Chapter 250 Reunion with Wang Qian
"Hey, this girl's pretty and has a great figure. How about you consider joining me in the entertainment industry? I guarantee she'll be more successful than you here collecting dishes."
Xu Qingqing was so startled that she froze, hurriedly dodged backward, gripped the plate in her hand tightly, whispered, "I'll go collect the plates first," and then quickly walked towards the kitchen.
The skinny director watched her hasty retreat, chuckled, and smacked his lips as he teased the people at the table: "Young people these days really don't know what's good for them. They're given the best path in the world, but they insist on sticking to this humble stall and cleaning up the dishes. It's such a waste of their looks."
In the kitchen, Su Yingxue looked at Xu Qingqing's reddened eyes and clenched white fingers, and the anger she had just suppressed suddenly flared up again.
The stove in the kitchen was burning brightly, and the stewed radish and beef brisket was bubbling in the casserole. The rich aroma of meat could not suppress the anger surging in Su Yingxue's heart.
She watched as Xu Qingqing clenched the corner of her apron, her fingertips turning white, her eyes swollen with red. The frivolous words and unrestrained actions from the back hall earlier felt like needles pricking her.
She raised her hand and patted Xu Qingqing's shoulder, her voice deep and steady: "Don't panic, stay here, I'll take care of the rest."
As he spoke, he took off the cloth from his waist to wipe his hands and walked straight to the front hall. His steps were unhurried, but the gentleness in his eyes was gone.
In the lobby, Wang Qian was chatting and laughing with a few people, completely ignoring the earlier incident. The skinny director was still boasting to others about the resources he had, spitting as he spoke.
Su Yingxue walked straight to the table, ignoring Wang Qian's suddenly changed expression, and calmly focused her gaze on the thin director. She reached out and collected the empty plates stacked on the table one by one, her movements swift and efficient.
Seeing this, the thin director wanted to make a joke again, but when he looked up and met her gaze, he was inexplicably forced to pause by the coldness in her eyes.
He still wouldn't let up: "This proprietress has quite the air about her. What, you're reluctant to let that young girl from earlier try her luck in the industry?"
Su Yingxue gathered the empty plate into her arms and said calmly, "Our little shop serves home-style meals and follows the rules. We're not like those in the industry who have to both coax and manipulate people."
Her tone was not harsh, but every word was clear: "The people in my shop only deserve to eat honest food and walk the straight path. We cannot afford your so-called righteous road, nor do we deign to walk it."
Wang Qian recognized her at this moment, her face turning pale and then flushed, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "Su Yingxue? I really didn't expect it to be you opening a shop here. You've really made something of yourself."
Her words carried a hint of bitterness and sarcasm.
Su Yingxue finally looked up at her, a faint smile playing on her lips, but the smile didn't reach her eyes: "Thanks to Sister Qian, I was able to pay the termination fee thoroughly back then, giving up all hope, so I can peacefully enjoy this life. It's much better than having to put up with other people's attitudes in the industry, losing money and losing my spirit."
Upon hearing this, Wang Qian's face instantly turned bright red. The way she had demanded an exorbitant price when terminating her contract was now subtly revealed to everyone.
The thin director, who had just made a lewd move on Xu Qingqing, lost face and slammed his hand on the table: "How dare you talk to us like that, boss lady! You're just a small restaurant owner, how dare you boss us around? Believe me, we can shut your shop down with a single word!"
"Is that so?" Su Yingxue's smile remained unchanged. "Our restaurant relies on our customers eating comfortably and with peace of mind. We don't rely on anyone to give us food, nor are we afraid of anyone causing trouble."
"But some of them, brazenly harassing young girls in broad daylight, claiming to be praising them while actually harboring ulterior motives. If things really escalate, it's hard to say who will be the one who loses face."
As soon as she finished speaking, several crew members who frequented the film crew at the next table looked over, their eyes full of understanding. Some even whispered about the chaotic unspoken rules within the industry.
The young, inexperienced actors looked even more flustered and uneasy, shrinking back slightly and glancing at Wang Qian and the others with increased wariness.
The thin director was speechless, and fearing the stares of others, he was too angry to speak for a long time. Seeing this, Wang Qian knew that staying any longer would only make things more awkward, so she quickly stood up to smooth things over: "Never mind, let's eat, we misspoke."
As Wang Qian spoke, she glared fiercely at the thin director, signaling him to stop talking.
Su Yingxue was too lazy to argue with them anymore, so she turned around and left. As she passed by Wang Qian, she only said lightly, "Sister Qian, you should take good care of your people. Don't always think about taking shortcuts. Being down-to-earth is better than anything else."
Back in the kitchen, Xu Qingqing rushed over, her eyes still red, but filled with admiration: "Sister Su, you were amazing just now!"
Su Yingxue smiled and ruffled her hair, put down the empty plate, and picked up the spatula again to stir the beef brisket in the casserole: "We'll keep this shop, not seeking great wealth or status, but just peace of mind. No one should try to bully us here, let alone force us to do things we don't want to do."
The group in the lobby lost their initial enthusiasm, ate a few bites hastily, paid their bills, and left in a hurry.
As Wang Qian left, she glanced back at the banner hanging on the wall that read "Fireworks warm people, clouds and sea understand hearts," then looked at the busy figures in the kitchen. Her expression was complicated, but in the end, she didn't say another word and quickly left.
As Xu Qingqing was packing up the tables and chairs at dusk, she suddenly smiled and said, "Sister Su, the guy at the next table just now said that he will come here to eat often in the future and will recommend it to his friends. He said that not only is the food delicious, but the people here are also very honest and reliable!"
Su Yingxue smiled upon hearing this. The residual heat from the stove warmed her whole body, and the remaining beef brisket in the pot was still steaming. The faint aroma of meat mixed with the scent of herbs and wood wafted through the small shop, making her feel more at ease than ever before.
She knew that trouble might come her way again, but as long as she held onto her original aspirations, the warmth of the home, and the people around her, she had nothing to fear.
Once the snow melts in Wushan, they will return with the experience and confidence gained from their journey, and Xiaoyaopu amidst the sea of clouds will surely become even warmer and more lively.
After Wang Qian and her group left, Su Yingxue didn't think much of it. She only told Xu Qingqing that if she encountered any more harassment while entertaining guests in the front hall, she shouldn't tolerate it and should just call her.
But they didn't expect that this unpleasant meal would actually cause the small shop further trouble.
The next morning, several people in uniforms came to the door, saying that someone had reported that the shop's hygiene was substandard and that they wanted to thoroughly investigate the kitchen and ingredients.
Su Yingxue calmly led the inspection team. The kitchen stove was spotless, the ingredients were neatly arranged and categorized, the vegetables delivered by the farmers still had morning dew on them, and the quarantine certificates for the local pork were all in place. After checking for a while, there were no problems, and the inspectors had no choice but to leave disappointed.
It's obvious that this report was made by Wang Qian and the slim-faced director, who were holding a grudge and deliberately picking a fight.
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