Sludge suction system

On the other side, Ye Keke and Gao He, like ghosts in the darkness, emerged from the back garden unnoticed and headed straight for the kitchen.

The kitchen was quiet and deserted, save for the occasional crackling of the still-burning charcoal in the stove, a silent warning of an impending conspiracy. Ye Keke entered first, her steps light yet furtive. She quickly glanced around, and after confirming no one was nearby, gave Gao He a meaningful look. Gao He understood immediately, striding to the cabinet containing the spices. His rough fingers raced across the rows of bottles and jars, quickly locking onto his targets—the key spices Fang Xiaobei had carefully selected to enhance the aroma of today's main dish.

"Hurry up, don't let anyone see us," Ye Keke urged in a low voice, her tone revealing barely suppressed tension and excitement. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Gao He's forehead, his hands trembling slightly as he picked up the packet of precious spices. At the same time, Ye Keke pulled out a small, pre-prepared coarse cloth bag from her bosom, containing powdered datura. This datura flower, though beautiful in appearance, is highly poisonous; even a tiny amount mixed into food can cause dizziness and vomiting, with unimaginable consequences.

Gao He hesitated for a moment, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes. He stammered, "This...do we really have to go this far? What if someone dies..." Ye Keke's eyebrows shot up, and she glared at him fiercely. "What, you want to back down now? Don't forget, as long as Fang Xiaobei is around, we'll never get ahead! This is what she deserves. Enough talk, get to work." Blinded by jealousy, Gao He gritted his teeth and stopped talking. Trembling, he poured out Fang Xiaobei's spices, slowly poured the datura powder into the container, and then pretended to be calm as he stirred it with a spoon, trying to cover up the sinful traces.

Just as they thought they had succeeded and were about to leave, a soft footstep suddenly came from outside the kitchen. The two men turned pale instantly, exchanged a terrified glance, their hearts pounding, and frantically searched for a hiding place. Little did they know that their every move had already been observed by a "watchful eye" that had been following them.

Above the roof beam, Little Zha hid in the shadows. It had come to the Yan residence with Fang Xiaobei, but now, witnessing Ye Keke and Gao He's evil deeds, its lively eyes were filled with rage. Just as the deadly datura powder was about to mix into the ingredients, Little Zha darted out with a "whoosh" the moment the two hurriedly hid it and left the kitchen.

Small in size but swift as the wind, it arrived at the cabinet in the blink of an eye. With its delicate claws, Little Zha gripped the container of datura powder tightly, flapped its wings with all its might, and carried it away from danger. Then, relying on its familiarity with the mansion's pathways, it swiftly darted through the corridors, heading straight for Ye Keke and Gao He's room.

Upon entering the house, Xiao Zha spotted the teapot on the table and poured the entire packet of powder into it, stirring it with its paws to ensure it was evenly mixed. After doing all this, it flew back to the kitchen without stopping and put the replaced non-toxic spices back in their original places, arranging them neatly without revealing any flaws.

Just as things were settled, they heard Ye Keke and Gao He's voices outside, feigning composure and chatting casually. Little Zha quickly flew back to the roof beam, disappeared into the darkness, and waited quietly to see the two reap what they sowed. Its eyes gleamed with intelligence and smugness. It knew that this good show of fighting evil with evil had only just begun.

Fang Xiaobei and Xia Zhi returned to the Yan residence with light steps, bathed in the warm sunlight. Their hands were laden with goods: tender, dew-kissed spinach, plump nuts, and several rare spices from the Western Regions—a variety of ingredients carefully wrapped in cloth bags. Little Baozi ran happily ahead, occasionally glancing back at its owners, its tail wagging like a rattle.

Upon entering the mansion, Fang Xiaobei immediately sensed something amiss in the atmosphere. She instinctively exchanged a glance with Xia Zhi, their eyes filled with doubt. However, time was of the essence, and the two didn't dwell on it for long, heading straight for the kitchen.

Smoke rose from the kitchen. Fang Xiaobei quickly sorted and arranged the ingredients, like a composed general, and began to give instructions methodically: "Xia Zhi, first wash and juice these spinach leaves. The success of our improved 'Golden Thread Jade Plate Emerald Soup' depends on the freshness of this green juice. I'll go prepare the meat; I need to cut this ham into even, thin strips to enhance the soup." Xia Zhi responded crisply, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work, the sound of running water washing the spinach filling the air.

Meanwhile, Ye Keke and Gao He weren't idle either. Ye Keke found a corner and laid out all sorts of radishes and pumpkins she had specially collected from the market. These ingredients were varied in shape and bright in color. Holding a sharp knife, her eyes were focused, and the blade moved nimbly across the ingredients. Before long, exquisite carvings of birds, flowers, and other decorations began to take shape at her fingertips. As she carved, she secretly thought that once these unique carvings were placed on the table, they would definitely attract a lot of attention and overshadow Fang Xiaobei's main dish.

Gao He stood at the other side of the cutting board, a piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat in front of him. He gripped the knife handle firmly with both hands, held his breath, and with swift, precise strokes, sliced ​​the meat into pieces as thin as cicada wings, almost transparent in the light streaming through the window, gleaming with an enticing sheen. With each slice, he nodded slightly in satisfaction, confident that with such exquisite knife skills, tonight's banquet would be incomplete without him, and he was determined to impress everyone.

Just then, Ye Keke and Gao He walked in, feigning composure. Ye Keke wore an unnatural smile: "Oh, you're finally back! You bought so much good stuff; this banquet tonight will definitely amaze everyone." Gao He chimed in, but his eyes darted around, avoiding Fang Xiaobei's gaze. Fang Xiaobei pretended not to notice their odd behavior, politely nodding, but inwardly remaining vigilant, her attention returning to the ingredients in her hands.

Xia Zhi had already brought over the freshly squeezed spinach juice, its vibrant green color like the freshest new green shoots of spring. Fang Xiaobei took it, sniffed it gently, her eyes filled with satisfaction, and said softly, "This juice is perfect, let's work harder." With that, she turned and walked to the stove, starting to heat the oil and add the ingredients. In an instant, the kitchen was filled with a fragrant aroma as various ingredients collided and blended in the pot, creating a symphony of delicious food. Everyone was giving their all for the evening's banquet, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense and lively.

"Miss Fang, how are your preparations going? The merchants from the Western Regions will be arriving soon!" Master Yan hurriedly walked in from outside the door, his expression full of anxiety and anticipation.

"Master Yan, please don't worry. Everything is ready. We're just waiting for the merchants to arrive. We'll definitely impress them and win their hearts!" Fang Xiaobei said confidently, even patting her chest to show how confident she was.

Hearing this, Master Yan breathed a slight sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "Very good. Then we can start serving the dishes in half an hour!" After saying that, he turned to look at Ye Keke and Gao He beside him, only to see the two of them exchanging glances and then smiling slightly. Clearly, they had already made up their minds and were secretly thinking about how to put on this wonderful show.

Just then, a loud shout came from outside: "The merchants have arrived!" It turned out that Steward Bu had come to announce the news. Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted, and they busied themselves welcoming these distinguished guests who had come from afar.