So... Xu Feng had eaten an entire jar of jam before.
A few jars, actually.
But that was when he was pregnant, so it didn’t quite count... right?
Still, he rembered the taste of the spicy jam he had made, the way the heat had balanced out the sweetness, making it sothing that could be enjoyed in more ways than just spread on bread. Was that version being sold, or had they stuck to only the sweet jams?
Which varieties of jams were selling better?
There were a lot questions that needed to be asked for him to understand the taste the people in Yilin preferred. And was that taste the sa as those of others in Donghua?
When he had first thought up the jam business, it had been because it was simple—sothing that didn’t require vast infrastructure or difficult supply chains, yet still had the potential for refinent.
People might be able to make jams on their own eventually, but without careful testing and adjustnts, there would always be a difference in taste.
And, of course, there was the issue of sugar. It wasn’t cheap. Many people would either skimp on it, making their jams lack the right balance or substitute it with sothing inferior.
It was a great small business to own. But for a long ti, he had assud it would just be a temporary project, sothing that would only last until they had more stable sources of inco.
Now, though, he was reconsidering.
Xu Zeng seed to have a solid vision for it, and his husbands were supporting him every step of the way. Maybe this could be sothing long-term. Not just a fleeting side business but a piece of Nanshan Estate’s legacy—sothing that would provide a steady inco for the people who lived there for generations.
Of course, there was always the possibility of wine production becoming their staple business, but that was still developing. The jam shouldn’t be overlooked.
His greenhouse plants had made a real difference in quality, so maybe they could dilute the jam in so way—mix a fraction of his greenhouse-grown produce into the stock harvested from elsewhere. That way, they wouldn’t draw unwanted attention to his abilities, but the taste of their jam would always be better than what others could produce.
Even in his absence, the energy in the greenhouse remained, and his children were absorbing it constantly... But that was probably a thought for later.
For now, the focus had to be on keeping custors returning to the Silver Scale and teaching them how to actually use the jam properly.
As for the wines, Xuan Yang had already planned to sell most of their stock in the capital. But now, Xu Feng was wondering—should they also be under the Silver Scale brand? Or was it better to offload all the goods made from their spiritually-infused fruits in a way that wouldn’t draw too much attention?
After all, his family’s safety was the priority. He might be a demon beast, but there were still people in Dongzhou powerful enough to pose a threat.
Xu Feng exhaled and tuned back into the conversation.
The chef had just finished prattling on about how overly sweet the jam was, dismissing it as not being a real culinary achievent. He finally paused, looking up at Xuan Yang as if just now realizing he had been complaining to a noble.
About said noble’s business, no less.
There was an audible gulp as he swallowed hard, his round face suddenly nervous.
His chubby neck jiggled slightly with the movent.
Xu Feng’s gaze landed on that spot, and he blinked.
The man wasn’t particularly large, he wouldn’t even consider him chubby, but there was sothing about the way his throat bobbed that made it impossible not to notice. As if sensing the attention on him, the chef hesitated before turning his eyes toward Xu Feng.
And then he froze.
Xu Feng watched as the man’s mind visibly processed his face. His reaction wasn’t the usual stunned gawking he was used to, but there was a clear shift.
"The lord picked a stunning partner," the chef muttered matter-of-factly. His tone was sincere, almost admiring. "I didn’t an to offend the lady of Nanshan Estate."
Xu Feng stared at him.
Wait. Wasn’t this the sa man who had just been dismissing won and gers a few monts ago?
Before he could respond, it was Xuan Yang who spoke up, his voice even but firm.
"He’s actually the master of Nanshan Estate," Xuan Yang corrected. "It was given as a wedding gift."
The chef’s eyes widened slightly. "Ah. My sincere apologies to the master of Nanshan Estate."
To his credit, he corrected himself quickly. There was no sign of hesitation or disgust in his tone, which was... unexpected. Xu Feng wasn’t sure what to think. He had assud the man would have a certain prejudice against gers in leadership, but his attitude remained neutral—if not actually respectful.
Still, Xu Feng found himself testing him further. "Well, there are three masters of Nanshan. Myself and my husbands."
The words had nothing to do with jam or business, but he was curious.
The chef finally took in the rest of the room. From the mont he had entered, he had only really been focused on Xuan Yang, eager to rub shoulders with a noble. But now, he seed to actually see the rest of their group.
His gaze imdiately landed on Xuan Jian, the second husband in question who was standing beside Xu Feng, and his expression shifted slightly as he processed that before he bowed his head slightly and greeted all three of them reverently.
Interesting.
The chef’s eyes then flickered toward the children, his focus moving from the strollers to Xiao An and Xiao Momo, who were waiting patiently to leave. A small, delighted grin spread across his face.
"I’ll pack so treats for the children!" he bead.
Xu Feng watched, mildly surprised, as he turned his attention to the two visible children first. Xiao Momo and Xiao An had already tucked away so pastries in their sleeves—clumsily like children did—but the chef didn’t scold them for it. Instead, he looked amused.
Then, for the first ti, he seed to take note of the two masked n near the children. His eyes briefly flickered toward Xu Zeng’s silver hair, but he didn’t linger, as if it wasn’t his concern. His gaze instead returned to the children, warm and bright.
Xu Feng really didn’t know what to make of the man.
Pushy and opinionated? Definitely.
Eager to rub shoulders with nobles? Of course.
But instead of focusing on climbing the social ladder, he was more interested in doting on the children? What exactly was his goal?
Xu Feng exhaled and finally spoke again. "You should pair the jam with sothing else."
The words left his lips naturally—one foodie speaking to another.
He wasn’t saying it to defend his business. He didn’t need to defend it. But after hearing that this man had eaten an entire jar of strawberry jam in one sitting, it was clear he had completely misunderstood how it was ant to be enjoyed.
The chef perked up instantly, the earlier tension forgotten. "Pair it with what?" he asked, leaning in slightly, his round face full of interest.
Xu Feng’s lips twitched. A true foodie.
"Stead buns," he said, ticking off his fingers. "Warm rice porridge. Even brewed into tea."
The chef’s brows lifted, his curiosity fully captured. But then, Xu Feng tilted his head, watching the man closely before adding, "You don’t eat it alone like pudding."
"Ah. I see," he muttered, but then, after a pause, his gaze flickered back to Xu Feng, a new spark of curiosity in his eyes. "What is pudding?"
Xu Feng blinked. He had never heard of pudding?
A sense of disbelief settled in before quickly morphing into excitent. Pudding was sothing even the simplest kitchen could make. There were many versions of it, but if he were to make one using the ingredients easily found in Dongzhou, the best place to start would be a soft egg custard—smooth, creamy, and lightly sweet.
A slow smile spread across Xu Feng’s face. "I’ll make so."
The chef straightened, his round face lighting up with genuine excitent. "Truly?"
"In two days," Xu Feng confird. "I’ll bring so over, and you can try it then. You can also tell how you feel about the jam after eating it properly." His tone was teasing, but his excitent mirrored the chef’s.
The older man clapped his hands together twice, practically beaming. "That—that I look forward to! I’ll be waiting."
Xu Feng chuckled, already ntally running through the steps of making a simple custard pudding. They already had everything they needed to make custard, and it was a nice sweet treat they could introduce in their shop!
By the ti their group was ready to leave, the chef looked almost reluctant to see them go. His attention, which had initially been focused on Xuan Yang as a noble to impress, was now completely fixed on Xu Feng. He had been promised sothing new—sothing unknown and exciting—and now, he had to wait for it.
"I’ll be sure to send so treats for the little ones," the chef added as they made their way toward the door. "I’ll have them sent over to the Silver Scale imdiately."
Xu Feng gave him a final nod before stepping out into the cool air of Yilin Town, feeling unexpectedly pleased. A new dish to make. Neither Xuan Jian nor Xuan Yang had added their two cents to the conversation, but he could sohow feel their interest, in this new food.
This was a new excuse to play in the kitchen.
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