Upon hearing Tian
Tian's words, Tian's father's expression changed, and he reached out to cover her mouth.
Father Tian cautiously looked around to make sure no one was watching, then sternly said to Tian Tian, "You brat, you really dare to say anything out loud! Don't you know where we are? If someone hears us, do you think we'll get away with this?"
Tian Tian pouted and snapped, "I don't want to work here as a waitress anymore! Standing for twelve hours a day, I'm exhausted! And that manager, she even yelled at me!"
Father Tian coaxed her, "I know this is unfair to you, but until we get this shop, you'll have to put up with this for a while longer."
Seeing Tian Tian's increasingly indignant expression, he asked, "Did you find the Qin family recipes I asked you to find?"
Tian Tian shook her head, saying, "I've been with Qin Sulan for a while now, but I really haven't seen any recipes... Dad, are there really Qin family recipes? You're not mistaken, are you?"
"Impossible!" Father Tian said firmly, "If there weren't any recipes, how could a little girl like Qin Sulan possibly..." "How could she open this shop? And how could the business be so good?"
His words were full of disdain for the "little girl," then, as if thinking of something, his face turned grim.
"That brat, she calls me 'Uncle' all the time, acting all friendly, but she's actually been wary of me all along." Mr. Tian gritted his teeth. "Otherwise, how come the same dishes taste so different when I cook them compared to hers?"
Mr. Tian was originally just a cook in the countryside who handled weddings and funerals. He had some culinary skills, but not many. Qin Sulan knew about this and brought him from the countryside to work as their restaurant's sous chef.
After all, for Qin Sulan, Mr. Tian was her only remaining relative in the world, and she naturally wanted to give him a helping hand.
However, Mr. Tian was arrogant and didn't think much of his niece, Qin Sulan.
In his eyes, what skills could a little girl like her possibly have? However, what really hurt him was that since arriving in City A, he discovered that his cooking was inferior to that of Qin Sulan, that little girl.
Instead of reflecting on his own abilities, Mr. Tian felt that Qin Sulan, as his niece, had been hiding something from him, not sharing her entire culinary knowledge. Otherwise, how could he, a grown man, be inferior to such a young girl? What
humiliated Mr. Tian the most was that, as the restaurant's sous chef, his menu prices were half that of Qin Sulan's, which infuriated his strong sense of pride.
"The Qin family recipe definitely exists!" He grabbed Tian Tian's arm, looking at her eagerly, and said, "Tian Tian, you live with your cousin now, so you have the best chance of finding where she hid the Qin family recipe. You must find it, understand?"
With this recipe, his cooking skills would definitely improve greatly… If that little girl Qin Sulan could do it, if he got the recipe, his cooking skills would definitely be better than hers.
A burning desire shone in Tian's father's eyes.
Tian Tian reluctantly said, "But if we can't find the recipe, will I have to stay a waitress forever?"
Hearing this, Tian's father's gaze deepened, and he said in a low voice, "If that's the case, then she shouldn't blame me for being heartless as her uncle. Anyway, if it weren't for me, she would have died with her parents."
So, she might as well give her life back to him, her uncle.
Looking at Tian Tian, Tian's father smiled and coaxed her, "Don't worry, this matter will be over in six months at most. Just bear with it for another six months, okay?"
"In these six months, I hope you can pay close attention to your cousin's movements. You must find out where she hid the recipe, understand?"
Only by getting the recipe and taking over the restaurant can he continue to run it.
"The recipe is very important, do you understand?" He stared intently at Tian Tian, saying each word slowly and deliberately.
Tian Tian was a little unwilling, but seeing the faintly excited and crazy expression on her father's face, she shrank back and nodded.
Seeing this, Tian's father's expression softened. He patted her head and said, "Good girl, go to work now. You can't let your cousin see you slacking off." After all, Tian Tian was now Qin Sulan's dear cousin.
Tian Tian reluctantly nodded and left.
At this moment, Qin Sulan had already come out of the kitchen and was talking to Fu Xia.
Qin Sulan was a woman with regular features and a delicate, gentle appearance. Her temperament was very gentle, but when you saw her, the first thing you would notice was her eyes. Those eyes were gentle yet strong, revealing a spirit of never giving up, like wild grass that grows back after being blown by the east wind.
Perhaps only someone with such a tenacious gaze could save a restaurant on the verge of bankruptcy and run it successfully. When people talked about the food in City A, they would always mention her restaurant.
Qin Sulan had come to ask Fu Xia for suggestions on their restaurant's food. As a regular customer, Fu Xia's opinions were crucial; only by constantly receiving feedback from diners could they improve the food in a timely manner.
Perhaps it was Qin Sulan's humble attitude that had led to their restaurant's booming business and soaring reputation in recent years.
To this question, Fu Xia smiled and said, "I think your cooking is still as good as ever, Boss Qin. Whenever I'm in a bad mood, eating your food always cheers me up!"
She even gave Qin Sulan a thumbs-up.
Qin Sulan smiled gently, her smile revealing a touch of shy elegance.
Meanwhile, the waiters had already packed the remaining food into five large white bags, a rather impressive sight, making the onlookers quite envious.
"Teacher Xu, may I take some home?" he asked Xu Gui in a low voice.
Xu Gui was staring at Qin Sulan with a strange look in his eyes. Hearing the cameraman's words, she lowered her gaze and said, "Of course, we have extra anyway."
Fu Xia ultimately felt bad about letting the children eat their leftovers, even though they hadn't touched them at all. So she ordered a few more portions to take away. As a result, Xu Gui and his family had leftovers, and the cameraman could take some if he wanted.
The cameraman said apologetically, "I just feel it's not good to take food from children."
He was a little hesitant.
However, the food at this restaurant was really delicious, and he might not have the chance to eat there again. After all, he was a poor man earning only a few thousand a month, and this restaurant was beyond his means.
After exchanging pleasantries with Qin Sulan, Fu Xia got up to leave. The restaurant waiter carried the takeout bags, intending to take them downstairs for them.
However, just as Xu Gui and her group were passing by, a waitress suddenly curled her lip and muttered, "Poor slob, pretending to be rich when she has no money."
Her voice was very low, and the people around probably didn't hear it, but Xu Gui's hearing was good, and the muttering still reached her ears, so she turned her head to look in that direction.
The other woman, probably not expecting Xu Gui to suddenly look over, involuntarily showed a hint of panic on her face.
For a moment, she thought that the other woman had heard her muttering, but she had been some distance away from them, and they were talking, so no matter how hard she looked, they couldn't have heard her.
Thinking this, she calmed down.
Xu Gui glanced at her lightly, then suddenly looked at Qin Sulan beside her and smiled.
"I'm a fortune teller, I specialize in telling fortunes." She said this, her eyes crinkling, "I see that you, Mr. Qin, have an ominous look in your eyes. If this ominous look isn't resolved, it will cause both financial loss and death."
She generously said, "However, for just five hundred yuan, I can tell your fortune and resolve this ominous energy. Would you like to give it a try, Mr. Qin?"
Her words came suddenly, as if on a whim, and the content of her words was almost identical to what those swindlers on the street would say, sounding like the kind of money-grabbing rhetoric they use.
Hearing her words, everyone around was stunned. Qin Sulan looked particularly surprised and couldn't help but look at Fu Xia questioningly.
"Xu Gui's fortune telling is very accurate," Fu Xia said, looking at Qin Sulan with concern, "She said you'll suffer financial and life-threatening losses, and it's very likely true... Why don't you let Xu Gui do your fortune telling?"
Qin Sulan blinked, her gaze naturally shifting from Fu Xia to Xu Gui, and said, "Since Miss Fu says so, then let this lady do my fortune telling... Uh, this money..." As
she mentioned money, Xu Gui skillfully took out the QR code from his bag, the action looking like he'd done it a thousand times, seemingly filled with an impatient, mercenary air.
"Tch!" A waiter nearby sneered, his disdain evident.
Qin Sulan's expression remained unchanged, and she readily scanned five hundred yuan for Xu Gui.
Hearing the sound of five hundred yuan being deposited, Xu Gui looked at Qin Sulan and said seriously, "You have an unlucky fate, a face that suggests you'll be plotted against by a villain. At most, you'll 'suddenly fall ill' and die young within six months."
Under Qin Sulan's polite but awkward, clearly disbelieving gaze, Xu Gui suddenly leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Haven't you ever wondered why you've been feeling weak and listless lately?"
"That's because someone has been drugging you!"
Xu Gui sighed.
Having spoken, she didn't intend to play the riddle game. Fearing Qin Sulan might not understand, she went even further, saying, "You might not believe it, but the person closest to you is also the one who wants you dead the most!"
After saying this, Xu Gui took a step back and smiled, "That's all I have to say. Whether you believe it or not is up to you, Boss Qin. I only hope that I'll have the chance to taste your cooking again in the future."
Her words were full of meaning. After speaking, Xu Gui and the others left.
Qin Sulan saw them to the door, but after they left, she remained standing at the restaurant entrance, her expression somewhat dazed.
"Cousin, what did that woman say to you?" Just then, a sweet, soft voice sounded beside her. Qin Sulan snapped out of her reverie and saw her cousin, Tian Tian, standing beside her.
Qin Sulan: "...She didn't say anything." She pressed her throbbing head; lately, she didn't know why, but she always felt weak and tired, and she kept having nightmares at night.
Tian Tian looked in the direction Xu Gui and the others had left, and said disdainfully, "That woman is obviously a con artist. I don't know how she managed to fool Miss Fu. Miss Fu trusts her so much. Miss Fu's judgment of people is terrible, isn't it?"
Qin Sulan's face hardened as she heard this, and she reminded her, "Tian Tian, you can't speak ill of the guests."
Tian Tian didn't seem to care, but seeing Qin Sulan's serious expression, she reluctantly said, "Okay, then I won't say anything... But what did that con artist say to you just now? Cousin, you look so pale."
Xu Gui's voice was so soft that no one around could hear her, so apart from Qin Sulan and Tian Tian, no one else heard what the two of them were saying.
For some reason, Qin Sulan didn't choose to reveal Xu Gui's words, only saying perfunctorily, "It's nothing, he just said some strange things... Do I look that bad?"
"You look terrible!" Tian Tian said, then comforted her, "That person is a liar. She said those things just to scam money, so cousin, you don't need to believe what she said."
Her voice was sweet and soft, her expression concerned as she looked at Qin Sulan, appearing like a kind younger sister. *
I shouldn't have believed that person...
* Qin Sulan thought to herself, but looking at Tian Tian, she couldn't help but recall Xu Gui's words: "...the person closest to you is also the person who wants you dead the most..."
"Boss Qin, be careful."
Qin Sulan suddenly shivered.
*
Leaving the restaurant, Fu Xia repeatedly glanced at Xu Gui, hesitant to speak.
After getting into the car, she couldn't help but ask, "Xu Gui, what you just said about Boss Qin dying young, is that true?"
Xu Gui: "Do I look like someone who would lie?"
Fu Xia shook her head, then said worriedly, "That's why I asked. Boss Qin was such a good person, how could she die young? No, I have to send a message to Boss Qin and make sure she believes you!"
She had just realized that Boss Qin didn't really believe what Xu Gui said. As for why she was so cooperative, it was most likely because of her, a regular customer, and she didn't want to lose face.
Fu Xia frowned and started typing rapidly on her phone.
The person following her was holding the takeout food, looking very satisfied, but soon, he suddenly thought of something, his expression changed, and his previously slumped back straightened.
"Aren't we violating the show's rules by coming out to eat like this?" he said somewhat guiltily. "I remember the show has a rule that during filming, the money for the guests' food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation must be earned by them on the show... So, isn't this meal against the rules?"
To his question, the two guests on the show,
Xu Gui and Fu Xia, responded with bewildered looks: "Huh, is that so?"
Fu Xia added, "I haven't heard of that."
The cameraman was also confused. So, the one who knows the rules best is me, the cameraman?
"It's okay, though," Fu Xia said casually. "I'm royalty, I'm just here for the fun, to see the handsome men and beautiful women. I won't participate in the next round, the production team won't hold me accountable."
She looked at Xu Gui and said, "You guys were brought here by me, you paid for it, so you'll be fine."
Xu Gui thought for a moment and asked her, "...Is it okay to just say things like 'I'm royalty' like that?"
Fu Xia replied, "Anyway, everyone knows I'm royalty." She participated in this show just to have fun, she never thought about going all the way, she just wanted to be cannon fodder halfway through.
Xu Gui: ...Okay.
Xu Gui had filming scheduled for the afternoon and didn't have time to deliver the packed food to the orphanage. Fu Xia volunteered to help, saying she could. She had already asked the director for leave from the afternoon's filming.
She said, "Everyone's probably laughing at me now. If I continue filming today, I'll just be giving them a chance to make fun of me, and I won't give them that chance."
Mainly, this was just too embarrassing. She felt she needed to mentally prepare herself before facing the camera again.
So, rather than be laughed at, she'd rather skip filming and ask the director for leave.
Even though she might still be laughed at tomorrow, maybe something interesting would come up today, and everyone would forget about it? Fu Xia started daydreaming.
The director knew the young lady's heart was broken, so he didn't say much about her leave request and approved it directly.
After listening to her, Xu Gui said, "Then I'll trouble you."
Fu Xia readily agreed, "Don't worry, leave it to me. I'll make sure everything arrives at the orphanage intact. I also ordered some ice cream, so I can deliver it with the ice cream truck."
In this hot weather, ice cream is a must.
Therefore, the three parted ways at the overpass. Xu Gui and the others got out of the car to continue filming the program. Xu Gui continued her fortune-telling stall, while Fu Xia went to deliver food to the orphans.
Arriving at the overpass, Xu Gui first looked at the old man's stall, which was still empty.
"Why hasn't the old man come to set up his stall these past few days?" the cameraman asked.
Xu Gui suddenly chuckled, the meaning of her laughter ambiguous.
The cameraman glanced at her, thinking: It seems Teacher Xu knows why the old man hasn't come to set up his stall these past few days.
After Xu Gui sat down, the cameraman set up the camera and started the live stream.
The viewers in the live stream room had been waiting for ages. Even before the stream started, many netizens were already lurking, so as soon as Xu Gui's live stream opened, a dense barrage of comments popped up, completely obscuring the screen.
The cameraman checked Xu Gui's live stream on his phone—as Xu Gui's cameraman, he was currently a moderator in Xu Gui's live stream, albeit temporarily, but he still felt a strange sense of responsibility. He would occasionally check the comments to see if there were any negative remarks.
Each time, the cameraman couldn't help but feel a little smug, thanking his uncle (the director) for his foresight in assigning him to be Xu Gui's cameraman.
Compared to other cameramen who had to follow guests around in the sweltering heat, his days were quite comfortable. While Xu Gui was telling fortunes under the overpass, he would set up his equipment and film, while he could sit and do other things—it was wonderful. He even got to
benefit from Xu Gui's fame, getting free food, drinks, and fish every day.
Now, watching the live stream chat with a happy heart, she couldn't help but sigh with relief that Teacher Fu Xia hadn't gone live, otherwise she would have been ridiculed to death by netizens. Because Fu Xia hadn't gone live that afternoon, netizens who couldn't find her all flocked to Xu Gui's channel, since Fu Xia's last appearance was there. It's
no wonder netizens came to see this spectacle; mistaking a primary school student for an adult isn't unusual, but confessing your feelings to a primary school student after mistaking them for an adult is quite rare. The primary school student's words, "Auntie, my mom won't let me date," coupled with Fu Xia's devastated expression, pushed the whole thing to a comical peak.
Netizens commented: "We don't want to laugh, but we just can't help it—who could resist laughing at that scene?"
Unfortunately, Fu Xia was determined not to film that afternoon. Disappointed, everyone could only join in the fun with Xu Gui. Xu Gui capitalized on this surge in viewership, her livestream reaching over four million viewers.
This just goes to show how entertaining netizens are!
Because so many people were asking about Fu Xia, Xu Gui finally replied,
"Teacher Fu isn't filming this afternoon," she said. "She said you'd definitely make fun of her, and she doesn't want to give you the chance to make fun of her to her face."
Netizens: Normally, we wouldn't laugh! Unless we couldn't help it!
After explaining, Xu Gui started feeding the fish in the aquarium.
She figured that since she'd taken the money from [Miaoyu], she should at least make sure it was worthwhile. She should at least say a few words of advertising, right?
However, she didn't know how to promote it, so when there were no customers, she dragged a stool to the aquarium, took the brochure given to her by [Miaoyu], and started introducing the fish in the aquarium to everyone.
There were seven fish in the aquarium, all of them Siamese fighting fish (also known as betta fish). Normally, they shouldn't be kept together in the same tank because fighting fish are very aggressive; if you keep multiple of them in one tank, they'll fight to the death.
However, the fighting fish from [Miaoyu] are different; they can be kept together in groups.
Xu Gui glanced at the description and read aloud, "...The fighting fish from [Miaoyu] have undergone countless generations of breeding and propagation..."
Ji Kaiming truly loves keeping fish and turtles, so he's invested a lot of money in this, especially in breeding the fighting fish, which has finally yielded the current results.
Xu Gui spoke clearly, purely reading aloud, without any emotion.
She sat there, her expression serene, her face as smooth and radiant as white jade. Beside her was the aquarium, as tall as she was, and the fighting fish inside instinctively followed her.
Seven betta fish crowded together against the wall of Xu Gui's tank, their tails swaying beautifully.
When Xu Gui noticed and touched the wall with her finger, their tails swayed even faster. Xu Gui's eyes crinkled into a smile, the shimmering water reflecting her face, creating a dazzling and harmonious scene with the beautiful betta fish. Netizens watching
this scene commented:
[Beautiful person, beautiful fish! Ahhh! This scene is so beautiful! But the photo from this morning is even more stunning. I sent it to my friends, and they all asked me which beautiful woman was in the picture.]
[Uh, although the scene is beautiful, I have something I don't know if I should say: don't you think these betta fish look a little too dog-like?]
[!] Finally, someone voiced my thoughts. I've wanted to say this before: these betta fish really do look like dogs, especially when Xu Gui went over and his tail was wagging so wildly, it's like I'm hallucinating my husky!
[What the hell, dog smell? But if these fish really look this dog-like, I suddenly might want to buy them!]
[Order placed, don't let me down!]
[So, is the "Miaoyu" breeding betta fish for pet purposes?]
...
The technicians at "Miaoyu" almost vomited blood when they saw these comments in Xu Gui's livestream.
"We're not, we didn't! Slander! It's all slander!"
They are a legitimate breeding institution, and fish and dogs are completely different creatures. How can they be bred in the same direction?
The reason these fish look like dogs is simply because of the fish themselves!
But...
"Were these seven betta fish always this dog-like?"
"I don't remember... I don't think so?"
Strangely, [Miaoyu] discovered that the limited quantity of their wedding dress fish had suddenly surged, and sales were soaring.
[Miaoyu]: ?? Suddenly confused.
So, while netizens didn't like the beautiful, ethereal wedding dress fish, they suddenly got excited about the dog-like ones?
Because of this, when [Miaoyu] sold their betta fish, they had to remind buyers that their fish didn't have any dog-like qualities at all; they were all beautiful wedding dress fish, fairy fish, and their temperament had nothing to do with dogs!
So, if the product didn't match the description, don't complain; they really weren't making false claims.
However, that's a story for later. Right now, Xu Gui had no idea what kind of trouble she was about to cause for [Miaoyu].
After carefully introducing the fish in her aquarium and earnestly squeezing out a few advertising slogans, she finally wiped the sweat from her brow and breathed a sigh of relief—doing advertising was more tiring than fortune telling.
Hopefully, Ji Kaiming won't feel the money was wasted, considering how hard she's promoted it.
"Master..."
Just then, a customer arrived.
This was the first time Xu Gui had felt such joy in fortune-telling. She immediately tossed aside the [Miaoyu] brochure and looked at the newcomer with enthusiasm.
The customer sat down, looking worried, and said, "Master, my grandson's soul seems to be missing. Can you find his soul here?"
Xu Gui: ?