Poisoned and Fainted
Zhang Zhaocai stuffed food into his mouth while tears welled up uncontrollably. Afraid that Qin Sanniang would scold him, he dared not look up and quickly wiped away the tears with the back of his hand.
Sister Zhu, being a mother herself, felt truly heartbroken seeing Zhang Zhaocai like this.
Zhang Zhaocai used to be mischievous, but he was just a child under ten years old. He hadn’t killed anyone or done anything truly bad. It was just that Tang Shi spoiled him badly, and following his father Zhang Zhuzi, he learned nothing good. Sister Zhu really thought it was unfair for this child to be treated so badly.
At this moment, Lingdang finally finished preparing the last dish, sweat pouring down her forehead from exhaustion.
Su Li walked over, very pleased with Lingdang, smiling: "Among my four apprentices, Lingdang is the most perceptive. A banquet like this isn't easy to manage. Just swinging the big wok spatula takes skill; without it, you can’t stir-fry properly! Look at Lingdang—her dishes are perfect in color, aroma, and taste. She hasn’t let her master down!"
The other three male apprentices teased, "Master, you’re biased!"
Su Li laughed, "I’m just biased towards Lingdang because she’s the most perceptive and learns the best! If you guys don’t agree, and you learn better than Lingdang, I’ll be biased towards you too!"
As Su Li spoke, she smiled, looking at Lingdang who was drenched in sweat, and said, "Alright, go rest now. I’ve got this."
Lingdang smiled sweetly in response and busily helped some village women serve dishes at the banquet tables.
"This child is quick and diligent," Su Li watched Lingdang’s back with complete satisfaction. Any displeasure she had about Xiao Zetian deliberately assigning Xiao family secret guards as her apprentices had long vanished.
It had to be said, Xiao Zetian’s skill in selecting people was really impressive. All four apprentices pleased her. If she looked outside, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack to find such good apprentices.
Over there, Lingdang carried dishes like a busy little bee, moving from table to table, singing out the names of the dishes as she served tea.
When she reached Zhang Zhaocai’s table, Zhang Zhaocai became completely flustered upon seeing her approach.
He looked like a beggar with no dignity. But Lingdang was Su Li’s prized disciple, her dishes were delicious, and she wore a beautiful dress, as pretty as a flower butterfly.
Zhang Zhaocai quickly felt ashamed and buried his head even lower, wishing he could crawl under the table.
"Sister Zhu, could you please move the plates a bit? I want to serve our dishes properly," Lingdang said sweetly and crisply with a lovely smile.
Sister Zhu loved such a cute and sweet girl, so she quickly moved the plates on the table. Lingdang then placed a plate right in front of Zhang Zhaocai.
"This is sweet and sour meatballs," Lingdang said with a smile, announcing the dish name.
Sister Zhu saw the golden color of the sweet and sour meatballs, emitting an enticing aroma, and immediately thought they looked delicious!
Sister Zhu took the first meatball with her chopsticks and put it into Zhang Zhaocai’s bowl, saying, "Zhaocai, have a meatball."
Zhang Zhaocai lowered his head, feeling Lingdang standing right behind him, making him very uncomfortable. Embarrassed, he quickly ate the meatball.
"Zhang Zhaocai, do you think the sweet and sour meatballs I made are delicious?" Lingdang asked suddenly.
Zhang Zhaocai’s body trembled as he swallowed the meatball, but he didn’t really taste it. He just nodded, "Yes, delicious..."
"Of course it’s delicious! Who wouldn’t think so, especially when I made it!" Lingdang said happily, tilting her head back and then turning to continue serving the next table.
But just then, there was a loud clang, and Zhang Zhaocai suddenly collapsed to the ground, fainting.
Qin Sanniang’s eyes darted, and she angrily threw down her chopsticks with a clang, shouting, "Oh no, this sweet and sour meatball is poisoned! Our Zhaocai ate it and fainted from poisoning!"