Chapter 86: The Frequency of Encounters
Ye Xinyan returned to the snack shop with the two hundred taels silver note in her hand, thinking that she wasn’t sure how Jinrong’s inquiry had turned out. If he insisted on getting to the bottom of this and couldn’t find an answer at Great Crane House, he would surely come to the snack shop. At that time, she would have to reveal the method for creating the treat.
Qi Younian saw Ye Xinyan return and hand the silver note to him. He sat on the side, tilting his head in thought, oblivious even to Qi Jia walking by. He asked, "Ye Zi, what’s wrong? Did Shopkeeper He become upset when you asked for an advance on the silver?"
Ye Xinyan came back to her senses and smiled, "Not at all; Shopkeeper He is easy to speak with. It was the Sixth Master, dining in a private room on the second floor of Great Crane House, who asked the waiter where the Ice Cream came from. He even insisted on knowing if it was stored in an ice cellar during winter."
"Oh, that." Qi Younian wasn’t worried about this particular matter. Having interacted with this prince a few times, Qi Younian held great respect for him.
The Sixth Prince was not as haughty or arrogant as he imagined but was open-minded and amiable. As for his inquiry about the Ice Cream, it was probably just out of curiosity about a food not typically found in the summer heat; he wouldn’t go to the lengths of forcibly seizing it.
At that moment, the well-behaved Qi Jia brought Ye Xinyan a cup of cool tea and snuggled beside her to listen to the adults talk.
"Our Qi Jia is so good," Ye Xinyan said as she took the tea and patted his head, continuing to Qi Younian, "Shopkeeper He suggested that I go and explain to Sixth Master myself. I thought it would be inconvenient to speak at Great Crane House. Even if I could answer Sixth Master’s questions, it wouldn’t be appropriate to disclose the exact method for making Ice Cream in front of the staff there, so I declined. I was just thinking, perhaps Sixth Master might come to our shop to inquire, and we need to prepare for the esteemed deity’s visit."
Qi Younian, an astute elder, was quite open-minded, "Sixth Master is a person worthy of respect. If Sixth Master inquires, naturally we shall respond to however much he asks. With his status, not to mention he would not contrive to harm our business, even if Sixth Master were of ill-intent, we couldn’t afford to provoke him, could we? We must speak openly and honestly, after all, ensuring the safety of our family is of the utmost importance."