All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

After securing the workers and giving them a brief training, Zhang Peng hung up the shop sign, and the shop was officially open for business!

"Master Zhang's Family Recipe Clay Pot Rice Noodles"

Yes, it has such a rustic name, and the shop even has a delivery phone number and "welcome to join us" written below it!

Chen Ling knew about Zhang Peng opening a clay pot noodle shop. Although she was a little worried, she was still quite supportive. She even wanted to come and help, but Zhang Peng refused, telling her to take good care of her pregnancy. The baby was due in a little over a month, and he needed to earn enough money for the baby's formula within that month!

A small shop of 20 square meters, with four tables, plus the owner Zhang Peng, a total of six people, standing at the entrance of the shop, exudes an air of grandeur.

There's no way to put down more than four tables; the space is just the right size. In an urban village, 20 square meters is already considered a large shop. In the future, he will mainly focus on takeout orders. In addition to the Ele.me and Meituan platforms, his customer base consists of hundreds of thousands of people in the urban village and surrounding office buildings.

The beginning is always the hardest, but Zhang Peng is very confident in his taste. He believes that once he succeeds, he will definitely have more repeat customers than his competitors.

But at the beginning, if people haven't tried your clay pot noodles before, no matter how much you talk, it won't work. You have to attract a wave of customers and let word of mouth spread quickly in the neighborhood.

Therefore, on the first day of his business, he put a huge billboard at the entrance of the store, with the following message on it.

"This might be the best bowl of clay pot noodles you've ever eaten in your life. If you don't believe me, come and try it. If you don't like it, you don't have to pay!"

As soon as the advertising sign was put up, a lot more people came to watch. All five employees pitched in, some handing out flyers and others calling out to customers, and the foot traffic increased instantly.

In this day and age, people really enjoy watching a spectacle, especially in this urban village. It's the first time they've seen a store with so many employees and such a big reputation, so many young people have come straight to try it out.

Zhang Peng immediately got to work. His shop only offered three items: clay pot noodles, chicken, pork ribs, and lean meat, all priced at a uniform 15 yuan. Ten clay pots were arranged on a row of elongated gas stoves.

Actually, making clay pot rice noodles is not complicated. Even young people with a little cooking experience can master it in the blink of an eye. His secret is the broth. Yes, there are two large buckets full of broth under the gas stove. He made the broth last night. The real secret weapon is the ingredients.

Many shops that serve mala tang and casserole noodles have special secret recipes for their broth, but most of them are made with chemical additives available on the market. Some also use illegal folk remedies, such as opium poppy shells.

Zhang Peng certainly wouldn't do such frivolous things. His soup base is absolutely a fusion of the wisdom of his ancestors over thousands of years. The ingredients in it have long been lost in today's world.

Of course, he was also worried that his ancestors might not be reliable, since some of the ingredients could only be bought at the medicinal herb market. He was also afraid of problems, so he had all the ingredients tested some time ago to make sure that there were no prohibited medicinal herbs in them before he started to work on a big scale!

He wanted to bring the lost ancestral recipe back to light, and at the same time, make a fortune from it.

Although the clay pot rice noodles are simple to make, Zhang Peng's smooth and skillful performance still attracted a lot of customers. The shop only had four tables, which were quickly filled, mostly by curious young people.

When the first bowl of clay pot noodles was served, everyone's attention was drawn to it. As soon as the lid was opened, a unique and rich aroma instantly filled the shop.

Zhang Peng could vaguely hear several people around him swallowing their saliva, and he couldn't help but feel secretly smug. Nowadays, those delicacies made with chemical additives, although attractive at first, always leave an indescribable taste in the mouth after a few times. Over time, that taste gradually degrades one's sense of taste and touch, as if no other food is attractive to them.

Zhang Peng has always believed that true gourmet food should have a lingering sweet aftertaste, make you feel hungry just by smelling it, and bring a special sense of pleasure when you eat it. The joy that food brings is something that many modern people have long lost.

The food in these urban villages is mostly of poor quality. On Zhang Peng's street alone, there are more than a dozen fast food restaurants, most of which serve roast duck and pork trotter rice, as well as large pot dishes. The meat in those large pot dishes is basically the cheapest frozen meat, or even lymph node meat from the market.

To mask the taste of inferior ingredients, almost every restaurant chef cooks heavily and seasons the food, with MSG and synthetic soy sauce as the main ingredients. For meat that is seriously spoiled, they deep-fry it with flour and add chemical additives to completely change the taste of the food.

Zhang Peng's clay pot rice noodles this time are meant to give everyone a truly unforgettable taste for the first time, allowing them to open their taste buds and sense of touch and taste the original flavor of the food.

Zhang Peng's secret recipe is the most magical seasoning recipe in the "Idle Cooking Secrets" series. It is specially designed for steamed and boiled foods. It contains seventeen ingredients in strict proportions. Too much will make the flavor too strong and bitter on the tongue, while too little will not produce a special aftertaste.

This recipe was once a family secret passed down for two hundred years in a braised pork offal shop. It even led to a massacre of the entire family because of this recipe, which was later completely lost.

More than a hundred years ago, someone offered 10,000 taels of gold to buy this secret recipe. Finally, among the real and fake recipes, the true recipe was found and included in "Idle Cooking".

If it were the Zhang Peng of the past, he certainly wouldn't have made such a big deal out of this secret recipe to earn money. But the current Zhang Peng has no worries at all. What use is a lost secret recipe? A good secret recipe is one that can solve the worries of a family!

Zhang Peng smiled and said to the first customer.

"Eat up! I'm telling you now, if you don't like this clay pot noodle soup, this meal is on me!"

Across from him was a blond man in his early twenties. Despite swallowing hard several times, he got angry when he heard Zhang Peng say that. He picked up his chopsticks and said something.

"Boss, I'm sorry, but you'll have to treat me to this meal. This rice noodle doesn't suit my taste at all. The clay pot rice noodles at the restaurant on Jiefang Road are the real deal..."

As they were talking, Huang Mao picked up a handful of rice noodles, stuffed them into his mouth, and stopped speaking before he could finish. He then stopped talking, quickened his movements, and slurped up the steaming hot pot of rice noodles in a few bites, finishing it all. He scooped the noodles in the broth several times, and when he saw there were no more noodles left, he picked up the pot and started slurping the broth until it was completely empty. After finishing the last bit of broth, only a few bones remained in the pot. He let out a satisfied burp, then put down his chopsticks and stared blankly at the pot.

This scene stunned everyone. It wasn't until Zhang Peng remembered that the clay pot noodles on the gas stove were ready that he smiled, turned around to get the noodles, and said something.

"How is it? The taste is alright, isn't it?"

After savoring the moment for a while, Huang Mao finally came to his senses and quickly stood up, saying to Zhang Peng.

"Boss, I can only describe your clay pot noodles in four words: it's fucking amazing! Seriously, your advertisement was absolutely right. This is definitely the best clay pot noodles I've ever had in my life. Boss, I have a suggestion: there's too little rice noodle. It's gone in just a few bites. It's really not satisfying!"

Huang Mao's transformation made everyone else look eager to try it out. Zhang Peng didn't stand on ceremony and started having his employees bring out all the rice noodles.

When all the clay pot noodles were opened, the irresistible aroma caused a stir among the surrounding crowd. Especially when they saw that all eight customers at the four tables inside the shop had finished their soup, the crowd couldn't stand still any longer.

The influx of customers immediately kept Zhang Peng busy. There weren't enough tables in the shop, so they had to offer takeout, and the takeout staff were also busy at work.

Zhang Peng's business has truly taken off. The 15-yuan clay pot noodles are not expensive. To attract customers, Zhang Peng also posted a sign on the wall where customers can scan a QR code. He offered a 2-yuan discount if they took a photo, wrote the name of Zhang's family-inherited clay pot noodles, and shared it on their WeChat Moments. Almost 90% of the customers participated in this activity because the taste was so good that they were willing to share and promote it.

Actually, running a small business is that simple. Don't underestimate this kind of small business. If you do it well, earning hundreds of thousands a year is not a dream. The only downside is that it's quite tiring.

Zhang Peng can make a profit of more than half on a 15-yuan clay pot noodle dish. Moreover, cooking ten clay pots at the same time allows for better utilization of time. On the first day of opening, the small shop earned 4,566 yuan and sold more than 300 dishes.

Starting the next day, the shop began to receive takeout orders. A week later, takeout orders accounted for 50% of the shop's revenue. Half a month later, takeout revenue officially exceeded 10,000 yuan on the same day, while the shop's revenue was 3,800 yuan. Zhang Peng was extremely busy.

Zhang Peng's business was so successful that his competitors on the street could only watch helplessly as he made a fortune. Especially during mealtimes, long lines of delivery drivers would come to pick up their meals, much to everyone's envy and jealousy.

Some of his peers began to suspect that Zhang Peng's clay pot rice noodles contained special prohibited substances, so they reported it to the food inspection department. Unfortunately, Zhang Peng had already prepared the food inspection report and asked them to take samples for testing.

After all this fuss, Zhang Peng's business boomed even more, because it proved that his clay pot noodles were indeed genuine and of high quality. Now, some of his competitors couldn't sit still any longer and started trying to get close to him.

Zhang Peng knew what they were thinking, so he directly provided a franchise price list. The franchise fee was 100,000 yuan, and all the special soup ingredients had to be sourced from him, with a purchase price of over 100 yuan per kilogram.

Yes, Zhang Peng's future goal is to earn franchise fees and profit from selling ingredients. Opening a store is exhausting, and you can only earn a few hundred thousand a year. But by opening franchise stores, you can make much more money and become rich in no time.

Zhang Peng's business is so successful that it's a living advertisement. Fellow entrepreneurs who want to join the franchise come to observe the customer traffic almost every day. This calculation shows that Zhang Peng's daily profit exceeds 5,000 yuan. Although he's busy from morning till night, he's definitely making money!

So, by the end of the first month, two competitors had applied to join the franchise, and Zhang Peng happily began to discuss cooperation with them.

Just as Zhang Peng's career was reaching a new height, Chen Ling finally gave birth to a big girl weighing eight pounds and three ounces. She was indeed quite large and very heavy to hold.

Zhang Peng is even busier now. In order to earn enough money for his child's milk powder, he is busy every day and has not had a real rest for two months.

However, the hard work was worthwhile. In just two months since the store opened, the fifth franchise store has been officially signed. In just two months, Zhang Peng has gone from a wage earner to a millionaire. Although he has lost ten pounds in these two months to make a living, he believes it was all worth it.

Zhang Peng named his daughter Zhang Huilin, an ordinary name. On the day Huilin celebrated her one-month birthday, Zhang Peng hosted a banquet for more than a dozen employees and some relatives and friends, setting up six tables at a nearby restaurant.

Zhang Peng felt a little giddy as everyone called him "General Manager Zhang." He downed one glass of wine after another, feeling hot all over. He felt that his life was about to be fulfilled. Looking at the daughter in Chen Ling's arms, the little one was fair and tender and very cute. At this moment, Zhang Peng felt extremely happy.

Children are so lucky. They eat and sleep, sleep and eat, carefree, without having to think about the future or worry about whether they will go hungry tomorrow.

"I really wish I could have a dream experience like a baby," Zhang Peng exclaimed sincerely. Just then, several people came over to toast him. Zhang Peng accepted all the toasts. After a few rounds of drinks, Zhang Peng felt himself becoming lightheaded, as if the whole world was spinning.

After downing the last glass of wine, Zhang Peng completely lost consciousness, slumped onto the table, and fell fast asleep.

After the banquet, Zhang Peng was helped home. Once in bed, he was already fast asleep. The rosy complexion on his face made Chen Ling shake her head helplessly. She then took out a damp towel and wiped his face.

Zhang Peng, lying on the bed, suddenly revealed a strange smile on his lips, and occasionally murmured in a voice like that of a baby, making Chen Ling both amused and exasperated. Helpless, she covered him with a blanket.

Little did anyone know that Zhang Peng had entered a new dream, and in this dream, Zhang Peng was currently in a daze.

Grand Mansion

Chapter 1: 1880, He Arrived!

Zhang Peng was indeed a bit confused at this moment, because he felt like he was an infant, and a newborn infant at that.

His little brain was clearly not fully developed yet, so he felt that the whole world had become very strange. When he opened his eyes, his body seemed unable to move, and he saw a group of old women surrounding him.

These old women were ugly and tall, dressed somewhat like they were from an ancient drama. Then one of them came up and slapped his buttocks repeatedly. The shame made him blush. He didn't feel any pain, just a ticklish feeling, and he immediately let out a "hehe" laugh.

The laughter startled the old woman, who quickly tossed him to another old woman. Just then, she heard the voice of another old woman.

"This baby wasn't crying when he was born, he actually smiled, he smiled at me! Sister-in-law, it scared me to death, it scared me to death!"

Upon hearing this, the other two older women nearby immediately reprimanded them.

"What nonsense are you talking about? What child doesn't cry!"

"Sister-in-law, it's true! If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself!"

As he spoke, several old women surrounded him, and Zhang Peng felt as if several large heads were blocking his view.

Suddenly a sound came from the bed.

"Not going to cry? Then hit me, hit me hard, hit me until I cry!"

When Zhang Peng heard that voice, he realized that it was his biological mother!

Sure enough, the women started spanking Zhang Peng's buttocks, but they were afraid of hitting too hard. Zhang Peng was both ashamed and itchy, and he laughed even louder. At this point, the women looked at each other, clearly frightened.

The mother in bed was also startled by the laughter and shouted.

"What kind of thing did I just give birth to?"

Holding someone's arms, Zhang Peng gradually sorted out his thoughts. This must be another dream, and this dream is very strange. He is actually a newborn baby boy.

Children don't have much memory, so Zhang Peng's mind naturally controlled this body. The feeling of an adult's mind controlling this body was somewhat strange, and the experience was quite good. The only problem was that he was powerless to do anything about his little penis being seen naked by others. There was nothing he could do because his body was too small.

However, looking at the faces of the old women in front of him, Zhang Peng felt that they were somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember them for a moment.

Zhang Peng's dreams are now mostly based on TV series and movies he has watched before. In short, they must resonate with him in some way, otherwise he wouldn't be able to enter such a dream.

Judging from the attire of these old women, this is not modern life. Their clothing seems to be from the Qing Dynasty, but I don't know what year, month, or place this is.

Forget it, I'll stop thinking about it. I'll find out what this place is eventually.

Zhang Peng felt a little dizzy. Children love to sleep, so it seems he'll have to get used to this body from now on!

Seeing Zhang Peng asleep in her arms, the mother, lying on the bed, said to one of the older women.

"Ya Ping, go and tell the master that I have given birth."

The old woman named Yaping responded and then went out.

This woman named Ya Ping, whose full name is Bai Ya Ping, is the younger sister of the Bai family who has married out. This younger sister often visits her parents' home, which is why she appeared in the delivery room.

The Bai family is the most famous family of doctors in the capital. The famous Baicaoting in the capital is a business of the Bai family. Zhang Peng's dream is actually the very classic TV series, The Grand Mansion!

Bai Yaping wasn't a bad person. She had been pampered since childhood and married into the Guan family, a family of equal social standing, when she was a teenager. She had a son and a daughter with the Guan family. The two families weren't far apart, and she often visited her parents' home. The Bai family was large and wealthy, and the old man was a very easygoing person, so he let her have her way.

Bai Yaping took small, quick steps to the front of the old master Bai's study, where she was stopped by a bearded butler. Upon seeing Bai Yaping, the bearded butler quickly called out in a low voice.

"Grandma, the master is painting in his study, please don't go in and disturb him!"

Bai Yaping snorted, expressing her dissatisfaction.

"I have an urgent matter, get out of my way!"