Chapter 251 A Mistake
The story is long, but Qi Yuxuan understood it.
The powder that Ren Shun secretly took was the stuff left behind by the former employer's wife. Because she added very little each time, there was still some left, so she didn't order any new stock.
"That woman was born in Jiangnan. She married into the capital half a year ago and lived in Shizi Lane in the west of the city. Because her shop was sold, she was struggling to make ends meet in the capital. The couple had already divorced. A month ago, she encountered river bandits on her boat returning to her parents' home in Jiangnan. They said she fell into the river and her body was never found."
"However, we investigated her family in Jiangnan and her ex-husband's family and found that she had been in frequent contact with a woman named Yao Niang for the past year, and even before her marriage..."
The guard hesitated to speak, and Qi Yuxuan gave him a strange look. "And what?"
"She even said she didn't want to get married, that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with that Yao Niang..."
Qi Yuxuan understood and was greatly shocked. For a moment, she even forgot to turn the pages of the account book.
Are you sure that Yao Niang is a woman?
"yes……"
Qi Yuxuan rubbed her temples, not dwelling on the matter for too long, and continued to ask, "Then what's wrong with Yao Niang? For example, is she skilled in making incense, skilled in using medicine, and where is her ancestral home?"
The investigation team has gone from the current owner to the former owner, and from the former owner's wife to his friend, Madam Yao. It has truly been a series of twists and turns.
Unfortunately, the guards only said that they had found a woman named Yao Niang; the rest was still under investigation. The capital was not close to Jiangnan, so it would probably take some time.
Qi Yuxuan closed her eyes and rolled them around. After looking at the account book for a long time, her eyes became sore and painful. When she opened them again, a magnified human face suddenly appeared in front of her.
She wasn't startled, and calmly yet strangely asked Pei Xing'er, who had suddenly appeared, "What are you doing?"
Pei Xing'er retracted her tongue and stood up straight, looking rather bored.
"Princess, how come you're never frightened?!"
“I heard you when you came in.”
Qi Yuxuan pointed to the silver bracelet on her wrist. The two small, pea-shaped silver clasps on it made a soft sound when she moved, so quiet that the little girl probably didn't even notice it herself.
Pei Xing'er slapped her forehead in frustration, realizing that even the most meticulous plans can have oversights.
"What do you want?"
Pei Xing'er hesitated for a moment before saying, "Princess, actually it's my birthday tomorrow, and I would like to invite you to have dinner with me."
“Alright, I’ll set up a table for you at the mansion…”
Pei Xing'er quickly explained:
"No, no, no! It's outside, on Willow Leaf Street in the south of the city. There's a newly opened restaurant there, and the chef is from Sichuan. He can cook incredibly delicious Sichuan dishes, like Sichuan-style roasted pork with numbing spiciness, fish braised with dogwood sauce, and sesame-flavored tofu soup... I've saved up my money for so long just to be able to eat there. Princess, you see—"
Qi Yuxuan understood; this was a clever way to coax her out to play.
She glanced at the little girl in front of her who was fiddling with her fingers.
"Don't be so anxious. I will definitely go to your birthday party. It's just that I've been busy lately, so I'll probably have to come back right after the meal."
Pei Xing'er exclaimed "Ah!" and muttered softly, "But I also made an appointment to go to the Plum Garden to see a play, and the ticket alone cost me a full four taels of silver..."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yuxuan could only sigh helplessly, "Then I'll have dinner with you, and then I'll come back after watching the play."
"good!"
Pei Xing'er knew when to stop, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Qi Yuxuan. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, she probably would have jumped up excitedly.
The next morning, Qi Yuxuan remembered Pei Xing'er's birthday and sent her a birthday gift early. She also instructed the kitchen to make an extra bowl of longevity noodles to send over.
Around noon, Pei Xing'er dressed up and went to meet someone to go out for lunch.
"Sister Bihui, will you come with us too?"
Pei Xing'er extended a warm invitation, and Bi Sui smiled and nodded, saying that she would be honored to accept.
So the three of them found a driver at the Princess's residence and hitched a ride in a low-key blue-canopied carriage, then leisurely made their way to Willow Leaf Street.
There were only the three of them, and Bi Sui was still a little curious: "Why didn't Doctor Pei come?"
Pei Xing'er: "That restaurant is so hard to get a reservation at! My grandpa went there early this morning with a stool to wait, so we can get a table right when we get there. Isn't that wonderful!"
Bi Sui nodded, but felt a pang of sympathy for the elderly Doctor Pei, who was being sent to queue at a restaurant for his granddaughter's birthday, a rare occurrence in the capital.
From afar, they could see the shop entrance with the signboard "Zhao's Restaurant" hanging on it, and sure enough, there was a large crowd of people. The parked carriages, horses, and mules almost completely blocked the aisle, so their carriage probably wouldn't be able to get in.
"So many people? Oh dear, it's a day off today, no wonder!"
Bi Sui glanced at the distance that was still quite far away and looked troubled.
"Princess, I'm afraid we'll have to get off the carriage and walk. There are too many people ahead."
Qi Yuxuan looked up from the book and nodded indifferently, "Don't call me Princess when we're out and about, lest it attract attention."
"Yes, young lady."
The three of them got out of the car and walked for about several dozen meters before they reached the entrance of the restaurant, where they were greeted by a strong and overpowering aroma of food.
"This tastes like braised fish with dogwood sauce! I had it last time I came!" Pei Xing'er exclaimed in a low voice with delight. "Miss, this fish is the signature dish here, it's perfect in color, aroma, and taste..."
As soon as they entered the gate, they heard several young men arguing with an old man. The diners watched the scene unfold, while the waiter and the manager were caught in the middle, looking quite troubled.
Pei Xing'er looked closely and realized that the old man was none other than her own grandfather!
What's the deal with those teenagers? Why are they ganging up on an old person?
Without thinking too much, she rushed over, "Grandpa! What happened? I brought the girl here, why are you still here?"
Doctor Pei saw Qi Yuxuan wearing a veil in the distance and was about to apologize when his granddaughter caught him and asked him a question.
He had no choice but to briefly explain the situation before him.
It turned out that the innkeeper had mistakenly given the private room that was originally reserved for these young people to Doctor Pei, who arrived first. Now that the dishes had been ordered and were about to be served, the reserved guests arrived.
Now, two tables of guests had arrived in the same private room at the same time. The waiter was dumbfounded. He called the manager over to check, and only then did he realize that there had been a misunderstanding.
Qi Yuxuan's gaze swept over the group of teenagers and spotted Xiao Jin among them.
He wore a light blue robe, tall and thin like a malnourished poplar. Although upright, he was too thin. His cheeks were slightly sunken because his body had grown too fast. His face was calm and deep, completely unlike the spirited companion of the fourth prince and the youngest son of Minister Xiao a year ago.
She saw Xiao Jin, and he looked at her as well.
Although Qi Yuxuan was wearing a veil, with only her forehead and eyes visible, Xiao Jin quickly guessed her identity because Doctor Pei and Pei Xing'er had previously served as physicians for the Xiao family.
He stared blankly at the girl who was a few steps behind Pei Xing'er, muttering, "Yu Xuan..."
The boy who was with him didn't hear him clearly, so he followed his gaze and asked, "What's wrong?"
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