Chapter 612: Chapter 599: Settling Accounts

Since her task was no longer achievable, Zhuang Qingning stopped bothering about it. Seeing Zhang Yongchang looking so down in the dumps due to the pickle failure, Zhuang Qingning was now focused solely on figuring out what was wrong with the kimchi.

Zhuang Qingning’s culinary skills were known to be on par with Zhang Yongchang by Zhang Yongchang and Lian Rong among others, so they gave Zhuang Qingning the failed kimchi to taste.

Zhuang Qingning took a bite and at first frowned, but then she started to laugh.

“What’s happening?” asked Zhang Yongchang, looking curiously at Zhuang Qingning as she laughed.

“Uncle Zhang.” Zhuang Qingning stopped laughing and said, “Uncle Zhang, I’m afraid you’ve been deceived.”

“What?” Zhang Yongchang was even more surprised, “Are you saying I’ve been tricked? Isn’t this pickled mung bean made with white vinegar?”

“Of course not, it’s pickled with salty water.” Zhuang Qingning explained.

“Salty water?” Lian Rong was also very curious, “But salt is salty, and the pickles taste sour and appetizing. If it’s pickled with salt, wouldn’t it become a salted vegetable?”

“Not really.” Zhuang Qingning chuckled, “I guess it’s pointless to explain now. It’s often said that seeing is believing. Let me show you. I’ll make a jar of kimchi so you can taste and find out the truth.”

With that, Zhuang Qingning put down the bowl she was eating from and went to the kitchen to find the ingredients for pickling.

Lian Rong and Ma Tong hurried to help.

Zhuang Qingning prepared radishes, long mung beans, ginger slices, and hot peppers, and put them into the jar. She poured in boiled water that was cooled down, added coarse salt and rock sugar, dripped a few drops of white wine, and then finally covered the jar.

“That’s it. Let it pickle for about twenty days, and the kimchi will be ready. Remember to use clean chopsticks when picking it up. Don’t contaminate it with any oil, otherwise the whole jar of kimchi will go bad,” Zhuang Qingning instructed.

“Don’t worry, Miss Zhuang. I’ll remember.” Lian Rong replied. He put the jar in a shady and well-ventilated corner. On top of the jar lid, he added an extra big sea bowl to prevent anyone from accidentally knocking off the lid.

“This rascal, he dared to deceive me?” Zhang Yongchang stood up angrily, making a turn on the spot. “I’ve been wondering, I didn’t have a particularly close relationship with him. He lost face because of the tofu incident earlier, so I thought he might not tell me the truth. I didn’t expect him to tell me, and considered him a reasonable person. I didn’t expect him to outsmart me.”

“No way, I have to confront him.”

Zhang Yongchang made up his mind and was about to walk out.

“Uncle Zhang.” Zhuang Qingning stopped Zhang Yongchang, “Where are you going to pick a fight in the middle of the night?”

“Then I’ll go find him tomorrow!” Zhang Yongchang agreed with Zhuang Qingning and stepped back, sitting down on a stool. “I have to give him a good talking to and let out this anger that’s been building up!”

Seeing Zhang Yongchang puffing up like a pufferfish, Zhuang Qingning couldn’t help but laugh. “Uncle Zhang, don’t be too hasty.”

“How can I not be nervous?” Zhang Yongchang’s face turned red with anger. “Who wouldn’t be angry if they were tricked?”

“Yes, anyone would be angry. But have you ever thought that if someone deliberately provokes you, they’re definitely looking forward to seeing you angry? If you storm off to confront them, wouldn’t you be falling into their trap?”

Zhuang Qingning continued, “The angrier you are, the happier they might be even if you scold them.”

Zhang Yongchang nodded slightly after listening to Zhuang Qingning, “What you said makes a lot of sense, but this matter can’t be let go just like that.”

He could ignore a disgrace, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that someone tricked him. Whether or not to make a fuss, that’s the question. He was having an internal struggle.

“Uncle Zhang, I’m not saying to let it go. I only suggest that you shouldn’t be so hasty and confront him immediately,” Zhuang Qingning chuckled.

“What do you mean by that?”

“The pickles are being made right now, right? In twenty days, when the jar is opened and the pickles are ready, go find him. Let him taste the pickles. He will wonder why the kimchi tastes so good when the method he taught was wrong. He will surely ask how you made it.”

“At that time, you can keep your mouth shut and just say that you followed his instructions. The more anxious he is, the less you say. Isn’t that a perfect example of giving him a taste of his own medicine?”

Zhuang Qingning’s eyes sparkled as she laughed, looking exactly like a cunning fox.

“Indeed it is.” Zhang Yongchang’s mind was suddenly enlightened. Hitting his thigh, he said, “I bet this scoundrel has been waiting to see me make a fool of myself. He must be planning to inquire about the pickles. Next time he asks, I’ll evade him by saying that they haven’t been pickled long enough. Let him think that I’m afraid of losing face and giving him a sense of superiority.”

“When he’s overjoyed, I’ll bring out the pickles and make him lose some face!”

“That’s the spirit.” Zhuang Qingning gave a thumbs up to Zhang Yongchang.

To say the least, Zhang Yongchang is normally pretty stubborn, but he was able to think quickly this time and even extrapolated Zhuang Qingning’s idea.

Well done.

“That’s the plan!” Zhang Yongchang smacked the table, his face full of uncontainable joy.

[Ding, friendly reminder, Zhang Yongchang’s joy level is 100, which has reached the task completion standard of 99 points. The host has completed the mission of freeloading, and received the rewards Pear Incense recipe*1, Triumph fragments*2.]

Perfect!

Zhuang Qingning was exceedingly pleased.

She originally gave up hope on the task, but now there was a sudden completion notification. Was this what they meant by ‘Things are always at their worst just before they turn around’?

Moreover, the reward was the Pear Incense formula.

Ever since the last time she gave Moon Incense to Cheng Ruize to produce and sell, the earnings had skyrocketed. Now, if she introduced Pear Incense, it would surely create a sensation, and the sales would be impressive.

As for her, that meant more money.

Oh, just thinking about counting money until her hand cramped, she felt absolutely delightful.

Feeling elated, Zhuang Qingning quickly went to the county town to find Cheng Ruize and tell him about Pear Incense.