Chapter 135: Closing Up Shop Too Quickly

Cook Li returned to the kitchen in a daze, clutching a silver ingot. She truly hadn't expected the master to reward her so generously.

Back in the kitchen, Cook Liu saw the unconcealed joy on her face and felt a surge of stifled frustration.

"Oh my, you're back. What did the master say? You look so happy your mouth won't even close."

Cook Li was in such a wonderful mood that she had no desire to bicker with such a petty person. After all, the master had found the bean sprouts delightful and praised them highly, as did the mistress, who usually cared little for the pleasures of the palate.

"Naturally, the master found the bean sprouts I bought delicious. He even told me to buy them regularly! I'm sorry to disappoint you."

With that, Cook Li hurried out of the kitchen; she needed to get to the market and settle this arrangement.

Watching her go, Cook Liu threw her ladle into the pot in a fit of rage. She worked so hard in the kitchen, so why did the other woman get all the credit and rewards?

"Bah, what is there to be so happy about? One day you'll be crying as you leave this kitchen. Honestly, why don't I ever have such good luck?"

It was clearly a joint effort—even if the purchase was her duty, the cooking was her own contribution as well!

***

When Cook Li rushed to the market, she found that Gu Xiaoyao was already gone. After asking around, she learned that the girl had returned home.

"Oh dear, why did she pack up so early? I don't even know if she'll come back tomorrow."

The other vegetable vendors were astonished to see Cook Li in such a flustered state, as they had never seen her act this way before.

"Ma'am, what's wrong? Was the girl's produce no good, and you wasted your money?"

"It’s not that it was bad; it was so good that the master loved it, so I wanted to strike a long-term deal with her. I had no idea she would leave so soon!"

On second thought, it made sense. She had only brought two baskets of sprouts; once they were sold, she would naturally head home rather than linger.

Gu Xiaoyao, now sitting on an ox cart, had no idea that Cook Li had returned to the market looking for her. She sat with her eyes closed, resting as the cart rattled along, the constant jolting enough to make anyone dizzy.

"Little sister, what a coincidence to run into you here! Are you heading home too?"

Suddenly, a woman’s voice cut through the air. The person sitting next to Gu Xiaoyao shifted slightly closer.

Gu Xiaoyao, who had been resting, opened her eyes and glanced at the woman beside her. One look was enough to understand why this stranger had struck up a conversation: a young man sat next to her.

The girl was quite pretty, and the young man seemed to be intentionally crowding her, reaching out to grope her whenever he could.

"Yes, I bought some things and am heading home. It seems a bit cramped here—you can sit over by me; there's still room."

Gu Xiaoyao was not a cold-hearted person. She was willing to help when she could, and after all, it was just a matter of sliding over to make space.

"Thank you, little sister. I’ll move over, but please let me know if it’s too crowded."

Seeing her willingness to help, the girl’s eyes filled with gratitude as she shifted closer to Gu Xiaoyao. The man beside them glared at Gu Xiaoyao with resentment, clearly frustrated as he tried to inch his way over as well.