Chapter 133: Another Case of Food Poisoning

Zhang Shen could not help but laugh and sigh at Jiang Muyun’s remarks.

Following her lead, Zhang Shen walked inside. Mu Qiao, trailing behind, had watched the "bickering" between her young mistress and Zhang Shen in silence from the start; to her, this had long since become a common occurrence.

As Zhang Shen stepped in, he noticed that although the establishment was quite spacious, it lacked any decent decor. The walls were stark white, with ten tables and sets of chairs arranged on either side. It seemed the owner was perhaps too thrifty, as he couldn't even bring himself to turn on the air conditioning; above each table hung only a single electric fan, whirring noisily. Yet, the patrons dining there seemed entirely unbothered by the owner’s "spartan" hospitality, instead tucking into the food in their basins with gusto.

"Hey! What do you want to eat?"

To Zhang Shen’s surprise, Jiang Muyun didn't just order for herself but instead asked for his opinion. Knowing this impish girl, Zhang Shen dared not let his guard down. He asked, "Wasn't it you who wanted to come here? You should be more familiar with this place than I am! Why are you asking me to order?"

"Well, I am more familiar, but since you’re the one paying to keep your little sister happy, I naturally have to consider the mood of the person footing the bill. Don’t you think?"

Zhang Shen nearly choked on his own blood. This girl’s tongue was truly a "soft blade." He hadn't expected such a bloodless strike. Even though he was the one paying, he couldn't show any sign of being put-upon; he had to force a smile and act as if he were doing it willingly.

"Fine, whatever you want!"

Seeing that it was just a formality, and having no better suggestions, Zhang Shen waved his hand to let Jiang Muyun decide. Seeing his resignation, Jiang Muyun felt a surge of secret delight.

"One bowl of garlic lobster, one bowl of spicy lobster, one bowl of 'thirteen-spice' lobster, plus twenty lamb skewers and three orders of chives."

Hearing the order, the owner hurried over with a quick trot.

"That's all for now. Anything else? Perhaps some beer or soft drinks..."

Hearing the owner, Zhang Shen felt his lungs were about to explode. Seeing the dwindling supply of silver coins in his pocket, adding drinks felt like adding frost to snow.

"Sister Mu, what would you like to drink?"

"Miss, I’ll just have a soft drink. I’m driving, so I’ll stick to plain water."

Having received Mu Qiao’s answer, Jiang Muyun turned back to Zhang Shen: "What do you want to drink?"

At that moment, Zhang Shen was still internally calculating how many silver coins this meal would cost, so he had no mind to answer. Jiang Muyun, however, didn't mind at all.

"Boss, bring me a glass of plain water and two bottles of orange juice, please."

"Right away! Coming right up!"

The owner was more than happy to cater to the patrons' needs.

"Hey! I have something to tell you."

When Jiang Muyun spoke for the second time, Zhang Shen was still staring at the table, muttering to himself. Finally, losing patience with his "little temper," Jiang Muyun struck him on the head.

"Ouch!"

The blow jolted Zhang Shen back to reality. "What now?"

He didn't understand; he was already providing this young lady with food and drink, so why was she still angry?

"What are you thinking about that has you so distracted? Don't tell me you're thinking about Sister Ying!"

Jiang Muyun knew she was just teasing, but seeing Zhang Shen looking so lost, she assumed he was up to no good.

"I was thinking about my poor silver coins. After this meal tonight, I wonder how many will be left!"

Hearing this, Jiang Muyun sneered. "What a miser. Any girl who ends up with you in the future is going to go crazy."

To Zhang Shen, these were concerns for the future; right now, the only thing that mattered was finding his master, Luo Baiyang.

"I’m being serious—do you think Huang Wanting will help us?"

Zhang Shen hadn't expected this question. His own mood was poor, and he wasn't sure if Huang Wanting would spill everything to Long Si.

"This... I don't know."

"Ugh! I should have known asking you would be a waste of time."

Jiang Muyun fell silent, waiting for the lobster. However, the first thing brought to the table was the three orders of chives.

"Boss, where are my lobster and lamb skewers?"

Hearing her query, the owner replied with a friendly smile, "Young lady, please be patient. Business is booming tonight; your lobster is still cooking. It’ll be ready in a moment. Try the chives to whet your appetite first."

Jiang Muyun seemed to accept this. "Well, hurry up. I promised my brother I’d be back by ten."

Zhang Shen instinctively checked the time—it was already nine-thirty. If they were to leave by ten, the lobster needed to be on the table within five minutes. Yet, the owner’s subtext suggested it would take much longer. Seeing Jiang Muyun offload her pressure onto him, Zhang Shen noticed a flicker of hostility in the owner’s eyes.

Realizing this, Zhang Shen quickly interjected, "Boss, no rush. Take your time. Don't listen to my sister; we have plenty of time."

Zhang Shen wondered why Jiang Muyun had chosen this small shop; if he hadn't followed her here, he would have sworn she and the owner were in on some scheme together.

The chives were quickly polished off. Just as Jiang Muyun was about to prompt the owner again, a commotion erupted at a nearby table.

"What the hell? What happened?"

"Boss, stop cooking! Someone has fainted!"

"Look at his face, why does it look so terrible?"

...

The barbecue shop was instantly in an uproar. The owner, unaware of the situation, rushed over and panicked upon seeing an old man lying on the ground.

"What is going on? Nothing like this has ever happened in my shop!"

Seeing the chaos, Zhang Shen felt he could no longer sit calmly. He walked over, examined the old man’s vital signs, and made a statement that shocked everyone.

"This is food poisoning! Call an ambulance immediately. I will perform detox for him; it should at least keep him stable until the doctors arrive!"

"Then please, save him! I won't charge you for your meal—consider it on the house!"