Chapter 50
Upon hearing Tian Tian's words, her father's expression changed, and he reached out to cover her mouth.
Father Tian cautiously looked around, and seeing that no one was around, he said to Tian Tian with a stern face, "You brat, you really dare to say anything out loud! Don't you know where we are? If someone hears us, do you think we, father and daughter, will get away with it?"
Tian Tian pouted and said angrily, "Anyway, I don't want to work as a waitress here anymore. I have to stand for twelve hours a day, I'm exhausted, and that manager, she even scolded me!"
Father Tian coaxed her, "I know this is unfair to you, but we'll have to make you suffer for a while longer until we get our hands on this shop."
Seeing that Tian Tian's expression was even more indignant, he asked her, "Did you find the Qin family recipes that I asked you to find?"
Tian Tian shook her head and said, "I've been with Qin Sulan for a while now, but I really haven't seen any recipes... Dad, does the Qin family recipe book really exist? You're not mistaken, are you?"
"Impossible!" Father Tian said with certainty, "Without a recipe, how could a little girl like Qin Sulan run this shop? And how could the business be so good?"
His words were full of disdain for the "little girl," and then, as if he had thought of something, his expression turned ugly.
"That brat, she calls me 'Uncle' all the time, acting all friendly, but she's actually been keeping her distance from me all along," Father Tian gritted his teeth. "Otherwise, how come the same dish tastes so different when I cook it than when she cooks it?"
Tian's father was originally just a cook in the countryside who handled weddings and funerals. He had some cooking skills, but not many. Qin Sulan knew about this, so she called him over from the countryside and made him the sous chef of their restaurant.
After all, for Qin Sulan, her uncle, Tian Fu, was her only remaining relative in the world, so she naturally wanted to help him if she had the chance.
However, Tian's father, who considered himself extraordinary, did not think much of his niece, Qin Sulan.
In his opinion, what skills could a little girl like Qin Sulan possibly have? However, what was disheartening for him was that since he came to City A, he found that everything he made was inferior to that little girl, Qin Sulan.
Instead of reflecting on whether he was capable or not, Mr. Tian felt that Qin Sulan, his niece, had been hiding something from him and had not taught him everything. Otherwise, how could he, a grown man, be inferior to such a young girl as Qin Sulan?
What made Mr. Tian most ashamed and indignant was that, as the restaurant's sous chef, his menu prices were half that of Qin Sulan's, which made Mr. Tian, who had a very strong sense of pride, extremely resentful.
"The Qin family recipe definitely exists!" He grabbed Tian Tian's arm, looking at her eagerly, and said, "Tian Tian, you're living with your cousin now, so you have the best chance of finding out where she hid the Qin family recipe. You must find this recipe, understand?"
With this recipe, his cooking skills will definitely improve greatly... If even that little girl Qin Sulan can do it, his cooking skills will definitely be better than hers if he gets the recipe.
A look of eagerness appeared in the farmer's eyes.
Tian Tian said reluctantly, "But if we can't find the recipes, then I'll have to stay as a waitress forever?"
Upon hearing this, Tian's father's eyes became somewhat deep, and he said in a low voice, "If that's the case, then she shouldn't blame me for being heartless as her uncle. Anyway, if it weren't for me, she would have died with her parents."
So she decided to give her life back to her uncle.
Looking at Tian Tian, her father smiled and coaxed her, "Don't worry, this matter will be over in six months at most. Can you just bear with it for another six months?"
"For the next six months, I hope you can pay close attention to your cousin's movements. You must find out where she hid the recipes, understand?"
Only by obtaining the recipes and taking control of the restaurant can he continue to run it.
"The recipe is very important, do you understand?" He stared intently at Tian Tian and said, enunciating each word clearly.
Tian Tian was somewhat reluctant, but seeing the faint look of excitement and madness on her father's face, she shrank back and nodded.
Seeing this, Tian's father's expression softened. He patted her head and said, "Good girl, go to work now. You can't let your cousin see you slacking off." After all, Tian Tian was still Qin Sulan's dear cousin.
Tian Tian reluctantly nodded and left.
At this moment, Qin Sulan had already come out of the kitchen and was talking to Fu Xia.
Qin Sulan is a woman with regular features and a delicate and gentle appearance. She has a very gentle temperament, but when you see her, the first thing you will see is her eyes. Those eyes are gentle yet powerful, revealing a spirit of never giving up, like wild grass that grows back after being blown by the east wind.
It's probably only someone with such a resolute gaze who could save a restaurant from the brink of bankruptcy and run it successfully. When people talk about food in City A, they always mention her restaurant.
Qin Sulan came to ask Fu Xia for suggestions on their restaurant's food. After all, Fu Xia was a regular customer, and her opinions were crucial to their restaurant. Only by constantly receiving feedback from diners could they improve the taste of their food more promptly.
Perhaps it was Qin Sulan's humble attitude that led to their restaurant's business booming in recent years, with its reputation soaring.
In response to this question, Fu Xia said with a smile, "I think Mr. Qin, your cooking skills are still as good as ever. Whenever I'm in a bad mood, as long as I eat your food, my mood will improve!"
As she spoke, she gave Qin Sulan a thumbs-up.
Qin Sulan smiled gently, her lips pursed. Her smile gave her a somewhat shy and delicate air.
By this time, the waiters had already packed up the remaining food, filling five large white bags. The five bags looked quite impressive, and watching from behind the camera made me a little envious.
"Teacher Xu, may I take one home to eat?" he asked Xu Gui in a low voice.
Xu Gui was staring at Qin Sulan with a strange look in her eyes. When she heard the camera, she lowered her gaze and said, "Of course, there are plenty of them anyway."
Fu Xia ultimately felt bad about letting the children eat their leftovers, even though they hadn't touched them at all. So she ordered a few more portions to take away. As a result, Xu Gui and his group ended up with extra food to take away, and the paparazzi could take some if they wanted.
The person filming said apologetically, "I just feel that it's not good to compete with children for food."
He seemed a little awkward.
However, the food at this restaurant was really delicious, and he might not have the chance to go again next time. After all, he was a poor man with a monthly salary of only a few thousand, and the price of this restaurant was beyond his reach.
After exchanging pleasantries with Qin Sulan, Fu Xia got up to leave. A restaurant waiter carried a takeout bag, intending to take it downstairs for them.
However, just as Xu Gui and his group were passing by, a waiter next to them suddenly curled his lip and muttered, "Penny-pincher, pretending to be rich when he has no money."
Her voice was very low, and the people around her probably didn't hear it. However, Xu Gui's hearing was good, and the mumbling sound still reached her ears, so she turned her head to look in that direction.
The other person probably didn't expect Xu Gui to suddenly look over, and a hint of panic involuntarily appeared on their face.
For a moment, she thought that the other party had heard her muttering, but she was some distance away from them and they were talking, so no matter how she looked, there was no way they could have heard her.
Thinking it through, she calmed down again.
Xu Gui glanced at her lightly, then suddenly looked at Qin Sulan beside him and laughed.
"I'm a fortune teller, I specialize in telling fortunes," she said, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "I see a sinister look in your eyes, Mr. Qin. If this sinister look isn't dispelled, it will lead to both financial loss and death."
She generously said, "However, for just five hundred yuan, I can do a fortune telling for you, Mr. Qin, to resolve this evil energy. Would you like to give it a try, Mr. Qin?"
Her words came out suddenly, as if on a whim, and the content of her words was almost identical to what those swindlers on the street said, sounding like the same kind of rhetoric used to cheat people out of money.
So when they heard her words, everyone around them was stunned. Qin Sulan looked surprised and looked at Fu Xia questioningly.
“Xu Gui’s fortune telling is very accurate,” Fu Xia said. She looked at Qin Sulan with concern and said, “She said you will suffer financial and physical loss, and it’s very likely true… Why don’t you let Xu Gui help you with your fortune telling?”
Qin Sulan blinked, her gaze naturally shifting from Fu Xia to Xu Gui, and said, "Since Miss Fu puts it that way, then let this young lady calculate it for me... uh, this money..."
When she mentioned money, Xu Gui skillfully took out the QR code from her bag, a gesture that seemed to have been done a thousand times, exuding an eagerness and mercenary air.
"Pfft!" A waiter nearby sneered, his disdain evident in his words.
Qin Sulan's expression remained unchanged as she readily handed Xu Gui five hundred yuan.
Hearing the sound of five hundred yuan being deposited into his account, Xu Gui looked at Qin Sulan and said seriously, "You are unlucky and have a short life. You have the face of someone who will be plotted against by villains. At most, you will die of a sudden illness in six months. You will die young."
Under Qin Sulan's polite, awkward, and clearly disbelieving gaze, Xu Gui suddenly moved closer to her and whispered in her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Haven't you ever wondered why you've been feeling weak and listless lately?"
"That's because someone has been drugging you!"
Xu Gui sighed.
Since she had already spoken, she didn't intend to play the riddle game. Fearing that Qin Sulan might not understand, she went even further and said, "You may not believe it, but the person closest to you is also the person who wants you dead the most!"
After saying that, Xu Gui took a step back and smiled, "I've said all I have to say. Whether you believe it or not is up to you, Mr. Qin. I just hope that I will have the opportunity to taste your cooking again in the future."
Her words were quite meaningful, and after she finished speaking, Xu Gui and the others left immediately.
Qin Sulan saw them to the door, but after they left, she stood at the restaurant entrance with a somewhat dazed expression on her face.
"Cousin, what did that woman just say to you?" Just then, a sweet and soft voice rang in her ears. Qin Sulan came back to her senses and saw that her cousin Tian Tian had been standing next to her at some point.
Qin Sulan: "...didn't say anything." She pressed her head, which was throbbing a little. Lately, she didn't know why, but she always felt tired and weak, and she often had nightmares at night.
Looking in the direction Xu Gui and the others left, Tian Tian said disdainfully, "That woman is obviously a con artist. I don't know how she managed to fool Miss Fu. Miss Fu trusts her so much. Miss Fu's judgment of people is really bad, isn't it?"
Qin Sulan's face hardened as she listened, and she reminded her, "Tian Tian, you can't speak ill of the guests."
Tian Tian didn't take it seriously, but seeing Qin Sulan's serious expression, she reluctantly said, "Okay, then I won't say anything... But what did that liar just say to you? Cousin, you look so pale."
Xu Gui's voice was so soft that no one around her could hear it, so apart from Qin Sulan and her, no one else heard what the two of them were saying.
For some reason, Qin Sulan didn't choose to tell Xu Gui what he had said, and only said something perfunctory: "It's nothing, he just said some strange things... Do I look that bad?"
"It's awful!" Tian Tian said, then comforted her, "That person is a liar. She said those things just to scam money, so you don't need to believe what she said, cousin."
With a sweet face and soft voice, she looked at Qin Sulan with concern, appearing to be the perfect younger sister.
I shouldn't have believed that person...
Qin Sulan thought this to herself, but looking at Tian Tian, her mind uncontrollably recalled Xu Gui's words: "...the person closest to you is also the person who wants you dead the most..."
"Mr. Qin, you need to be careful."
Qin Sulan suddenly shivered.
*
As they left the restaurant, Fu Xia glanced at Xu Gui repeatedly, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
After getting into the car, she couldn't help but ask, "Xu Gui, what you just said about Boss Qin dying young, is that true?"
Xu Gui: "Do I look like someone who can lie and deceive?"
Fu Xia shook her head, then said worriedly, "That's why I asked you this. Boss Qin was such a good person, how could she have died so young? No, I have to send a message to Boss Qin and make sure she believes you!"
She had just realized that Boss Qin didn't really believe what Xu Gui said. As for why she was so cooperative, it was most likely because she didn't want to lose face, considering she was a regular customer.
Fu Xia frowned and started typing rapidly on her phone.
The person following him held the food he had packed, looking very satisfied. However, he suddenly remembered something, his expression changed, and his previously slumped back straightened up.
"Aren't we violating the show's rules by coming out to eat like this?" he said somewhat guiltily. "I remember that the show has a rule that during filming, the money for the guests' food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation must be earned by them on the show... So, is our meal here a violation of the rules?"
Regarding his statement, the two guests who participated in the program commented:
Xu Gui: "Ah, is that so?" His tone was blank.
Fu Xia: "I haven't heard of that."
The cameraman: "..." So, the one who knows the rules best is me, the cameraman?
“But it’s okay.” Fu Xia said casually, “I’m royalty, I’m just here to join in the fun and see the handsome men and beautiful women. I won’t participate in the next round either, and the production team won’t hold me accountable for my mistake.”
She looked at Xu Gui and said, "I brought you here, and you paid for it with my money, so you'll be fine."
Xu Gui thought for a moment and asked her, "...Is it okay to talk about royalty like this?"
Fu Xia replied, "Anyway, everyone knows I'm royalty." She participated in the show just to have fun and never intended to go all the way; she just wanted to be eliminated halfway through.
Xu Gui: ...Okay.
Xu Gui had filming in the afternoon and didn't have time to deliver the packed food to the orphanage, so Fu Xia volunteered to help. As for the afternoon's filming, she had already asked the director for leave.
She said, "Everyone is probably laughing at me right now. If I continue filming today, I'll be giving them a chance to make fun of me, and I won't give them that chance."
The main problem is that this is really embarrassing, and she feels that she needs to mentally prepare herself before she can face the camera again.
So, rather than being ridiculed, it's better to skip filming and ask the director for leave.
Although she knew she would probably still be ridiculed tomorrow, who knew what kind of catchy topic would emerge today and everyone would simply forget about her? Fu Xia started daydreaming.
The director knew that the young lady's heart was broken, so he didn't say much about her leave request and approved it directly.
After listening to her words, Xu Gui said, "Then I'll trouble you."
Fu Xia confidently declared, "Don't worry, leave this to me. I'll make sure the items are delivered to the orphanage intact. I also ordered some ice cream, so I can deliver it with the ice cream truck."
In this hot weather, you should eat ice cream!
Therefore, the three parted ways at the overpass. Xu Gui and the others got out of the car to continue filming the program, Xu Gui continued his fortune-telling work at his stall, and Fu Xia went to deliver food to the orphanage.
When Xu Gui arrived at the overpass, he first looked at the place where the old man had set up his stall, which was still empty.
"Why hasn't the old man come to set up his stall these past two days?" the person filming asked.
Xu Gui suddenly chuckled, the meaning of which was unclear.
The photographer glanced at her and thought to himself: It seems that Teacher Xu knows why the old man hasn't come to set up his stall these past two days.
Once Xu Gui was seated, the cameraman set up the camera and started the live stream.
The viewers in the live stream room had been waiting for a long time. Even before the live stream started, many netizens were already waiting. So when Xu Gui's live stream room opened, the barrage of comments popped up densely, completely blocking the screen of the live stream room.
The paparazzi opened Xu Gui's live stream on his phone and took a look. As Xu Gui's paparazzi, he was also a moderator in Xu Gui's live stream, although it was only temporary. However, he still inexplicably felt a sense of responsibility and would open Xu Gui's live stream from time to time to check the comments and see if there were any bad comments.
At times like this, the cameraman couldn't help but feel a little smug, thanking his uncle (the director) for his foresight in arranging him to be Xu Gui's cameraman.
Compared to other paparazzi who follow guests around in the sweltering heat, he seems to be living a very comfortable life. While Xu Gui is telling fortunes under the overpass, he sets up his camera and films him, while he can sit and do other things. He's having a great time.
Every day, I can also benefit from Teacher Xu's generosity, getting free meals, drinks, and even fish.
Now, Xinling Kemei was watching the live stream chat. After watching it, she couldn't help but sigh that it was a good thing that Teacher Fu Xia hadn't gone live, otherwise she would have been ridiculed to death by netizens. Because Fu Xia didn't go live in the afternoon, all the netizens who couldn't find her went to Xu Gui's channel. After all, Fu Xia's last appearance was on Xu Gui's channel.
It's no wonder netizens flocked to see this strange event. After all, mistaking a primary school student for an adult isn't unusual, but confessing one's feelings to a primary school student after mistaking them for an adult is quite rare. The primary school student's words, "Auntie, my mom won't let me date early," coupled with Fu Xia's devastated expression, pushed the whole incident to a comical peak.
Netizens commented: "We don't want to laugh either, but we just can't help it—who can resist laughing when they think about that scene?"
Unfortunately, Fu Xia was determined not to film in the afternoon. While everyone was disappointed, they could only join in the fun with Xu Gui. Xu Gui caught this wave of traffic, and the number of viewers in her live stream jumped to more than four million.
This just goes to show that netizens really are funny people.
Because so many people were asking about Fu Xia, Xu Gui still managed to reply.
“Teacher Fu isn’t filming this afternoon,” she said. “She said you’re all going to make fun of her, and she’s not going to give you the chance to make fun of her to her face.”
Netizens commented: "We don't usually laugh! Unless we can't help it!"
After explaining, Xu Gui took the fish food and started feeding the fish in the aquarium.
She figured that since she had taken the money from [Miaoyu], she should at least make sure that the money was well spent, and say a few words of advertising for them, right?
However, she didn't know how to promote it, so when there were no customers, she dragged a stool to sit next to the aquarium, took the booklet given to her by the people from [Miaoyu], and began to introduce the fish in the aquarium to everyone.
There are seven fish in this aquarium, all of them are Siamese fighting fish. They shouldn't be kept together in the same tank because fighting fish are very aggressive. If you keep multiple fighting fish in one aquarium, they will fight to the death.
However, the betta fish from [Miaoyu] are different; they can be kept in groups.
Xu Gui glanced at the introduction and read aloud, "...The fighting fish of [Miaoyu] have undergone countless generations of breeding and reproduction..."
Ji Kaiming truly loves raising fish and turtles, so he has spent a lot of money on it. He has also spent a lot of money on breeding fighting fish, which has finally led to his current success.
Xu Gui spoke clearly, purely reading aloud, without any emotion.
She sat there, her expression serene, her face as smooth and lustrous as white jade. Beside her was an aquarium as tall as she sat, and the betta fish inside instinctively chased after her.
Seven fighting fish crowded together against the wall of Xu Gui's box, their tails swaying behind them, looking extremely beautiful.
When Xu Gui noticed, she reached out and touched the side of the tank. Their tails swayed even faster. Xu Gui smiled, and the shimmering water reflected her face. Together with the beautiful wedding fish, they created a dazzling and harmonious scene.
Netizens who witnessed this scene:
[Beautiful people, beautiful fish! Ahhh! This scene is so beautiful, but the photo from this morning is even more stunning. I sent it to my friends, and they all kept asking me which beautiful woman was in the picture.]
[Um, although the scene is beautiful, there's something I'm not sure I should say: don't you guys think these betta fish are a bit too dog-like?]
[! Finally, someone said what I was thinking! I've wanted to say this before, these betta fish really do look like dogs, especially Xu Gui when he went over and was wagging his tail like crazy, it's like I'm hallucinating my husky!]
[This fish smells like dog, but if it really does smell like dog, I'm suddenly tempted to buy it.]
[Order placed, please don't miss out]
So, is the breeding of betta fish by the people at "Miaoyu" aimed at making them pet fish?
...
When the technicians at [Miaoyu] saw these comments in Xu Gui's live stream, they almost coughed up blood.
"We are not, we did not do it, it's slander! It's all slander!"
They are a legitimate breeding institution, and fish and dogs are completely different creatures. How can they be bred in the same direction?
The reason these fish look so shabby is simply because of the fish themselves!
only……
"Were these seven betta fish always this dog-like?"
"I don't remember... I don't think so?"
Strangely, [Miaoyu] discovered that the limited quantity of wedding dress fish in their backend suddenly surged at this time, and sales were still soaring.
[Miaoyu]: ? ? Suddenly I don't understand.
So, netizens don't like the beautiful and ethereal wedding dress fish, but suddenly everyone is excited about the dog-like wedding dress fish?
Because of this, when selling betta fish, [Miaoyu] has to remind buyers that their fish do not have any dog-like temperament at all. They are all beautiful fairy fish and nymphs, and their temperament has nothing to do with dogs!
So, if the product doesn't match the description, don't complain about them. They really don't engage in fake Amway promotions.
However, that's a story for another time. Right now, Xu Gui has no idea what kind of chaos he's about to cause for [Miaoyu].
After carefully introducing the fish in the aquarium and earnestly squeezing out a few advertising slogans, she finally wiped the sweat from her brow and breathed a sigh of relief—doing advertising was even more tiring than telling fortunes.
Hopefully, Ji Kaiming won't feel that the money was wasted, considering how hard she's worked to promote it.
"master……"
Just then, a customer arrived.
This was the first time Xu Gui had ever felt that fortune telling was such a joyful thing. He immediately tossed aside the brochure of [Miaoyu] and looked at the person who came with an enthusiastic expression.
The guest sat down, looking worried, and said, "Master, it seems my grandson's soul is missing. Can you find his soul here?"
Xu Gui: ?
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