Chapter 384: Chapter 384: Attempting to Steal a Chicken Only to Lose the Rice Chapter 384: Chapter 384: Attempting to Steal a Chicken Only to Lose the Rice The two Yamen Runners exchanged glances and laughed upon hearing this, “Us guys on duty, where would we get that much Silver? We can’t afford to eat at restaurants every day, it’s our county magistrate who’s a regular here. Naturally, we’re familiar with the place as well.”
“Is this restaurant very expensive?” Xuexue asked nonchalantly.
Perhaps the Yamen Runners were bored, for they looked around and then spoke with a nervous zeal, “We’re telling you, you definitely shouldn’t come to dine at this restaurant.”
“Why not?” Xuexue asked innocently, as if she didn’t understand.
Seeing Xuexue’s naïve and innocent manner, the two Government Officials felt somewhat compassionate and explained, “Let me tell you, this restaurant is a rip-off. For ordinary people, dining here costs more than ten times what it would cost outside.”
“Does the Shopkeeper take people for fools? If someone comes once, would they come a second time?”
“You don’t get it. This Shopkeeper is very good at sizing people up. He only overcharges newcomers. Regular customers, he doesn’t cheat. Otherwise, wouldn’t his restaurant have closed down long ago?”
Xuexue nodded and said, “That’s true, it seems the Shopkeeper is quite clever.”
“Indeed, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to cozy up to our Old Master, right?”
“Oh? What do you mean?” Xuexue frowned and asked, puzzled.
One of the Yamen Runners, who seemed quite airheaded, glanced around and then whispered mysteriously, “I’ll tell you a secret: when the county magistrate comes here to eat, the Shopkeeper wouldn’t dare to charge him a single Copper Coin.”
Xuexue nodded, showing she understood.
Seeing his partner blabbing without thinking, and revealing the county magistrate’s secrets, the other Yamen Runner nudged him gently with his arm as a reminder not to spill everything, wary that the county magistrate might find out and fire them.
Feeling the nudge from his partner, the Yamen Runner quickly came to his senses, feigned a few coughs, lifted his teacup, and fell silent.
Not that it mattered if they stopped talking; Xuexue had already learned what she needed to know and contentedly pinched a piece of pastry, slowly savoring it in her mouth.
Just then, the Shopkeeper hurried into the room.
“Aiyo, esteemed guests gracing our humble establishment, welcome, welcome!”
Upon entering, the Shopkeeper bowed with a beaming smile to Big Bull, Xuexue, and the others.
Glimpsing him, Xuexue faintly parted her lips and said, “Shopkeeper, why do I shiver all over just looking at your smiling face?”
That morning she had been deceived by his affable smile and cheated out of several taels of Silver, and Xuexue was still smoldering with anger.
The Shopkeeper’s face was grinning like a cooked dog’s head: “Hehe, Miss, you really know how to joke.”
As he spoke, he moved closer to Xuexue and sat down, then from a blind spot to the Yamen Runners, slipped a small pouch from his sleeve into Xuexue’s hand.
Xuexue glanced down and saw it was the Silver she had given the restaurant that morning. She weighed it in her hand, feeling it was slightly heavier than before. Her heart immediately lightened and her face blossomed into a smile as she nodded and said, “Right, right, I’m just joking. How could I possibly be chilled by such a kind and approachable Shopkeeper’s face?”
Their subtle exchange did not escape Big Bull, who clearly noticed everything and couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. His young lady was indeed obsessed with money; as soon as she saw Silver, all her anger dissipated.
Seeing Xuexue accept the Silver, the Shopkeeper finally breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have smoothed things over with the group. He vowed not to be so careless in the future while swindling customers and to keep his eyes wide open to avoid a repeat of this situation where he tried to steal a chicken only to lose a handful of rice.