Chapter 941 - 943 Upgraded Secret Ingredient_1
The owner of Wangyue Residence even went to the Government Office to file a complaint, accusing Chef Liu’s former employer Shen Lu of holding a grudge against Liu and hiring beggars to seek revenge. Unfortunately, when Kuai Minglang looked into it, he found no connection to Shen Lu or Yingkelai, and everyone at Yingkelai said that Shen Lu had already been very benevolent. If he had reported to the authorities at that time, Chef Liu would not have had a good outcome either.
Ultimately, the matter had to be dropped without conclusion. Bai Ruozhu chuckled when she heard about it, thinking that Shen Lu was originally too soft-hearted and unwittingly ended up with a reputation for kindness, which was quite fortunate.
That very afternoon, Bai Ruozhu unexpectedly received a letter that her master, Lin Zhenghui, had returned!
She immediately packed and went out to meet her master, arriving at the lodging arranged by the Commerce Association, where she indeed saw Lin Zhenghui after many days.
"Master, where have you been wandering off to, not seeing what the situation was like a while ago? I, your disciple, almost kicked the bucket," Bai Ruozhu spoke very casually to Lin Zhenghui, mainly because he was an old maverick who usually had no airs about him.
Lin Zhenghui rolled his eyes at her and said, "You ungrateful girl, who do you think I’ve been working so hard for? Isn’t it for your man, to find Elder Shougu?"
Bai Ruozhu’s face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly asked, "Did you find Elder Shougu? Where is he?"
Lin Zhenghui instructed the dark guard to watch outside and then whispered to Bai Ruozhu, "I found him, but he’s unable to reveal himself. He asked me to pass on a few words to you."
"What words?" Bai Ruozhu asked nervously.
"He said it’s better to rely on oneself than others, saying that the item I gave you should rid the child of the poisonous insect poison. It’ll probably be able to help Jiang’s boy soon too. As for how to level it up, you know it yourself. If not, go find wild Poisonous Insects in the deep mountains and forests," Lin Zhenghui said.
After finishing, he handed her a small box, whispering, "Be careful opening it. These are caught on my way here. Although not many, they have some use. From now on, you’ll have to figure it out yourself."
Bai Ruozhu took the box and immediately felt Furball’s excitement; without looking, she knew it contained the Poisonous Insects Lin Zhenghui had caught.
"Thank you so much, Master," she said sincerely. Ever since becoming Lin Zhenghui’s disciple, she hadn’t been able to help him much. Instead, she caused him to run around everywhere for her. At his age, he still couldn’t retire comfortably, which she genuinely regretted.
Feeling embarrassed by her formal thanks, Lin Zhenghui turned his head and said, "I’m not doing this for you. I just felt sorry for Jiang’s lad."
Bai Ruozhu laughed, "Pfft." Her master’s tone and gestures were just like a child’s.
"Yes, you care about him the most," she said with a smile.
This time, it was Lin Zhenghui’s turn to twitch the corner of his mouth as if he were being prejudiced.
"I heard your second brother shone brightly in the competition at The Eight Academies. It seems that passing the Imperial Examination will not be a problem for him, and he should be going to the Imperial Academy before the end of the year. What about you? Are you planning to develop in the Capital?" Lin Zhenghui suddenly asked.
"I’ve already opened a branch of Hua Xiangrong in the Capital. The Toothpaste Shop is also about to be up and running soon. I won’t need to worry too much about Beiyu City from now on. Indeed, I should be heading to the Capital before the end of the year," Bai Ruozhu answered.
Lin Zhenghui nodded, "That’s good. I, the old man, will stay in the Capital with you all, until you secure the position of elder. Then I’ll go back to the Northwest to retire."
Thinking of her master having to work hard again, Bai Ruozhu immediately said seriously, "Master, rest assured. I will work harder and not let your expectations down."
"Good, good," Lin Zhenghui dropped his joking demeanor, replaced by a look of gratification.
When Bai Ruozhu returned home, Jiang Yichun had already come back from the northwest main camp, where he had been busy with the training affairs recently.
"I heard Elder Lin has returned; did you meet with him?" Jiang Yichun asked.
Bai Ruozhu nodded and took the considerately offered handkerchief from him to wipe her hands. He took the handkerchief and tossed it into a basin, ordering Nanny Zhang to take it away.
"He did bring back some good news; Elder Shougu gave me a verbal message," Bai Ruozhu briefly relayed Lin Zhenghui’s words to Jiang Yichun.
Bai Ruozhu took out the box containing the poisonous insects, yet her hands trembled slightly. After all, she was a girl, and what girl doesn’t fear bugs?
Furball was still somewhat adorable, which made her barely able to accept its presence.
Jiang Yichun took her hand and held it in his palm, saying with a hint of distress, "If you’re scared, don’t bother with it. Having Furball with you for protection is enough. The poison from the poisonous insect in me can also be cured by others; I’ll have someone inquire about it."
Bai Ruozhu immediately objected, "No, we can’t let people ask around; it would expose us!"
She knew her trembling had caused Achun to worry, and she told herself to be braver to prevent him from feeling guilty.
"Silly girl, I’m just not quite used to it. It’s beneficial for Furball to absorb the bugs and upgrade, and it doesn’t affect me at all. Moreover, once it becomes stronger, it can protect me even better, right?" Bai Ruozhu said, "You must not act rashly in this matter, lest it leads to danger."
Jiang Yichun lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it, saying, "You’ve already done so much for me; don’t put more pressure on yourself."
Bai Ruozhu smiled at him sweetly, "You speak as if I’m sacrificing something for you. This is also in my own best interest, so don’t worry about it."
Jiang Yichun pulled her into his embrace and gently kissed the top of her head, his eyes filled with tenderness.
That night, Bai Ruozhu let Furball eat those few poisonous insects, but she dared not take a closer look at them, fearing the sight would make her uncomfortable and cause nightmares.
Unfortunately, after Furball ate them, although it became excited, it didn’t fall asleep, which meant it had not managed to upgrade. It seemed that those bugs were not enough.
Bai Ruozhu thought for a while and guessed that the higher-grade poisonous insects cultivated by the keepers would probably be more effective for Furball. But where could she find such insects, and who would be willing to give them to her?
Unable to figure it out, she could only take things one step at a time.
Lately, the focus at home had shifted to Bai Zepei. Aside from the carefully prepared postpartum meals for Wan Caiyue, Bai Zepei also had a special pre-exam meal prepared by Bai Ruozhu. With less than half a month until the exams, Bai Zepei had become even more diligent in his studies.
In the past few days, Bai Ruozhu finally managed to turn the fish and shrimp from her space into powder. She took out some for Zhang Liliang and said, "Uncle Zhang, this is the upgraded version of my fresh soup powder secret ingredient. Just mix a small bowl of it into each jar of fresh soup powder, and it would be best if you did it yourself without letting others see."
Zhang Liliang’s expression became serious, and he said to Bai Ruozhu, "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep the secret ingredient safe."
"It’s just hard work for you," Bai Ruozhu said apologetically.
"A bowl in a jar isn’t much, and we don’t deliver that many jars at a time, so how tiring could it be? I’ll treat it as a way to exercise," Zhang Liliang said with a smile.