Compared to the chaotic Chu family, the Xu family seemed remarkably peaceful.

If there was anything to it, it was that Fu Man'er sneezed in an extremely ordinary way.

"Did you kick off the blankets at night and catch a cold?" Grandma Xu looked at her granddaughter with concern.

Fu Man'er rubbed her nose. "No, I covered myself up very tightly with the blanket at night."

She knew in her heart that it couldn't possibly be from catching a cold; someone was probably cursing at her.

"Grandma, I'm a little sleepy, I want to go back to sleep for a while." Fu Man'er said, yawning, her big eyes becoming even more watery.

"You're already sleepy after only being up for a short while?" They had just finished breakfast and were taking a walk in the garden, which they hadn't even finished exploring yet.

"Yeah, it's all my uncle's fault. I was asleep yesterday when he woke me up, and it took me a long, long time to fall asleep again."

Grandma Xu knew that Xu Genshu had gone to see Fu Man'er last night, so she didn't suspect anything Fu Man'er said.

She was still thinking about having a good talk with her youngest son when he came back, so she woke Man'er up even though she had already gone to sleep.

"Okay, go to sleep now. It's getting cold, so cover yourself with more blankets."

Grandma Xu thought it would be good to let her granddaughter go to sleep; otherwise, with her restless nature, this old woman would have trouble keeping her by her side.

Fu Man'er went back to her room for a good night's sleep, while the Xu Family Restaurant began preparations for today's banquet.

Today, the county magistrate is hosting a banquet. In addition to Song Kangcheng and the people from the yamen, there are also some of the more prestigious and wealthy local gentry of Lanzhen.

There weren't many people, but it had to be spacious and comfortable, so Xu Genshan cleared out the third floor and put a lot of thought into everything from the tables to the decorations on the shelves.

Although Song Kangcheng was a good and approachable official a few years ago, he has risen to the position of governor over the years and certainly needs some pomp and circumstance.

It can't be too luxurious, but it can't be too shabby either, so everything I'm using today has been carefully selected.

Just like the bowls and plates that the county magistrate specially ordered to be prepared, they were all made according to Song Kangcheng's preferences, and painted with bamboo, which Song Kangcheng liked.

"Bring me the menu, I'll check it one more time." After coming down from the third floor, Xu Genshan went to the kitchen and asked for the banquet menu.

The chef handed over the menu and stood next to Xu Genshan, looking troubled.

When Xu Genshan looked up from the menu, he noticed his predicament. "What's wrong?" A bad feeling instantly spread through Xu Genshan's heart.

"Boss, it's me~"

The chef hesitated for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand that was hanging by his side, opened his sleeve, and revealed layers of white cloth wrapped around it.

"Master, I was hit by a carriage when I went out this morning. My right hand is weak. I just tried to stir-fry some vegetables in the kitchen and it was even difficult."

Xu Genshan looked at his right hand and suddenly remembered that the cook had arrived late this morning, looking flustered.

The hands wrapped in white cloth were placed right in front of him, but Xu Genshan didn't even have the heart to unwrap them to see if they were real or fake.

Needless to say, this was also done by Master Chu. He simply couldn't believe that such a coincidence could happen in the world.

Of all times, it had to happen today, of all times.

Last night, Xu Genshan and Liu Fang were worried that Master Chu might tamper with the cooks, so they made sure to leave all the cooks at the restaurant to rest.

They were given extra silver coins, and it was said that those who did well today would be richly rewarded.

Only this cook, whose elderly mother was paralyzed and bedridden, was allowed to return home by Xu Genshan after he explained his situation.

Before leaving, Xu Genshan also found some tonics for his mother to take with her. Xu Genshan did not consider himself a stingy boss, and he treated his subordinates with both kindness and severity.

It seems that there are always some people who can't resist bigger temptations.

Xu Genshan's expression was inscrutable. The cook, whether out of guilt or something else, stammered, "Master~"

"Go to the shopkeeper later to collect your wages for this month. After that, you should find another way to make a living."

Xu Genshan didn't give him a chance to speak, directly deciding his fate.

"Master, what does this mean?" The cook looked flustered. "I know today's banquet is very important, but I really didn't mean to hurt my hand."

"As soon as I arrived at the store, I rushed to the kitchen to try, thinking that I could hold on for a while, but even holding a spoon was difficult."

These explanations were superfluous at this point; Xu Genshan didn't want to hear them at all, he was busy.

The cook was in a panic. The Xu family restaurant paid high wages and offered good benefits. The owner was also very generous during holidays.

If he loses his job here, where else can he find such a good job?

More importantly, he is the restaurant's oldest chef. Without his skills, how can the restaurant cook its dishes?

"Boss, although my hand is injured, my skills are still there. I'll stand here and guide them to ensure that today's dishes are perfect."

The cook hoped to impress Xu Genshan with this one point, but instead of Xu Genshan's approval, he was met by Liu Fang.

"I don't need you. My restaurant is so big, it can't go out of business without you."

"Guards, drag this person out of here!"

At Liu Fang's command, several waiters rushed over and dragged the cook out.

Taking this opportunity, Xu Genshan and Liu Fang gathered everyone in the restaurant.

The story begins by mentioning the cook: "He works in my restaurant, takes my wages, yet he has no loyalty and doesn't do his job properly."

"You've all seen the outcome. Think about it carefully and don't go down the wrong path."

Seeing everyone's solemn expressions, Xu Genshan brought up another important matter.

"I don't need to go into details about what has happened in the past two days; everyone should have a general idea."

"Master Chu has spent a lot of money to cut off our restaurant's business. I don't know if he has found out who is responsible."

"How could anyone not be tempted by such a large sum of silver laid out before them? But I must warn you all."

"If anything goes wrong at this banquet today, not only me, but every single one of us here will be affected."

"Don't think that the silver Master Chu gave you will guarantee your safety. No matter how powerful Master Chu is, he can't be more powerful than the county magistrate or the governor."

"After today's banquet, I will report all of Master Chu's actions to the magistrate and see if you can bear the consequences of offending him."

Under Xu Genshan's scrutinizing gaze, no one dared to speak. After a short while, Liu Fang finally spoke.

“Everyone here is a long-time employee of our restaurant. I think everyone is very nice. If there is such a situation, just quietly tell me and the owner later.”

“We won’t blame you; on the contrary, you’ve helped us.”

"After today's banquet, I will set up a table for everyone and give you a big red envelope to thank you for your hard work."

The couple, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, managed to subdue all the men below.

Anyone with even a little bit of ulterior motive secretly revealed it to them, and fortunately, they were given a warning before the banquet began.

Otherwise, if something goes wrong after the banquet has started, it will be too late to salvage the situation.

"I finally feel a little more at ease," Liu Fang said after the last person left.

Xu Genshan stepped forward and took her hand, saying, "You've had a hard time these past two days."

Yesterday we were so busy we didn’t even have time to sit down and rest. Last night, the two of us went through all sorts of things again.

It was late at night when the lights were turned off. Xu Genshan could feel Liu Fang tossing and turning beside him, probably unable to sleep because she was thinking about something.

"Your eyes are all darker." Rough fingertips gently stroked under Liu Fang's eyes.

Liu Fang smiled and said, "Between husband and wife, there's no need to talk about hardship. Besides, this is just a matter of using your brain, much easier than when we used to toil in the fields."

That's what they say, but they also know that doing business isn't easy.

"Once we're done with this busy period, we'll check out other restaurants and take the opportunity to relax a bit," Xu Genshan added.

Liu Fang nodded, "The cook has been kicked out, so I'll be the head chef for today's dishes."

The dishes for the banquet had already been allocated, with each chef receiving their specialty dishes, while the one who was dismissed was responsible for preparing the main courses.

"We still have a few chefs in our restaurant." After all, Liu Fang hadn't cooked in a long time.

Liu Fang smiled confidently, "It's a good opportunity for the governor to taste my cooking."

"It's been so many years since I've had this. Let Lord Song give his opinion on whether my cooking skills have improved."