Chennai took small bites of the noodles, glancing at the hesitant Chengtian. Finally, she spoke up, "Alright, I know you care about them. This is a safe place; no need to worry. Pack a bit of everything for them to enjoy."
"Yes, thank you, Young Master, for your concern!" Chengtian happily prepared two large bowls of mixed noodles, loading each variety of side dishes generously. With a wave in the air, it seemed like a breeze passed by, making Xiangbei curious about where these shadow guards were hiding.
Suddenly, another thought crossed her mind, "Oh, Ziqiu, don't finish it all. I need to save some for Ziqiu." The whole group stopped, hesitant to take another bite.
Tossing the chopsticks aside, Chengmo said, "Fine, we won't eat anymore. It's all for your Ziqiu. Let's see how much he can eat."
Xiangbei picked up a pair of chopsticks from the plate, handing them over to Chengmo with a flattering smile. "No, you eat. Everyone eats. Just a bit, I'll save some for him. It's a sample, right? We can even sell our secret technique from Fuhai Tower in the North-South supermarkets. Just a tiny bit for trying and ordering."
"Humph, Uncle Zhong, please save a portion for that Qiao Er. Let's continue, everyone." Chengmo wasn't genuinely upset, but she still didn't take the chopsticks from the girl. Instead, she fed Xiangbei with the noodles, saying, "You're the big boss of the North-South Supermarkets. Why do you need him to look at samples and decide what to order? If it's good for him, you can place the order yourself."
"In the business world, it's like a battlefield. You must respect your partners," Xiangbei tilted her head and retorted, with a mouthful of noodles forcibly stuffed in.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Chengmo took out her handkerchief, gently wiping off the sauce at the corner of Xiangbei's mouth. "I've only heard that on the battlefield, it's like brothers, trusting each other."
"Yes, trust and respect should go hand in hand. In Fuhai Tower, I also discuss things with the masters, and we listen to each other. How about you?" Xiangbei spoke softer and softer, lowering her head to avoid the handkerchief reaching for her again. She just noticed that this boss had been using the same chopsticks she fed her with to feed herself. Was this person treating her like a kindergarten kid? But it seemed that Miss Tong forgot that besides kindergarten kids needing to be fed, there was another type of person who liked to feed each other like this.
"Alright, you'll listen to me from now on." Chengmo smiled, tucked the handkerchief into her pocket, and stopped feeding. It wasn't easy to make this clever girl act a bit confused. "Okay, stop overthinking. Do you have anything else to do? If not, let's go out for a walk."
"Yes, Duo'er, I almost forgot that I invited you to go shopping. What should we do? I'm afraid we'll have to break the appointment today. I have to make the most complicated Jiao Liao Fen. It might take a while."
"Miss Bei, no rush. Master asked Duo'er to follow you starting from today. There will be plenty of time in the future."
"Yes, let's go to Dongbin County tomorrow. It's much bigger than my Zebei Town. I'll take you for a stroll there." Chengmo had a vague plan in her mind. She didn't want Qiao Er to have too many opportunities to interact with Xiangbei these days. The best way was to take her away. However, how to implement it was something she wanted to discuss with Uncle Zhong later tonight.
"Going to the county? I happen to have a few metal and wooden devices to be made. There should be more and better craftsmen in the county, right? I'll talk to Brother Ziqiu tonight."
Now Chengmo was in a dilemma. He hadn't expected the plan to take her away to be implemented yet, but she had already discussed going to someone else tonight. His face turned pale suddenly, surprising even Xiangbei, "What's wrong? Is there any discomfort after eating? Is your stomach uncomfortable?" Everyone became tense all at once, except Uncle Zhong, who was always attentive to his young master and understood what had happened.
"It's nothing, nothing. The young master usually eats less, and today he might be a bit full. Miss Bei, how about we help the young master upstairs first? What should we do downstairs? Should we prepare something for Old Cheng to listen to your instructions later? Shall we get ready first? I'll send someone to invite Mr. Qiao for dinner at our Fuhai Tower while having a chat?"
"That's fine. The seasoning inside is not difficult to make, as soon as I mention it, the masters will all understand. But it's just that there are many varieties, and the process is complicated. The master needs to carefully note it down."
"Miss Bei, rest assured, I, Lao Cheng, will take care of this for you. I'll immediately prepare a bowl of soothing soup for the young master and have Zhongzi send it up. It'll be ready soon." Master Cheng seemed to have understood Uncle Zhong's intention now. Having been companions for decades, they still had a certain tacit understanding. At the same time, he called out to Duo'er, who was about to leave with the young lady, "Duo'er, can you help me record and organize the recipes we just discussed? You are the best at recognizing words."
"Miss Bei, don't worry. I'll take care of this for you. I'll burn a bowl of soothing soup right away and have Zhongzi deliver it upstairs. It'll be quick." At this moment, Master Cheng seemed to have understood Uncle Zhong's intention. They had been companions for decades, and there was still some tacit understanding.