Chapter Twenty-Three: Sincerity Toward One Another

Zhen Qian smiled faintly and said, "Uncle Song has just been released from prison and is reunited with his family; I won't disturb you today. I shall visit again tomorrow!" Without waiting for Song Yi to respond, the carriage slowly started, leaving Song Yi bewildered and confused.

Song Yi had expected Zhen Qian to make some harsh demands, or perhaps to directly turn his entire family into servants. If it came to that, Song Yi would have to consider carefully, for this ordeal had struck him hard.

"Relying on the powerful!"

This time, Song Yi had suffered a wrongful imprisonment. He had come to understand many things: throughout the whole case, nobody stood up to speak on his behalf, and what he witnessed in the prison left him hopeless about his future. He thought he might die in obscurity, but fate intervened and he was rescued. His outlook had quietly changed.

"Brother Song, let's go! Time to go home!" Song Yi, still lost in thought, was called back by Song Yi.

Song Yi looked at the departing carriage and finally came to himself. "Alright! Brother Song, tell me—what on earth happened?"

"It's a long story; let's go home and I'll explain everything."

When they arrived back at Song Yi's home, not only did the county office return his property, but they also compensated him with ten strings of coins as a form of solace.

"So, Brother Song, you are now the servant of the eldest son of the Zhen family. I never imagined so much could change in twenty years..." Song Yi sighed deeply.

Thinking of his own status as a slave, Song Yi's face clouded with worry. "The world is unpredictable! Enough about that... Now that you're out, Brother Song, what are your plans?"

Song Yi had no plans; after such a blow, he saw many things clearly. His heart was cold, but life must go on—he just hadn't decided how to begin. "Do you have any suggestions, Brother Song?"

Song Yi had come both to welcome Song Yi home and to sound out his intentions for Zhen Qian. He said, "Do you plan to continue running your restaurant, Brother Song?"

Song Yi wondered why Song Yi suddenly asked this. Heavy-hearted, he replied, "What choice do I have? My family depends on the restaurant. Do you have any better ideas?"

"I have no good ideas," Song Yi waved his hands. "But after this ordeal, you must see—people like us are at the mercy of others. If we don't want to be slaughtered, we must rely on someone more powerful. The master wants to know if you'd be willing to cooperate with him."

"Cooperation?" Song Yi had already guessed that Zhen Qian wouldn’t rescue him without reason; there must be some motive. He hadn’t expected it to be a proposal for cooperation. "What kind of cooperation does Master Zhen have in mind?"

"Running a restaurant, naturally," Song Yi replied.

"A restaurant?" Song Yi was stunned. He couldn’t fathom why Zhen Qian would want to partner in a humble eatery—it was absurd, given the Zhen family owned their own grand restaurant. Was he planning to seize his place? But on second thought, that seemed unlikely. He asked, "Is Master Zhen interested in running a small restaurant?"

In truth, Song Yi himself didn't understand Zhen Qian’s intentions either and dared not ask. He had to press on, "I don’t know. The master told me so. Oh, and he said—he heard you were released today and specially prepared a few dishes for you to taste. Maybe you’ll understand then."

"Dishes?"

Song Yi looked at Song Yi in confusion. "You mean Master Zhen sent food for me?"

Song Yi shrugged helplessly, "I have no idea. Since the master said so, I simply followed his orders. Why not see what dishes he sent?"

Song Yi trusted Song Yi—there was no reason for deception. He couldn’t understand what Zhen Qian wanted from him now that he was so down on his luck. "In any case, it’s been a long time since we met. Let’s have a drink today and leave future matters until after."

Song Yi agreed—it wasn’t as if Zhen Qian had asked him to pressure Song Yi, and nobody could fathom Zhen Qian’s plans. Seeing Song Yi was a pleasure; Song Yi, having survived disaster, wished only to drink away his sorrows. The two brought out the dishes Zhen Qian had prepared, and both were dumbfounded. The exquisite dishes before them were unlike anything they had ever seen.

"This is..."

Song Yi gaped, uncertain what to say. After a while, he murmured, "I don’t know either. Let’s try them first."

Unlike Song Yi, Song Yi was a chef and could tell that these dishes were nothing like anything he had encountered. "Are these really from Master Zhen?"

"They should be," Song Yi replied, uncertainty in his voice.

Song Yi took a bite and savored it carefully. The taste was unique; the cooking techniques were unusual, the colors vibrant and beautiful. He thought of the Zhen family’s restaurant and realized these dishes were entirely different. He was confused and couldn’t guess what Zhen Qian’s intentions were.

"These dishes are excellent!"

"Yes, the flavor is wonderful—distinctive and refined. I’ve never seen anyone cook like this. What..."

"Don’t ask me; I don’t know," Song Yi said, thinking aloud. "Perhaps this is why the master wants to cooperate with you."

Song Yi began to understand. Looking at the sumptuous spread, he said, "If that’s the case, Master Zhen needn’t cooperate with me at all. His skills surpass mine by far. Why would he want to work with me? It doesn’t make sense."

Song Yi couldn’t figure it out either, but it wasn’t his place to speculate. Zhen Qian would handle it himself; today was just to gauge Song Yi’s attitude. "So, the cooperation between the master and Brother Song?"

"I’m willing, naturally, but I don’t know how Master Zhen wants to cooperate."

Song Yi wasn’t worried about Zhen Qian’s motives. If he harbored ill intent, he would’ve forced Song Yi’s hand in prison, not discussed matters so amicably. Song Yi believed his judgment was sound.

"Alright, I’ll report back to the master. After spending time with him, I’ve found he’s different from others—though I can’t quite say how. At least he’s never treated me like a slave, which is why I’m saying all this and won’t let you walk into a trap."

Song Yi believed Song Yi’s sincerity, though he still felt uneasy. "I just don’t understand what Master Zhen sees in me. By rights, I have no grounds to refuse. I hope things aren’t worse than I imagine."

The two chatted for a while longer. Song Yi saw Song Yi out, his heart unsettled, uncertain what fate awaited him.

The next morning, Zhen Qian arrived as promised, dressed in ordinary clothes at Song Yi’s door, with Song Yi respectfully at his side. "Brother Song, the master is here to see you!"

Song Yi hurried out, wanting to kneel in gratitude, but Zhen Qian stopped him with a hand. "No need for formalities; let’s talk inside."

Zhen Qian examined Song Yi’s home: a three-entry courtyard, the front converted into a shop, the middle as a kitchen, the family living in the rear. The whole compound was about three or four hundred square meters, a bit cramped, just as he had imagined.

Song Yi and his family prostrated themselves to thank Zhen Qian for saving their lives. This time, Zhen Qian did not stop them. After some polite exchange, he sent the others away, leaving only Song Yi and Song Yi. "Uncle Song, yesterday Song Yi spoke to you about cooperation. What are your thoughts?"

Song Yi had spent the night pondering, but still could not fathom what Zhen Qian wanted from him. "Master Zhen, could you explain the details of this cooperation?"

"It’s like this: I want to open a restaurant, but lack the right people. So I wish to partner with you. What do you think?"

Zhen Qian’s honesty surprised Song Yi; suspicion lingered on his face. "The Zhen family is vast and wealthy—why would you be interested in my little shop? Yesterday’s dishes from Master Zhen were exquisite, and I truly don’t understand why you want to cooperate. Could you clarify?"

Compared to Song Yi, the Zhen family was a giant—it could swallow Song Yi whole without negotiation.

"Let me be frank," Zhen Qian spoke without reservation. "It’s not the Zhen family partnering with you, but me, Zhen Qian. Every household has its own difficulties. I want to build something on my own without relying on my family. That’s why I’m interested in your restaurant. But don’t worry—I won’t take over your business. On the contrary, I’ll provide all support: funding, culinary skills, and so on. You’ll work for me, and I’ll make the decisions for the restaurant, but you’ll own ten percent of the shares. What do you think?"

Zhen Qian’s candor was disarming; Song Yi didn’t know what to say. He was reluctant to part with his business, but knew Zhen Qian was right: without backing, it would be impossible to continue. And Zhen Qian promised capital and culinary skills—reminding Song Yi of yesterday’s fine dishes. Perhaps this was his turning point.

Song Yi, listening in, finally understood Zhen Qian’s intentions. On the surface, Song Yi seemed to lose out, but in the long term, it was an opportunity.

"Brother Song, you should accept. I know you’re attached to your business, but for the sake of the future, you won’t get another chance like this!"

Zhen Qian remained silent, letting Song Yi think. There was no rush; although he had saved Song Yi’s family, his sense of equality made it impossible to seize Song Yi’s property. To gain Song Yi’s genuine cooperation, the beginning was crucial.