At the entrance of Building 26, Longze Garden.
Jiang Tao, carrying various bags, entered the apartment building and took the elevator to the 12th floor. He knocked on the door of Apartment 1203.
"Jiang Tao, you're here."
Jiang Yi opened the door and saw Jiang Tao standing outside, holding an assortment of toiletries and personal care products. She greeted him with a smile.
Jiang Tao had called ahead this time, so he wasn't wearing his "limited edition skin" anymore. Instead, he was dressed in casual cotton home clothes.
"Teacher Jiang, is your foot feeling better?"
Jiang Tao smiled as he greeted her, stepping inside and gently closing the door behind him.
"Thanks to your medicine, it's much better now."
As Jiang Yi spoke, she lightly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Even though it was broad daylight, being alone with Jiang Tao in her apartment made her feel a touch of awkwardness.
"Haha, only thanking my medicine? Don't I get any credit?"
Jiang Tao chuckled, playfully teasing Jiang Yi.
Jiang Yi quickly amended, "Of course not! I'm even more grateful to you."
"Haha, just messing with you. You took it so seriously, just like when you were our teacher back in the day."
Jiang Tao's words instantly transported them both back to their university days.
Back then, he was 19, and she was 24—both in the prime of their youth.
Time flew by. Jiang Tao was now married with a child, and his daughter, Jiang Xue, was already old enough to run errands.
But Jiang Yi seemed to still be single.
Though curious about her current relationship status, Jiang Tao didn't pry. Everyone had the right to live life on their own terms, and there was no right or wrong in that.
"It's been almost ten years since we last saw each other. Seeing you this time really caught me off guard," Jiang Yi said, her gaze softening as she looked at Jiang Tao, mentally comparing the man before her with the Jiang Tao from years past.
The old Jiang Tao had been brash and rebellious, full of youthful defiance. Coming from a rural background, he lacked both the opportunities to climb the social ladder and the exceptional talent to break free from his constraints. After graduation, like most of his classmates, he blended into the crowd, becoming just another brick in the foundation of society, another cog in the machine.
The Jiang Tao standing before her now was mature, steady, and successful, exuding an air of unshakable confidence—as if there was nothing he couldn't achieve if he set his mind to it.
That confidence, that charisma of a successful man, was undeniably attractive, even to someone a few years older and more experienced like Jiang Yi.
"I never imagined I'd run into Teacher Jiang at Aidi's. You used to teach college students—how did you end up teaching kindergarten kids?"
Jiang Tao's question seemed to stir an unpleasant memory for Jiang Yi. The vibrant glow on her face dimmed noticeably.
"Sorry, Teacher Jiang, did I say something wrong? Don't mind me, I've got a big mouth."
Noticing the shift in her expression, Jiang Tao gave an awkward smile and dropped the subject.
Jiang Yi forced a smile. "It's fine. Some things are in the past, and I'd rather not bring them up."
"Alright, let's not talk about that then. Whatever unpleasant things happened, let them stay in the past."
"I'll go put these things down first, and then we can talk about something else."
"Is it about Xiao Xue?"
Jiang Yi's first thought upon hearing Jiang Tao's words was his daughter, Jiang Xue.
"No, Teacher Jiang, why don't you go rest on the couch for a bit? I'll put these things away."
As he spoke, Jiang Tao walked straight to the master bedroom, pushed open the door, and placed the bags on the bed.
His "excuse" for coming over today was to deliver daily necessities to his sister. To keep up the act, he had to play the part fully, lest Jiang Yi misunderstand his intentions.
He lingered in the bedroom for about five minutes, figuring it was about time, before returning to the living room.
As he stepped out, he saw Jiang Yi sitting on the couch, engrossed in a book entirely in English. With Jiang Tao's current English proficiency, he couldn't even make out the title.
As if sensing his presence, Jiang Yi looked up, met his gaze, and gave him a small smile.
"Teacher Jiang, I brought the eight-treasure pickles you gave me home yesterday, and my family tried them. Everyone loved your pickles."
Jiang Tao made himself at home, plopping down on the couch across from her.
"Then I'll give you some more to take home when you leave," Jiang Yi said, closing her book and smiling at him, generous as always.
"Haha, I'm not here to mooch more pickles today."
"Teacher Jiang, I think your eight-treasure pickles have a unique flavor. Would you be willing to sell the recipe? I'd like to buy it."
Jiang Tao didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point.
"What? You want to buy my recipe?"
Jiang Yi was surprised and a bit puzzled by his request.
*You're a successful man who sends his daughter to an elite school and drives a Mercedes-Benz, and you want to sell pickles?*
Jiang Tao nodded firmly. "Yes, I'd like to buy your recipe."
Jiang Yi laughed. "If you want to learn, I can teach you. It's not some special secret recipe, no need to buy it."
"As it happens, I've almost finished the batch I made last time. I'm planning to make another. I can teach you while I'm at it."
Though Jiang Yi was short on money, to her, a pickle recipe wasn't something worth selling.
Jiang Tao was momentarily stunned by her response, then it clicked.
Of course. In the eyes of the system, the Jiang family's heirloom eight-treasure pickle recipe had high commercial value. But to Jiang Yi and her family, it probably wasn't anything special. For generations, they likely made it just for themselves, never considering commercializing it or realizing its true worth.
This outcome was far smoother than Jiang Tao had expected. He hadn't anticipated getting it for free!
"Alright then, I'll buy all the ingredients needed for the pickles. Consider it my apprenticeship gift. You can't refuse this time."
"Fine, I didn't expect that after all these years, I'd become your teacher again—this time for a rather unusual subject."
Jiang Yi laughed, finding the situation amusing.
*What kind of college professor teaches their former student how to make pickles?*
"Haha, Teacher Jiang, you better not hold back on me later," Jiang Tao teased. "If I commercialize this recipe and mass-produce it, you won't sue me for infringement, will you?"
Jiang Yi giggled. "I haven't registered any patents or trademarks, so I couldn't sue you even if I wanted to."
Jiang Tao got back to business. "So, when should we go buy the ingredients?"
"Let's do it now. I'm off for the next couple of days, but I'll be busy at school after that," Jiang Yi replied.
"Alright, let's get moving!"
Jiang Tao didn't hesitate. The two headed downstairs, got into his car, and drove to a nearby Wu-Mart supermarket.
The "eight treasures" in eight-treasure pickles weren't strictly defined and could be customized to taste. Jiang Yi's usual mix included white radish, cucumber strips, cowpea, lotus root, bamboo shoots, ginger buds, chili peppers, and peanuts—all common, inexpensive ingredients easily found in any supermarket.
After a big shopping trip, they spent less than 200 yuan and bought a ton of ingredients.
Back at the apartment, Jiang Tao assisted Jiang Yi in preparing the ingredients. Some needed peeling, others washing, dicing, chopping, or cutting into segments—each ingredient had its own preparation method.
Jiang Yi taught earnestly, holding nothing back.
Once the ingredients were prepped, they layered them in a large ceramic basin, sprinkling salt between each layer.
"It'll take about a day for the ingredients to release their water. We'll make the sauce base now and let it cool," Jiang Yi explained.
"Tomorrow, once the ingredients have released their water, we'll wring them out with cheesecloth and add them to the cooled sauce. After about eight days of pickling, they'll be ready to eat."
As she spoke, Jiang Yi pointed out key details while gathering the spices they'd need.
"Only seven days to pickle?"
Jiang Tao's eyes lit up. He'd always assumed pickling took a month to fully develop the flavor. If it only took seven days, he could use his [Delicious Pickle Vat] to produce four or more batches a month. If the vat's acceleration effect was optimal, he might even manage five or six batches!
At 500 pounds per batch, six batches would yield 3,000 pounds. At 20 yuan per pound, that's 60,000 yuan a month in revenue!
It wasn't comparable to a factory or a big company, but for small-scale vendors like his parents, it was more than enough to live comfortably.
"Yes, seven days is enough for the flavors to fully develop and reach their peak," Jiang Yi confirmed.
"Now, let's make the soul of the eight-treasure pickles—the sauce base."
"Start by heating oil in a pan, add three star anise and 15 to 20 peppercorns, and fry them on low heat until fragrant."
Jiang Yi taught as she worked, sharing every step without reservation.
"Once the base spices are fragrant, add 150 grams of Qianhe soy sauce for umami. I like this brand because its ingredient list is clean—just water, salt, and soybeans, with no weird additives."
"This pure brewing method is not only healthier but also preserves the natural umami of the soy sauce."
"Then add 50 grams of sweet bean paste, 10 grams of dark soy sauce for color, and 15 grams of white sugar to enhance the flavor and balance the saltiness."
"Finally, add two bowls of water. That's the ratio for all the ingredients."
"Once it comes to a boil, cook for one minute, then turn off the heat and let it cool."
Jiang Yi taught meticulously, while Jiang Tao recorded her instructions on his phone using the iFlytek voice-to-text feature. He also noted the specific brands of ingredients she used, knowing that substitutions might affect the flavor.
They spent over an hour in the kitchen, preparing the ingredients and cooking the sauce base.
**[Ding! Jiang Yi's entire teaching process has been recorded. The system is analyzing and optimizing…]**
**[Ding! Optimization complete. Congratulations, Host, you have acquired the Eight-Treasure Pickle Skill!]**
Suddenly, two notification sounds rang in Jiang Tao's mind, and two messages appeared on his retina.
At the same time, it was as if Jiang Yi's knowledge of making eight-treasure pickles had been copied directly into his brain. He felt like he could perfectly replicate every step of the process without even glancing at his notes, as if he'd done it hundreds or thousands of times.
This uncanny, almost photographic memory was extraordinary. It skipped the need for practice, saving him immense time and instantly transforming him from a pickling novice to an expert.
Moreover, the skill he'd mastered was optimized by the system—surpassing even Jiang Yi's original recipe.
"Maybe Jiang Yi's recipe isn't anything special. You could probably find similar ones online," Jiang Tao mused. "But learning directly from her must have triggered the system's analysis and optimization."
He reflected on the process, realizing the system's hint about the recipe's value likely required hands-on learning to unlock its potential.
Whether his theory was correct didn't matter much. What mattered was that he now mastered the art of eight-treasure pickling. That afternoon, he could return to Xiaoshahe and use the [Delicious Pickle Vat] to start a batch and officially launch his pickling business.
"That's it for today's lesson. If you have any questions when you try it yourself, feel free to call me," Jiang Yi said, untying her apron. Distracted by their conversation, she fumbled with the knot, accidentally tying it tighter.
Embarrassed, she quickly brought her hands to her front, pretending nothing had happened.
Jiang Tao dismissed the system notifications from his retina and smiled at her. "Thanks for your hard work, Teacher Jiang. It's about lunchtime. Let me treat you to a meal as thanks for the free lesson."
Jiang Yi laughed. "No need to be so polite, Jiang Tao. It's a small thing, and besides, you bought all those ingredients. We're even."
Jiang Tao insisted, "That won't do. You shared such a valuable recipe with me for free—I have to show my gratitude somehow."
"Lunch is on me today. You pick the place, Teacher Jiang."
"Really, it's fine. I can whip something up at home."
"No way! I'd feel like I'm taking advantage of you otherwise. If you won't let me treat you to lunch, then name a price for the recipe, and I'll pay for it."
"Pick one of those options."
"…"
Jiang Yi, of course, wouldn't charge him for the recipe. In the end, she relented and agreed to go out for lunch with him.
She chose a Sichuan restaurant just outside the complex. It wasn't a starred establishment, but it felt clean and hygienic from the inside out. The owner, a kind-looking middle-aged woman, greeted them warmly.
"Xiao Jiang! It's been a while! Is this your boyfriend? He's so handsome!"
"No wonder you haven't been by in so long—you've been busy dating!"
The owner clearly knew Jiang Yi well, teasing her while sizing up Jiang Tao.
"Ahem, Sister Liu, you've got it wrong. We're not like that. He's…" Jiang Yi faltered, unsure how to introduce Jiang Tao. Was he her former student or the parent of her current student?
"Hahaha, I get it, I get it," the owner said with a knowing smile.
"Go find a seat and decide what you want to eat today."
The owner beamed at Jiang Tao and Jiang Yi, convinced they were a perfect match.
*You say it's not like that? Well, I say it is!*