Gourmet: The Master Chef Just Wants to Leisurely Set Up a Stall - Chapter 8

Zhao Xiaojing didn’t rest for long. After finishing the last of her sweet potatoes at home, she grabbed a small folding stool and headed out.

Yesterday’s restaurant was quite good; the vegetables looked fresh and crisp, and the meat was of excellent quality.

The system had so many skewer recipes that she only practiced a portion yesterday. Today, she planned to see if there were new ingredients to continue practicing.

Although she wasn’t physically tired in the virtual space, standing for four hours left her a bit stiff, so today she brought a stool to sit on.

“She’s back again!”

“Shouldn’t you call Lao Zhang? Didn’t he say this morning he’d discipline Xiao Zhang? What’s he doing?”

“Why don’t you call? I spoke to him this morning. Do I have to handle this tonight too? Why are you being such a wimp?”

“How is that being a wimp! You’re the one who said yesterday you couldn’t stand seeing Xiao Zhang causing trouble again, that Lao Zhang’s life’s work would be ruined!”

“Wasn’t it because those women smashed the shop and set fire last time, and you kept complaining to me about it? Now when it’s your turn to step up, you’re silent!”

The restaurant owner’s wife put her hands on her hips glaring, and the owner immediately slouched, reluctantly taking out his phone to make a call.

Twenty minutes later, Lao Zhang appeared looking furious, holding a stick and glaring at his guilty-looking son walking beside him.

“Boss Zhou, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! This rascal has caused trouble again. If he doesn’t clean up his act today, I’ll break his legs!”

“Hey, Lao Zhang, calm down. This young lady seems nice and quiet. She hasn’t done anything extreme. It’s just that she’s been standing here alone for hours in this heat, and we got worried something might happen. Don’t be too harsh; just talk some sense into him.”

The owner pointed at Zhao Xiaojing, trying to reason with Lao Zhang.

“Did you hear that?! Hurry up!” Lao Zhang raised the stick threateningly, prompting Xiao Zhang to rush over to Zhao Xiaojing.

“Baby, I was wrong!”

Xiao Zhang approached Zhao Xiaojing, not even seeing who it was before trying to placate her.

Zhao Xiaojing, engrossed in the virtual space, noticed the commotion outside and exited just in time, looking up to see what was happening.

Upon seeing Zhao Xiaojing, Xiao Zhang was dumbfounded. Who was she? She looked familiar but wasn’t one of the recent flings!

“Baby, it’s so hot. Why didn’t you contact me and just came straight here?” Xiao Zhang ventured cautiously.

“Who’s your baby?! Who are you anyway? Do we know each other?” Zhao Xiaojing, puzzled, leaned back uncomfortably.

“You don’t know me, yet you’re stalking me here?! Are you kidding me!” Xiao Zhang snapped defensively, shouting his question.

The restaurant owner, his wife, and Lao Zhang, having watched intently, hurried over when they saw Xiao Zhang yelling.

“Disobedient son! Disobedient son! I told you to resolve this peacefully, why are you shouting! Shouting for what!” Without waiting for an explanation, Lao Zhang started hitting Xiao Zhang with the stick.

“Dad! Dad! Ahh! I don’t know her! Ahh stop hitting me! I really don’t know who she is!” Xiao Zhang jumped in place but dared not run, screaming his defense.

“Lies! More lies! You always say this!” Lao Zhang bellowed, swinging the stick more fiercely.

“This time I really don’t know her! Ahhh!! Dad! Father!! Stop hitting me!”

“Lao Zhang, Lao Zhang! Calm down, calm down! Let’s hear what he has to say!”

The restaurant owner quickly intervened, and his wife approached Zhao Xiaojing.

“Dearie, if you’re upset, speak up! This is Xiao Zhang’s father; he’ll make things right for you. It’s hot out; don’t suffer in silence, okay?”

Already frightened into standing against the wall, Zhao Xiaojing responded to the kindly woman cautiously and politely.

“Auntie, I’m not upset. Are you?”

The owner’s wife was taken aback, exchanging confused looks with her husband.

“Miss, did he bully you? Just say it, and I’ll beat him today!”

Lao Zhang remained agitated, glaring at Xiao Zhang.

“Uncle, although he just called me… called me something gross, he didn’t bully me. I don’t know him.”

“You don’t know him?!” The owner and his wife exclaimed together.

Zhao Xiaojing nodded firmly.

“This… Lao Zhang, we’re sorry, we’re sorry! We got it all wrong!”

“Lao Zhang, apologies… truly sorry for the misunderstanding about Xiao Zhang! It’s my fault for not clarifying…”

“Dad! From now on, this is it for me!”

Xiao Zhang wailed pitifully at his father.

“Boss Zhou, Boss’s wife, this isn’t your fault. You meant well for me; it’s this rascal’s indecent behavior! If he hadn’t caused so much trouble in the past, you wouldn’t worry. We’re all trying to do business here; we can’t have him turning everything upside down!

Rascal! Apologize now!”

Lao Zhang turned back to scold Xiao Zhang.

“Boss Zhou, Boss’s wife, Dad, I’m sorry!”

Tears finally fell from Xiao Zhang’s eyes. When he’s wrong, he apologizes; why apologize when he’s not at fault too? But he couldn’t ask!

Does being a playboy mean losing the right to explain?

“Miss, I’m sorry… We saw you standing here looking lost for hours and assumed…”

After the father and son departed, the owner sheepishly scratched his head and apologized to Zhao Xiaojing.

“It’s alright, it’s alright! I caused the misunderstanding. I’m sorry for worrying you!”

Zhao Xiaojing felt embarrassed—who knew using the virtual space could lead to such a melodramatic scene!

“You don’t know; Xiao Zhang is a troublemaker who picks fights with the wrong people. Every so often someone comes looking for him. Last year some women trashed their shop and nearly set the whole street on fire! Our neighboring businesses suffered too; Lao Zhang went door-to-door apologizing. Over the years, he’s spent a fortune making amends for his troublesome son. Sigh.”

The owner sighed deeply and returned to cooking. Zhao Xiaojing felt awkward staying longer and quietly moved to another street to find a less conspicuous spot for practice.

Meanwhile, back home, Xiao Zhang remained indignant and frustrated, scratching his head while pondering.

The girl claimed not to know him, yet why did she seem so familiar?

Pondering each familiar face among his acquaintances, he finally recalled who she was.

Leaping excitedly from his chair with a hint of over-the-top gossip enthusiasm, Xiao Zhang made a call.

“Hello, Li Jingying, I found your boyfriend’s long-lost first love today!”