Chef Zhang's Achilles' Heel

"Certainly! Please follow me."

At the sight of the gleaming gold leaf, the waiter's face instantly lit up with a smile.

"Thank you for your trouble, waiter. You're such a good man."

Time to poach him! Hehehe!

Before stepping out, Jiang Yourning turned and winked at Jiang Wanrong, then cheerfully left.

In the main kitchen.

The head chef was busy firing up the stove and working his wok.

"Chef Zhang, this young lady has something to discuss with you."

The chef turned at the sound and glanced at the waiter and Jiang Yourning, displeasure in his eyes.

"I'm busy. I have no time to entertain a little girl."

As someone who had cooked imperial banquets in the palace, Chef Zhang certainly had an imposing air.

The waiter gave Jiang Yourning a helpless look and withdrew.

Jiang Yourning looked calmly at Chef Zhang and stated her purpose outright.

"I'm here to poach you."

"Impossible! Go home, little girl. I've been the head chef at the Drunken Spring House for years. There's absolutely no way I'm leaving with you."

Rival establishments had often tried to poach Chef Zhang, so he did not even lift his eyelids at Jiang Yourning's words.

"I can restore your manly prowess."

Jiang Yourning calmly uttered those few words.

Chef Zhang's expression changed at once, and the kitchen assistants around him gave him peculiar looks.

"What nonsense are you spouting, little girl? Get out!"

Chef Zhang's tone had become noticeably rougher.

"I can help you marry the young widow you love."

???

Everyone looked up at Jiang Yourning again, then stole a glance at Chef Zhang.

One kitchen maid was so stunned by the juicy gossip that she chopped a lively, flopping fish clean in two. Half of it fell to the floor and kept thrashing.

A flicker passed through Chef Zhang's eyes despite himself.

"Very well, then. That beloved young widow of yours has recently been getting close to a young bookkeeper. Since you're willing to help their romance along, let's forget about this.

"Farewell, Chef Zhang."

Jiang Yourning strode away with an air of easy confidence.

She left Chef Zhang wearing an inscrutable expression.

A few minutes later.

He looked at everyone in the kitchen and said evenly, "I'm stepping out for a moment. Little Six, take over the cooking."

When Jiang Yourning and Jiang Wanrong left.

Jiang Wanrong stared at her younger sister in astonishment.

"Ningning, while you were in the kitchen, Xia He went out to ask around. Chef Zhang isn't intimidated by the rich or powerful. How on earth did you persuade him?"

"Everyone has a weakness. I just happened to stumble across his."

Jiang Yourning winked playfully at Jiang Wanrong.

Heh, outsiders can't poach him because they can't get a grip on Chef Zhang's Achilles' heel.

A chef who can't perform in that department and can only silently watch over the woman he loves-how could he not bow to my terms?

"..."

At some point, Jiang Wanrong's face had flushed crimson again.

At the same time, she could not help admiring her younger sister's abilities.

After the sisters returned home in high spirits, they noticed that something seemed off about the atmosphere.

Without Chun Tao beside her, Jiang Yourning had no one to send on errands and felt rather unaccustomed to it.

"Xia He, go and find out what happened."

Seeing what her younger sister was thinking, Jiang Wanrong immediately spoke up.

"Yes."

Ah, my sister really is reliable. I might as well stop by Mother's courtyard and bring my little Tao-Tao back.

I wonder how Chun Tao's bean sorting is going. If Mother ever catches me and makes me sort beans, I'll still have to trouble her to do it for me.

"Ningning, let me go with you to Mother's courtyard to check on Chun Tao."

"Sure! Thank you, Sister."

When the sisters reached Lin Xiangyin's courtyard, they spotted Chun Tao at once.

Both sisters were stunned when they saw how Chun Tao was sorting the beans.

Is this sorting beans? Isn't she just scooping them up? Filling half a vat with water, pouring in beans, and letting Chun Tao fish them out with a huge slotted ladle-this isn't just going easy on her, it's letting an entire Pacific Ocean's worth of water through.

"Miss."

At the sight of Jiang Yourning, Chun Tao's eyes immediately filled with tears.

"What are you feeling wronged about? Keep working!"

Just look at the sacks of beans Chun Tao had scooped out. It hardly took any effort, only a little time.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I know I was wrong. I failed to take proper care of you."

With tears brimming in her eyes, Chun Tao scooped up a ladleful of beans and tipped them into the sodden sack beside her.

"It's not your fault, not your fault. Keep up the good work."

Most of her worries were put to rest.

Jiang Yourning exchanged a glance with Jiang Wanrong, then they walked into the room.

"Mother, we're back."

"You're back! I just had the main kitchen make some snow fungus soup. Come over and have some."

Lin Xiangyin immediately came forward to greet them.

"By the way, Mother, did something happen at home? Why does it feel like there are more people in the residence?"

Jiang Yourning spoke up again.

"Your third brother brought them here. They're discussing matters in the study now. I heard a bellyband fiend has appeared in the capital over the past few days. Today, even a noble lady in the palace fell victim."

"Pfft!"

Jiang Yourning sprayed a mouthful of snow fungus soup.

"What bellyband fiend? Is he really that ruthless?"

The string of thefts has already started? The Zheng Family really couldn't sit still, could they?

Jiang Wanrong's expression abruptly sharpened.

Just what sort of person was her younger sister?

Was there truly nothing in this world that she did not know?

"To think such a brazen criminal exists! He must be brought to justice!"

"Yes, yes, yes! You're absolutely right, Sister!"

Jiang Yourning nodded furiously.

How should I put it? Stealing the capital's women's bellybands is really just a smokescreen.

That little thief's real goal is to wait until this becomes a huge scandal, then toss the Empress Dowager's bellyband, embroidered with her maiden name, out into the streets.

The imperial family's dignity will be dragged through the dirt. Even if the emperor sends the Empress Dowager to a temple to become a nun, it wouldn't be excessive. Half the power at his disposal could crumble in an instant.

In Lin Xiangyin's courtyard.

Zhao Yi, who had been halfway through leaving, stopped in his tracks.

What had he just heard?

This case was actually connected to the Zheng Family, and its target was none other than the Empress Dowager.

Worse still, judging by Sixth Miss Jiang's thoughts, that little thief had probably already succeeded in getting his hands on the Empress Dowager's bellyband.

At that moment, Zhao Yi felt the urge to haul Jiang Yourning outside and question her.

But it lasted only an instant.

Then he suppressed the thought.

His ability to hear Sixth Miss Jiang's thoughts was far too mysterious. He could not carelessly expose it.

Besides...

At the thought of what his servant had reported two days earlier, Zhao Yi's heart bled.