Chapter 91 Defeat
Manager Cao hummed a little tune as he walked into the room. He found Chen Peisheng's face was gloomy, and he also saw the accountant standing to the side, trembling and not daring to raise his head. His heart skipped a beat.
Manager Cao suppressed his sudden unease and asked with concern, "Brother-in-law, what's wrong? Is there a major error in the restaurant's accounts?"
After saying that, he sternly reprimanded the accountant: "Old Li, you've been a veteran of Zuixianlou for a long time, how can you still make mistakes in the accounts?"
The accountant kept his head down, completely ignoring Manager Cao.
Now, Manager Cao panicked even more. Just as he was about to continue questioning loudly to cover up his guilty conscience, a thick ledger was slammed down on him: "Enough!"
Chen Peisheng looked at Manager Cao with disappointment, his face frighteningly cold:
"For your sister's sake, I made you the manager of Zuixianlou, but in less than ten years, you embezzled a full five thousand taels of silver!"
Manager Cao's face changed drastically, and he subconsciously denied it: "Brother-in-law, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. I'm your brother-in-law, how could I do such a thing!"
Seeing that Chen Peisheng remained unmoved and still staring coldly at him, Manager Cao panicked and pointed to the accounting office to shift the blame: "It was Old Li, it must have been Old Li who did it. He manages the restaurant's accounts, it's too easy for him to tamper with them and frame me!"
The accountant was furious, his eyes bulging as he cursed, "You, Cao Xingwang! You threatened me back then, and I was confused for a moment when I falsified the accounts for you. Now you dare to throw all the blame on me! You're not even human!"
Manager Cao vehemently denied it, pleading with Chen Peisheng with a wronged expression: "Brother-in-law, we're relatives, you know me best, how could I do such a thing? You have to believe me!"
Chen Peisheng closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his gaze towards Manager Cao was indifferent: "The evidence is overwhelming, yet you still dare to argue? My Drunken Immortal Pavilion will not tolerate you."
The Chen and Cao families had been on good terms for generations, and by the time of Chen Peisheng's generation, a betrothal had been arranged between them.
Later, the Cao family fell into decline, and the whole family lived in a small, dilapidated courtyard. The Chen family still did not break off the engagement. When Chen Peisheng reached marriageable age, he married the Cao family's daughter in a grand ceremony.
The couple were very harmonious. Chen Peisheng was kind and willing to help his wife's family, so he agreed to let Cao Xingwang become the manager of Zuixianlou.
Chen Peisheng was passionate about cooking, but he wasn't stupid; he had heard about what Cao Xingwang had been doing behind the scenes.
He turned a blind eye to Cao's actions only out of consideration for his wife and the past relationship between the two families.
Unexpectedly, Cao Xingwang's appetite grew larger and larger, and his behavior became more and more arrogant. Not only did he embezzle five thousand taels of silver, but he also dared to use the name of Zuixianlou to frame his competitors, making enemies of Zuixianlou at every turn.
This crossed Chen Peisheng's bottom line, something he absolutely could not tolerate!
Seeing that Chen Peisheng was serious and completely disregarded their years of friendship, Manager Cao became furious and embarrassed:
"Fine, fine, I knew you looked down on me. My sister bore you children and was dutiful to your parents, yet you can't even tolerate her own brother. You're really something!"
After saying that, he kicked over the chair blocking his way and turned to leave.
At this moment, several strong and powerful men rushed in and, to Manager Cao's bewilderment, swarmed him and knocked him to the ground.
Manager Cao panicked and struggled to look at Chen Peisheng:
"Sister, brother-in-law, what are you doing? A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. Your actions over the years should be clarified in front of both families."
Manager Cao's eyes widened, and just as he was about to say something, his mouth was firmly covered, preventing him from pleading for mercy.
With a wave of his hand, Chen Peisheng had Manager Cao taken away by several strong men.
The room fell silent again. After a long silence, Chen Peisheng instructed his attendant, "Prepare some valuable gifts. Come with me to Shengyuan early tomorrow morning to apologize."
Attendant, obey orders and carry them out immediately.
Sheng An was completely unaware of Chen Peisheng's decisive and efficient actions. The next day, she got up exceptionally early, roasted fifty chickens for the day, and without taking a break, she took her four children to prepare the ingredients.
The first customer to book a table at Shengyuan Restaurant will be coming for lunch today.
Despite having hosted countless guests in its previous life, Shengyuan still treated its first guest in this life with utmost care, not allowing any accident that could damage its reputation.
Sheng An's serious preparations made the four treasures dare not be careless. They all tied on their aprons and put on their hats, not even a single hair was showing.
The five people worked for half an hour to prepare all the ingredients, and then they were ready to cook and serve.
At this moment, Shuqi hurriedly walked in: "Master, Mr. Chen from Zuixianlou has come and says he wants to apologize to you in person."
Sheng An raised an eyebrow slightly: "You've moved quite quickly."
Shuqi whispered, "I heard that the man surnamed Cao was dealt with yesterday morning. If the Cao family hadn't knelt down and begged for mercy, he would probably be in jail right now."
Sheng An asked in surprise, "Did you specifically go to the Chen family to inquire about the situation?"
Shuqi chuckled, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Sheng An didn't say anything; watching a spectacle is human nature, after all.
After taking off his apron and hat, Sheng An casually straightened his clothes and went to the hall in the front yard.
Upon seeing this excessively young face, Chen Peisheng's first reaction was surprise, followed by deep admiration.
He immediately stood up and solemnly bowed to Sheng An, saying, "I, Chen, have failed to manage my subordinates properly, and the former manager of Zuixianlou almost ruined the reputation of Shengyuan. I have come here today to apologize to Boss Sheng!"
Then, two large boxes were carried up.
Sheng An glanced at Chen Peisheng and said in a lukewarm tone, "I accept Mr. Chen's apology. Let's leave it at that. I hope there won't be a next time."
There is a cause for every grievance, and a debtor for every crime. Manager Cao acted on her own initiative to scheme against Shengyuan, not at Chen Peisheng's behest, so naturally she would not embarrass Chen Peisheng.
Chen Peisheng was surprised that Sheng An was so easy to talk to. He breathed a sigh of relief and then solemnly promised, "There will never be a next time!"
Sheng An reluctantly believed him and, without asking about Manager Cao's fate, directly told him to leave: "We have guests coming for lunch, and I need to go to the kitchen to prepare, so I won't be able to entertain Boss Chen."
Chen Peisheng's eyes lit up, and he tentatively made a request: "Boss Sheng, may I take a look at the kitchen?"
Fearing that Sheng An might misunderstand, he quickly explained, "Boss Sheng's roast chicken is absolutely superb. I admire Boss Sheng's exquisite culinary skills to the extreme and have absolutely no intention of stealing his skills."
Sheng An looked directly at Chen Peisheng and saw eagerness in those fervent eyes.
She hesitated for a moment, then decided to give Chen Peisheng a little shock: "Okay."
Chen Peisheng was prepared to be rejected, but he didn't react when he heard the word "yes".
Once he was certain his wish had been fulfilled, he cupped his hands in thanks again, his grin widening as he said, "Thank you, Boss Sheng."
Sheng An couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she nodded demurely and walked towards the main kitchen.
Chen Peisheng quickly followed, intending to share some cooking tips he had accumulated with Sheng An, but he didn't even have a chance to speak.
The four treasures, upon seeing the unfamiliar Chen Peisheng, exchanged glances, clearly guessing his identity, and were extremely curious as to why their master had brought him to the main kitchen.
For any restaurant, the kitchen is a forbidden area, and they won't easily let unrelated people in, let alone the owner of the famous Zuixianlou.
Sheng An ignored the four girls' squabbling, assigned them tasks, and then started heating the oil in the wok.
Chen Peisheng glanced casually at the kitchen and saw that everything was in good order and cleaner than the kitchen of Zuixianlou. He couldn't help but feel a little ashamed and decided to make some changes when he got back.
Chen Peisheng knew the kitchen was off-limits, so he stood at the door watching Sheng An busy at work.
Seeing her grab a fish weighing about three pounds and put it into the oil, Chen Peisheng was curious about what kind of fish she was going to make.
Sheng An wouldn't explain to him, her eyes fixed intently on the boiling oil, constantly monitoring the temperature, and slowly turning the fish over with a strainer.
Once the fish was fried until both sides were golden brown and the skin was crispy, Sheng An immediately took the fish out and put it into a rectangular iron pot.
The bottom of the iron pot is filled with various ingredients, including tofu, bamboo shoots, kelp, and fresh mushrooms.
Immediately afterwards, Sheng An heated the oil in the wok again, poured the boiling sauce into the iron pot, and instantly the entire kitchen was filled with a rich aroma of fish.
Chen Peisheng stared wide-eyed in shock, captivated by the scent emanating from the air.
Just from that aroma, he knew that Sheng An's culinary skills were definitely no less than his own.
Watching Bao Xiang place the heavy iron pot on the cutting board, Chen Peisheng couldn't contain his curiosity and said, "This way of eating seems to be from Ningxi Prefecture."
Sheng An looked blank: "Where is Ningxi Prefecture?"
Chen Peisheng: "..."
So he guessed wrong, and this way of eating was created by Boss Sheng himself?
Sheng An seemed to see through Chen Peisheng's thoughts and casually said, "Every winter, every household cooks vegetables by the stove. What's so strange about cooking fish by the stove?"
She ordered several iron pot racks from the blacksmith shop, spending a considerable amount of money to achieve the effect she wanted.
It's not a big deal that Chen Peisheng stole his technique; he can't make it taste exactly the same anyway.
Chen Peisheng believed it to be true, and the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He couldn't wait to exchange cooking skills with Sheng An right now.
Sheng An ignored him and continued cooking other dishes.
The kitchen was filled with delicious aromas, and several cats nearby jumped onto the wall, stretched their necks, and meowed at the large kitchen, begging the two-legged creatures for some treats.
Chen Peisheng's expression went from initial shock to solemnity, and then to existential doubt.
Although Boss Sheng's cooking skills and control of the heat were not much better than his, these ordinary ingredients seemed to have undergone some kind of transformation, leaping into unparalleled delicacies.
His sense of smell wouldn't deceive him.
As if he felt the blow wasn't harsh enough, once the Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup on the stove was ready, Sheng An mischievously had Bao Lan serve Chen Peinian a bowl.
Bao Lan served the soup to Chen Peisheng, saying, "It's almost noon, Mr. Chen, have some soup to tide you over."
Chen Peisheng eagerly took the soup bowl and looked at the clear, fragrant Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup with its medicinal aroma. Even before tasting it, he knew in his heart that his cooking skills were inferior to Sheng An's.
This realization frustrated Chen Peisheng, completely dispelling his idea of sparring with Sheng An.
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