On the second day, Jiang Zhou went to the village blacksmith to pick up the pot he had ordered.

The blacksmith’s house was right next to Aunt Lu’s house, and as he made his way there, he decided to share some of the cooked oden soup base and various types of balls with her.

Aunt Lu happened to be at home, sitting on her doorstep, peeling soybeans.

Next to her sat a quiet man who was being reprimanded, “I told you to establish good relations with the people in the government office. It wouldn’t have mattered even if Master Qiu got transferred. It would have been better for you. Now, it’s like talking to a wooden post. There’s no work left except for the new employees! You’ll end up drinking the northwest wind!”

“Mom!” The man was embarrassed and helpless, so he could only call out.

Aunt Lu glared, “Even calling upon god won’t help you! Go to town tomorrow to find work.”

Jiang Zhou cleared his throat, “Auntie.”

Aunt Lu’s face immediately lit up upon hearing his voice and seeing him. She asked, “Oh, why are you here?”

She held a soft spot for Jiang Zhou. In her eyes, the pre-replacement Jiang Zhou was the epitome of honesty, hard work, and resilience.

Although she felt disappointed after the replacement, she still held onto the hope that he could change. Indeed, a serious illness had awakened Jiang Zhou. His business was flourishing, and she had tasted his sponge cakes, which were much better than the dry, tough ones in town.

Lately, she had been talking about Jiang Zhou to her son, Lu Xiangxi.

Lu Xiangxi typically lived in town due to his work at Master Qiu’s house, and he wasn’t well-versed in the news from Xiaohe Village. So, while Jiang Zhou seemed vaguely familiar, he couldn’t quite place him.

Being taciturn, he observed quietly without asking questions.

Jiang Zhou had already handed over the items he brought to Aunt Lu, saying, “I’ve been working on some new food recently, and I plan to sell it in town. I thought I’d let Auntie have a taste.”

Aunt Lu opened the basket and saw the meatballs inside. She was momentarily speechless and declined, “These meatballs are valuable. I can’t accept them. Take them back and give them to your wife. It’s good for his health.”

She was still thinking about Jiang Zhou’s estranged wife.

Jiang Zhou chuckled, “He had some yesterday. Don’t worry, Auntie, it’s no trouble at all. Besides, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“Auntie, you know a lot of people,” he began. “In business, building a customer base is essential. The more customers, the easier the business becomes.” Jiang Zhou paused, “I’d like you to help me promote my new food. It’s not a big task; just let people know that it’s made by Jiang Da, the same person who makes sponge cakes.”

This task was well-suited to Aunt Lu’s warm and helpful nature. She had a wide circle of friends, spanning from octogenarians to three-year-old children in the village. There was hardly anyone she couldn’t name or didn’t know.

She readily agreed and asked, “Is that why you came here?”

Jiang Zhou shook his head, “I also had something reserved with Uncle Tie, and it’s probably ready today. I’m going to pick it up.”

Uncle Tie came out from next door and his eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Zhou, “Here you go, I happened to have your pot ready, come and take a look?”

Jiang Zhou followed him inside, and together, they carried out the special “pot.”

Aunt Lu stood in the yard, peering curiously at the pot, which didn’t quite resemble a traditional one. The shape was pot-like, but it was shallower and more open than the standard large iron pots they commonly used. The top was fitted with a series of taut grids.

Aunt Lu found it puzzling, “Why have you put so many grids on it? How can you cook like this?”

Jiang Zhou explained, “This isn’t for cooking; it’s specially designed for selling oden.”

He pointed and handed the basket to Aunt Lu, saying, “You fill the bottom with the thick soup, then add meatballs and other ingredients on bamboo skewers, submerging them to cook. Once they’re ready, they can be eaten right away. It’s called oden cooking.”

While he explained, Uncle Tie moved the base out from under the iron pot and expressed his concern to Jiang Zhou, “Your base is rather unusual. Are you planning to use it for making charcoal? I’m worried that the iron can’t withstand the high temperatures and might burn.”

Jiang Zhou casually replied, “It shouldn’t be a problem. Charcoal can’t melt iron, can it?”

Uncle Tie scratched his head and said, “Well, of course, charcoal can’t melt iron. I’m just concerned that your base might get extremely hot, making it hard to move. Plus, if you accidentally touch the iron surface, you could burn yourself.”

Jiang Zhou assured him, “I understand, and I’ll be careful.”

Originally, he assumed the pot wouldn’t be too heavy, so he hadn’t arranged for a cart to transport it. However, when he tried to move it, it became clear that it was quite heavy, even for two people, like Uncle Tie.

He was about to ask his uncle for a bullock cart when Lu Xiangxi, who had been silent, stepped forward and said, “Let me help you move it!”

Without waiting for Jiang Zhou’s response, Lu Xiangxi bent over, secured his clothes, lifted the pot from the ground, placed it on his back, and then effortlessly lifted the entire pot without showing any signs of fatigue.

Jiang Zhou was genuinely surprised, “Brother Lu, you’re incredibly strong, aren’t you?”

Lu Xiangxi simply offered a shy smile.

It was Aunt Lu who spoke up, “My son may not have much, but he’s strong. He used to work as a laborer at Master Qiu’s house and barely made ends meet.”

Jiang Zhou shook his head, “Everyone has their strengths, and your son here is clearly very powerful.”

.

In truth, had he met Lu Xiangxi during his sponge cake-making days, Jiang Zhou might have saved more energy.

After all, whipping eggs can be quite demanding on the hands. It’s not challenging, just tiring on the arms. Nowadays, with less sponge cake business, he had more opportunities to rest.

However, Jiang Zhou couldn’t help but feel that Lu Xiangxi spoke too little and seemed to have something on his mind.

Recalling what Aunt Lu had mentioned about Lu Xiangxi’s situation, Jiang Zhou casually inquired, “Are you currently unemployed?”

As he posed the question, Lu Xiangxi felt a pang of bitterness. He wasn’t one for words and had never been one to seek out favor, even when he heard that Master Qiu was being transferred. He hadn’t shown much interest, let alone tried to curry favor with the new manager.

Consequently, when the others had gone, he was easily left behind, losing his job and still struggling to find new employment.

Seeing his silence, Jiang Zhou suddenly had an idea but wasn’t sure if Lu Xiangxi would be receptive.

Yet, he was one to speak his mind, so he asked, “I have a good opportunity right now. Would you like to give it a try?”