Chapter 99: Chapter 99: That Strange Master and Servant
Mrs. Pei had just been through the incident with Ying Man’er, so she was no longer enthusiastic about adopting Yinhua.
If it had been someone clever and tactful, she might have considered it, but seeing Yinhua’s reluctance, she naturally wouldn’t force anyone.
Thinking of the matter of Ying Man’er, Mrs. Pei felt a tightness in her chest.
If not for a maid seeing Ying Man’er trying to cozy up to Tuan and reporting back, she wouldn’t have known about Ying Man’er’s ambitious intentions.
No wonder she looked down on the families they found for her, she had her eyes on her eldest grandson!
Mrs. Pei didn’t want to think about this matter. Whenever she did, her mood, finally calm, would start to fluctuate.
It was clear that outsiders should not meddle in family affairs; otherwise, they risked being stabbed in the back.
When Manager Yu and his wife heard Mrs. Pei’s words, they became anxious and wanted to plead.
As parents, they naturally wished a hundred, even a thousand times over for their daughter to enter the Pei Mansion, hoping it could secure a better future.
After that day, the couple lectured their daughter in turns. She had nodded back then, but now she was being uncooperative.
However, when Mrs. Pei raised her hand, "No need to say more. You may leave now."
Once Mrs. Pei had spoken, it meant there was truly no hope. Manager Yu and his wife left disappointedly with their daughter, and upon arriving at their home, they couldn’t help but scold Yinhua.
"Do you know what you’ve refused today? With your character, which good family would be willing to marry you? If you had the backing of the Pei Mansion, even if not immensely wealthy, marrying into a good family would ensure they treat you well because of Pei Mansion’s influence. Now, you..." The shopkeeper’s wife was so angry she couldn’t finish her sentence.
Manager Yu knew there was no point in saying more, so he remained silent, his expression weary with fatigue.
Seeing her parents like this made Yinhua both sad and aggrieved. She never wanted to go there in the first place and had no aspirations for such a grand life, desiring only a simple and peaceful existence.
Even if she spent her life washing dishes, she’d be content.
Yet seeing her parents like this made her feel as if she’d made a mistake, but what was it?
Qu Fulan wasn’t surprised at all upon hearing that Mrs. Pei had not accepted Yinhua.
She had expected it.
Mrs. Pei came from a great family, very particular about decorum and grandeur. She liked the children and grandchildren, including granddaughters, who knew their place and manners, except her third son and daughter-in-law.
The reason being, the third family had too many people who didn’t follow protocol.
If she knew more about Yinhua, she wouldn’t have had the idea of bringing her to the Pei Mansion.
It wasn’t that Yinhua didn’t understand the rules, but Mrs. Pei preferred those perceptive enough to read people’s expressions.
After seeing Yinhua’s overly reserved nature at "Flower Garden Ode," Mrs. Pei realized that if someone like her were to attend banquets in the future, she would be too shy to even answer when asked a question, which would be humiliating.
So, Qu Fulan’s initial suggestion was entirely to prevent Mrs. Pei from regretting it later on.
Although from the perspective of Yinhua’s parents, they naturally wanted the best for their daughter and hoped she would enter the Pei Mansion.
But considering the big picture, Yinhua wasn’t suitable for the Pei Mansion.
As for how Yinhua’s future would pan out, it wasn’t within Qu Fulan’s consideration. She still didn’t feel anything for Yinhua, even if Yinhua had spoken ill of her behind her back; it didn’t matter to her.
Everyone sees things from different angles. Maybe from Yinhua’s viewpoint, she seemed harsh.
But what does it matter? Nobody is perfect.
And the reason she gave her suggestion to Mrs. Pei was because she was part of the Pei Mansion, so naturally, she considered its interests rather than standing on the side of the Yu Family.
After discussing Yinhua’s situation, the messenger spoke of another matter.
"A guest came today wearing a veiled hat, accompanied by a maid. After the two of them went up to the private room on the third floor, the distinguished guest didn’t remove her hat. Later, when the waiter delivered food, the female guest asked some questions while still keeping her veil on, even when drinking and eating, she only lifted the veil a corner to eat."
This behavior was familiar to Qu Fulan, but she needed further verification, so she asked, "What questions did she ask?"
The messenger’s answer was similar to the questions she had asked when going to other restaurants for tastings; she confirmed that competitors had sent someone to try the food.
"Did you notice where she went after that?" she asked again.
The person replied, "The other party seemed wary and very cautious, so our people didn’t follow further."
Qu Fulan nodded; this wasn’t a major issue.
"It’s fine, you can return now. If there are any other abnormalities, report them to me."
After the person left, Manager Wu re-entered the accounting room, awaiting orders.
Qu Fulan felt only sympathy for Manager Wu’s situation; however, at this stage, the manuscript Manager Wu lost couldn’t be recovered for two reasons.
Firstly, apart from him, only his apprentice knew about the manuscript, so there was no third party to prove he wrote it.
Secondly, the apprentice was cunning, stole the manuscript, and knowing its worth, quickly registered with the authorities, effectively making it his copyright.
Just like how Qu Fulan immediately reported "Journey to the West" to the authorities to apply for a "patent," preventing others from easily stealing it; otherwise, they risked imprisonment if sued.
Manager Wu was not careful enough, got exploited, and had to suffer in silence.
At the time of the incident, Heir Pei was outside the borders, away from managing such matters.
Even though he had returned, there was no indication that he would resolve issues for shopkeepers facing troubles.
If chosen as a shopkeeper, one should bear many responsibilities, not rush to Heir Pei whenever something happens; otherwise, what would be the point of having a shopkeeper?
"The matter of your manuscript has reached a dead end, and I believe you know this, hence your dismay. But at this point, continuing to wallow can’t solve the problem. The past is the past; now that I’m taking over the bookstore, I want everyone to rally and manage the bookstore well with me, restoring its former glory, or even surpassing it."
Manager Wu naturally agreed, but, "That unworthy disciple of mine has created another storybook, still being serialized with good feedback. I once asked someone to buy a copy to read, and it was indeed very good. With his current popularity, how can we compete with that?"
Qu Fulan handed him the "Journey to the West" manuscript, "Read this first, and then tell me if we can."
...
Upon returning to the Xiao Family, Ji Nishang began writing down the milk tea recipe.
Tea leaves, milk, water, honey, or sugar...
The ingredients were noted, but the exact recipe ratio needed to be carefully considered later.
Then, there was the signature dish of the "Flower Garden Ode."
Regarding this, Ji Nishang didn’t intend to completely replicate it; besides, she couldn’t mimic it exactly.
After all, a hundred people can create a hundred different flavors, and isn’t that how signature dishes came to be?
She just needed to make good use of the recipe and develop a unique delicacy for "Tingya Building."
But as she wrote, Ji Nishang couldn’t help but furrow her brows.
Seeing her expression, Mrs. Xiao, who was watching from the side, couldn’t help but ask worriedly, "What’s wrong? Is something not right?"