Chapter 236: Comparison is the key to success (6000+)

"The next day I heard from the waiter at Fushunlou that after my master and I left that day, Manager Feng brought a chef back to Fushunlou. He said he was a famous chef from the county town and his cooking skills were much better than my master's. From then on, the new chef Qi Changfu was in charge of cooking at Fushunlou."

"I didn't dare tell my master about this, but since he moved out of Fushun Building that day, he never asked about Fushun Building, nor did he ask me anything. He didn't even get angry. Instead, he was very happy to cook for me all day. Today, he asked me to go buy some food, saying that he would make hot and sour soup and braised pork for lunch."

"The more Master is like this, the more worried I am. But I don't know what to say. I'm also afraid that if I say the wrong thing, Master will be even more unhappy. So I thought of coming to find you to talk to Master. If you can go and talk to Master, Master will definitely be happy. It happened that when I came yesterday, Qingsui said you were not here, so I said I would come again today..."

The whole thing was pretty much as she had guessed.

Zhuang Qingning pursed her lips.

Feng Yongkang rarely comes to Fushunlou these days. I guess he has gone to the county town to find a chef to replace Zhang Yongchang.

When he found the right person, he drove Zhang Yongchang out of Fushun Building. This was to be able to be prepared and give Zhang Yongchang a hard step, telling him clearly that Fushun Building could still thrive without him.

Feng Yongkang is really good at calculating, but he is also very evil-minded.

As for Zhang Yongchang, he has the most stubborn personality, but it can also be seen that he is the most loyal and righteous. Even though he is dissatisfied with what Feng Yongkang did, even though he thinks that what Feng Yongkang did is wrong, he is dedicated to the entire Fushun Building and has made proper plans for Feng Yongkang.

Unfortunately...

Alas! Zhuang Qingning sighed, "Just now, Tong Fei came to get the tofu for Fu Shun Lou today. He was arrogant and said a lot of unpleasant things. I immediately told him that I would no longer supply Fu Shun Lou with anything in the future."

"But Tong Fei didn't care at all. Judging from his expression, he just wanted to show off. He didn't think about what would happen to Fu Shun Lou in the future. I guess the new chef won't have a good temper and bad character. The dishes he makes may not taste that good. Fu Shun Lou will definitely go downhill in the future."

"When Shopkeeper Chai from Ruyi Pavilion came to our shop today, I suggested that he stock up more goods and lower the prices in the next few days to take advantage of the opportunity to attract more customers. I guess it won't be long before Shopkeeper Feng regrets it."

"But if he regrets it later, it will be his business. It has nothing to do with us. What's important right now is Uncle Zhang..."

Zhuang Qingning paused and took off her apron: "I'll go with you now."

"Okay." Lian Rong didn't care about what would happen to Fushun Building in the future or what would happen to Feng Yongkang. Seeing that Zhuang Qingning wanted to go see Zhang Yongchang, he nodded hurriedly: "Let's go now."

Zhang Yongchang didn't lose his temper or look cold. Lian Rong just felt that he must be hiding something in his heart. If he was so depressed for a long time, something might go wrong. Zhuang Qingning should go there earlier to help him with some guidance.

Zhuang Qingning explained everything to Cao and the others, and then went to Zhang Yongchang's house with Lian Rong.

When they came out of the tofu shop, Zhuang Qingning brought a piece of fresh tofu and a few sheets of tofu skin, and bought a fresh carp on the street. Lian Rong followed Zhang Yongchang's instructions and bought the ingredients for making hot and sour soup and braised pork.

Zhang Yongchang's home was in a small courtyard not far from the former Changji Tofu Shop. Zhang Yongchang and Mrs. Wu used to live there together. After Mrs. Wu passed away, Zhang Yongchang moved to Fushun Building, and the courtyard became empty and no one lived there again.

Although no one lives there, Zhang Yongchang often comes to clean and repair the house, so after so many years, the courtyard is still quite tidy and clean. Even the several pots of roses in the courtyard are still growing well and the flowers are in full bloom, which is very beautiful.

At this time, Zhang Yongchang was busy in the yard, kneading dough and making ramen.

Add eggs and alkaline water to the white flour. After it has risen enough, knead it on the chopping board, pull it into a long thin strip, fold it in half, pull it again, fold it in half again, and pull it again...

After repeating this several times, Zhang Yongchang rolled the noodles on the chopping board to get enough flour on them, and then pulled them again... Several noodles broke in an instant, and the originally neat noodles became sparse and broken like a curtain, which was very ugly...

Not done well again!

Zhang Yongchang's original energy suddenly dropped. Looking at the broken noodles all over the chopping board, he sighed, kneaded the noodles, and threw them into the basin beside him, waiting to add some water and mix them again later.

He pulled another piece of noodles and continued to stretch it back and forth as before. This time it seemed to be much smoother than before. Although he pulled it very carefully, it did not break in the end. This made Zhang Yongchang immediately perk up. He hung the noodles aside, looked at them again and again, and smiled happily in his heart.

"Uncle Zhang." Zhuang Qingning and Lian Rong entered the yard and greeted him warmly.

Zhang Yongchang looked up and saw Zhuang Qingning, his face full of smiles: "Is Miss Ning here?"

"I was wondering why the noodles didn't stop this time. It seems that Ning girl is here. She even gave me the face to make noodles. It just so happens that Ning girl is here. I am going to make hot and sour pork stew with fried noodles for lunch. It will whet your appetite. Let's stay here for lunch."

"To be honest with you, Uncle Zhang, I came here for no other reason than to have a free meal." Zhuang Qingning shook the things in his hands: "Look, I bought tofu and carp, and I also want to try the carp stewed with tofu made by Uncle Zhang."

"What a coincidence, isn't it? I just said I wanted to stew a fish, and you brought it." Zhang Yongchang took the food in a hurry: "This carp looks big and fresh. It will be delicious with the tofu in your shop."

"Is this fried bean curd skin? It just so happens that I'm going to make an eight-treasure lucky bag for lunch. I haven't made this dish for a long time, and I'm a little afraid that my hands may not be familiar with it. I just happen to have something to make it with, so you can have a taste of my cooking skills."

"Then Master, are you still going to make this hot and sour soup and braised pork?" Lian Rong asked, holding various things in his hands.

"I say you are a person without tact, and you really are. Didn't you say you were going to make eight-treasure lucky bags and carp with tofu at noon? Why are you making braised pork? Are you just thinking about your own greed all day? Put it away now and make it in the evening." Zhang Yongchang shouted.

This guy has to be thrown away when compared to other guys. Comparing people makes people angry. Look at Zhang Yongchang's attitude towards Zhuang Qingning, and then look at his attitude towards him...

Hey, how can he be loved by his master like Zhuang Qingning?

Lian Rong curled his lips, collected the food with a look of grievance, and sent it to the kitchen, while muttering: "Master is the one who said he would cook the braised pork, and now he is also the one who doesn't cook it. It seems that I am the one who is angry. This is not acceptable. I have to vent my anger and let Master know that I have a temper too."

"For lunch, I've promised you that you have to let me eat two big bowls of tofu stewed with fish, or I'll be really angry."

The kind that is hard to appease!

"I'll prepare three bowls for you!" Zhang Yongchang rolled his eyes at him and complained, "This guy has a big appetite, enough to be eaten by two people, but he doesn't have any weight on his body. I don't know where all the food he eats goes."

"I'm just giving it to you. You should also be careful and don't eat too much. It's a waste. Come on, hurry up and clean up the fish and dry the noodles. I'll talk to Ning for a while and cook later."

"Okay." Lian Rong picked up the fish, went to the kitchen to find a wooden basin and a knife, and began to butcher and scale the fish.

"Ning girl, have some tea." Zhang Yongchang wiped his hands and poured a cup of tea for Zhuang Qingning.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhang." Zhuang Qingning took it, took a sip, lowered his head, and considered how to say it so as not to sound abrupt, then he heard Zhang Yongchang speak first.

"Ning girl."

Zhang Yongchang also drank a sip of tea: "You came here today because you heard about what happened here."

"Yeah." Zhuang Qingning nodded.

"Tell Lian Rong to stop telling people about it. He is still telling people about it. This disciple is getting more and more uncontrollable. We need to have a good talk with him later."

"Uncle Zhang." Zhuang Qingning said hurriedly, "I know about this matter. I really didn't think it was because of Brother Lian Rong. It was just that the guy from Fushunlou came to me to get the goods. I thought it was strange that someone had changed, so I asked him and found out."

"I came with Brother Lian Rong because I wanted to visit Uncle Zhang, but I didn't know where Uncle Zhang lived. It happened that Brother Lian Rong came to the shop to buy something, so I begged to come with him."

"Well." Zhang Yongchang took another sip of tea and said, "Ning girl, let's talk about this."

"I have been working at Fushunlou for more than ten years. At first, I moved to the town because of my wife. Manager Feng's Fushunlou offered a good price and did not interfere too much in the kitchen affairs. I thought this was a job, so I stayed at Fushunlou. Later, I was unwilling to move to another place. Manager Feng has some minor flaws, and I don't like some of his things. But after all, we have worked together for a long time, and we have a friendship after so many years. I also think that no one is perfect. We don't have any big disputes on weekdays, so we have been getting along like this."

"Actually, I could have guessed what would happen a few days ago. Shopkeeper Feng has a temper like straw, and he gets angry easily. If he encounters something on weekdays, he must solve it on the spot and will never leave it until the next day. When delivering the food that time, he thought he was right and felt that Lian Rong and I were wrong. Logically, he should have lost his temper, but there was no movement during that period of time. I can only say that he must have other plans, and they were aimed at me, so I kept silent and waited until everything was ready on his side, so he could straighten his back and tell me about this matter."

"When I heard Shopkeeper Feng say this, I was not surprised, nor was I angry. This kind of work is about fate. If you get along well, you can work together. If you don't, you don't work together. For me, it's just a job. If this one doesn't work out, I can switch to another one. To put it bluntly, I have been working for so many years, and I don't have any expenses on weekdays. I have saved a lot of money. Even if I don't work in the future, this money is enough to spend comfortably until I get old."

"I'm open-minded about this matter and I've thought it through. At first, I felt a little sorry that Manager Feng had done this. I felt sorry that the friendship we had built together for so many years ended up with a result of the other party's deliberate conspiracy. But after staying at home for a day or two, I finally figured it out. Friendship between people is mostly about interests. If you benefit others and they benefit you, the friendship will exist and remain stable. As long as one party is not beneficial to the other, the friendship will fade or even disappear."

"As for the so-called hard work and contribution to Fushunlou, that is even more non-existent. I have worked in Fushunlou for so many years and have received a lot of salary every year. It is a fair thing that you paid the wages and I did the work. There is no need to talk about hard work or merit."

"After figuring this out, I feel much better, and the dissatisfaction in my heart has completely disappeared."

"So, you don't have to worry about this, Ning girl. After all, I have lived for most of my life. I can see things clearly and won't dwell on trivial matters."

Zhang Yongchang smiled and said, "Didn't you see me practicing pulling noodles here? I thought that since I have a lot of free time, I would practice the things I am not good at, such as making steamed buns, dumplings and noodles. I will practice them well, and then I will be able to make a few good ones, which means that my hard work will not be in vain."

Zhuang Qingning pursed her lips.

She knew Zhang Yongchang's temper, and what he said at this moment really showed his attitude.

But for this kind of thing, understanding the truth is one thing, and being able to accept it in your heart is another.

This is why many people still want to do something even though it is dangerous. Many people know that some things cannot be undone and it is futile to be sad, but they still cannot control their emotions.

At this time, although Zhang Yongchang could speak very clearly and behaved very open-mindedly, he might not be sad in his heart, but he just didn't want to show it and make others worry.

Especially Lian Rong.

After all, in Zhang Yongchang's opinion, Lian Rong lost his job because of him. If Lian Rong had to worry about him all day long because of him, he would feel even more guilty.

But this kind of thing cannot be persuaded. No matter how much you say, in the end, it depends on the person involved to figure it out himself.

Zhuang Qingning sighed inwardly, but did not show it. He just nodded and grinned, "Then I must try Uncle Zhang's cooking when the time comes."

"But speaking of cooking, I was thinking about making a tofu feast for us to try. Uncle Zhang, why don't you think about how to make the tofu feast and make those dishes so that we can have a taste of them?"

"That's no problem. Leave it to me." Zhang Yongchang patted his chest loudly. "I'll think about it in the next few days and make a list. I'll make them one by one and taste them. When they taste better, I'll make a table and invite you all to taste them."

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"It's a deal then. I'll be waiting for food at that time. Uncle Zhang, you can't say you're lazy and forgot about this." Zhuang Qingning winked and made a face.

"What you said, how can I be lazy? I can forget anything, but I will never forget this."

Zhang Yongchang laughed.

The laughter was hearty and you could tell it was a knowing laugh that came from the heart.

Lian Rong, who was cleaning carp, felt relieved when he heard Zhang Yongchang's laughter.

It seems that it was a good decision to ask Miss Zhuang to come and talk to Zhang Yongchang. With her coming here often in the future, Zhang Yongchang will slowly be able to relax.

Lian Rong grinned, rinsed the fish in his hand, and put the tofu and other things in order. After everything was done, he called Zhang Yongchang to take charge of the cooking.

Carp stewed with tofu and added with bean paste has a mellow and rich flavor and excellent taste. The eight-treasure lucky bag is also fresh and delicious, with a refreshing fragrance and very satisfying. As for the hot and sour soup, it goes without saying that it is sour, spicy and delicious, very appetizing. The best dish is the pulled noodles, which are chewy and smooth. After eating a bowl, you will want another bowl to feel satisfied.

Zhuang Qingning enjoyed a very delicious and sumptuous lunch here, and talked with Zhang Yongchang for a while. He estimated that Zhuang Sifu should be here soon, so he said goodbye and went to the tofu shop.

Zhang Yongchang and Lian Rong saw Zhuang Qingning off and told her to come home often to chat. They watched her walk away before going back to tidy up.

At this time, the sun was setting slightly, and the heat brought by noon was dissipating little by little, especially when a breeze blew from the west, bringing a hint of coolness, which was very cool.

At this moment, Du Yingwei did not feel cool, but felt cold.

I feel cold all over.

I thought that Chu Jinnian's visit this time would only require him to deal with a few things and then send this greenhorn away. I never expected that Chu Jinnian was silent every day and hardly ever went out. However, in more than a month, he had found out everything about him clearly.

There was evidence of corruption, bribery, and framing the former prefect Xia, making it impossible for him to deny it.

After all, I underestimated this young prince.

Du Yingwei raised his head, his face full of ferocity, his eyes as if filled with poison, staring at Chu Jinnian viciously, his whole body seemed like a poisonous tongue spitting out scarlet blades, it would be nice to bite him hard.

"Prefect Du." Chu Jinnian noticed his gaze and glanced at him. His voice was cold and he said, "I have presented the evidence. Do you have anything else to say?"

What do you want to say? Of course there are a lot of things to say! "Lord Chu." Du Yingwei snorted coldly: "At this point, it doesn't matter what I say, what matters is what some people will say."

Especially those in high positions.

Sure enough, even at this time he was still thinking about someone being able to help him.

Chu Jinnian narrowed his eyes and said, "This is exactly what I thought."

"Although I am not talented, I am still a noble prince." Chu Jinnian added slowly, "I am probably better than the humble family of Prefect Du."

When Du Yingwei heard this, his expression suddenly changed.

Indeed, he has the support of Lord Wei behind him, but likewise, Chu Jinnian has the Fourth Prince behind him. Although Lord Wei is extremely powerful, he can ignore the Fourth Prince if it is expedient, but he is only a prefect after all, and is just one of Lord Wei's minions.

A centipede would not feel the slightest bit sad if one of its legs was lost for registration. Instead, it would be extremely grateful for the loss.

For his own sake, it is not impossible that Lord Wei would abandon him as a chess piece at a critical moment.

Chu Jinnian is different. He is the crown prince and will be a prince in the future. He is also good friends with the fourth prince. It makes no sense for either to give up the other when the two of them join forces. Even if there is a serious mistake, the current emperor will make a big deal out of a small matter for the sake of Chu Jinnian's title and blood relationship, not to mention that this is simply a normal case.

In this matter, it is very likely that Lord Wei will not confront him head-on and abandon him as a chess piece.

"Prefect Du." Chu Jinnian narrowed his eyes slightly. "It's good to sit under a big tree and enjoy the shade. Everyone knows this. But you have to see if the tree is willing to continue to let you enjoy the shade."

"What do you mean by this?" Du Yingwei suddenly broke out in a cold sweat on his back.

"I don't need to say more. Magistrate Du should understand." Chu Jinnian said with a smile, "I have something to tell Magistrate Du. Since I arrived in Shouchun more than a month ago, I have sent letters to the capital for all the evidence I have reviewed as soon as possible."

"Moreover, it has been seven or eight days since I collected all the evidence against Magistrate Du. Shouchun has been peaceful for such a long time. Doesn't Magistrate Du think that something is wrong?"

Du Yingwei gritted his teeth and his face turned as pale as paper.

Seven or eight days was enough time to send news to the capital at full speed, and there was no news sent from the capital.

However, the sea was calm and there was no movement at all.

In other words, Lord Wei does not intend to make any move.

He became a discarded pawn, a complete discarded pawn.

"Prefect Du is a smart man and should understand what he is about to face." Chu Jinnian said.

Du Yingwei suddenly became dejected.

He naturally understood what he was about to face. He was guilty of corruption and bribery, involving a sum of hundreds of thousands of taels. He also framed Prefect Xia for his own selfish interests. If all the charges were investigated carefully, he would be executed immediately.

If the emperor were furious and wanted to make an example of him, all the men in his family would be executed, and his wife and daughters might even be made slaves of the government.

It can be said that after so many years of prosperity, he suddenly fell into decline and he was ashamed to face his ancestors.

Du Yingwei looked as pale as death and almost collapsed to the ground.

Chu Jinnian curled the corners of his lips: "But..."

"I wonder if Magistrate Du is interested in doing business with me?"

Doing business? A glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in Du Yingwei's empty eyes.

Today I will give Panni the 10,000-coin reward for the cute little girl~ 　　 　 (End of this chapter)