Si Li was pulled out of the kitchen by Xiao Que.
The little girl was so panicked, "Miss, she fainted! I really didn't scare her by saying I was washing potatoes!"
Si Li didn't have time to put down the bowl of mashed potatoes in her hand before she was startled by the sound. There were only three people, the master and the servant, in Lingtao Courtyard. Xiaoque was not talking about Qingyu, but Cuicui, the new maid who came today.
When Manager Wang came to apologize in the morning, he brought Cuicui with him, saying that Qingyu had been transferred back by the madam and Cuicui was the daughter of a tenant farmer in the manor. She had a good temper and was well-educated, so they wanted to send her to work here in Sili. If they didn't like her, they could just replace her.
Cuicui didn't step into the kitchen for most of the day, and didn't even do the superficial work that Qingyu did when she was around. Xiaoque was so angry that he didn't give her any lunch at noon.
Si Li knew that this person was either a new spy sent by her stepmother or a maid who was about to leave, and she was too lazy to argue with her for a while. Who knew that she would faint just when she asked Xiao Que to find her to do something.
She wouldn't be planning to kill someone to frame her, right? Although her stepmother's past behavior showed that she wouldn't do such a thing, it was hard to guarantee that she would offend others with this thorn in her side.
Si Li silently tapped the system: Is there any resurrection first aid kit, detoxification pills or truth serum or something like that that I can buy two bottles for self-defense?
As expected, the system did not respond. Si Li stepped into the door of the private room and cautiously stood three steps away from Cuicui who was leaning against the table leg. "Cuicui? Wake up?"
After calling several times without any response, Si Li flipped through the system panel and saw that there was only one dish bonus that was worth showing off. She suddenly felt a little overwhelmed.
The person on the other side coughed and looked up, "Stop shouting."
The faint sunlight illuminated Cuicui's face. The girl had a sallow complexion, dark circles under her eyes, and an expression that could not hide her sadness. She looked very familiar.
"Why are you here?!" Before Si Li was stunned, she did not forget to click on the magnifying glass that appeared above her head.
[Meng Taotao (hireable)
Details: An orphan who was displaced, she ranked first in the Yunyue Provincial Academy Examination in the 15th year of Jingwen.
Expertise: An ordinary chef with outstanding talent in classical mathematics. His basic skills are mediocre, but he has a unique experience in frying snacks.
Cooking skills: Lv.1 (cooking temperature: Lv.0, knife skills: Lv.3, seasoning: Lv.1)
Favorability: 10 (suspicious stranger)
Note: Other information needs to be checked after employment. 】
Beep——, how come everyone’s cooking skills are higher than hers?! A level 0 cooking god doesn’t care about face! Life is unbearable!
Meng Taotao was startled by Si Licuo's complex expression, but then she was delighted. "Miss, do you recognize me? According to what this little lady Xiaoque said, it should be Huang Cui who signed the contract with your family, and it has nothing to do with me. According to Daning law, I already have the title of scholar, and I cannot sell myself to others. If the lady needs me, I am willing to go to the government office to discuss it. Although I don't know how I came to your house, Meng has important things to do. Please let me go. I will definitely repay you in the future."
Si Li had met Cuicui in the morning, but now Cuicui was replaced by Meng Taotao, which must be due to some bad intentions. Si Li did not want to get involved in the dispute between Meng Taotao and Cuicui or the plot between Cuicui and Qingyu. Wouldn't it be better to live peacefully in the manor, earn money from the system's recipes, and return to the capital to complete the mission? Why bother yourself with trouble?
Seeing Meng Taotao's clear and organized intention to leave, Si Li nodded readily, "Whatever the scholar asks for, it's natural..."
Before Si Li could finish her words, she was choked by the sudden refreshing of the system notification sound.
[System: Novice Task 4: A qualified reserve chef needs to have a complete team of back-of-the-kitchen personnel. Please hire a chef within one day.
Reward: The redemption mall is officially opened; Punishment: Deduct 10 taels of silver from the host. 】
Si Li quickly checked how much money was left in her purse. Qinglian didn't bring much private money to the manor. After spending it twice, there were only ten taels left. The dog system must have done it on purpose! Without money, let alone opening a stall to make money outside, she couldn't even buy some snacks.
For my better life, I have to sacrifice you, Mr. Meng!
Meng Taotao just smiled with relief when Si Li changed the subject, "However, since the young lady is here, it must be Huang Cui who is behind this. If you can't go back to Huang's Tofu Stall, where are you going to stay in the future?"
The girl's words were earnest and gentle, hitting the mark of Meng Taotao's hidden pain. However, from the brief contact she had with her, she knew that Miss Si was not in a good situation. She would only cause trouble if she stayed and would harm others. Thinking of this, Meng Taotao stood up and bowed, holding the back of her head, which was still a little swollen. "I have repaid the favor to the Huang family. I will go to get the pass and go somewhere else."
Si Li caught the hesitation and helplessness that flashed across Meng Taotao's face, but Meng Taotao insisted on leaving. In fact, she had no other chips to keep him. If she wanted to rely on bluffing alone, she needed external conditions to make people believe her!
etc.
Si Li opened the panel and quickly clicked on the only dish to increase its bonus. Target: mashed potatoes.
Momentum is also a very important point in negotiation. If Meng Taotao thinks she is a king and a tyrant, then this task will be a piece of cake. Si Li selectively ignored the fact that the bonus of false pretense has a 50% chance of reducing momentum. Anyway, there is no other way. It is better to try than not to try.
Meng Taotao looked at Si Li and suddenly started eating the bowl of potatoes in her hand. The mashed potatoes didn't smell very fragrant, but it made her stomach, which had been hungry for a long time, feel a dull pain in protest.
In the morning, she went to the city library to copy books and study. At noon, she cooked and did the accounting at the fried tofu stall. In the evening, she was responsible for the food, grooming and cleaning of the Huang family. She was busy all day long. Thinking about it carefully, the time since she fainted at the gate of the farm after being tricked by Huang Cui at noon today was actually the most leisurely time she had since she came to the capital.
A bowl of mashed potatoes was not much. Si Li burped a little. She didn't feel the added momentum, but felt a little uncomfortable instead.
Covering her mouth, Si Li reorganized her words and said solemnly, "Ms. Meng will definitely take the imperial examination this time, but she still needs to make a living before the exam. Miss, you are a good cook. I am learning cooking and will open a shop in the future, so I need you. Although it is not very good here now, if you are willing to stay and treat this place as your home, I will work hard to manage it and will never treat you badly. You don't need to sign a personal contract. You are free to come and go here. Whenever you want to leave, just tell me. It will help me and you, what do you think?"
Every word she said was even more hollow than when she had fooled Xiao Que. Si Li felt more and more guilty as she spoke. She could only pray that the bonus given by the system would be more reliable. Otherwise, if she missed this chef, where would she find a chef to do the task?
Xiao Que kept nodding her head and testified, "My young lady is very kind to me!"
Meng Taotao watched Si Li speak seriously, as if a little embarrassed. Her thin face was slightly red, and there was still some sauce on her lips, which made her look younger. As a rich lady, her life was obviously not good enough, but she still had a pair of clear eyes after being tortured, and she would be satisfied and happy in her eyes when eating simple food.
If my mother were still alive, perhaps my unborn sister would look like this too.
After her mother passed away, there was no place in the world that was her hometown. But now there is a person who reaches out to her and tells her, "Although it's not so good here now, if you are willing to stay and treat this place as your home, I will work hard." How could there be such a person? Even the Huang family who took her in and were praised as a very kind family said, "You must be grateful for saving you, and you must abide by the rules of my family," "Keju? Don't dream, get up and fry tofu," etc.
Si Li put her hands behind her back, feeling very imposing. But in Meng Taotao's eyes, she was so nervous that her hands were shaking, and even her requests were cautious.
The 50% chance reduction from the false pretense bonus is no exaggeration.
Meng Taotao's heart softened, "Yes, I am going to take the imperial examination." So what if it was a dream? As long as she was still alive, it couldn't be considered a dream.
Meng Taotao never gave in. Si Li was a little flustered. "You can open the shop at your own leisure. Although you came to the manor as a maid, I really don't mean to look down on you. I won't hold you back from studying or anything else..." It's over. No one would be fooled by such empty talk. She is not the boss who is proficient in big pancakes in the past! If she had known there was such a crappy task, she might as well have spent the ten taels of silver earlier.
Meng Taotao wiped her face and changed her words, "Miss, I don't ask for anything else, just a place to stay."
Si Li was a little confused after the unexpected turn of events. Was it really so effective to fool people with the system's bonus?
The system will pop up prompts at the appropriate time.
【Chef: Meng Taotao
Employment conditions: Food and accommodation provided, with increase in requirements depending on the work content.
Accept? Yes/No】
This was like a huge pie falling on her face. Si Li was afraid that the interface would disappear in the blink of an eye, so she quickly clicked "Yes".
[System: Employee recruitment is successful, novice mission 4 has been completed, and host novice guidance has been completed. Redemption mall is open, employee module is open. It is detected that the host's achievement points exceed 10 points, and the mission has been refreshed. Please check it yourself. ]
Her emotions fluctuated greatly. She thought that the task she hadn't completed was suddenly completed. Si Li was in a complicated mood. She didn't even bother to look at the new features that appeared on the system panel. She hesitated and said, "Have you thought about it?"
Meng Taotao said with a smile, "You have enough food and a place to stay, right?"
Si Li's face flushed, "Of course."
Meng Taotao reached out and rubbed her head. "Then there is nothing to worry about, my lady."
She was actually treated as a child by a girl younger than her...
Si Li unconsciously wanted to cover her face, coughed twice and stepped back, "I'm Si Li, this is Xiao Que, has Miss Meng eaten yet?"
The maid's gray-green skirt didn't fit Meng Taotao well. She shook her head and said, "No. But there's no rush. Since I have to stay with the young lady, I have to deal with some things in the Huang family. I'll be back soon. Besides, my name is Taotao, and it's a bit strange to call me young lady all the time."
Meng Taotao said as she tidied her clothes and prepared to go out. Si Li went into the kitchen and took out a bowl of mashed potatoes that she had made earlier and handed it to her. "It's a little cold. Take some rest. Don't be disgusted. Let Xiao Que go with you. She grew up here and is very familiar with the place. You'll have a helper."
Xiao Que looked around and nodded, "I'm strong too!"
"Let's go." Meng Taotao just nodded and stayed beside Si Li, and they treated her wholeheartedly. She finished her mashed potatoes with a sad heart and said nothing more. She just bowed to Si Li before leaving, "I will be back soon, don't worry, Miss."
Xiao Que chirped beside her, "That's right, come back early so you can go to bed early. Taotao, when are you going to make scholar tofu again? The last time my lady and I went there, we didn't get to eat the tofu you made."
Meng Taotao paused, his voice choking, "I'll make it when I get back. Actually, it shouldn't be called scholar tofu, but number one scholar tofu. But I'm still a scholar, and I don't have the nerve to call it number one scholar tofu with my mother's secret recipe."
Si Li understood that there must be an unspeakable past behind the two names, and she couldn't help but sigh.
[System: "False Prestige" bonus: The quarter-hour reduction in momentum has ended. ]
???
Si Li's sentimentality disappeared instantly, and he just wanted to curse three times: Dog! System! System!
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The author has something to say:
Lili: Thank you, boss, for deceiving me back then and allowing me to accumulate the original skills of a capitalist. Look at how cool, handsome, domineering and powerful I am. It's time for me to recruit younger brothers!
Xiao Meng: Little sister Wuwu is so cute, soft, and sweet. I can do it. I am willing to do it.
Prince:?
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Chapters 1-11 have been revised. The main plot remains unchanged and will not affect subsequent reading. I'm sorry if it has affected the reading experience of your little cuties.