Translator: Fan Translation Studio

  As Li Hongmei expected, not long after arriving at the kitchen Liu Qianqian started complaining to her. “In the past my cousin, my cousin-in-law and I were all single. I don’t know what got into me that made me fall for the same guy as my cousin. Bai Qi said that he liked me but he also liked my cousin. He had hesitated for quite some time and then finally chose my cousin, and the reason he gave was that my cousin was a bit older than me, so I can wait longer to get married. Humph, what a flirt he is!”


  Ye Xiaoxian had only just found out the truth about this relationship, or she would have thought that Liu Qianqian was a home wrecker. She had actually been wrong about Liu Qianqian this whole time.

  She then put her arm around Liu Qianqian’s shoulder and said to her, “Your cousin-in-law can fall in love with two women at the same time, which would explain how indecisive he was, because no matter which one he chose the other one would inevitably be hurt. If he was resolute from the beginning there wouldn’t be so much trouble. In short, you were the one he has been hurt.”


  Ye Xiaoxian put it very mildly. If she was in modern times she would have directly called Bai Qi a womanizer.

  “I know!” Liu Qianqian, who was always optimistic and talkative, was caught in a sudden silence. She also helped Ye Xiaoxian to trim vegetables for cooking……

  This time Ye Xiaoxian made four courses. Differing from those in her restaurant, what she cooked this time were all banquet dishes. The first course, for example, called Best Wishes, was a beautiful platter containing five meats. The second was Flower and Fortune which was chicken marinated in yellow wine. The third was Eight Deities, made from cashew nuts and broad beans. Last but not least, the fourth course, Longevity, was steamed rice noodles.

  She had spent one hour cooking these dishes and finally they were served to Fang Shanding.

  Fang Shanding looked at the beautiful dishes and could not help but ask Baiqi, “Have you changed to a new cook? How come all the dishes look so beautiful? Aren’t these specially made for a banquet? But even so, only a cook from the capital city can make such dishes. What kind of a talent have you got here? Is there a cook who used to work in the capital, perhaps retired or seeking refuge with you?”


  Bai Qi was a womanizer, though he was a skillful social person. He did not answer directly but only said to Fang Shanding, “Try them first. If you like them I’ll introduce the cook to you and ask her to cook the banquet for your son’s first-month birthday.”


  “Really?” Fang Shanding tried the dishes immediately.

  The dishes not only looked inviting but tasted very delicious. Fang Shanding tried each of them and rained praise on all of them.

  Having tasted all of the four courses Fang Shanding said, “Brother Bai, I’m already in my late thirties and have only got one son. You must introduce this cook to me. I really want this cook to make the dishes for my son’s first-month birthday banquet and show off to all my guests!”


  Therefore, Bai Qi asked someone to bring Ye Xiaoxian out.

  Fang Shanding saw Ye Xiaoxian and was taken aback. “You?”


  Ye Xiaoxian bobbed in a curtsy to Fang Shanding and smiled. “Sir, I’m Ye Xiaoxian, the cook of The Xiao’s Cuisine. I made those dishes you just tried.”


  Fang Shanding then looked at Bai Qi, feeling that he had been tricked.

  Bai Qi then hurriedly explained. “Brother Fang, I’m not tricking you or anything. This cook, Miss Ye, is my cousin’s friend and as my cousin requested me to introduce her to you, I couldn’t possibly refuse. Besides, aren’t you anxious about how to host your son’s birthday banquet? As her cooking can make you gain face, why don’t you just get her to cook the dishes for the banquet?”


  Fang Shanding was not stupid and he looked at Ye Xiaoxian. “There must a condition right? Is it about the taxes?”


  Ye Xiaoxian then answered in a tone that was neither humble nor pushy, “Sir, my restaurant is a rather humble business and there’s not so much profit to be made from it. Two taels a month in taxes are our limit already. We could not manage if more taxes were added.”


  “How much do you charge for the birthday banquet then?” asked Fang Shanding.

  “I’ll write down a list of ingredients for you to purchase. I promise I won’t make a profit out of it. I’ll only charge for the labor which is just one tael of silver. Would that be alright?” Ye Xiaoxian thought if she was to be sophisticated she might as well be sly.

  He saw that Ye Xiaoxian was rather sincere and, moreover, her cooking was great. Cooking so many dishes to fill an entire table would cost at least three taels in hiring other famous chefs, so he said, “Fine, I’ll send someone to inform you when the time comes. As for the taxes on your restaurant, just pay as usual, two taels per month.”


  “Thank you so much, Mr. Fang!”
……

  Liu Qianqian arranged her own carriage to take Ye Xiaoxian back home.

  In the carriage Ye Xiaoxian was in a pretty good mood as, after all, she had conquered another difficulty. However, Liu Qianqian was rather silent. She did not talk but simply stared out of the window quietly.

  Ye Xiaoxian guessed that the reason Liu Qianqian was so silent must be that she came today to see Bai Qi again.

  Some people were neither outstanding nor nice or even terrible womanizers, but once you fell in love with them you could not forget them easily because, after all, not everyone could regard their exes as enemies. Those who regarded their exes as enemies must be suffering themselves. How blind must they have been to fall for such a person?

  When the carriage had almost reached the restaurant, Liu Qianqian then suddenly turned around and breathed out deeply. “Good, from tomorrow on I’ll ask my pa to arrange me some blind dates.”


  “.……” Ye Xiaoxian said nothing.

  “Little Ye, how’s it going with you and your big husband? Any progress? Has he offered you any kind gestures? Have you slept together yet?”


  Ye Xiaoxian did not want to upset Liu Qianqian so she said, “He did offer some kind gestures but, well, that’s all. We haven’t slept together.”


  “You haven’t slept together? Come on, seize the opportunity.”


  “I’m not into that now. There are so many things going on at the restaurant, as you see, we’ve got this matter which popped up today and we have to prepare the birthday banquet for Mr. Fang. I’m gonna be worked to death.”


  They arrived at the restaurant and Li Hongmei got down while Liu Qianqian rode back home alone in her carriage.

  When Ye Xiaoxian got back to the restaurant she breathed a sigh of relief, both for herself and for Liu Qianqian……

  At the gate of the government office.

  As the weather became cooler there were not so many people resting under the trees like in summer. Still, Xun Wenda, Xiao Tieshu and Xiao Tongshu were here.

  Xun Wenda had been patrolling around “The Xiao’s Cuisine” and found that the restaurant was open as usual. Xun Wenda was curious.

  Would Ye Xiaoxian rather pay six taels of taxes per month than close her restaurant? Logically, wouldn’t she feel under the weather for a while?

  He then went again to the tax official and tentatively asked Fang Shanding’s little assistant about the matter of increasing taxes for “The Xiao’s Cuisine”, however, the little assistant did not want to answer this question. He also asked Xun Wenda to stop sticking his nose into it, as the affairs of tax revenue was the last business for an attendant. Xun Wenda had no choice but to leave.

  Now Xun Wenda saw that Xiao Tieshu and Xiao Tongshu were all resting under the tree, so he went over to inquire about this matter. “Tieshu, Tongshu, the restaurant opened by your family’s second household, they haven’t been asked to pay more taxes, have they?”