Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots
Chapter 181 - 181 181 Pulling Ears (2)_1

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Pulling Ears (2)_1 Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Pulling Ears (2)_1 Xia Zheng looked at him with disdain, “Nine years old?

Nine years old and you’re this short?” As he spoke, he hopped down from the horse carriage and gestured with his hand above Xiao Linzi’s head and in front of his own chest, “When I was nine, I was this tall, nothing like you!”

Xiao Linzi’s face turned beet red, he bit his lower lip tightly, wanting to say something but ultimately didn’t.

What could he say?

He had suffered through hard labor and hunger as a child, of course he hadn’t grown taller.

Fearing that the two would start fighting again, Lin Yuan hurriedly pulled Xia Zheng to the side, “Stop picking on Xiao Linzi, he’s got to watch the shop for me.

If you annoy him away, who will watch the shop for me?”

“I will!” Xia Zheng replied without thinking and immediately regretted it.

Lin Yuan didn’t go to the tofu shop every day, so if he watched the shop, would he still see her?

He threw the horsewhip to Xiao Linzi, “You can drive a carriage, right?

Don’t say you can’t, it’s obvious from your hands that you can.”

Then, without waiting for Lin Yuan to react, Xia Zheng wrapped his arm around Lin Yuan’s slender waist, hoisted her onto the carriage, then he too jumped up, left a message saying they were headed to the east side of the city, and vanished inside the carriage without another word.

Xiao Linzi looked down at his scar-laden hands and gripped the whip tightly as he drove the carriage.

Having roamed Zhuma Town for so long, he might not have learned much else, but he had mapped every corner of Zhuma Town in his mind and naturally knew where the east side of the city was.

Caught off guard by Xia Zheng whisking her into the carriage and plunging inside, Lin Yuan felt a bit dizzy, then saw the man follow suit.

“Don’t you always sit on the outside?” She extended her feet forward, blocking Xia Zheng from continuing into the carriage.

Usually, she would sit inside the carriage by herself on the way to the tofu shop.

Young Master Xia’s lips curled into a smile as he dodged Lin Yuan’s ‘deadly leg attack’ and plopped down next to her, a grin plastered on his face as he puckered his lips, “Isn’t there someone driving now?

Who needs me out there anymore?”

“Then you should be sitting outside too.” Lin Yuan shifted her bottom to one side, maintaining some distance between them.

It was the first time just the two of them were alone in the carriage, and she felt somewhat uneasy all over.

However, before she had even settled into her seat, Xia Zheng had scooted over closer to her again, “I certainly do not wish to sit with that little milk baby!

Little girl, what’s wrong with you?

Am I really so unattractive to look at?

Such an eyesore for you?

You can’t even spare that milk baby, but can’t you offer some praise and admire my handsome and dashing looks?”

Lin Yuan laughed at his words, this guy had started again.

But to be honest, Xia Zheng was indeed handsome, which she noticed from their first meeting.

Otherwise, Lin Siyu wouldn’t be daydreaming about being with him all day.

Rolling her eyes at Xia Zheng, Lin Yuan couldn’t help teasing, “You’ve said it yourself, Xiao Linzi is just a little milk baby, so why are you taking it so seriously with him?

You’re such a petty man!”

“It’d be different coming from anyone else, but it was you who said it!” Xia Zheng muttered softly, his gaze dropping and landing on Lin Yuan’s small hand resting on her knee.

Those delicate, fair, and tender little fingers looked particularly cute—one by one.

This was the first time he had looked so intently at a girl’s hand; he had never paid attention before, but now that he did, he realized they really were beautiful.

The hands were small, tender, unscarred, not even fine lines visible.

The thought of those hands creating delicious and beautiful food sent ripples through Xia Zheng’s heart.

He wondered what it would feel like to hold that small hand in his own.

As he pondered, Xia Zheng’s hand reached out as if possessed.

Thump!

Ah!

“I’m so sorry, miss, I, I didn’t see the pothole there, are you, are you all right?” Xiao Linzi’s apologetic and anxious voice rose from outside, he really hadn’t driven a carriage for a long time and was a bit rusty; otherwise, he wouldn’t have missed such a small pothole.

“Mm, I’m fine, don’t worry, just be careful.” Lin Yuan let out a breath of relief and instructed Xiao Linzi before she remembered Xia Zheng next to her and quickly turned her head to ask him, “How about you?”

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle, remembering how the carriage had suddenly jolted earlier and there was nowhere to brace herself, so one hand had grabbed onto the carriage window frame while the other hand seemed to have caught hold of something.

As for what that something was, looking at Xia Zheng’s bright red ear, Lin Yuan understood.

Wasn’t that Young Master Xia’s ear?

No wonder it felt so soft and slightly cool.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, it wasn’t on purpose, it’s just that I had, had nowhere else to grab.” Holding back her laughter, Lin Yuan stuttered out her explanation, but every time she thought about how hard she had grabbed, she truly felt sorry for him.

Xia Zheng covered his ear, looking utterly miserable.

He wasn’t pained by his ear, but by his heart.

He had just wanted to touch her little hand, how had he ended up like this?

It was all Xiao Linzi’s fault, definitely on purpose.

Was it really necessary to retaliate just because he called him a milk baby?

As Xiao Linzi, who was cautiously steering the carriage, suddenly sneezed, he rubbed his nose and frowned in confusion.

Could it be that he caught a cold from bathing earlier?

Learning from the previous mishap, Xiao Linzi managed to drive the carriage more smoothly, and soon they arrived at the tofu shop.

Because of Xiao Linzi’s incident, Lin Yuan arrived later than usual when she would have almost been ready to leave.

As soon as she stepped off the carriage, Lin Yuan sensed that something was off today.

Usually, when she came, there might not be many people to welcome her, but there would be several young men coming and going, busy at work.

But today, why was there no one around?

Continuing inside, there wasn’t a single soul in the front hall either.

It wasn’t until she walked past the front hall and reached the area connecting it with the back hall that Lin Yuan finally heard the workers’ voices, but they were not working; they were chatting.

“This plank is pretty good, eh?

It must be comfortable to sleep on at night.”

“Cut it out, watch out or the boss will scold you later!”

The young man who had spoken first sneered dismissively, “Him?

He’s been helping himself to stuff too, and he still has the nerve to scold me?

By the way, why hasn’t the boss come?

It’s so late already, I don’t think she’ll come, right?”

The response came with the clanking of a tobacco pipe, followed by the slightly older voice saying, “She probably won’t come.

Didn’t you see the boss has gone to sleep?

Hey, although our boss is just a young lady, the foreman can’t bully her like this.

When she’s around, he acts all busy and hardworking, but as soon as she’s gone, he sneaks off to sleep.

Really, ah!”

“Really what?

Hey, why aren’t you talking anymore?

Did the tobacco pipe choke you?”

It was only when Lin Yuan passed by them that the two men suddenly realized who she was, and they scrambled to their feet, stuttering for a long while without being able to utter the word “Boss.”

Lin Yuan walked past as if she hadn’t seen them, her gaze fixed straight ahead as she continued to the back.

Xia Zheng followed silently behind her.

These people looked down on her, taking advantage of her youth.

They needed to see her capabilities or else such situations would happen again in the future.