A thought flashed through Steward Qian's mind. He paused for a moment and immediately saw through the despicable nature of Chef Qi.
How could the cook recommended by the Second Miss be someone of loose morals?
As a man himself, he didn't even need to inquire further. Just looking at Jiao Niang, a charming and pretty young woman, and then at Chef Qi and his group of rough and greasy cooks...
Although Steward Qian had never been to Jiao Niang's Restaurant, he had long heard of Qi Jiao's name.
Thanks to the kindness of the master, he had once been rewarded with pastries made by Jiao Niang.
The taste, well, he still remembered it vividly to this day.
Not only was she good-looking, but now she had also opened a shop and was making a fortune every day. She was a proper little rich woman.
It was said that Jiao Niang's husband was also extremely handsome and over six feet tall.
Would she stoop to flirt with a few short, fat and ugly men like you?
If you don't have a chamber pot, surely you have a mirror?
They didn't even use their brains when slandering others!
Steward Qian twitched the corner of his mouth and scolded in a low voice, "You do your own work, and she does hers. How is she getting in the way?"
He walked up to Jiao Niang, pointed at the minced pork that had already been chopped, and said, "Look at Jiao Niang. How long has she been in the kitchen? She's already started working."
Steward Qian turned around, his face stern, and said rather sharply, "Chef Qi, tell me! Lei Biao made the Eight-Treasure Duck. What have you done? I remember you came here early, didn't you? You've been running around like a headless chicken and can't even do your own job properly! And you still have the nerve to slander Jiao Niang?"
When Aunt Mei saw that although Steward Qian didn't immediately kick Lei Biao and the others out, his words clearly showed his partiality towards Jiao Niang. She couldn't help but look smug and rolled her eyes at Chef Qi.
However, Qi Jiao had no intention of letting Lei Biao off the hook.
She pretended to have just found out and said, "Eight-Treasure Duck? Does the steward mean the signature dish of my restaurant? We just launched it a few days ago."
With a sarcastic smile, she looked at Lei Biao and asked, "May I ask, Chef Lei, where did your so-called secret recipe come from?"
Lei Biao was caught off guard. He didn't expect the real creator of the Eight-Treasure Duck to be right in front of him.
He had become the head chef of the Exquisite Cuisine Restaurant partly because of his father-in-law's support and partly because of his "copycat" skills.
Whenever there was a new dish in any food shop in Lingle County, Lei Biao would send someone to buy it. He would eat it once, study it, add a few of his own ingredients, and then claim it as his original creation.
He had been doing this for many years, and there had been people who had sued him for it.
However, there were no clear laws stating that copying food was a crime.
Even if it got out, it would only damage his reputation.
So Lei Biao copied dishes without any scruples. The owner of the Exquisite Cuisine Restaurant turned a blind eye as long as Lei Biao brought in a lot of business for the restaurant.
As a modern person, Qi Jiao knew that whether it was culture or cooking, one couldn't be self - isolated and needed to learn and communicate continuously.
However, she wasn't a fool who would give away a dish that could bring in huge profits.
If Lei Biao had just admitted that the Eight-Treasure Duck was learned from Jiao Niang's Restaurant, it would have been fine.
But this shameless man kept insisting that it was his original creation.
Qi Jiao simply couldn't let such a despicable thief go.
Steward Qian was stunned when he heard what Qi Jiao said. "Jiao Niang, the Eight-Treasure Duck is the signature dish of your restaurant?"
Qi Jiao nodded. With her clear and bright eyes fixed on him, Steward Qian knew that this matter couldn't be easily resolved.
The chef invited by the Second Lady was suspected of plagiarizing the chef invited by the Second Miss. This was beyond his ability to handle.
Steward Qian frowned and turned to go out to find the head steward.
The current head steward was still the confidant of the old lady. During the birthday banquet, the head steward was extremely busy.
When Steward Qian went to look for him, a young servant told him that the head steward had just gone out - the old lady's relatives had arrived, and the eldest master, the second master, and the head steward had all gone to the city gate to greet them.
He missed him and felt extremely annoyed.
He couldn't bother the old lady with such a dirty matter. Steward Qian pounded his right hand with his left fist and bitterly blamed the Second Lady.
He was in a hurry and walked quickly. Unexpectedly, when he turned the moon gate, he bumped into a tall and slender maid.
This maid was none other than Cai Zhi, the first - favored maid beside the First Lady.
Cai Zhi let out a soft exclamation and stepped aside. When she saw who it was, she teased, "Isn't this Steward Qian! Where are you going in such a hurry?"
Cai Zhi was the most trusted maid of the First Lady. Even the young masters and young ladies had to give her some face.
Steward Qian quickly bent down to apologize and said with a smile, "It's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going and bumped into Sister Cai Zhi. Please forgive me."
Cai Zhi was usually kind - hearted and didn't really care about it. She said, "Alright, I know you've been busy these days. Go quickly."
Steward Qian was about to leave, but then he thought that Cai Zhi was a capable person, so he stopped and briefly told her what had happened in the kitchen.
At first, Cai Zhi still had a smile on her face, but as she listened, her expression turned cold.
"Lei Biao is the Second Lady's man?"
Steward Qian smiled bitterly and nodded.
Cai Zhi smiled slightly and told him to go back to his work. "I've heard everything you said. The masters will handle this matter. Tell that Jiao Niang to go and rest for a while. The First Lady will come here later."
When Steward Qian heard that the First Lady was coming, his already tense body became even more rigid, and beads of sweat quickly appeared on his forehead.
What a mess this was!
Cai Zhi knew that Steward Qian was timid and afraid of getting into trouble. She comforted him a few words before leaving.
Steward Qian watched as Cai Zhi walked towards the First Lady's courtyard. He stood there for a moment, let out a deep sigh, and then quickly went back to clean up the mess.
He didn't want the First Lady to be offended by those thoughtless rough men when she came to the kitchen.
On the other side, after Mrs. Fu heard Cai Zhi explain the whole thing, she pondered for a moment and then placed the teacup on the table with a soft sound.
Mrs. Fu's eyes flickered slightly. "It's understandable that Zhu Lian'er wants to take the credit and gain the old lady's favor. But her methods are just too disgraceful."
She took Cai Zhi's hand and stood up. With a calm expression, she said, "Let's go. We'd better go and have a look. We mustn't delay the old lady's birthday banquet."
"Your ladyship is wise."
Cai Zhi smiled brightly and supported Mrs. Fu. The mistress and maid quickly walked to the kitchen.
They thought the commotion inside had stopped, but as soon as Mrs. Fu stepped through the door, a water - dripping cabbage core flew straight at her.
Fortunately, Cai Zhi had quick eyes and hands. She quickly raised her hand to block in front of Mrs. Fu. Although the cabbage core wasn't heavy, it still had some force behind it. When it hit Cai Zhi's hand, the skin immediately turned red.
Although Mrs. Fu wasn't hit at all.
But Mrs. Fu had lived a life of luxury for many years. From a young lady in her boudoir to the eldest daughter - in - law of a noble family, who would dare to throw something at her face?
Coincidentally, it was Lei Biao who had thrown the cabbage.
After Steward Qian came back, he had tried his best to mediate. He winked at Aunt Mei to lead Qi Jiao out, and at the same time, he pressured Chef Qi and Lei Biao to stop causing trouble.
However, neither side was willing to listen. Their tempers flared up even more.
In the chaos, someone accidentally hit Qi Jiao with a red radish.
Qi Jiao was completely enraged, and Aunt Mei and the others were also furious.
Jiao Niang was their sister. They couldn't let her be bullied like this!
So the two sides started throwing flour, eggs, and anything they could find at each other.
As a result, when Mrs. Fu arrived, Lei Biao casually grabbed a leftover cabbage and threw it out. Unexpectedly, it hit right in the direction of Mrs. Fu.
Mrs. Fu stood at the door, saying nothing.
She was dressed in gorgeous clothes and adorned with jewels. Even Lei Biao, who was usually so oblivious, knew that he had really messed up this time.
Everyone stood there like statues, stunned.
Lei Biao was usually fearless, but now cold sweat broke out on his back. His mind was in a complete mess, and he was completely at a loss.
When Steward Qian saw Mrs. Fu coming, he quickly wiped the flour off his face and stepped forward respectfully and fearfully. He bowed and greeted her, "Your ladyship, you've come."