Xiao Yunying insisted that Ling Qi finish the egg pancake before the carriage set off: "It won't make a difference to take a little time. You can eat slowly. I'll go get something."

She went back to the courtyard and carried Ling Qi out of the supermarket with three small jars, one containing chicken essence, one containing fine salt, and one containing 52-proof liquor.

Another bag of rock sugar was placed in the basket.

She had planned to take it out once she got to the city and found a secluded spot, but Ling Qi came to pick her up, so she had to take it out now.

While eating an egg pancake, Ling Qi helped her carry the small jar onto the car.

After Ling Qi finished eating the egg pancake, he wiped his mouth and said, "Miss Xiao, please sit down. We're about to set off."

Xiao Yunying leaned back in the carriage: "As expected, carriages are still the most comfortable."

Not only is it faster than an oxcart, but it also has shelter on all sides. Most importantly, it is stable enough, unlike the bumpy ride of an oxcart.

She didn't know much about the construction of carriages, but she felt that this carriage must have used some kind of shock absorption method, otherwise the vibrations on the dirt road wouldn't be so slight.

By the time we arrived in the city, it was already daylight.

Xiao Yunying got off the carriage and, together with Ling Qi, carried their belongings into Huiweilou.

Chen Yuancheng was talking to the shopkeeper when he looked up and saw Xiao Yunying arrive. He said to her, "Go and call everyone over."

"yes."

Chen Yuancheng went to greet her: "Yun Ying, you've come."

"Why are you here so early?"

"Since you're here today as the owner of Huiweilou, I naturally have to support you and introduce you to the staff."

Chen Yuancheng took the jar from Xiao Yunying's hand, wanting to check how bad the burn on her right wrist was, but then he saw another scratch on the back of her left hand.

"Your left hand is injured too."

There were no wounds when I left yesterday.

Xiao Yunying didn't stand on ceremony with Chen Yuancheng and handed him the jar: "You gave me two black-boned chickens yesterday, right? I wanted to learn how to kill chickens myself, but after trying for a long time, I still couldn't kill them. One of them flapped its wings and I cut my hand with the knife."

"Has medicine been applied?"

Xiao Yunying held out the back of her hand in front of him: "This really doesn't need any medicine. It's just a small cut on oily skin, it won't leave a scar."

The wound was as thin as a thread, and now if you pick off the scab, it won't leave a scar. She used to do that all the time in her past life.

What about burns?

Xiao Yunying answered decisively: "I wiped it off."

"Really? Hold it out so I can smell it."

This was a bit abrupt. Chen Yuancheng only realized what he had said after he finished speaking, and his face flushed for a moment.

Xiao Yunying didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said. Burn ointment has a Chinese medicine smell, and if she applied the ointment, there would definitely be a residual medicinal smell.

She paused for a moment, feeling guilty, then turned her back and pretended to take out burn ointment from under the bundle in her basket: "I brought it with me, I'll apply it now."

Chen Yuancheng: "...Yun Ying, do I look so easy to fool?"

Xiao Yunying, applying ointment, said, "I didn't lie to you. I got up too early and didn't get enough sleep. I was still groggy, and you reminded me."

"I told Ling Qi not to disturb you and to wait for you outside. Did he disturb your rest?"

"No, it's because I have to get up early to cook for the children. By the way, Lingqi, don't come so early in the future. I like to sleep in if I don't take the oxcart. Come later. Teaching the chefs how to cook isn't urgent."

Ling Qi knew that Xiao Yunying wanted him to sleep in a little longer in the morning, so he said, "I understand, thank you, Miss Xiao."

While they were talking, the lobby of Huiweilou was packed with people, with the waiters serving guests in the front and the kitchen staff lined up neatly in two groups.

Everyone was staring at Xiao Yunying, which made her social anxiety obvious and gave her a strong urge to escape.

Chen Yuancheng noticed her unease and whispered, "Don't be nervous. After you introduce yourself, let them leave."

"good."

Chen Yuancheng placed the jar on the counter and introduced Xiao Yunying's identity to everyone.

Xiao Yunying, standing beside him, didn't hear a word he said, mentally rehearsing what she would say during her self-introduction.

"Yun Ying, Yun Ying?"

Xiao Yunying snapped out of her daze: "What's wrong?"

"Do you want to say something to them?"

Xiao Yunying thought about it a lot and finally rejected it all. She said to everyone, "I am just a nominal owner. The things in the restaurant are still in the hands of your owner. He is the most important. Apart from cooking, don't ask me about anything else. Okay, that's all. Everyone go and do your own thing."

The group stood there, unsure whether they should leave.

Chen Yuancheng's face darkened slightly: "Didn't you hear what Yun Ying said? What did I just say? She and I are of the same status, we are both your bosses. Do whatever she tells you to do. Now disperse."

The group dispersed and went to their respective areas to get busy.

Xiao Yunying pursed her lips, not expecting Chen Yuancheng to be so intimidating when he was dignified.

She picked up her basket: "There probably aren't many people eating breakfast this morning, so I'll take this time to teach the chef a few dishes."

Chen Yuancheng picked up the jar she brought and walked towards the kitchen: "You shouldn't have said you weren't in charge. You should have established your authority first."

“I’m not involved in anything anyway, so why would I need to establish my authority? Besides, with you backing me up, they won’t disrespect me.”

She wasn't the kind of person who used her status to intimidate others, flaunt her position, or seek a sense of existence to satisfy her vanity as the "owner of Huiweilou."

Although she cooked in the small kitchen by herself the day before yesterday and didn't spend much time with the people in the back kitchen, she could tell that they were all nice people and easy to get along with.

If there are troublemakers who disobey her, look down on her, or are difficult to manage, she will establish her authority. If they are all easy to get along with, then there is no need for her to do anything.

"You're just trying to shirk your responsibilities, that's why you say you're not in charge."

"Hehe, you found out."

Chen Yuancheng stopped talking about the topic and pointed to the jar he was holding: "What's this?"

"It will take you some time to find someone to purify the sugar, salt, and distilled liquor. I brought some to teach the head chef how to use them. Once you have them on hand, I won't need to bring any more."

There's also a seasoning called chicken bouillon. Because of technical limitations, I can't teach you how to make it, but I can provide it. I'll bring you a big jar every few days from now on.

Chen Yuancheng's hand holding the jar trembled slightly: "Chicken...essence?"

Is it the kind of spirit or monster he's thinking of?

Xiao Yunying, unaware that he had misunderstood, explained, "You can think of it as a powder that is solidified after being boiled down to a high broth, and then added to dishes to enhance their flavor."

Chen Yuancheng steadied himself; it turned out to be made from broth.