Translator: Fan Translation Studio

  She would surely continue to keep her business open but the only thing was that she was not willing to give up her hard-earned profits to these people. She had not really resigned herself to the consequences, so that was why she did not agree with Fang Shanding to pay off the taxes.

  Would she suffer for it?

  She would certainly suffer losses. She would still have to work hard but would make less money in the future. What was more, this time they had charged her for tax evasion but she didn’t know what would be next. She had not seen through all of the string-pulling in these ancient times.

  While her mind was entangled and puzzled an attendant of the government suddenly came to her and told her that she was free to go.

  That quickly?

  “Lord Liu has come. Just go out and meet them yourself!” said the attendant.

  Ye Xiaoxian went out, not seeing Lord Liu but finding Li Hongmei waiting for her.

  “Little Ye, are you alright? Oh, I was so worried. Luckily Miss Qianqin is so kind and asked Lord Liu to help us, otherwise……I wouldn’t know what to do. I was worried that you’d be beaten in there or be bullied by them.”


  Li Hongmei had been really scared and her legs had been weak until now.

  “Ma, I’m alright, they didn’t pick up on me. They just asked me some questions.” Ye Xiaoxian comforted Li Hongmei and then asked, “Where is Lord Liu?”


  “He’s still discussing things with that tax official. I wonder how it’ll turn out. Shall we wait for him to come out and see what the result will be?” Li Hongmei had finally managed to stop shaking while talking but her heart still fluttered.

  The two of them then waited outside the government office. After another hour Lord Liu finally came out.

  “Why are you here? Hurry up and get in my carriage!” Lord Liu said. “Let’s talk while riding.”


  The carriage was big enough to accommodate the three of them.

  “Lord Liu, it’s all thanks to you this time or our Little Ye would……thank you so much.” As soon as Li Hongmei climbed into the carriage she started to thank Lord Liu again and again.

  “Don’t mention it. I didn’t really do much but just asked them to let Little Ye go, but about the taxes……” Lord Liu frowned. “I’m afraid they insist on full payment. You know, the tax payments now are classified into three tiers which are third, sixth and ninth levels. I’m afraid someone like you who doesn’t know the tricks of the trade will have to pay the sixth or ninth tier.”


  “What are the tricks of the trade?” asked Li Hongmei.

  Lord Liu said, “It’s not a written law but an unspoken rule of the government themselves. If you offer them some benefit you can pay the third tier, but once they have something on you, you have to pay the sixth or even ninth.”


  Lord Liu turned to Ye Xiaoxian. “Actually, I’ve figured out what happened in your case. The reason it happened in the first place is that you’re not sophisticated enough. Living in this society, one is not always supposed to be too straight. You’d better try your best not to provoke some people.”


  Ye Xiaoxian said, “I just don’t want to pamper those lazybones who just mope around and sponge off us.”


  “Sometimes you have to pamper them, especially when you haven’t been able to handle it. Little Ye, think about what I said. If you find it useful you may listen to me. If you don’t, then stick with your own way, but you will have to suffer a bit.”


  As they were talking they arrived at the restaurant. Li Hongmei and Ye Xiaoxian got out of the carriage and Lord Liu went back home.

  Xiao Baozhu, Xian, Little Five and Little Six saw Ye Xiaoxian returning home soundly and then breathed a sigh of relive. The whole group had been scared to death just now and dared not even open the gate of the restaurant. Some diners came and then left in disappointment and some even asked if they would still open tomorrow.

  Li Hongmei asked Ye Xiaoxian, “Little Ye, what shall we do now? Are we going to open up as usual?”


  “Yes, just as usual. Let’s just do what we usually do.”


  However, while speaking, a complicated look flashed across Ye Xiaoxian’s eyes.

  Being sophisticated, eh? Surely she could handle that!

  The following day, Liu Qianqian came to eat and also asked Ye Xiaoxian to come over as she wanted to have a word with Ye Xiaoxian.

  Ye Xiaoxian then asked Li Hongmei to come over and cook the next several dishes.

  Li Hongmei watched Ye Xiaoxian cook all day long and she already knew how to cook most of the dishes in the restaurant. It was a rare chance for her to put the theory into practice, so she agreed to it immediately. Li Hongmei also found that little Ye had been worked too hard in the kitchen day after day and wished she could find someone to replace her, otherwise she would sooner or later become a haggard housewife, polluted by all the cooking grease and smoke all day long.

  Besides, Little Ye did not have the chance to spend some quality time with Baoshan. Li Hongmei had always been hoping that Little Ye could go to the dock to call on Baoshan, as it could improve their relationship and they also would not need to go up to the roof to chat.

  That was right. Li Hongmei knew that they were chatting on the roof. She was getting old and was easily woken up by slightest stir.

  Ye Xiaoxian went to Liu Qianqian’s reserved room with a bowl of sour and sweet plum soup. Seeing Liu Qianqian, Ye Xiaoxian paused in a daze. She had not seen Liu Qianqian for a while and she had become more plump. If she gained any more then she would end up overweight.

  “Miss Qianqian, how come you’ve become so chubby? Is it that you don’t go out at all and only stay in and eat?” asked Ye Xiaoxian.

  “It’s all your fault!” said Liu Qianqian.

  “Why are you accusing me?” Ye Xiaoxian sat down in front of Liu Qianqian and took some roasted melon seeds to eat. “You haven’t been to my place lately.”


  Liu Qianqian also ate roasted melon seeds while talking. “You have been to my house to cook for me before, haven’t you? Our cook was not pleased as I only ate what you cooked but not his dishes, so every time you came to cook he wrote down the ingredients you used and your cooking process. After practicing it over and over, oh my god, he had actually cooked something which tasted the same as yours. Tell me, how creepy is that?”


  “Gosh!” Ye Xiaoxian joked. “Luckily he hasn’t opened up a restaurant to compete with mine. If he does, you let me know me first and I’ll knock him down with a rod!”


  Liu Qianqian smiled. “Sure, if he dared to undercut your business I’d be the first one to teach him a lesson. By the way you don’t sound too happy today. Is it because you were taken away and held for half a day yesterday?”


  “Of course. I was tricked by others. The taxes I used to pay were two taels a month and I may have to pay six taels from now on. You be the judge, it’s not easy to make money with my humble restaurant, is it? At six taels we’ll earn nothing after paying the taxes.”


  Liu Qianqian asked, “So what are you going to do?”


  Ye Xiaoxian though about Fang Shanding and then said, “As far as I can see, although there are tax rules they are not strict. As for how much money I should pay, only the tax official’s opinion matters. I have to find a chance to get to know this man and curry his favor.”


  Liu Qianqian could not help but ask, “Are you trying to use your allure to curry his favor? Aren’t you afraid that your man, the large Xiao Baoshan, will be jealous?”


  “Miss Qianqian, you’ve mistaken me. Although I do have some allure, which may not be a ten but at least a nine, I won’t use it unless I have no alternative,” said Ye Xiaoxian.

  Liu Qianqian then laughed. “You are too much. You’re just a haggard housewife cooking in the kitchen, yet you think you have allure. You’ll make yourself a laughingstock if anyone else hears that.”