Chapter 29: Xu Jingjing Causes Trouble

At the break of dawn, Jiang Banyue got up and entered the space. She used the electric eggbeater to prepare the butter for the day and baked several cake layers in the oven, so when Xu Jingjing arrived, they could get straight to making the cakes.

Xu Jingjing arrived at the shop at 7 AM. Jiang Banyue took a cake layer and placed it on a tray.

“Come here, I’ll teach you how to make a cake.”

Xu Jingjing eagerly walked over, excited. Once she learned how to make cakes, she’d open her own cake shop.

Xu Jingjing took a large spoonful of cream and spread it evenly over the cake, casually asking, “Sister Jiang, how is this cream made? It smells so sweet.”

Jiang Banyue smiled lightly. “I bought it from outside.”

Jiang Banyue only taught her how to make the finished cake. The butter and cake layers were the key ingredients, and she couldn’t teach her those.

“Where did you buy it from?”

“The market.”

Jiang Banyue placed some washed fruit in front of her. “Cut these fruits into pieces and arrange them on the cake.”

“Okay.” Xu Jingjing picked up a large strawberry, red and big. When she cut it, juice spilled out, and she swallowed her saliva hungrily.

She also cut the yellow peaches into pieces. Jiang Banyue saw that she was doing quite well, so she left to attend to other matters. Once Jiang Banyue left, Xu Jingjing couldn’t resist quickly grabbing a large strawberry and popping it into her mouth.

“It’s so delicious!”

Xu Jingjing wiped her mouth with her arm and continued cutting the fruit. She was becoming more and more pleased with this job. Xu Jingjing hastily arranged the fruit on the cake.

When she finished, the fruit on the cake was arranged messily. Jiang Banyue, seeing this, wasn’t pleased and immediately rearranged it herself.

“It’s still five dollars even if you don’t know how!”

Jiang Huaijin lifted his head, his deep, pitch-black eyes quietly staring at her, as if he could see through her dirty thoughts. Xu Jingjing was startled—why did the child have such a frightening expression?

In the afternoon, Gu Qingci brought his niece, Zhao Jiaojiao, over to play. After a while, the four children grew bored and Zhao Jiaojiao begged to go to the amusement park. Gu Qingci invited Jiang Banyue to take the babies along.

“The staff will watch the store. How about we take the kids out to play?”

Jiang Banyue had never taken the kids to an amusement park before, and she was very tempted.

“Okay, I’ll pack up.”

Jiang Banyue called Xu Jingjing over. “Jingjing, I’ll be out for a while this afternoon. Can you watch the store?”

“No problem!” Xu Jingjing was inexplicably excited.

Jiang Banyue took two nannies with her. She couldn’t manage all three babies by herself. As soon as they left the house, the babies were excited. They sat in Gu Qingci’s car, with Jiang Banyue and the two nannies each holding one baby. Zhao Jiaojiao sat in the front seat.

The store was left with only Xu Jingjing. She walked around the store, then sat down at the counter, imagining that it was her shop, and that she was the boss.

“Haha…”

Jiang’s mother, leading her grandchildren, came into the store. Jiang Qingfeng and Jiang Qingyue were the children of Jiang’s elder brother. As soon as they entered, eight-year-old Jiang Qingfeng ran to the counter, opened the cabinet, and started eating a cake. Six-year-old Jiang Qingyue looked on hungrily, her mouthwatering.

“You thief, you’re eating the cake without paying!”

Xu Jingjing, who didn’t know these three people, saw them take the cake without paying and worried that Jiang Banyue would punish her or make her pay. Enraged, she shoved Jiang Qingfeng.

“Bang!”

Jiang Qingfeng fell by the counter, his head hitting the corner of the cabinet. Blood gushed out, and the cake was crushed underneath him. He screamed in pain.

“Grandma, grandma… ah… it hurts…”

“Qingfeng!” Jiang’s mother rushed forward in panic, picking up her grandson. Xu Jingjing, terrified, stepped back step by step.

“It’s not my fault. He snatched the cake as soon as he came in.”

Jiang’s mother, holding her grandson, screamed at Xu Jingjing, “If anything happens to my grandson, I won’t let you go!”

Jiang’s mother quickly ran to the hospital with her grandson in her arms, and Jiang Qingyue, crying, followed behind.

Xu Jingjing, pale with fear, shivered, her teeth chattering, “What should I do? I’ve caused trouble…”

Xu Jingjing thought about running away, but she didn’t want to give up the job at the cake shop. She still wanted to learn how to make cakes.

“It’s not my fault! He stole the cake first. Yes, that’s it! I’m justified even if I’m facing the boss!”

Around five in the afternoon, Gu Qingci drove back to the store with Jiang Banyue and the children. The babies were all very excited from the fun at the amusement park, and Jiang Banyue had not been this relaxed in a long time, with a smile still on her face.

As soon as they entered the store, Jiang Banyue noticed something was off. The cabinet where the cakes were stored was wide open, and a cake was smashed on the floor. Xu Jingjing was hiding behind the counter, terrified.

“Xu Jingjing, what happened here?”

Xu Jingjing slowly walked out from behind the counter, cautiously explaining with a sob.

“A boy came in and opened the cabinet to steal cake. I pushed him, and… who knew, he fell and hit his head on the corner of the cabinet and started bleeding…”

“You…”

Jiang Banyue’s face darkened, her anger evident as she pointed at her without saying a word. Gu Qingci patted her back to comfort her.

“Banyue, don’t be angry. Let’s go to the hospital and check on the boy.”

Xu Jingjing, trembling in fear, glanced at Jiang Banyue, stammering, “I didn’t do it on purpose. He stole the cake first!”