novelraw Chapter 255: Was the mistake exposed?
Chapter 255: Was the mistake exposed?
Chapter 255: Was the mistake exposed?
Gu Lianshan was still not satisfied, but he didn't dare to be too presumptuous because of his third uncle's gaze.
"Stay for a meal. We may not have any delicacies, but we have plenty of chicken, duck, fish, and meat."
Ah Gou nodded in agreement: "Chicken, duck, fish and meat are already a rare treat."
Hearing this, Gu Lianshan raised an eyebrow. He had expected the man to politely decline, but he hadn't expected him to agree so readily.
Alright, since he's so easygoing, he'll treat him to a good meal.
After calling out to Gu Ping'an, the father and son left the house one after the other.
As soon as they got outside, the father and son saw Gu Tang coming out from the west wing.
The things Ah Gou had brought were in the west wing. Gu Lianshan watched his daughter come out of the west wing without any attempt to hide herself, and his eyelids twitched violently a few times.
He subconsciously glanced back at the main room, then hurried over to Gu Tang with a nervous expression.
"The guests haven't left yet! At least wait until they're gone before going in!"
"I just went in for a quick look, and I didn't touch anything, why are you in such a hurry?"
Gu Tang went inside to look at the things, intending to switch the contents of the basket.
Twenty baskets, you can just swap one or two out.
She selected two baskets, removed some of the contents, and put three hundred taels of silver in one basket, so the two baskets contained six hundred taels!
When Ah Gou visits for the first time, just give him six hundred taels. When he visits again in the future, give him a little each time, like a steady stream.
"Dad's going to cook. You go to the main room and show your face. After all, the people came for you, so you have to go and see them."
The local customs in Bei'an City are quite fierce, and there is no saying that a young lady cannot meet with outside men. Gu Lianshan would not restrain Gu Tang either, and waved to her, indicating that she should go to the main room.
With Gu Lianshan gone, the atmosphere in the main room eased considerably.
Third Uncle was a very sensible man. He thought that he would not have any contact with such a wealthy family in the future. After seeing them off after the meal, he figured he would never see them again.
Compared to Gu Lianshan's probing questions, Third Uncle didn't ask a single one. He simply invited people to drink tea and casually chatted about the local customs and people in the Beian City area.
When Gu Tang came in, the two were just talking about the various mountain peaks and Taoist temples outside the city, saying that they were good places to go for a spring outing.
Seeing Gu Tang enter, Ah Gou, who had been on edge the whole time, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
finally come!
He stood up and instinctively bowed to Gu Tang, saying, "Greetings, Miss."
Gu Tang: ...What's with this relieved look on your face?
"You're too polite, young master." Gu Tang returned the greeting, then secretly glared at him!
Wait! We'll settle the score later!
Ah Gou was a little confused by that glare and had no idea what to do.
After carefully reviewing what had happened, he felt that everything was fine and there was nothing wrong with it.
But why did I offend someone again?
After returning the greeting, Gu Tang ignored him and walked to her third uncle's side, saying, "I'm going to the kitchen to relieve my father. We have guests today, so I'd like him to keep them company..."
"no, I'm fine!"
Before Third Uncle could speak, Ah Gou suddenly started shouting nervously.
He waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that Gu Lianshan didn't need to come over. "I came to thank the young lady. How could I trouble Master Gu to keep me company? I can stay in the room by myself. There's no need for you to bother me."
Gu Tang glared at him, wondering what was wrong with him now.
We had agreed before that we should make a good impression on her father and try to maintain regular contact so that we wouldn't have to sneak around when we met in the future.
But what's going on right now?
She just mentioned that her dad would come instead, and this guy immediately refused?!
Under Gu Tang's gaze, Ah Gou looked aggrieved.
He knew he shouldn't refuse, but his master's father was just too terrifying!
The questions he was asked were all ones he had never encountered before. He had to think carefully about each question and make sure they were consistent with each other to avoid giving himself away.
This...it really took a lot of effort!
Sensing the awkward atmosphere between the two, the Third Uncle coughed lightly, looking quite uncomfortable.
Ah Gou was still there, so he couldn't tell Gu Tang about Gu Lianshan's behavior just now. He only said, "Your father is a good cook. We have important guests coming today, so have your father cook."
No, something's definitely wrong here.
Gu Tang glanced at her third uncle, then at Ah Gou, finding their reactions rather strange.
A thought struck her, but she smiled calmly and said, "Indeed, my father's cooking skills are unparalleled! I'll go to the kitchen to lend a hand, and I'll leave this important guest to you. You can keep him company and have some tea."
Upon hearing this, Uncle San immediately understood. This girl was incredibly clever; she had sensed something and was trying to get information out of her father in the kitchen.
The old man waved his hand helplessly: "Go ahead, but... take it easy."
"Yes!" Gu Tang replied with a smile, her voice clear and crisp.
As I walked outside, I happened to pass by Ah Gou.
Gu Tang glanced at him again, her anger clearly visible in her eyes.
Ah Gou was so wronged!
He really didn't do anything!
Seeing Gu Tang reach out to lift the curtain, he couldn't help but call out to stop him: "Um... how about I go to the kitchen to cook, and have your father come to the main room for tea and a chat?"
This should be right now, right?
As soon as Ah Gou said this, the room fell into a deathly silence.
Third Uncle looked at him blankly. Was this meant to embarrass the family? Or was it an unintentional remark?
Gu Tang didn't care whether his words were intentional or not. She took a deep breath, her face slightly contorted, and said, "Fine! Since you're so sincere, then I'll leave this meal to you!"
She lifted the curtain, revealing a space large enough for one person to enter and exit, and with a forced smile, invited Ah Gou out: "Please come in, the kitchen is in the east wing."
Ah Gou paused, realizing that this reaction didn't seem quite right...
"What are you standing there for? Have you changed your mind?" Gu Tang asked coldly.
"No, no! I'll go right away, I'll go right away..." Ah Gou waved his hands repeatedly and hurriedly left the house and headed towards the east wing.
The Third Uncle, who witnessed this entire scene, turned green with rage!
"What's wrong with you, girl? How can you expect guests to cook for themselves in the kitchen?!"
"What's wrong with that? In previous years, when guests came to visit, my grandma always made her relatives do the same thing."
Third Uncle: ...His second sister-in-law is a real scoundrel! Look at her! She's led the children astray!
"Your grandma did something wrong, we can't follow her example!"
Getting up and grabbing his cane, Third Uncle rushed to the kitchen with a worried look on his face: "We have to get him back. He's a young master from a wealthy family! He probably hasn't even stepped foot in the kitchen, let alone cooked a meal!"
Gu Tang: ...No, he's an imposter. He used to be a beggar.
Watching the old man hurry towards the kitchen, Gu Tang patted her forehead and sighed.
All the previous discussions were complete nonsense!
The current situation is spiraling out of control!
Gu Lianshan was chopping a lamb leg inside the house. When he finished chopping the leg, he caught a glimpse of a person standing at the kitchen door.
Turning his head, he saw it was Young Master Gu. He quickly put down his knife and went to greet him: "Young Master Gu, what brings you here? The kitchen is filled with smoke, it's not a good place, you'd better go back inside..."
“I’m here to take over the cooking for you,” Ah Gou interrupted. “You’re the elder, and I’m the junior. How can I let you cook? This is the job I should do!”
As she spoke, she reached out and untied the apron that Gu Lianshan was wearing around his waist, then naturally wrapped it around herself. Afterward, she rolled up her sleeves, walked past Gu Lianshan, and went into the kitchen.
This series of movements was so fast that it was impossible for anyone to react.
When the third uncle arrived, he looked at his dazed son, puzzled, and asked, "What are you standing there for? Where is Young Master Gu?"
Gu Lianshan finally came to his senses, his expression extremely strange. He said, "He went into the kitchen and said he was going to take over cooking for me! This person..."
He pointed to his head and whispered, "Is there something wrong with me?"
Third Uncle glared at him: "Don't talk nonsense! Quickly bring the person out!"
Pushing Gu Lianshan aside, Third Uncle entered the kitchen with a forced smile on his face.
Originally, I wanted to apologize and persuade the person to go back, but as soon as I entered the kitchen, I froze.
Ah Gou, dressed in silk with a patched apron around his waist and sleeves rolled up high, held a knife in his right hand and a lamb leg in his left. With a few quick chops, he finished chopping up a lamb leg.
After chopping up the lamb leg, I saw a chicken next to it, so I picked it up and chopped it up too.
There's also fish. Take it over and make a few cuts on its body with a knife to help it absorb the flavors.
There was still a piece of pork in the basket, but Ah Gou didn't touch it.
Gu Tang didn't like the pork here, and he always remembered that.
Turning to his third uncle, Ah Gou asked, "How about three meat dishes? A mutton soup, a stir-fried chicken with dogwood, and a fried fish. As for vegetarian dishes, what would you like to eat? I can make them all."
Third Uncle: ...
Gu Lianshan at the door: ...
Gu Ping'an, who was tending the fire: ...
Gu Tang, who followed: ...
Be nice!
Who said that the sons and daughters of wealthy families live a life of luxury?!
Look! Look!
Putting everything else aside, just the skill with which he chops meat—that takes years of practice to master!
"What are you waiting for? Get to work! Cooking is your job, how can you let the guests do it?"
Third Uncle turned around and glanced at Gu Lianshan, signaling him to quickly step forward and take over!
This is... absolutely outrageous!
After reprimanding Gu Lianshan, Third Uncle bowed apologetically to Ah Gou, saying, "I was truly rude..."
"What are you doing, sir?" Ah Gou was startled and quickly helped him up. "You are the elder, and I am the junior. I dare not accept your courtesy!"
Elder? Junior?
Uncle San froze again. Who was the elder? Who was the junior? Something didn't seem right.
“Young Master Gu, let me do it. You are a guest, and I never let a guest cook for himself.”
Gu Lianshan took the knife from his hand, glanced casually at the meat he had chopped, raised an eyebrow, and subconsciously praised him.
"Impressive! Young Master Gu! Your knife skills are quite impressive! Look at how you chopped the lamb leg and chicken; each piece is almost the same size! You, a rich young master, are even learning kitchen skills?"
Ah Gou smiled shyly: "I like cooking, so I learned a bit. I'm just showing off my skills today."
"How can this be considered a blunder? This is far superior to anything I've done!"
"No, no, Master Gu's skills are also excellent."
"That's right! I wouldn't dare boast about anything else, but my cooking skills are second to none! My daughters and sons all love my cooking!"
"Master Gu has truly made great contributions!"
……
Watching the two of them go back and forth praising and complimenting each other, Uncle San felt dizzy and his vision blurred!
That adopted son of mine is such a worry!
"Don't be angry." Gu Tang came up behind the old man and quietly comforted him.
"Look at him, he's not angry at all, he's actually quite happy. You can tell at a glance that he absolutely loves working in the kitchen!"
Maybe when they're at home, they're hesitant to go into the kitchen because their family members are around, but today they came here and, by chance, ended up taking on the kitchen job.
Is that right?
Third Uncle looked suspicious.
Gu Tang nodded firmly, "That's right!"
Although she was talking nonsense, she believed that Ah Gou must have heard what she just said and would definitely help her cover up the lie.
Gu Tang guessed correctly; Ah Gou had indeed heard what she said and, being very tactful, covered up her lie.
Turning to face his third uncle, Ah Gou bowed deeply: "To be honest, I don't love anything else, except for the work in the kitchen."
"I usually don't feel comfortable going into the kitchen at home, but today I just couldn't resist and made that abrupt move. I didn't expect to startle you, sir. It's been so rude of me..."
Upon hearing this, Third Uncle glanced at Gu Tang subconsciously.
Gu Tang spread her hands, saying, "See? I told you, this person was willing!"
Uncle San's brow twitched. Although Ah Gou had explained it to him, for some reason, he still felt something was off.
“Master, let’s go back to the main room to warm up by the fire. Since… Young Master Gu likes to cook, let’s not bother him here. Let him discuss the cooking with my father, and we can just wait to eat.”
"Yes, yes, yes! The girl is right! It's fine for me and Young Master Gu to stay here. You two can go back to your room and wait for dinner!"
It was a rare opportunity to meet a man who shared a love of cooking, and Gu Lianshan was so focused on exchanging culinary skills that he completely forgot what his third uncle had told him earlier.
Third Uncle had no choice but to comply with their wishes, as Gu Tang was pulling him outside.
However, after returning to the main room, the third uncle looked serious and remained silent.
"Sir? Are you angry?" Gu Tang looked at him cautiously.
"No, that's not it. I just feel... something's off about this Young Master Gu!"
Gu Tang's heart skipped a beat: "Something's not right?"
Although things have gone completely astray and there's no going back, Ah Gou's identity as a rich young master should still hold true.
After all, so many things were sent over; most families wouldn't be willing to give them away.
Unfortunately, what Uncle San suspected was his identity as a "wealthy young master".
"This person... his speech and mannerisms, and even his... meat-chopping skills, are nothing like those of a young master from a wealthy family."
what?
Was it a mistake?
Gu Tang blinked, subtly trying to elicit information: "Please tell me more."
"There was not a trace of arrogance in his eyes or brows; on the contrary, his words and actions were very humble, with a hint of... flattery!"
Wow! The old man has sharp eyes!
Gu Tang was a bit overwhelmed, so she started to make things up: "I told you last time, this person is very honest, without any guile, and without the temperament of a rich young master."
"Plus, I saved his life. Given his honest nature, it's not surprising that he reacted this way to his savior."