Chi Yue didn't know what the Li Workshop was planning in private, so she worked diligently on her own, working overtime to make those orders for pre-ordered brown sugar that kept coming.

She often went to work until midnight, and often sent Chi Xin back, where she supervised the workers and helped the understaffed sugar room.

Because of this, she often has to stay alone in the workshop.

On this day, Chi Xin came to work early in the morning and said to Chi Yue: "Xiaocui came to look for you last night, and I am still in a hurry if I can't find you, I just want you to go back tonight, she has tricky things that you need to deal with personally." ”

Chi Yue raised her eyebrows, what kind of big deal can a cake shop be in such a small shop? Xiaocui is not an impatient person, she is very calm and smart, what can make her so anxious?

Looks like she'll have to go back tonight.

In the evening, Chi Yue asked Zhang Daming to supervise the overtime workers, and he went home with Chi Xin.

Xiao Cui was waiting at home, and when she saw Chi Yue, she sat up from her chair and walked out of the door to greet her.

"Chi Yue, you're back!" Xiao Cui frowned tightly and stepped forward, "There is a tricky matter in the cake shop, I can't handle it myself, so I have to let you come out in person." ”

"What's the matter? Sit down and speak slowly. Chi Yue politely pulled Xiaocui into the hall, asked her to sit down, and poured tea for each other.

"Aunt Shicai told me to drink it, but now I'm not thirsty, so I don't drink anymore." Xiao Cui was polite, and then couldn't wait to get down to business, "Chi Yue, didn't I mention to you that on the street where we opened a cake shop, some gangsters collect protection fees from various merchants every now and then?" This afternoon they went again, not only for the protection fee, but also told me that their boss will celebrate his thirtieth birthday tomorrow, and the so-called thirty is a crucial birthday, and they must not be careless, because they want me to help them make the biggest and most expensive cake in the store, so that they can take it to celebrate their birthday. I made it clear that the most expensive cake in our store was a twelve-inch three-tier fruit cream cake, which cost a full three taels of silver to buy. Guess what they say? The first to take the lead even said that those streets have always been under the jurisdiction of their eldest brother, and we should thank them for maintaining law and order there, giving them cakes for nothing, and being filial to them is the one who really knows how to elevate them! When I heard this, I refused to agree anyway, but they only said that they would take a few things for nothing when they went to the shop once on weekdays, and they still owed us three taels of silver, which was equivalent to a month's rent in our shop. In the long run, won't our store close at a loss? ”

Xiao Cui shook her head helplessly, and continued to say with palpitations: "But when they heard me say this, they actually launched a rush and threatened me that if I didn't finish the cake before noon that day, they would smash the cake shop when they went!" Chi Yue, what the hell do you think I should do? If I had made this cake for them, they would have thought that we were afraid of him and would have blackmailed us even more in the future. If I don't make it for them, tomorrow they really go to smash our cake shop, what if that? That's the shop we have worked so hard to run, and the reputation has reached the provincial government, and the apprentices are about to become teachers, so they can support a shop on their own, what if they are scared away? Chi Yue, you have to think of a way! ”

Chi Yue frowned. Although the rule of law is not strict now, these gangsters can't help but act misbehaps, and they actually help the county magistrate manage the security of the streets of the market.

"If they smash the shop, aren't they afraid that we will report to the official?" Chi Yue asked the question in her heart.

Xiao Cui sighed, "I often chat with the proprietress Wang who sells meat buns next to me in my spare time, so I can be considered acquainted." She told me that the boss of these people is called Chi Boss, and he is a well-known street gangster in this county, and it is said that he has been mixed for more than 20 years, and he can be regarded as a famous person, and he has had private contacts with several county magistrates one after another, probably to give them some benefits, so that several county magistrates have turned a blind eye to him, so that he has been able to bend the law for so long. ”

Chi Yue couldn't help but think of Wen Xing's inconsistent face, and she was annoyed. How could it be that when he came to him, he ran into an obstacle and couldn't work?

Wenxing not only bullied the weak and feared the hard, but also bent the law for personal gain and accepted bribes in private, which can be regarded as a typical example of corrupt officials in ancient times.

But I heard Xiaocui continue to say in frustration: "Hey, it's also our bad luck, why did we open the store to the territory under their jurisdiction?" If the rest of the streets were changed, they would not provoke their group of cannibals who do not spit out bones. Earlier, we should have asked clearly, and then we should go there and open a shop. ”

It's a pity that these are all hindsight, and you can't just leave the shop that has only been open for half a year and has a lease period for half a year because of these little gangsters, and find a stable place to open a new store, right? In this way, not only will the loss be huge, but the original acquaintances will probably be lost and customers will be recruited again.

Chi Yue would never do such a stupid thing as losing his wife and losing his soldiers.

She thought about it for a while, and remembered that Mrs. Qian had said earlier that she wanted to go to Chi Yue's cake shop to have a look, and recently invited her out to play one after another, so she had an idea.

"Xiaocui, if they ask you to do it, you will do it for them." Chi Yue said without hurry.

"What? Chi Yue, will you let me give them the cake for nothing? Xiao Cui looked at Chi Yue in disbelief, only to feel that Chi Yue was not the same Chi Yue before. In the past, Chi Yue, in the face of the people who came to coerce, would not be so easily succumbed, she would rather face the result of being in prison and seek justice for herself.

Chi Yue still nodded, but there was a deep meaning in her smiling eyes, "It's just that in this cake, we might as well add more things so that they can try it." ”

"What's the matter?" Xiao Cui couldn't help but wonder.

Their cakes are fresh enough in the eyes of others, but is there anything fresher than the current ones?

Originally, giving the cake to those white-eyed wolves for nothing was enough to panic, but he also gave them some benefits, isn't it the meaning of being afraid of those bastards?

This is not the style of the pond moon in the past!

In the end, Chi Yue decided to answer Xiao Cui's question in order to satisfy her curious and inquiring heart, "Do you think adding chili water will make them more excited at the feast?" ”

Add chili water? I can figure it out when I lose it!

Xiao Cui laughed out loud for a while, and then couldn't stop laughing, and said breathlessly: "Chi Yue, you, you're too bad!" ”

After laughing enough, she solemnly warned Chi Yue, "But Chi Yue, aren't you making fun of me?" If I really do what you do, they will surely eat the cake and smash our cake shop completely with their noses and mouths spitting fire. ”

"I'm not kidding you." Chi Yue shook her head, "To deal with this kind of person, there is no need to be polite to them, you have to let them taste our awesomeness." Do as I say, and I'll deal with it after noon to-morrow. When the time comes, see how I have made them fear us from now on, so that they will never again trample on our heads and do whatever they want! ”

Seeing that Chi Yue swore by her, Xiao Cui knew that she really had a way to deal with it, and her worried heart gradually calmed down.

Chi Yue has always said that he does what he says, and he is a very righteous person, and he will definitely not care about his difficulties at this time.

Xiao Cui nodded vigorously, "Chi Yue, since you said that there is a way to deal with it, I believe you." I'll make them a cake early tomorrow morning, and I'll let them take it, and I'll wait for you to dispose of it." ”

After talking for a while, Zhou stuffed some exquisite food brought back by Chi Yue Chi Xin from the county town, Xiao Cui refused but accepted it, and then went back.

The next day, at noon, Chi Yue came to look for Mrs. Liu.

When Mrs. Liu heard that it was her, she immediately ordered someone to lead her to her yard, and she walked to the gate of the courtyard to greet her.

"Sister, you haven't come to see me for many days, and every time I go to your place, you're always so busy with your work that you don't have time to say a word to me. Hey, I wanted to talk to you, and then we made an appointment to go out and play together, which seems to be wishful thinking. I had to talk to the sisters of the Liu family and the sisters of the Bai family all day long to pass the time. ”

Mrs. Liu has nothing to do on weekdays, at most she glances at the family accounts sent by the housekeeper, arranges a few household chores, and does some embroidery work, which is all her serious business.

Since there are no children, there is naturally more leisure time, and when I am bored at home, I want to look for someone to play together and kill this time.

Although Chi Yue did not agree with Mrs. Liu's slack attitude towards life, she also expressed respect. After all, everyone has their own way of living, and you can't impose your attitude towards life on others, right? In this way, since they are in two completely different worlds and have completely different concepts of life, won't they be friends anyway?

At this time, since there is a request from others, it is natural that he does not dare to have a beak for others.

"Sister, didn't I come to look for you?" Chi Yue said with a smile, "I know that you have long wanted to take a look at the cake shop I opened in the town, and I happen to be free today, why don't we call Sister Shangliu and the young lady of the Bai family to go together?" ”

Mrs. Liu clapped her hands and said happily: "Sister Qian and Sister Bai and I really wanted to go to your place to have a look, and by the way, we bought some snacks and food, and fortunately, we had nothing to do on weekdays." I've eaten your cake, and now I want to taste the sweetness again, and my two sisters are eager to get there. Now that you, the boss, are leading us personally, we have a lot of light on our faces. ”

"Where did my sister say, take the three sisters to go, it is our small shop that is full of brilliance, and our faces are stained with brilliance." Chi Yue said politely.

Mrs. Liu likes Chi Yue very much for being humble and polite, and from time to time she praises people in turn, which is in line with her temperament of liking to be praised and sought after.

didn't know that Chi Yue saw through this and deliberately said good things to her.

Sometimes Chi Yue can't help but despise herself, and she becomes so slippery that she doesn't even know herself. However, she knew that Young Lady Liu was a rare backer, and if she was a friend, her workshop would be safe for a while, and there would be relatively fewer thorns on the road ahead.

Once you have entered the shopping mall, it is like entering the battlefield, and sometimes in order to protect yourself, it is inevitable to use some small strategies and wronged yourself.

Sure enough, as Mrs. Liu said, Miss Qian and the second young lady of the Bai family are also idle, and they are hoping that someone will look for them to play. Hearing that Young Lady Liu was invited by Chi Yue to be a guest at the cake shop in the town, they immediately rushed to follow.

Seeing that it was time for lunch at noon, they couldn't be more satisfied with the cake as the main meal of this meal.

The sun was shining brightly, the autumn breeze was blowing, and the three carriages were speeding towards the town.