On Jiangling Street stands the Three Blossoms Eatery, run by a fellow with a talent for cooking that's second to none!
Jiang He is an honest man who diligently runs the eatery his parents left him.
He opens early with a steaming bowl of noodles, simmers a pot of tender, silky fish slices in sour broth for lunch, fragrant enough to carry for miles, and serves stir-fried river clams with a little wine for dinner.
The diners set down their cups and smack their lips. What a wonderful life!
Then one day, the eatery takes in a customer.
The customer looks like a filthy little beggar who hasn't eaten in three days. As soon as the food arrives, he wolfs it down, but halfway through the meal, he suddenly topples over with a thud.
Jiang He: !!!
Jiang He quickly saves him and washes him up, only to discover that the little beggar is actually quite handsome, though his background is tragic and he has nowhere to go.
Jiang He takes pity on him and lets him stay on as a helper at the shop.
On Shen Yunjin's first day at work, he wears coarse clothes and keeps scratching. Jiang He asks him what's wrong.
Xie Yunjin lifts his shirt, revealing the skin beneath, and says with a blush, "The clothes, they're a little rough. They're rubbing me raw."
On Shen Yunjin's second day at work, he eats with Jiang He.
He stares at the two dishes and bowl of rice in front of him, then stammers, "Weren't there supposed to be eight dishes and a soup?"
On Shen Yunjin's third day at work, Jiang He gets up in the night and hears someone tossing and turning in the other room.
When he asks what's wrong, Xie Yunjin sits up in bed with a woebegone look. "This bed is so hard. I can't sleep."
Jiang He: ...
Is this little beggar really a beggar, or some young master who ran away from home?
But Jiang He discovers that though the young master is pampered, he's very clever.
He listens to Jiang He, and business at the eatery keeps getting better. Customers come in and never want to leave.
Later, when some ruffians come to cause trouble, the pampered young master throws himself in front of Jiang He and takes the wooden stool crashing down toward him.
When Xie Yunjin wakes up, his eyes are watery with pain. He looks at Jiang He in despair and says, "It's over. They must have broken my body. No one will want me now."
Jiang He's eyes are swollen like walnuts. "I will! I'll marry you and make you my husband!"
Years later, the eatery's business grows bigger and bigger.
The tiny tiled-roof house of old becomes a grand restaurant, packed with customers every day, and life is prosperous.
The seasons turn and the years bring new days. Jiang He and Xie Yunjin stay by the eatery's side and grow old together.
[Honest, steady receptive x pampered gong] Younger gong
Reader's Guide:
1. This is probably a food story, with a taste of everyday life among ordinary folk.
2. Both are locals. A slow-burn story about gradually building a business and making a fortune.
Theme: Make a good life together.
