Chen Liyuan's face darkened slightly. "Shi Nan, that's enough. We broke up a long time ago. Stop making a scene here."
"I'm making a scene? Did I agree to break up? You deceived my feelings back then, and now you're out fooling around with another man late at night. Have you no shame? Do you even consider me?"
Chen Liyuan's face instantly turned red with anger. "Don't talk nonsense. Brother Qi is just my friend. It's not what you think at all."
"Not what I think? Calling him Brother Qi one after another. Chen Liyuan, I can't believe you're so shameless!"
Chen Liyuan looked at the sharp-tongued person in front of her and suddenly felt utterly bored. She had been blind to have thought he was knowledgeable, reserved, and considerate when she had a crush on him back then.
At the same time, she felt a sense of relief, glad she had seen the reality in time.
"Yes, you're right. He's my boyfriend. What can you do about it? Do I need your permission to date my boyfriend?"
Chen Liyuan grabbed Lin Qi's hand, tilted her head up to look directly at Shi Nan, and sneered, "I told you long ago that we two were impossible. Now you see for yourself. You insist on humiliating yourself. Give up, okay?"
Shi Nan's face turned from pale to green, then to blue, before he finally glared fiercely at the two of them and turned to leave.
Only after watching him walk away did Chen Liyuan belatedly realize that she was still holding Lin Qi's hand. Her face flushed as if on fire, but thankfully, it was dark, so nothing was apparent.
She hastily released Lin Qi's hand and explained, "I'm sorry about that just now. Um, Brother Qi, I'll be heading back first."
Chen Liyuan said quickly, turned, and fled as if escaping.
It was all an impulse, and she was mortified.
Lin Qi stood there, watching her figure gradually disappear into the darkness. He looked at the hand Chen Liyuan had held, which still seemed to retain a bit of warmth, his eyes filled with a smile. He shook his head and finally turned to leave.
The next day, Chen Lishou discussed the matter of studying with Wang Aixiang.
"I... I'm already this old, and my brain is slow. I'm afraid it won't work, right?" As soon as she heard about studying, Wang Aixiang, who was usually fearless, showed signs of apprehension.
"How old are you? You're not seventy or eighty. Look at me, I'm not smart either, but through effort, my physical training was among the best in the camp. Being slow isn't scary; what's scary is backing down before you even try. Then you won't even have a chance to succeed," Wang Dazhu said with a frown upon hearing her self-deprecation.
Wang Aixiang hadn't expected the usually tongue-tied person to say such a thing.
Wang Dazhu, seeing everyone's gaze on him, awkwardly scratched his head.
Chen Lishou said, "I think what Dazhu said makes a lot of sense. Sister Aixiang, you're not even thirty, and you still have a long way to go. Besides, I don't plan for you to stay in the shop selling goods forever. Learning more knowledge won't hurt."
Wang Aixiang hesitantly nodded. "Alright then."
And so, the matter was settled. Within two days, Chen Liyuan took the time to deliver the introduction letter, and Wang Aixiang soon went to the training class organized by the Federation of Trade Unions.
...
Gu Xingmin and Liu Yuemin had been in a terrible mood for the past two days. After the New Year, they dismissed Master Tang and hired Liu Renfa's wife instead, even hiring an additional helper. For a while, they felt everything was going very well. However, after the Lantern Festival, the customers in the shop gradually decreased. Now, it was good if seven or eight people came in a day.
"Peh! Is this what your family makes for people to eat? It smells like stale oil, disgusting."
Suddenly, a customer spat out what was in his mouth, his face looking quite unpleasant from disgust.
"How is that possible? Everyone knows our shop uses the most oil! Don't try to cause trouble and use this as an excuse not to pay. I'm not easily bullied."
Already in a bad mood, Liu Yuemin immediately became angry upon hearing the accusation.
"What do you mean 'uses the most oil'? Where did you even get the oil from? If it tasted good, would I say this? Try it yourself." The man, not accustomed to arguing with others, said with a flushed face.
Liu Yuemin went over, half-believing, half-doubting. She saw that the oil in the vegetable broth was almost overflowing and couldn't help but frown.
Liu Renfa's wife liked to use a lot of oil when cooking, saying that it made the dishes taste better. In the beginning, the couple had tried it and thought it tasted pretty good. Besides, she used the leftover oil from frying things, which was more economical than Master Tang throwing it away.
Liu Yuemin picked up her chopsticks, doubtfully picked up a piece of food, and tasted it. As soon as it entered her mouth, the greasy feeling made her immediately spit it out in disgust.
"You ate it yourself too. Is this something people eat? I'm not asking you for compensation, and you still want to collect my meal fee. This is simply unreasonable."
Even though she was unwilling in her heart, the food was indeed terribly unpalatable. Liu Yuemin, no matter how unreasonable she was, couldn't bring herself to continue demanding money from him. She could only let the person leave with a displeased expression.
Seeing that even the last customer had left, Liu Yuemin, with a cold face, took the dishes to the back and threw them onto the stove. "Sister-in-law Liu, try it yourself. What kind of dish is this you made!"
"Isn't this Di San Xian? It all needs to be fried. It tastes better with more oil." Farmers were used to saving money. They usually cooked with just enough oil to brush the pot with gauze, so taste wasn't the priority. As long as there was plenty of oil, the dish would definitely be delicious.
Liu Renfa's wife casually picked up a bite and put it in her mouth. Soon, her reaction was similar to Liu Yuemin's. She spat out the contents of her mouth, feeling her entire tongue go numb. She drank several mouthfuls of water before finally feeling a bit better.
"It's ruined!" Liu Renfa's wife realized, pointing at the discolored oil in the basin beside her. "It must be because this basin of oil has been used for too long and has gone bad. If we change the oil, it will definitely be fine."
As the two were talking, they heard Gu Xingmin arguing with someone in the front. Liu Yuemin's expression changed, and she quickly went out.
"...Almost died from eating it. You black-hearted shop, you must compensate today, or I'll call the police to arrest you."
Before Liu Yuemin reached the front, she heard someone say this. Her footsteps paused, her eyes darted around, and she quickly turned back to the kitchen.
Liu Renfa's wife and the helper were originally behind her, but she pulled them back. "Quickly go and pour out the oil in the basin, then replace it with new oil. No matter who asks, stick to your story that we used good oil."
If they were caught red-handed, they would be finished.
Liu Renfa's wife and the helper quickly did as she said. Only then did Liu Yuemin turn and go out.
As soon as she reached the front, she saw four or five people blocking the shop entrance. One of them had a pale face and was likely the person who had gotten sick from the food.
"Who the hell can testify that you got sick from eating at my shop? It's not that easy to extort money. Do you really think Gu Xingmin is easy to bully?"
"If you don't give an explanation today, this shop won't be able to open. We'll let everyone see that this black-hearted shop of yours makes people sick and refuses to compensate."