The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

Chapter 182 Get Out of Here Soon

If Chen Xi knew all this, he might say with his gentle smile: "That's because when I cook, I use refined salt carefully selected from a distant land, as well as secret seasonings unique to the space villa. Their quality and flavor far exceed what can be easily obtained in this era."

In the town, Li Qiang stood on the second floor of the Fugui Restaurant. His eyes passed through the bustling crowd and were fixed on the restaurant on the opposite street where Chen Pingan and others frequently came in and out. His brows were furrowed, and his heart was filled with doubts.

Chen Ping'an's casual stroll brought him inadvertently close to the sphere of influence of the Fugui Restaurant. This scene was captured by Li Qiang's spies placed everywhere and reported back immediately.

The report from the spy made Li Qiang rush out from the restaurant's kitchen like a firecracker with a lit fuse, with a playful smile on his face, and quickly walked towards Chen Pingan.

"Oh my, isn't this the warrior who plans to make a comeback and revive the restaurant's glory? I wonder if he can stir up any waves this time?"

There was an obvious provocation in Li Qiang's words, and his actions were just to regain some insignificant sense of superiority in front of Chen Pingan.

After all, during the time that Chen Ping'an was away, his status in the Fugui Restaurant had risen dramatically. Not only had his salary doubled, he also had two more chefs under him to obey his orders. His life was very comfortable.

However, facing Li Qiang's cold words, Chen Pingan just shook his head gently, silently reciting his sister's advice in his heart: "If a dog barks at a train, will the train stop for that?"

He chose to ignore it and continued on his way, leaving only a light-hearted response: "It's just a dog barking, it's nothing to worry about."

Carrying the purchased ingredients in hand, he strode towards the Good Luck Restaurant across the street.

In front of the restaurant, there was a lot of noise. Li Qiang's face became embarrassed in front of everyone. He spat and cursed in a low voice: "Humph, you are just a jumping clown. Let's see how long you can be proud!"

However, these gossips were nothing but passing clouds to the determined Chen Pingan and had no effect on him at all.

In a blink of an eye, two days passed quietly, and the Good Luck Restaurant once again decorated its lights and prepared to welcome the grand occasion of its reopening.

Chen Ping'an continued with his previous strategy and displayed tables of delicious food outside the door on the first day to attract passers-by to stop and look. He also promised that all customers would enjoy special discounts in the first three days of opening.

In just three days, the Good Luck Restaurant once again attracted a lot of people. In comparison, the Fugui Restaurant opposite seemed deserted. Its once prosperous scene had become a thing of the past.

The owner of Fugui Restaurant, a round-faced middle-aged man, was frowning and staring at the business records of the past few days. His face was full of worry: "What is going on? Have all our chefs become vegetarians? Where have all the customers gone? Li Qiang, explain to me clearly, what is going on?"

Li Qiang waved his hands quickly and defended himself with an innocent look: "Boss, this is really none of my business. You also saw that Chen Pingan reopened Good Luck Restaurant across the street. It was obviously aimed at us. All the customers were attracted to them."

"If he can lure them away, why can't you win the customers back? We are also a time-honored brand with a good reputation. Why should customers have to choose them?" The boss' tone was filled with dissatisfaction.

"I think the problem lies with you. Your cooking is unappealing." The assistant at the side couldn't help but interrupt.

"It was fine at the beginning, but it has been getting worse recently. Many old customers have complained that the taste of the dishes has changed and they are unwilling to come again." Li Qiang's explanation seemed a little weak.

"Didn't you promise before that you had completely mastered Chen Ping'an's cooking secrets? Now that you can't make it, do you still want to stay here? If I had known that you were not good enough, how could I have let Chen Ping'an leave?"

The boss's questioning made Li Qiang's face look even uglier. These days, he himself felt powerless. No matter how hard he tried, he could not replicate the unforgettable deliciousness of Chen Ping'an.

"Boss, you really can't blame me for this. Chen Pingan and I only spent a few short days together, and I only watched from the sidelines prepare many of the dishes but never tried them myself." Li Qiang tried to explain in a helpless tone.

"How dare you claim that you know everything? I would have to be blind to believe you!" The owner of Fugui Restaurant was furious, clenched his fists, and stomped his feet in anger.

Li Qiang's mouth corners slightly turned down, and he muttered in a low voice: "Didn't I say it was almost the same..."

This sentence was like adding fuel to the fire, instantly igniting the boss's anger and drawing another round of scolding.

In a blink of an eye, the first three days had passed, and the Good Luck Restaurant was crowded with people every day and was extremely lively.

The diners waiting outside the door held number cards in their hands, and the line was as long as a dragon. Some were even willing to wait patiently for several hours just for that one bite of the legendary delicacy. The taste of good luck became an irresistible temptation in their hearts.

As time went by, old customers gradually discovered that the head chef of this popular Good Luck Restaurant was none other than Chen Xi, the culinary master of the former Fugui Restaurant.

The news spread quickly among the crowd like a spring breeze, from one person's mouth to another's ears. Soon, almost everyone in the town knew about it.

In comparison, the Fugui Restaurant seemed particularly deserted, as if it had become a fleeting cloud in people's minds, with few customers and few people around.

At first, the owner of Fugui Restaurant comforted himself by thinking that the novelty of Haoyunlai Restaurant attracted a large number of customers. However, as time passed, the desertedness of his restaurant did not improve at all, but instead became worse.

"Li Qiang, get out of here right now! Look at the things you made, customers won't even look at them, and now the store is so quiet that you can even hear the sound of mosquitoes flying by, why don't you get out now!"

The boss was furious and, along with two of his men, pushed Li Qiang and his luggage out of the door without any explanation.

This scene attracted the attention of the crowd around, who pointed and talked about it.

Li Qiang looked embarrassed, but thinking that he had not been paid for these days, he did not care about his face and spoke up.

"Boss, let's settle the wages for these few days first."

Ever since Li Qiang betrayed Chen Pingan, Chen Pingan has cut off all financial support, and Li Qiang did not take Chen Pingan's meager compensation seriously at the beginning.

Now that he has taken refuge with the restaurant owner, although it was agreed that he would be paid every month, Li Qiang naturally has not received a penny before the end of the month.

"Wages? You're dreaming! You didn't bring any customers, and you still want to get paid? Get out of here right now, and don't force me to ask someone to throw you out!" The boss's fingers almost touched Li Qiang's nose.