Xu Ying’s face flushed with a sudden, mortifying realization. Zhou Kun – she remembered him now! No wonder the name felt so familiar. In her previous life, after returning to the city with Dong Wenzhong and Chen Yanran, she’d witnessed county police arrest a group of smugglers. Zhou Kun had been the most serious offender. A chill ran through her; Huo Chen couldn’t get involved with him.
Zhou Kun, noticing Xu Ying’s gaze, smiled. “Who is this?”
“This is a girl from our village,” Huo Chen said, a soft smile in his eyes as he spoke of Xu Ying. “She works in a state-owned restaurant now.”
Zhou Kun seemed to catch on. He looked at Xu Ying and praised her. “This girl looks young and works in a restaurant. From what I see in her dress, she must be a cook!”
Xu Ying, having recently started wearing her work clothes, nodded. “Yes.”
Zhou Kun sounded a little surprised. “A girl like you actually works as a cook? The kitchen is hot and tiring in summer, but you can handle it.” He then glanced meaningfully at Huo Chen. This guy had so many goods, enough to sell for thousands at a time, yet he was letting his partner suffer. He really didn’t look the part.
“What’s the point? It’s all about making money,” Xu Ying said, her eyes practically sparkling at the mention of money.
Huo Chen finally understood. This girl was a money addict. He’d have to go back after dinner and assess his own assets.
Zhou Kun looked at Xu Ying, finding her quite interesting. He chuckled and joked, “I don’t have much, but I have a lot of money. How about you be my partner?”
Huo Chen’s expression darkened instantly, a chilling aura emanating from him.
Xu Ying suddenly felt a little cold, but she still replied, “Although I love money, I get it honestly; I won’t ask for any money.” She then turned away in annoyance. What the hell, he even tried to tempt her with money!
Huo Chen’s gloomy mood instantly lifted when she left. He shot Zhou Kun a cold, vengeful glance. Zhou Kun, unaware that his casual remark had sealed his fate, would soon find himself arrested, without a single warning from Huo Chen.
Xu Ying had specifically prepared a special breakfast for Huo Chen. While everyone else had only steamed buns and porridge, he had three or four kinds of pickles before him: sweet and sour crispy radish, spicy cabbage, pickled sugar garlic…
“Brother Chen, Xu Ying treats you unusually!” Wu Qingsong exclaimed, stunned by the obvious difference in treatment.
Huo Chen merely glanced at him with dark eyes. “If you save her three times, you can get this treatment.”
Wu Qingsong shouted, “You’ve saved her so many times, my God, what kind of fate is this?”
Huo Chen remembered Xu Ying saying the same thing yesterday. It seemed fate truly had a hand in it.
From the back kitchen, Xu Ying listened to the system prompts, a wave of happiness washing over her.
“Congratulations to the host for unlocking new recipes: all-purpose braised steamed buns, all-purpose fried snacks, and all-purpose duck recipes. Ten percent of the bonus space is unlocked, and 40% of the existing space is unlocked.”
Xu Ying was overjoyed at the system’s announcements. Universal braised food! She could finally make her own. The thought made her mouth water. Spicy duck head, spicy duck clavicle, spicy duck intestines… here I come! She felt light as a feather, her mood soaring after cooking. She hummed a little tune, almost dancing.
“Yingying, what good thing has happened to you that makes you so happy?” Sun Lifang couldn’t contain her curiosity.
Xu Ying smiled mysteriously. “It’s a great thing. You’ll know in a few days.”
Sun Lifang grew even more curious, pressing Xu Ying repeatedly, but Xu Ying refused to reveal anything. Finally, Sun Lifang had no choice but to give up.
At noon, Gu Fuying and Xu Qiuye went to the restaurant together. As soon as she entered, Gu Fuying rushed towards Xu Ying, beaming. “Yingying, I miss you so much!” Gu Fuying hadn’t been to the restaurant in a while and had come as soon as she found time. Her excitement was palpable, but it quickly faded.
Xu Ying was a little surprised. “What happened? You suddenly look so down?”
Xu Qiuye shrugged, smiling as she leaned in and whispered to Xu Ying, “Fuying has a blind date later. She’s been angry with her parents for the past few days, refusing to go, that’s why she hasn’t been to the restaurant.”
“Blind date? How old is she?” Xu Ying looked shocked. Gu Fuying wasn’t much older than her, only a year. A blind date seemed far too early.
“I’m not young anymore. I’m already twenty this year,” Gu Fuying sighed, her face etched with sadness. “But I’m still young. Alas!”
Xu Ying was stunned. “Why am I young? I’m only one year younger than you.”
“That’s young! At least you don’t have to go on a blind date.” As Gu Fuying spoke, Xu Qiuye quickly nudged her. “Look, someone’s coming.”
“Where?” Gu Fuying followed Xu Qiuye’s gaze and saw her mother approaching, chatting and laughing with another woman, followed by a young man. Gu Fuying’s heart sank.
Xu Qiuye also wore a look of disgust. This must be the so-called “close match.” Xu Ying was a little speechless. They said a blind date could reveal your status in the matchmaker’s eyes. Gu Fuying wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but she was definitely not bad. Why would they find someone like this, described as “close”? It was insulting.
Gu Mother’s face was also a little uneasy, though she forced a faint smile as she entered the restaurant. The man’s sister-in-law had told her about this match, praising him to the high heavens. She’d said he was tall and mighty, wasn’t that right? 1.8 meters tall? Tall, yes, quite tall, but also quite fat. He must weigh 170 or 180 pounds, at least. It meant he ate well and lived comfortably. But he looked too old. This person didn’t look like he was in his early twenties; he clearly looked to be in his thirties. Still, out of politeness, she brought him along.
Gu Fuying’s face turned green with anger. “Mom, even if I agree to your blind date, you shouldn’t find someone like this. He’s too old! Are you looking for a stepfather for me?”
Mother Gu rolled her eyes at her daughter, then smiled at Xu Ying. “Yingying, how is it working here? Are you getting used to it?”
Xu Ying nodded. “Getting used to it. Aunt Gu, since you’re here to eat, I’ll cook you a good meal later. If Aunt Gu and Uncle Gu hadn’t given me the opportunity, I wouldn’t be able to work here.”
Gu Mother’ beamed with pleasure. “It’s not just your uncle and my credit. It’s obviously your ability. We just helped a little. If you weren’t capable, how could you attract so many people to eat here?” Indeed, since Xu Ying had joined, the restaurant’s customers had noticeably increased. As a teacher, Gu Mother often heard her students talking about the local restaurants, praising this one like it was a godsend. Xu Ying’s cooking was truly delicious. For a while, she’d had Fuying bring her food every day. She’d been fighting with her daughter recently, which was why she hadn’t eaten Xu Ying’s cooking in days.
As Xu Ying chatted with Gu Mother, the matchmaker at their side hadn’t taken her eyes off Xu Ying. Seizing a pause in their conversation, she interjected, “This girl actually works in the back kitchen of a restaurant?”
Xu Ying nodded.
The matchmaker slapped her thigh excitedly, praising her endlessly, clearly expecting no payment for her effusive compliments.