Chapter Seven: This Man Has Something to Hide

Faced with such a novel delicacy, the young gentleman held it in his hand, scrutinizing it for a long while. The rich scent of milk teased his nose, and unable to resist, he took a small bite. Instantly, curiosity flooded his features, followed by astonishment, then disbelief.

“Heavens! Brother Gou, what is this marvelous food you have created? How can it be so fragrant and sweet? I have tasted countless delicacies since childhood, yet none can compare to this.”

Gou Ye was not at all surprised by the young man’s reaction. After all, this was a delicacy from centuries into the future—who but he, Gou Ye, could bring such a taste to this world? It seemed he wasn’t so useless here after all; with his unique talents, he was bound to make a name for himself. The thought made Gou Ye smile foolishly, lost in his own world.

“Brother Gou? Brother Gou?” The young gentleman tapped Gou Ye on the shoulder, pulling him back to reality. There was no mistaking this young man was different from the local villagers; he straightened his sleeves with great formality, then offered Gou Ye a deep, respectful bow.

“Such a dish is rare indeed. How is it made? I beg you, Brother Gou, teach me.”

Gou Ye was taken aback by the sudden formality. So, he wanted to learn his skill? Hmph, this was his secret recipe—how could he give it away so easily? Still, judging by the young man’s attire, he was no commoner. And since he had gone to the trouble of returning Gou Ye’s money, he seemed honest enough. Perhaps it was worth considering a partnership, as a gesture of gratitude.

Resting his hand on his chin, Gou Ye lightly patted the young man’s shoulder, unable to suppress a chuckle at the young man’s innocent face.

“My friend, as for how this food is made, I’m afraid I can’t teach you. It’s a family secret, passed down through generations. However, since you’ve shown such sincerity and returned my money, I could consider working with you instead. By the way, you haven’t told me your name yet.”

The young gentleman bowed again, making Gou Ye feel slightly uneasy. Were all wealthy men in ancient times this ceremonious? Did they have to bow with every sentence? A mere conversation would leave one exhausted.

“Brother Gou, I am Gu Shen, the son of Duke Jing of the current dynasty. It was thoughtless of me to ask for your secret so bluntly. As for your proposal of collaboration, I would be grateful if you would explain in detail.”

Brother Gou? Brother Gou? Bear? Why did it sound so odd? Ever since they’d met, the young man had called him Gou Gun or Bear, which annoyed Gou Ye to no end.

“Gu… Gu… What was it again?”

“Gu Shen.”

“Yes, Gu Shen. Let me repeat it for you—my name is Gou Ye! Gou Ye! Not Gou Gun, not Bear, understand? Gou Ye! Just call me Gou Ye from now on.” After much effort, Gou Ye finally managed to correct his name; otherwise, he’d always feel the young man was taking advantage of him.

“Alright, Brother Gou Ye.” Gu Shen grinned sheepishly, never quite understanding why Gou Ye cared so much about his name.

The two sat on the ground. Gou Ye plucked a stalk of straw, broke it to the length of his palm, and rolled it between his lips.

“Our partnership is simple. You provide the funds; I provide the labor. You give financial and material support; I contribute the ideas and techniques. Together, we’ll make it big, starting with one shop, then expanding into a chain—a whole ice cream store trust. Whatever price Häagen-Dazs sets, we’ll set the same. Open hundreds of stores, and in a few years, we can raise capital and go public. We’ll just sit back and split the profits.”

Gu Shen listened, utterly bewildered, unable to make sense of a single word.

“Brother Gou Ye, may I confess I didn’t understand a thing you just said?”

Gou Ye laughed heartily, nearly forgetting that Gu Shen couldn’t possibly grasp modern terms. He had been too caught up in his own plans.

“Never mind what I just said. You just need to provide the money. In short, we’re brothers—let’s make money together and share our meals. Just remember, I’ll help you get rich. By the way, how much are you able to invest?”

Eager, Gou Ye anticipated that, as the son of a noble family, Gu Shen must be wealthy—offering up a few hundred taels should be no problem. A few hundred taels would make him a rich man; with that startup capital, he was one step closer to marrying a wealthy beauty and becoming a man of stature. Making money in ancient times seemed easier than he’d thought.

“Brother Gou Ye, to be honest, I can only provide thirty taels.”

Thirty taels? Not three hundred? Gou Ye’s eyes widened. He had never expected such a response.

“How much? Thirty taels? Brother Gu, are you joking? As the son of a noble family, you can only produce thirty taels?”

Gu Shen looked embarrassed and shook his head. “Brother Gou Ye, you may not know, but though I am the son of Duke Jing, I am the eighth son in the family. All household expenses are strictly managed by the steward, and my monthly allowance is strictly controlled by the inner household. I receive only thirty taels a month, and what I’ve promised you is my entire monthly allowance.”

Just moments ago, Gou Ye had been daydreaming of immense wealth, only to have his hopes dashed by Gu Shen’s words. Still, thirty taels was better than nothing. Though a bit disappointed, he decided to accept the offer for now.

“Fine, thirty taels. Even a grasshopper is still meat. Bring out the thirty taels, and we’ll plan further…” He had barely finished speaking when he saw Yun Niang rushing toward them, her face anxious. Something must have happened. Gou Ye quickly got to his feet and hurried over to her.

“Gou… Gou… Gou Ye…” Yun Niang panted, her face flushed.

“Don’t worry, Yun Niang. Catch your breath and tell me what’s happened.” Gou Ye gently patted her back to calm her.

“Gou Ye, Master Hu has sent someone looking for you!”

“Master Hu? Which Master Hu?”

“The one who bought your manuscript!”

Oh? Why would Master Hu suddenly send for him? Was it because he hadn’t submitted his work today, and they feared he’d run off? Gou Ye was deeply curious and quickly gathered his molds and other belongings, preparing to return to the village with Yun Niang.

“Brother Gou Ye, I’ve been out for quite some time—my family must be worried. I’ll take my leave for today. Once I’ve prepared the funds, we’ll discuss our partnership further. It’s my great fortune to have met you today.” With another deep bow, Gu Shen took his leave. Gou Ye made no attempt to stop him; after all, Gu Shen would certainly return. Mounting his white horse, Gu Shen bid them farewell and rode off into the distance.