Chapter 67: Finding Husband

Zui Meng Ju was not far from the Ya Men, just two turns and a quarter of an hour away.

Like the Zui Meng Ju in the town, it was in the most prosperous area, and the decoration was similar, three stories high, with an ancient style, very imposing.

Du Ruo stood at the door and sized it up for a long time before lifting her feet to step in.

It was the peak time for eating, and there were quite a few guests coming in and out, showing business was good.

Although busy, the waiter didn't neglect her, quickly greeting her: "Little Lady, please come in, are you here to eat?"

Du Ruo shook her head: "I'm here to find someone."

The waiter hurriedly led her toward the hall: "Then take a good look, which table are you looking for."

Du Ruo still remembered the words of Jiang Li's colleague: "May I ask where the Spring-character room is?"

As soon as she said this, the waiter was stunned, his gaze turning around her several times before tentatively asking: "Little Lady, are you here to find your husband?"

This time it was Du Ruo's turn to be surprised. Was "Jiang Li's wife" written on her face?

Or was she already notoriously ugly, and even the waiter had heard of it?

"That's right, I'm here to find my husband." Since her face was a ready-made business card, things were easy to handle. To let people see more clearly, Du Ruo even raised her chin.

Who knew the waiter would immediately change his face, bowing and scraping to ask her to go out: "I'm really sorry, we don't have a Spring-character room here, why don't you look elsewhere?"

Du Ruo was a bit confused.

No way, Jiang Li's colleague clearly said Zui Meng Ju Spring-character room, she was very sure she hadn't remembered wrong.

But the waiter insisted there wasn't one, so she had no choice. She couldn't just shamelessly go up and search, right?

Du Ruo had to walk out depressed.

At this moment, a stern voice suddenly came from behind.

"You all must be twelve points focused, you must serve the distinguished guests upstairs well. If there is any slip-up, be careful of your rice bowls! And that fish-lamb fresh, must use the best ingredients, must make the most delicious taste..."

This voice was a bit familiar.

Du Ruo turned back and immediately smiled: "Manager Qiu."

Seeing her, Manager Qiu's eyes lit up, his big belly trembling as he ran to her: "Oh, Lady Du, haven't seen you send wild game to me for a long time, I thought you had forgotten me!"

Du Ruo grinned awkwardly. She had really forgotten.

"How could that be, it's just that there have been many things to do recently, I was just thinking about going over to your side when I'm free."

With people coming and going in the hall, it wasn't convenient to talk, so Manager Qiu greeted her to the table in the corner and sat down himself.

Du Ruo looked around and asked suspiciously: "Manager Qiu, aren't you at the Zui Meng Ju in Xiushan Zhen, why are you here?"

Manager Qiu sighed: "Alas, originally I was, but a few days ago the old manager here accidentally fell down the stairs and had a stroke. In the meantime, they couldn't find a suitable candidate, so the owner transferred me over, letting me take care of both ends."

His tone was full of regret, but his eyes were hidden with laughter.

That old immortal, finally going to die.

Let him always say things in front of the owner before, this is retribution, right? Kicked the bucket, right? Deserved it!

*Cough cough*, Manager Qiu tried hard to pull down his raised corners of his mouth and asked Du Ruo: "What about Lady Du, why are you here?"

Du Ruo also sighed: "I'm here to find someone."

Manager Qiu was curious: "Who are you looking for? Tell me, maybe I can help, I'm quite familiar with this area."

"Looking for my husband, I heard he is eating in your Zui Meng Ju Spring-character room, but I just asked, the waiter said you don't have a Spring-character room..."

Spring-character room?

Lady Du's husband?

Manager Qiu suddenly remembered that when Du Ruo first came to sell him recipes, besides his young master Shang Tianyou, there was also a handsome young man, saying it was Du Ruo's brother-in-law, what was his name, seemed to be... called Jiang Zhan!

Right, that was the name!

"Your husband, wouldn't it be Bu Tou Jiang Li?" Manager Qiu couldn't believe it, these two didn't match in appearance at all.

Du Ruo nodded: "Exactly, do you know him?"

He knew him, but...

Manager Qiu's eyes rolled, and then he said: "Lady Du, to tell you the truth, Bu Tou Jiang is indeed in our Spring-character room, but I advise you not to go in."

Du Ruo was very confused: "Why?"

She always felt something was strange. She just wanted to meet Jiang Li and see him, how could one or two people be stopping her?

Seeing Du Ruo's expression was a bit unhappy, Manager Qiu hurriedly explained: "Actually, it's like this. Besides Bu Tou Jiang, there is also a distinguished guest from Fengyang Prefecture in the Spring-character room, and the county magistrate is also there. Think about it, with so many big shots there, if you just rush in, what if you anger them, wouldn't that make things difficult for your husband?"

So that was it. Du Ruo suddenly realized.

Why couldn't they just say that directly? She wasn't an unreasonable person, would she really rush in?

"Then it's fine, anyway it's not urgent, I'll wait for him at the Ya Men gate later."

Du Ruo stood up to say goodbye, preparing to go to the Herbal Hall to get medicine first.

After she finished, Jiang Li should be done eating and back at the Ya Men, so it wouldn't be too late to find him then.

Out of Zui Meng Ju, Du Ruo walked toward East Street based on her memory, but after only one turn, the waiter from before chased after her.

"Lady Du, our manager... asked me to call you back!" He said panting.

Du Ruo had to turn back.

At the door of Zui Meng Ju, Manager Qiu was pacing back and forth, his Maitreya-like face full of anxiety.

Seeing Du Ruo, he felt like he had seen his life-saving straw: "Lady Du, you must help me!"

This matter, speaking of it, had a bit of flavor.

Since Zui Meng Ju had fish-lamb fresh, business had been great, and they had made a lot of money.

Manager Qiu naturally contributed significantly.

So he had the opportunity to be transferred to the county, and the owner's meaning was to let him promote this signature dish to all branches.

Just today, some distinguished guests came, a rare opportunity, so Manager Qiu promoted this dish to them. As long as the guests thought it was delicious, the fish-lamb fresh would have a name.

As a result, who knew that the chef he brought from Xiushan Zhen just stepped on air while going to the latrine.

Fell into the latrine!

"What kind of thing is this..." Manager Qiu was speechless.

Du Ruo held back her laughter: "I think he can still be used after washing."

"Oh Lady Du, don't just watch the joke. How long will it take for him to wash and dry? If I can't make fish-lamb fresh today, I won't have to mix in this line in the future. Just do me a favor and help me out."

Worried Du Ruo wouldn't agree, Manager Qiu hurriedly reported the conditions: "Don't worry, I won't treat you badly, how about a reward of one tael of silver?"

"No need, no need, just a small effort, no reward needed. Besides, we are real friends, and there is that relationship with Young Master Shang, how could I see death and not save?" Du Ruo agreed very readily.

Manager Qiu was overjoyed and hurriedly led the way.

Du Ruo turned around in the kitchen, first processed the lamb, marinated it with salt, pepper, soy sauce, starch, and Huadiao wine, then scooped out a crucian carp of more than a catty from the bucket, gutted it, removed the scales, and cleaned it.

"You can light the fire, use medium heat."

The waiter's fire-lighting technique was good, and the pot soon heated up.

Du Ruo first put in three spoons of oil, fried the crucian carp until golden on both sides, then poured in a bowl of clear water, boiled it, put in the marinated lamb slices, added soy sauce, salt, sugar, green vegetables, and pepper, and used high heat to thicken the sauce.

Before long, the fish-lamb fresh with color, fragrance, and taste was ready.

She put the fish-lamb fresh on a plate, sprinkled it with coriander, and steadily carried it to Manager Qiu.

Manager Qiu rubbed his hands and smelled the fragrance, holding back the urge to taste it, and personally sent it to the Spring-character private room.

He also specially glanced at that Bu Tou Jiang.

Sure enough, like his brother, he had a good appearance. Lady Du really had ability, being able to marry such a husband...

Manager Qiu didn't dare to look more, just simply introduced the fish-lamb fresh and then retreated, covering the door.

Inside came the sound of pushing cups and changing lamps.

Remembering Du Ruo was still downstairs, he hurriedly went downstairs to the back kitchen and took a piece of broken silver from his bosom and stuffed it into Du Ruo's hand: "Thanks to Lady Du for helping, a small token, don't dislike it."

Du Ruo wouldn't take it, and pushed it back.

Seeing she wouldn't take the money no matter what, Manager Qiu had no choice. Just as Du Ruo hadn't eaten lunch, he had someone prepare a few dishes for her.

Du Ruo was too lazy to occupy a seat in the hall, so she simply hid in the back kitchen and ate a few mouthfuls casually.

Before a bowl of rice was finished, the waiter serving the Spring-character private room ran down: "Manager, the distinguished guest says to invite the chef who made the fish-lamb fresh in!"

Manager Qiu and Du Ruo looked at each other, their faces changing in unison.

"Is there any problem with the dish?" Du Ruo asked hurriedly.

The waiter shook his head: "That's not it, I see they are eating very happily, praising it repeatedly, maybe there is a reward."

That was good, both breathed a sigh of relief.

Manager Qiu looked at Du Ruo, hesitating to speak.

Du Ruo was quite happy, not for the reward, but finally being able to go in and see her husband legitimately.

She tidied her clothes and hair and followed the waiter upstairs.

Manager Qiu stomped his feet and chased after: "Lady Du, no matter what you see later, you must not be excited, you know?"

Du Ruo didn't care: "Don't worry, it's not like I haven't seen officials, they all have two eyes and one mouth, nothing to be excited about."

To say excited, maybe seeing Jiang Li would be a little, after all, she still missed him quite a bit.

She lifted her feet to the second floor, winter, autumn, summer... finally, she saw the Spring-character private room at the end of the corridor.

The waiter knocked on the door.

"Come in!" A man's slightly shrill voice came from inside.

Du Ruo pushed the door and walked in.

The private room was very lively, four men and four women. Besides Jiang Li, Wang Bujiu, and County Magistrate Li Jueming, there was also a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache who looked very flashy.

The women were all very young and looked quite good, but they were dressed too little, and there was a dusty air in their gestures.

Du Ruo's face turned cold instantly.

Heh, so that was it.

No wonder the Ya Men runner guarding the gate said Jiang Li went far away, no wonder the waiter lied to her saying there was no Spring-character room, no wonder Manager Qiu tried every means to stop her from entering here.

Was it because they were afraid she would discover there were pleasure-house women accompanying Jiang Li, and would make a scene?

With fierce light shooting from her small eyes, Du Ruo walked step by step behind her husband, expressionless.

Jiang Li sat with his back to the door, sitting straight, looking straight ahead, so he didn't know that the one standing behind him was his own mother tiger.

Wang Bujiu saw her, but he didn't know how much he had drunk, already drunk like mud, his face redder than the clothes the woman beside him was wearing, and his speech was slurred.

"Eh? Who are you, why... a bit familiar?"

He giggled at Du Ruo, pointing at her: "You, you are so ugly... more, more ugly than my sister-in-law!"

Several pleasure-house women covered their mouths and laughed until they were trembling.

Jiang Li's eyes were cold, and he kicked Wang Bujiu hard under the table.

Wang Bujiu was originally soft all over, so he couldn't sit still, *bang*, his head hit the table, and not knowing if it hurt, he fell asleep directly.

Glancing at Wang Bujiu who was already dead asleep, Du Ruo stabbed him a hundred times in her heart.

No, a thousand times!

Wang the fool, you are dead!

"Sure enough, girls love handsome men, seeing at a glance who is the most handsome here."

Prince Ji laughed loudly, waving for Du Ruo to come over: "You are the cook, right? Come, come, come, come to this Prince's side, this Prince likes the fish-lamb fresh you made very much, fresh, delicious, and mellow, simply the best in the world."

Saying this, he took a piece of broken silver from his sleeve and threw it on the table, with a tone of alms: "Take it, this Prince rewards you."

The woman beside pouted, shaking Prince Ji's arm coquettishly: "Oh, she made delicious food and should be rewarded, what about me, did I not serve well?"

Prince Ji's bones were all softened, pinching the woman's face: "What's the rush, your share won't be missing, naturally there will be some later."

Seeing Du Ruo motionless, as if she didn't take that piece of silver to heart at all, Prince Ji raised his eyelids: "Why, think it's too little?"

Du Ruo smiled slightly, reaching out to take that piece of silver: "Thank you, Prince."

Don't take it for nothing.

Hearing this familiar voice, Jiang Li's body shook violently, quickly looking over here.

"Wife? Why are you here?" He stood up abruptly, full of disbelief.

Du Ruo turned back, smiling harmlessly, but her tone was eerie, making his scalp tingle: "Oh, is it that I came at the wrong time?"

Jiang Li: "..."

It's over, the wife seems angry, and very angry, the kind that can't be coaxed.

He opened his mouth to explain, but seeing Prince Ji on the side, he swallowed his words back, only walking to her side, looking into her eyes, and saying two words in a low voice: "Trust me."

Du Ruo's stomach full of rough words that could kill people were stuck in her throat.

Caught in the act, and still trust you?

Trust your big head!

In front of outsiders, I'll give you some face for now. When we go back, humph, let's see if I trust you or shave you!

Du Ruo gave Jiang Li a look, letting him figure it out himself.

Then she looked at Prince Ji, bowing neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Sorry, I come from the countryside and don't understand the rules, I hope the distinguished guest won't hold it against me." ===== CHAPTER 68 =====