Xia Chujian's mind raced, and being very flexible, she immediately said, "Since that's the case, I'll make a fool of myself then. But I must remind everyone not to have too high expectations. Although I cook better than the average chef, I'm still far from my aunt's level."
At this moment, Yun Nvluo, who had been listening for a while, spoke up, "Could this lady give us a standard for comparison? For example, you say you cook better than the average chef. Which chefs are you referring to?"
Xia Chujian remembered her teammates saying that her cooking was better than some restaurants on Beichen Star.
She blinked and said truthfully, "Probably all the chefs on Guiyuan Star, plus some chefs on Beichen Star."
Yun Nvluo was speechless.
This girl is really boastful.
But seeing that Quan Yuxun seemed quite interested, Yun Nvluo didn't say anything more, smiling faintly, "Then we'll look forward to this lady's dinner."
Xia Chujian didn't expect her perfunctory words to be taken seriously.
She felt a pang of heartache for the high-quality ingredients she was about to use. However, on second thought, she could take out the Wild Rhinoceros Pig meat and Unicorn Cattle meat, because Ye Shijie had already covered for her, saying they were brought back from a mission in the Exotic Beast Forest.
But she was reluctant to take out the Tantai Royal Field Rice and Plain Girl Flour.
Things like Tantai Royal Field Rice and Plain Girl Flour were hard to come by, not just for the lower-class commoners, but even for Gene Evolvers who weren't Nobles.
Because these two items were only produced by the Royal Plantation.
Besides the Royal Family, others couldn't buy them with just money; they also needed quotas.
If such things appeared in a commoner's home, it was illegal if they couldn't explain the legitimate source.
Of course, such matters were only investigated if reported. Who would be so bored as to care whether someone was eating Tantai Royal Field Rice or Low-Level Nutrient Solution?
Surely, they wouldn't have to cut open their stomach to prove their innocence? Besides, Zong Ruoan had eaten Tantai Royal Field Rice at her house on New Year's Eve and even praised it...
It was clear that everyone knew about such things but didn't speak of them.
So Xia Chujian said, "I'll do my best, but Colonel Zong, my family doesn't have the Tantai Royal Field Rice and Plain Girl Flour that you Nobles are used to eating. Do you mind?"
Zong Ruoan said, "Didn't I eat Tantai Royal Field Rice at your house on New Year's Eve? I even wanted Chief Quan Da to have a good taste. The same rice, but your aunt makes it taste so much better than anyone else!"
Xia Chujian: "…It's all gone. There's none left."
Is it really okay to sell out the family that invited you to dinner like that? As expected, before Quan Yuxun could speak, Yun Nvluo had already said curiously and surprised, "Oh? Ms. Xia's family has Tantai Royal Field Rice? Is Ms. Xia's family Noble?"
Xia Chujian's expression wasn't good, and she forced a smile, "Of course not, we're just a poor family..."
"Not Noble? Are you citizens?" Yun Nvluo asked again.
"No, we're just commoners." Xia Chujian regained her composure and began to think about how to kick this woman out. She didn't want to cook for such a person!
In fact, she had been annoyed by people like Yun Nvluo when she was in Da Fu Prefecture.
She just didn't expect that after Yun Nvluo showed subtle hostility towards Quan Caiwei, Quan Yuxun still kept her by his side...
Just... I don't understand the grievances and love affairs of these wealthy families.
In a second, Xia Chujian imagined a gossip-filled, bloody drama of a Noble family.
Yun Nvluo was even more surprised and covered her mouth, saying, "If you're neither Noble nor citizens, how did you get Tantai Royal Field Rice? Could Second Young Master Zong be mistaken?"
Zong Ruoan didn't react for a moment and subconsciously said, "No, it's Tantai Royal Field Rice. I've been eating it since I was a child. I would never mistake that special taste."
Yun Nvluo smiled, "Then where did Ms. Xia get the Tantai Royal Field Rice? According to Imperial law, ordinary commoners are breaking the law if they can't explain the legitimate source..."
Xia Chujian was really angry, but the angrier she got, the calmer she became.
At this moment, she wasn't flustered at all and said coldly, "Ms. Yun, please define what you mean by 'legitimate source'."
Yun Nvluo was stunned for a moment.
Xia Chujian's posture, as if she was about to go to court to debate, was quite intimidating...
Quan Yuxun's eyes also flickered slightly, realizing that Xia Chujian was quite quick-witted.
He didn't stop her, wanting to see how Xia Chujian would respond.
Yun Nvluo quickly glanced at Quan Yuxun and, seeing that he was still smiling warmly like a spring breeze and didn't intend to stop her, she felt relieved.
She smiled and said, "Legitimate source, of course, refers to legal, compliant, and ethically sound channels or means. Purchasing through these channels or means is widely recognized as reasonable and legal."
Xia Chujian: "...Oh."
She ignored Yun Nvluo and looked at Zong Ruoan, saying, "Then I'll go prepare."
Yun Nvluo saw that Xia Chujian was ignoring her, and assumed she couldn't argue with her, so she became even more confident, smiling as she said, "Ms. Xia, why aren't you talking? You haven't told us about your legitimate channels."
Xia Chujian said slowly and deliberately, "My legitimate channels are, of course, channels or paths that are legal, compliant, and conform to ethical and moral norms. Do you have any objections?"
Yun Nvluo choked, and immediately said, "That's my definition of legitimate channels, how can you repeat my words?"
Xia Chujian spread her hands: "Secretary Yun asked me to state my legitimate channels, so I did... and I even said it was the legally defined legitimate channels that Secretary Yun approved of."
"I obtained Tantai Royal Field Rice through legal, compliant channels that conform to ethical and moral norms, so what? Isn't that enough?"
"Do you want me to explain all the specific details of the legal, compliant channels that conform to ethical and moral norms? Does Secretary Yun still like digging into other people's privacy so much?"
Her words were already very impolite, and even subtly alluded to Yun Nvluo not letting Quan Caiwei off the hook in Da Fu Prefecture, deliberately making her look bad.
Quan Yuxun listened with a face full of smiles.
He could hear that although Xia Chujian was "quibbling," she was doing so very appropriately in this situation.
She not only countered Yun Nvluo's malicious speculation about her, but also trapped the other party in her logical loop, and it probably wouldn't be easy to break free.
Sure enough, Yun Nvluo also realized this. She was also very smart, and didn't continue to follow the path Xia Chujian had drawn for her. Instead, she said with slight annoyance, "Ms. Xia, I was kindly reminding you, you're going too far with what you're saying. Guests are to be treated as guests, is this how you treat your guests?"
"My house is small and can't accommodate people who judge me as 'illegal' as soon as they walk in the door." Xia Chujian didn't give her any face at all, and was just short of pointing at her nose and telling her not to come.
Yun Nvluo looked at Quan Yuxun aggrievedly.
It wasn't that she didn't have more thunderous methods, but she didn't want to make things too stiff, after all, she was just saying it casually.
Unexpectedly, Quan Yuxun said lightly, "Since you're a guest, of course you have to be recognized by the host to be a guest. Secretary Yun, you need to reflect on yourself."
Yun Nvluo: "..."
She was very anxious and regretted that she shouldn't have provoked Xia Chujian just now.
But she really didn't expect that an ordinary commoner, who was also very average-looking, could be so impulsive and even have Quan Yuxun speak up for her...
A trace of gloom flashed in Yun Nvluo's eyes, but she took the initiative to say to Xia Chujian, "I'm sorry, it was my fault just now. Please don't take it to heart."
Xia Chujian smiled and said, "Since Secretary Yun has apologized, I'll tell you the truth. This Tantai Royal Field Rice is sold online, but it's more expensive, there are more scammers, the quantity is limited, and it's purely based on luck."
Yun Nvluo: "..."
Zong Ruoan shook his head with a smile, and said, "It's not some rare treasure, it's just food no matter how delicious it is. Chujian, you don't have to worry about this, I'll have someone send it to you."
Xia Chujian nodded: "Then thank you, Colonel Zong."
Zong Ruoan asked, "What time is it convenient to go to your house this afternoon?"
Xia Chujian thought for a moment: "...What time do you usually have dinner?"
Zong Ruoan looked at Quan Yuxun.
Quan Yuxun said, "I didn't have a good lunch, so I want to eat earlier in the evening, how about four o'clock?"
Xia Chujian said, "No problem. Then I'll see you later."
She added, "Colonel Zong knows my address, and there's no security here, so you can just enter the residential area and take the elevator."
Zong Ruoan thought of the cramped external environment of Xia Chujian's house, and then looked at Quan Yuxun, who was always meticulous, refined, and precious, without a single hair out of place, and suddenly looked forward to this dinner.
After ending the video call with Zong Ruoan, Xia Chujian came out of the bedroom and said to Xia Yuanfang, "Aunt, that Colonel Zong from the Special Security Bureau is bringing his friend to our house for dinner. I originally wanted you to be the chef, but I don't want to spoil them. Why should we be their free chefs? So I declined."
Xia Yuanfang: "..."
"You declined? Colonel Zong has helped us so much, and you declined like that?" Xia Yuanfang glared at her, not believing her words at all.
Xia Chujian chuckled: "You can't hide anything from Aunt... Of course, I didn't completely decline. I told them that you're recovering from a serious illness and your body is weak, so you don't have the energy to cook, but my cooking skills are okay, although they can't compare to Aunt's, they're much better than the average chef. I said I'll do it, if they don't mind."
Xia Yuanfang chided, "If you say that, of course they'll be embarrassed. You, you... Aren't you making it difficult for Colonel Zong?"
Xia Chujian laughed and said, "How could they be embarrassed? Aunt, you're wrong! That distinguished guest of Colonel Zong's actually agreed in one breath... Since he agreed, I won't be polite. I'll cook dinner. Aunt, you just rest..."
"By the way, they want to come over for dinner at four o'clock, so I have to start preparing now."
Xia Yuanfang twitched the corner of her mouth: "What kind of distinguished guest is in such a hurry?"
Xia Chujian said casually, "It seems his name is Quan Yuxun. They say he's the Qilin Child of the Quan Family, some kind of top lawyer, and the chief legal counsel for the Imperial Senate."
Xia Yuanfang was very surprised. "The Qilin Child of the Quan Family? That Quan Family of Quan's Mining? The Quan Family, one of the Four Great Noble Families?"
"Yes, Colonel Zong is the Second Young Master of Zong Military Industries. His friends must be from the same social class!" Xia Chujian was very open-minded about this.
It's the end of the month, so please vote if you have monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, or Xiaoxiang Tickets! The second update is at 7 a.m., and the third update is at 1 p.m., a bonus update for monthly tickets.
Considering everyone's feelings, I'll go with the flow...
So, cast all your votes! Clear out the ticket stash!
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