Ma Liewen didn't like what his wife said. He called straight into the house, "Sister Wu, come out for a moment."
A middle-aged housekeeper came out. "Mr. Ma."
"Sister Wu, take this rice in and cook some too. Keep it separate from my wife's. And make a serving each of this okra, yam, and broccoli." Ma Liewen gave the housekeeper his instructions. She was an excellent cook, which was exactly why he'd hired her at such a high price.
"Of course, Mr. Ma." Sister Wu nodded.
The driver was quick to catch on. He carried the things into the kitchen after Sister Wu, then respectfully took his leave.
A little while later,
Sister Wu finished preparing the food and came out to invite the three of them to the table.
The table was already set with okra, yam, broccoli, and two kinds of rice.
For a wealthy man like Ma Liewen, it was a rather meager meal. But only he knew that plenty of rich people would have loved to eat it and couldn't.
Whether it was genuine Xiangshui Tribute Rice or this specially cultivated okra, yam, and broccoli, they were all things money couldn't buy.
"Sister Wu, which bowl of rice is the one I brought back?" Ma Liewen asked.
Sister Wu pointed to the bowl on the left. "This one, sir."
Ma Liewen nodded and said to his wife, "Honey, you two try the rice we bought from Li Fei first."
Chu Qing nodded, served herself and Lin Liu a bowl of rice, and tried a couple of mouthfuls.
Then she said, "The texture and flavor are the same as before. This is genuine Xiangshui Tribute Rice."
Lin Liu nodded too.
Ma Liewen shook his head. "That means we got fooled again. Now try the rice I brought