Chapter 23:

When Lu Yaoqing entered, he saw the following scene.

Old Man Li was sitting on one side, leisurely sipping tea from a cup. On the other side, a group of patients surrounded a young girl, waiting for medical consultation.

Lu Yaoqing took a closer look and realized he recognized the girl—she was the one he had met when he first arrived in Yuzhou. What was her name again? Oh, right! Qin Chaoyu.

Though he found the situation at Tongrentang a bit odd, the medicinal cuisine recipes for his restaurant were clearly more pressing at the moment, so he didn’t dwell on it.

He walked up to Old Man Li and greeted him respectfully, “Old Man Li.”

The old man lifted his eyelids to glance at him and, seeing the embarrassment on his face, immediately understood.

“Take a seat.”

Lu Yaoqing knew his little scheme wouldn’t escape Old Man Li’s notice, but he hadn’t intended to hide it anyway. So he nodded and sat down.

“I know why you’re here this time,” Old Man Li said. “But I’m afraid I really don’t have any particularly valuable medicinal cuisine recipes. It’s not my area of expertise, and I’ve never paid much attention to it. The few I do know are quite ordinary and wouldn’t be of much use to your restaurant.”

Lu Yaoqing was disappointed, but he also knew Old Man Li wouldn’t lie to him. If he said he didn’t have any, then he truly didn’t.

*Sigh, what should I do now? Should I just give up on the medicinal cuisine restaurant?*

Unable to bear seeing the boy he’d watched grow up so disheartened, Old Man Li spoke up, “I really don’t know any medicinal cuisine recipes, but I think there’s someone who definitely does. She might be able to help you.”

“Who?” Lu Yaoqing perked up.

“Right there.” Old Man Li pointed in Qin Chaoyu’s direction. “This young friend of mine is no ordinary person. If she’s willing to help you, I’m certain you’ll get what you want!”

*Is that so?*

Lu Yaoqing hesitated. He really didn’t want to experience disappointment again.

But how would he know if he didn’t try?

Seeing that Qin Chaoyu was still surrounded by many patients, he realized it would take some time before he could speak with her.

Lu Yaoqing wasn’t in a hurry. “Alright, I’ll wait here. Once your young friend is done, I’ll approach her.”

Old Man Li gave a slight nod.

By the time Qin Chaoyu finished seeing the last patient, three hours had passed.

After working for so long, she was a bit tired. She stood up and stretched her wrists and neck.

Then, with a smile, she walked over to Old Man Li, picked up the cup of tea that had clearly been prepared for her, and downed it in one go!

Tea was meant to be savored slowly to appreciate its flavor, but after such a long session, she was thirsty and couldn’t be bothered with formalities. Even so, despite drinking it quickly, she could still tell—the tea had been brewed exceptionally well.

Truth be told, she was quite the tea connoisseur. This habit stemmed from her past life, where solitude often left her with little to do but read books and sip tea. As a result, she had also developed excellent tea-brewing skills.

Setting the cup down, Qin Chaoyu praised, “This tea is brewed wonderfully.”

Old Man Li was quite pleased with himself. Aside from medicine, the art of tea was his greatest pride.

“In that case, young friend, you should have a few more cups.”

Then, glancing at Lu Yaoqing, he said apologetically, “Young friend, I’m really sorry, but I have another favor to ask of you.”

“Oh?” Qin Chaoyu didn’t miss the look Old Man Li had given Lu Yaoqing and had a rough idea of who needed help.

She sat down calmly and said, “If it’s within my power, I’ll certainly help you, Old Man Li. I’m just not sure what the favor is or whether I can be of assistance.”

Seeing her reaction, Old Man Li knew she had already guessed who was seeking help. Since she understood, it was better for the person himself to make the request.

He gestured toward Lu Yaoqing and then picked up his teacup again, leisurely sipping.

Matters between young people should be handled by young people themselves. He was an old man now and didn’t want to meddle too much. Brewing tea, savoring it, and living peacefully suited him just fine.

Lu Yaoqing knew Old Man Li had already done enough—the rest was up to him.

He said, “Hello, Miss Qin. I believe we’ve met once before. Our last encounter was rather brief, and I’m truly sorry to impose on you like this for help.”

He was well aware of the proper attitude when asking for a favor, so he kept his tone humble.

“Our Tongrentang has recently decided to explore a new direction. After discussion, we agreed that medicinal cuisine would be an excellent choice. All the preliminary preparations are in place, but we’re missing the most crucial element—a signature medicinal cuisine recipe that could serve as the restaurant’s centerpiece. I was wondering if you might have such a recipe. And if you do, would you be willing to sell it?”

Hearing this, Qin Chaoyu’s expression cleared in understanding.

Providing a signature medicinal cuisine recipe wasn’t an impossible task for her. Not just one—she could easily produce ten or even a hundred.

But *how* to provide it? *In what way?* That was the question worth considering.

After a moment of thought, Qin Chaoyu said, “I do have the kind of medicinal cuisine recipe you’re looking for, and I can provide it to you—but on one condition.”

Lu Yaoqing straightened up, all ears.

Qin Chaoyu continued, “I don’t want money. I want to contribute the recipe as shares in your business.”

*Shares?*

At this point, Lu Yaoqing finally regarded Qin Chaoyu with genuine seriousness.

“I know that in today’s market, medicinal cuisine is still a largely untapped field. With the right recipes and sufficient manpower, carving out a niche would be relatively easy. If successful, the profits wouldn’t be small.”

Lu Yaoqing understood that Qin Chaoyu was already offering him immense goodwill out of respect for Old Man Li. After all, the recipes were hers—if she refused to sell them, his medicinal cuisine restaurant would never get off the ground.

He wasn’t the type to take goodwill for granted. If someone treated him with sincerity, he would respond in kind.

Without hesitation, he said, “Alright. If the recipe meets our needs, I’ll give you 25% of the shares. Even if the restaurant expands with branches in the future, this arrangement will remain valid.”

This was the maximum stake Lu Yaoqing could offer. Any more, and he wouldn’t have the authority to decide.

Qin Chaoyu knew this was a sincere offer and replied, “Don’t worry, the recipe will definitely satisfy you.”

Turning to Old Man Li, she said, “Old Man Li, could you please prepare some paper and a brush?”

“Oh?” Old Man Li widened his eyes in surprise. “Are you going to write it from memory?”

Qin Chaoyu smiled confidently. “Every recipe from my master’s teachings is etched in my mind—I’ll never forget them.”

Lu Yaoqing, of course, wanted the recipe finalized as soon as possible and eagerly agreed. “Great! I’ll have paper and a brush prepared right away.”

Taking the writing materials brought by an apprentice, Qin Chaoyu didn’t hesitate. With practiced ease, she wrote down three recipes—just as she had said, they flowed from her mind to the page.

Once finished, she handed them to Lu Yaoqing. “These three recipes each serve different purposes. One is for general health maintenance—regular consumption can improve overall well-being and is suitable for all ages. Another is specifically for the elderly, helping to regulate their vitality. The last is tailored for women, focusing on beauty and skincare. You can take them, test them out, and if they work, we can formalize the contract later.”

Lu Yaoqing examined the three recipes. A couple of the ingredients were rare, but given Tongrentang’s resources, obtaining them wouldn’t be an issue.

If the effects Qin Chaoyu described were real, then failing to establish a successful medicinal cuisine restaurant would be nothing short of a miracle.