Old Madam Huo was momentarily cowed by Mu Qingxuan's imposing manner. Hesitating for a second, she nodded and said, "Remember, this is a pledge you made yourself. If anything goes wrong later on, don't blame me for being heartless." Then she added, "Maid Wang, keep an eye on her."
Fearing something might go wrong, she gave Maid Wang a few more instructions before turning to leave.
Mu Qianqian was not discouraged by the failure of her first scheme. Her original intention had merely been to plant a seed of doubt in Old Madam Huo's mind. In Mu Qianqian's understanding, Mu Qingxuan had been the darling of the entire family before her marriage and had never set foot in a kitchen. In her past life, after marrying into wealth, she had been waited on hand and foot by a host of domestic helpers, making it even more impossible for her to have learned how to cook. Therefore, Mu Qingxuan's present composure and calm demeanor were, in Mu Qianqian's eyes, all an act. A paper tiger could scare no one.
The only thing Mu Qianqian needed to guard against was the possibility that Mu Qingxuan might bribe Maid Wang to cook the meal for her and then lie, claiming it was her own work.
With that in mind, she stared intently at Maid Wang and said, "Maid Wang, Grandma is testing my sister, so please don't help her out."
The smile froze at the corners of Maid Wang's mouth, and a faint surge of anger rose in her heart. Was this girl questioning her professional integrity? "Don't you worry, I know where the boundaries lie."
Completely oblivious to the displeasure in Maid Wang's eyes and brows, Mu Qianqian cast a smug glance at Mu Qingxuan—who was painstakingly picking out bones—and sauntered off, swinging the braids over her shoulders.
Mu Qingxuan took in everything that had just happened. A gentle curve graced the corners of her mouth, her full lips turning upward, their natural color as vibrant as if stained with rouge. "Don't take it to heart, Maid Wang. My sister was spoiled at home and can be a bit willful with her words sometimes. Why don't you go take a break? I can handle the rest myself, and that way no one will have any reason to doubt you."
Compared to Mu Qianqian's rudeness, Mu Qingxuan's attitude effortlessly smoothed away the creases between Maid Wang's brows. "It's nothing. I've been cooking for the Huo family for over a decade, and the old madam knows my culinary style inside and out. With just one bite, she'll know whether I cooked it or you did." The implication was that with Old Madam Huo present, Maid Wang would never be able to help Mu Qingxuan cheat.
Only then did Mu Qingxuan nod. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Maid Wang."
Maid Wang took the initiative to help chop vegetables and prep, casting an astonished sideways glance at Mu Qingxuan, then thinking of Mu Qianqian. Clearly sisters, yet their temperaments were worlds apart. Mu Qianqian seemed gentle and considerate, but her words always carried a hidden barb that left one feeling uneasy. Mu Qingxuan, on the other hand, was more beautiful than the leading actress of an art troupe, yet possessed not a shred of arrogance and was very warm toward her, a mere housekeeper. Yet Old Madam Huo clearly favored Mu Qianqian more—it really defied understanding.
Unaware of Maid Wang's inner thoughts, Mu Qingxuan focused entirely on handling the ingredients at hand. Considering that the Huo family members usually did not eat spicy food, she boiled a light fish head soup and stir-fried a few side dishes.
When she and Maid Wang carried the lavish dishes to the table, Father Huo and Mother Huo had just returned home from work.
Mu Qingxuan lifted the corners of her mouth. "Dad, Mom."
Cui Lirong gestured for her to sit down. "It must have been so much hard work for you to make such a large spread all by yourself." As soon as she got home, she had heard from Maid Wang about the test for tonight. From Cui Lirong's perspective, there was simply no need for it. Having married into the Huo family so many years ago, the chances she actually stepped into the kitchen to cook were few and far between anyway; since the family employed domestic staff, there was never any need for her to lift a finger. Yet Cui Lirong also understood that this was Old Madam Huo establishing rules for her new daughter-in-law, so she raised no further objections.
Mu Qingxuan shook her head. "It's no trouble at all. Mom, try the food and see if it suits your palate."
Cui Lirong glanced around the table and picked up a boneless chicken foot, popping it into her mouth. Her eyes instantly lit up. "This tastes wonderful—even better than what they serve at the State-run Restaurant."
The boulder hanging in Mu Qingxuan's heart finally dropped. "As long as you like it."
Turning her head, she met Old Madam Huo's critical gaze and ladled out a bowl of fish soup to pass across. The soup was a milky white, garnished only with a few specks of chopped scallions, and smelled wonderfully fresh and savory.
Old Madam Huo's expression shifted slightly. Hesitantly, she picked up a spoon and took a sip, shock flashing in her eyes. This fish soup was unexpectedly delicious!
"It—it tastes all right," Old Madam Huo said awkwardly, deliberately avoiding Mu Qingxuan's gaze as if uttering those words was terribly embarrassing.
Mu Qingxuan smiled faintly. It seemed this test had been passed.
Seeing that the Huo family had all been conquered by Mu Qingxuan's culinary skills, Mu Qianqian's eyes filled with disbelief. Without a second thought, the words tumbled out of her mouth: "Maid Wang, did you secretly help my sister?"
The previously warm atmosphere was instantly shattered, and everyone froze mid-meal.
Maid Wang frowned. Before she could even speak, Cui Lirong chimed in, "This isn't a flavor Maid Wang could produce."
She gazed quietly at Mu Qianqian. For some reason, from the very first moment she saw this girl walk through the door, an inexplicable sense of aversion had welled up in her heart—as if the two of them had some unresolved grudge from a past life.
Meeting Cui Lirong's gaze, Mu Qianqian shivered uncontrollably. In her mind, she involuntarily relived her past life, when Cui Lirong had shoved her head into a water basin and cursed her as a jinx who had brought about Huo Changfeng's death. Even after living a second life, certain memories still lingered in the deepest recesses of her soul, causing Mu Qianqian to tremble all over just from being looked at by Cui Lirong.
Cui Lirong keenly caught Mu Qianqian's abnormal reaction and grew even more impatient.
Old Madam Huo also felt that Mu Qianqian's current behavior lacked composure, but remembering that Mu Qianqian had accompanied her all day—telling stories and massaging her shoulders—her heart softened. She placed her hand over the back of Mu Qianqian's hand and asked with concern, "Qianqian, is something the matter? Are you not feeling well?"
Mu Qianqian's shoulders hitched, and her other hand abruptly pinched her own thigh, instantly bringing a sheen of involuntary tears to the corners of her eyes. "I—I'm fine, Grandma. I was just thinking... since my sister's cooking is so good, why have I never seen her step foot in the kitchen back at home? There is so much farm work to do at home, especially during the busy harvest season when hands are stretched thin. If Sister had mentioned beforehand that she knew how to cook, I could have spared some time from cooking to go out to the fields and help the family."
With tear-filled eyes, she looked up at Mu Qingxuan. "Sister, actually, cooking doesn't take up that much time; it wouldn't have delayed your reading and studying at all."
Mu Qingxuan's gaze darkened. With just those few words, Mu Qianqian had painted her as someone who idled away her time while the rest of the family worked themselves to the bone.
Sure enough, no sooner had Mu Qianqian finished speaking than Old Madam Huo's expression shifted.
Mu Qingxuan lowered her eyes and spoke softly, "Qianqian, you just said that cooking doesn't take much time. Then why did you spend the whole day cooped up in the kitchen instead of going out to help Dad and Mom?"
The smile that had just begun to spread across Mu Qianqian's face instantly froze. Flustered, she stammered out an explanation, "I was..."