Just as Tao Wanniang had predicted, the lunch market ended, and with the kitchen empty, she went to the front hall for a stroll and bumped into Luneng.
Lu Neng shook his head, which was a way of informing Tao Wanniang that the bill for Ling Dapeng's private room had not been settled.
Tao Wan's mother saw Ling Dapeng talking to others from among a group of waiters. He was so nonchalant about skipping out on his bill. She thought to herself that she had raised a good son!
After everyone had finished lunch, Tao Wan's mother had someone call Ling Dapeng to the lounge.
"Mother, you called for me?" Ling Dapeng hadn't expected that Tao Wan's mother had found out about him taking his wife to a restaurant.
"Take a look at this." Tao Wanniang placed the menu in front of Ling Dapeng. "Aren't you going to explain what this order is for?"
What's the situation?
When Ling Dapeng saw the menu, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he then avoided Tao Wanniang's gaze.
"Mother, Xiaoyun has never eaten such delicious food before. I just brought her here for a meal." Ling Dapeng seemed to lose confidence under Tao Wan's mother's gaze. "Mother, it's our own restaurant, it's nothing to let our own family eat here!"
"Ha, since that's what you think, why don't you dare to openly introduce her to others as your wife and child, my daughter-in-law?" Tao Wanniang sneered. "You avoid everyone; don't you yourself realize that you're doing something wrong?"
"I...I..." Ling Dapeng nervously picked at his nails.
"The dishes cost twenty taels. I won't haggle over the private room; we're family, so I'll give you a 50% discount, ten taels of silver. I can forgo my share, but you dare to embezzle the profits of the Prince Rui's mansion?" Tao Wanniang sneered. "Four taels of silver—are you paying me, or should I deduct it from your wages?"
Ling Dapeng was startled – four taels of silver!
"Mom, I was wrong, please don't deduct my money!" Ling Dapeng knelt down with a thud, pleading, "I still have to support Xiaoyun and the child. Mom, everyone in the family is obsessed with money. You earn so much every day. This meal is for family, how can you ask me for it!"
Hearing Ling Dapeng's aggrieved complaints, Tao Wanniang was so angry she wanted to kick him.
"Ling Dapeng, stand up! Be a man! Don't kneel down all the time!" Tao Wanniang shouted. "Do you think you've gotten away with this, or do you simply not consider it a big deal?"
“This restaurant doesn’t belong to me, Tao Wan Niang, alone. If you bring your wife and children here to eat for free, will everyone else follow suit? Or do you think you have special privileges just because you’re my son?”
Tao Wanniang's serious tone made Ling Dapeng feel uneasy, but he really didn't think it was a big deal.
"Mother, this money is a lot for me, but it's nothing to you. Mother, I won't do it again next time." Seeing that kneeling was useless, Ling Dapeng walked up to Tao Wanniang, tugged at her sleeve, and pretended to be pitiful.
Tao Wanniang felt a surge of anger. As the youngest son, Ling Dapeng had suffered far less than Ling Dahu, and his temperament was much more frivolous.
"Get out of my way! Do you still think that everything I own will be yours in the future? Ling Dapeng, listen to me clearly: I can give my things to whomever I want, and you won't get a single penny of my money if I don't want to give it away!"
"Mother, I haven't thought much about what will happen in the future, but this time I beg you, please don't punish me. I... I really won't do it again!" Ling Dapeng pleaded with Tao Wan's mother in a very humble manner.
“No, Ling Dapeng, go back and tell Zhou Xiaoyun that the four taels of silver you owe should be given to her, or you can take less when she gets her wages.” Tao Wanniang said firmly, “I’m keeping this to myself out of consideration for our mother-son relationship. If you still don’t have the attitude to admit your mistake and the courage to take responsibility for the consequences, then I might as well tell everyone outside about this.”
Tao Wanniang said coldly, "Want me to teach you a lesson?"
Ling Dapeng's face turned pale instantly, and he immediately waved his hand: "Mother, no, you...you have to save me some face, I...Xiaoyun is pregnant, she might be unhappy if she finds out, just deduct it from my wages!"
Seeing her son's dejected look, Tao Wan's mother couldn't help but feel angry. What had they done to deserve this? That he would eat without paying? "Get out!" Tao Wan's mother's expression was still unpleasant.
Ling Dapeng glanced at Tao Wanniang, who still looked somewhat aggrieved, but said nothing and walked out.
"Dapeng, what's wrong? You don't seem very happy?" Ling Dahu asked when he saw Ling Dapeng's expression.
"Brother~" Ling Dapeng was about to complain to Ling Dahu, but then he felt embarrassed. "It's nothing, I just suddenly felt down."
"Are you tired? Then take a rest. Don't you have two hours to rest?" Ling Dahu asked with concern.
"Oh, I understand!" Ling Dapeng replied listlessly, feeling very upset. He also blamed Tao Wanniang for being too cruel.
Tao Wanniang paid for the bill herself; after all, what's done is done.
Ling Dapeng is someone who can't keep things to himself. He can keep things under control while he's busy at the restaurant, but as soon as he gets home, his face falls, and Zhou Xiaoyun can tell.
At first, Ling Dapeng refused to say anything, but after Zhou Xiaoyun started crying and making a fuss, Ling Dapeng immediately started complaining.
"Xiaoyun, tell me, did Mother do it on purpose? Does Mother have a grudge against us for separating the family? She never cared about these things when we were at the restaurant." Ling Dapeng said in a very resentful tone.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaoyun immediately became angry.
"Isn't Mother going too far? How much money does she earn in a day? She still wants to deduct four taels of silver from your salary. Dapeng, you see, Mother is just not good to us."
"There's nothing I can do, Mother's word is law. Xiaoyun, this month's wages will only be six taels," Ling Dapeng said with a bitter face. "With things like this at home, we'll have to be more frugal."
Zhou Xiaoyun increasingly felt that Tao Wanniang was deliberately targeting them, and she couldn't help but say, "Dapeng, if this is the case, our lives are going to be tough. Do you run out of food in your kitchen every day? Why don't you go to the kitchen before you come back tonight and take home whatever you can? We can't let you take your wife and kids out for a nice meal, but at least you can take some leftovers from the restaurant."
"Dapeng, my child and I don't have that kind of luck, but as long as it saves you money, we're willing to do it." Zhou Xiaoyun softened her voice.
Ling Dapeng was taken aback. Yes, the restaurant had to buy so many ingredients every day; they couldn't possibly use them all, or have leftover ingredients and pastries that had already been prepared and sold...
"Xiaoyun, thank you for thinking of me. It's my fault for being useless and causing the family to lose another four taels of silver." Ling Dapeng looked at Zhou Xiaoyun and said with emotion.
"You're my man. If I don't think about you, am I still your wife?" Zhou Xiaoyun touched her belly. "Dapeng, I'm carrying your child. Our family will only get better and better in the future!"
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