Since Tan Yue and Tan Xin last visited before the New Year, they hadn’t come again.

Although Qiao Wanqing and Tan Yue had sporadic contact, it was never the same as before.

Tan Yue knew she had opened a vegetarian restaurant and had even asked if she needed an investment.

Qiao Wanqing, short on money at the time, was tempted but later learned that an investment wasn’t the same as a loan; the investor would get a share of the profits. So, she declined.

Ahem, she was just that pragmatic.

Miss Tan probably didn’t know this restaurant was hers, and seeing Qiao Wanqing, her expression changed slightly, clearly surprised to find her here.

“Miss Qiao, long time no see,” Tan Yue greeted her warmly upon seeing her.

“Long time no see. Are you here to visit the Yue Lao Temple?” Qiao Wanqing asked.

“We’re just here for the fun of it and thought we’d check out your new restaurant. Coming up with the idea to open a vegetarian restaurant in a place like this, Miss Qiao, you really have some vision.”

Hearing Tan Yue’s praise, Qiao Wanqing couldn’t help but feel a surge of happiness.

Given how successful Tan Yue was in business, his approval meant a lot.

Qiao Wanqing smiled lightly, “You’re too kind, Mr. Tan. Please make yourselves comfortable. I’ll just go put these things away.”

Tan Yue nodded, and Qiao Wanqing went inside with Kouko.

Once she was out of earshot, Tan Xin, visibly unhappy, said, “Why didn’t you tell me this restaurant was hers?”

“What, still haven’t gotten over Gu Yanqing?” Tan Yue asked.

Tan Xin turned her head, the answer evident.

Ever since Gu Yanqing had declared Qiao Wanqing as his girlfriend in front of her and Mrs. Gu, Tan Xin had stopped pursuing him.

Despite Gu Yanqing’s many qualities, her pride wouldn’t allow her to be the third wheel.

But not being able to have him herself, seeing someone else with him, made her upset.

And the fact that it was Qiao Wanqing who had him made her even more upset.

Tan Yue took a sip of water and said, “A man like Gu Yanqing isn’t someone you can control just because you want to.”

Miss Tan huffed arrogantly, “I don’t care.”

Tan Yue shook his head helplessly but refrained from saying more in front of their friends.

Back in her room, Qiao Wanqing put Kouko down.

Her arms were sore from holding him all morning.

She changed clothes and put a fresh diaper on Kouko.

Half a morning and Kouko’s diaper was already full.

Qiao Wanqing, of course, couldn’t bring herself to throw it away and set it aside to take home later.

Every time she brought a pile of used diapers home, she felt like a weirdo.

Plus, she often rode in Gu Yanqing’s car, and he couldn’t possibly not notice. Miraculously, Gu Yanqing never said anything about it, making her suspect he was fully aware but chose to stay silent.

Once everything was sorted, Qiao Wanqing took Kouko to the kitchen.

Just as they arrived, Master Liu had finished frying a dish, and Sister Song was about to serve it.

Qiao Wanqing stepped in, “I’ll take it. Can you keep an eye on Kouko for me?”

“Sure,” Sister Song replied, then added, “Are those your friends out there?”

“Uh… sort of.” Miss Tan probably didn’t consider her a friend.

Seeing Sister Song’s hesitation, Qiao Wanqing asked, “What’s the matter, Sister Song?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Seeing Qiao Wanqing call them friends, Sister Song dropped the subject.

Just as Qiao Wanqing was about to tell her it was okay to speak freely, Master Liu, who was frying another dish, spoke up directly, “Your friends just ordered fried spring rolls. They complained about the oil’s flavor and demanded we fry them in peanut oil instead.”

Qiao Wanqing frowned slightly.

The oil they used was genuine canola oil.

Locally grown, they bought it directly from the oil mill, guaranteeing its authenticity.

She wasn’t sure if the complaint was because they weren’t used to canola oil or if it was a deliberate fuss.

“Alright, we’ll fry them in peanut oil,” Qiao Wanqing said calmly.

“And then there’s this fish-flavored eggplant,” Master Liu continued. “That young lady said it’s too greasy and wants a lighter dish instead.”

Qiao Wanqing glanced at the half-eaten dishes on the counter and asked, “Are these the ones they returned? That lady specifically?”

Sister Song nodded.

Master Liu, the chef, clearly annoyed by the critique, said, “Not too greasy, just too bland. These rich folks probably are used to delicacies and can’t handle our rustic fare.”

It’s not that they can’t handle it; they were enjoying their vegetables just fine.

Besides, Master Liu was a seasoned chef with years of experience.

In the few days since they opened, they’d served hundreds of customers and conducted random taste checks for feedback.

Most customers found the food delightful and delicious.

Qiao Wanqing realized the complaints were likely due to spite.

Sister Song added, “They also mentioned they would pay for all the dishes served, so we couldn’t really argue.”

“I see,” Qiao Wanqing said, putting the dish back into Sister Song’s hands. “Please tell them that the boss says today’s meal is on me. They shouldn’t hold back and should enjoy themselves.”

Paying customers are picky; those eating for free tend not to be.

“Master Liu, hold off on cooking for a moment,” Qiao Wanqing instructed as he was about to start a new dish. “Prepare a hotpot broth instead. Sister Song, let them know that the hotpot is on the house as compensation for the dishes not to their taste. Make the broth as light as possible, without any seasonings, and bring the condiments to the table for them to adjust to their liking. Make sure to be as polite as possible.”

Their restaurant also offered vegetarian hotpot, and they had all the necessary equipment.

However, it was early summer, and hotpot wasn’t in high demand.

“Got it,” Sister Song understood immediately and went out with the dishes.

In situations like this, getting angry wasn’t useful.

It was crucial to maintain composure and highlight the other party’s pettiness and bad manners, leaving them with nothing to criticize.

The cost of the meal was a small price to pay to let the high-society lady feel embarrassed.

Qiao Wanqing prepared several plates of vegetables for the hotpot.

Once Master Liu finished the broth, Sister Song brought it out along with the vegetables.

Master Liu had made a nourishing mushroom broth, half of which was plain and the other half a spicy, bought hotpot base, creating a yin-yang pot for Sister Song to serve.

Outside, the atmosphere was tense as Sister Song returned with the new dishes.

Tan Yue silently observed the situation unfold at the table, knowing his sister’s tendencies well.

He understood that Tang Xin was deliberately making things difficult, perhaps out of a mix of pride and discomfort.

Tang Xin had always been independent and strong-willed, especially after spending several years abroad.

She wouldn’t easily heed his advice, so he resigned himself to letting her act as she wished, planning to apologize to Qiao Wanqing later.

At the same time, he was curious to see how Qiao Wanqing would handle the situation.

He had always thought highly of her intelligence and resourcefulness.

To his surprise, Qiao Wanqing’s approach was unexpected.

Looking at the table full of dishes she had “offered” and the boxes of seasonings deliberately placed in front of Tang Xin by Sister Song, Tang Yue couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“It’s alright, just eat something,” Tang Yue said to Tang Xin, noticing her displeasure. “Let’s just fill our stomachs and eat properly when we return to the city.”

Tang Xin remained silent.

One of the young men accompanying them timidly asked, “Miss Tang, can we start eating?”

Because Tang Xin was being selective about her food, everyone hesitated to touch their chopsticks, fearing they might eat too quickly and give her another reason to complain.

They cautiously picked at their bowls of plain rice.

They had all hiked up the mountain and were hungry by now.

The aroma of the freshly prepared dishes and the steam rising from the hotpot were enticing, making everyone salivate.

Unable to resist any longer, they all wanted to dig in, but out of respect for Tang Xin’s pride, they refrained from doing so.

“Why are you all staring at me?” Tang Xin had initially intended to embarrass Qiao Wanqing, but her plan had backfired.

She felt petty and irritated.

In that tone, who dared to eat?

They all unconsciously put down their chopsticks.

Tang Yue, unable to bear it any longer, said, “Please, eat. Everyone must be hungry.”

With Tang Yue’s encouragement, everyone cautiously picked up their chopsticks again.

Seeing that Tang Yue was unconcerned with Tang Xin’s mood, they gradually relaxed and began to eat.

The young people with Tang Yue were accustomed to a privileged lifestyle, just as Master Liu had mentioned.

They were used to exotic delicacies and found it challenging to appreciate a small restaurant tucked away in the mountains.

Especially Miss Tan, taking a bite and showing disdain, made them think the food wasn’t very good.

However, after trying it themselves, they realized how delicious the dishes here were.

There were no issues with the taste that Miss Tan usually dislikes, such as being too greasy or heavy.

Each dish was oily but not greasy, perfectly balanced between salty and sweet.

Even though they were just ordinary dishes, they felt more satisfying than eating meat on an ordinary day.

However, everyone dared only to silently eat a bit more, not daring to show how delicious they found it, especially since Miss Tan still had a cold expression.

Qiao Wanqing waited until the hotpot broth and all the dishes were served before leaving.

Their table was already piled high with food.

She glanced at Miss Qiao, saw her looking unwell and hardly touching her chopsticks, and inwardly chuckled before walking over.

“I heard that our restaurant’s dishes don’t quite suit Miss Tan’s taste,” she said. “Last time, it seemed like Miss Tan enjoyed the duck blood vermicelli soup I made. Would you like me to make you a serving? We were just about to have it for lunch ourselves, and we have all the ingredients.”

Miss Tan was feeling rather down because of Qiao Wanqing’s “generosity” at the moment.

Her complexion wasn’t good, and seeing a young boy who looked a lot like Gu Yanqing made her even more unhappy.

“No, thank you.”

“It’s just because of the hot weather affecting her appetite,” Tan Yue explained for her. “Have you eaten? Would you like to sit down and join us?”

“I’ll eat later. If Miss Tan doesn’t have much appetite, would you like a glass of vegetable juice? Our vegetable juice is very refreshing and appetizing.”

Upon hearing about the vegetable juice, Tan Xin finally nodded and ordered a glass.

Qiao Wanqing went back to the kitchen to personally juice it for her.

She remembered last time when she made the duck blood vermicelli soup, she added a few celery leaves, which Miss Tan picked out.

So this time, she deliberately included celery along with cucumber, carrot, apple, pineapple, and honey, juicing them all together and adding ice cubes.

She brought it out with a straw for Miss Tan.

Miss Tan took a sip and immediately made a strange face as if she wanted to spit it out.

However, that would have been too embarrassing, so she forced herself to swallow.

“Why is there celery?” Miss Tan frowned.

“Oh, Miss Tan doesn’t like celery? I’m sorry, I forgot to ask about your dietary restrictions. The ingredients in this vegetable juice are all known for their benefits, like preventing freckles, sunburn, and rough skin. It’s excellent for beauty. I drink it every day myself, so even with daily chores, my skin stays healthy. I thought Miss Tan might like it too.”