CHAPTER 289: CHAPTER 145: ANOTHER ENCOUNTER (PART 2)

The shopkeeper furrowed his brows and didn’t even glance at the silver banknotes, saying indifferently, "No more available!"

"No more!" Liu Ya became anxious and thought for a moment before saying, "Then, book a table in the main hall! Pick a corner spot."

"Also not available!" The shopkeeper shook his head, smiled patiently, and kindly suggested, "Miss, turn left after leaving the door, turn right after two streets; there are plenty of small shops there where you can inquire!"

"That’s too far!" Liu Ya shook her head and swept her gaze around the main hall, pointing and saying, "Shopkeeper, there are clearly empty tables here, why can’t you book one for me?"

"Miss," the shopkeeper, true to the service industry, was really patient and explained to Liu Ya, "Here in this restaurant, even the cheapest dish costs five taels of silver, and a meal comes to nearly one hundred or seventy to eighty taels! If Miss really wants to book a table, then go ahead!"

"That expensive!" Liu Ya was shocked and her eyes widened, her face showing pain. A single cheapest dish costs five taels, and her monthly allowance was only three taels!

The shopkeeper smiled noncommittally and said, "Miss, perhaps try another place!"

"No!"

The reaction of Liu Ya took the shopkeeper by surprise, and Zhuang Weixian slightly raised his thick brows but didn’t seem too shocked. As a maid of his mother’s guest, the master’s family of this little maid must not be poor; could they really not afford a meal?

Liu Ya said, "That means there are private rooms available, right? No matter the cost, please book one for me. Also, my young mistress has injured her foot, could you please arrange for a sedan chair to fetch her from across the street!"

"Miss," the shopkeeper couldn’t help but glance at Liu Ya’s clothes, a light green finely patterned cotton jacket and skirt, her hair adorned with a gemstone hairpin and a delicately made pink silk begonia flower, her left wrist wrapped with a nicely colored green jade bracelet.

She appeared to be the main maid of a wealthy household.

The shopkeeper inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, fortunate that he had been polite to this maid, then tentatively asked, "It’s possible, but by the rules, a deposit of one hundred taels is required."

"One hundred taels, that’s a lot!" Liu Ya had two hundred taels of silver banknotes in her bosom, true, but that was Sang Wan’s pitifully small private savings, to just give it away like this really hurt! Thinking it over, Liu Ya asked with a smile, "I wonder if it could be charged to an account? Settle the bill with our young master or the housekeeper later?"

After all, this trouble was stirred up by Shi Yumei, why should her own grand madam pay and clean up this mess? If the family isn’t paying, the young master should contribute! Liu Ya was calculating shrewdly!

"Charge to the account?" The shopkeeper gave her a look mixed with amusement and asked lightly, "May I know which family in the city does Miss belong to? And your young master is—"

Liu Ya took it as the shopkeeper agreeing and happily said with a smile, "My young master is the Shi family’s young master! Just put it on the Shi family’s account!"

"The Shi family?" The shopkeeper quickly asked, "Which Shi family?"

Liu Ya was startled and blurted out, "Is there another Shi family? It’s the one on Qingxi Avenue!"

"Your young master is the young master of the Shi family, the wealthiest in Qingzhou?" The shopkeeper was taken aback.

"Yes!" Liu Ya smiled and said, "Shopkeeper, my grand madam and third young miss are waiting across the street! Hurry and find a sedan chair to come with me!"

"Ah, Miss, please wait a moment, coming right away!" The shopkeeper nodded hastily and called for the clerk to order.

"You are a maid of the Shi family?" Zhuang Weixian also stepped forward, surprised.

"Oh Young Master Zhuang, when did you arrive!" The shopkeeper hurried out from the back, bowed and greeted, laughing apologetically, "I’m old and my vision is poor, I didn’t see Young Master Zhuang at first, please do not take offense!"

Zhuang Weixian, who had deliberately stood where the shopkeeper couldn’t see him, smiled lightly and waved his hand, not minding.

The shopkeeper then laughed and escorted him upstairs, "Your reserved room is on the second floor, the second room on the west side, all prepared, please go ahead!"

"No hurry, you don’t need to attend to me, attend to this lady first! I’ll go up myself in a while!" Zhuang Weixian said with a smile, glancing at Liu Ya.

"Haha, thank you, Young Master Zhuang, for your understanding!" The shopkeeper turned to Liu Ya with a smile, "The sedan chair will be here soon, please wait a little longer."

"Thank you, shopkeeper!" Liu Ya smiled and nodded, not even glancing at Zhuang Weixian.

Zhuang Weixian felt slighted, his discontent brewing. Being so tall, this was the second time he’d been disliked, and the key point was that the first time was also by her! A mere maid of the Shi family being so haughty? No, other maids weren’t like this, certainly not Lan Xiang! This little maid’s nose is really turned up!

"Are you truly a maid of the Shi family?" Zhuang Weixian looked at her, half-smiling.

"What does it have to do with you? I’m warning you, stop spouting nonsense left and right, I hate guys who strike up conversations for no reason!" Liu Ya snapped.

"Hey, hey, hey, watch how you speak!" Gao Wang was so outraged he almost jumped up, but was glared down by Zhuang Weixian who then shrank back.

"So fierce! Didn’t your master teach you any manners?" Zhuang Weixian laughed.

"None of your business!" Liu Ya walked impatiently to the side, away from this boring person.

Zhuang Weixian chuckled, "It’s none of my business, but look who’s coming, this must concern you!" Zhuang Weixian smiled and pointed towards the door.

Suddenly, Shi Fengju led Chang Huan in from outside.

"Young master!" Liu Ya exclaimed, hurriedly rushing over, "Young master!"

Liu Ya was overjoyed, her smile radiantly bright from the inside out, finally seeing her own backbone of support! She had found her pillar!

"Liu Ya!" Shi Fengju was startled, "What are you doing here?" He quickly looked around and then asked, "Where’s grand madam?"