Chapter 1494: Chapter 1498: The Happiness of Fireworks
“Mm,” Gu Junzhu nodded. “The Xiang’s ancestral mansion left by the previous dynasty may not be particularly valuable due to its less-than-ideal location, but it’s the place where Guu Bohe grew up. If she wants to keep the mansion, she has to earn money to pay off the high-interest loans; otherwise, the mansion will be taken away by the loan sharks.”
“Her grandfather left a will prohibiting her from opening a restaurant or becoming a chef, so she’s been asking around to see if there’s an opportunity to work as a cook for a wealthy family, hoping to advance her wages to pay off the debt. Coincidentally, I’ve been looking for a chef recently. My friend, knowing her grandfather’s remarkable cooking skills, suggested she try working here.”
“Oh, oh,” Ye Xingbei nodded. “This is fate in its own way! I think her cooking skills are quite excellent; let’s have her stay. I’ll help her pay off the high-interest loans.”
To Guu Bohe, a debt equivalent to the value of an entire mansion undoubtedly feels like a massive mountain.
To Ye Xingbei, it’s nothing more than a drizzle.
“Alright.” Gu Junzhu didn’t argue with her.
After all, Guu Bohe was brought here for Ye Xingbei’s sake.
“Guu Bohe also practiced self-defense techniques,” Gu Junzhu said. “Once the dessert shop opens, she can stay by your side, shuttling between home and the dessert shop.”
The last time Situ Lanyu instigated An Keqing to scheme against Ye Xingbei, the location chosen was the restroom, clearly leveraging the fact that men couldn’t enter the women’s restroom.
His friend told him that Senior Master Gu was skilled in martial arts and had taught Guu Bohe since she was young. She was quite adept, which piqued his interest in her.
Being good at both culinary arts and self-defense techniques, Guu Bohe seemed ideal to stay by Ye Xingbei’s side.
No matter how capable Gu Chi and the others were, there are inherent gender differences. They have to maintain a distance from Ye Xingbei and often can’t intervene directly.
He had once proposed assigning two female bodyguards to Ye Xingbei, but her response was surprisingly, “Women repel each other!”
He knew Ye Xingbei was just joking.
She simply disliked the idea of having female bodyguards, as it would mean losing all personal space.
Utilizing the opportunity of hiring a chef to also position a female bodyguard skilled in self-defense by Ye Xingbei’s side was, frankly, killing two birds with one stone.
Ye Xingbei, empathizing with Guu Bohe’s predicament, didn’t ponder too deeply about Gu Junzhu’s motive, and easily agreed, “Sure, no problem.”
As long as Guu Bohe had a good personality and got along with her, Ye Xingbei didn’t mind lending her a hand.
A kindness extended is a fragrance retained.
Helping others whenever possible had always been her principle.
“By the way, what about her dad?” Ye Xingbei suddenly remembered that gambler.
Gamblers—an existence more bothersome than flies.
If that gambler wasn’t dealt with, sooner or later he might come to their home to cause trouble.
“He’s dead,” Gu Junzhu said. “Chased for debts by loan sharks, he ran across train tracks and got hit by a train.”
Ye Xingbei: “… Don’t loan sharks believe in debts vanishing with death?”
Gu Junzhu chuckled. “Loan sharks operate on the principle of a father’s debt being repaid by his daughter. If she can’t repay it, there’s still the collateral—the house.”
Ye Xingbei: “… Fine.”
Nonetheless, with Guu Bohe’s father dead, things became simpler.
At least they wouldn’t have to worry about him discovering Guu Bohe was working at their home, showing up like a fly and incessantly buzzing around.
More than an hour later, Senior Master Gu returned home.
Guu Bohe’s dishes were ready too.
Ten dishes and one soup—six hot dishes and four cold dishes.
Without even tasting the flavors, just by looking at the dishes arranged on the table, they were as visually stunning as artworks, making one reluctant to dig in.
Senior Master Gu sat at the head seat, beaming at the dishes before him: “Why is today’s meal so abundant? It doesn’t look like it was made by our house chef.”