Li Changyu watched Juhua’s happy expression and the loving glance she gave Huai Zi. A mix of complicated feelings churned inside him—it was as if he didn’t understand Juhua at all.

’The things Huai Zi did, which he found ridiculous and tacky, had completely won Juhua’s heart. He was sure that the wooden hairpin Huai Zi bought was for Juhua—that’s the sort of thing you give a young girl, after all—but he never took it out.’

’Could he have bought that wooden hairpin for his mother?’

Flustered, Li Changyu glanced at Juhua’s head, where her hair was neatly tied back in a thick, practical braid—without a single ornament.

’She was different from the young ladies in town. The town ladies all wore their hair in various beautiful styles, adorned with hairpins and rings of gold, silver, or jade. That wooden hairpin really would be of no use to her.’

Li Changyu’s heart sank. He didn’t dare reach into his robes—tucked inside was a kerchief he had bought for Juhua, an exquisite, embroidered silk one.

He looked at Juhua’s clothes—new, but made of cotton and linen—and the small, floral-print cloth kerchief covering her face. She looked so fresh, comfortable, and casual. The embroidered silk kerchief in his robes suddenly felt like it was on fire, burning his chest.

He wouldn’t dare take this kerchief out and give it to Juhua, not even if it killed him. He could just imagine how terribly it would clash with her coarse cloth clothes.

He wanted to slap himself—’How could I be so thoughtless!’

Juhua would definitely not accept such an expensive yet useless item. He was almost certain she wouldn’t like it.

’How ridiculous. Before, I was laughing at Huai Zi for not understanding a girl’s heart, buying a wooden hairpin that only cost a few coins. What a poor choice. He didn’t even think to spend a little more on a silver hairpin for Juhua—if she accepted it, it could have been considered an early betrothal gift. How great would that have been?’

But even that hairpin, worth only a few coins, wasn’t for Juhua.

’That’s right... a boy giving a girl that kind of gift... wouldn’t that be an improper private exchange?’ The thought made him even more hesitant to take out the kerchief.

As these thoughts churned in Li Changyu’s mind, his forced smile couldn’t hide his disappointment. Fortunately, Qingmu and Juhua were busy asking Zhang Huai about other things and didn’t notice him.

By the time he had composed himself and refocused on their conversation, a new wave of disappointment washed over him.

Zhang Huai was settling the accounts for the sausage sales with Qingmu, handing over the silver, while telling him and Juhua about his experiences in Qinghui.

When Juhua heard about Zhang Huai’s agreement with Old Mr. Fang, she praised his handling of the situation without hesitation. "You did the right thing, Huai Zi. This is great. I was worried someone might come and cause trouble. It’s a good thing the sausages are only sold at the restaurant and haven’t flooded the market. At the latest, we’ll sell the secret recipe to Old Mr. Fang next year. Let him handle the mass production. That way, fewer people will be paying attention to us. In the future, even if Qingshan sausages become famous, people will just say it’s because our pork is good. It’s not like they can come and steal all the pigs we’re raising, right?"

Qingmu added his own praise, "You’re right. We aren’t natural businessmen. All this running around is just to sell the things our village produces. If we put too much thought into other matters, I’m afraid we won’t even do this part well. Selling the recipe will save us the trouble of people coveting it."

Zhang Huai smiled. "I also felt that since we’re just starting to sell things and don’t know much, and since Changyu hasn’t established a firm footing in Qinghui yet, we shouldn’t overreach. Besides, a lot of things need to be planned out slowly. The mountains, the fields, the paddies, the ponds—they all need careful tending before they’ll produce anything."

Qingmu nodded. "Mm, we can’t just do things haphazardly. Our roots are still here in Qingnan Village and Little Qing Mountain. As for the business—" He turned to face Li Changyu. "—Changyu, the outside business is up to you. Huai Zi and I will manage the operations here in the village, and your father will manage everyone’s farming."

Li Changyu was feeling dejected over the close, seamless way the three of them—Qingmu, Juhua, and Zhang Huai—discussed matters. He never imagined that Juhua didn’t just know how to cook; she also seemed to understand business very well.

’Do they discuss things like this often?’

No wonder Zhang Huai had seemed so confident in Qinghui, as if he had everything planned out.

In that moment, he felt like a complete outsider.

Hearing Qingmu’s words, his spirits lifted. ’The more it’s like this, the harder I have to work,’ he thought. ’For myself, for my parents, for...’

A sudden sense of astonishment struck him. ’Since when have I set my heart on Juhua? I knew perfectly well about Huai Zi’s feelings for her, yet I still developed these ideas.’

Qingmu saw him first nodding repeatedly with a reinvigorated look, then suddenly go slack-jawed and dejected. Puzzled, he couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong? You’re not getting scared before we’ve even really started, are you? Weren’t you doing a fine job before?"