RPAGF Chapter 496 Xu 11 Who Knows How to Pretend to Be Well-behaved
Chapter 496 Xu 11 Who Knows How to Pretend to Be Well-behaved
Suddenly lowering her voice, she said, "I have to say, you're quite good at playing the innocent. Look how well you've fooled these people. I doubt many of your clansmen have seen your true colors."
Old Lu chuckled, his tone slightly teasing.
"These people probably don't know that you kill people without even blinking, especially when you chopped off Xie Yushu's head, you were really ruthless! Decisive and efficient. Poisoning? Heh, that's nothing."
After he finished speaking, before Xu Yiyi could react, he picked up the tray, humming an off-key tune, and swaggered off to the front hall.
Xu Yiyi stood there and shrugged, listening to Lao Lu's teasing, and nonchalantly prepared the mandarin orange juice.
……
The closer it gets to mealtime, the more people there are.
Even through the two thick walls, the lively sounds could be clearly heard in the rest room on the third floor of the neighboring Ruyi Residence.
Hong Gang was disturbed by the constant noise and couldn't fall asleep no matter how much he tossed and turned.
He held back for a long time, but finally couldn't contain himself any longer and shouted towards the door, "Someone come here!"
The servant Azhi pushed open the door and entered, standing respectfully by the bed with a hint of timidity on his face.
Hong Gang pointed towards the wall and asked irritably, "What's going on next door? It's busier than the docks every day. Are they up to something new again?"
Ah Zhi glanced at Hong Gang's expression and thought to himself, "Is there anything secretive about this? They're doing it openly and honestly."
His lips moved slightly, as if he was hesitating whether or not to speak.
"Are you mute? Or did someone sew your mouth shut?" Hong Gang was already annoyed, and seeing Azhi's hesitant manner only made him angrier.
After saying that, he grabbed a pillow from the side and threw it at her.
Ah Zhi didn't dare to dodge and took the hit head-on.
The wooden pillow was rock hard; it hurt terribly when it hit my head, and blood immediately gushed out.
Ah Zhi, however, concealed the resentment in his eyes the moment he looked up and replied in a low voice, "Reporting to the master, the restaurant next door has a new drink today called Indian gooseberry juice. They say it's a perfect match for hot pot. The waiter is very enthusiastic in promoting it. I stood at the door and observed for a while. Quite a few people are buying it."
He spoke slowly and deliberately, like a wooden puppet, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"Orange juice?" Hong Gang's brows furrowed instantly. "That brat really knows how to cause trouble! Yesterday it was a hot pot feast, today it's orange juice! Is she trying to kill me...?"
Hong Gang's displeasure intensified, gnawing at him like a venomous snake.
Ah Zhi lowered his head, his eyes filled with disdain.
"These people are out of their minds, they're going to idolize a drink made from some worthless fruit," Hong Gang cursed.
Then she turned to look at A-Zhi and said, "Go and secretly buy some things, and also buy that hot pot."
He refused to believe it; he had even figured out how to make the chili sauce.
Is there anything he can't do to make hot pot?
"Boss, the hot pot restaurant next door doesn't allow takeout, so I can't buy any," A-Zhi said bluntly.
Hong Gang's face instantly darkened: "Then let's buy the drinks first."
It's just hot pot; it's not like he's never had it before.
I just never thought I could make it work here.
Ah Zhi pursed his lips and replied, "Yes."
Hong Gang paused, then asked, "Didn't I tell you to contact fishermen to buy sea snakes yesterday? How did it go? Did you manage to contact them?"
When Ah Zhi heard him mention this, he instinctively shrank his neck and looked very embarrassed: "Master, sea snakes are really hard to catch. Few fishermen make a living by catching them. I received news this morning that a family recently caught some, but it has been a while, and the sea snakes may have dried up."
He paused, then mustered his courage and advised, "Master, in my humble opinion, sea snakes are just a rare commodity. The price is far too high, the risks are great, and they're difficult to handle. Not many customers are willing to try them. Just look at the fact that there aren't any restaurants in town that do this business, except for the one next door. Why don't we..."
Before he could finish speaking, Hong Gang's sinister gaze instantly fell on A-Zhi.
"Not as good as what?" he said sinisterly.
Azhi paused, then mustered his courage and continued, "Why don't we focus on the present and stabilize our current business? Although the hot pot banquet next door has taken away a lot of customers, and we've lost some money by lowering prices, as long as we can maintain the quality of our dishes, we can still make a little profit..."
"Shut up."
Hong Gang impatiently interrupted him, his face instantly revealing a stubborn and fierce look. "What do you know? I'm the owner of this restaurant! What I want is to surpass the restaurant next door! To get all those customers back! To make that brat Xu Yiyi go back to the dock to set up a stall, no! Go back to the fishing village to catch fish, preferably when a big wave comes and drowns her. What's a high price? As long as we can catch sea snakes, it's worth it! Go contact them immediately, the price is negotiable, send someone out to catch them."
Ah Zhi was so angry at him that he dared not say another word. He could only agree repeatedly, bow, and leave.
After closing the door, A-Zhi leaned against the cold wall and sighed silently.
He raised his hand and rubbed the spot where he had been hit by the pillow, his face full of resentment.
Leaning against the half-open window, I looked towards the next room.
It seemed like they were always busy over there, but everyone was in high spirits, and you could even faintly hear laughter coming from there.
Then compare it to my own situation, it's a disaster.
Hong Gang is impatient and easily angered, his business is getting increasingly slow, the atmosphere is oppressive, and he hasn't received any tips in a long time...
If only I weren't a slave with no control over my own life, having signed a death contract.
He wished he could sprout wings and fly away from this suffocating place right now.
"Are you stupid? Quickly bandage the wound." Liu Shao hurriedly ran up and pulled the person down, glancing at the house as he left.
Liu Shao was mopping the floor on the second floor when he heard a thud, so he quickly ran up the stairs to check.
Before he could hear anything, he heard the door close, which startled him so much that he ran downstairs immediately.
After waiting for a while and not seeing anyone come down, I quickly ran back up.
Only then did they realize that Ah Zhi's face was covered in blood.
"That bastard's hands are too ruthless! He's injured so badly." Liu Shao looked at him with heartache.
A-Zhi smiled nonchalantly: "It's not the first time this has happened, I'm used to it."
As he spoke, he took a handkerchief, covered his wound, and went downstairs.
When washing my face in the backyard, I didn't even dare to use too much water; I could only wipe the blood off my face little by little with a handkerchief.
Ruyiju's location has its advantages and disadvantages. It's impossible to dig a well, so the restaurant has to buy water. Every day before dawn, water sellers would push carts on the street and shout that a bucket of water cost one coin. When business was good, they would use at least several hundred buckets.
Business is bad now, and Hong Gang is even starting to feel the pinch when it comes to spending money on water. They carry the water themselves every day, and since it's free now, they should be more generous with it.
Unfortunately, Hong Gang was a stingy person, and they couldn't touch anything except for necessary water.
"Stop rubbing! We need to go to the doctor right away! The bleeding won't stop."
Liu Shao said this and quickly pulled Azhi out.
The shopkeeper sighed again when he saw his miserable state.
More and more pedestrians are appearing on the street.
Due to excessive blood loss, Azhi's consciousness began to become blurred.
I didn't see where I was going when I went out and bumped right into someone.
"Ouch!"
Ah Zhi was already unsteady on his feet, and with that bump, he fell flat on his backside and couldn't get up. The hand he was using to cover his forehead loosened, and blood started flowing even more freely, staining half of his cheek and clothes red, making him look miserable.
Wen Zaisi was knocked back half a step, but Xue Shiyu caught him.
Upon seeing Azhi's blood-red appearance, he was so frightened that he took half a step back.
Seeing that his head was covered in blood and his lips were pale, Sanchuan quickly helped him up.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Hearing the commotion, Liu Shao quickly came out and took the person from him, and San Chuan let go of him.
"Don't apologize yet. He seems to be about to collapse. Let's get him to the clinic quickly."
Despite the pain, Azhi nodded weakly to Sanchuan and, with Liushao's help, walked towards the clinic.
San Chuan watched the two figures walk away, his brows furrowed slightly, lost in thought.
Just then, Sihai also saw him at his own restaurant.
"Third Brother!" came a clear, bright voice.
Upon hearing the voice, Sanchuan immediately looked away and replied, "Coming!"
Without further delay, he turned and strode quickly toward the entrance of his restaurant.
When Wen Zaisi saw Sanchuan leave, he instinctively wanted to follow.
"Hey! Xu Sanchuan! Wait for me!"
Misu quickly followed, swallowing hard as she exclaimed, "Yeah, yeah! Wait for us! We're starving! What kind of hot pot should we have today?"
The two followed closely behind Sanchuan as they went inside.
Xue Shiyu continued to lag behind at a leisurely pace, glancing casually at the sign at the entrance.
"Orange juice?"
He frowned slightly, pondering what this Indian gooseberry was.
Before he could figure it out, Misu, who had gone in first, suddenly ran out and pulled him up.
"Hurry up, Sihai said there's a delicious drink today that goes perfectly with hot pot."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Shiyu stumbled and almost fell.
When we entered the restaurant's backyard, my sleeves were even more wrinkled.
Old Lu, holding the tray in both hands, snorted softly when he saw the three of them and moved the tray to his shoulder.
Then he spoke up, "Hey, you bunch of brats... aren't you being a little too familiar? This is the backyard, you know? The kitchen is right here, and all the ingredients are processed here. No unauthorized personnel allowed."
Misu waved her hand dismissively: "It's alright, it's alright. It's a bit messy, but we don't mind."
Old Lu immediately looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"Whether you mind or not is none of my business. What I mean is... this place is very important, outsiders should stay out as much as possible, if you want to eat, go to the front..." Old Lu said very bluntly.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa Lu, I'll take them out." Sanchuan had just put down his book bag when he rushed out.
When Lao Lu saw that it was San Chuan, the disdain on his face vanished instantly.
"Take your silly classmate upstairs; it's not good for him to be wandering around in the backyard."
As he spoke, Lao Lu reached out and patted Sanchuan's head.
Wen Zaisi stood silently to the side, observing Lao Lu from beginning to end. No matter how he looked at him, he seemed to be just a ragged old man.
Just as Lao Lu was about to bypass them and enter the front hall, Wen Zaisi suddenly had a wicked idea.
Just as he was about to stick out his foot to trip her, Xue Shiyu saw through his intention and stepped on his foot before he could lift it.
Old Lu, holding the tray, gave them a meaningful look at their actions.
Once everyone had left, Xue Shiyu released his foot from Wen Zaisi's foot.
"Why did you step on me?" Wen Zaisi said defiantly.
Xue Shiyu glanced at him: "If I hadn't stopped you, you would have already provoked anger by now."
Wen Zaisi gritted his teeth and followed Sanchuan up to the second floor of the restaurant.
He glanced at Sanchuan, who was chatting enthusiastically with Misu, and lowered his voice, saying, "Anger? So what? I'm not afraid."
"Don't you also think Xu Sihai's martial arts are strange? The problem must lie with Master. I just wanted to test him."
Xue Shiyu narrowed his eyes: "So what if something's not right? I'm not curious."
After going up to the second floor, the two stood in the corridor.
"I don't care how curious you are about that old road's origins, just don't let it affect the relationship between Sanchuan and me," Xue Shiyu said calmly.
Wen Zaisi was shocked by this statement.
"Are you alright? A fisherman's son whose family runs a small, run-down restaurant, do you really need to befriend him? What? Has staying in this shabby place for too long made Xue Sanlang lose his mind? Do you really consider him a classmate? A friend? And you even warned me because of him?" His tone was full of disdain.
Xue Shiyu smiled faintly, but ultimately said nothing and walked past Wen Zaisi into the private room.
Wen Zaisi watched his retreating figure, feeling inexplicably uneasy.
Xue Shiyu has always been the type of person who doesn't act without self-interest, so he must have had something to gain in order to befriend Xu Sanchuan.
But the question is, what is he after? Wen Zaisi couldn't figure it out for the time being.
Inside the private room, the hot pot started bubbling again, filling the air with its aroma.
Misu dipped meat in her left hand and held a cup in her right. She took a bite of the hot and spicy vegetables, followed by a large gulp of chilled mandarin orange juice.
"Delicious! Delicious!"
Misu was almost moved to tears. He had been extremely reluctant when his father packed him up and sent him here.
I'm so glad I came along, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to eat such delicious food.
"Sanchuan, everything at your house is so delicious!" Misu exclaimed. "I've decided that I'll come to your house for dinner every day from now on."
With a beaming smile, Sanchuan poured the sliced fish into the pot. "Sure, sure, as long as you pay."
His directness made Misu feel that he was sincere.
Xue Shiyu, standing to the side, maintained his refined demeanor as a young master from a prominent family. He sat upright, and his movements as he picked up food and cooked it were unhurried, elegant, and proper.
Completely practice the rule of not talking while eating.
However, he was eating much faster and more frequently than usual, and the number of empty plates piled up in front of him was also increasing. He was clearly enjoying the hot pot and the mandarin orange juice, but he was just eating in a nicer way.
Wen Zaisi, however, seemed somewhat distracted.
The bowls and plates in front of him were barely touched; he was fiddling with the contents of his bowls with his chopsticks, but his gaze kept shifting back and forth between Sanchuan and Xue Shiyu.