Mrs. Lin was startled. Her hand trembled slightly, and the half - eaten coconut cake almost fell to the ground.
It was Li Ying who reacted quickly and caught it in time.
Before Li Ying could even invite her in, Lian Ji rushed in impatiently. She took a glance at the remaining cake on the table and put on a look of deep distress.
"Madam, you've been devoutly following the Buddhist precepts for years. You mustn't break your vow today!"
Her voice was filled with boundless concern. Then she turned to glare at Li Ying with a scowl.
"Mr. Lin clearly placed an order for pastries at my Lian Ji Cake Shop. Even if you wanted to show off and withheld my pastries without permission, how could you be so bold as to serve this unclean meat - containing food to Mrs. Lin?"
Lian Ji had also tasted the sweet potato and cheese cake made by Li Ying.
Although she had no idea how this "coconut cake" was made, she could well imagine that it must contain eggs and milk.
Lian Ji was pressing hard. Seeing Mrs. Lin's expression growing increasingly unpleasant, she felt secretly proud.
However, Li Ying just smiled calmly.
"Madam is so kind - hearted. I would never let you break your precepts and create unnecessary karma."
"Madam, the way of making this coconut cake is completely different from the cheese cake. Instead of whipped egg whites, baking soda is used to make the cake fluffy."
The batter with baking soda in it ferments to form a porous structure. Although it's not as soft as the one made with egg whites, it's more than enough to impress Mrs. Lin who was tasting cake for the first time.
"Although the coconut cream is vegan, it has a richness no less than that of cow's milk. Since I wanted to give you a surprise, I naturally had to prepare everything thoroughly. You don't need to worry."
Seeing Li Ying answering so smoothly, Lian Ji cursed secretly in her heart.
Where on earth did this woman get this information?
How did she know that Mrs. Lin had been a vegetarian for years?
Although Lian Ji was angry, she still forced a sheepish smile on her face.
"I see... I was just too worried and misunderstood Boss Li. I was really hasty..."
She forced a smile, trying to cover up the awkward situation. But Li Ying wouldn't let her get away with it.
"Mrs. Lian Ji, since you're here, it's just right. Hurry up and bring the box of qiaoguo from the kitchen for Madam to take back!"
"Madam must be so busy running the shop of the big boss that she's a bit absent - minded. How could such hard qiaoguo that can break your teeth be used for a birthday celebration?"
Lian Ji originally thought that in front of the imperial inspector, Li Ying would be hesitant and timid. Even if she knew she was being set up, she would have to swallow the bitter pill silently. But she never expected that this woman would be so merciless and expose her scheme directly. Her face became even more unnatural.
She forced out a couple of dry laughs and made an excuse, saying that it was a mistake made by the shop assistant in the rush. Then she fled in a hurry.
It wouldn't take long for today's incident to reach the ears of the big boss. It would surely damage the reputation of the cake shop. She had to soothe the old man.
Sure enough, the big boss was waiting for her in the room.
The weather was still a bit hot, but he had already put on a thin shawl. Lian Ji carefully forced a smile and gently massaged the big boss's shoulders.
"Hubby, are you feeling well today?"
The big boss ignored her sugary question. He put down the teacup and said indifferently, "Lian Ji, I entrusted the cake shop to you because I believed you could run the business well. You come from a merchant family, but... your actions today really disappoint me."
Lian Ji's face changed. She knelt on the ground with a thud.
"Hubby, I know I was wrong. Please give me another chance. I will surely turn the cake shop's losses into profits!"
The big boss squinted his eyes. For a long time, he didn't say a word.
Lian Ji knew that he was a bit angry. She didn't dare to stay any longer. She carefully bowed and quickly left.
Good for you, Li Ying!
Back then, she had to humble herself to finally gain the big boss's trust. This cake shop was an old - established store passed down through generations in the big boss's family, and it was also the first store he entrusted to her.
But Lian Ji, who was once a well - known new star in the business world, even though she was a woman, didn't think much of this insignificant food stall.
Time passed. Now, as the big boss's health was failing, most of his properties were already under her management. She looked down on this cake shop even more.
Unexpectedly, Li Ying would provoke her in such a trivial matter and actually shake the old man's trust in her?
Lian Ji clenched her fists tightly.
Fine, Li Ying. Since you want to settle the score, then I'll play with you!
She was going to see whether those strange pastries made with unconventional methods could attract customers or whether the century - old cake shop of the big boss could stand the test of time!
Li Ying didn't know that Lian Ji had already decided to settle the score with her. She first went with Lu Xunguang to take a look at the newly - completed Qiao Tower, and then the lanterns made by Master Li, the bamboo craftsman. Seeing that everything was ready, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
For the Qixi Festival Lantern Festival, there was only one last step left: writing lantern riddles.
This task, without a doubt, fell on Su Buchi.
He had just finished teaching at the private school in the fishing village when Li Ying blocked his way.
She kept calling him "little master - uncle" on one side and "little master - uncle" on the other, looking pitiful and desperate. Although Su Buchi knew she was pretending, he still couldn't bear it. He had no choice but to agree with a wry smile.
Li Ying was relieved. Then she returned to the fishing village and saw the sedan chair of the big boss from afar.
"A Ying, the identity of the person who came to deliver the news today is really suspicious. I don't know if he's a friend or a foe. I'll go and investigate first."
Suddenly, Lu Xunguang stopped. There was a hint of uneasiness in his expression. He just informed her and left in a hurry before she could even answer.
Li Ying was a bit surprised. Before she could ask further, the big boss got out of the sedan chair. His eyes paused on Lu Xunguang's back for a moment, and then he turned to look at Li Ying.
"Boss Li, thanks to your quick thinking today."
Li Ying originally thought that by embarrassing Lian Ji in public, the big boss had come to scold her. But unexpectedly, he brought a gift instead and seemed genuinely grateful. She couldn't help but feel surprised.
The big boss seemed to see her confusion. He presented the brocade box in his hand to her and said indifferently, "The imperial inspector and his wife are not as kind - hearted as they seem."
"If Lian Ji's qiaoguo had been sent out today, there would surely have been a big fuss. Both you and I would have suffered losses, either openly or secretly."
He not only revealed the identity of the imperial inspector but also seemed to imply that he had dealt with this person before. Li Ying was even more curious. She fixed her bright eyes on his face inquiringly.