Ethan Clark glanced at the massive group and noticed that even the warriors and craftsmen who had already joined his household looked somewhat excited—how could he not figure out what was going on?

　　Among the huge group were many elderly and children; they were the families of the craftsmen and warriors.

　　In fact, the Wei clan decided to go all the way, even bringing along the original slaves of the warriors.

　　This was no longer just a simple transaction. Cooking a meal or something—Ethan Clark wouldn’t mind at all. He should even feel happy that Samuel Webb came to dine, especially since Samuel Webb brought along his clansmen and Charles Harris.

　　If word got out that the clansmen of the Wei and Han families came to dine at Old Lü’s house, it would be more than just a matter of prestige—it would be a kind of capital to throw one’s weight around!

Chapter 7: Only Good Food Cannot Be Betrayed

　　Just going out with a few dozen people is already quite extravagant; bringing thousands is downright outrageous.

　　Even in modern times, even the super-rich would look ostentatious with a few dozen people.

　　Who would go out with thousands?

　　Not even a head of state.

　　Yet, in the Jin state during the Spring and Autumn period, the higher your status, the more people you brought when traveling.

　　Especially after the fall of the Zhao clan, the number of people you brought was not just about face—it was about protecting your own life, wasn’t it?

　　Ethan Clark went off to prepare the food for the guests.

　　The house elder, with the cooperation of the Wei clan’s retainers, began checking the items Samuel Webb had brought.

　　Since Old Lü’s household didn’t have the facilities to smelt ore, Samuel Webb brought twenty carts of already smelted iron ingots.

　　While checking, the house elder was overjoyed to find a cart of cloth, which made the Wei clan’s retainers secretly snicker.

　　The rest were various grains, some noble goods, and all sorts of miscellaneous items.

　　“Fragrant, so fragrant!” Charles Harris couldn’t find more words to express his feelings. Watching Ethan Clark cook, he praised him, then turned to Samuel Webb and said, “Indeed.”

　　Samuel Webb replied, “I would not deceive you.”

　　In Jin, “your honor” was a respectful form of address, originating from the story of Duke Wen of Jin and Jie Zitui in the Zuo Zhuan.

　　Jie Zitui was the great contributor who, after Duke Wen of Jin took power, was burned to death when the duke set fire to the mountain.

　　Within Old Lü’s fief, there was a stream.

　　In these unpolluted times, even a single stream could yield abundant produce.

　　From Samuel Webb’s eating habits last time, Ethan Clark concluded that Samuel Webb would come again, and even guessed he’d bring friends and family.

　　No one can resist the temptation of good food.

　　No one!

　　To entertain his guests, he specially prepared fresh ingredients every day.

　　He had to prepare daily, mainly because there was no good refrigeration.

　　He stocked up on ingredients.

　　If Samuel Webb didn’t come, he’d cook them that night, and Ethan Clark would enjoy a feast himself. The only other beneficiary was the house elder Scott, the last remaining retainer of Old Lü’s household. (The grandmother was not at home.)

　　The others—including warriors, dependents, and slaves—got nothing.

　　Even if Ethan Clark and the house elder Scott couldn’t finish, none of it would go to the others.

　　This was due to the strict and inviolable class hierarchy so valued in the Spring and Autumn period.

　　Now, Ethan Clark was cooking stir-fried shrimp with ginger and scallions.

　　Most of the ingredients needed for this dish were available.

　　The live shrimp were washed and drained on the spot.

　　After heating the wok, he added an appropriate amount of oil, tossed in shredded ginger for aroma, then scallions for more fragrance, and finally poured in the live shrimp, covering the lid briefly to prevent them from jumping out, then uncovering to stir-fry.

　　Since there was no soy sauce, Ethan Clark used the sauce available in this era, just a little, then added the right amount of salt, and the dish was done.

　　He had previously noticed that Samuel Webb preferred strong flavors, so he specially made some dishes with heavier tastes, using whatever ingredients he could gather.

　　After about an hour of busy work,

　　the dishes were plated separately onto various plates or other containers.

　　Several nobles watched from start to finish. They knew Ethan Clark was cooking, but couldn’t understand the process, so they could only exclaim in amazement from time to time.

　　Ethan Clark was still entertaining guests in the house with wooden floors.

　　Last time, there were only two tables in the house.

　　When Samuel Webb arrived, he saw that there were as many tables as there were guests, and some looked brand new. He gave Ethan Clark a meaningful glance.

　　Ethan Clark, however, was perfectly calm.

　　Maidservants brought out the plated dishes one by one, then cleared them away like a flowing stream.

　　Male servants even carried in the soup pot, stove and all, as it was still cooking.

　　Finally, they brought in the stove and wine for warming the wine, and all preparations were complete.

　　In the past, Old Lü’s house rarely had guests, so naturally there was no need for so many tables.

　　Certain that Samuel Webb would return, Ethan Clark had specially asked the carpenters to rush the job, which was why there were new tables today.

　　He just didn’t know how many people Samuel Webb would bring.

　　Fortunately, the number of tables made in a rush was enough.

　　In this era, noble banquets were very particular, but Old Lü’s household really couldn’t be.

　　For example, there was no house retainer to host the banquet, nor were there highly professional maids to serve at the side.

　　As for music?

　　In these times, not everyone was qualified to listen to music.

　　Naturally, there was no music in Old Lü’s house.

　　Ethan Clark gave a toast according to current custom.