The Zhang family had hired Liu Yer to cook for them, and occasionally she was invited to stay for meals. However, today there were guests, making it inconvenient.
"The Heir and his wife are here, and I was afraid you might be too busy, Auntie. I came to help with errands," Liu Yer said frankly, placing a large bowl of braised green beans in front of Qi Zhenzhen.
"That won't do at all. You're not one of our servants," Madam Yu waved her hand. "You should hurry back."
Liu Yer didn't want to leave. If she stayed, perhaps she could win over the Heir's wife. Also, if she was diligent, Brother Zhang would notice her good qualities. Compared to Song Mingyue, who needed Brother Zhang to serve her even when eating, she was clearly more virtuous and sensible. Then Brother Zhang would naturally see her worth. Song Mingyue was only relying on the Heir's wife's support and the fact that she had given birth to two sons. If given the chance, she could also make the Heir's wife like her. Having children, wasn't that a woman's duty? Her family had always said she had wide hips and was fertile, so how could she be worse than Song Mingyue?
"Auntie Yu, why are you being so polite with me? I'm most familiar with the kitchen here," Liu Yer said with a smile.
"Mother, if Liu Yer is willing to help, then let her," Zhang Xiaoniu spoke up. "At most, you can pay her a bit more for today's work. Eat quickly, or it will all get cold. Liu Yer's braised pork ribs today are even tastier than before. Her cooking skill is good enough to open a shop."
Liu Yer felt embarrassed. She hadn't cooked the braised pork ribs. They were cooked by the Heir's wife's maid! Brother Zhang actually said hers were tastier!
"Oh, these braised pork ribs aren't Liu Yer's doing. They were made by Feixu, the maid beside Zhenzhen," Madam Yu quickly explained.
Liu Yer's eyes welled up, and she looked wronged. "Brother Zhang, do you think my cooking skills aren't good anymore?"
With teary eyes and a delicate, timid demeanor, she was the picture of a damsel in distress.
Qi Zhenzhen also sensed something unusual. The young woman the Zhang family hired to cook had ulterior motives.
"Why are you crying? I didn't say anything. I said you'd be paid more for serving. I didn't say your cooking wasn't good, but the flavor is indeed less appealing than what Feixu made," Zhang Xiaoniu felt utterly bewildered.
Qi Zhenzhen was almost amused by Zhang Xiaoniu's bluntness. This was a case of the goddess having intentions, but the king was unconcerned.
Liu Yer bit her lip, looking even more pitiful.
Madam Yu couldn't stand it. "What's wrong with you, girl? We were having a harmonious meal, and you wouldn't leave. Now you're here sniveling and ruining the mood. Aren't you deliberately trying to make things difficult for us? I thought you were a sensible girl before, what's happened to you now? Xiaoniu, this won't do. Perhaps we should find new help."
Zhang Xiaoniu nodded. "Mother manages all household affairs. Whatever Mother decides is fine."
Madam Yu, always a woman of decisive action, immediately stood up and pulled Liu Yer towards the door. "Liu Yer, we pay our helpers daily, and there are no outstanding accounts. Xiaoniu said he'd give you extra pay for today. I'm not stingy, so I'll give you double pay. Take the money and leave, and don't come to our house again."
Liu Yer was completely stunned. It wasn't until she was standing outside the Zhang family's door and the gate was closed again that she realized she hadn't achieved her goal, and she had lost her job. If she couldn't enter the Zhang family's gate, how would Brother Zhang ever see her good qualities?