Stealing the Pen: Kirin's Primordial Lotus

Chapter 587

After Hei Xia Zi happily solved the problem of the traitor in the store, he hummed a cheerful little tune and walked back to Hua Mansion leisurely with a pace as if he didn't care about anyone.

As soon as he entered the Hua Mansion, Hei Xia Zi saw the housekeeper standing at the door. A smug smile appeared on his face, and he handed the housekeeper a carefully packed item in his hand, saying, "I'm in a good mood today, so I went to the Sixth Alley of the Eight Great Alleys in Yanjing to find some good stuff for everyone. This is something you definitely can't find outside! You have to deliver it to the kitchen personally so that I can give everyone a snack tonight!"

The butler quickly bowed and replied, "Yes!" He respectfully took the thing wrapped tightly in oil paper handed to him by Hei Xia Zi with both hands, and handled it carefully as if he was holding a rare treasure in his hands.

Then, without delay, the butler personally delivered the mysterious package to the kitchen. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he shouted, "Old Wang, this is something that Mr. Hei got from somewhere. He said it's for dinner."

At this time, Lao Wang was busy preparing lunch in the kitchen. After hearing the housekeeper's call, he hurriedly called an apprentice to take over his work. He hurried to the sink beside him, rubbed his hands casually twice, and then wiped them on his apron. Then he walked over quickly and took the package handed over by the housekeeper with a suspicious look on his face.

"Beggar's chicken? Where did Hei Ye buy such an authentic beggar's chicken?" Old Wang looked at the beggar's chicken in front of him with suspicion, and couldn't help but move forward and sniff it hard with his nose.

"Wow! This smell is so good!" Lao Wang's eyes suddenly lit up, and he greedily inhaled the aroma, as if he could smell the delicious chicken inside through the lotus leaves and mud.

"Fresh summer lotus leaves, free-range three-yellow native chickens, and the mud is all the most authentic riverside silt!" Hei Ye introduced proudly, as if he was very proud that he could buy such authentic beggar's chicken.

Old Wang held the beggar chicken as if it were a rare treasure, carefully, afraid of damaging it. "Old Li, please tell me where Hei Ye bought this! You know I have a special liking for beggar chicken! The smell has drawn out the worms in my stomach!" Old Wang said to Li, the housekeeper, anxiously.

Seeing Old Wang so excited, Butler Li couldn't help but wonder. He looked at the beggar's chicken with suspicion, half believing and half doubting Chef Wang's statement. "Is this really beggar's chicken? Are you sure you're not kidding me? Can anything you buy outside be as authentic as yours?"

Upon seeing this, Chef Wang quickly patted his chest and assured Steward Li, "Although my ancestors were imperial chefs, you know, the nobles in the palace back then would never eat something so low-class! My grandfather taught me how to make this flower chicken when I was a child!"

Chef Wang was still trying to tell Butler Li where he bought the beggar's chicken, but Butler Li spread his hands and said, "I don't know either."

When Chef Wang heard Butler Li's response, he was struck by a thunderbolt. He froze in shock, his face a look of disbelief. His eyes widened, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke, "Old Li, we've been friends for so many years, and you won't even do me a favor like this!"

Seeing this, Butler Li felt somewhat helpless. He sighed and explained, "Old Wang, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but I really don't know where Hei Ye bought this beggar chicken! He only said he bought it in the sixth lane of the Eight Great Alleys, and I know nothing else."

After hearing what Butler Li said, Chef Wang was somewhat disappointed, but he was unwilling to give up. He frowned and thought hard for a while before finally deciding to go to the vague address first. So, he sighed dejectedly and said, "Alas, it's really not what I want!"

Butler Li watched Chef Wang turn and slowly walk back to the stove, his back looking somewhat lonely and resentful. He couldn't help but feel pity and quickly comforted him, "Old Wang, don't be too discouraged! Now at least we know the approximate location. When you have a break, just go to Sixth Alley and look for it. It's only about that big, so it shouldn't be hard to find."

However, Chef Wang didn't seem moved by Butler Li's words. He just stopped and looked back at Butler Li, his eyes revealing an unspeakable bitterness, and then said lightly: "Old Li, you don't understand..."

Butler Li was very confused by Chef Wang's attitude. He really couldn't understand why Chef Wang was so picky. At this moment, the helper who was helping to cut vegetables noticed Butler Li's doubts, hurried over, pulled Butler Li aside, and explained softly:

"Butler Li, you really don't know our head chef! His nose is even more sensitive than a dog's! He can smell even the slightest odor. That's why no one in our mansion dares to trick him with stale ingredients, for fear that he'll find out and take them to the clan leader!"

After hearing this, Butler Li suddenly understood. "Oh, that's why! I was saying that after eating here, I always felt that the food at home tasted weird when I ate at home."

The servant smiled faintly, stole a glance at the busy chef, and then lowered his voice and continued, "Butler Li, as you know, our chef's ancestor was an imperial chef! But since the emperor passed away, his family still had to make a living. They couldn't go hungry, right? So, he relied on his reputation as an imperial chef to work as a cook in those famous hotels. This way, he naturally has a deep understanding of some of the common people's food."

Steward Li gazed at Chef Wang's back as he stir-fried food in the iron wok, a wave of emotion welling up in his heart. Thinking back to when the clan leader had decided to hire this unknown chef, he too had been filled with doubt and confusion. However, looking back now, he realized he was the one who had been blind and undiscerning.

"Okay, go back to work!" Butler Li said to the helper, "Go tell Old Wang that if he really wants to know where he bought the beggar chicken, I'll ask Hei Ye later. Hei Ye should be able to make things easier for such a small matter."

As Butler Li spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Chef Wang. As expected, upon hearing Butler Li's words, Chef Wang's resentment instantly vanished, as if dispelled by an invisible force. Furthermore, Chef Wang's force in swinging the wok increased noticeably, as if he were suddenly filled with energy.

Butler Li looked at the changes in Chef Wang and smiled slightly. He then turned and left the kitchen to deal with other matters.

On his way back to the front hall, Butler Li happened to run into Xie Yuchen, who had just sobered up. "Young Master, you're awake now," Butler Li said with a smile. "Dinner will be served in a little while. Would you like to wait in the living room?"

"Uncle Li, I'm so sorry to have to trouble you to make me a cup of honey water. My head still hurts a lot." Xie Yuchen looked at Butler Li weakly, then held his forehead with his hand, as if the slightest movement would make his headache worse.

Seeing this, Butler Li felt a pang of distress. He hurried forward and supported the shaky-looking Xie Yuchen, saying with concern, "Alas, Master, you look so uncomfortable, it's all because of the drinking! No matter how happy you are, you can't drink so hard! As the saying goes, a little drink is good for your health, but too much is harmful! Look at you now, you have such a headache that you can hardly stand. And that blind man, he's really something, watching you get drunk by them one after another without stopping them. He, on the other hand, is fine, just watching you get drunk..."

Butler Li became angrier and angrier as he spoke, and his resentment towards Hei Xia Zi reached its peak at this moment. In fact, he had always disliked Hei Xia Zi, thinking that he was always unruly. Now seeing Xie Yuchen so upset because of drinking, his dissatisfaction with Hei Xia Zi directly rose to the extreme.

However, Xie Yuchen quickly waved his hands and explained for Hei Xia Zi: "Uncle Li, don't say that. In fact, I was too happy. I finally saw them, and I drank a few more glasses without paying attention. And Hei Xia Zi has already helped me block a lot of wine. If it weren't for him, I might be even drunker." Xie Yuchen knew very well what Butler Li and others thought of Hei Xia Zi, so he quickly spoke up to defend Hei Xia Zi.

However, Xie Yuchen was by no means an ungrateful person. When he was young, his father was away from home for work year-round, and his father's health was also poor. On weekdays, he would either diligently practice martial arts with his master, Er Yuehong, or be cared for by Uncle Li and others.

Xie Yuchen knew very well that Uncle Li's children had all died in a fierce conflict several years ago, so Uncle Li always treated him as his own son and cared for him very much.

"Okay, okay! Uncle Li, I'm old, are you starting to get annoyed by my nagging?" Butler Li smiled broadly, tapped Xie Yuchen's forehead with his finger, and chided him. He then turned and summoned a servant, instructing, "Hurry and help the young master to the front hall. Remember, be careful and cautious, and don't let him get hurt. If he accidentally falls, I'll skin you alive!"

After Butler Li safely handed Xie Yuchen over to the servant, he remained uneasy and patiently gave repeated instructions. Only after watching the two men walk further and further away, until they completely disappeared from his sight, did Butler Li turn around with a sense of relief and walk back to the kitchen with steady and powerful steps.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, Butler Li quickly scanned the area and finally landed on a relatively idle helper.

"The one washing vegetables over there, come here!" Butler Li shouted expressionlessly, his voice revealing an unquestionable majesty.

When the helper heard Butler Li's call, he quickly put down the vegetables he was washing and walked over quickly. A look of awe appeared on his face as he asked softly, "Butler Li, do you have any instructions?"

Butler Li's eyes fell on the helper. After a moment's silence, he asked, "Did you buy any lemons on the kitchen shopping list today?"

"Lemon?" The helper was stunned when he heard this, and his mind began to recall the long list of details he had received from the food deliveryman today. He tried hard to search for the word "lemon" in his memory, but the list was so long that his memory was a little fuzzy, and he couldn't confirm whether he had purchased any lemons.

"Butler Li, I have to check the list. I'm not sure if there is such a thing as lemon." The helper answered truthfully with a hint of apology in his tone.

At Butler Li's signal, the helper hurried back to his workstation and began searching through the list from this morning. After some searching, he finally found the one that had been tucked away at the bottom. He carefully examined each one, finally spotting the word "lemon" at number 79.

"Butler Li, we've got lemons today." The servant came running over excitedly to report, "I wonder what you want the lemons for, Butler Li?"

"I want you to make a cup of honey lemon water to relieve headaches. I'll have someone bring the water and honey over later. Wash and cut the lemons for me and prepare them."

After saying this, Butler Li turned and left. The servant didn't know where Butler Li was going to get water and honey. He thought, wouldn't everything needed for a cup of honey lemonade already be in the kitchen? Why go somewhere else to get it?

The helper was not so whimsical as to make decisions for his boss. He just washed the lemons according to Butler Li's request, cut them into slices and set them aside for later use.

After Butler Li brought the water and honey, he was very pleased to see that the helper had not made any unnecessary efforts. "You are very obedient. I will tell the accountant to give you a proper salary increase this month."

When the helper heard about the salary increase, he immediately smiled and said, "Thank you, Butler Li! Thank you, Butler Li!"

Butler Li waved his hand and asked him to prepare the honey lemon water.

The helper opened the honey jar with trembling hands, and a strange fragrance came to his face. The helper was fascinated by the fragrance and unconsciously moved closer to the honey jar. It was only after being scolded by Butler Li that he calmed down.

"I'm sorry, Butler Li! I, I don't know why, this smell is so good! I was just bewildered for a moment..." The helper was completely frightened by his own actions and started talking incoherently.

"Alright! Everyone who smells this for the first time has experienced this. Hurry up and make some honey lemon water. The young master is waiting to drink it." Butler Li expressed his understanding of the helper's behavior and was not too harsh on him.

After hearing the explanation from Butler Li, the helper skillfully dug out the honey and put it in the teapot. He then boiled the water that Butler Li brought and poured it into the teapot. After the honey melted, he added the lemon slices.

"Butler Li, the honey lemonade is ready."

The helper placed the teapot on a tray and handed it to Butler Li with both hands.

After Butler Li took the tray, he praised the helper a few words before leaving the kitchen.