Chapter 127: The Experiment Succeeds

Lately, Gou Ye’s behavior had left everyone truly baffled. It started when he had Xuanyuan Changfeng draw the portrait of an old man for him, and followed with him spending his entire days holed up in the kitchen with Yun Niang. Laifu, acting as the liaison between the Merchant Clan and Gou Ye, had tried several times to get to the bottom of it, only to be rebuffed by Gou Ye each time.

Every time Gou Ye, Yun Niang, and the Guo brothers finished their work and stepped out of the kitchen, Laifu would slip in to investigate, only to find a basket full of potato peels and a floor littered with chicken bones. Consumed by curiosity, he reported these events to the Merchant Clan’s council members.

Elder Xiao smiled, and while the other council members remained silent, only Lu Yuanheng spoke up with great indignation: "Elder Xiao, you cannot allow this boy to act so recklessly. Look at what he has done since arriving in the capital: if he isn't composing poems, he is sitting around the kitchen stove all day. Autumn is already drawing to a close, and in just over two months, the gentry will begin their vetting process. To sit idly by and pin all our hopes on this lad is to let our opportunity slip away."

Hearing this, Elder Xiao calmly took a sip of his tea and replied, "Do not doubt those you employ, and do not employ those you doubt. Since we have already chosen him, we must give him time. Besides, you have seen it yourselves—how long has this boy been in the capital, yet he has already gained the Emperor's favor? This is particularly advantageous for the future development of our Merchant Clan."

After Elder Xiao spoke, the other council members nodded in agreement. At this point, Wang Xiu, who rarely spoke, chimed in: "Brother Lu, you must take a longer view. I know you do not favor Gou Ye, but one should not judge a person solely based on personal preference. I believe Elder Xiao is right. The fact that this boy was able to establish a connection with the palace in such a short time shows that if he applies himself, his future career prospects will be limitless. Let us observe for a while longer and wait with peace of mind. Laifu, stop running back and forth between us and the Merchant Clan; once every ten days is enough. Coming too often will only create friction between you and Master Gou."

After Laifu acknowledged this, Lu Yuanheng gave a cold huff and said, "It is not just my personal prejudice against the boy; he is simply too frivolous. He has been here for so long, and I haven't seen him visit the Merchant Clan once. Furthermore, he claimed he wanted to understand the capital's market and the people's livelihoods—is he supposed to learn that by staying at home all day? Hah! Absurd!"

"If it were up to me, I would consolidate our funds, inject them into the capital, expand our existing storefronts, and buy up struggling businesses at rock-bottom prices. Even if we lose money initially, it will surely attract more foot traffic. If we can hold out until the end of the year, we will certainly catch the attention of the gentry. Once we secure the customs and Western Regions travel permits, won't all our current losses be recouped?"

Elder Xiao pondered for a moment before saying, "I have long considered your method. Setting aside the high risk, just injecting all our capital into the capital would require us to sacrifice many of our businesses in other regions. Moreover, even if everything went perfectly and we succeeded in the selection, how would we raise prices afterward? How many of these businesses would survive a price hike? And how would we then revive these subsidiaries and the failing shops within the capital? Therefore, I believe the risk remains too high. Let us wait a while longer before discussing it further."

Lu Yuanheng wanted to retort, but a displeased look from Elder Xiao caused him to wilt and fall silent. The final consensus among them was to wait and see how Gou Ye’s plan unfolded.

Over ten days had passed since then. Whenever Xuanyuan Changfeng came to look for Gou Ye, he was always told by Laifu that he was in the kitchen. Despite his repeated questioning, Gou Ye refused to say anything. At the same time, Xuanyuan Changfeng could feel the scent of cooking oil on Gou Ye growing stronger by the day. Looking at the grease-stained Gou Ye, he felt that the elegant young man he once knew had completely transformed into a cook hovering over a stove.

"My friend, what exactly have you been up to with all this secrecy lately? I’ve asked you many times, and you won't say a word. You're practically abandoning your studies—I haven't seen you open a book in days. How can this be? Even if the imperial examination isn't until next year, you have no foundation; you should be working even harder."

Gou Ye brushed the crumbs off his hands and gave a mischievous grin. "Brother Changfeng, you don't need to worry. I am conducting an experiment, and once it succeeds, I promise you will be astonished. I will certainly study, but my mind is currently set on this; I wouldn't be able to focus on books anyway, so I might as well dedicate myself to one thing."

Xuanyuan Changfeng thought to himself, what could possibly be more important than the imperial examination or a career in the bureaucracy? In his eyes, Gou Ye was simply neglecting his duties. As a friend and a peer, he felt he should help steer him back onto the right path. Thus, Xuanyuan Changfeng spent a full hour trying to persuade him with earnest words, but seeing that Gou Ye remained entirely indifferent, he finally gave up in frustration.

After lunch, Gou Ye told Xuanyuan Changfeng he was free to amuse himself, but today, he was unusually stubborn and insisted on following Gou Ye into the kitchen to see for himself. Unable to talk him out of it, Gou Ye reluctantly agreed.

Xuanyuan Changfeng followed Gou Ye and Yun Niang into the kitchen, his curiosity piqued. He saw the Guo brothers already waiting with a table full of diced chicken and potato strips, alongside baskets of flatbreads and fresh greens. He remained silent, watching to see what they were planning to do.

He watched as they bustled about, pouring oil, adding chicken, and sprinkling flour, clearly enjoying themselves. After a long wait, Gou Ye tasted a piece of the fried chicken, bit into a strange double-layered flatbread, and sampled the fried potato strips. He then shouted, "I declare the experiment a success!"

Saying this, Gou Ye dipped a fried potato strip into a red sauce he had prepared and handed it to Xuanyuan Changfeng. Xuanyuan Changfeng took it slowly and ate it; his eyes immediately lit up. He then tasted the fried chicken and the peculiar double-layered flatbread Gou Ye offered. What struck him as most bizarre was that inside the two flatbreads were a piece of chicken, some greens, and the red sauce Gou Ye had concocted. Could this really be delicious?

But when Xuanyuan Changfeng took a skeptical bite, his expression changed instantly. He asked loudly, "My friend, what is the name of this dish? It’s delicious—simply delicious!"