Chapter 68: A Woman's Name
Xue Xiujun also regained her usual lively personality, moving back and forth between people.
When Zhu Zhifeng returned, she was stunned by the scene in the courtyard.
The small kitchen in the courtyard was too small to accommodate so many people, so everyone simply moved to work in the courtyard.
On her way back, Zhu Zhifeng was still thinking about how to apologize to Xue Xiujun tactfully without losing face. Now that she saw that Xue Xiujun was alright, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Can her apology be dispensed with?
Or you can apologize when you have another chance.
The dumplings were all cooked, but He Suzhi hadn't shown up. Nobody knew where he was.
Xue Xiujun saw through Yu Wan's thoughts, "I guess he's probably feeling down somewhere."
"What could he possibly be upset about?" Yu Wan asked curiously.
"Haven't he always been like that? He never shares his worries with anyone, keeping them bottled up inside all day. Once I wondered if he ever talked in his sleep, blurting out everything he'd been holding back. Guess what happened?" Xue Xiujun asked mysteriously.
Yu Wan asked curiously, "Did you really talk in your sleep?"
Xue Xiujun laughed and said, "Of course I said it, and it was a woman's name."
"A woman's name?" Yu Wan smiled. "It seems this person is very important to him."
Xue Xiujun asked, "Do you want to know whose name it is?"
Yu Wan shook her head. "That's their privacy. I don't want to know."
Xue Xiujun said, "But if I don't say it, I'll suffocate. I can't hold it in like him. Boss lady, I'll tell you now, what he yelled was... Ouch!"
He let out a wail, rubbing the sore spot on his back, "Who! How dare they ambush me!"
He Jing stood at the entrance of the courtyard, staring at him coldly.
The person clutching the painful spot immediately fell silent, pursed their lips, and quickly changed the subject.
Seeing that the chefs were all busy and no one else was around, he whispered in Yu Wan's ear, "Boss lady, do you think these chefs from the Jin family are really here to learn cooking from you?"
Yu Wan smiled and said, "How could that be? These people are all capable of taking on important responsibilities outside the Jin family. Even if they don't learn my cooking skills, they won't be any different. They're probably just curious about my cooking and want to find out more. They're probably also on a mission."
"What mission?" Xue Xiujun asked.
"Of course, someone sent them to probe my capabilities and assess my strength," Yu Wan analyzed. "I am now the only brilliant plan they can think of. Of course, they don't believe I will succeed; they just want me to be the vanguard."
If I succeed, they'll naturally be happy to benefit, since I represent the Kim family. If I fail, they can blame it on me and then send their own chef. Comparisons are inevitable; with my subpar performance as a precedent, their chef just needs to perform consistently.
Xue Xiujun was immediately displeased upon hearing this, her eyes widening. "What? They actually dared to treat you like this! That's too much! They really underestimate you. Your cooking skills are a million times better than the imperial chefs'! They're so condescending! Why did you agree? It's too easy for them!"
His boss's wife will definitely shine, but that would only benefit the cunning and calculating Jin family. It's disgusting.
“It’s alright, I also want to meet that legendary distinguished guest. Isn’t it said that this person has tasted all the delicacies in the world? I want to see what level my cooking skills are in the eyes of such a person. Maybe in the future, this person will also come to Sui County? This would be a great opportunity for the development of Sui County.” Yu Wan said with anticipation.
Xue Xiujun gave a thumbs up, "Boss lady, you are really excellent, you can think of so many things. But have you ever thought about what if that distinguished guest is a corrupt official or something? If you are targeted by such a person, you and the entire Sui County may be in big trouble."
“That is indeed a possibility, but Sui County is developing rapidly and has become well-known. News of this will eventually reach the ears of those people. So in addition to developing ourselves, we should also seek protection and build multiple layers of insurance.” Yu Wan never believed that she, as an ant, could shake an elephant, but she would not compromise easily either.
“That makes sense. I admire you more and more.” Xue Xiujun was completely in awe of her. Although this girl was a few years younger than him, she was more like an older sister to him than a younger sister.
Everyone enjoyed a pleasant meal of dumplings, and everyone ate to their heart's content, although some people were still hungry.
Those are thousands of dumplings!
Yu Wan also had a maid deliver a plate to Madam Jin.
Jin Yifei would always come over whenever there was something delicious, but he didn't show up this time, so Yu Wan had someone send over a plate of food.
Before long, people from all branches of the Jin family came to inquire if there were any dumplings left. It turned out that some of them had been chatting in Old Madam Jin's room, tasted one, and wanted more, but the Old Madam refused. The news quickly spread throughout the entire Jin family, and everyone came to ask for some.
Yu Wan had no choice but to make some more dumplings, and the Jin family's chefs also got busy.
The day was filled with activity; everyone spent the entire day making dumplings. When it was time to prepare dinner, the cooks reluctantly returned to their own territory.
After all, some people still need to eat familiar foods.
After dinner, Yu Wan returned to her room, while Zhu Zhifeng was called over for a chat by an aunt, who was said to be Jin Yizhuang's mother.
She left rather reluctantly, and her aunt will surely bring up the old story again to try and persuade her.
However, she no longer clings to Yu Wan and cries, begging her for help; instead, she has her own ideas.
Yu Wan was resting alone in her room when she heard a knock on the door, followed by Jin Yifei's indistinct voice.
"A-Wan, can you talk to me?"
Yu Wan felt that he had become strange lately, and they could no longer communicate normally.
Upon opening the door, a strong smell of alcohol filled the air.
"Are you drunk? Come in and talk."
Jin Yifei enjoys drinking, has a strong preference for food, and is equally particular about alcohol, but he never gets drunk.
He swayed a few times, clearly unable to stand steadily, and although he was invited, he did not go inside.
"It's too late to go inside. Would you like to come for a walk outside with me?"
Just as Yu Wan was about to leave, she heard the young man remind her.
"It's chilly at night, put on a cloak."
Yu Wan laughed and said no need, "In the height of summer, it won't be much cooler, but it will be a bit hot during the day."
The two walked and talked.
Jin Yifei's steps were heavy and his body swayed, but he kept his distance from Yu Wan and never touched her in a rude manner.
He continued the girl's topic, "Sui County is much more comfortable than here. It has four distinct seasons, and the hottest days in summer only last a few days. You must prefer living in Sui County, right?"
Yu Wan smiled and said, "Anywhere is fine, but home is the best. Isn't there a saying? There's no place like home.
When she first came into this world, she had no sense of belonging and even felt that the people around her were not real. She didn't feel very tired even though she was busy all day.
Now she has unconsciously come to regard Sui County as her hometown, and she even thinks about how to develop Sui County from time to time. She always wants to go back to the restaurant and think of her mother and younger brother Acheng.
She has a home now.
"Young Master Jin, what's wrong with you today? Is something bothering you?"
"Please don't call me Young Master Jin tonight, okay?" Jin Yifei's eyes were pleading, and there was also a hint of grievance in them.
His shadow in the moonlight carried a sense of desolation.
Yu Wan smiled gently, "Okay, Yifei, is this alright?"
Jin Yifei finally smiled. "You can call me by my full name, just like you call them. You're being too polite and distant with me."
"Isn't this what I should do? I've never forgotten your kindness to me," Yu Wan said with a smile.
Jin Yifei waved his hand, "Please, don't talk about this, okay? I hope we have an equal relationship, without talking about favors."
Yu Wan stopped and stared at him intently; the young man's eyes seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words.
"You like me?"
Jin Yifei stumbled and almost fell flat on his face. After regaining his balance, his pale face was full of surprise, but also a hint of delight.
"As expected of you, you always do things and say things that others don't expect."
Even if Yu Wan were oblivious, she would have noticed, especially since Xue Xiujun made the Jin family's ancestral precepts very clear today.
"I enjoy being friends with you, but not in a romantic way, so I can't give you the response you want."
Jin Yifei's mood was like a rollercoaster; all the surprise and joy on his face disappeared, leaving only paleness.
He no longer had the strength to support his heavy body, so he sat down on the ground, raised his head, and looked at her with a pitiful expression.
"Do you have to shatter my illusions so quickly?"
He lowered his head helplessly, took a deep breath, and then raised his head again, his gaze intense.
"Is there absolutely no possibility? Maybe you don't know me well enough yet. We can spend more time together and see."
Yu Wan said, "I'm afraid it will be the same no matter how long it takes. Of course, this is not your problem, it's my problem. I'm a very boring person. I always focus on making money and I'm not very good at talking about feelings."
Jin Yifei eagerly replied, "I won't stop you from doing anything. Whatever you want, I'll do it your way."
Yu Wan laughed and said, "And then, for my sake, you're going to make enemies of your entire family?"
Jin Yifei explained, “That’s not important. Everyone in the Jin family knows that no one can control me. I didn’t want you to agree to my grandmother’s suggestion because I was really afraid something would happen to you. I admit I had my own selfish reasons, but I also know that nothing is more important than your life.”
Yu Wan said, "You see, this is the difference between you and me. You consider me, but I only want to achieve my own goals."
“I don’t care. I’ve said I can do whatever I want. I don’t know why I’ve become like this. I’ve always considered myself a very rational person and have never lost my temper in front of others. But the longer I’m with you, the more I can’t suppress these feelings. You might think I’m being rude today, but I’m afraid that if I don’t say it now, I’ll never have the chance again.” Jin Yifei’s eyes were red, his nose was red, and there were even suppressed sobs.
Yu Wan squatted down. "The ground is cold. Shall we move to another spot?"
Jin Yifei lay sprawled out, sulking like a child.
"No! I won't get up!"
Yu Wan was amused by him, "This is really unlike you. It seems you're really drunk."
"I'm not drunk! My mind is perfectly clear!" Jin Yifei said. "Actually, I only had a few drinks. I wanted to pretend to be drunk and say a few honest words, but you..."
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