I relied on a system to prolong my life in ancient times.

Chapter 76 Shen Junru Arrives

The next day, news came from the government that the three troublemakers had been dealt with and had been compensated 100 taels of silver to the hot pot restaurant.

And I explained the whole story to them.

It turned out that these three were local scoundrels. They had noticed that the hot pot restaurant was doing well lately, and somehow found out that the owner of the shop was a nobody. So they decided to come to the shop and extort some money from him.

The three conspired to have two of them take the antidote first, then go to a hot pot restaurant for a meal. After eating half of the meal, they would then take the poison, pretending that the hot pot restaurant had poisoned them. After extorting some money, they would leave Peach Blossom Town.

Little did they expect that Xiao Siyue would discover them and they wouldn't be able to leave in time. The two of them had already woken up. Their thought was that since someone had died in the shop, the owner would definitely pay them off for the sake of his reputation. Who would have thought that something would go wrong and all their efforts would be in vain.

Xiao Siyue was speechless. It turned out that these people had taken advantage of them. But weren't these people a little too stupid? If they had pretended to have an upset stomach, they might have actually succeeded.

But if you just pretend to be poisoned to death, what if you actually die? And if someone really dies in the store, you'd definitely have to report it to the police. How could they just let him settle it with a sum of money?

However, Xiao Siyue really had to thank these three people. After their antics, the shop's business actually improved even more, and Xiao Siyue felt her hands hurt from counting so much money.

Xiao Siyue chuckled to herself, thinking that these people deserved a trophy for helping others.

In October, Xiao Siyue started selling wine in her hot pot restaurant. As soon as it was sold, it became a hit throughout Peach Blossom Town. There were so many people buying it that Xiao Siyue had no choice but to limit the supply each day. Unexpectedly, it became a major feature of the hot pot restaurant.

-

Autumn has come again, and it's harvest season.

The twelve mu of potatoes planted by the Xiao family are ripe and ready for harvest soon.

Since Shen Junru presented the potatoes to the Emperor last year, he has directly sent an official from the Ministry of Revenue to be stationed at the Xiao family's residence to keep a close eye on the potatoes' growth.

Two days ago, when the potatoes were ready for harvest, Lord Lü had already sent someone on horseback to the capital to deliver the news. It shouldn't be long before someone else comes to Xiaojia Village.

However, to Xiao Siyue's surprise, the people who came were Shen Junru and a high-ranking official surnamed Zuo from the Ministry of Revenue.

"Grandpa Shen, what brings you here?" Xiao Siyue ran over excitedly when she saw Shen Junru.

Over the past year, Xiao Siyue and Shen Junru have exchanged several letters, and thus have become increasingly familiar with each other.

"Grandpa Shen has come to see our Yue'er. Yue'er said before that she wanted to go to the capital to see Grandpa Shen, but she never went, so Grandpa Shen had to come in person." Shen Junru lovingly stroked Xiao Siyue's head and said in a gentle voice.

However, this frightened the two officials from the Ministry of Revenue. This amiable person was indeed the same Grand Tutor Shen who was decisive and ruthless in the court, and who could make all the officials lose their heads.

"Hehe, Grandpa Shen, I just haven't had time," Xiao Siyue said, scratching her nose sheepishly.

"Haha, you little rascal." Shen Junru laughed loudly.

"Grand Tutor, the meal is ready. Let's go inside."

The Xiao family also took some time over the past year to renovate the courtyard, making it much larger than before and replacing all the houses with brick and tile structures.

"You must be the old master of the Xiao family. You look about the same age as me. You don't need to call me Grand Tutor, just call me by my name," Shen Junru said after looking the old master of the Xiao family over.

"How can that be? You are the Grand Tutor, and also my son's teacher. How can I address you by your name directly?" Old Master Xiao said excitedly. This was Grand Tutor Shen! He never expected to meet him in his own home.

Seeing this, Shen Junru did not insist. It was just a form of address, and he didn't care.

Because of Shen Junru's arrival, the Xiao family prepared an exceptionally lavish meal today, filling a large table.

Xiao Siyue specially placed a piece of braised pork knuckle on Shen Junru's plate. This dish was the favorite of Mr. and Mrs. Xiao, as it was tender, flavorful, and extremely suitable for the elderly.

Shen Junru smiled as he put the braised pork knuckle in his mouth, immediately drawn in by its rich aroma.

He's getting old now, his teeth aren't very good, and his appetite isn't great either. Many dishes are hard for him to eat.

But he really liked the dish and couldn't help but add several more pieces.

"Grandpa Shen, try this again." Xiao Siyue picked up another piece of braised pork and put it in Shen Junru's bowl.

"This is delicious too." Shen Junru picked up a piece, took a bite, and his eyes lit up.

"Yue'er, what is this meat? How can it taste so good?" Shen Junru couldn't help but ask, it was just right for his taste.

"Grandpa Shen, this is called braised pork. If you like it, I'll write down the recipe for you. When you get home and want to eat it, you can ask the kitchen to make it for you."

Xiao Siyue was very generous to Shen Junru, but it was all mutual. Over the past year, she had always received various gifts from Shen Junru.

"However, braised pork requires a special seasoning that we make at home. When you take it home, we'll pack you some extra."

The condiment Xiao Siyue mentioned was actually soy sauce. They had successfully made soy sauce before, but it was only used at home. Soy sauce was already a staple condiment in the Xiao family.

"Alright, then Grandpa Shen won't stand on ceremony with you." Shen Junru didn't refuse; he genuinely liked it.

"Yue'er, what is this?" Shen Junru picked up a piece of green, meat-covered, unidentified vegetable from the table and took a bite. He immediately felt a burning sensation in his mouth and his whole body suddenly became hot. Sweat began to bead up without him noticing. But after a while, he felt comfortable all over and his mouth felt refreshed. He couldn't help but wonder what this vegetable was.

"Grandpa Shen, this is stuffed green peppers." Xiao Siyue glanced at Shen Junru with concern. People who have never eaten chili peppers before find it hard to accept the first bite. She was startled to see Shen Junru's face turn completely red.

"Green pepper? What's that?" Shen Junru asked, puzzled.

"Green peppers are a kind of vegetable, similar to dogwood. If Grandpa Shen is curious, we can go and take a look together later. We have planted a lot of them."

“Okay, okay, but this green pepper can actually make you feel hot suddenly. But it’s very delicious.” Shen Junru immediately agreed.

"Chili peppers can indeed make you feel warm, and it's best to eat them in winter as they can help keep you warm." What Xiao Siyue didn't mention is that eating chili peppers has many other benefits.

"Can it keep you warm?" Shen Junru asked thoughtfully.

"Yue'er, are you planting a lot of chili peppers now?" Shen Junru asked.

“There are quite a lot, more than ten acres, and almost everyone in the village has planted some.”

After the chili peppers were harvested last year, the seeds were given to the village, and most of them were planted. Xiao Siyue planned to harvest the surplus for her own use. They already have two hot pot restaurants and are preparing to open another one, but they are already running out of chili peppers.

"More than ten acres!" Shen Junru exclaimed in shock, glancing at Lord Lü. How come he had never mentioned such a thing in the past year?

"If Grandpa Shen likes it, we can have hot pot for dinner, it's delicious," Xiao Siyue suggested.

"What is hot pot?" Shen Junru realized that there were many things Xiao Siyue had mentioned that he didn't know after he came to the Xiao family.

"Hot pot is a rather special dish, right? The main seasoning in it is chili peppers." Xiao Siyue didn't know how to explain it either.

"Okay, then Grandpa Shen will look forward to having hot pot tonight," Shen Junru said with a smile.

"Don't worry, Grandpa Shen, I definitely won't let you down," Xiao Siyue assured him, patting her chest.