Tang Jin said calmly, “I also know that I was something of a rascal in the past, so I wanted to ask you all—what’s your impression of me now? What kind of person do you think I am?”
She had laid the groundwork as carefully as she could; this question shouldn’t come across as too abrupt, right?
Her words had barely fallen when Old Madam Tang spoke up first. “Knowing you were wrong back then is enough. You seem pretty honest these days.” If only she would stop mooning over Chu Shaoyang.
The unlucky granddaughter really had no standout qualities. With her restaurant opening in full swing, it wouldn’t do to discourage her now, so Old Madam Tang praised her a little, even if it went against her conscience.
[Ding, reward: a plate of Sichuan-style spicy chicken]
Tang Jin smiled. “Grandmother, rest assured—I’ll be good and honest from here on out.”
Where exactly had she been dishonest? Did Old Madam Tang even catch the point of her question? She was asking about their current impression of her, not the original host’s past behavior!
Frustrated, Tang Jin turned to her honest little sister.
Tang Laidi blinked, her expression earnest. “Tang Jin, you… you’re more stand-up now than before.” If only she could score dishes with every meal like Old Madam Tang.
[Ding, reward: a plate of spicy diced chicken.]
“Heh, thanks.”
Tang Jin kept her smile in place. The little sister had at least grasped the main point, but she actually thought Tang Jin measured up poorly to the original host in righteousness!
Just then, Chu Lingyue dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and said mildly, “A-Jin is a good person—someone you can entrust yourself to.”
[Ding, reward: a pot of abalone chicken wings stew.]
[Ding, reward: a pot of garlic honey chicken wings.]
The corner of Tang Jin’s mouth twitched; her smile turned a bit strained. She genuinely didn’t know whether to feel pleased or heartbroken.
These three were perfectly in sync—not a single honest word among them. And the System… did it have some fixation on chicken today?
Steadying herself, Tang Jin let out a dry chuckle. “Rest easy, everyone. I’ll live my days properly from now on.”
Four dishes secured in one go—Tang Jin decided to call it quits before Old Madam Tang or the little sister caught on to anything amiss.
Chu Lingyue had no one else to rely on and was playing along out of necessity, but those other two were wild cards.
After all, she wasn’t the true original host; better to err on the side of caution.
With Tang Jin apparently out of questions, Old Madam Tang said with satisfaction, “This dish is fine, but this old lady’s getting on in years—too much rich food is hard on the digestion. A couple of vegetable dishes at lunch would be just the thing.”
Chu Lingyue glanced subtly at Tang Jin before chiming in obediently, “Grandmother’s right.”
Right about what? It was easy to talk when you weren’t the one cooking. Tang Jin rolled her eyes inwardly.
Food on the table was a luxury already; picky eating was another matter. She’d love to serve veggie dishes, but the System wasn’t handing any out.
Tang Laidi shoveled her food in silence. She preferred meat…
Satisfied and stuffed, Old Madam Tang rose to her feet. “Tang Jin, come back with me to fetch my things. This old lady has quite a lot of belongings. We’ll move them over before you open for customers.”
She planned to take up permanent residence that very night.
Seeing Old Madam Tang’s determination to haul the entire household over, Tang Jin’s knees nearly buckled. “Um, Grandmother, I’ve got to buy ingredients and finalize the menu and all that. Why not have Lingyue go with you?”
Manual labor like that wasn’t landing on her watch.
No way—she was busy.
Old Madam Tang shot her a glare. “Lingyue’s so frail, and she still has cooking to do. Where would she find the strength for heavy lifting?”
Chu Lingyue was her precious gem; no way was she letting her do rough work. Absolutely not.
The unlucky granddaughter didn’t even know how to look after her own wife, dragging others into it instead. She deserved a good thrashing.
Tang Jin stayed firmly planted at the table, her expression unchanging. “Grandmother, I’m not much for heavy work myself—I’m afraid I wouldn’t be much help.”
As she spoke, she tilted her head toward Tang Laidi, who was still scraping at the pot’s bottom.
Wasn’t there someone idle right there? The little sister had been a constable back in the day, wielding spears and clubs—she had more brawn than anyone else present.
Old Madam Tang followed her gaze to Tang Laidi.
Judging by her build, this girl did seem best suited for the heavy stuff.
“Me?” Caught in their stares, Tang Laidi’s chopsticks shook, and the question slipped out unbidden.
“Perfect!” Tang Jin replied at once. “Lingyue and I will whip up extra dishes as a reward for you.”
Tang Laidi: “…” That quick mouth of hers—she never should have spoken up.
No more fretting over pot-licking remnants; straight to labor it was.
Once Old Madam Tang had led Tang Laidi off, Tang Jin headed to the counter to jot down the menu.
Today’s haul was impressive—no more fretting over skimpy offerings.
Divide one pot of Garlic Honey Glazed Chicken Wings into three servings, one pot of Abalone Chicken Wing Stew into three more: six dishes sorted.
Menu complete, Tang Jin turned to Chu Lingyue, still seated primly at the table. In high spirits, she asked, “Wifey, how about making Garlic Honey Glazed Chicken Wings and Abalone Chicken Wing Stew our signature dishes?”
Chu Lingyue studied the menu thoughtfully before nodding lightly. “If A-Jin excels at these two, sell them on alternating days: Garlic Honey Glazed Chicken Wings on odd days, Abalone Chicken Wing Stew on even, each paired with three other dishes. That’ll keep the selection feeling fresh and varied.”
Otherwise, even the best dishes would grow tiresome if served daily.
Tang Jin smacked her forehead. “Brilliant—I’ll tweak it right now.”
Today marked the fifth of the twelfth lunar month—an odd day. Garlic Honey Glazed Chicken Wings it was, alongside Black Pepper Beef Cubes, Osmanthus Glutinous Rice Lotus Root, and Crispy Fried Fresh Milk to round things out. Perfect.
Menu rewritten, Tang Jin eyed Chu Lingyue, who hadn’t budged from her seat. “Wifey, is there something else?”
Pots, bowls, and utensils sat waiting—why wasn’t this woman jumping to clean up?
Chu Lingyue caught Tang Jin’s gaze and glanced at the array of bowls, plates, chopsticks, and pots cluttering the table.
Then she turned back, locking eyes with Tang Jin in silence.
The air grew thick with tension. Tang Jin offered a gentle nudge. “Wifey, don’t you think it’s time to wash the dishes?”
At that, Chu Lingyue’s eyes flickered, her tone carrying a subtle edge. “A-Jin, doesn’t the restaurant seem to have rather a lot of plates and pots piling up?”
Every time this woman served a dish, the cookware never made it back to the kitchen for reuse.
Add today’s batch, and Chu Lingyue had already scrubbed over twenty plates—not to mention the pots…
The table by the back-yard stove was overflowing.
She had to point it out. Tang Laidi was too scatterbrained to notice anything off, but Old Madam Tang was sharp as a tack; given time, she’d spot the anomaly.
Tang Jin’s heart skipped a beat. “Would you look at that—my memory! I always panic about running short on plates when buying ingredients, so I grab new ones each time and forget they can simply be washed.”
That had been close.
Trouble was, the System dished out meals but didn’t handle dish returns. What now?
Chu Lingyue gave her a sidelong look, her voice airy. “From tomorrow, I’ll head out early for ingredients and sell off the extra plates and pots while I’m at it. You just focus on the cooking, A-Jin.”
The proceeds from the sales? Call it hazard pay.
Hearing that, Tang Jin’s nerves jangled harder.
Shopping for ingredients and offloading the evidence in one trip—this woman was altogether too perceptive.
And with Chu Lingyue cooperating so seamlessly, didn’t that suggest she already knew…
Tang Jin itched to explain herself, but Chu Lingyue’s gaze—so knowing, so assured—left her speechless.
Sensing Tang Jin’s anxiety, Chu Lingyue looked away, her voice even. “Rest easy, A-Jin. I’ll back you up completely and keep it from outsiders.”
Just as she had promised earlier: she’d cover for Tang Jin, who had given her the silver in return.
Mutual benefit, each getting precisely what they needed.
