, Qingyan wouldn't say a single bad word about him.

"Qingyan, when the Master comes, you should wait outside," Bai Ruolan said. Thinking about what might happen, she decided to send Qingyan away. No matter what, this would be her first time; having someone watching would be far too embarrassing.

Although the tradition of "tongfang" maids was prevalent in this era—where maids often assisted during intimate acts—such things would never happen on the very first night.

"Ah? Outside?" Qingyan was confused. Wasn't the Master coming to teach her sister a new melody? Wouldn't they need someone to serve them? Like moving the pipa or pouring tea? Surely her sister wouldn't have to serve the Master all by herself? It wasn't that she couldn't, as it would improve their relationship, but her sister didn't seem to know how to serve a man yet. What if she did something wrong and angered the Master?