Chapter 24.2

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Thinking about how Manager Yu had offered her sixty wen per pound, Fan Changyu felt a bit uneasy. She approached Chef Li, who was simmering soup in the back kitchen, and said, “Chef Li, could you tell the manager to pay me fifty wen per pound for the braised meat instead?”

Chef Li frowned and asked, “Why?”

Scratching her head awkwardly, Fan Changyu replied, “The boss is very kind, but I feel like the price she’s offering is too high. It doesn’t sit right with me.”

Chef Li shot her a sidelong glance. “The boss offered you that price because she believes your braised meat is worth it. What’s there to feel uneasy about? Don’t underestimate her just because she’s young—her judgment is sharp. Even though she got stabbed in the back by Wang’s shop this time, when they were working together before, it was all profit and no loss. So stop overthinking and relax.”

Curious, Fan Changyu asked, “What happened between Wang’s shop and the restaurant?”

The mention of Wang’s shop brought a flood of complaints from Chef Li. “That greedy, shameless old man only cares about money. The boss had plans to open another restaurant in the county town and make Yixiang Tower even bigger. To celebrate the opening, she placed an order for twelve pig heads with Wang’s shop for good fortune. Wang’s shop agreed readily enough, but on the opening day, they never delivered the pig heads.”

“The boss sent someone to Wang’s shop to hurry them, but Wang’s shop hadn’t even bought the pig heads yet! The pig heads that were originally ordered had been sold at a higher price to another restaurant in the county town. That same restaurant also signed a multi-year contract with Wang’s shop for braised meat. Delaying the delivery disrupted the auspicious timing for the opening—do you know how big of a taboo that is? The boss was furious and immediately stopped all business dealings with Wang’s shop that very day.”

Fan Changyu hadn’t realized that the falling-out between Yixiang Tower and Wang’s shop had such a serious backstory. Thinking about the behavior of Wang’s younger manager, she couldn’t help but say, “Wang’s shop really is shameless.”

Chef Li snorted coldly. “Greedy, dishonorable scoundrels.”

Then, changing the topic, he said, “I heard Wang’s shop hired people to wreck your shop too?”

Fan Changyu replied, “It was their son who had someone smash it up, but I went and got justice myself.”

Chef Li suddenly laughed, looking at her. “No wonder the boss said she likes you. Your personality—there are parts of it that are really similar to hers.”

Fan Changyu felt a bit embarrassed. “The boss is a capable person; I could never compare to her.”

Chef Li sighed and said, “The boss didn’t have it easy either. When she first came to Lin’an Town, she was heavily pregnant, all alone, with no one to rely on. Her situation was even worse than yours.”

Fan Changyu had always heard people praise the manager of Yixiang Tower for her abilities. This was the first time she’d heard someone talk about her past. Curious, she asked, “What about her husband?”

Chef Li simply shook his head. “I heard he passed away.”

Fan Changyu couldn’t help but sigh at the misfortune. Chef Li glanced at her again and added, “The restaurant is incredibly busy these days, and the boss has more tasks on her plate than she can count. That ten-wen difference in price for the braised meat? The boss doesn’t even care about it. Don’t bother going to see her about it. She’s a straightforward person—acting hesitant or overly formal will just make her think you’re being troublesome.”

Since Chef Li had put it so plainly, Fan Changyu naturally dismissed the idea of speaking with Yu Qianqian about the price.

By the time the meat was braised and ready, it was already getting late.

Thinking about how the candy she’d bought for her younger sister was almost gone, Fan Changyu, feeling flush with her freshly earned two taels and seven qian of silver, confidently stepped into a candy shop. She bought two packs each of malt candy, pine nut candy, and candied orange peel.

She couldn’t help but smile as she thought of Xie Zheng and his surprising fear of bitterness. 

He wasn’t afraid of pain, yet he dreaded bitter medicine.

When she got home, Aunt Zhao had already started cooking.

Changning, like a little “sister-watcher,” was clinging to the doorframe, craning her neck to peer down the alley. As soon as she saw Fan Changyu returning with several large parcels, she immediately waddled over like a little round ball to meet her. “Big Sister’s back!”

Taking the paper bags, Changning found several large packets of candy inside. She looked up at her sister with sparkling round eyes and asked, “All of this is for Ning’er?”

Faced with her younger sister’s expectant gaze, Fan Changyu felt a pang of guilt. “Your brother-in-law doesn’t like bitter medicine—how about giving him half of the candy?”

In the past, saying the words “brother-in-law” made her feel uncomfortable all over. But now, using the term to coax Changning, the words didn’t feel quite so awkward.

Changning generously agreed with a cheerful “Mm!” She often drank medicine herself and scrunched up her round face as she said, “The black stuff is so bitter!”

“Black stuff” was her nickname for medicine.

Aunt Zhao came out with a water jug and overheard the sisters’ conversation. Smiling, she teased Fan Changyu, “You’ve learned to care for your husband, have you?”

Even Fan Changyu, who had thick skin, couldn’t help but feel a little flustered at the teasing. The timing was perfect, though, as the medicine had just finished brewing. When Fan Changyu carried the packets of candy upstairs to the attic, she took the medicine bowl along with her. 

The person inside wasn’t asleep. As soon as she entered, he looked over and asked, “Why are you back so late?”

It was a simple question, but for some reason, it sounded a little off.

“Did the county office uncover any new leads?” Xie Zheng quickly followed up, smoothing out the odd atmosphere.

The tension dissipated slightly. Handing over the medicine bowl, Fan Changyu said, “The case has already been closed.”

Xie Zheng raised his eyes in surprise. Seeing the look on her face, he immediately understood most of the situation.

Fan Changyu shared her thoughts. “It’s probably because such major cases happened during the New Year. The magistrate must have been worried about losing his position, so he hurried to pin the murders on the bandits.”

Xie Zheng remained silent.

The waist token belonged to the Wei family. If they wanted to quickly suppress the matter and had pressured the provincial authorities to force the magistrate to close the case, it wouldn’t be surprising.

But regardless, the Wei family had already turned their attention to Lin’an Town. It was not a place to stay for long.

He looked at Fan Changyu and asked, “If it’s someone seeking revenge, they’ll likely come back. What do you plan to do?”

Fan Changyu had intended to wait until his injuries improved before bringing up the idea of leaving. Now that he was asking directly, she replied, “I’m planning to sell off my assets after the New Year and take Ning’er to hide somewhere else for a while.”

After hearing this, Xie Zheng said, “If you’re leaving, it’s better to go sooner rather than later.”

He was well aware of what kind of person they were dealing with. Losing so many Xuan-ranked death guards in a small town like Lin’an would definitely attract that person’s attention.

Fan Changyu said, “There are only a few days left until the New Year. I’ve taken on a job at Yixiang Tower to help prepare braised meat before the holiday, which will earn me some extra money. Selling off my property and transferring all the paperwork will also take time. By then, your injuries should have healed enough for us to leave.”

Since the conversation had gone this far, she couldn’t help but ask about his plans. “What about you? What are you going to do?”

Xie Zheng assumed she was seeking his advice and was about to urge her to leave as soon as possible. But just as the words reached his lips, he realized she was asking about his plans—whether he would stay or leave.