Chapter 10 Suspected Affection

The next day, the weather was fine and sunny. Qi Yunshu got up early and took the initiative to make some noodles from the leftover black and white flour in the kitchen. This was the family's breakfast. After eating, she followed Zhao Jing to the town.

Even from a distance, she could still hear Mrs. Xu's loud voice shouting, "Hey, where did everyone go so early? The pigs haven't been fed, and the chickens haven't been taken care of..."

Qi Yunshu's eyes flickered as she looked at Zhao Jing. His handsome face was calm and he reminded her to be careful on the road.

After he led her to Benwei Ge, they arranged a time for him to pick her up, and then he left.

Looking at his slightly hunched figure, Qi Yunshu frowned.

Business at Benwei Ge was not good. There were only four or five tables of customers for the whole lunchtime, and the not-so spacious storefront seemed empty.

The shopkeeper, Tian, looked at the customers coming and going outside, but none of them came in. She couldn't help but sigh, "Ever since Wenda left, business has been getting worse and worse!"

After chatting with Tian for a while, Qi Yunshu learned that although the business here was not great before, it was not so bad either. However, now, because a large restaurant had opened across the river and intentionally squeezed out these small eateries, they were facing even more difficulties.

Yesterday, a big customer came, and Qi Yunshu's help was crucial. This made Tian want to hold on to this business tightly for her.

"I wonder if he will come today!" Tian said anxiously as she looked outside.

He probably will!

People with anorexia are different from ordinary people. They are not incapable of feeling hungry, but rather they dare not eat or do not want to eat from the bottom of their hearts. However, once they find something they like, they will definitely come back to eat.

"Ah, he's here, he's here!" Tian exclaimed as she went to greet him, and Qi Yunshu went inside to cook.

From the customer's reaction yesterday, he seemed to like Sichuan-style dishes.

And today, he specifically ordered some dishes in advance, including the twice-cooked pork and kung pao chicken that she made yesterday.

After serving the two dishes, Qi Yunshu saw a fish in the basin and decided to make a braised fish.

Soon, Tian brought good news.

"Mr. Huang enjoyed the food and was very pleased!"

Qi Yunshu was happy. She had found Mr. Huang's taste and could now cook freely. She made five dishes according to his taste, including the two meat dishes from yesterday, as well as braised pork, pickled fish, and cold mixed shredded vegetables.

This attempt was somewhat bold, and Qi Yunshu was a little nervous. But seeing Tian's excited face as she came in time and time again, grabbing her hand and exclaiming, "Yunniang, Yunniang, this is great! Mr. Huang enjoyed every dish and said he will eat here from now on!" Qi Yunshu was also happy!

To show her sincerity, Tian discussed giving her three taels of silver as a monthly salary, and also allowed her to keep any tips.

Qi Yunshu also had an idea of the monthly salary for chefs in the town. A regular head chef would earn two to three taels a month, while a new one would earn five hundred wen. Even kitchen helpers would start at three hundred wen. Tian's decision to set her monthly salary so high was truly fair and generous.

Even the one or two pieces of silver left by Mr. Huang as a tip were given to her.

"Shopkeeper, this doesn't seem right!" Tian was too kind, and Qi Yunshu felt a little uncomfortable.

"It's nothing. To be honest with you, if it weren't for your help yesterday, my little restaurant probably wouldn't have been able to continue! Thanks to you and Mr. Huang's generosity, it's like a rebirth for my place."

Tian gestured with two fingers, indicating that she had paid a month's worth of meals in one go, giving her twenty taels. After deducting the rent, costs, and some extra money, there were still eight taels left.

"If it weren't for Wenda needing to study, it wouldn't be too much to give you half!"

Tian was young and widowed, and she barely managed to keep this small restaurant left by her deceased husband. But she was not cut out for business, and her cooking skills were not outstanding. Her son used to help out at home, and the restaurant could barely get by, but now that he's gone, it has become so desolate.

Qi Yunshu looked at the small restaurant, just a hall, probably around forty square meters, with old-fashioned decorations and tables polished to a shine.

It was said that there used to be a chef here, but he was poached by the large restaurant across the street just a few days ago, so now Tian was handling everything in the kitchen, serving, cashiering, and waiting tables all by herself.

By midday, the two of them cooked some shredded pork with green peppers to eat with the remaining ingredients.

It was the first time Tian had tasted Qi Yunshu's cooking, and she praised, "Mmm, delicious, delicious. No wonder even someone as picky as Mr. Huang couldn't resist it."

Business noticeably improved in the evening.

Tian speculated that there might not be any available seats, otherwise she would be exhausted.

After taking a break, Tian came in and said that someone wanted to see her.

Qi Yunshu went out with a puzzled look on her face and saw a girl in a pink dress.

She remembered her. She was the one who delivered the pastries to Zhao Jing at the Guanping Ge, the well-made chestnut cakes that were crispy but not greasy.

Tian introduced her, "Miss Huang, this is Yunniang, the new head chef I hired. Yunniang, this is Miss Huang, the young lady of Mr. Huang's family!"

"Hello, Miss Huang!" Qi Yunshu politely nodded in greeting, remembering the few taels of silver given by Mr. Huang.

"It's you, aren't you the lady that Jinyu just married? On the night of your big wedding, you acted like you were dying, causing Jinyu to stay up all night to take care of you. He even lowered himself to sell his calligraphy to get money for your medicine. But you are so ungrateful, still thinking about your ex-fiancé. Shameless!"

As soon as they met, Huang Yuying fiercely rebuked Qiyunshu.

If it were anyone else, they would have been ashamed and humiliated, but not Qiyunshu. She was not someone who would take such treatment lying down.

Moreover, it wasn't her who sought death and life, nor was she the one who was fickle. She was just Qiyunshu, trying her best to survive.

"So you know I'm Zhao Jing's wife. Then why do you keep going to the pavilion to see him and even bring him homemade chestnut cakes? Let me tell you, the honey in the chestnut cakes is too sweet, your brother Jinyu doesn't like it!"

"You... wicked woman! No wonder Cailian was bullied by you!" Huang Yuying, who came from a prominent family in town, had never suffered such humiliation. She burst into tears and left without touching the food on the table.

Tian Shi looked at her with concern. "Yunniang, you can't afford to offend this little lady!"

Qiyunshu sighed. "It's not that I want to offend her. Clearly, she's the one looking for trouble with me. It's all my fault. I've caused trouble for the shopkeeper!"

Qiyunshu felt depressed as she stood on the steps, gazing at the long and wide road, feeling somewhat lost.

Looking up, she saw Zhao Jing standing in the alley at the door, with Huang Yuying opposite him, seemingly wiping away tears. Qiyunshu even saw him handing her a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Qiyunshu's heart sank, feeling a sudden sense of injustice.