"She wants to see you." The girl came by, while Chaoyun was about to teach Zhao"en how to handle difficult customers. The girl didn"t seem to get a break from them, as they had been weaned on their often stellar service. While the girl had all but struggle in this situation. That much had been the truth.She sighed. "Xiao Yan, watch her."
He nodded before returning to his duties. She didn"t think that he will ignore her, since out of the three now he was the most senior. Taking the stairs up, where she went to the door and opened it facing her own mother. She had settled the accounts, while she knew what awaited her.
"It"s not about that." She closed the book. While Chaoyun stood beside her, about to take a stool and sit upon it. Well, the alternative was books and her mother will scold her. Any scholar will in fact, because it was still a precious resource. Although recently made more accessible with the printing press.
"We have an important client tomorrow, someone who wants both you and Zhao"en. The request for the both of you is odd. I can a.s.sure you on that." However, it was just in her luck. The younger girl needed to be looked after for now. Even a week had not made her capable enough to wait tables on her own.
She lacked the speed which only came with experience. And thus, Chaoyun could not afford to do otherwise. "It"s odd, I know, but they made the request."
The woman looked at her daughter.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Are you fine with this arrangement?"
"Yes, because I"m a lot more worried about what happened a couple days ago." Eagerly hoping that she might give a suggestion, one which will not put her finances in jeopardy.
"If you handle this, I"ll call it even." She looked at her mother, for any signs that she was lying. She found none, although skeptical as always. But it did seem earnest, and it was during moments like this that she kept it serious and never joked.
Thankful that her hopes had also came true at the end, and not having to
"Okay, I"ll do it." Anything to have her pay it, it was well over half of her earnings for seven days. Although to her mother, it was simply another adjustable income if she took on this client who was able to pay well for their service.
"They"re coming tomorrow. Prepare for their arrival." Chaoyun left to know that they will have to prepare for their arrival. And to break Zhao"en this piece of news, which she could guess was a good thing. She went down the stairs, as she noticed Qiao"er who was staring at her.
It didn"t stop even when she looked back, only when she reached the end of it.
She knew that the girl will not do so without reason. Doing it standing on an empty table. Since this place was empty in the middle of the afternoon, where most of the menu utilized had been desserts.
"Why are you staring at me?" She asked the young girl. When she went to the table she stood on, which was next to the stairs. Few sat here unless it was in the night, thus making it rare for it to be occupied.
"I just wanted to see if you were going to lose your cash." Qiao"er jumped down from the table, landing without even a scratch. Given what she got away with on her first day, it was not even the least bit surprising if anyone asked her.
"How do you know that?" Chaoyun raised an eyebrow.
"I just happened to see the order, and it is a lot." Well, she did wonder just how was it even possible by any means. Given that it was not huge, neither was it a large piece of paper. "And Zhao"en showed it to me."
She wasn"t exactly angry, but if it wasn"t information she should divulge she will do well to keep it a secret. She went to find the girl, in the kitchen as the cook asked her to help out. Since the Dragon Boat Festival was beginning, where it was necessary for a few more.
Qiao"er was helping, and since she was up so was Zhao"en into is. Somehow, while Xiao Yan was more than able to handle it on his own. She did have the feeling of what it was, but simply wanted to confirm it for once.
"Why is she inside?" She stood before the boy. As he was about to run to another table, grabbing a couple of bowls filled with rice.
"She makes a mess everywhere she goes." Xiao Yan dashed to the closest table, serving then before coming back.. "I wonder how you handle her."
"Isn"t having her in the kitchen the same?" Except it was a lot more so, because unlike being in the outside, the kitchen was a far more difficult place to be in at the end of the day. The stress was a lot more as things needed to be done quick but not without precision. Unlike here, where it was possible to be able to do almost everything within moments, inside it was restricted by time.
Although she knew that if she didn"t hear any crying or screaming, it was likely a good thing.
"It"s less destructive." There was no difference in reality. Chaoyun simply deadpanned.
"But your job is to show and teach her."
"There"s no way I can do that." He tried to take a step forward. She did the same thing.
"At least try to show her how to do her job." Though he seemed a little apprehensive. "Don"t come to me if you"re also saddled with one like her."
"If it comes." He returned to doing his work. "Besides, the cook wanted someone to help her."
"Then, what about Qiao"er?" If anything, she doubted a cook needed two a.s.sistants. Not that her mother couldn"t afford it, but mostly because of the redundancy it was. Even when she was inside, it was just the two of them.
"She was fine with the both of them. I can handle this myself." She took the chance to understand what he just did, hopefully the cook did exercise some mercy on them. Or did need the help. She went inside the kitchen, preparing herself for all sorts of situation that was going on inside there. Nothing will surprise her, she a.s.sures herself.
She went inside the kitchen, knowing that Zhao"en should not be here by any and all means. The cook looked at her, for a brief moment held a smirk.
"Here to help?" She asked her. Chaoyun knew what sort of work was beyond her. She looked at the dumplings, which she knew in an instant what it was for. The Dragon Boat festival was soon as well, and she often did her own.
She ignored her, and went to the side looking for them. It was a little stuffy due to the heat, and she did need to watch where she was going because of how dangerous it was to be in the kitchen. Full of things that could kill if used improperly.
No one really knew exactly why this was celebrated, but most said it was to honor scholars who had done their work to the country. Or was it countries? She couldn"t really figure it out, nor did she really want to. It was an occasion where her mother took full advantage of, a part from plenty of other occasions.
But since she had her hands full with Zhao"en, she wasn"t approached. And to be precise, it had been the day before it. Which will have made sense not to include her as well, since she simply couldn"t even find the time to notice the calendar. Only doing so at this point when being remembered.
She looked at the younger girl, wondering whether she was doing well at any point seeing as she doubted she had much of a chance to even touch this. Although by all means, she did seem to be doing well.
"Are you okay?" She asked Zhao"en, who was handling the dumplings with ease.
"Yes." She looked at the situation behind her.
"I have something to talk to you. Come out." Zhao"en completed the last dumpling before she came out, knowing that it was serious.
"There is someone who wants us to serve them." She broke the news.
"But I barely even know how to." Which was the truth, but it wasn"t as though she could do anything if they requested it.
"That"s not the point, the fact is that they"re coming on Dragon Boat Festival." And it also took a problem of finding someone to look after her while she was gone. Chaoyun didn"t serve nearly as much, instead she was using it to ensure that nothing bad happened while she was around.
The first night was all she could afford with how severe it was, and luck was the only reason why she wasn"t reprimanded. And the lack of anyone else who was available. Age had made her less able to take the strain of her work and mostly had her deal with it, as Chaoyun got older and was more able to handle it.
"Tomorrow?!"
"Yes, but I"ll show you what to do when tomorrow comes."
"Do you mind, but I like having her in the kitchen. She is at least more agreeable than you are."
"Well, who is the person who has managed to chase away their a.s.sistant within half a year?" Although her mother will scold her for insubordination, but she couldn"t hold herself back from doing it.
"Both you hate the other"s guts." Qiao"er stood beside her before she left the hallway, wanting to be as far away as possible from this place.
"That"s obvious, since I never run into the kitchen." She turned away, wondering whether she might need to prepare extra dumplings on her own. Or just have the chef"s specialty. The cook was good at what she did, and Chaoyun imitated hers with a sweeter flavour. She couldn"t deny that it was something worth looking over at the very least.
"Why do you hate her?"
"The same reason why all her a.s.sistants quit, you"ll find out with time." She left the place, while Qiao"er was still confused. She still had things to go back to do.