Chapter 97. Discovered, discovered.
The next day, just as the shop had opened, Cheng Songer saw the woman from yesterday standing at the door, looking at her with a "kind" expression.
"What is this?" Cheng Songer asked.
The woman introduced herself, "Miss Cheng, my name is Xing Yu, I am Xing Boss's servant."
Xing Boss is the most famous wealthy merchant in Chengyang County. Not only does she have a luxurious mansion in the city, but also the largest restaurant, Juxian Restaurant, and the largest brothel, Yihonglou. Furthermore, she owns over a hundred acres of fertile land outside the city, and has dozens of servants and tenant farmers.
Cheng Songer finally understood who was behind the person investigating the enemy's situation. She invited Xing Yu inside.
"Did Xing Boss send you to find me?" Cheng Songer asked.
Xing Yu sat across from Cheng Songer and said, "Miss Cheng, your business is flourishing, undoubtedly you are extremely intelligent. I won't beat around the bush. My master wants to win together with you."
"Win together?" Cheng Songer smiled. "How do we win together?"
Xing Yu was not polite and said directly, "There is a saying that a tall tree attracts the wind. Your business is too good, inevitably arousing jealousy from others. Look at the surrounding shops, who isn't envious of your profits? Of course, you have the hot pot recipe and the ability to make a living. My master knows that. But even if your hot pot is delicious, it won't withstand constant disruptions and troubles caused by others. Who would dare to come to your shop after that?"
Xing Yu's words contained veiled threats. She stopped there, leaving the rest for Cheng Songer to understand.
Cheng Songer pretended to ponder, putting on a look of "how terrifying, you dare to threaten me, I am oppressed by the powerful and helpless."
"How about it? Miss Cheng, what do you think?" Xing Yu looked at her and instantly felt proud. Even if you have the support of the Yan family, what can you do? A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake. Xing Boss's family has been deeply rooted in Chengyang County for so many years, naturally they are not to be trifled with.
Cheng Songer sighed and asked, "What exactly does Xing Boss mean?"
Xing Yu said, "Naturally, she wants you to hand over the hot pot recipe. If you let our Xing Boss have a good life, then Xing Boss can make your life better. Otherwise. . ."
Xing Yu chuckled twice.
Cheng Songer despised being threatened the most in her life.
But for now, she suppressed it and pretended to be hesitant, saying, "Alright, you can go back first. Give me two days to consider."
Xing Yu didn't pursue too eagerly, only saying that after two days, she wanted a result.
After Xing Yu left, Cheng Songer returned to the room and collapsed onto the bed.
When she entered, Cheng Qingzhi was manipulating the abacus at the table, still reciting the abacus formula she had taught him before.
He learned quickly. In just one day, he became extremely proficient, believing that in a few more days, he would be able to help her with the calculations.
"What's wrong, Songer? Why aren't you happy?" Cheng Qingzhi sat beside her, gently placing his slender hand on her hair and caressing it.
Cheng Songer turned over and rested her head on his lap, sighing. "Someone is jealous of me."
Cheng Qingzhi pondered for a moment. "Is it a competitor?"
Cheng Songer nodded. "How did you know?"
Cheng Qingzhi smiled faintly. "Actually, I don't understand much about business matters, but I know that jealousy is the easiest thing to arise in people's hearts."
His previous exclusion from the entire Cheng family village was the best proof.
The feeling of being envied is not pleasant because you don't know who might be driven by jealousy to harm others behind your back. He had had enough of this suffering, and he didn't want Cheng Songer to experience the same. His Songer was the best person in the world and shouldn't suffer such injustice.
"Your business is too good, and you earn too much money, which makes people envious. It's very likely that someone will secretly try to hinder you," Cheng Qingzhi expressed his concern.
Cheng Songer nodded. "I know that."
When she was young, she watched many Republican-era business dramas with her grandmother, the kind that mixed a bit of business competition with melodrama. They depicted many tricks used in the business world.
For example, deliberately throwing dirty things into your food and claiming that your food is unclean and unsanitary. In more severe cases, they might even claim that someone died from eating your food.
Those in the food and beverage industry fear encountering such situations because once their reputation is damaged, it's difficult to make a comeback.
"Just now, Xing Boss's people came to find me. . ." Cheng Songer told Cheng Qingzhi about what had just happened.
"What do you think?"
"She want my hot pot recipe, but I can't give it now. What will happen if I give it? We can only temporarily stabilize her, but I don't know what excuse to use to stabilize her. It's very annoying." She sighed.
Without a day of rest, working continuously, and encountering such things, it made her physically and mentally exhausted. She wrapped her arms around Cheng Qingzhi's waist and nuzzled his lower abdomen. She didn't mind her long hair being messed up, as smelling the familiar and pleasant scent on Cheng Qingzhi could put her at ease.
Cheng Qingzhi inserted his fingers into her hair and massaged it to help her relax. Feeling Cheng Songer rubbing against him, he slightly moved his leg, allowing Cheng Songer to rest her head on the soft flesh of his thigh, making her more comfortable.
It wasn't until he heard Cheng Songer's satisfied hum from her nose that he said, "Actually, that Xing boss doesn't want the hot pot base recipe. What she wants is the huge profit that comes with the recipe. We don't have to give her the recipe, as long as we let her know there is profit to be made."
Cheng Songer opened her eyes, seemingly enlightened. "Right. I can invest in the technology."
"Technology, investment?" Cheng Qingzhi didn't quite understand the meaning of those four words, but he thought it was because he had limited knowledge and couldn't comprehend the meaning behind Cheng Songer's words.
Anyway, Cheng Songer's words must be correct.
"I will provide the hot pot base, and she can open a hot pot restaurant in the city. I don't need a large share of the profit. With these conditions, Xing boss shouldn't refuse." She muttered, and Cheng Qingzhi watched as her eyes became brighter and her smile reappeared on her face. "Qingzhi, you're truly a genius."
She hugged Cheng Qingzhi's face and showered him with kisses.
Cheng Qingzhi's face blushed, but his eyes were filled with affection. He eagerly wanted her to continue, "I'm not a genius. I don't even know many words. I was just speaking casually."
"Your casual remark helped me solve a big problem," Cheng Songer said.
She wasn't afraid that Xing boss would cause trouble and ruin the hot pot restaurant. After all, her savings were enough for her and Cheng Qingzhi to live a comfortable life. However, a person couldn't just sit idly and rely on others. They had to do something.
If Xing boss kept sending troublemakers to the restaurant, there would be no need for her to continue the business.
But if she easily handed over the hot pot base recipe, it would make Xing boss think she was easy to bully and manipulate. Then, she would likely become even more aggressive, interfering in any business she tried to do.
She could only find a way to stabilize the situation first, gradually strengthen herself, and finally defeat Xing boss.
Investing in technology was a good idea. She could provide the hot pot base to Xing boss and let her open her own restaurant. The money earned could be shared. The most important thing was to keep her own restaurant running. Even if Xing boss secretly took the recipe and tried to replicate it with a chef, the complexity of the recipe, such as the magnetic chili and the amount of ingredients, would be difficult for them to figure out in a short time.
She got out of bed, ready to ponder on her wording and how to persuade Xing boss in two days.
Just at this moment, the shop assistant walked in and asked Xiao Zhi, who was washing clothes, "Where is Boss Cheng?"
Xiao Zhi looked up. He knew that Cheng Songer had hired a shop assistant, but the assistant had never entered the backyard these days.
He was somewhat surprised and asked, "What are you coming in for?"
The assistant said, "Someone sent a letter to Boss Cheng."
Saying that, the assistant handed the letter to Xiao Zhi.
"What are you muttering about, Xiao Zhi?" Qin Liu said as he walked out, and when he saw a strange woman suddenly standing in the yard, he was startled and quickly stepped back.
These days, he had been spoiled by Cheng Songer and almost forgot that he was still being hunted by Boss Xing throughout the city.
Suddenly seeing a stranger, he realized that he had never escaped from danger.
The assistant's eyes lit up when she saw Qin Liu. In her rough life, she had never seen such a beautiful woman before. But soon, the assistant felt that something was not right.
This man is indeed handsome, but why does he look so familiar?
The assistant lowered her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly raised her head. She remembered that this was the famous courtesan that Boss Xing had offered a reward of two hundred taels of silver to find.
At that time, so many people in the city went crazy and wanted to find this courtesan to get rich overnight.
The assistant never expected that the man who drove the whole city mad was actually hidden in their own boss's hot pot restaurant backyard.
It's really like finding a needle in a haystack, and it didn't take any effort to find it.
The assistant immediately concealed her surprise and pretended to be nonchalant. After handing the letter to Xiao Zhi, she left.
Qin Liu couldn't figure out whether the assistant recognized him or not.
"Give me the letter, I'll give it to Miss Songer," he snatched the letter from Xiao Zhi's hand, knocked on the door, and walked into the master bedroom.
When he entered, Cheng Songer's expression on her face was still somewhat unnatural, as if he had interrupted something good.
Qin Liu didn't care. He had interrupted their intimacy more than once or twice.
"Here, a letter for you."
"A letter?" Cheng Songer happily took it. The only person who would write her a letter was Xu Lengyu. Could it be that they were almost here?
Cheng Songer couldn't wait to open the letter, but her expression instantly fell upon reading its contents.
It turned out that the male and female leads encountered a minor antagonist from the book on their way here. Yan Jin was injured, and Xu Lengyu took him to find a divine doctor. It would take some time for them to arrive, so they asked Cheng Songer to help take care of Qin Liu for a while.
Cheng Songer: . . . Damn!
"Songer, what does the letter say?" Cheng Qingzhi couldn't read, so he didn't understand the contents of the letter. However, he could tell that Cheng Songer was in a bad mood, and if she wasn't happy, he wouldn't be either.
She handed the letter to Qin Liu, her words filled with disappointment. "Xu Lengyu won't be able to come back for a while. Qin Liu will have to continue staying here."
However, a smile couldn't help but appear on Qin Liu's lips. "What a pity indeed."
Pity? I can practically see the joy written all over your face.
However, despite Cheng Songer's disappointment, she couldn't help but continue to promote Xu Lengyu to Qin Liu. "Look, a hero is a hero. Even her handwriting is better than that of an ordinary person. Look at the vigorous and powerful strokes, the majestic and imposing aura. You can tell at a glance that he is a remarkable woman."
Don't men also like women who are full of heroic spirit, exuding an admirable and awe-inspiring presence?
Unexpectedly, Qin Liu rejected her recommendation.
"I don't think it's that impressive. Your handwriting is better than his."
Cheng Songer was surprised, her eyebrows raised.
Seeing the surprise in Cheng Songer's eyes, Qin Liu's voice softened as she spoke. "I've seen your handwriting. It flows like a swimming dragon, with bold and vivid strokes. Compared to Xu Lengyu's handwriting, it may be slightly softer, but it has its own charm."
Cheng Songer had never seen Qin Liu praise her so sincerely before, and she suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
But she still couldn't help but promote Xu Lengyu in front of Qin Liu. "But Xu Lengyu is a martial arts hero. Her handwriting should be grand and expansive, reflecting her aura."
Cheng Songer: ". . . . . ? How did you figure it out?"
Qin Liu chuckled: "In this letter, although it rarely mentions that man, the brief words are filled with unease and guilt towards him. If not for being emotionally involved, which woman would be like this?"
"You are really clever." Cheng Songer didn't expect Qin Liu's eyes to be so sharp, actually seeing the relationship between Xu Lengyu and Yan Jin.
However, she remained calm. After all, in the original work, Qin Liu knew that they were a loving couple and still interfered. Even if she knows now, it won't change the future plot.
"It's not that I'm clever, it's just that men are particularly sensitive to love affairs." Qin Liu looked meaningfully at Cheng Songer. "By the way. . . your companion just entered the backyard."
Cheng Songer looked up and hurriedly asked, "Companion? Did she see you?"
Qin Liu nodded and shook her head, "She should have seen me, but her expression was natural and didn't show any abnormalities."
Damn! Cheng Songer felt like she would curse the streets for the rest of her life today.
Just praised Qin Liu for being clever, but now she doesn't seem that great.
She quickly put on her shoes and went out, with Qin Liu following behind. "Why are you in such a hurry? She didn't recognize me."
Cheng Songer couldn't help but scold him, "What do you know? You're so good-looking, don't you know that? If she really didn't recognize you, her first glance should have been stunning, not showing no expression at all. Obviously, she's hiding it. She's afraid that you'll realize she recognized you."
Qin Liu's eyes flickered, and after a long time, they became somewhat heated as he stared at Cheng Songer. "Do you think I'm good-looking? Were you also stunned when you first saw me?"
Cheng Songer felt like she was going to vomit blood. At a time like this, he still had the mood to worry about his appearance.
"I have to go out and stop her."
"Stop?" Qin Liu was puzzled.
Cheng Songer turned her back to him and rolled her eyes, "If we don't stop her, she's probably going to the Xing Mansion to inform them. Then you can wait to be captured and become a little servant."
Qin Liu: ". . . . ."
Note: Revised