Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots-Chapter 1552 - 347, a big crook! (Third watch)

"You didn’t notice her just now?"

As soon as Shopkeeper Liu left, Lin Yuan tilted her head and asked Xia Zheng, naturally referring to Huai Hua who had been eavesdropping at the doorway.

Even she had noticed Huai Hua, so it was impossible for Xia Zheng not to have seen her. But why would Xia Zheng still speak out about such a confidential matter for Huai Hua to overhear?

Xia Zheng took her hand into his and patted it lightly, laughing, "She’s just a little girl, and one who can’t even walk when she sees a handsome man. Even if I didn’t mention He Lienuo’s identity as the Crown Prince of Xiliang, would she not have tried to seduce him?"

Lin Yuan raised her eyebrows. That was indeed true; initially, just by a glance from Xia Zheng, Huai Hua was willing to sell herself. Now with the Crown Prince of Xiliang, Huai Hua would probably cling to him for dear life!

"Fine, since the Crown Prince of Xiliang hasn’t kept his identity a secret and probably doesn’t care, let’s allow Huai Hua to be obsessed for a couple more days!"

Lin Yuan pulled her hand away and suddenly remembered something. She squinted one eye at him, her lips curling as she asked, "Tell me, did you meddle with the twenty commoner judges needed for the competition with Drunken Immortal Tower?"

Lin Yuan changed the subject so quickly that Xia Zheng was taken aback, not even giving him a chance to prepare.

Seeing him with spinning eyes, Lin Yuan narrowed hers and threatened with a press on the back of his hand, "Don’t even think about talking nonsense. Tell me the truth!"

Ha!

Xia Zheng, finding her threat completely nonthreatening, burst into laughter, raising both hands in surrender, "Alright, no nonsense, only the truth! Cough, it’s not really meddling, just, just a tiny bit of meddling, that’s all."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan’s expression immediately changed, and her brows furrowed tightly as she urgently said, "You didn’t buy those selected participants’ invitations with silver, did you? Did you arrange your own people to be judges? That’s not fair! You can’t do that!"

Lin Yuan’s voice shook slightly due to agitation, clearly infuriated by Xia Zheng’s actions.

This contest was important for Dong Tian and Drunken Immortal Tower’s reputation. Although it was crucial, it wasn’t a do-or-die situation. Moreover, Lin Yuan believed that with Yan Xiangkai and Yan Ruchun’s straightforwardness, they would never engage in such trickery.

If Drunken Immortal Tower fought fair and square, then why should Dong Tian resort to underhanded methods behind the scenes? Even if they won, she would feel no honor in it.

Watching Lin Yuan getting increasingly worked up, Xia Zheng blinked innocently and suddenly chuckled, pointing at her in amusement.

"You, you, do you really trust me so little? I trust you so much; I certainly wouldn’t do something like bribing judges. Besides, I’m too stingy to waste silver on pointless things since I know for sure that the winner of this contest will be you!"

Held tightly by Xia Zheng, Lin Yuan looked into his clear eyes and felt his firm trust, which calmed her restless heart.

"Did you really not bribe them?"

Xia Zheng shook his head definitively, "Absolutely not!"

Lin Yuan let out a sigh of relief and laughingly chastised herself, poking his nose, "Good thing you didn’t bribe anyone. I wouldn’t bear to see my silver just flowing away like that!"

Xia Zheng uttered a surprised noise, realizing this guy was actually worried about the silver!

"But what did you mean by ’meddling’ just now?"

There were many people who had signed up, and twenty were chosen to be commoner judges through a lucky draw. Each of them had a special invitation with signs that others couldn’t easily spot, making it impossible for outsiders to replicate one to deceive.

Now that Xia Zheng said he bought back many of those invitations, what was he planning if not to arrange his own people to be judges?

Heh heh, with a cheeky smile, Xia Zheng raised his eyebrows at Lin Yuan and winked, "Guess?"

Guess?

Lin Yuan shrugged her shoulders. She was already tired enough today and had no desire to guess at Xia Zheng’s intentions.

Seeing Lin Yuan’s deflated appearance, Xia Zheng felt like he was getting a cold shoulder after showing warm affection. He mimicked Lin Yuan by propping up his chin with his hands and leaning on the table.

"I sent someone to buy back twelve invitations for ten taels of silver each, then sold them for fifty taels of silver each. Am I not clever?"

What?!

Lin Yuan, who had been feigning death on the table, shouted and sat up with excitement, "You earned forty taels of silver per invitation! For twelve, isn’t that four hundred and eighty taels of silver?!"

This Xia Zheng, he really knew how to do business!

Xia Zheng, who had just been leaning on the table, was startled by Lin Yuan’s sudden shout, his heart pounding furiously. He covered his chest, amused yet annoyed, thinking where did that nonchalant, indifferent fellow go?

"Is it only four hundred and eighty taels? There are plenty of fools with more money than sense. Being able to taste the culinary skills of Drunken Immortal Tower’s and Dong Tian’s chefs at once, how rare is that? I’ve sold two invitations for a hundred taels each, and two more for eighty taels each."

Xia Zheng said this while arching his eyebrows and beckoning her with a hooked finger.

Only after Lin Yuan leaned in did Xia Zheng whisper mysteriously, "Moreover, I still have one out-of-print invitation in my hands. I’ve already spread the word; it should fetch two hundred taels!"

Two hundred taels?

Lin Yuan’s mouth gaped in astonishment. Looking at Xia Zheng’s sly grin, she tightly clutched her chest, stepped back, and squinted at him, repeatedly scolding with heartache, "Swindler! A big swindler!"

Yet Xia Zheng just lifted his eyelids indifferently and huffed, "No swindling, no business!"

Lin Yuan nodded in agreement, thoroughly convinced, "Right, no swindling, no business! You are the most cunning and crafty swindler! But..."

Xia Zheng raised his eyebrows. But what?

Lin Yuan’s look of heartache vanished in an instant, replaced by sheer joy and admiration, "But, I love it!"

She even deliberately drew out the words "I love it" in a long, winding tone, making Xia Zheng’s whole body feel unbelievably comfortable.

The two of them exchanged a knowing smile, both feeling as if they’d met too late in life.

After giggling for a while, Xia Zheng suddenly said, "Speaking of which, I have a premonition that we can sell this last invitation for a good price!"

Although it was just a look, Lin Yuan also thought of it. She squinted and teased, "I think that’s a good idea!"

The two most cunning and duplicitous merchants in the history of Dynasty Dayong were making quite a profit from just one invitation, and were even scheming to trick a certain Crown Prince.

As the two were plotting in the room, the elegant room’s window was suddenly knocked open by someone.

Cold wind whistled in through the broken window. Lin Yuan shivered involuntarily, as Xia Zheng shielded her with his body and turned around angrily shouting, "Who’s the thief? Name yourself!"

"It’s me, your grandfather!"

The response came with equal rage. Xia Zheng wrapped Lin Yuan in a cloak, retorting furiously, "My grandfather is your father! If you keep being disrespectful like this, trust me, he’ll climb out of his grave to strangle you!"

The intruder was none other than Xia Zheng’s Second Uncle Xia Hen.

Perhaps knowing he had irritated Xia Zheng by breaking through the window, or maybe feeling timid from being previously outwitted, Xia Hen landed directly on the window sill after breaking in and refused to enter the room.

Not only that, but he was also ready to flee at any moment, just waiting for Xia Zheng to lose his temper so that he could take flight.

"Even if you strangle me, I wouldn’t be afraid!"

Xia Hen stood his ground, glaring fiercely. He pointed at Lin Yuan, who Xia Zheng cradled protectively and demanded, "Tell me, where did you hide my Vajra Ruyi Spoon? Send it back to me right now!"

Vajra Ruyi Spoon?

Lin Yuan, bundled up in the cloak, felt the chill as it was winter. Although it was not snowing, the wind blowing in through the window on the second floor was bone-chilling.

She tightened the cloak around her and muffled from Xia Zheng’s embrace, "What spoon? I don’t know."

"Don’t know?"

Xia Hen’s voice grew louder, his face even more ferocious, as if he had not lost a mere spoon but a newlywed bride.

"How could you not know? You liar! I knew there was something fishy about that nonsensical dish smelling faintly of alcohol! Ha, so you were using my Vajra Ruyi Spoon! You two thieves, stealing my Vajra Ruyi Spoon and having the shameless face to not return it? Give it back to me now!"

Hearing his incessant rant, Lin Yuan finally realized what the Vajra Ruyi Spoon was—it was the long serving spoon she had used to make the dish!

"Who’s the thief? Who’s the thief? You’re the thief! An old thief! A big old thief!"

Xia Zheng was also incensed. It was just a matter of using his spoon for serving wine; did it warrant such cursing? Moreover, if they were talking about a thief, it wasn’t clear yet who the real thief was!

This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om