Chapter 307: Inquiring
“Do you know where Bai Mingyue lives?”
Yan Shuxiu had been chattering away breathlessly, spewing a whole string of words defaming Bai Mingyue. When she suddenly heard the cloaked man inquiring about Bai Mingyue’s residence, she quickly shut her mouth, her mind racing to guess the relationship between the cloaked man and Bai Mingyue.
Could these two be friends?
If they were friends, then all those things she had just said…
She asked rather regretfully, “Young Master, what is your relationship with that Bai Mingyue?”
The cloaked man held his teacup, gently taking a sip, and answered in a low voice, “No particular relationship. I just happened to pass by Yu Family Private Kitchen earlier and saw it was quite lively there, so I asked out of curiosity.”
Yan Shuxiu breathed a sigh of relief.
“He rents a house on the street behind Yu Family Private Kitchen. There’s a large osmanthus tree thick enough to embrace at the entrance of that house.”
Quite detailed information indeed. The cloaked man was satisfied and pursed his lips slightly.
It would be inconvenient to take the person during the day at Yu Family Private Kitchen, but now that he knew where Bai Mingyue was staying, it would be much easier to capture him at night.
After chattering for so long, Yan Shuxiu thought she had become familiar with the cloaked man. She wanted to stay and continue chatting with him, to draw closer and take the opportunity to inquire about his identity. But she was caught off guard when she heard the cloaked man say to her, “You may leave now.”
Yan Shuxiu: “…”
“Don’t you need my service anymore, Young Master?”
“No need.”
Seeing that Yan Shuxiu was slow to turn around, the cloaked man thought she was waiting for a reward. He turned his face toward the black-clothed man beside him and gave him a meaningful look.
The black-clothed man understood, took out a silver ingot from his sleeve, and handed it to her.
Yan Shuxiu accepted the silver, not knowing whether to smile or not, feeling quite uncomfortable inside.
Yan Boshu and Ms. Hu were waiting at the counter for her good news. After waiting for a long time, they saw her coming down the stairs with a strange expression on her face. The two exchanged glances and went up to meet her.
Ms. Hu pulled Yan Shuxiu to the counter and asked in a low voice, “How did it go? Did you manage to find out that distinguished guest’s identity?”
Yan Boshu also looked expectant, full of confidence.
His daughter was quite attractive and well-dressed; most men would be moved upon seeing her.
Yan Shuxiu sighed slightly, her face clearly showing three words: impatience.
Forget about finding out that person’s identity, she had stayed in the second-floor private room for so long without even getting a clear look at his appearance.
“I didn’t find out anything. That person is very strange.”
The couple, Yan Boshu and his wife, felt a wave of disappointment.
Yan Shuxiu took out the silver and tossed it into Ms. Hu’s hands, “That person curiously inquired about Bai Mingyue for a while, then threw me a silver ingot and told me to leave.”
Though she hadn’t managed to establish a connection, getting a reward wasn’t bad either.
Ms. Hu smiled broadly as she put away the silver, “He really is generous with his money. It would be good if such customers came more often.”
Yan Boshu’s mind was turning, and he suddenly spoke excitedly, “Perhaps that person upstairs has a grudge against Bai Mingyue. If so, we won’t need to act ourselves, someone will help us deal with Bai Mingyue.”
Hearing Yan Boshu say this, Yan Shuxiu belatedly realized that the cloaked man seemed to pay excessive attention to Bai Mingyue.
Perhaps the two really did have a grudge. As long as the cloaked man dealt with Bai Mingyue, Restaurant Manxiang’s business would surely return to normal.
With this thought, she felt somewhat better.
At this moment, a figure rushed in hurriedly.
Ms. Hu looked closely and, recognizing who it was, immediately frowned and asked, “Sister-in-law, why are you here?”
The Yan family’s main residence had been destroyed in a fire. During this period, the Yan family was busy building a new house on the original foundation. However, the current Yan family was no longer the same as before. With their property burned, only some farmland remained. To build the house, Old Master Yan had withdrawn all the silver stored at the money house, but there wasn’t much silver stored there. Old Master Yan wanted to restore the Yan family’s former grandeur, so he asked the second branch for a sum of silver.
Today Ms. Li came rushing over, and Ms. Hu immediately thought she was here for money, so her expression wasn’t pleasant.
“Sister-in-law, for building the house at home, our second branch has already contributed silver once. If it’s still not enough, it should be your first branch’s turn to contribute.”
Ms. Li said breathlessly, “It’s not about silver. The Old Lady’s condition has worsened.”
After the Yan family’s incident, not only had the Old Lady Jiang’s illness become more serious, but the Old Master had also fallen ill from anger and was bedridden. With the servants scattered, she alone was caring for two elderly people at home and had long grown impatient.
“The Old Master is also bedridden. Second sister-in-law, you need to come back with me to care for the Old Master and Old Lady.”
Go back to live in that temporarily built shack?
Ms. Hu was unwilling.
“Sister-in-law, all of the Yan family’s current expenses are covered by our second branch. We provide the money, shouldn’t your first branch provide the labor? Restaurant Manxiang’s business is so good, if you make me go back to care for the elderly, how can we manage things here?”
“If you won’t go back, then let Shuxiu come back to help.”
Ms. Hu had Yan Shuxiu come help at the restaurant precisely so she would have opportunities to meet wealthy and influential people and marry well in the future. How could she possibly agree to Ms. Li’s request?
“Sister-in-law, you’re being unreasonable. Why don’t you go to the nunnery and call Jing’er back to help?”
This remark actually reminded Ms. Li.
Ms. Li had always been unwilling to leave her perfectly good daughter at the nunnery, but she had never found a suitable reason to bring Yan Shujing back from there.
“If you and Xiu’er won’t come back, fine, but the family’s silver for the Old Lady and Old Master’s medicine is almost used up.”
After going in circles for so long, she was still here for money after all.
Ms. Hu was furious.
“Sister-in-law, do you think we run a money house, that you can take however much you want? Not long ago, we already gave fifty taels of silver.”
Ms. Li straightened her chest and said, “That fifty taels of silver, half was spent on the Old Lady and Old Master, and the other half paid the craftsmen’s wages. Now there’s no money left.”
Knowing that Yan Boshu cared about the Old Lady and Old Master’s welfare, she looked at Yan Boshu and said, “Second brother, if you want to watch the Old Lady and Old Master starve to death, then don’t give me any silver.”
During this period, Restaurant Manxiang’s business hadn’t been good, and Yan Boshu was somewhat financially strained, but he couldn’t ignore those two elderly people at home.
He frowned painfully and extended his hand to Ms. Hu, “Didn’t that person upstairs give a silver ingot as a reward? Take it out.”
Ms. Hu reluctantly produced the silver, glaring at Ms. Li through gritted teeth.
It hadn’t even warmed in her hands yet.
Ms. Li took the silver, the corners of her mouth lifting smugly, feeling quite envious inside.
Customer rewards could amount to so much silver, the second branch really made money too easily. It seemed she would need to come here often in the future.
“You take your time with your work. I’ll go back to care for the two elders first.”
Having gotten the money, Ms. Li left satisfied.
Ms. Hu stared at her departing figure and angrily reached out to pinch Yan Boshu’s ear.
“You useless man, you’re so accommodating to that woman Ms. Li, our family will be ruined by you sooner or later.”