A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1465 Hua Twelve: I'm not as strong as her! Really! (Please subscribe!)

On the Bund, in an outdoor seating area of ​​a café, Gu Xiaojiao looked somewhat absent-minded. Across from her, real estate agent Xiao Ma was so excited that he didn't notice his client's odd behavior. This was understandable; this property deal, worth over 20 million yuan, would not only fulfill his yearly performance target but also earn him over 100,000 yuan in commission.

"Sis, I'm so happy! I'll drink coffee instead of alcohol to congratulate you on achieving your wish!"

"what"

Gu Xiaojiao snapped out of her daze, forced a smile, picked up her coffee cup, and gently clinked it against Xiao Ma's:

"Thank you so much! I've troubled you a lot these past few years!"

Little Ma beamed with joy:

"No trouble at all, sis. I made over ten thousand from this one deal. Is there anything else you'd like to eat? It's on me!"

"No need, I'll just have a cup of coffee!"

Gu Xiaojiao was visibly uninterested, but Xiao Ma didn't think much of it, assuming she was overjoyed at having fulfilled her wish and couldn't express it immediately. So he said:
"Sister, I still have some business to attend to at work. Could you please stay a little longer? I'll be going now."

Gu Xiaojiao nodded: "Okay, thank you, Xiao Ma!"

"You're welcome!"

Xiao Ma smiled as he got up, went to get Gu Xiaojiao a dessert, and after paying the bill, he waved goodbye, his face still beaming as he left.

Soon the waiter placed the dessert in front of Gu Xiaojiao. Looking at the chocolate cake that she used to love, she had no desire to take a bite.

When I got home, it was already dark. As soon as I entered the door, I smelled the aroma of food inside.

Hua Shier, wearing an apron around his waist, was standing in front of the stove. Hearing the door open, he turned around and said:

"Hurry up and wash your hands, dinner is ready! There's one last dish, braised sea cucumber with scallions, it'll be ready soon. Today I'll let you taste my cooking!"

Gu Xiaojiao asked in surprise, "You can cook?"

"How novel! In our day, if you couldn't cook, were you even considered a man?"

Hua Shier laughed after he finished speaking.

Gu Xiaojiao walked to the dining table and looked at the table full of delicious-looking dishes, comparable to those served in a high-end hotel. Her mood immediately improved.

"smell good!"

Then she said with some dissatisfaction:
"You, Hua Shier, with such good cooking skills, always eat out!"

Hua Shier completed the final step of the braised sea cucumber with scallions, took it out of the pot, plated it, and then placed the dish on the table, laughing as he said:

"Is there a conflict between being good at cooking and being too lazy to cook for myself?"

Gu Xiaojiao was so angry she was speechless, and said in a huff:
"You're so lazy! I mean, I've treated you to several meals already, why didn't you cook a nice meal to thank me sooner!"

Hua Shier took off her apron and said irritably:
"Don't be so heartless! I've treated you to breakfast several times, like scallion oil noodles and pan-fried buns. You've fed all that to the dogs!"

Who are you calling a dog?!

One sentence was enough to enrage Gu Xiaojiao, who grabbed her laptop, surrounded the table, and chased after Hua Shier, beating him up.

Hua Shier laughed and begged for mercy:
"Alright, alright, hurry up and wash your hands and eat, the food won't taste good if it gets cold!"

Gu Xiaojiao grabbed the guy and smashed him twice before stopping.

After Gu Xiaojiao washed her hands and changed into her home clothes, she sat down at the dining table and tasted a dish cooked by Hua Shier. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she felt her depressed mood from the day suddenly improve.

"It's delicious, it smells so good!"

Gu Xiaojiao gave a thumbs up, praising Hua Shier's culinary skills.

However, she quickly noticed Hua Shier's nonchalant attitude and became somewhat dissatisfied again:

"Hey, I'm praising your cooking skills, can't you at least give me some kind of response?!"

Hua Shier waved his hand calmly:

"Lots of people praise my cooking skills, who do you think you are? Hey, I'm sorry, hurry up and eat, stop fooling around."

He had only spoken halfway when he saw that Gu Xiaojiao was about to lose her temper, so he quickly backed down.

Actually, he was telling the truth. He had honed his cooking skills over so many worlds. When he was emperor, he even received guidance from the imperial chef. Back in the Siheyuan world, his skills were no worse than He Yuzhu's. Now, even Sha Zhu probably can't see his taillights. It would be strange if the food wasn't delicious. So, he has been praised by so many people that he has become immune to it.

Seeing that he had given in, Gu Xiaojiao said smugly:

"You're getting cocky just because I called you fat, young man. Don't you know the importance of humility?"

She picked up a coin-shaped piece of food, put it in her mouth, and chewed it twice.

"Wow, what kind of meat is this? It looks delicious!"

Hua Shier's expression was strange, a half-smile on his face:

"This? This is a real delicacy, called 'Qian'er Rou' (钱儿肉). Back when Empress Dowager Cixi fled west, the Shaanxi governor, Duanfang, presented Qian'er Rou as a tribute from Fengxiang. The old lady was delighted with it, saying it was delicious. This is the thing."

Gu Xiaojiao seemed to be listening to a legendary tale: "Really? Is this thing that good?"

"Of course! This pork belly is not only delicious, but it also has nutritional benefits. It can replenish qi and blood, and benefit the internal organs. It is effective for chronic fatigue, recovery from a long illness, qi and blood deficiency, shortness of breath and weakness, and loss of appetite. It's really delicious! Once you eat one, you'll want another one. It's wonderful!"

"wait"

Gu Xiaojiao discovered Huadian's secret, and while eating, she asked:
"What do you mean by 'eating 'one'? And wanting another one? Why is this thing sold by the 'one'? Is it like a sausage?"

Hua Shier's expression became even stranger: "When it comes to whips, of course, it's counted by the root."

"Whip? What whip?" The information was too shocking, and Gu Xiaojiao didn't react for a moment.

"Donkey penis, look, there's a hole in this meat. After it's cut, it looks like a 'square hole,' so it's called 'coin meat.' It's very nourishing. And you have quite the appetite, eating one in a single bite!"

Hua Shier explained carefully.

Gu Xiaojiao suddenly started gagging, then pointed at Hua Shier, gave him a curse with her eyes, and ran to the toilet to vomit.

Hua Shier lamented, "It's truly a case of a wild boar not being able to eat fine chaff!"

Gu Xiaojiao felt like she had vomited everything she had eaten. After washing her face, she rushed out to confront Hua Shier:

"You bastard, you want me to eat donkey penis?"

Hua Shier quickly said, "I was taking it to nourish myself. You're blaming me for eating it yourself."

"Then could you remind me?"

"You don't look well, you need some nourishment, but who knew you're thirty years old and have never even eaten a whipped meat?"

Gu Xiaojiao screamed, "Get out of here! Don't drive!"

"I was talking about the pork belly, who drove the car!"

"you"

Gu Xiaojiao felt like she was going crazy.

He simply ignored the guy, took a plate of braised eel in hot oil and a plate of braised sea cucumber, and went to eat at the dining table in his living room.

While eating, she glared angrily at Hua Shier, stabbing her rice bowl with her chopsticks as if she were stabbing the man opposite her.

Hua Shier didn't care at all. He took out a bottle of Moutai and, amidst the delicacies on the table, poured himself a drink.

Just then, Gu Xiaojiao returned with the dishes, then took a wine glass and poured herself a full glass of Moutai:
"Come on, I'll drink with you, bottoms up!"

She clinked glasses with Hua Shier and downed it in one gulp. This girl worked in sales and had a decent tolerance for alcohol; after a glass of baijiu, her face only turned slightly red.

During the meal, the two finished two bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor). After the meal, Gu Xiaojiao couldn't hold on any longer and lay down on the bed, falling asleep immediately.

After tidying up the table, Hua Shier was about to lie down and go to sleep.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a fleshy object suddenly passed through the curtain and climbed onto him.

Hua Shier took the opportunity to pull a trachea from under the pillow, and said warily:

What do you want to do?

Gu Xiaojiao was speechless: "Are you crazy? Who sleeps with an air pump under their pillow?"

Hua Shier retorted confidently, "You also put scissors, a hammer, and a screwdriver in there!"

Stop being so cheeky, you're getting a good deal today!

Gu Xiaojiao snatched the trachea away, threw it aside, and then...
Hua Shier silently 'shed tears' in his heart, what a beast!
He really wanted to struggle and fight back, but unfortunately he wasn't as strong as Gu Xiaojiao!

Really!

Yes, that's the same story no one tells: he's the victim.

A gust of wind and rain came late in the evening, washing away the scorching heat. After finishing playing the sheng and huang, she lightly applied makeup before the mirror.

Her skin, shimmering like ice in thin crimson silk, was smooth and fragrant like snow. She laughed and chatted with her beloved, for tonight the curtains and pillows in the gauze-draped chamber would be cool.

The rain stopped and the wind died down. Hua Shier felt a damp chill on his shoulders and said irritably to the person on top of him:
"I'm the one who should be crying!"

Gu Xiaojiao angrily bit his shoulder before saying:

"Go to sleep, we can talk about it tomorrow!"

The next morning, when Hua Shier woke up, Gu Xiaojiao was still asleep. But when he twitched his ears, he smiled. Although the other person seemed to be sleeping, his breathing was slightly rapid and his heartbeat was faster. He was obviously pretending to be asleep.

He didn't expose her, changed his clothes, went for a morning run around the area near '88, and when he came back, he found that Gu Xiaojiao was no longer there.

There was a sticky note on the table that read:

"I drank too much yesterday, let's just pretend it was a dream!"

Hua Shier complained: "What a scumbag woman!"

Turning around, he saw a large hole cut in the Celso de Lemos pure silk sheet on his bed. His eyes widened as he exclaimed in disbelief:

"Are you kidding me? What era are we living in? Still doing this kind of thing? More than seven thousand yuan! What a spendthrift woman!"

Gu Xiaojiao didn't come back that night. She didn't know how to face Hua Shier, so she went to stay at her manager's house, which was also her best friend's house.

This manager is the one played by Tao Honghong, Xu Guangtou's wife, in the original drama.

Seeing her like that, Tao Honghong guessed what was going on and asked:
"What's wrong? You look like you're about to die. Did you break up with your boyfriend?"

Gu Xiaojiao forced a smile and said, "I've never been in a relationship, how could I be heartbroken!"

"That's true. With your dating criteria, I reckon you won't get married even when you're eighty. A villa worth over twenty million, and they want your name added before marriage? Only a fool would agree to that!"

Just as Tao Honghong was feeling sentimental, Gu Xiaojiao said, "The house has already been sold!"

"Huh? It's sold!"

Tao Honghong looked at Gu Xiaojiao in disbelief, but seeing the latter's serious expression, she immediately laughed:

"Congratulations! You'll be a rich wife someday. Don't forget your best friend then!"

"Am I that kind of person?!"

Gu Xiaojiao lay on the peach-pink bed, somewhat bewildered, and said:

"That's me, that's me."

Seeing her stammering, Tao Honghong said impatiently, "You're driving me crazy! What is it?"

"Well... sigh, I haven't decided yet!"

Tao Honghong slapped her forehead: "I understand, you must regret it, and feel unwilling to sacrifice your marriage for a house, right?"

She sighed and said, "I warned you a long time ago, but you wouldn't listen. Now you regret it. It's a bit too late. They've already bought the house. If you don't marry them, it'll be considered fraud!"

Gu Xiaojiao shook her head and said:

"I don't know if I regret it or not. Getting my house back was my biggest wish in this life. Anyway, I'm a little... sigh, never mind."

Gu Xiaojiao tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, until dawn broke before she finally fell asleep.

When Tao Honghong woke up in the morning and saw Gu Xiaojiao's half-closed eyes, she sighed and said:
"How about I approve a few days off for you? You can rest here for a few days and think carefully about whether you want to be a rich wife or come back to being a sales clerk. Actually, I think that since you've already made your choice, being a rich wife is pretty good too."

Gu Xiaojiao forced her eyelids open:

"Didn't you advise me to give up that idea before, and even said I was being unrealistic?"

Tao Honghong replied matter-of-factly:

"I never expected that someone would actually be a fool to spend 20 million on you. Besides, you were in your twenties before, and you had many choices. Now you're thirty-one, and you're almost past your prime. Times have changed. Alright, think it over carefully!"

After she finished speaking, she took her bag and went to work.

Two days passed, and Gu Xiaojiao still hadn't made up her mind. The inner turmoil made her look sickly and listless.

That day, Tao Honghong came back and told her two things:

"Xiao Jiao, we have a new boss! Our new boss has taken over all our stores in Shanghai. I saw him, and he's so handsome!"

"You know, the boss is so handsome and young, how come he's so rich? Is he some rich young master from a wealthy family?"

"Let me tell you, a lot of the girls in our shop dream of marrying into a wealthy family. I think they're dreaming. With the boss's status, why would he even look at us saleswomen?"

She excitedly talked about her new boss, then suddenly remembered something and reminded him:
"Oh, right, there's one more thing you need to be careful about. Your old classmate Xiaoya came to the store today and specifically asked you to settle accounts with her. It seems she also knows that you lied to her about being the boss's wife. I told her you were away on a business trip and sent her away, but judging from her attitude, she won't let it go."

After Tao Honghong finished speaking, she asked Gu Xiaojiao:
"Isn't that your classmate? What's wrong?"

Gu Xiaojiao recounted the incident of hiring someone to impersonate a wealthy husband, and mentioned that the friend she hired was an expert in traditional Chinese medicine and could tell that Xiaoya had had an abortion. She guessed that this was the reason Xiaoya's marriage broke down and that's why she was causing trouble for her.

Tao Honghong exclaimed "Ouch!" and laughed for a while before saying:

"That really offended someone. If it were me, I wouldn't let it go either. You should take a few more days off!"

Gu Xiaojiao nodded. In the past few days, she had thought about calling the mysterious "Mr. Xiang" more than a hundred times, and about going back to the villa to talk to Hua Shier more than two hundred times. However, she had not figured out what she wanted to say to either of them, so she had not taken any action.

Well, although when she went to another time and space to see her parents, her father called Hua Twelve "Mr. Xiang," this girl didn't associate it with the mysterious person who bought her house at all. After all, in her opinion, even if Hua Twelve could make money, it was impossible for him to buy a house worth 20.03 million in such a short period of time.

That day, her phone rang, and the caller ID showed "Mr. Xiang".

Gu Xiaojiao hesitated for a long time, then suddenly made up her mind, answered the phone, and spoke before the other party could speak:
"Hey, Mr. Xiang, I'm sorry, I... I regret it. If you don't want the house, you can return it. I'll cover the fees."

After a moment of silence, the person on the other end reminded him:

"Then you'd better think this through. A house worth over 20 million, not to mention taxes, just the agent's fees alone will be over 400,000. How are you going to pay that back?"

Gu Xiaojiao gritted her teeth and said:
"That's my problem now. In short, I'm not doing it anymore. I'm sending the property certificate back to the agency right now. If you want to transfer the property, just call me anytime!"

After saying that, she hung up the phone and started sobbing, muttering curses under her breath:
"You bastard, you son of a bitch, it's been so many days and you haven't even called me once!"

Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!