After returning to her room with the candied hawthorn in hand, Meng Xiaoyu began to ponder how she could get rid of Ye Han, that expressionless face.
After the candied hawthorn incident, Meng Xiaoyu was now certain that besides Ye Han, there were definitely other people protecting and watching her.
She just didn’t know who they were, apart from Ye Han and the shadowy figure who had bought her the candied hawthorn.
Were there more people?
If so, how many?
Just Ye Han alone was already keeping a tight watch on her.
If you added the shadowy figure with excellent Light Skill and possibly others hiding in the dark, her dream of sneaking into the brothel while Sister Ru Bing and Sister Ru Shuang were away would be dashed.
Thinking of this, Meng Xiaoyu couldn’t help but fall onto the bed, rolling around while muttering, “What to do? What to do?…”
“Ah! Got it!”
After rolling on the bed for nearly five minutes, Meng Xiaoyu suddenly had a flash of inspiration and stopped rolling, sitting up abruptly.
She muttered to herself, “Since I don’t know how many people are watching me besides Ye Han and that shadowy figure with great Light Skill, I’ll just flush them all out one by one. Once I figure out how many there are, I’ll think of a way to sneak out.”
After talking to herself, Meng Xiaoyu began to think about how to flush out the people hiding in the dark.
She fell back onto the bed, rolling around and muttering about how to flush them out, as if only by doing this could she come up with a solution.
After another five minutes, Meng Xiaoyu still hadn’t thought of a way.
Feeling a bit frustrated, she stopped rolling and got off the bed, walking to the table.
She grabbed the teapot on the table and, without using a cup, started gulping down the now lukewarm tea directly from the spout.
After drinking half a pot of tea, Meng Xiaoyu put the teapot back on the table, wiped the tea that had spilled from her mouth, and continued to think of a solution, propping her chin with her hands until the inn’s waiter knocked on the door to deliver lunch.
“Guest, your meal is ready. Please enjoy. I’ll take my leave now,” the waiter said, bowing to Meng Xiaoyu after setting the lunch on the table.
“Mm, you can go now,” Meng Xiaoyu said weakly, still sitting at the table with her hands propping her chin, deep in thought.
But before the waiter could reach the door, Meng Xiaoyu seemed to think of something and called out, “Hey, wait a minute.”
“Guest, do you have any other instructions?”
The waiter, puzzled, turned around and asked respectfully.
Meng Xiaoyu saw the waiter’s respectful demeanor and smiled lightly.
She took out a silver ingot from her pocket and waved it in front of the waiter’s eyes.
Seeing the waiter’s eyes light up instantly, Meng Xiaoyu smiled wickedly and said in a tempting tone, “Do you want this?”
When the waiter nodded greedily, she continued in the same tone, “You can have it, but…”
She deliberately paused.
“Guest, whatever you need, just tell me. I’ll make sure to do it properly,” the waiter said obsequiously, understanding Meng Xiaoyu’s implication.
“It’s nothing important, really. I just have a few questions for you,” Meng Xiaoyu said, glancing at the waiter who was staring at the silver ingot in her hand.
“If you answer well, this twenty taels of silver is yours. But…”
Her tone turned stern, “If you dare lie to me for this twenty taels, don’t blame me for being rude.”
“Guest, ask whatever you want. As long as I know the answer, I won’t hide anything,” the waiter said, nodding and bowing after hearing Meng Xiaoyu’s slightly threatening words.
“Good. So, tell me, are you familiar with Fuyun City? Do you know which of the four districts in Fuyun City has the best snacks and is far from this inn?”
Meng Xiaoyu asked, seeing the waiter’s eager response.
“Oh! Guest, you’re asking the right person. I was born and raised in Fuyun City. I know the four districts like the back of my hand. I know all the best places to eat and have fun! Let me tell you, each of the four districts has its famous snacks and fun places. There are many places far from this inn. For example, the ‘Pineapple Pastries’ at Li’s Pastry Shop at the end of the third street in the South District are very famous. And the ‘Ham Buns’ at Ah Wang’s Bun Shop on the fifth street in the East District are also top-notch in Fuyun City! And there’s more…”
The waiter, thinking Meng Xiaoyu would ask something difficult, was surprised by her question.
He put the tray on the table, pulled up a chair for Meng Xiaoyu, and sat down himself, ready to give a detailed account of the best places to eat and have fun in Fuyun City.
Meng Xiaoyu listened intently, interrupting occasionally to ask, “Is that place far from this inn?”
After half an hour, the waiter finally stopped his enthusiastic introduction.
Meng Xiaoyu now knew where to find the best snacks and fun places in Fuyun City, especially those far from the inn.
Satisfied, she handed the twenty taels of silver to the waiter and said, “You answered well. I’m very satisfied. This twenty taels of silver is your reward.”
As the waiter happily accepted the reward and thanked her, Meng Xiaoyu added, “Do you want to earn more silver?”
Seeing the waiter nod eagerly, Meng Xiaoyu continued, “If you want to earn more silver, you have to help me with something. If you do it well, this one hundred taels of silver is yours.”
She took out a one hundred taels silver note and waved it in front of the waiter.
“This… this…”
The waiter hesitated, torn between wanting to accept and fearing the task might be dangerous.
After all, one hundred taels was a lot of money.
His monthly wage was only two taels, and he earned only twenty-four taels a year.
One hundred taels was several years’ worth of wages.
He was already in his twenties and hadn’t married yet because he was poor.
With one hundred taels, plus the twenty taels he just received and his savings, he could marry a beautiful wife and live a better life.
Thinking of this, the waiter wanted to agree.
But he feared Meng Xiaoyu might ask him to do something dangerous.
If he lost his life for one hundred taels, it wouldn’t be worth it.
He was the only man in his family, and if he died, his family line would end.
So, he hesitated.
“Don’t worry. What I need you to do isn’t dangerous,” Meng Xiaoyu said, seeing the waiter’s hesitation.
“Guest, are you sure?”
The waiter asked, eager to agree but still cautious.
“Don’t believe me? If you don’t, I’ll find someone else. There are plenty of waiters in this inn. Someone will help me for one hundred taels,” Meng Xiaoyu said, deliberately waving the one hundred taels silver note in front of the waiter.
“Guest, whatever you need, just tell me. I’ll do it well. You don’t need to find someone else. No one else is as quick as me,” the waiter said, eager to please, no longer hesitating.
He knew if he didn’t agree, Meng Xiaoyu might find someone else, and he’d lose the one hundred taels.
Without the one hundred taels, he wouldn’t get a wife.
Without a wife, he couldn’t continue his family line.
So, he decided to go for it.
“Really?”
“Of course! Even our manager praises my efficiency,” the waiter boasted.
“Good. Since you say so, I’ll leave this task to you. If you succeed, the one hundred taels is yours. But if you mess up, not only will you not get the silver, but I’ll also send you to meet the King of Hell,” Meng Xiaoyu said, pretending to be fierce.
In reality, even if the waiter messed up, Meng Xiaoyu wouldn’t harm him.
She was just imitating what she had seen on TV.
“Guest, don’t worry. I’ll do my best,” the waiter promised, nodding and bowing.
“Good. Now, come closer,” Meng Xiaoyu said, smiling as the waiter nodded and bowed.
The waiter was completely mesmerized by Meng Xiaoyu’s smile, and couldn’t help but think to himself, “How can there be such a handsome young master! He looks like a celestial child straight out of a painting.”
The waiter didn’t realize that Meng Xiaoyu, dressed in white men’s clothing, was actually a woman.
“Hey, I told you to come closer, didn’t you hear me?”
Meng Xiaoyu, seeing the waiter’s dumbfounded expression, said angrily.
At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a bit narcissistic, thinking, “I really am more beautiful than Xi Shi, even Diao Chan would be jealous! Just one smile and I can make a waiter lose his bearings.”
“Guest, if you need anything, just let me know! I’ll take care of it for you,” the waiter, snapped back to reality by Meng Xiaoyu’s call, said to her.
Seeing the waiter lean in, Meng Xiaoyu whispered something in his ear.
After she finished, she specifically instructed him not to tell anyone.
Only after the waiter nodded in agreement did Meng Xiaoyu let him leave the room.
The waiter left with a happy face after hearing Meng Xiaoyu’s request.
The task she gave him wasn’t difficult and didn’t involve any danger, so he happily took the twenty taels of silver she had given him earlier and left.
He knew that if he completed the task by tomorrow afternoon, he would receive the promised reward of one hundred taels of silver from Meng Xiaoyu.
