"Foolish!" Manager Jin said with a pained expression. "Xiao San, if you had learned even 30% of your mother's skills, you wouldn't have to worry about not having food to eat. Why did you come to the restaurant to be an apprentice?"
He now understood why Jiang Nuan was so dissatisfied.
They clearly had a skill that could have been passed down through generations, but their son signed a long-term contract and became someone else's child. No one could accept that.
The fact that the in-laws didn't swear is already a testament to their good manners.
Thinking of this, Manager Jin felt guilty and couldn't help but look at Huang Xiaosan with a hint of anger.
It's all because of this spendthrift brat that I offended such a capable person.
Thinking of this, Manager Jin was filled with regret.
Once, a powerful figure offered his services, but he stepped on it and regretted it too late!
“Father-in-law,” Huang Xiaosan said, feeling very aggrieved, “I didn’t know either.”
If he had known his mother had this ability, he would have preferred to forgo a wife rather than sign a long-term contract.
The thought that his family had wasted five hundred taels of silver because of him made Huang Xiaosan feel a pang of fear.
That's five hundred taels of silver, enough to buy fifty acres of fertile land, and he just squandered it all!
Huang Xiaosan felt that if his ancestors were truly watching from heaven, they would surely jump out of their coffins and punish him, their unworthy descendant.
"You don't know?" Manager Jin was so shocked his mouth almost fell off, his voice exceptionally shrill, "How could you not know?"
“That’s right,” said Steward Qiushan, who was also very puzzled. “How is this possible? Who knows your mother’s abilities better than you?”
“Father-in-law, Steward Qiushan,” Huang Xiaosan said with a bitter expression, “My mother is not in good health and spends most of her time in her room, so we don’t dare to disturb her too much.”
"Didn't you hear a single word?" Manager Qiushan was skeptical. "With her skills, there should have been some word about her."
“No,” Huang Xiaosan touched his nose, his expression indescribable, “My mother is quite famous in our area. She’s literate, virtuous, capable, good at accounting and managing the household, and can work in the fields and mountains…”
"Stop," Manager Qiushan quickly interrupted Huang Xiaosan when he was about to speak. "Even a man wouldn't be this thorough. Do you think your mother is a goddess?"
Manager Jin's first reaction was disbelief.
If a woman can become like this, wouldn't she be out of this world?
Why are you still holed up in the countryside, struggling to make ends meet?
Knowing this, when he married off his daughter, he only asked for a tael or two of silver as a token.
"Well," Huang Xiaosan said somewhat awkwardly, "I only heard about it. My mother is in poor health and has never done these things, so I don't know if it's true or not."
Because it was too far-fetched, even though his two older brothers swore it was true, he didn't take it to heart.
He felt that his mother might have some skills, but definitely not as extraordinary as the rumors outside made her out to be.
"San'er," Manager Jin scrutinized Huang Xiaosan carefully, his gaze intense and fiery, as if he had seen a mountain of gold, "Don't you have a younger brother? How about I marry him off to your family?"
These words left Huang Xiaosan speechless.
“Father-in-law, marriage is a major event that requires the consent of parents and the words of a matchmaker. If you have this intention, you can discuss it directly with my mother.”
His wife's younger sister is only six years old this year, and she actually has designs on their fourth son. It's really too much!
Manager Jin touched his nose, looking dejected, and stopped talking.
He always lacked confidence when facing Jiang Nuan, not only because he had done something wrong, but also because he felt that Jiang Nuan was not someone to be trifled with.
He felt that Jiang Nuan had written him down in her little notebook, the kind she would bring up whenever she was unhappy. It was a strange feeling, yet it made him believe it inexplicably.
After everyone finished eating, Jin cleaned up the leftovers, and Jiang Nuan washed her hands and came out of the kitchen.
"Gentlemen, are these dishes of mine acceptable?"
"I am truly impressed by your cooking skills, in-laws," Manager Jin said, licking his lips as he savored the meal.
These unprecedented dishes were also incredibly delicious. Manager Jin, who prided himself on being a worldly man, had never seen anything like them before.
Of course, there are minor flaws; the knife skills are poor, only at the level of an apprentice.
However, faced with such delicious food, this minor flaw was completely overlooked by Manager Jin.
“I’m satisfied,” Jiang Nuan nodded and sat down in the empty seat next to her. “Now, let’s continue discussing this deal: ten dishes, five hundred taels of silver, or a long-term contract for the mistress. No bargaining, thank you.”
When it came to serious matters, the people from Wuweilou became serious as well.
After a moment's preparation, Manager Jin began to play the victim.
“My dear in-law, it’s not that I don’t want to agree, but I really have no choice. Wuweilou is so poor that we can’t even afford to eat. This month, we’ve already lost nearly a hundred taels of silver. Before the New Year, we were scolded by the boss and couldn’t hold our heads up high. At most, we can only afford two hundred taels of silver. Two hundred taels of silver is all the money in Wuweilou’s books.”
“Manager Jin,” Jiang Nuan thought to herself, wishing she could whip this person who had gotten a good deal and was still acting innocent, “six hundred taels of silver, no bargaining.”
“Three hundred taels of silver,” Manager Jin squeezed out a few tears, “and my brothers and I scraped together the money, barely managing to come up with it.”
"Seven hundred taels of silver, not a single coin less," Jiang Nuan said through gritted teeth.
Since Manager Jin is focused on business, don't blame her for not showing any familial affection.
The ever-increasing price brought tears to Manager Jin's eyes, and he tentatively asked in a tearful voice, "How about four hundred taels?"
“Eight hundred taels,” Jiang Nuan said coldly. “If you don’t agree, I’ll just sell it to Juquanlou. I don’t mind if the price is lower. Whoever made me unhappy, I’ll make him even more unhappy.”
These words alarmed the people at Wuweilou.
"No, please!" Manager Qiushan quickly interjected, "My dear in-law, let's not act impulsively. Business may be business, but we can't cheat people like this."
"Manager Qiushan, my mother didn't cheat anyone," Huang Xiaosan said, standing firmly in front of Jiang Nuan like a mother hen protecting her chicks. "These ten dishes are enough to revive our Wuweilou Restaurant. They would be the signature dishes of any restaurant. My mother only charged half price out of consideration for our relationship. Don't take advantage of my mother's soft heart."
"Hey, mistress, can't you talk like that?" Qiu Shan was sprayed with blood. "Isn't this how business is? Bargaining and haggling. What's with all this talk about being ripped off? It's not that serious."
“Xiao San,” Jiang Nuan patted his shoulder, “Mother is fine, you step back and let Mother have her.”
He turned and looked down at the people at Wuweilou with disdain. "Eight hundred taels of silver. Get it up in three days, or I'll take the prescription to Juquanlou right now."
It was a blatant threat, but the people at Wuweilou fell for it.
“My dear in-law,” Manager Jin squeezed out a few more tears, “three days is too short. How about this, five days? I’ll get you five hundred taels, and you can write an IOU for the rest, and pay me back fifty taels a month, how about that?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuan narrowed her eyes and slowly nodded.
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