What is he trying to do?

Tang Lei shook his head, looking at the bewildered Li Youran with a puzzled expression...

"Do I look strange wearing this outfit?"

A short while later, Hua Ruyu returned, looking at Tang Lei and Li Youran with a hesitant expression, and said, "If it's strange, I'll go change my clothes."

"I never expected you to be a cross-dresser!" Li Youran laughed. "You really do look like a woman, although you're a bit stocky. But you have a unique charm."

"Why did you suddenly decide to wear women's clothes?" Hua Ruyu rarely wore women's clothes, and Tang Lei didn't know why she was acting so unusually.

Seeing that the two had no other reaction, which meant that she didn't look too bad in the clothes, Hua Ruyu breathed a sigh of relief.

"Actually, I found out some information." Because Li Youran was present, Hua Ruyu couldn't go into too much detail. "But I didn't want to alert them, so I came up with this idea."

Li Youran was completely confused. What did it have to do with gathering information and working as a contractor in a steamed bun shop?

And they even have to dress as women...

However, Tang Lei understood Hua Ruyu's meaning: she needed to lie in ambush at Li Youran's steamed bun shop to ensure everything went smoothly.

“Miss Li, actually Mr. Tian is not…” Tang Lei didn’t know how to explain for a moment, “Actually, she is Miss Tian.”

"Oh, it's a woman!" Li Youran then exclaimed with a look of sudden realization, "I understand, I understand now."

Damn woman, what has she figured out now? Judging from her expression, it's probably not good news. Tang Lei's lips twitched slightly.

"I don't want wages, but I want to be well-fed," Hua Ruyu added. "I have a huge appetite."

“No problem, there will be plenty of steamed buns.” Hearing Hua Ruyu say that she didn’t want any wages, Li Youran was tempted. She really couldn’t refuse free labor.

Having made an appointment with Hua Ruyu to work at the steamed bun shop at four in the morning the next day, Li Youran drove off in his carriage.

"Fortunately, my grandson is a promising young man. He passed the county-level imperial examination at a young age." Aunt Tian said, wiping away her tears. She continued, "The provincial-level imperial examination is coming up soon. If he can pass it, I will die without regrets."

"Sister Tian is a blessed person, and your grandson is also a fine one. Just wait for good news!"

In just one morning, Aunt Tian and Madam Li became inseparable friends, chatting intimately as they worked.

“Your daughter is also smart and capable. Even a man couldn’t earn enough to buy a house in just a few days,” Aunt Tian continued. “Not only is she skilled, but she’s also very clever.”

“As a mother, I don’t care how much money a young lady makes. As long as she can live a peaceful and stable life, I’ll be at ease.” As she said this, Madam Li thought of Young Master Liu, who had come to support her at the temple fair that day.

"By the way, your son is getting on in years, why isn't he getting married yet?"

“My husband is a scholar who has passed the county-level imperial examination. He will soon be taking the provincial-level imperial examination. If he passes, won’t he be able to marry a daughter of an official?” Madam Tian said in a low voice, “It would be better to talk about marriage after he passes the provincial-level imperial examination.”

At this point, Madam Li understood what Aunt Tian meant: she looked down on the women who came to propose marriage and was waiting to marry into a wealthy and powerful family.

But that's only human nature. Is there still a chance for Young Master Liu and my daughter?

"A serving of chicken soup wontons, please." After Liu Zhiyuan finished speaking, he saw that Madam Li was also there, so he respectfully said, "This junior greets Aunt Li."

Lady Li, who was grieving for her daughter, hurriedly greeted Liu Zhiyuan with a smile when he appeared before her.

"It must be freezing in this cold weather, Young Master Liu. Please sit down, the wontons will be here soon."

As she spoke, Madam Li hurriedly made a bowl of wontons, thinking to herself that if Young Master Liu had no interest in her young lady, why would he come all the way to a wonton shop to eat wontons?

Thinking of this, Li Niangzi threw another handful of wontons into the pot.

"Thank you for your trouble, Aunt Li." Liu Zhiyuan hurriedly got up to take the wontons. The bowl was so full of wontons that it almost overflowed.

"Auntie, why isn't Miss You Ran in the shop?" Liu Zhiyuan was delighted to be treated specially. It seemed that his future mother-in-law had a good impression of him!

“You Ran has opened another shop on Lotus Street, selling breakfast in the morning and cooked food in the evening.” Taking the opportunity to praise her daughter, Madam Li said, “She has too many businesses and is too busy to manage them all, so she asked me to look after the wonton shop.”

Liu Zhiyuan and Li Niangzi chatted and laughed, enjoying their conversation. A mother-in-law finds her son-in-law increasingly handsome. A son-in-law, on the other hand, fawns over his mother-in-law, agreeing to everything she says.

Some were elated, some were dejected. Listening to the voices in the front yard, Tian Alang, flustered, made several mistakes in his writing…

"Achoo, achoo, achoo!" Li Youran sneezed three times in a row, hurriedly turning her head to the side, afraid that her saliva would spray onto her flesh.

Li Youran has already bought the meat she needs for cooking and is planning to braise it.

Two pig heads, two pig offal dishes, eight pig trotters, and ten roast chickens.

Considering the customers' purchasing power, Li Youran also plans to braise some bean curd sheets and peanuts.

Making braised meat is not complicated. As long as you do two things well, the cooked food will be pretty good.

First, the proportions of spices must be correct; second, the ingredients must be thoroughly cleaned.

For Li Youran, neither of these things was difficult. She knew that washing the drain with flour could remove the odor, and she also knew which thirteen spices were in the Thirteen Spices.

After the braised meat was cooked, it was placed in the braising broth to continue to absorb the flavor. Li Youran leaned against the stove and dozed off.

Is anyone in the store?

Just as Li Youran was drifting off to sleep, she heard someone calling her name.

"Young Master Liu, what brings you here?" Li Youran was slightly surprised and said, "It's windy outside, please come in and sit down."

Since everyone is a guest, Li Youran quickly wiped down a table near the stove and arranged the stools.

"I went to eat wontons and happened to hear Aunt Liu mention that you sell cooked food here, so I thought I'd buy some to take home," Liu Zhiyuan said with a smile. "I wonder if they're ready yet?"

It doesn't really matter. Liu Zhiyuan's real intention is not what it seems; buying cooked food is just an excuse.

"Just finished cooking. I wonder what Young Master Liu would like to buy?" Li Youran said, introducing the cooked food and vegetables prepared for today.

“My father really likes to eat pig intestines, but he also has some taboos because of the strong smell.”

If Liu's father knew that his son had revealed his shameful hobby in order to pursue a girl, he would definitely beat his son up with a shoe sole.

"Young Master Liu, please rest assured, my braised pork intestines have no odor at all." Li Youran thought for a moment and continued, "If your father prefers a stronger smell, he can buy the large intestine head, which will still have a slight odor no matter how much you wash it."

"Then I..."

"Young Master, I've finally found you! Hurry back to the manor, the place is in complete chaos!" Liu Zhiyuan had just opened his mouth when Liu Er came running over in a panic.