"Brother Dapeng, I'll stop here. If your wife sees us, there might be some misunderstandings." Shishi escorted Ling Dapeng to the intersection in front of his house. "I'll remember this, the second house from the left is yours."
Ling Dapeng said gratefully to Shishi, "Miss Shishi, thank you. You are a good girl."
After watching Ling Dapeng return home with a smile, Shishi had someone drive her back to the teaching quarters.
When Ling Dapeng returned home at this hour, Zhou Xiaoyun was genuinely startled. "Dapeng, why are you back? What happened?"
"Don't even mention it, I'm not going to work at the restaurant anymore." Ling Dapeng had already complained to Shishi once, and now his emotions had calmed down a bit.
"What? If we don't go to work at the restaurant, what will we do in the future?" Zhou Xiaoyun's tone suddenly became sharp.
Although Ling Dapeng had anticipated Zhou Xiaoyun's reaction, he still tensed up at this moment.
"Xiaoyun, let me tell you slowly." Ling Dapeng pulled Zhou Xiaoyun aside and told her about the restaurant incident. "But Xiaoyun, you don't need to worry too much. I helped someone, and they are willing to compensate me."
Zhou Xiaoyun frowned and couldn't help but complain, "Is Mother senile? You did a good deed, and she still kicked you out of the restaurant?"
“Isn’t Mother’s money earned from those rich people? Now, she only cares about money and not people!” Ling Dapeng said, still not satisfied. “Xiaoyun, I also told Mother that if there are leftovers in the kitchen, we should have them, but she won’t agree.”
"I knew it, I knew it!" Zhou Xiaoyun paced back and forth in the room, somewhat agitated. "She only gave us this little bit of money after the family division, and now she won't let you work at the restaurant anymore. She doesn't care about our family at all."
"When Er Gouzi was so little, she wanted to abandon Zhi'er. What did you say to me then? You said your mother had no choice. Now, is not letting you work at the restaurant also a matter of having no choice?"
Zhou Xiaoyun's ramblings happened to hit a nerve with Ling Dapeng. Indeed, looking back now, why didn't he throw away Xiaofeng back then, but instead threw away his son?
Once prejudice is formed, it will only expand further, and Ling Dapeng gradually developed dissatisfaction with Tao Wanniang.
"Xiaoyun, it's okay. Do I really have to work in a restaurant? I'll find somewhere else to work tomorrow," Ling Dapeng comforted Zhou Xiaoyun.
Seeing Ling Dapeng's somewhat displeased expression, Zhou Xiaoyun gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement. She had always had this idea that they shouldn't be living in this small courtyard; they should be living in the General's Mansion.
The next day, a servant knocked on the door of the courtyard, saying he was looking for Ling Dapeng.
“I am a servant in the Imperial Music Bureau. Ling Dapeng helped my young lady, and this is the thank-you gift she promised.”
After the silver wrapped in red silk was handed to Ling Dapeng, the servant took his leave.
"Wife, take a look." Ling Dapeng felt the weight of the item and felt a little proud. He urged Zhou Xiaoyun to open it and take a look.
Zhou Xiaoyun immediately opened it and saw a pile of loose silver coins inside. She counted them and looked at Ling Dapeng in surprise, saying, "There should be more than ten taels of silver here!"
It was all loose silver. Ling Dapeng thought about what Shishi had said. This must be what Shishi had saved up. Just because he had helped her, she gave him the money she had worked so hard to earn.
Didn't they say she couldn't go to the Star-Picking Tower to play the pipa anymore? How will she earn money in the future?
Ling Dapeng had some subtle thoughts in his mind, but he quickly concealed them.
"Wife, you can keep it."
"Dapeng, you should also keep some loose silver on you. You're the head of the household, you can't be penniless," Zhou Xiaoyun said considerately.
“Well… that works too.” Ling Dapeng hesitated for a moment, thinking about the embarrassing feeling he had when he left the restaurant yesterday with not a single penny on him.
“Dapeng, Dad came by before and said we could grow vegetables in our yard. Why don’t you stay home these next few days and do some gardening?” Zhou Xiaoyun said again. “I’ve always wanted to grow some vegetables, but I can’t do heavy work right now.”
"You rest, I'll take care of it!" Ling Dapeng was overjoyed to see the silver. His mother always settled the monthly payments at the end of the month, and this month was only half over, yet he already had ten taels of silver. How wonderful!
Cao'er and Liu Ma took care of the household chores, and Cao'er also looked after the children. Zhou Xiaoyun only lent a hand when she was free. In the following days when Ling Dapeng didn't go to the restaurant, the family got along quite well and had a good time together.
In the restaurant, with Ling Dapeng gone, only Ling Dahu seemed a little unaccustomed to it; the others didn't think much of it and continued with their work.
Instead of the pipa-playing young lady Shishi, an old storyteller appeared, who was quite skilled and told the story with great suspense, giving the diners at the restaurant a unique experience.
Aside from visiting the restaurant on its opening day, Xiao Yi hasn't shown up since.
His Majesty's words that day gave him a new assignment, which would likely require him to leave the capital for some time. So he came to the restaurant to say goodbye to Tao Wanniang.
“Since the young master has official business, he can go. Why did you have to come and tell me?” Tao Wanniang said directly, seemingly somewhat disgusted.
"What's wrong, Sister Tao? Are you annoyed with me?" Xiao Yi couldn't help but tease. The restaurant's business is so good, it can't be without Tao Wanniang's ingenuity!
Tao Wanniang is busy. Her suggestion to find another head chef was really necessary. Although Wang Hongyu can help out and the apprentices are hardworking, she doesn't want to be a corporate slave. She arranged for the waiters to have two days off a month and take turns working. Who is giving her, the manager and head chef, a break?
"Oh, don't even mention it! This restaurant really can't function without me!" Tao Wanniang sighed. "Young Master, your Prince Rui's Mansion has a wide network of connections and a lot of influence. Find me another head chef, or even a cook. In short, you can't let me work non-stop all day."
"I'll have the manager handle this. I thought Sister Tao liked to monopolize the kitchen," Xiao Yi joked. "I heard your second son no longer works at the restaurant, Sister Tao, is there some misunderstanding?"
"What, Your Highness isn't here to say goodbye, but to inquire about my family affairs?" Tao Wanniang laughed. How could this handsome young master have such a fussy heart?
Xiao Yi smiled. He didn't think too much about it. Some things just happened to reach his ears on their own.
“You are my savior, and I persuaded you to open this restaurant together. If a restaurant causes discord between you and your son, then it is my fault!”
"Young Master is overthinking it. Young people are often impetuous. If they don't have a settled mindset, I still hope they can learn through trial and error. It's not too late for them to come back and work after they've been through a lot!" Tao Wanniang said calmly. Her son had already grown up, was she going to interfere until he died? Besides, wasn't his biological father in the same place? If Ling Dapeng couldn't make it, he would probably go to his biological father and cry.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com