Chapter 49: The Distinguished Guest of the Restaurant

Since Hua Rong left, Yu Wan noticed that He Su was absent-minded and preoccupied.

"Are you feeling unwell or something on your mind? How about I give you a day off?"

He Jing's dim eyes suddenly lit up, and he stared at her intently.

She still cares about him after all.

Yu Wan saw the corners of his mouth turn up, and it seemed that this person really wanted to take a vacation.

"That's good. Since your mind isn't on this, don't make any mistakes that could ruin my important plans."

He Jing's face darkened: "...When have I ever interfered with your affairs?"

Yu Wan keenly sensed that this person's mood was off, as if he harbored resentment towards her.

On such an important day, we need manpower. We've already agreed to give him time off, what more do you want?

"He Suzhi, do you have a problem with me?"

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and said, "Just say it. I want to hear what you really want."

"No." He Jing lowered his eyes and gritted his teeth.

Yu Wan couldn't figure out his thoughts, so she spoke frankly, "You don't have it, but I do. Didn't I tell you several times that I gave you your freedom? You chose to stay, didn't you? What do you mean now? Are you dissatisfied with your treatment and want a raise? Just say what you have to say, and it's best to say it now."

"I..." He Jing's words trailed off, but he let out a sigh. "I'm not dissatisfied, and I haven't asked for a raise."

"So you're thinking of leaving?" This was the only possibility Yu Wan could think of.

But she still couldn't understand why she couldn't just say whatever the reason was; there was no need to be so awkward.

Is she the kind of person who is unreasonable?

Besides, this person is highly skilled in martial arts; no one can stop him.

"I didn't intend to leave either." He Jing clenched his fist.

“Oh…” Yu Wan looked at his red ears and suddenly realized, “I understand what you mean.”

He Jing clenched his fists even tighter, his expression a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. "You understand?"

Yu Wan smiled and said, "Hua Rong is your sweetheart, isn't she? You want to marry her, but you don't have enough money, so you want to get an advance on your wages, right?"

He Jing: "..."

Yu Wan assumed he was just being shy, so she casually took out a fifty-tael silver note and handed it to him.

"Take this first, and let me know if it's not enough. This is a good thing, what's there to be ashamed of? You've helped me a lot over the years, and you even saved my life. So don't worry, I won't neglect your marriage. Your parents and family aren't around, and as the boss's wife, I can't let you ruin your life's most important event."

He Jing kept taking deep breaths to control his emotions.

But I really want to punch a mountain down!

"Take it." Yu Wan urged when he didn't take it. "Hurry up, I have something very important waiting for me."

Just then, Xue Xiujun happened to be passing by, and she quickly called out to him.

"Ash, why haven't you changed your clothes yet? It's the crescent-white outfit I just made for you a few days ago."

Xue Xiujun smiled and said, "Boss lady, those clothes seem a bit big. Could you wear something else?"

"Is it too big? That shouldn't be the case. Have you lost weight recently? Let me try it on first, and we'll talk about it if it doesn't fit. Never mind, we're running out of time. I'll go back to your room with you."

Xue Xiujun said ingratiatingly, "Don't worry, madam, I definitely won't hold you back."

Yu Wan was indeed a little nervous. "That's more like it. Today is such an important day. If anything goes wrong, I'll lose face big time. You're my person. If you don't do a good job, we'll both lose face."

Xue Xiujun said with a grin, "If I perform well today, could the boss lady give me an advance on a month's wages?"

"Are you short of money lately? What have you been spending it on?" Yu Wan asked.

Xue Xiujun glanced at He Jing and said, "It's nothing, just eating, drinking, and having fun."

Yu Wan was exasperated and punched him on the shoulder, "You've really squandered all that money on eating, drinking, and having fun!"

He Jing, standing to the side, watched the two chatting and laughing, even making physical contact, his gaze seemingly piercing through Xue Xiujun's forehead.

Xue Xiujun couldn't help but shiver, then realized that He Jing's gaze was fixed on him.

"Why are you looking at me like that? What, want to fight? Hey? Boss lady, why did you give him that silver note? Fifty taels is way too much!"

Yu Wan laughed and said, "It has nothing to do with you, don't meddle."

Seeing that He Suzhi wouldn't accept it, she tried to stuff it into his hand, but since his hands were behind his back, she could only tuck it shallowly into his collar.

"Your matter is also very important. If one day off isn't enough, we'll give you a few more days off. In short, just tell me if you need anything, I understand."

He Jing stuffed the silver note back into her hand, turned around and left without saying a word.

Xue Xiujun was completely bewildered. "What's wrong with you all?"

“It’s nothing,” Yu Wan said, pulling him along. “We’re really running out of time. Ashu, you’re the face of our restaurant, so you have to look your best and make the most of your position. If we can get through today, I’ll give you an extra bonus.”

Xue Xiujun was full of enthusiasm, "Okay, okay, I'll definitely do my best!"

It was almost noon.

The scout Yu Wan sent out to gather information returned and said that the magistrate and the distinguished guest had already headed this way.

She immediately told the waiters to serve the dishes and place them in the private room with the best view.

One hundred dishes, each with its own unique color, aroma, and flavor, are laid out on the table, making one's eyes light up at the sight.

Even Yu Wan herself was seeing so many dishes laid out on one table at the same time for the first time.

"That's so exaggerated!" she couldn't help but say.

Not knowing the preferences of our distinguished guests, and not wanting to neglect them, we can only prepare in advance.

Turning his head, he saw the other men looking on with envy.

"When the Lunar New Year comes, let's prepare a New Year's Eve dinner like this and invite everyone's family over to eat together."

The workers shouted, "Great! The boss lady is beautiful and kind-hearted, she's the best!"

Someone shouted, "Boss lady, you're here!"

Yu Wan hurried downstairs to greet them and saw Jin Yifei and Zhu Zhifeng leading the way, followed by Lord Zhu and two handsome middle-aged men. They were chatting and laughing as they walked gracefully toward the restaurant.

The man holding a folding fan was dressed in a light blue robe, with his dark hair flowing freely, giving him a rather lazy and carefree air.

The other one holds a sword, wears dark gray clothes, and has a simple silver crown in her hair.

Yu Wan nodded and bowed, "Welcome, Your Excellency, and welcome to our two distinguished guests."

Master Zhu introduced her to his friends with a smile: "Brother Tang, Brother Tao, this is Yu Wan from Yu Family Restaurant, whom I mentioned to you. She is quite remarkable. Not only is her cooking superb, but she is also very quick-witted."

Tang Yuhui waved his folding fan, nodded slightly to Yu Wan, and jokingly teased Lord Zhu with a smile.

"In my memory, this was the first time Brother Zhu had ever praised a woman other than his wife and niece so lavishly. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought this young woman was another daughter of yours!"

Zhu Zhifeng laughed and said, "Uncle Tang, if Awan were really my father's daughter, he would be laughing in his dreams. It's a pity that he didn't have such good fortune and only gave birth to a useless daughter like me."

"How can you talk like that, girl? How can you belittle yourself like that?" Lord Zhu said with a doting smile.

Zhu Zhifeng stuck out her tongue and said, "Of course, if Awan were my own sister, I would be laughing in my sleep."

Yu Wan replied with a respectful and polite smile, "It's just that I, A-Wan, don't have that kind of luck."

Tao Wenque held his sword, his gaze falling on Xue Xiujun, who was eating and drinking on the spot.

Why is he eating here? Are there no seats inside?

Xue Xiujun, dressed in a crescent-white long robe and wearing an exquisite hair crown, with his handsome features and a bright smile, elegantly took a bite of the salt-baked chicken, savoring the taste with a look of enjoyment.

It's like a moving painting, pleasing to the eye and elegant.

"Dear guests, my name is Ashu, and I am a waiter at Yu Family Restaurant. I come here every day to showcase the various dishes of the restaurant to passersby in my own way. Our restaurant has a wide variety of dishes, and every single one of them is a signature dish, all thanks to our proprietress's excellent culinary skills."

Tang Yuhui waved his folding fan and laughed, "Then you can eat all the delicious food for free every day? That's a good job, I'm a little envious."

Zhu Zhifeng, equally envious, snorted, "Uncle Tang, you might not even be able to do this job. This Ashu eats so much, and he doesn't seem to gain weight at all. It's such a waste of so much delicious food."

Xue Xiujun smiled gracefully and said, "Miss Zhu, being able to eat a lot without gaining weight is one of my strengths."

"Oh? How much can you eat?" Tao Wenque asked with curiosity.

Xue Xiujun pointed to the twenty dishes on the table, "These are only half-full for me."

Tang Yuhui laughed and said, "This is about the amount of food for ten people. You certainly have a big appetite. I'd like to see it for myself."

Yu Wan looked at Jin Yifei and whispered in his ear, "The dishes are all served, shall we go inside?"

Jin Yifei responded in a low voice, "Don't rush, it's rare that they're in such a good mood."

He Jing watched this scene with gritted teeth.

Xue Xiujun displayed his culinary skills without losing his composure, providing detailed descriptions of the dishes as he ate, which piqued the interest of his two distinguished guests.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he finished all the dishes on the table, drawing cheers from the onlookers.

"Great! The food is delicious!"

"Ash, you are so lucky to see you eating here every day."

"If it were me, I couldn't eat that much. So some people deserve to be this lucky!"

"Hahaha, Ashu is Madam Yu's darling. She makes him new clothes every few days and dresses him up beautifully every day. Such a pleasing man, instead of just dryly shouting orders, he sits at the door and eats for you to see, letting you see firsthand what the food looks like and tastes like. It's not boring at all. Even if I don't go in to eat, I can watch from the door for half a day. Besides, Ashu eats so happily and deliciously, who wouldn't drool?"

Xue Xiujun's performance drew cheers and applause from the two distinguished guests.

"After reading all this, I'm actually getting hungry," Tang Yuhui said with a smile.

Jin Yifei called out at the opportune moment, "Uncle Tang, Uncle Tao, Awan has already served all the dishes. Let's go in and enjoy the delicious food."

"Oh? Then what are we waiting for?" Upon hearing this, Tao Wenque stepped across the threshold.

Lord Zhu followed closely behind. Having tasted Yu Wan's cooking, he was even more eager than the other two.

Yu Wan and Jin Yifei exchanged a smile and quickly followed them inside.

Meanwhile, some diners also rushed into the restaurant, busy looking for seats and vying to order food.