Chapter 33

Speaking of the stinky tofu, Bai Qianruo suddenly covered her mouth and giggled uncontrollably, her prominent and supple chest shaking violently, extremely alluring!

"What are you laughing at?" Li Qi asked with a dark face, feeling very depressed. People joke with you, and you pretend to be serious; when they speak to you seriously, you turn around and seduce them. I really can't understand what this woman is thinking. No wonder others say that women are incomprehensible creatures.

Bai Qianruo shot him a glare and huffed, "You never tell the truth."

Wrong! It's a huge injustice!

Li Qi angrily said, "Madam Bai, you are insulting my character. You should know that I, Li Qi, am a well-known honest man. I help old ladies cross the street and make buns for old grandfathers. I never tell anyone, and I don't even know what a lie is."

To be able to lie with such righteous indignation, probably only Li Qi in the entire Song Dynasty has this ability.

If you are considered honest, then the whole world must be honest. Bai Qianruo's face turned red, and she forced a smile, asking, "If that's the case, then tell me, what high-quality ingredients did you use to make your stinky tofu?"

Li Qi replied irritably, "Please, that's the lifeblood of our Zui Xianju. How can I easily tell others? Even if you and Madam are as close as sisters, I cannot disclose it."

This secret recipe, not to mention Bai Qianruo, even Wu Fugong and his nephew are not very clear about it. How could Li Qi easily tell her?

Bai Qianruo realized she had spoken out of turn, her cheeks blushing, and huffed, "Although I don't know what ingredients you used for your stinky tofu, I know it's definitely not made from eight high-quality ingredients as you said."

How does she know? Did Wu Fugong and his nephew tell her? Li Qi was startled but maintained a calm face, saying, "Madam Bai, don't think that just because you are beautiful, you can talk nonsense. If you have the ability, show me the evidence."

"I don't have the evidence, but I know how much capital you have," Bai Qianruo said with a smile.

"You know how much capital I have?" Li Qi laughed loudly, shaking his head. "Even Madam and Uncle Wu don't know. How could you possibly know? I think you were as honest as me when you were young. Otherwise, how could you not even know how to lie?"

Bai Qianruo smiled and said, "Don't forget where your capital came from. I contributed a lot to it."

That's right! The couplet hanging on the emerald pavilion that day, one of them was proposed by this girl. Li Qi suddenly realized and frowned, asking, "Were you at the emerald pavilion that day?"

Bai Qianruo shook her head and said, "Although I didn't see it with my own eyes, I heard that the person who solved the couplet was tall and slender, with a unique short hairstyle, a very distinctive accent, and very peculiar manners—"

"Enough, enough. What's unique, distinctive, and peculiar? You're just trying to say it was me. Why beat around the bush?"

Li Qi rudely interrupted Bai Qianruo, thinking: He's making me sound like an alien. If you keep talking, you might say I'm some kind of demon. He nodded and admitted, "Fine, I admit it was me. You're not resentful because I solved your couplet, are you?"

"Who's resentful? It's just—never mind. I'm not as petty as you. Besides, whoever solves the couplet, I would be happy," Bai Qianruo pouted and huffed.

"Happy?"

Li Qi was stunned and asked in surprise.

Bai Qianruo's face turned red, feeling very annoyed. What's wrong with me today? Why do I keep saying the wrong things to this rogue? She huffed, "Don't try to change the subject. I also heard about you from Sister Wang."

Madam Qin? Li Qi was also very curious and asked hurriedly, "What did Madam say about me? Did she say I'm tall and handsome, smart and capable, a perfect blend of charm and intelligence?"

Bai Qianruo chuckled and shot him a glance, saying, "Sister Wang doesn't have your literary talent. She just said you were a drunk on the street, with nothing to your name, and it was only because Uncle Wu took you in that you had a meal to eat."

Sweat!

A trace of disappointment flashed in Li Qi's eyes, but he said disdainfully, "Pfft, I thought it was something. It's just that. Yes, what Madam said is entirely correct, but what does that prove?"

"This is a big issue," Bai Qianruo nodded and smiled. "You said Madam didn't contribute a single coin, so the capital you have is at most one hundred taels. If you want to earn a thousand guan in just fifteen days, the cost of the stinky tofu can't be very high."

This girl's mind is too sharp. Li Qi was inwardly distressed but maintained a calm face, saying, "You're right, but you seem to have overlooked one point."

"Oh? I'd like to hear more," Bai Qianruo asked curiously.

"Don't forget, Zui Xianju sells a very limited amount of stinky tofu every day, which is in high demand. If the cost of the stinky tofu is low, why wouldn't I make more money by selling more? How much tofu can one hundred taels buy? I don't need to explain that."

Li Qi sighed and said, "To be honest, the stinky tofu doesn't make much money. Otherwise, I would have taken advantage of the good business to make a fortune. If I really needed money, I could borrow from Uncle Wu or Madam. They wouldn't refuse me when the business is so prosperous, would they?"

Bai Qianruo was actually very puzzled about this. She had heard about the grand scene in front of Zui Xianju yesterday, but when Xing'er returned, she told her that when she arrived, Zui Xianju had already closed its doors to customers. This surprised her greatly. It was only noon, the best time for the restaurant's business. Unless the stinky tofu was really sold out, as Xing'er said, she couldn't think of any other reason.

However, from Li Qi's plan to buy Zui Xianju, she sensed that Li Qi was not the type to act without a plan. She asked curiously, "If it's true as you say, how can you earn a thousand guan in such a short time?"

Li Qi spread his hands and vaguely answered, "What else? Keep selling tofu. Maybe I'll really earn a thousand guan. Business is like war; until the last moment, it's uncertain who will win or lose."

Seeing his carefree expression and lack of worry, Bai Qianruo knew he must have a plan but was unwilling to reveal it.

Since Li Qi didn't want to say more, Bai Qianruo didn't press further but was quite looking forward to it.

Seeing Bai Qianruo silent, Li Qi's eyes suddenly twinkled, and he said, "Madam Bai, I just thought of a great way to make money, but I need your help."

Bai Qianruo was surprised and asked, "You need my help?"

"Yes!" Li Qi nodded and suddenly lowered his voice, asking, "I heard that the couplet at the emerald pavilion last time was bought from you by Cai Yuanyou for a large sum of money. Is that true?"

Seeing his cunning expression, Bai Qianruo hesitated for a moment before nodding, "That's true."

Seeing her straightforwardness, Li Qi felt a deep admiration. He chuckled and said, "Madam Bai, what if we do this: we come up with a few couplets. You sell the top lines to Cai Yuanyou, and I solve the bottom lines. This way, we can earn at least a hundred or two hundred guan each time. You sell, I solve, and we do it a few times. That way, we can earn a thousand guan. Cai Yuanyou isn't short of money, and we don't need any capital. This is a surefire way to make money. Someone as smart as you wouldn't let this opportunity pass, right?"

Li Qi became more and more excited as he spoke, waving his hands.

A swindler! A complete swindler!

This isn't doing business; it's cheating. Has this guy gone mad for money?

Although Bai Qianruo usually didn't care much about fame and fortune, she didn't have Li Qi's thick skin. If this got out, she would be pointed at and cursed. Li Qi was clearly putting her in an unjust position.

Seeing Li Qi's expectant face, a cunning smile flashed in Bai Qianruo's eyes, and she nodded, "That's not a bad idea."

Li Qi thought she had agreed and was delighted, but before he could celebrate, Bai Qianruo suddenly changed the subject, "But, I can do this business alone. Why should I cooperate with you? I can earn the money by myself, which would be much more enjoyable."

Li Qi's excited expression froze instantly.

Seeing his reaction, Bai Qianruo giggled, "You, just stick to selling your stinky tofu. I'll take my leave." With that, she turned and ran away.

After Bai Qianruo was out of sight, Li Qi finally came to his senses, jumped up, and shouted in the direction she ran, "You ugly girl, you want to keep it all to yourself. I'll report you, I'll definitely report you. How despicable, too despicable!"