Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

More than a dozen men and women entered the courtyard in an orderly fashion. They all wore smiles, their eyes revealing a simple and sincere expression. One man even scratched his head, appearing somewhat reserved.

These people were the same ones who had stepped forward to rescue Chen Yonggui when he encountered bandits last time. After spending some time with them and observing them, Mr. Chen found that these people were not only kind-hearted, but also down-to-earth and capable.

Chen Yonggui looked at Xiuying with a smile and said, "Xiuying, these people are all capable and can definitely help you!"

Mr. Chen cleared his throat and recounted in detail the story of how he was rescued from danger.

Li Laowu, the leader of the group, took a step forward, his honest face brimming with sincerity as he spoke, "Master Chen, Madam, to be honest with you, we were once honest tenants. This year, there was a severe drought, and the harvest was completely wiped out. To save food, the landlord kicked us out. We all have families to support, and we're truly desperate. If you don't mind, just give us some food."

As Li Laowu spoke, his eyes reddened slightly, and the people behind him nodded one after another, their faces showing misery.

"We don't have any special skills, but we're dedicated to our work. As long as we have a roof over our heads and our families have enough to eat, we'll do anything."

Li Laowu clenched his fists and spoke in a firm tone.

When Awang heard that his father had nearly died at the hands of the bandits, his face turned pale instantly and his eyes widened with fear and worry.

He cried out "Wow" and threw himself into Master Chen's arms, holding Master Chen's waist tightly with both hands, and cried out in a sobbing voice: "Daddy, Daddy, I'm so glad that you're okay. I was so worried about you."

Awang's body was trembling slightly, and tears kept flowing down, soaking Mr. Chen's clothes.

Butler Chen stepped forward and said comfortingly, "Don't worry, young master. The old master is blessed with a long life. Even if he were struck by lightning three times, fell off a cliff and rolled a hundred or eighty times, or was washed away by a flood for three days and three nights, he wouldn't die!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned at first, and then they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Ah Wang also burst into laughter and scolded, "Butler Chen, what nonsense are you talking about? How can you curse my father like that?"

Chen Yonggui pointed at Steward Chen and said, "You old fellow, the more you talk, the more outrageous it gets. Am I as tough as you say?"

The yard was filled with cheerful laughter, and the tense and solemn atmosphere just now disappeared in an instant.

Xiuying quickly asked the children to go inside and get some benches, arranging them neatly so that everyone had somewhere to sit. Then, she took Taohua and Shiliu to the kitchen to cook noodles.

The kitchen was steaming hot, Xiuying bustling about expertly. Chen Yonggui had come all this way, so naturally he hadn't had time to eat. He had brought over a dozen servants with him, so he had to make careful preparations.

Xiuying decided to make臊子面, thinking of adding a poached egg for each person and some green vegetable leaves, which would be both simple and nutritious.

While she was cutting the臊子 (臊子) sauce, she directed Taohua and Shiliu to help, "Taohua, bring the noodles over. Shiliu, prepare the eggs."

After a while, bursts of tempting aroma wafted out of the kitchen.

After the noodles were ready, Taohua and Shiliu carefully placed the steaming noodles on a tray and brought it out steadily.

Xiuying greeted everyone enthusiastically: "Come on, come on, everyone, don't be shy, eat while it's hot!"

Mr. Chen was not polite either. He picked up a bowl of noodles, blew on it a few times, and started eating it in big mouthfuls.

He ate with gusto, praising the food non-stop: "Mmm, delicious, delicious! This tastes amazing!"

Mr. Chen swallowed a mouthful of noodles and couldn't help thinking to himself: No wonder my son likes Xiuying's place. Look at these noodles. They look ordinary, but they taste so wonderful.

Xiuying's cooking skills are even better than those of the so-called master chefs in Beijing! Simple noodles can be made even more delicious than chicken soup. Xiuying is clever, warm, and kind, so it's no surprise that her son often comes here.

As he was thinking, Mr. Chen put another big mouthful of noodles into his mouth, his face full of satisfaction, and he also wanted to stay here and not leave.

Li Laowu took a big bowl, picked up the chopsticks and exclaimed in surprise: "Oh, there are eggs!" His face was full of surprise.

Wang Daya was also surprised to find that there were not only eggs but also meat. Her eyes widened and she said, "Oh, this is really rich!" After that, she couldn't wait to eat it.

The dozen or so people brought by Mr. Chen were both satisfied and heartwarming after eating.

They slurped the noodles, their faces filled with happy smiles, and they kept making "tsk tsk" sounds of praise.

“These noodles are so delicious!”

"Yeah, it makes me feel warm inside."

"It is our blessing to meet such kind people."

Everyone was talking at once, and it seemed that they had really met a good host this time. Not only did the host take them in when they were in trouble, but the host also provided them with such delicious food.

Master Chen called Xiuying aside, looked around, and made sure no one could hear them talking. Then he lowered his voice and said, "Sister Xiuying, I have done something important recently."

As he spoke, he carefully pulled out a stack of indentures from his sleeve and solemnly handed them to Xiuying. "Sister, I've carefully examined these people. They're all hardworking and down-to-earth. But how you use them is up to you. I believe that with your intelligence, you can arrange it properly."

Xiuying solemnly took the stack of indentures with both hands, and gently stroked the rough paper with her fingers. Her expression was solemn. She knew in her heart that these indentures were the lifeblood of these people.

Xiuying narrowed her eyes slightly and thought to herself that she should never completely trust others at any time and must always keep a trick up her sleeve.

Just like he led the whole village to become rich together, on the surface it seemed that he had a sense of justice, but in fact it was also for his own protection. Chen Yonggui understood this better than anyone else, otherwise his business would not have been so big.

Chen Yonggui looked at Xiuying's thoughtful expression, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes. He had been in the business world for many years and knew well the complexity of human hearts and the impermanence of the world.

Only by knowing how to strike a balance and leaving a way out can one gain a firm foothold in the ever-changing situation and preserve one's own property and status.

There's really no need to beat around the bush when talking to smart people, not to mention Awang's affection. Xiuying didn't want to beat around the bush either. She took a deep breath, looked straight at Master Chen, and asked directly, "Master Chen, let's be frank. You're helping me like this, so I want to know, what do you want from me?"

At this moment, Xiuying unconsciously clenched the corners of her clothes with her hands. She knew very well that there is no free lunch in the world, and Chen Yonggui must have some ulterior motive for this action.