The big boss? This piqued the curiosity of several women.
Liu Mei scoffed disdainfully, "Unsophisticated fools, do you think running a shop makes someone a big boss? Only someone as inexperienced as you would think that. There are plenty of shopkeepers in town, some make money and, naturally, some don’t. Liu Xianshu’s daughter, no matter how capable she is, is at best a small-time boss. Dream on about her becoming a big boss!"
The talking woman failed to notice the expression on Liu Mei’s face and patted Lady Liu’s hand, excitedly saying on her own, "You all don’t know, right? What’s the most famous shop in town now?"
"Jin Ji Vinegar Workshop?"
Each suggestion was met with the woman’s shake of the head and a smile.
But Liu Mei curled her lip, speaking with a touch of pride, "Enough, you lot. You’ve hardly ever been to town, what would you know? All that you’re talking about is old news. Now, the shop that’s making waves in town is called Rice Flower Fragrance, it’s a pastry shop. The pastries there are even better than the ones from the Century-old Cake Shop!"
"Sister Mei, you live in town, so you must have tried the pastries from Rice Flower Fragrance, right? Are they really better than the Century-old Cake Shop?" One woman asked, her eyes lighting up at the mention of food.
Liu Mei forced a laugh and absent-mindedly nodded. How could she afford to buy anything from Rice Flower Fragrance? She had only sneakily bought the cheapest pastry once when her man got paid. But, to tell the truth, it really was delicious!
"I knew it, Sister Mei would definitely guess it. But do you know, the owner of Rice Flower Fragrance, it turns out, is Sister Xianshu’s daughter!" The woman bragged with a proud raise of her eyebrows, showcasing her insider knowledge, "Surprising, isn’t it?"
Liu Mei’s body shook. How could it be possible? What kind of place was Rice Flower Fragrance that Liu Xianshu’s daughter could be running it? That’s way too much credit for her girl!
"Impossible! Stop spouting nonsense!" Liu Mei refused to believe it. Having lived in town for so long, although she had only visited Rice Flower Fragrance once, she never saw Liu Xianshu’s daughter there. The girl wasn’t particularly pretty but did look refined. If she had seen her at Rice Flower Fragrance, she would have definitely remembered.
"You must be mistaken, the owner of Rice Flower Fragrance is a woman in her forties." Liu Mei didn’t wait for Lady Liu to speak, already declaring what she knew.
"You all don’t live in town, how could you know better than me? That woman is indeed from Lin family hollow, but she’s just a daughter-in-law there. Oh, something happened over three years ago in the town. A shopkeeper had an affair with a young widow in town and later abandoned his family to run off with the widow to a neighboring town. That woman is his wife. Humph, and you dare to say the owner of Rice Flower Fragrance is some young girl? You’re talking utter nonsense."
After Liu Mei finished, she rolled her eyes in self-satisfaction, her contemptuous attitude barely concealed.
The first woman to speak was also annoyed by her ramblings, and with a twist of her mouth, she huffed, "Oh, so only Liu Mei living in town knows what goes on there, and us country bumpkins can’t also know a thing or two? Humph, I’ll tell you this. Rice Flower Fragrance is owned by Sister Xianshu’s daughter. I even went to see when they opened the shop, and her daughter spoke to everyone too. Plus, Sister Xianshu and her husband were there, it’s just a shame it was so crowded I didn’t get a chance to speak with them."