The saying goes, "Don't stretch your hand out to slap a smiling face." Qi Huan showed a polite smile and asked softly, "What can I do for Young Master Chen?"
"Why did you go accompany Lu Yueming next door but not come accompany me? Don't I have more face than the Lu Residence?"
Finishing these words, Chen Jinyou took off his mask and sat up straight, more composed than when before his own father.
A little stunned at first, Qi Huan then recovered, realizing this Young Master felt slighted.
So she smiled even more warmly and eagerly said, "Young Master Chen, where did those words come from? You are just as esteemed a guest at our restaurant. Whatever you need, just ask."
Hearing her out, Chen Jinyou nodded in satisfaction, picked up the menu and looked carefully before ordering all the meat dishes, then closed it saying, "Bring these first."
The server quickly wrote down the dishes, said "Just a moment" and dashed out to report the order to the kitchen.
Still in the private room, Qi Huan picked up the porcelain teapot on the round table and poured a cup of hot tea to hand to Chen Jinyou, then said, "Young Master Chen, please have some tea. I'll go downstairs for a bit. If you need anything else, just ask the server waiting outside."
"Wait."
After taking the tea, Chen Jinyou had been about to drink but heard she wanted to leave, so he hurriedly put the teacup down and said urgently, "You haven't told me your name yet."
"In response to Young Master Chen, my name is Qi Huan."
"Alright, then go ahead with your business. From now on, Qi's Restaurant will have me supporting it, so business is sure to prosper." Chen Jinyou patted his chest and confidently promised.
That day at the restaurant entrance, he had felt so embarrassed he wanted to find a hole and crawl into it, with all the ridicule and pointing from the passersby ringing in his ears. He had silently prayed for someone to come rescue him!
Then, Huan had appeared like a savior, pulling him from danger. He had resolved he must repay this kindness!
But his personal attendant Xigua showed no synchrony with him at all.
Hearing him say he would support Qi's Restaurant, Xigua felt more work was coming and jutted out his chin knowingly, "Did you all hear what the Young Master said?
My Young Master is the County Magistrate's Son. With his support, your Qi's Restaurant could walk sideways. But our protection fee is one hundred taels per year, no credit given. Manager Qi, you should first pay this year's..."
Xigua had not finished speaking when he suddenly felt a stinging pain in his foot and instinctively withdrew his right foot. He had been about to curse loudly but saw it was the Young Master who had stepped on him.
He immediately wilted, aggrieved, "Young Master, why did you step on me?"
"Because you're stupid!" Chen Jinyou snorted angrily. "Let me know if you dare spout more nonsense to Huan."
After chastising his attendant, he cleared his throat and said softly to Qi Huan, "Huan, don't listen to his drivel. Other shops have too much money with nowhere to put it, worried about danger, so they let me help keep it safe.
What friendship do we have? Of course you don't need that. Go ahead with your work, and remember, if you have any troubles, find me right away. I'll support you."
"Many thanks."
After thanking him, Qi Huan exited the room, just as the server bringing the dishes arrived. She gave a couple instructions, then went downstairs to check on things.
On the first floor lobby, every dining table was crowded full, with diners happily holding up their rice bowls to eat.
The system also kept prompting, "Act of kindness +1, points +1."
"Disable."
The system immediately fell silent.
With her mind clear, Qi Huan began chatting with the finished diners, asking for their feedback.
"No complaints, Manager Qi. The food here suits my taste. I'll come again tomorrow!"
"Same for me. Manager Qi's covered rice dishes are cheap and delicious, really filling too."
Praises flooded in, and Qi Huan showed a satisfied smile.
As long as the taste is good to tie people's stomachs down, she had no fear of lacking business.
Wave after wave of customers came, and her points soared drastically too.
Qi Huan was about to check her points with the system when she felt a tug on her clothes.
Looking down, it was the youngest delivery boy Qing Cai.
"Qing Cai, what is it?"
"Sister Qi, this morning I saw Granny Wang who washes dishes at the noodle shop get stopped by Brother Chen from Ruyi Restaurant before starting work. I was a bit far away so didn't hear what they said, but I saw Brother Chen give Granny Wang some silver."
Qing Cai had met Chen Shu before and knew he worked at Ruyi Restaurant.
Ruyi Restaurant had always been at odds with Sister Qi, so Chen Shu suddenly contacting Granny Wang from the noodle shop made her feel something was off.
So she immediately ran over to tell Sister Qi this.
Qi Huan patted her head and took out two mint candies from her purse to give her, thanking her, "Thank you Qing Cai for telling me this. I'll go check on the noodle shop."
At the noodle shop, Granny Wang was diligently crouched under the kitchen corridor washing dishes, with no abnormalities.
Qi Huan gave her a few nonchalant glances and could sense she paused slightly in her movements, her back becoming somewhat stiff.
Chen Shu would not give her silver for no reason.
Qi Huan felt uneasy, so she found Qing Cai and instructed her, "Qing Cai, don't go on deliveries for the next few days. Stay in the kitchen to help the cooks, and keep an eye on Granny Wang for me. If she does anything to the noodles, just shout out."
"Okay, Sister Qi, I'll watch her closely!"
Qi Huan wanted to catch someone red-handed.
Not only could she eliminate the hidden threat from Granny Wang, she could also trace the thread to find out Chen Shu's real motive.
If he truly harbored ill intentions, she wouldn't mind sending him to reunite with his father Shopkeeper Chen.
However, after two days passed, Qing Cai had no news.
Instead, Chen Shu set up a stall in front of her spicy strip shop to sell spicy strips himself.
Qi's Spicy Strip Shop sold each strip for ten wen, but Chen Shu sold for only nine wen, quickly grabbing many of Qi's customers.
Lv Yin came to Qi Huan to explain the situation and asked anxiously, "Miss Qi, what should we do? Should we... also lower the price?"
After some thought, Qi Huan answered a different question, "Lv Yin, did Chen Shu approach you or your family over the past two days asking about the spicy strip recipe?"
When she finished speaking, Lv Yin immediately waved her hands, "Miss Qi, I swear my family absolutely did not leak the spicy strip recipe! You have shown us immense kindness. We would never betray you."
"Moreover, our indenture contract is still in your hands. Miss Qi, please believe us!"
"Okay, I understand." After calming Lv Yin's agitated state, Qi Huan fell into thought.
Besides herself, only Lv Yin's family and Lin Xiang knew the recipe. Lin Xiang was far away in Lingzhou, and Lv Yin denied it, so where did Chen Shu get the recipe?
Only she had the spice mix needed, so how could Chen Shu make spicy strips without chili powder?
Were his spicy strips even spicy?
