Adorable Food Goddess

Helian Jing looked for his older brother the moment he returned to the mansion.

“Big brother, lend me 500, 000 taels.”

Helian Xuan, who was sipping tea, spat it out upon hearing that. “Excuse me?”

“Lend me 500, 000 taels and when we split the inheritance in the future, I will take nothing,” Little Jing said.

Helian Xuan puts his tea down and touched Little Jing’s forehead. “Are you running a fever?”

“Brother, I am serious. Give me 500, 000 taels, I am in urgent need of it.”

“Did you get into trouble outside?”

“No.”

“Then, what do you need so much money for?”

“I can’t tell you. I promise you, though, it’s for a legitimate reason,” Helian Jing said.

Helian Xuan said somberly, “500, 000 taels is not a small amount. If you don’t tell me why you need it, I am not going to give it to you.”

“Brother, I swear it is for serious business,” Helian Jing pleaded, getting anxious.

“Tell me.”

Helian Jing gritted his teeth at his brother’s stubbornness.  Fine!

“Brother Chunyu bought Heavenly Residence and I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he kept making things difficult for Yaoyao. He’s coming up with ways and means to bully him and I really cannot bear to watch it anymore. I want to help Yaoyao get out of his contract.”

Helian Xuan was shocked, not because Xia Chunyu bought the restaurant, but because he was making things difficult for Li Yao. It does not make sense! If Chunyu really did buy the restaurant, it would be to protect Li Yao!

“I think there might be some misunderstanding,” Helian Xuan suggested.

“What misunderstanding? There is no misunderstanding at all! Brother, you didn’t see how upset Li Yao was. Brother Chunyu is too much.”

Helian Xuan fiddled with his collar, uncomfortable. “Umm, Little Jing, there are some things that outsiders like us would not understand. I think you should not bother yourself with their problem. The more you get involved, the worse the matter gets. I think Chunyu knows what he is doing.”

Helian Xuan figured that it was just a squabble between the couple and would be fine after a few days. If outsiders get involved, it might just get out of hand.

“What outsiders? What do you mean their problem? Brother, I don’t understand what you are saying.”

“You will understand it in the future. Listen to me and it won’t go wrong. I guarantee it,” Helian Xuan said.

“But…”

“No more buts. Go do what you are supposed to do, don’t come and bother me anymore. I still have to look at some documents!” Helian Xuan dismissed him with annoyance.

Helian Jing wrinkled his nose discontentedly. Fine. If you won’t give it to me, I will find a way to take it myself.

After Little Jing left, Helian Xuan pondered over what he said. He knew Little Jing and he knew that the more you forbid him to do something, the more he would do it. But where could he get the money…  Mother!

Helian Xuan hurriedly rose and sprinted to the main room.

Indeed, Helian Jing was harassing Yu De.

“Mother, I want to buy a restaurant to do some business.”

Yu De replied, “You have just gone to the army to work, how can you do something else all of a sudden?”

“Mother, I only have to come up with the capital. There will be someone doing the work.”

Yu De though about it for a while and asked, “Which restaurant? Is the manager reliable?”

“It is Heavenly Residence. Because something happened in the shopkeeper’s house, he wants to sell the restaurant. Mother, you know how good Heavenly Residence’s business is. If I buy it and let Li Yao handle the work, it will definitely be reliable,” Little Jing lied.

Yu De wavered. Heavenly Residence was the most popular restaurant in the city right now and Li Yao’s the most popular chef.

“How much do you need?”

“Not much, just 500, 000.” Helian Jing stretched out one hand, his five fingers wriggling about.

Yu De looked at him in disbelief. “Not much? Do you think our family owns a bank?”

“It really isn’t a lot. Heavenly Residence’s daily profit is a few thousand taels. It will only take a few months to break even,” Helian Jing blurted out, making a wild guess.

Yu De frowned. “If that is the case, why don’t you get the shopkeeper to discuss it with me?”

“Mother, you are not trusting me!” Helian Jing whined, pouting.

“It is not that I don’t trust you, Little Jing. I am just more experienced with such matters.” Yu De smiled, her eyes filled with fondness for her last born.

“Mother, don’t listen to his nonsense. There is no such matter,” Helian Xuan declared upon entering.

Helian Jing saw his big brother and scowled. He just lost his chance!

“What?” Yu De was confused.

“Mother, Little Jing is just kidding. Heavenly Residence has already been bought,” Helian Xuan clarified, glaring at Little Jing.

“Who is it? That person must’ve some good foresight,” Yu De asked curiously.

Not wanting to rat on Xia Chunyu, Helian Xuan answered, “I don’t actually know. I just know that the owner has changed.”

“Ay, what a pity. If I had known earlier, I would’ve bought it,” Yu De said with regret.

This was the second time that Ye Jiayao made Buddha Jumps Over The Wall and the procedure wasn’t any less complicated. Every step was so intricate that her moves blurred.

After simmering the small wine vat, Ye Jiayao slumped on the bench, exhausted.

“How long does this have to simmer for?” Zhong Xiang asked.

“Two hours.”

Little Lu entered to report, “Brother Yao, the customers outside are almost all gone.”

Ye Jiayao nodded. “I got it. All of you get some rest, I will handle things here.”

Everyone but she was living in the restaurant so they don’t have any problem. Plus, she felt bad for making so many people wait with her especially if there’s no point in it.

“It’s okay, we have nothing to do anyway,” Deng Haichuan assured.

Brother Yao hasn’t been happy these past few days and they feel bad about abandoning him to rest.

After an hour of wait, Ah Xing said, “Brother Yao, the new shopkeeper has left.”

Ye Jiayao laughed, depleted beyond belief.

He really was going to torture her. He has already classified her as an enemy without even giving her a chance to explain.

Actually, an explanation would just probably be useless. He likes Liu Yiyi and he’s going to marry Princess Liu Li. How could she compete? She’s just a woman abandoned by her family, a woman without an identity.

“Brother Yao, what do we do with this Buddha Jumps Over The Wall?” Cui Dongpeng asked.

Ye Jiayao fished out a silver ingot. “Ah Xing, get two vats of good wine. I will make another two dishes and we’ll have supper.”

A delicacy prepared with hard work should not be wasted just like that. If he won’t eat it, everyone will.

Zhong Xiang volunteered, “Let me do it!” He rolled up his sleeves, sorting out the remaining ingredients.

“I will help, too,” Deng Haichuan said as he rose.

The horse carriage reached the Jing An Marquis Residence and the Xia brothers alighted. Song Qi handed the horse carriage to the gatekeeper and caught up with the Heir-Son Lord’s pace.

“Heir-Son Lord, it isn’t very good for us to leave just like that! We should’ve notified Miss… notify Li Yao. At least, explain that you left because something cropped up,” Song Qi said.

Xia Chunyu’s face was gloomy. There’s no need for explanation. She has already chosen Little Jing. He left for seven days and she has already accepted his family heirloom.

“There is no need for that,” Xia Chunyu snapped.

Song Qi didn’t know what happened between the Heir-Son Lord and Miss Ye. When they delivered Miss Ye to the courtyard, the Heir-Son Lord was so worried and anxious about her. When he came out, his face was cold as ice.

It was not like they haven’t quarreled before, but they would usually reconcile after a few days. However, this time… it looked serious.

“Second Brother, I also think that it is not very nice to leave without saying anything,” Xia Chunfeng agreed.

Xia Chunyu simply threw him a glare and walked straight ahead.

“Heir-Son Lord, Third Young Master, you are finally back. The Old Master has been waiting in the house!” the housekeeper said chirpily as he welcomed them.

“Father is back?” Xia Chunfeng exclaimed, surprised.

“Yes, Third Young Master. He actually was supposed to be back yesterday, but he didn’t make it in time.”

Xia Chunfeng laughed merrily. “The moon on the 15th is round on the 16th, today is just the right time to be back.”

Xia Chunyu was also overjoyed as it has been several years since he has seen his father.

Both of them quickened their pace to the main room.

In the Heavenly Residence’s kitchen, when Ye Jiayao removed the bowl covering the vat and peeled the lotus leaf off, and an intense fragrance immediately spread out the room.

“That smells so good!” Deng Haichuan praised, smacking his lips.

“No wonder it is called Buddha Jumps Over The Wall! I’m sure even the Buddha would be unable to control himself upon smelling this.”

“You really deserve to be an imperial chef, Brother Yao! You are awesome!”

“Pour out the wine, this meal is on me. Everyone, drink to your heart’s content,” Ye Jiayao said generously.

She wanted to get drunk and wash away how f*cking unlucky she has been lately.

“Here, here, fill this up.”

“Today, we will take it as if we are celebrating mid-autumn!”

Ye Jiayao raised her bowl of alcohol first. “Working with you guys is very enjoyable! I hope that next time we would all celebrate mid-autumn together every year.”

“Brother Yao, we will follow you. After three years, if you leave, we leave. If you stay, we stay,” Deng Haichuan said.

Everyone echoed in loud voices, “Brother Yao leaves, we leave, Brother Yao stays, we stay.”

Their sincerity warmed Ye Jiayao’s heart.  F*ck you, Dumb Donkey. I still have my friends who care about me. You won’t break me.

“Drink,” Ye Jiayao led, emptying her bowl.

Oh, that is delightful!

Everyone emptied their bowls and started to eat heartily, sharing the delicacies.

Because she still has to go back, Ye Jiayao didn’t dare to drink too much. She also couldn’t allow everyone get too drunk because there was still work tomorrow.

After three bowls of wine, Ye Jiayao told Zhong Xiang to keep watch on the rest and went back home.

She walked alone on the silent and empty street, stumbling along while she hummed an off-beat and off-tune melody.

“They are all bubbles, only a spark of fireworks. All your promises are just too vulnerable. I can only blame myself for not being able to see through it, I feel sad…”

“Who is howling in the middle of the night?” someone scolded somewhere.

Ye Jiayao rolled her eyes. This was the first time in days that she felt happy and she won’t let anything ruin that.

“The majestic river flows to the east, the stars in the sky are a part of the Big Dipper…”