Mrs. Mei's Survival Diary - Chapter 31.1

Chapter 31.1 – Fairy Fate

Looking at the ghostly figure in the pitch-black surroundings, Rong Yinshuang felt a little scared. “Why did you come here instead of staying there with Yue Niang?”

Brother Qiang curled his lips at Rong Yinshuang as a greeting, but that smile made Rong Yinshuang even more terrified.  “Madam, you rescued her and let us meet. I am already satisfied with that. I know that humans and ghosts can’t go on the same path. Even if I stay with her, I can’t change anything. Now that she is out of danger, I don’t want anything more than that. So now… I think I have to leave this world.”

Upon hearing that, Rong Yinshuang looked at him and asked, “Have you thought it over? Do you want to accompany her for a few more days?”

Brother Qiang shook his head quietly and replied, “No, there is no point in my companionship. If I stay too long, she might develop new obsessions. It would harm her and it is not what I want.”

Rong Yinshuang looked at him and understood that this man truly loved Yue Niang. To some extent, Yue Niang was happy.

After pondering for a few seconds, Rong Yinshuang recited the mantra to save the dead souls. The soul followed the wind and drifted across the sky, leaving forty-three copper coins.

Rong Yinshuang picked up the copper coins one by one and went back to the yard. With a frown, she looked at the golden light barrier that had returned to calm in the sky for a long time. She began to doubt the intruder. ‘Who on earth could have urged the Yuantai to come and find out the truth? After thinking about it, there seemed to be only one possibility. It must be the man behind the scenes who almost killed Shopkeeper Yan. Hm… The man first set up Shopkeeper Yan with the Five Ghosts Formation, and after I managed to subdue him, he felt bitter and pushed the Yuantai to come and uncover the truth.’Rong Yinshuang thought about Shopkeeper Yan’s husband. ‘He must be someone special. Even though Shopkeeper Yan is a concubine, she clearly has a lot of favour. Could it be that the man’s wife is behind all this?’

The more she thought, the more she couldn’t shake off those thoughts. Finally, she headed back to the house. 

The next morning, Rong Yinshuang went to the teahouse like usual and noticed that Uncle Bao was already there.

The sign that was initially up to hire dim sum chefs had been changed for one looking for general help. 

Feeling surprised, Rong Yinshuang walked in and asked, “Hey, aren’t we still looking for dim sum chefs?”

Uncle Bao approached and pointed towards the kitchen, saying, “Didn’t Madam sort this out yesterday? The dim sum chefs in the back got up before dawn. The molds for the dim sum in the kitchen are nearly ready, they just need to be steamed.”

“...” Puzzled, Rong Yinshuang walked into the kitchen and saw Yue Niang all dressed up,  standing at the dough-kneading table and working hard. 

When the woman noticed Rong Yinshuang enter, she nodded and smiled at her. She didn’t say much, just clapped her hands and handed over two plates of steamed cakes to Rong Yinshuang.

“Boss, good morning. There are lots of ingredients in the kitchen. I made the osmanthus hibiscus cake and honey water chestnut cake this morning. Let the two young masters try them out. If they like them, I’ll make more next time.”

Rong Yinshuang gazed at the cakes on the plate. The aroma and the lovely shape caught her attention even before she took a bite. The cakes had a pure white base adorned with golden osmanthus petals, and the top was beautifully decorated with pink hibiscus jam. The honey water chestnut cake was cut perfectly, golden in colour, and smelled sweet with honey.

Without a doubt, those cakes were way better than what the previous pastry chefs made.

Even though Yue Niang wasn’t the best at talking, she showed her appreciation to Rong Yinshuang through her actions.

Rong Yinshuang understood the woman’s feelings and didn’t say much more. After all, her shop really needed a talented pastry chef, and Yue Niang just happened to be great at making delicious treats. Therefore, when it came to her monthly salary, she would definitely make sure Yue Niang was treated fairly.

Once they left the kitchen, the cakes were served to the two sons. After tasting them, they both praised them saying they were really delicious. They happily grabbed a plate each and dashed upstairs.

Uncle Bao approached Rong Yinshuang and said, “Even though Miss Yue isn’t the prettiest, she makes amazing dim sum. Madam has a great eye for talent. With her on board, our teahouse is bound to see a boost in business.”

“...” Rong Yinshuang agreed with Uncle Bao. She pulled out a few sheets of paper where she had carefully noted some ideas and said, “Since there aren’t many customers right now, let’s chat about how we can enhance the teahouse moving forward.”

Uncle Bao grabbed a pen, some paper, and an inkstone, saying as he walked, “I actually have a few things I want to go over with Madam  too.”

The two engaged in a thorough discussion in the lobby. Rong Yinshuang shared with Uncle Bao the suggestions that Gu Yean had previously given her. Uncle Bao was on board with these ideas and contributed some of his own thoughts to make sure they could be fully and smoothly implemented. Throughout their conversation, Rong Yinshuang truly recognised Uncle Bao’s deep experience and skills. Following Gu Yean’s insights, she learned another valuable lesson.

Once they wrapped up their discussion, Rong Yinshuang entrusted everything to Uncle Bao and headed up to the third floor to secure a private room at the edge for herself. The quiet spot made the surrounding atmosphere quite elegant, and Rong Yinshuang found it very pleasant.

Have a nice day!