Adorable Food Goddess

The news of the search for Ye Jinxuan reached Ye Jiayao.

Others may be clueless as to where and how it began, but Ye Jiayao knew that it was Xia Chunyu who started the whole thing.

What on earth was this fellow trying to do? Didn’t he already make it clear that he wanted nothing to with her anymore? Why was he all of a sudden creating such a big hoo-ha over the search for her?

Was he just trying to make himself to be some kind of a hopeful hero? That thought infuriated Ye Jiayao.

While Ye Jiayao was stewing in her anger, Helian Jing was overwhelmed with anxiety that he didn’t dare to go visit Heavenly Residence for the past two days.

Li Yao has stayed in Black Wind Ridge. Li Yao is a woman.

Brother Chunyu was so protective of Li Yao that he even risked the wrath of Liu Li and the Empress Dowager just to defend her.

Helian Jing also found it odd how certain Brother Chunyu was that the wife of Wei Liujiang was not the real First Lady Ye.

And the way Brother Chunyu gazes so tenderly at Li Yao…

Could Li Yao be the First Lady Ye, Brother Chunyu’s rumored wife?

The mere possibility of that devastated Helian Jing.

He wished that that wasn’t the case, but he was too afraid to seek confirmation and the uncertainty was driving him crazy.

Finally, when he thought he’d climb the walls out of madness, Helian Jing turned to his brother.

“Big brother, that day when you talked about outsiders and their matters, what do you mean by that?” His instincts told him that his brother knew exactly what was going on.

Helian Xuan sweepingly gazed at the impatient Little Jing and said, “It means exactly what it means.”

“What? I don’t understand. Can you make yourself clearer?” Helian Jing pouted.

“How much clearer could it get? Their conflict will be resolved only by themselves.” Helian Xuan thought that his brother was still hounding him for that 500,000 taels so he added, “Even if you manage to get the money, Chunyu still won’t let him go.”

Helian Jing was confused. “Why? What rights does he have to not let him go? He can’t go back on his words.”

“Did Chunyu personally promise to let Li Yao go after paying 500, 000 taels?” Helian Xuan asked.

Helian Jing shrugged. “I don’t… I don’t know.”

Helian Xuan snorted. “See? You’re meddling in things you know nothing about.”

“Yaoyao said it so I believe it’s true,” Helian Jing said as if he was daring his big brother to contradict it.

“Little Jing, I promise you, they will work this out in just a few days.” He was afraid that Little Jing would stick his meddlesome nose in the couple’s business and just ruin things.

“How can you guarantee that? On what grounds? Did Brother Chunyu tell you something?”

“He didn’t say anything, but I know Chunyu. He doesn’t do useless things and he always has a plan.”

“A plan? What possible plan could he have had to compare Yaoyao with Liu Yiyi in front of everyone?” Helian Jing told his brother angrily, recalling Xia Chunyu’s cruel words that day.

“Perhaps Li Yao offended Chunyu so Chunyu is spiting him on purpose,” Helian Xuan suggested. Chunyu could be very generous but he could also be extremely petty.

Helian Jing thought that Brother Chunyu was acting like a woman. And speaking of woman…

“Big brother, have you seen Chunyu’s wife?”

“No.”

“Could it be someone we all know?” Helian Jing tried to sound him out.

Helian Xuan tensed. “Didn’t you hear that she jumped off the cliff? Where would have I seen her?”

“Are you certain?”

“I don’t have time to fool around with you, Little Jing. Get lost,” Helian Xuan dismissed, trying to deter his brother’s suspicions.

Helian Jing walked out of the study gloomily, his mood worsening.

In Heavenly Residence, Ye Jiayao was called over by Manager Zhao.

“This is a list of a few private banquets. I have offered a price of 300 taels for 10 tables on your behalf. The prices used to be 300 taels for 20 tables, but since you’re an imperial chef now, it’s only fitting to raise it. Take a look at the dates and make some arrangement beforehand.”

Ye Jiayao browsed the list. There’s a total of six banquets, which would add up to 160 tables and would equate to 4800 taels. Even after the 40% was deducted and the wages of the helpers were distributed, she’d still have about 2,000 taels left. Finally, she could earn some decent money.

A name suddenly caught her eye and she stopped short.

Wei residence? Which Wei residence?

Understandably, Ye Jiayao was particularly sensitive towards the surnames Wei and Mu.

She couldn’t figure out which Wei was this because the name wasn’t written on the list, just the date and the address of the house.

“Alright. Manager Zhao, can I ask when the shopkeeper will be coming over?” Ye Jiayao wanted to ask Xia Chunyu what on earth was he doing.

Was he trying to reinstate her status? What’s going to happen after she recovers her identity? He made such a huge deal of looking for her lost ‘wife’, was he intending to marry her? Ha! Fat chance of that happening now, Stupid Donkey.

Manager Zhao smiled blandly. “The shopkeeper would come when he wants to.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and pocketed the list. “Okay. Manager, there is something else I have to discuss with you.”

“What is it?

“I hired two people to help me make the ice cream and the molds. These kinds of labors should be paid wages, right? I am also working for the restaurant, so you can’t possibly have me pay them from my wages, right?” Ye Jiayao was being smart this time. If they were going to continue to gang up on her, she’d damn well take advantage of them.

“Shopkeeper Li previously made a verbal promise to pay them their wages. If you don’t agree to this, I would never be able to ask them for their help again in the future.”

Manager Zhao said, “The ice cream labor will be calculated once a month and you can compute the pay. As for the molds, since they are all well done, we will use the market price, with an addition of 20%. Just make a bill and I will get the accounts to pass you the money after I take a look at it.”

Ye Jiayao nodded and left.

She actually has already given Jiang Li and Jiang Yue their pay. The one she was asking for was hers, and although it’s not a huge amount, it would still benefit her.

Ye Jiayao returned to the courtyard and Jiang Li opened the door for her. “Madam, your family members are here.”

She stopped short. “I’m sorry? My family members? What? Who?”

What family? Was it Jinrong and the gang? How did they even find her?

“Xuan-er…”

A middle-aged couple walked out from the room.

Ye Jiayao cried out in disbelief, “Uncle? Auntie?”

“Xuan-er! My poor Xuan-er, I really can’t believe that they would be so ruthless. We have been kept in the dark the whole time, thinking that you were living well in Ji Nan. This is so heartbreaking.” The woman hugged Ye Jiayao, crying.

“Auntie… um, you know what happened?” Ye Jiayao was still confused.

“We do. We rushed here immediately after receiving the letter that the Heir-Son Lord sent detailing the whole story. We didn’t believe it at first because it all sounded so outrageous and horrible! Don’t worry, Xuan-er, we will avenge you. Your grandparents’ health isn’t just too good, otherwise, they would have come as well,” Uncle said.

Did Chunyu get Auntie and Uncle to come over?  Motherf*cker!  Her grandmother’s health was deteriorating so she has hidden her plight on purpose!

“Are Grandpa and Grandma still alright?” Ye Jiayao asked worriedly. She had planned to return to Zhen Jiang to visit her grandparents after she has gained a foothold in Jin Ling.

“They’re alright, don’t worry, dear,” Auntie Fang said, wiping her tears.

“Let’s all go inside and talk!” Auntie Jiang said, ushering everyone into her home.

Ye Jiayao and her family settled down inside the house with the tea Jiang Yue prepared for them.

Fang took a look at her niece’s male get up and felt even sorrier for her. She knew that she’s working as a chef in a restaurant just to support herself. Ye Jinxuan, a perfectly fine young lady from a wealthy family, was forced to dress up as a male in order to make a living. Just thinking about all the sufferings her niece went through made Fang burn with anger.

“Old Master, we cannot just let this matter go. We, the Fang family, cannot be bullied just like that,” Fang said, enraged.

Uncle assured, “We’re not going to turn a blind eye on this. We will go along with Heir-Son Lord’s plan and take our retribution.”

He then turned to Ye Jinxuan and reprimanded, “Xuan-er, why didn’t you even look for us after coming back? Were you even planning to tell us? If it wasn’t for the Heir-Son Lord, we would’ve remained ignorant! Do you think you have no one to depend on? No family?”

Despite the scolding words, Ye Jiayao was touched. In her insistence to climb up and support herself, she had forgotten that she still has a family that cares for her.

“No, Uncle. I was just afraid that when Grandma finds out, her condition would worsen,” Ye Jiayao choked out, her emotions running high.

“You foolish child, didn’t you think that doing this would hurt your grandmother more? Her heart is breaking,” Fang said.

“Xuan-er, just remember that no matter what happens, you have the Fang family to support you,” Uncle said seriously.

Ye Jiayao nodded vigorously as tears trickled down her cheeks.

“That ingrate Ye Binghuai! If not for the help of our family, he wouldn’t be where he is today! How dare he treat you like this? You’re his first daughter!” Uncle raged.

“Uncle, have you seen my father?”

“No. We came straight to Jin Ling to see you. However, we received a letter from your father last month. Your grandmother misses you so she sent a letter asking about your well-being. Your father actually replied that you’re doing well in Ji Nan!” Fang answered.

“I think that it’s mainly Ning and Jinrong behind this,” Ye Jiayao analyzed.

Her father might be cold towards her, but she suspected that it was all because of Ning’s doing. Her father used to treat her well before her evil stepmother came into the picture.

“From the first time I saw her, I knew that that slut with her high cheekbones and thin lips was a cold-hearted woman. Even your grandmother knew that that’s why we were all worried when we sent you back to Yang Zhou,” Fang relayed.

“She’s been cruel to me the entire time. It’s only when people from the maternal family comes over for a visit that I get dressed up prettily. Once you leave, I live a life worse than the servants,” Ye Jiayao confessed. They already knew what happened so she might as well just come clean.

Fang started tearing up again after hearing that. “You should’ve been honest with us! If you had told us earlier, you wouldn’t have landed in this state.”

Ye Jiayao didn’t know how to respond to that. Even she was also wondering why the original host didn’t say anything.