The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 78: Hot Spring

According to common sense, Qiu Huanian should have called someone over, found an excuse, and had them bring in a screen.

However…

Qiu Huanian’ gaze once again swiftly swept over Du Yunse’s tall figure, his firm, full chest, and his lean waist and abdomen.

Amidst the misty steam, his expression was not very clear, carrying a vague and indistinct allure.

Before Du Yunse could look over, Qiu Huanian turned his gaze straight ahead, pretending to be completely natural as he walked into the hot spring pool wearing only his inner garments.

The warm water soaked the soft silk gauze, clinging to his thin shoulders, revealing a beautiful flesh-colored hue.

Du Yunse’s breathing grew a little heavier.

He had originally planned to go out and have someone move in a screen or hang a curtain, but now he found himself unable to move his feet.

Du Yunse’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stepped toward the hot spring pool, only to be stopped by Qiu Huanian.

“Why aren’t you taking off your clothes?”

“Hmm?”

Du Yunse was stunned for a moment before letting out a hoarse laugh. “Hua ge’er is wearing clothes, yet asking me to undress?”

Qiu Huanian justified himself confidently, “If you get your clothes wet, you’ll have to dry them afterward, how inconvenient. You—you just need to take off your upper garment.”

After saying that, he immediately half-submerged his flushed face into the water, leaving only a pair of large, slightly upturned eyes blinking above the surface.

Du Yunse let out a low laugh, his voice like a heavy note sliding off the end of a zither string. Obediently, he untied the sash of his upper garment, turned his back to Qiu Huanian, and neatly hung the removed garment on the wooden rack behind the door.

Without the cover of clothing, his broad shoulders, firm and fluid waistline, and the natural contours of his back muscles were faintly visible through the mist, the humid air charged with a heart-racing tension.

At the moment Du Yunse turned around, Qiu Huanian instinctively shut his eyes, not daring to open them.

He could hear the sound of footsteps and water splashing, drawing nearer and nearer.

Then he was pulled into a familiar yet unfamiliar embrace, coming into contact with a large expanse of burning hot skin.

“Hua ge’er, don’t hold your breath, be careful not to get dizzy,” Du Yunse’s voice sounded still fairly composed.

Qiu Huanian opened his eyes, then quickly shut them again.

This close-up, unobstructed, full｜chested view was just too—too—too—

Qiu Huanian inhaled deeply and leaned into it, rubbing against him lightly.

It was just too wonderful!

Holding the person in his arms, Du Yunse’s forearms bulged with veins.

The thin layer of fabric clinging to Qiu Huanian’ body was almost non-existent, and after being soaked through, it added an entirely different kind of allure.

If not for the last shred of rationality still barely functioning, he would have pressed this mischievous and self-aware little fox against the side of the pool and claimed him right then and there.

Qiu Huanian had no idea how much danger he was in. His heart was pounding uncontrollably.

Since confirming their feelings for each other, the two young men had been living under the same roof for quite some time. Although they hadn’t gone all the way, kissing, touching, and hugging had certainly been part of their daily life.

But, being in ancient times, they had always been clothed in their inner garments during their moments of intimacy, and it was usually in total darkness.

Such a fully sensory, fragrant｜erotic scene like this was truly a first for Qiu Huanian.

A hot spring pool shrouded in mist, beautiful bodies, an intimate embrace, muscles close enough to see and touch—this was better than any modern first-person immersive video could ever offer!

Qiu Huanian cleared his throat with great propriety, his gaze dropping. Du Yunse was wearing only his underpants, with his firm waist and abdomen exposed. Unfortunately, due to the rippling water, it wasn’t very clear.

“What else does Hua ge’er want to look at?”

“……”

Qiu Huanian’ ears burned red, luckily hidden somewhat by the rising steam.

Du Yunse’s voice was dark and hoarse, like a wolf lurking in the dark, ready to pounce, “Or… does Hua ge’er want me to take it all off?”

Qiu Huanian finally sensed the danger and quickly shook his head.

Even though his mind was filled with countless naughty theories and experiences, he had never actually gone through it himself and didn’t dare to completely provoke Du Yunse in such a setting.

Yet, it was such a rare opportunity—it would be a shame to let it slip entirely.

Qiu Huanian hovered on the edge of disaster, repeatedly testing the limits.

He struggled out of Du Yunse’s embrace, floated a few steps away, and leaned against the edge of the hot spring pool, trying to maintain what he thought was a safe distance.

“I want to touch your abs,” Qiu Huanian quickly added, “Just touch them!”

“You come over a little, yes, right here, stand still.”

Du Yunse stood up. The water of the hot spring just reached his waistline. Qiu Huanian tentatively reached out, his fair and slender fingertips lightly pressing down, then slowly covering the firm muscles.

Although Du Yunse was a scholar, he had never neglected physical training. Skilled in riding and somewhat adept in martial arts, Qiu Huanian had seen firsthand just how strong his core strength was.

Under his palm, the abdominal muscles were sharply defined, beautifully shaped, firm, and resilient. Qiu Huanian focused slightly and counted—first finding six, and as he was about to confirm if there were a seventh and eighth down below, the muscles under his hand suddenly tensed, making his heart skip a beat.

A large veined hand firmly gripped the mischievous hand that had been probing.

Qiu Huanian looked up, meeting a pair of deep and obscure eyes.

The unparalleled handsome man parted his thin lips and spoke lightly, “Hua ge’er, why not touch somewhere else instead?”

With a whoosh, Qiu Huanian felt a blaze ignite from his heart and lungs all the way to his brain.

Of course, he understood Du Yunse’s hints, whether subtle or direct.

Excitement surged up from his tailbone. Qiu Huanian struggled to squeeze out a response, and in the next moment, the sound of intense water splashing echoed through the warm pavilion; he no longer had the mind to think about anything else.

The splashing sounds were incessant, intoxicating and stirring, making one’s heart and mind reel.

Du Yunse held Qiu Huanian’s waist with one arm, preventing him from sinking into the water. Only when Qiu Huanian’s arms grew sore did Du Yunse finally plant a satisfied peck on his moist, crimson lips, marked faintly with teeth marks.

After the release, Qiu Huanian was so exhausted he couldn’t speak, lazily hanging onto Du Yunse’s shoulder. Du Yunse supported him by the hips and lifted him out of the water. Qiu Huanian wrapped his legs around Du Yunse’s waist, refusing to let go.

Du Yunse had no choice but to carry him to the doorway, fetch clean clothes, turn his back so he could change, and then carry him back inside to rest.

Fortunately, Qiu Huanian had anticipated this and prepared more than one set of clothing; otherwise, they would have had to leave the warm pavilion soaking wet.

Qiu Huanian lay sprawled on the clean heated brick bed, hugging a pillow and covered with a thin quilt, while Du Yunse sat beside him, helping him dry his hair to prevent him from catching a cold.

After resting for a while, Qiu Huanian finally came to his senses. He gave a weak “ai” and buried his face into the pillow.

Du Yunse, worried he might suffocate, reached out and pulled him up.

Qiu Huanian didn’t dare look at his face. Hugging the pillow, he rolled over, flipping himself and the quilt deeper into the bed.

He couldn’t control himself from recalling the sensations of that moment in the hot spring—the throbbing touches, the shocking shape and size. His fair toes curled unconsciously, and he gave a slight shudder.

When that day truly came, he… he might really be｜fucked｜to death on the bed…

Qiu Huanian curled up with the pillow in silent mortification for a while, then suddenly asked for no apparent reason, “Is the announcement of the exam results after the provincial exam, or after the palace exam?”

Du Yunse was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled softly, “When does Hua ge’er wish it to be?”

After the provincial exam, it would be this autumn; after the palace exam, it would be the following spring.

The night of the bridal chamber, the day of topping the imperial exam list.

The time was not far away.

Qiu Huanian’s face burned bright red, but after the initial panic, he couldn’t deny a budding sense of anticipation.

…

After that day, Qiu Huanian deliberately lightened his schedule, slowing his pace a little, though everything continued to proceed methodically according to his plan.

Among all the matters at hand, the first to address was, naturally, the banquet. It was the perfect time for social gatherings. If he waited too long after being granted the title of County Lord, it would make him seem arrogant.

Qiu Huanian wrote out invitation cards and had Jin San deliver them one by one. He also invited Madam Huang to act as head chef and finalized the banquet menu.

Two or three days later, the invitations began to return with responses. Twenty-three families agreed to attend, while the others politely declined with appropriate excuses.

Qiu Huanian began arranging the seating, placing those with closer status or better relations together.

For him, handling these matters was quite easy. As a former senior PR officer, cultivating and maintaining favorable media relations had been one of his strong suits. Dealing with the noble families’ young members in ancient times was really no different.

Given Qiu Huanian’s age and status, only the younger generation responded to the invitations—no elders. The highest in status among them was Su Xinyao. A more unusual case was Min Leyi, the son of the head of Qingfeng Academy.

Previously, Min Leyi had made a name for himself by getting into a major brawl at a banquet hosted by the Liaozhou Surveillance Commissioner’s family. Since then, banquets in Xiangping Prefecture had carefully avoided inviting him, but Qiu Huanian still sent him an invitation.

The family of the Liaozhou Surveillance Commissioner, who bore a grudge against Min Leyi over the “cat incident,” would not be attending. Su Xinyue was still confined at home under punishment and could not attend either, so there was no need to worry about conflicts.

Besides arranging the guests, the host’s own appearance also needed proper attention.

Su Xinbai had taken that box of jewelry and sold it through an experienced steward from the Zhu family, getting thirty taels of silver in return, which he handed to Qiu Huanian.

Now, Qiu Huanian received a monthly stipend and could also earn money through business ventures. His finances were comfortable, so he took the whole family to a well-reputed tailor’s shop in the city to buy clothes.

At the tailor’s shop, they could either select a style and have clothes custom-made or choose ready-made garments and have them adjusted for size.

Given the time constraints, Qiu Huanian chose the latter.

He and Du Yunse picked two outfits with matching colors and embroidery that could practically be called couple’s attire.

The main material for both was top-grade season green cloud-patterned jacquard satin. Du Yunse ordered a Taoist robe with an additional layer of semi-transparent white mist-colored crane cloak, while Qiu Huanian chose an upper shirt and lower skirt ensemble, topped with a crossed-collar jacket, with daffodils embroidered along the collar and borders.

When the two changed into their outfits and stepped out for the shop assistants to measure and adjust the fit, everyone in the store was stunned.

Even after years of doing business in Xiangping Prefecture and seeing countless beauties and noble offspring, they had never encountered such breathtakingly beautiful individuals.

Truly, they were a pair created by heaven itself—immortal companions.

Jiujiu picked a faded red ruqun, with an upper shirt featuring golden speckled inner lining and pipa sleeves. The collars and sleeve cuffs were embroidered with winter jasmine flowers. Once dressed, she looked charming and lively, simply adorable.

Chunsheng chose a narrow-sleeved, waist-tied yesa robe, with a black brocade background embroidered with golden tiger and leopard patterns. The style was somewhat similar to the flying fish robes of the modern world. Once Chunsheng put it on, he even seemed a few inches taller.

The shop assistant measured their body sizes, noted down their address, and agreed to have the garments altered to fit and delivered within three days.

All four outfits were made with the finest silk fabrics and featured elaborate embroidery. While they were beautiful and pleasing to the eye, the price was also quite impressive.

Altogether, the four outfits cost twelve taels of silver, nearly enough to buy a whole brick-and-tile house in the countryside.

There was a time when Qiu Huanian could not even afford cotton cloth from the town shops, yet now, spending more than ten taels of silver on clothes did not make him feel distressed at all.

After leaving the clothing shop, the day’s errands were not yet finished. Qiu Huanian led everyone to the neighboring jewelry store.

Qiu Huanian did not like to wear too many accessories; for himself, he only picked a gold-plated hairpin inlaid with jade and a pair of pearl earrings—just enough to not look too plain.

Jiujiu chose two silk flowers, one shaped like a magnolia and one like a gardenia. The good quality silk flowers were made with expensive silk threads, shining with a lustrous glow, and their price was no lower than that of ordinary gold and silver jewelry.

Qiu Huanian then picked a gold-plated arm bracelet, a “Eight-Treasures” beaded necklace, and a pair of white jade earrings shaped like lily-of-the-valley flowers for her.

Jiujiu felt embarrassed, thinking it was too much, but Qiu Huanian told her just to wear them without worry.

Jiujiu loved to dress up, and Qiu Huanian enjoyed adorning her as well. Buying new clothes and jewelry for his own little girl and dressing her up beautifully made Qiu Huanian happy too.

All the jewelry together cost eight taels of silver, meaning that out of thirty taels, more than half had already been spent.

Next was setting up colorful canopies in the courtyard, purchasing ingredients, pastries, tea leaves, and alcohol… all the scattered expenses added up, and soon the remaining ten taels were spent as well.

Just hosting a modest and proper little banquet cost thirty taels of silver, and Qiu Huanian truly experienced the feeling of spending money like water, as the wealthy often did.

Fortunately, as their status rose, although expenses increased, so did opportunities to earn money.

On the day of the banquet, Du Yunse specially requested leave from Qingfeng Academy to help Qiu Huanian receive guests.

Early in the morning, Granny Jin and Jin San cleaned the courtyard thoroughly and once again confirmed that everything was prepared.

The two of them had handled many banquets while working at the magistrate’s residence down south and were very familiar with the procedures—this was the benefit of experience.

Madam Huang and her younger sister also arrived early. This was a major event for Qiu Huanian, so the two sisters even closed their Fresh Flavor Restaurant for a day to come and help.

Madam Huang served as the head chef, and her sister assisted her. Wei Li and Granny Wei couldn’t sit idle either and also went to the kitchen to lend a hand.

After the hour of Si, guests began arriving one after another. Granny Jin welcomed them inside, while Jin San guided the carriages to park along the back street.

Tea was arranged both in the reception hall of the first courtyard and in the two flower halls of the second courtyard, providing guests places to rest and chat.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse busied themselves greeting and conversing with the guests, while Jiujiu entertained the younger visitors, with Chunsheng closely following at her side.

Meng Yuanling also came to help. Lively and eloquent, and with Qiu Huanian’ introduction, he quickly became acquainted and chatty with some of the guests.

Some who held themselves in high regard simply greeted Qiu Huanian and then found friends to sit and chat with elsewhere.

Others, eager to curry favor with Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse, stayed nearby, trying to join their conversations and amuse them. Qiu Huanian took careful note of everyone’s behavior.

A colorful canopy had been set up in the main courtyard, with five sets of finely rented huanghuali wood-carved tables and chairs prepared for the feast.

Several tables were also placed in the open space in front of the rear houses to entertain the servants brought along by the guests.

Jiujiu led the younger guests to the first courtyard to play on the swings, with Zhu Xian and Su Xinyao helping to look after them, keeping everyone cheerful and harmonious.

Those who were not previously familiar with Qiu Huanian’ family, upon seeing this scene, began to feel a fondness for Jiujiu, and some even started making inquiries. Qiu Huanian turned them all down.

What a joke—Jiujiu was just a little over ten years old; he couldn’t bear to part with her, not even for a betrothal!

Although Du Yunse said nothing, his attitude was clear as well, so anyone with such intentions had to give up.

Everyone who came to the banquet brought congratulatory gifts. Meng Yuanling enthusiastically volunteered to help register the items, which were temporarily stored in the storeroom to be reviewed later when there was more time.

Min Leyi not only brought a proper gift but also many toys for cats. After exchanging a few words upon arrival, he immediately headed straight for Nai Shuang. The other noble guests were not keen on speaking with him, and he was more than happy to be left alone.

A few days before the banquet, Qingfeng Academy’s headmaster Min Taikang had wrestled with hesitation and embarrassment before finally thickening his skin to ask Du Yunse to put in a good word for his family’s son, Min Leyi, and to guide him a little.

Qiu Huanian found it amusing and decided to invite Min Leyi out separately for a private chat later.

Min Taikang was the principal of Du Yunse’s current academy and had always been highly appreciative and supportive of Du Yunse, so this favor was one Qiu Huanian was willing to grant.

By lunchtime, the true highlight of the event had arrived.

Ever since Madam Huang got her hands on the condiment oyster sauce, she had been completely captivated by it. Based on Qiu Huanian’s descriptions, she developed and improved several dishes that fully showcased the unique flavor of the oyster sauce.

Just now, the fresh aroma drifting from the kitchen had already caught the attention of many guests.

Those who were reserved could still hold back, but those who were more forthright and had become familiar with Qiu Huanian couldn’t resist asking.

Qiu Huanian, selling a bit of mystery, said, “This is a private recipe condiment I developed myself. It’s extremely delicious and can be added to many dishes. I brought it out specially to treat everyone today.”

Qiu Huanian emphasized that it was a private recipe, meaning it was not for sale, causing those who had been inquiring to feel a bit disappointed.

They knew that the “Qiu’s Red Fermented Tofu,” currently very popular in the prefectural city, was also something Qiu Huanian had developed.

After “Qiu’s Red Fermented Tofu” opened the market in Xiangping Prefecture, merchants from around the capital also managed to obtain the recipe and entered the same business, but the taste was simply not as good as Qiu’s, and their sales were not as high either.

If this new condiment could be sold like the fermented tofu, they could buy it and take it home.

After tasting the delicacies served at the banquet, even more people felt this regret.

There were many dishes they usually ate, but once the so-called oyster sauce was added, the flavor became entirely different.

Even the finest seafood couldn’t match this level of freshness!

After tasting dishes made with oyster sauce, the dishes they used to enjoy instantly paled in comparison.

Some food lovers couldn’t help but try to persuade Qiu Huanian to turn the oyster sauce into a business.

Qiu Huanian smiled and skillfully deflected, neither confirming nor denying.

Since he intended to use scarcity marketing, he had to hook people thoroughly from the start.

Qiu Huanian’ refusal to sell the oyster sauce would only make those who had tasted it today miss it even more, treating it as a rare and precious experience to be shared by word of mouth.

This approach was the same as how luxury brands in the modern world operated—clearly capable of mass production, yet deliberately limiting quantities and access to heighten desirability.

Compared to those flashy but superficial luxury goods, Qiu Huanian’ oyster sauce was at least genuinely rich in ingredients and truly delicious.

After the luncheon, the tables were cleared, and the guests lingered a while longer in the courtyard, chatting and playing, before gradually taking their leave after the Shen hour.

Qiu Huanian was so exhausted he could barely stand, so he let Jin San and the others oversee the cleanup while he took off his outer robe and half-reclined on the kang, reviewing the gifts received that day.

The gifts brought by guests attending the banquet were far more lavish than before, including a wide variety of items—spices, silks, decorative screens, and exquisite brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Altogether, the value of the gifts exceeded the cost of hosting the banquet.

However, this also meant that in the future, when attending banquets hosted by these families, Qiu Huanian would be expected to bring similarly valued gifts in return.

Many families would simply store away received gifts and later re-gift them as needed, serving merely as intermediaries.

Since there were many scholars in the household, Qiu Huanian took out the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for immediate use, kept a beautifully crafted Su embroidery screen to place on the kang, and stored the rest carefully in the storeroom.

As Qiu Huanian had expected, within just a few days, the name “oyster sauce” had spread throughout the upper circles of Xiangping Prefecture.

Under Qiu Huanian’ intentional promotion, it quickly became synonymous with heavenly delicacies—missing out on it was considered a major regret in life.

Many people, both openly and subtly, sent messages to Qiu Huanian hoping to obtain some oyster sauce, and some even resourcefully tracked down Madam Huang, the head chef that day, trying to pry information from her.

Since Qiu Huanian had clearly stated the characters for “oyster sauce,” some people even attempted to replicate it using raw oysters.

But very few had actually tasted the banquet dishes, and none had seen the thick, black finished oyster sauce, so how could they possibly replicate it?

They only ended up wasting materials in vain, never achieving the right method.

Thus, after fermenting for about ten days, the number of invitation cards sent to Qiu Huanian’ door increased more and more, until he finally, “reluctantly,” agreed to give in.

He took out fifty taels of silver from his savings and bought a roughly forty-square-meter shop on a bustling street in Xiangping Prefecture.

Shops were more expensive than residences, and shops in prime locations were even harder to buy. But upon hearing that Qiu Huanian intended to sell oyster sauce there, many wealthy families eagerly offered to sell him their properties, hoping he would open soon.

Qiu Huanian was not in a rush. He spent another twenty taels of silver to buy a small courtyard in a remote part of the city to serve as an oyster sauce workshop, and also made arrangements with a merchant he had gotten along well with at the banquet, who owned large fishing boats by the sea, to purchase oysters in bulk.

After all these expenses, most of the household savings were depleted, but Qiu Huanian finally had his own enterprise.

Naturally, the ownership of both the shop and the courtyard belonged to Qiu Huanian; the laws of the Yu Dynasty did not interfere in such matters.

Qiu Huanian had Jin San symbolically lease these two properties from him under Jin San’s name to open the shop and workshop, but since Jin San’s deed of servitude was still in Qiu Huanian’ hands, the property effectively remained under his control.

This way, he avoided the problem of being classified as a merchant.

In fact, the Yu Dynasty’s laws allowed servants to engage in business precisely to provide a loophole for high-ranking officials and nobles.

Only commoners were restricted by merchant status, unable to escape it even if they became wealthy through commerce.

After purchasing the courtyard and securing the raw materials, formal production began.

The first step in making oyster sauce was to extract the oyster meat from the shells and scrub them clean with a brush until not a single speck of black impurity remained.

This was the most time-consuming and labor-intensive step. Qiu Huanian hired a few guaranteed and locally-residing workers for this task.

Next, the oyster meat was minced and simmered in a pot with water and salt for several hours. As it cooked, the oyster meat gradually shrank, and the liquid in the pot turned into a thick, dark brown substance.

At this stage, the pot contained the most basic handmade oyster sauce broth, but Qiu Huanian, who had filmed oyster sauce production videos in the modern era as a top content creator, would not stop here.

He was known for being meticulous in the highly competitive residential districts of his past life, always striving for perfection.

Although there was no MSG available in ancient times to enhance the flavor, there was no shortage of other spices.

Qiu Huanian wrote down a spice formula based on memory, adjusted it through several trials, and determined the best recipe.

The third step was to simmer the spices into a broth, mix it with the filtered oyster broth, and then return it to the pot for further cooking and reduction until it reached a semi-liquid, sticky consistency, then it was bottled and cooled.

As with the red fermented tofu, the essence and secrecy of the entire recipe lay in the spice blend. Without cracking the spice formula, even if others copied the production steps, they could not replicate the exact same delicious oyster sauce.

Having learned his lesson after the sorghum candy recipe leak, Qiu Huanian now paid even more attention to maintaining his products’ “uniqueness.”

This uniqueness referred not only to the product itself but also to the additional external value.

For example, identity prestige, bundled sales, scarcity marketing—these were all classic tactics.

Now that Qiu Huanian was an officially titled county lord personally conferred by the emperor, he no longer needed to worry about offending others and facing trouble.

If anyone dared to cause problems, he could simply step back and present the imperial edict as protection.

After the first batch of oyster sauce was completed, the shop Qiu Huanian had purchased was also simply renovated.

He consulted the almanac and chose an auspicious day for opening.

The shop’s signboard was once again written by Du Yunse; the simple yet powerful calligraphy was carved by skilled craftsmen into black lacquered wood, draped with bright red silk.

As firecrackers crackled, the red silk fell, and the name of the new shop was revealed to all the onlookers.