Chapter 8

After walking through several winding paths, we arrived at the gate of a courtyard and heard voices coming from inside.

Zhu Zhifeng's voice was arrogant, "Father, don't even think about interfering with your daughter's freedom. I don't want to go to the South with my cousin!"

Besides her, there was a middle-aged couple in the courtyard, namely the county magistrate and his wife.

They were preparing to set off fireworks, chatting as they fiddled with them.

Lord Zhu is handsome, slender, and refined. Dressed in simple home clothes, he is bent over, holding a tinderbox to try and light the fireworks, but he has not been able to do so for a long time.

Zhu Zhifeng grew impatient. "Father, are you sure you can handle this? You're so efficient and decisive in judging cases, how come setting off fireworks has stumped you? I'm freezing to death!"

When his daughter questioned him, Mr. Zhu was not annoyed. He said, "What's the rush? I've always been this impatient since I was a child."

Zhu Zhifeng exposed his bravado: "Why don't you just admit you're scared?"

Madam Zhu was amused by the father and son and laughed heartily. Ultimately, she felt sorry for her husband and offered him a way out.

"Master, don't hurt yourself. We'll have Yifei come in a bit."

Jin Yifei spoke up, "Uncle and Aunt, let me do it."

As he spoke, he took the tinderbox from Master Zhu, saying, "Uncle, please go away."

Without him saying a word, Lord Zhu had already retreated behind the lady.

"Yifei, be careful too. We don't want anything to happen during the New Year."

Madam Zhu turned and glared at him, then glanced at the girl kneeling on the ground, and asked with a smile,

"You're Madam Yu? Did you make today's barbecue?"

Yu Wan lowered her head and replied respectfully, "In response to Madam's question, it is indeed I, Yu Wan, who pays my respects to you, sir and madam. I wish you and your family good health and all the best in the new year."

Madam Zhu nodded. "You know how to talk. Get up, the floor is cold."

“Thank you, Madam.” Yu Wan stood up and noticed that Jin Yifei hadn’t lit the fireworks yet.

Zhu Zhifeng was unhappy. "Can't you two do it? You can't just ask the neighbors for help like you do every year, can you? I just want to watch the fireworks, why is it so difficult!"

Madam Zhu explained with a smile, "You can't blame them. Your father injured his hand with fireworks when he was a child and has psychological trauma. He still has a scar on the back of his hand. You've seen it before. Your cousin has always been waited on by others since he was a child. Your maternal grandmother's whole family dotes on him. How could they let him do such a dangerous thing?"

Zhu Zhifeng pouted, looking disappointed, "What a spoilsport for the New Year!"

Jin Yifei gave up struggling. "Then come on, it's what you want to see anyway."

Zhu Zhifeng didn't respond, not daring to join the conversation.

Yu Wan said, "How about... I do it?"

Having dealt with fire for so many years, she naturally wasn't afraid, especially since she had set off fireworks before.

Zhu Zhifeng's eyes lit up. "Can you do it?"

Madam Zhu was worried and said with concern, "Forget it, it's just a bit of fun. Safety first."

Yu Wan walked up to Jin Yifei, extended her hand, and said, "I used to set off fireworks."

Jin Yifei hesitated for a moment, but seeing the woman's composure and thinking about her courage these past few days, he chose to believe her.

"Okay, be careful."

Yu Wan took a tinderbox, observed that everyone had moved to a safe distance, and lit the fuse of the fireworks.

A crackling sound came, and then with a "whoosh," a fireball shot into the night sky, exploded into a dazzling flower, and vanished in an instant.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of fireballs burst into the night sky, creating a dreamlike and dazzling spectacle.

Zhu Zhifeng was as happy as a child, jumping and clapping her hands in greeting.

"It's so beautiful! I love it!"

The magistrate and his wife, along with Jin Yifei, all looked up quietly, their eyes filled with anticipation for the future. Perhaps at that moment, they had all made a wish in their hearts.

Yu Wan helped light a few more fireworks and made a wish for herself while watching them, hoping to get rich quickly so that her whole family could live a good life.

Everyone enjoyed the show, and then they invited her inside to sit down.

The magistrate and his wife were easygoing and very kind to her, an ordinary poor girl.

Madam Zhu inquired about her family situation and learned that she had to shoulder the burden of life at such a young age, which made her sigh with emotion.

"It's really not easy. I don't know when we'll be able to live a peaceful life."

Lord Zhu sighed, "Who can say for sure? General He's fate is currently unknown, and we don't know when the enemy will attack again. If they take advantage of this, we will be in grave danger."

Jin Yifei, cracking sunflower seeds, interjected, "I've heard that General He Jing is exceptionally skilled, proficient in all eighteen martial arts, adept at using various weapons, and once single-handedly fought against a hundred men without falling. Such an extraordinary person would never die young; I believe he must be temporarily unable to show his face for some reason."

When the topic of the conflict came up, everyone looked worried, and no one knew how many more days of peace they would have left.

Zhu Zhifeng said, "I don't care, I'm not going to the South with my cousin. This is my home, and I'm not leaving no matter what!"

Jin Yifei advised, "Cousin, your aunt and uncle are doing this for your own good. This place is located on the border, and unimaginable crises could occur at any time."

Zhu Zhifeng pointed at Yu Wan, "Look how hard their lives are, but they don't act like us who are afraid of death. How can I, the daughter of a county magistrate, run away alone!"

Yu Wan gave a bitter smile. If she had the option, she wouldn't necessarily have to stay here.

However, this is their family matter, and it's not appropriate for her to interfere.

It's late at night, and the New Year will be here in an hour.

She rose to take her leave, saying, "It's getting late, I won't disturb you any longer."

Madam Zhu urged him to stay, saying, "Why don't you stay the night and return tomorrow morning?"

Yu Wan declined, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam, but I didn't tell my mother I would be staying out overnight when I left. She'll be worried if she doesn't see me come home. The restaurant will still be open as usual tomorrow, and I still have some preparations to do when I get back."

Madam Zhu did not insist any further and gave him a tael of silver as a reward. "It's so kind of you to come all this way during the New Year. My nephew has been spoiled since he was a child. He only thinks about letting us enjoy the delicious food, but he doesn't think about how hard you've worked."

Yu Wan said gratefully, "Young Master Jin is a benefactor to me. It's nothing of a small favor."

A meal of barbecue skewers isn't worth much money, and Jin Yifei did pay for it, mainly to repay a favor, and also because it was an opportunity.

Madam Zhu's gentle eyes revealed a hint of wisdom. "My nephew travels all over the country and has developed a carefree nature. If he offends you in any way, please don't take offense."

Yu Wan could easily understand that this was a subtle way of telling her not to have too much contact with Jin Yifei and to prevent them from developing a special relationship. After all, their social statuses were very different, and giving her the reward was meant to keep things clear and prevent their relationship from becoming ambiguous.

She understood perfectly and knew her place. "Don't worry, Madam. I only met Mr. Jin by chance. He's a customer, and I'm the seller."

Madam Zhu didn't respond to that topic, and smiled contentedly.

"Your barbecue is really good. If we have the chance in the future, we'll come to your restaurant to try more delicious food."

Yu Wan smiled and said welcome, then took her leave.

Just as he stepped out of the gate and was about to get into the carriage, he was stopped by Qian Jindai, the owner of Fumanju.

"Young lady, please wait."

Yu Wan turned around and looked at Qian Jindai, who was walking towards her with a big smile on his face, a stark contrast to his attitude when they first met.

"Mr. Qian, what advice do you have for me?"

Qian Jindai chuckled and said, "Madam Yu, I'd like to ask who made the recipe for your barbecue seasoning? Could you tell me, or better yet, introduce me to someone?"

Yu Wan's expression was indifferent, but her attitude was polite. "I dare not accept such praise. This recipe is something I came up with myself. It's nothing special and can't compare to the prestigious name of your restaurant. If I have been rude today, I hope Mr. Qian will be magnanimous and not hold it against me."

Qian Jindai's eyes lit up. "Oh? You made this yourself? I didn't expect you to be so skilled in cooking at such a young age. Would you be willing to sell me this recipe? I, Qian, dare to guarantee with my integrity that I will give you a satisfactory price."

Yu Wan hadn't expected that her things would be coveted so quickly, so she lied, "But I just made them randomly, I don't have any recipe. I'm sorry, Mr. Qian, I'm afraid I'll have to miss such a good opportunity and won't be able to enjoy them."

Qian Jindai nodded thoughtfully: "That's true. You're only a teenager. It's unlikely that you could have carefully prepared such a good prescription."

He changed the subject, "How about this, I'll make an exception and hire you as a chef at our Fumanju restaurant. You can name your salary and benefits, but you can't work for other restaurants or open your own shop."

Yu Wan secretly sighed, this person is indeed a businessman, his mind works much faster than hers. If he can't get the recipe, he wants to keep the staff, so that his Fumanlou will become exclusive.

"I don't have that intention at the moment, Mr. Qian, goodbye."

Too lazy to talk to him anymore, she stepped onto the carriage.

Qian Jindai gritted his teeth and stared coldly in the direction the carriage had gone.

"He who refuses a toast will have to drink a penalty cup. How dare a mere peasant girl put on airs."

The carriage gradually drove away from the county town, and the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers grew fainter.

Exhausted after a long day, Yu Wan quickly fell asleep due to the bumpy carriage ride.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she woke up and found that the carriage had stopped.

If they get home, the driver should call her, but why is it so quiet outside?

Could it be...?

She remembered that the driver on her way back wasn't the one who picked her up from the restaurant. At the time, she just assumed that Jin Yifei had made the arrangement casually and didn't pay much attention to it.

"Excuse me, why did you stop?"

After waiting for a while, no one answered.

Yu Wan mustered her courage and lifted the curtain, only to find that the coachman and the horse were gone, and it was pitch black all around, with the faint howling of wolves in the distance.

They've been tricked.

It was too dark outside to see anything, so she decided to stay in the car for two hours and then find her way home.

Now she just hopes the wolves in the distance won't come over, or she's doomed.

But who would have thought that what you fear most will come to pass?

She wanted to conserve her energy, but after only a short nap, she heard noises outside.

I quietly lifted a corner of the curtain and saw a pair of eyes glowing green.

A pack of wolves was circling the carriage.

Yu Wan's heart sank; she was doomed this time!

She tried to slow her breathing to avoid being detected by the wolves. But it was no use; they were wolves!