Everyone, except Xia You, ate the spread with relish.
At dinner, Xia Chunyu treated the workers of the Heavenly Residence, Uncle Jiang’s family, Shopkeeper Du’s family, Lu Xiaotian, Duan Qilin, Lin Changchun, and other members of the catering industry.
Ye Jiayao’s former coworkers even bought a gift for her.
“Second Young Mistress, this is the gift that the brothers have put together. We apologize that it’s nothing valuable or precious, Second Young Mistress,” Deng Haichuan said, a box in his outstretched hands.
She took the box from him and was surprised by how heavy it was. She opened the box and saw a knife inlaid with gold with the handle engraved with an exquisite decorative pattern.
Ye Jiayao picked it up and tested it out. The weight was just the right balance for her.
“This is great! Thank you, brothers,” Ye Jiayao said happily.
Everyone smiled in relief after hearing her acceptance.
“Hey, hey, what did I say? I told you Brother Yao’s gonna like it!” boasted Cui Dongpeng.
Deng Haichuan smacked him on the back of his head. “It’s Second Young Mistress, you idiot!”
The crowd laughed at their antics.
Lu Xiaotian observed the scene in front of him with envy. It was no wonder that the Heavenly Residence has been so successful. They treat each other well and they were all like family. In a supportive and fun workplace like this, it was really hard not to thrive.
“It looks like the cooking competition is going to lose a strong competitor. ” Lin Changchun shook his head and said with regret, “I was looking forward to seeing her performance.”
“She doesn’t need a cooking contest to prove herself,” said Duan Qilin.
“Female chefs are better than men! First, Lady Rong, and now it’s Lady Ye Jinxuan!” Shopkeeper Li bragged.
When the Heir-son Lord bought the restaurant for Li Yao, Shopkeeper Li felt spiteful that his treasure pot was taken away from him. However, being a part of this wedding celebration, all he could feel was happiness for the couple. Besides, he now realized that the Heir-son Lord did him a favor by taking Heavenly Residence off his hands. He was already too old and he should just be enjoying his leisure time now.
“You only recruited him as a chef because you thought he was a man!” Lin Changchun jested.
Shopkeeper Li grinned and raised his glass. “That doesn’t matter now. It’s a happy day today. Besides, it’s you who needs to work harder. You’re being beaten by a woman.”
Duan Qilin shook his head. “With so many people in Jin Ling, business is never done.”
“Uncle Duan’s right. Harmony brings wealth,” Lu Xiaotian said. He used to think that Li Yao was admirable, but now that he knew he’s actually a woman, his respect for her rose to an ultimate high. She was indeed incredible.
YeJiayao and Xia Chunyu came to propose a toast.
“Let’s eat well and drink our fill!” Ye Jiayao exclaimed.
“The food in Heavenly Residence is really delicious. Second Young Mistress, what’s your secret recipe?” Lin Changchun asked, only half-joking.
It’s chicken essence. However, since it is a secret recipe, Ye Jiayao answered cheekily, “Love. Cooking is not just a task to accomplish. Do every dish with care and thought, and even the simplest ingredients will taste spectacular.”
“Can you really do that?” Lu Xiaotian asked suspiciously.
Ye Jiayao shrugged. “Hey, you asked for my secret recipe.
Lu Xiaotian and Duan Qilin looked at each other thoughtfully. Professional chefs do so much cooking that over time, technicality takes over everything. Cooking becomes a mere process that follows a schedule. Of course, it still yields delicious dishes, but it doesn’t touch the heart of the tasters. Putting your heart into every dish was always too much work and the fact that she does it in every meal that she prepares was admirable.
“Thank you for the lesson,” Lu Xiaotian said, bowing gratefully.
“I will ask you for some advice on vegetarian foods another day. I am interested in branching out in that area,” Ye Jiayao told him.
Lu Xiaotian was more than happy to help her. “Anytime.”
“In the future, the Heavenly Residence will be managed by the Second Young Mistress. You guys can help each other more, then,” Xia Chunyu offered.
Lin Changchun smiled excitedly. “We’d definitely like that!”
Just then, the waiter came in to serve the dishes, announcing the names accordingly.
“The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. This was a dish created by the Second Young Mistress for the Emperor.”
“Fresh and fragrant. I taste at least ten kinds of spices and seasoning here, blending perfectly,” said Duan Qilin.
Lu Xiaotian has already tasted the dish at home. His father made it the same way the Second Young Mistress taught him to. However, his father always said that something was missing from his version and now that he’s tasted the original one, he realized that what his father said was true. It was the same dish but there was something significantly different and more delicious with the Second Young Mistress’ food.
He then realized that what Ye Jinxuan said was right. The ingredient they’ve been missing were their hearts.
Xia Chunyu was afraid that Yaoyao would get tired so they left the banquet earlier than the rest and tasked Manager Zhao to take care of the guests.
Ye Jiayao fell asleep on the ride home, leaning against Xia Chunyu. She was exhausted. She was run ragged last night and all of today.
When they arrived, Xia Chunyu didn’t bother waking her up and instead carried her back to their courtyard. He even undressed her and gave her a sponge bath himself. When they were both clean, he laid her down on the bed and snuggled against her, sinking into a peaceful dream.
However, when Xia You heard of this, she immediately went into a tirade. “How spoiled is that woman? She can’t even walk on her own? What, is she just flaunting her husband’s love for her?”
“Madame, I don’t think it’s a big deal. You should be happy for the couple,” said Mother Sun who was very close to Xia You.
“Chunyu is just too fond of her and would do everything just to make her happy. Take tonight, for example. They went to dine at Heavenly Residence and invited a bunch of civilians to drink with them! That’s very inappropriate. And she’s a lady! Why would she drink with a bunch of men?” Xia You ranted, aggrieved. “I don’t care that they were her friends before. She is now the Second Young Lady of the mansion and its future mistress. She needs to act accordingly.”
“Don’t worry so much, Madame. In my opinion, the Second Young Lady is a kind, smart, and capable woman. You should consider how she won the Emperor, the Old Ancestress, and the Princess while she was still a commoner. I know that when the time comes, she’ll surely become a qualified hostess and a good wife to the Heir-son Lord,” Mother Sun advised.
Xia You sighed. She was too tired for this. “Where is the Old Lord staying tonight?”
“At Concubine Gui’s, Madame.”
“Very well.” Xia You put the comb down in a huff and went to bed. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep because of all the worries she currently has. Her husband never agrees with her, Chunyu married an unsuitable woman, and Chunfeng is about to get married to Princess Liu Li. This was too much headache for one person!
When Ye Jiayao woke up, she found herself lying in Chunyu’s arms. How did she get back last night? All she could remember was feeling sleepy in the carriage ride home.
Did he carry her to bed?
Ye Jiayao carefully raised her head and peered at her husband. The first rays of sunlight spread across the edge of the window, painting a faint gold sheen on his sleeping face. It softened his edges and made him more beautiful. Despite everything, Ye Jiayao thought that waking up to a handsome man like this every day was a definite perk.
“Have you seen enough? Are you satisfied?” he asked, his eyes still closed yet with a cocky smirk on his lips.
“I’m looking at the gunk in the corners of your eyes, wondering if I should get it for you.” There was no way she’s gonna admit that she had been ogling him.
Xia Chunyu’s eyes flew open as he fixed her with a piercing glare.
“You don’t believe me? Look in the mirror,” Ye Jiayao goaded.
“I think you’ve rested enough,” he said roughly, moving to get on top of her.
“Hey! Get off me! Stop that now!”
“No. This is your punishment. Let’s see if you dare to tease me again.”
“I wasn’t teasing you!”
A moment later a very angry plea for mercy rang out, “No! Never again!”
