With her mind now settled, Hou Qing'er needed to figure out how to become worthy of Ye Tiancheng. Only when they were equals could their relationship last longer.
She had initially thought Hou Qing'er had made up her mind and wouldn't join his venture. To her surprise, she discussed it with Ye Tiancheng that very evening.
"Brother Ye, I actually don't want to be idle at home. The reason I didn't agree before was because I lacked confidence. Now I've made up my mind. I won't listen to anyone else. These rumors don't matter to me. I want to develop myself better. Please let me work as a chef at the farmhouse restaurant."
Ye Tiancheng was initially a little confused by Hou Qing'er's request. After asking for the specific reasons, he immediately understood. It turned out that for two people to be together, it wasn't enough for only one person to work hard; they both needed to move closer to each other.
"Alright, but Hou Qing'er, please don't push yourself too hard. Do it if you can, and if you can't, then don't. I don't want you to feel that being with me is a hardship."
"Not at all. Doing work in one's area of expertise might make us feel tired, but I feel that after working, we will grow closer, and I will be very happy."
Seeing the smile on Hou Qing'er's face and sensing the hope in her eyes, Ye Tiancheng was no longer worried. He could only pray that everything would go smoothly, including his secretly planned proposal. He was confident it would successfully impress Hou Qing'er, and they could soon tie the knot.
"Qing'er, I am truly undeserving to have you by my side. My entire life will be filled with happiness."
On this moonlit night, a young couple freely expressed their love and their aspirations for the future.
Meanwhile, someone soon received the first-hand news.
Hou Mingzhu always felt that He Wu was useless. After sending him, he hadn't gathered any useful information. However, Hou Mingzhu was quickly proven wrong because He Wu brought a super explosive piece of news.
"Miss, it seems Ye Tiancheng is planning to propose to that girl named Hou Qing'er."
Hou Mingzhu was eating when she heard the news. This earth-shattering bad news made her completely lose her appetite. She couldn't eat another bite of even the most delicious dish. Thinking that the man she desired was slipping away, she became extremely agitated.
"What? This Ye Tiancheng, really! He abandons the proper path in the mortal world to walk a sinister, dark one. Such a person is truly beyond saving. I even felt a bit of pity for him before and gave him such scornful looks. What a miscalculation! I'm just asking for trouble."
Hou Mingzhu gritted her teeth in anger. Su Muxian was one thing; at least her status and position were similar to hers. Hou Qing'er, a village girl, was someone Hou Mingzhu simply didn't look down upon.
That village girl is truly a vixen, so deeply hidden that I overlooked her all along. This ridiculous woman, I don't know what tricks she used to slowly climb her way up with Ye Tiancheng, actually reaching this point without my knowledge.
"Miss, please don't be angry. Let's think of a way to get rid of that girl. Such a low-class woman isn't worth your anger."
"Do you have a way?" Hou Mingzhu was troubled and didn't know what to do. Now, she thought of the He Wu she had arranged. This person should have some capabilities.
He had never achieved anything significant before. Perhaps this was a great opportunity. As the saying goes, "An army serves for a thousand days and is used for one." Hou Mingzhu felt that this time was almost upon them.
"I've always wanted to serve you, Miss, but I never found the opportunity. Since you think highly of me, I will naturally dedicate myself completely until death."
He Wu's declaration of resolve made Hou Mingzhu feel a little better. However, she couldn't let her guard down against Ye Tiancheng's people. Ye Tiancheng was a master; how could he let someone easily succeed?
"Don't speak too confidently. I still want to see what you can do. Remember to be discreet. If Ye Tiancheng finds out that you not only failed the mission but also implicated me, I have a bad temper. If you implicate me, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life."
Hou Mingzhu only treated He Wu as a tool, which is why she was so ruthless. If anything went wrong, Hou Qing'er would absolutely not give her subordinates any way out. This spy was on a path to certain death.
This was Hou Qing'er's first day working at the farmhouse restaurant. She was a little nervous, but fortunately, Xiao Pang took care of her. Xiao Pang taught her almost hand-in-hand.
Although Hou Qing'er was already a good cook, the dishes here had been researched for a long time and had their own unique cooking methods. Xiao Pang told Hou Qing'er everything, allowing her to get up to speed quickly.
"How is it, future sister-in-law? If you're tired, take a break. Otherwise, if my Brother Ye finds out, he'll think I overworked you and might kill me as a sacrifice!"
Xiao Pang was so humorous. Although he was the one who was most tired, the kind Xiao Pang worried that Hou Qing'er might be exhausted. He asked her every so often, constantly telling Hou Qing'er to rest and not to continue working so hard.
"I'm not tired at all, and these dishes are quite interesting. I feel completely engrossed in studying them. It's much more interesting than cooking at home, and with so many people watching, I feel like what I'm doing is meaningful."
Seeing that Hou Qing'er was in good spirits and perhaps her enthusiasm was keeping her from feeling tired, Xiao Pang didn't say any more. Too much talk at this moment could easily spoil the mood.
Although Hou Qing'er came as a cook, everyone knew her relationship with Ye Tiancheng. Everyone took good care of Hou Qing'er, and she received several small gifts by the end of the day.
What was particularly impressive was that Ye Tiancheng personally picked her up before she finished work, which gave Hou Qing'er even more face.
Once they were in the car, Hou Qing'er felt a little embarrassed. "Don't come to pick me up anymore. It's not good if people see."
"What's not good about it? I want everyone to know that you, Hou Qing'er, are my fiancée."
Ye Tiancheng's domineering declaration left Hou Qing'er speechless. At that time, they didn't know that a separation was imminent.
The next day, Ye Tiancheng was called away by a phone call early in the morning. Hou Mingzhu wanted Ye Tiancheng to research new dishes and had found an expert. She first took Ye Tiancheng to the horticultural center and asked him to learn from the expert.
Ye Tiancheng was naturally unwilling to go and didn't feel there was anything to learn. The expert spoke in a lot of vague, empty rhetoric and wasn't practical at all.
"Mr. Ye, I don't mean to criticize you, but your reasoning lacks foresight, and the entire facility is too outdated. It's clearly newly built, but the style is completely out of fashion. I need to take you to visit a more advanced horticultural center."
This expert, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, immediately launched into criticism. From the moment they entered his Boya Horticultural Center, the man hadn't said a single word of praise, only disparagement.
"No need. I think my place is quite good. There's no need to make it so flashy. No one comes here to play. It's mainly farmers and workers who labor here. As long as the environment is comfortable, is it necessary to decorate it so grandly?"
"We still need to consider appearances for long-term development. I've already had preliminary discussions with Miss Hou, and the entire horticultural center will definitely undergo a major renovation."
Ye Tiancheng really couldn't listen to this expert's words, mainly because he didn't agree with his ideas at all. Ye Tiancheng believed he could manage his business well and didn't need this guy coming over to dictate.
"No need. I have something to do and might have to leave. Please inform Miss Hou."
"I can't make that decision. Why don't you tell Miss Hou yourself? She attaches great importance to this renovation plan. I think it's best we don't make decisions privately."
This expert's words were utter nonsense. Ye Tiancheng didn't need Hou Mingzhu meddling in his affairs. It was already a courtesy for him to meet this so-called expert.
As Ye Tiancheng was about to leave, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID as Hu Mingzhu, he instantly didn't want to answer. After hesitating, he finally answered. He still had a cooperative relationship with this woman and had to endure it for the money.
So, even though Ye Tiancheng had a lot of money now, he still needed to save more to live freely in the future.
Ye Tiancheng even thought that after marrying Hou Qing'er, raising children would involve expenses. Children were very costly, so he had to save well to leave a foundation for his children. Only then would his descendants remember him, their ancestor, fondly, instead of just thinking about squandering and leaving nothing behind. When he got old, he would have to live a hard life.
"Miss Hou, may I ask if you have any further instructions?"
"You need to go with the expert to his horticultural garden to learn. Currently, the most important thing for our restaurant is that the raw materials are cheap and good. Therefore, I thought that even if I spend more money on the horticultural center, I'm willing."
Ye Tiancheng was helpless, his brows furrowed tightly. "Hou Mingzhu, even if you have money, you shouldn't spend it like this. The horticultural center was just built not long ago. Even if it needs to be developed, it should wait until it's outdated. The technology is clearly the latest. Why are you bothering yourself with this?"
"I won't waste your time with pleasantries. I have a lot of things to do right now and no time to chat with you here. I'll get straight to the point. This learning period is three days. For these three days, I'll give you one hundred million as a learning fee, how about that?"
Ye Tiancheng was once again shocked to the point of being unable to close his mouth. "Hou Mingzhu, have you taken the wrong medicine? You want to give me one hundred million for three days of learning? I think you're purely spending money without a place to put it. Your mind must be out of order to propose such a bizarre request."
"This is the capriciousness of the rich, isn't it? Ye Tiancheng, I won't waste your time. If you agree, you agree. If you don't, you won't earn this money."
Ye Tiancheng didn't doubt Hou Mingzhu. After all, this woman's abnormal behavior wasn't a recent development. A crazy woman wouldn't adhere to so many rules; everything was done according to her whims.
"Alright, but you need to transfer the money first. I'm afraid you'll change your mind later."
It seemed Ye Tiancheng had taken the bait. Hou Mingzhu smiled contemptuously.
"This small amount of money doesn't pose a threat to me. Don't worry, I will transfer it to you before you leave."
What a freak. Ye Tiancheng had never encountered a woman as crazy as Hou Mingzhu in his life. However, despite her outrageous words and actions, she was quite prompt with money. Soon, the money was transferred.
The moment he saw the money arrive, Ye Tiancheng almost swore. It was madness; Hou Mingzhu's head was clearly not right.
However, for the sake of the money, Ye Tiancheng decided to cooperate. It was just acting, and it wouldn't cost him anything.
Seeing Ye Tiancheng return from the phone call, the expert seized the opportunity to spout his rhetoric again. "Young man, no matter how great your achievements are, you must be humble. Only by sincerely seeking knowledge can your path go further."
Ye Tiancheng was not used to hearing such things, but thinking about Hou Mingzhu's money, he felt he could endure it for a while. There was no need to make things too awkward, as he might have contact with her in the future.
"You are right. As expected of an expert, your words are so insightful. I've benefited greatly. Truly, listening to your words is better than reading ten years of books. Expert, you can say more and let me gain more knowledge."