As she spoke, He Jiuniang took out a stack of papers from her bosom and handed them to Madam Liu, her tone tinged with schadenfreude: "Take a good look at where you, the first wife, are being squeezed out of the picture."
Upon hearing this, Madam Liu's expression changed before she could even read what was written on it.
Upon closer inspection, just as she had guessed, it was all due to Liu Yancai's extramarital affairs. He had as many as four mistresses in the courtyard alone, not to mention the lovers in the brothel.
Before she had even finished reading, Madam Liu angrily slammed the paper shut, glaring at her and demanding, "Who exactly are you?"
"They're naturally here to cause trouble."
He Jiuniang smiled and reassured her, "But don't worry, I'm not here to steal your man. I'm here for business. This Liu Yancai has set his sights on you, so naturally I have to see what kind of person he is. So, where is he? He's not too scared to show his face, is he?"
The onlookers immediately became interested; it seemed this was much more interesting than the clichéd plot they had imagined!
"What kind of business? Does your family own a restaurant too?"
Madam Liu knew that she had come for business, which made her more at ease. As long as she wasn't made too embarrassed, she was willing to accept it.
“No,” He Jiuniang shook her head, “My family just sells ordinary snacks.”
Everyone was puzzled. How could someone selling snacks be related to the Liu family, who ran a restaurant business?
Just then, Liu Yancai rushed over in a hurry. He was originally furious, but when he saw He Jiuniang standing on the stool, his eyes widened instantly.
Where did this beauty come from? How can she be so beautiful?
Not only is her face beautiful, but her figure is absolutely stunning, with curves in all the right places.
This isn't someone coming to cause trouble; they're clearly bringing him happiness!
"Liu Yancai, where are you looking with those dog eyes?"
When Madam Liu saw Liu Yancai staring at people incessantly as soon as he arrived, almost drooling, she was furious and started cursing loudly.
Liu Yancai woke up with a start and realized that his wife was also there. He glared at the shopkeeper Liu Chang next to him with a hint of reproach, wondering why he hadn't said so earlier.
Liu Chang lowered his head, feeling somewhat aggrieved. He had already said it several times on the way: it was clearly his master who had been distracted by lust and forgotten the important matter. How could he possibly blame him?
He felt wronged, but dared not say it.
"Hehehe, Madam, what brings you here? You can handle such a small matter yourself. Why trouble yourself? You should go back and rest."
With a fawning smile, Liu Yancai winked at the maid beside him and said, "Aren't you going to take Madam back yet?"
"Liu Yancai, don't even think about getting rid of me. I'm going to stay here and see how you handle this!"
Madam Liu flung Liu Yancai's hand away, then hid the papers in her sleeve. She would deal with those little sluts one by one.
Liu Yan was able to build such a large restaurant thanks to the help of his wife's family. His ancestors had been in the restaurant business for generations, but it declined early on because they didn't have any distinctive dishes. If it weren't for his wife's family's support, the restaurant would have gone out of business long ago.
It was precisely because of this that Madam Liu held a high position in the family, and Liu Yancai dared not easily take a concubine, nor did he dare to displease his wife.
This is how the saying "a shrewish wife at home" came about.
Liu Yancai was furious, feeling that this wretched woman had disrespected him in front of so many people, but he was also indebted to his wife's family's influence, so he could only force a smile and say, "Madam, please feel free to look if you wish!"
He personally helped his wife sit down to the side before asking He Jiuniang, "This young lady has come to cause me trouble today. Tell me, what grudge do I, Liu, have against you that makes you want to make such a big fuss? I, Liu, am upright and honest, and I have no fear of a woman like you!"
He spoke with great arrogance, but his eyes kept scanning He Jiuniang, his ill intentions practically written all over his face.
He Jiuniang picked up a cup of tea and splashed it into his eyes. Liu Yancai cried out in surprise and hurriedly covered his eyes.
He Jiuniang said coldly, "If you keep staring at me like that, next time I won't just throw tea at you."
Before anyone else could speak, Mrs. Liu, standing nearby, couldn't help but slap her thigh excitedly, exclaiming, "Well done!"
Seeing how happy she was, the maidservant beside her quickly nudged her gently, reminding her to be mindful of her image.
He Jiuniang took in the whole scene; it seemed that Madam Liu was quite an interesting person.
After being splashed with water, Liu Yancai didn't dare to say anything more and stood there awkwardly, waiting for He Jiuniang to speak.
He Jiuniang then slowly asked, "Does Mr. Liu still remember Lu Hei Ya from Daling County?"
Liu Yancai was taken aback: "Who are you?"
"To be honest, I developed the recipe for Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck). Boss Liu wants my recipe, how could he not know who I am?"
He Jiuniang looked disappointed, while the others tried hard to recall the name Lu Heiya, as if they had heard it somewhere before.
Liu Yancai suddenly realized: "You're that formidable young widow from the Lu family?"
He Jiuniang: ...There's no need to specifically point out that she's a widow!
In the crowd, someone murmured, "I remember now! I have a relative from Daling County who came to visit me a few days ago. He brought two portions of braised duck heads and necks, along with some side dishes. He said it was a new food that had just appeared in the county town, called Lu Black Duck! At first, I was quite disgusted when I saw those things, but after taking a bite, I couldn't put them down!"
“I vaguely remember! I heard that the owner’s surname is Lu, and the braised food is all black, which is why it’s called Lu Black Duck. The name isn’t very nice, but the taste is amazing. My family even asked someone to buy some for us to try! This young lady is actually the owner of Lu Black Duck!”
"So, Mr. Liu wants to buy Lu Hei Ya's recipe. If you want to buy it, fine, but why are you making a scene?"
"That goes without saying, it must be because the price wasn't agreed upon, or something went wrong!"
"Oh dear, when will we be able to sell Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck) in our city? You guys are making me really hungry!"
...
Listening to the discussions, He Jiuniang smiled slightly. She hadn't expected that Lu Heiya's reputation had spread to the prefectural city. It seemed that her plan to do business in the prefectural city could be put on the agenda.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yancai said with dissatisfaction, "I came to you wanting to buy a house, but you were unwilling to sell, so what's the point of making a scene here now?"
In truth, he could guess that it was mostly because of the Zhou family's matter, but he would never admit it!
"Mr. Liu, you really have a bad memory. You don't even remember what you did? Fine, since I've come to your door, I'll naturally make things clear."
As she spoke, she turned her gaze to the crowd watching the spectacle, her red lips parting slightly.
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