Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 505

Gu Yin assisted Ge Zhu in declining Mrs. Xu’s proposal. Although Mrs. Xu was somewhat disappointed, such matters were typically a matter of personal choice, and the inquiry was made privately. Similar to the previous attempt by tem to match Gu Yin and Xu Qingchuan, only a handful of trusted individuals were aware of it. Therefore, even if it didn’t work out, they could easily move on.

Mrs. Wang reassured her, saying, “There’s no need to worry. Good things come to those who wait. Qingchuan is a young man in his twenties, and waiting for another two years is perfectly fine.”

Initially, Mrs. Xu wasn’t in a hurry, but Gu Yin’s pregnancy became increasingly evident day by day. Seeing that Mrs. Wang was about to become a grandmother, Mrs. Xu couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing.

Not in high spirits, Mrs. Xu decided not to linger at Duke Ying’s Mansion and returned home in the evening.

Gu Yin and Mrs. Wang, feeling that they couldn’t contribute much, began to explore other options.

In aristocratic families, the selection of a daughter-in-law typically involved hosting a banquet at the family residence and inviting families with eligible daughters.

Families interested in forming connections would attend with their daughters.

While Duke Ying’s Mansion was prestigious enough to host such an event, Xu Qingchuan wasn’t considered a member, making this approach unfeasible.

As a compromise, Gu Yin suggested organizing an elegant literary gathering at the restaurant where poetry and essays could be composed. The Xu’s family wasn’t overly concerned with social status, so any girl sharing similar interests with Xu Qingchuan and having a clean background would suffice.

While such literary gatherings were common in the capital, they usually involved only male participants. However, “Food of Heaven” had a dedicated space for entertaining female guests, making it reasonable to host a gender-neutral literary gathering without attracting undue attention.

After careful consideration, Gu Yin informed Mrs. Xu, who readily agreed. Mrs. Xu felt apologetic, saying, “This was originally a family matter, and now it has become such a hassle for you and your mother.”

Gu Yin quickly reassured her, “It’s nothing. I enjoy managing such things at home, and it’s been a while since the restaurant hosted a new event. It’ll be lively.”

With the plan in place, Gu Yin invited Manager Zhou, Ge Zhu, Chef Xu, and others to discuss the arrangements. While “Food of Heaven” hadn’t hosted such an event before, other places had, so Manager Zhou confidently promised to organize a lively gathering.

Gu Yin believed in his words and gave them the green light to proceed.

Later, Gu Yin mentioned that she had reviewed the recent accounts and noticed an increase in revenue. Therefore, she decided to raise everyone’s wages.

Both Ge Zhu and Manager Zhou promptly declined, stating that their wages had already been increasing quarterly, surpassing those of their peers by 10% or 20%.

Surprisingly, Chef Xu, known for his sincerity, spoke up at the same time as the others. “Thank you, Master,” he said.

Among the three, Chef Xu was the only one who accepted without reservation.

Chef Xu suddenly blushed, scratching his head, unsure of what to say.

Gu Yin burst into laughter, waving her hands, and said, “As the owner, I have the final say. I’ll stick to the wage increase from a year ago. Let’s not mention it for this year.”

Manager Zhou and Ge Zhu thanked her while laughing.

Gu Yin then asked them to head back first, leaving Chef Xu for a private conversation.

Chef Xu had been hiding behind Manager Zhou since entering, and it was only now that Gu Yin could see his face clearly.

However, he still avoided letting Gu Yin scrutinize him, turning to the side as he spoke. When Gu Yin inquired, he gave the same explanation, expressing concern about affecting the child in her belly.

Gu Yin couldn’t help but burst into laughter again. After looking at him, she spoke seriously, “Why do I feel like you’ve lost weight?”

“It’s not just a feeling!” Chef Xu laughed, extending his chubby hand and gesturing, “I’ve lost five kilograms!”

Gu Yin exclaimed, “Wow! Our Xiao Xu is truly amazing. Losing a bit of weight is indeed good. Of course, the Master doesn’t agree with you calling yourself fat and unattractive. But being too overweight isn’t good for your health.”

Chef Xu nodded, and his plump hand clenched into a fist as he pledged, “Master, rest assured. Before you give birth, I will definitely lose another ten kilograms!”

Gu Yin encouragingly patted his shoulder, “That’s the spirit! Master will be looking forward to it. But why the sudden desire to lose weight? Don’t tell me you genuinely believe in that saying, afraid that if I see you too much, I’ll give birth to a chubby baby?”

Chef Xu hesitated for a moment, not giving a direct answer. Instead, he awkwardly twisted his hands and mumbled, “Um… there is another reason. I just want to lose a bit of weight.”

Gu Yin rubbed her chin, looking at his reddening face. She recalled the previous conversation with Ge Zhu.

During that talk, Ge Zhu had asked her, “You already know, right?” Later, when she mentioned they were all family, Ge Zhu didn’t sense anything amiss. In other words, her pursuer was someone from their own circle.

Among the adults frequently in contact with Ge Zhu at “Food of Heaven,” there were only two men—Manager Zhou and Chef Xu.

Manager Zhou was not young anymore and had lost interest in remarriage after the passing of his original spouse. So, that left only the current apprentice.

Although Chef Xu was her own apprentice, in terms of character, abilities, and appearance, he did seem like someone aspiring to court Ge Zhu. It wasn’t surprising that he had voluntarily started losing weight.

Both of them were now keeping quiet about the matter. Gu Yin, while having a hunch, chose not to reveal it. She simply said, “When losing weight, also take care of your health. Some things can’t be rushed. With sincerity, even the hardest stone can be cracked. Master is eagerly anticipating your ‘good news.'”

She wasn’t sure if Chef Xu caught the double meaning in her words, but he nodded and happily said, “Sure thing!”