A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

Chapter 164 Deceiving People

Hearing Su Tan'er's words, Nie Qianqian couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

Judging from the clothes worn by the mother and daughter, one could tell that they lived a hard life. Yet, this little girl possessed such rare ambition and filial piety, which was truly admirable. Nie Qianqian couldn't help but pay more attention to her.

Liu Yan also noticed the mother and daughter. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, she could feel their deep affection from their expressions and actions. She felt as if she saw herself and Nie Qianqian reflected in them.

Just then, the last dish on Nie Qianqian's table—crab roe steamed buns—was served.

As soon as the steamer lid was opened, steaming hot air rushed up, and a rich aroma instantly filled the air, making everyone's mouths water.

Everyone picked up their chopsticks and took one each. Nie Qianqian quickly reminded Tiedan and Tuantuan, "Blow on it before you eat it, don't burn yourselves."

Liu Xiong was already irresistibly drawn in by the aroma, and without caring whether the xiaolongbao was hot or not, he stuffed the whole xiaolongbao into his mouth in one bite. As soon as the xiaolongbao entered his mouth, the scalding hot juice burst open instantly, filling his entire mouth, and the umami of crab roe spread on his tongue.

As Liu Xiong chewed, he exhaled and mumbled, "These crab roe dumplings are so delicious!"

Seeing that everyone was enjoying their meal, Nie Qianqian smiled and picked up a piece, taking a small bite.

But as soon as the steamed bun entered her mouth, her brows furrowed.

The crab roe tastes off...

Nie Qianqian subconsciously looked up at Old Qiao, only to see that Old Qiao had also thrown the half-eaten steamed bun back into the bowl, and was pouting.

Nie Qianqian was certain in her heart that there was indeed a problem!

Her gaze gradually turned cold as she slowly scanned the waiters in Guangjuxuan.

Did Master Zhao, who was behind Guangjuxuan's business practices, know about them?

Nie Qianqian couldn't help but doubt Zhao Xuanmu's business acumen. As the eldest son of the family, Zhao Xuanmu had failed to expand his own power and could only leave his hometown to live in a remote corner. It seemed that there was a reason for this.

No one noticed anything unusual about the crab roe buns. Old Qiao was about to speak when he noticed Nie Qianqian's serious expression, clearly indicating that she had figured it out. So he swallowed his words and thought to himself: This little girl does have some knowledge.

"Mom, Uncle, Aunt, Grandma Ma... please don't eat these crab roe dumplings yet," Nie Qianqian reminded them.

"What's wrong? Afraid we'll get burned? Hahaha, don't worry, Uncle's skin is thick and tough, he won't burn me." Liu Xiong laughed nonchalantly.

Just as Nie Qianqian was about to explain, Su Tan'er's surprised voice came from the next table.

"How could this be! You must have miscalculated. We ordered two dishes and a pot of osmanthus wine. It's clearly written on the menu that it's 1 liang and 2 qian, how could it be 1 liang and 5 qian?" Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

The waiter, with a seemingly perfect smile on his face, said unhurriedly, "Miss, you may not know this, but the prices on this menu change with the seasons. As ingredient prices fluctuate, the prices naturally change as well. Right now it's winter, so the sweet and sour carp you ordered has increased in price by 3 qian of silver." His tone and demeanor seemed to silently imply the ignorance of Su Tan'er and her mother.

“That’s ridiculous! If you really want to raise prices, you should clearly state it on the menu,” Su Tan’er argued.

"Miss, you may not know this, but the menu at Guangjuxuan is made of a special type of pear wood and is scented with special osmanthus incense. We can't just change it like that," the waiter replied calmly.

"You should have made it clear when we ordered. You didn't say anything, and now you're saying the price has gone up when we pay the bill. Do you think you're playing with prices? Isn't this blatant bullying?" Su Tan'er was quite angry, her voice trembling slightly with rage, but she was still quite clear-headed and immediately pointed out the crux of the problem.

Fu Niang also stood up, her thin body trying to straighten.

She could tolerate being mistreated, but Tan'er had saved up money for a long time to bring her here, and now she was being overcharged and bullied for no reason.

"How can you do business like this! This is cheating!"

Su Tan'er's face turned red with anger. She clenched her fists and raised her voice, "It's clearly your fault for not writing it clearly. Why should we pay this unnecessary money?"

Her voice was a bit louder, attracting the attention of the surrounding diners.

Chen Feng, who was dozing off to sober up in the private room on the second floor, was instantly awakened by the noise. Through the crack in the window, he saw what was happening downstairs and, after listening to a few words, he knew what had occurred.

Guangjuxuan had been under his management for many years, and he had already cultivated his own workforce. When ordinary people from other places came to Guangjuxuan to eat, he would have his subordinates charge 1-2% more, with the reason given in advance: the price would fluctuate due to seasonal changes.

This isn't a lot of money. Most people who come here to eat have some savings at home, so they wouldn't cause a scene at Guangjuxuan over a few coins. I never expected that someone would be so tactless today.

Chen Feng was unaware of the situation of the mother and daughter. Their circumstances were special. If Fu Niang hadn't almost lost her sense of smell and her sense of taste hadn't been affected, they would never have spent so much money to eat at Guangjuxuan. Let alone charging an extra 3 qian of silver, even charging an extra 1 qian of silver would not be a small amount for Tan'er.

Su Tan'er refused decisively, her voice growing louder and louder. A flash of annoyance crossed the waiter's eyes, but he quickly regained his fake smile, leaned closer to Su Tan'er, and lowered his voice to say:

“Young lady, I advise you not to make a scene, or you'll lose face and it won't look good. If you're going to live in Qinghe County, why offend Guangjuxuan?” His tone seemed gentle, but it actually carried a hidden threat.

At this moment, Chen Feng, the second manager of the store, rushed over from the private room on the second floor, with a warm and gentle smile on his face.

Chen Feng bowed slightly, clasped his hands in front of him, and said in a gentle voice, "Oh, what's wrong? Calm down, harmony brings wealth."

He leaned closer, narrowed his eyes slightly, and a hint of coldness flashed in them as he continued, "However, our Guangjuxuan has always been frequented by distinguished guests, all of whom come for this peaceful and comfortable environment. If you two continue arguing and disturb the other distinguished guests, we cannot afford to offend them."

As he spoke, he waved his hand gently, signaling the waiter to leave. Then he pulled over a chair and gestured for him to sit down. "Why don't we sit down first and talk calmly?"

These words sound like a negotiation, but the kiss is an unyielding and forceful statement.

Upon hearing this, Su Tan'er and Fu Niang felt their hearts sink instantly.

Su Tan'er looked around and saw that most of the guests in the restaurant were dressed in fine clothes and were now watching them as if they were watching a spectacle. The mother and daughter seemed so out of place among them.

These people are nobles, while they are of low social standing.

She recalled the hardships she and her mother endured, working tirelessly from dawn till dusk to make incense, her mother's hands calloused and scarred from years of toil for the family. They worked so hard to live, yet they still suffered such mistreatment. Why? Why should the common people be trampled upon like this?

If they really don't pay, how will Guangjuxuan deal with them? Will they ruin their small business, making it difficult for them to even maintain their meager livelihood?

For a moment, Tan'er wavered, feeling utterly powerless. She wanted to give in, pay the money, and settle things peacefully.

Just as Su Tan'er was about to give in, Fu Niang gently patted her daughter's shoulder.

Fu Niang showed no remorse for her daughter's impulsive and trouble-making behavior. Instead, she said with a firm gaze, "Tan'er, don't be afraid. Even if we are driven out of Qinghe County today, we cannot let them bully us like this!"

Although her voice was a little hoarse, it conveyed an undeniable and resolute strength.

Tan'er has a boyish personality, but deep down she is like Fu Niang. Fu Niang looks gentle and weak, but she is extremely strong at heart.

Chen Feng's smile froze instantly, but he quickly recovered and was still smiling, though the coldness in his eyes was even stronger.