"What kind of joke is this!"
Shopkeeper Huang’s gaze lingered on the pumpkin cup for a long ti, and upon hearing Hua Xiaomai speak thus, he suddenly snapped back to reality, flicked his sleeve, and moved to leave.
"My contest with him is a matter between the two of us, what does it have to do with a little girl like you? Even if I were to agree to a competition with you and win, to others it would seem improper and unjust!... I refuse to compete with you not because I fear you, but because I do not wish to bully the weak! You better leave this place at once and stop making trouble with ,"
Look... I knew it would end like this.
Hua Xiaomai shrugged slightly at Scholar Wen, indicating she had done her best and there was nothing more she could do.
Scholar Wen, having co this far, was unwilling to give up easily, and throwing aside the image of his genteel, scholarly deanor, he jumped up and down and shouted, "Ha, don’t co up with any excuses, in my view, you are simply frightened by my sister’s abilities, wanting to avoid her edge, that’s all there is to it!"
With that, he turned around and yelled to the onlookers, "Everyone, tell if I’m not making sense? If Shopkeeper Huang has nothing to fear, why won’t he deign to have a competition with my sister?"
Sister Hua, continuing to play her part as the cheerleader, repeatedly echoed, "That’s right, that’s right, he’s clearly scared of my little sister, with a courage the size of mustard seeds, really sothing to look down upon!"
Chef Tan, standing in front of the small tavern, was already as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, distraught and nervous. Seeing that so were speaking out for him and causing a commotion, he grew even more flustered, not knowing how to act, and as the sweat on his forehead dried, another layer would erge, endlessly dripping down.
He stomped his foot, clenched his fists, and walked a few steps towards Hua Xiaomai and said in a low voice, "Miss, I know you an well, and I’m very grateful in my heart, but you really don’t need to muddle through this ss. If my shop really can’t be saved today, it is my own fault, and no one else’s, you..."
"Uncle, don’t misunderstand, I just saw you two are having a heated contest, and I couldn’t help but feel the itch to join in," Hua Xiaomai looked up and smiled at him, "Besides, you have already lost two rounds and are in disarray. Instead of haphazardly dealing with the last dish, why not let have a try? Whether this will work out is still uncertain, but if in a while, Shopkeeper Huang really takes up the challenge, you don’t have to worry, just give a ’Yes,’ that’ll do."
It was not clear if her words were so convincing that they brought peace to people’s hearts, or if Chef Tan simply had no other options, but after pondering for a long mont, he actually nodded.
"Well, you’re right, I’ve already lost two rounds, and for this last dish... Young lady, I’m entrusting it all to you."
Hua Xiaomai nodded with a smile, turned around, and leisurely eyed Shopkeeper Huang.
Among the crowd of onlookers, although nine out of ten were "plants" paid by Shopkeeper Huang, there were still one or two percent who were ordinary passersby genuinely there for curiosity. Moreover, after Scholar Wen’s shouting, more of the common people joined in the crowd.
As the saying goes, the more spectators, the better the spectacle. Suddenly, Hua Xiaomai erged, and the beautifully carved pumpkin cup piqued everyone’s curiosity. So onlookers joined in the encouragent, laughing and saying, "Shopkeeper Huang, she’s just a young girl, why fear her? I say, you should just show her colors, let her learn what’s what!"
There were also those who were clueless, genuinely believing that Hua Xiaomai would be no match for Shopkeeper Huang. Even though they had been paid by him, they too started to stir up trouble: "Yeah, yeah, Shopkeeper Huang, your Dongchang Pavilion is an established shop in Fuzhe County, with a rich heritage. Why be scared of a little girl? You should teach her a lesson so she can realize her own limits."
Shopkeeper Huang was montarily at a loss for words, frowning intensely.
At that mont, he truly experienced what it felt like to be in a difficult position. Hua Xiaomai’s smile was warm, yet it contained a hint of provocation; the man and woman beside her were jumping around, jubilant. Continuing like this would only draw even more people.
Ah, and then there were the onlookers, whose light-hearted banter made it hard for him to respond!
Of course, he could simply ignore Hua Xiaomai’s existence and compete with Chef Tan honestly, upon which the shop would imdiately beco his. But... doing so, what would the people of Fuzhe County say tomorrow? If this affected the business of Dongchang Pavilion, he would be the one to lose out in the end!
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