Eight Fresh Soup

Chapter 24 The Final Test (1)
"What's going on? Let's go to the banquet? Did Liao Yongli really think that I would miss his wife with him? He's really dreaming! I don't have that free time! Unless he buys me a decent diamond ring, or Give me the latest style of sexy lingerie, preferably hollowed out, otherwise don't even think about it..." Dai Rou said a lot of conditions on the phone, but she was the first to arrive at the villa.

Then there was Jiang Rongxi, she was not in good spirits and her complexion was very bad. She was a little surprised by Liao Yongli's sudden invitation, but she still accepted it politely.

"Okay, I'll try my best." As a result, she arrived only 5 minutes later than Dai Rou.

Zhao Yanshu didn't want to come at first, but because it was Liao Yongli's invitation, she couldn't refuse, so she still came with a forced smile.

Moran was still the last one to arrive. She didn't mean to be late on purpose, but for some reason, every time she went to an appointment, she would find that someone else arrived before her.Everyone has long been used to her stinky problem, so they don't care about it.

As soon as she stepped through the door, Dai Rou pulled her to the corner of the living room.

"Do you know what Liao Yongli is up to?" Dai Rou asked nervously.

"Aren't you his lover? Why do you still ask me?"

"Hey, you are his confidante. I'm just a sexual partner. He doesn't like to talk to me very much." Dai Rou said bluntly, and then asked nervously, "What the hell does he want? I asked For a long time, he couldn't explain clearly."

"He just wants to have a meal with us to miss Xiaomei. Why do you think too much. I think you are a little nervous." Moran smiled and comforted her.

"He's been avoiding me recently, who knows what he's thinking!" Dai Rou folded her arms and frowned, looking very much like a tough female office boss.

"A man is always unreliable at a critical moment." Moran said.

"That's a wise saying."

"I thought you should have understood this truth long ago!"

"Hey, I only care about enjoying the pleasure, so I don't have time to appreciate the true meaning of life." Dai Rou spread her hands with a smile.

"At this time and here, you'd better put your grievances aside first, and treat yourself today as just Xiaomei's old friend, which will also show that you know the general thing. Besides, this is Xiaomei's territory after all, and she will listen to everything you say. "Mo Lan pointed to the ground.

"Tch!" Dai Rou sneered, "You're really superstitious!"

The two of them were talking in the corner, and Liao Yongli appeared in the living room. When he walked past Zhao Yanshu, he greeted her with his eyes, which wasn't really affectionate.

Liao Yongli went straight to Moran's side.

"How long are you guys going to chat? I don't know how to cook, so it's all up to you." He said with a bitter face.

In order to prepare for this banquet, Liao Yongli and Moran went to the supermarket to purchase vegetables, a whole frozen chicken and duck, and two pig knuckles in the supermarket the afternoon before. These foods that need to be processed are now piled up on the kitchen table, like A lamb waiting to be slaughtered.Gao Jing has been asking Moran who among the three of them has the highest craftsmanship. It is difficult for Moran to answer this question, because it must be herself, especially after graduating from university.Because others are on a whim, but she is out of interest.

"Don't worry, everyone here is a master of cooking." Zhao Yanshu said to Liao Yongli.

"Then come on, don't dawdle." Liao Yongli said bluntly.

"I'm not in good health and I don't want to move." Jiang Rongxi retreated first.

"It's okay, you just need to do some light work." Liao Yongli said softly to her.She looked at him helplessly, and could only walk slowly into the kitchen.

"Why doesn't a rich man like you hire a servant, but a guest?" Jiang Rongxi walked halfway to look at Liao Yongli, and asked softly.

"Who else dares to come to my place to be a servant?" Liao Yongli asked, looking into her eyes.

Jiang Rongxi stopped talking.

Dai Rou was dragged into the kitchen by Moran. She was always reluctant to do anything, and this time was no exception.

"Now let's divide the work." Liao Yongli said to the women to himself.

"You're welcome." Dai Rou muttered in disgust.

"No one can run away. Don't forget, Xiaomei died because of meeting with you!" After Liao Yongli looked around, he was sure that his words had quieted everyone down before continuing, "So I hope you If you can show some love and cook a meal for her, for the last time, treat it as an apology or remembrance, whatever you want. Do you agree?"

"Since you said that..."

Jiang Rongxi wanted to say something, but her words were immediately interrupted by Dai Rou.

"Stop talking nonsense! You divide the work, anyway, they are already here."

Satisfied with her straightforwardness, Liao Yongli smiled at her and said, "Okay, then let's deal with these vegetables, chicken, duck and pork knuckle first."

"Damn it! It's all uncut, what do you mean? Don't you know how to buy semi-finished products?" Dai Rou stared at Liao Yongli and said.

Liao Yongli ignored her and continued: "Today's main course is chicken curry, duck stewed with taro, mixed vegetable salad, roasted pork knuckle, these are Xiaomei's favorite dishes, so Yan Shu is in charge of cutting the chicken, Rong Xi In charge of cutting the duck into pieces, Dai Rou, please take care of these trotters, and Mo Lan is in charge of shredding potatoes and peppers." Liao Yongli's gaze stayed on Moran's face.

"Cut shreds? Alright." Moran nodded in agreement.

"I'm casual, but," Jiang Rongxi said, then she put on her apron, and neatly drew a knife from the chopping board.Said to Liao Yongli, "Don't blame me for not doing well."

"Are you really going to do it?" Dai Rou glanced at Jiang Rongxi, as if worried about her body.

"I don't want to leave here hungry." Jiang Rongxi said indifferently.

Zhao Yanshu also rolled up her sleeves, quietly picked up the frozen chicken and quickly washed it.

"Okay, then I'll excuse you first, I'll sit in the yard for a while, and call me when the food is ready." Liao Yongli said, winked at Moran, and leisurely walked out of the kitchen.

"What a young master! Where is he going?" Dai Rou frowned.

"Leave him alone, let him go, he will only get in the way here." Mo Lan said, but his eyes stayed on Zhao Yanshu and her frozen chicken.

Zhao Yanshu is indeed an excellent housewife. In a short while, she has washed the frozen chicken inside and out.Then she put the frozen chicken on the chopping board, took out one of the many table knives, and cut it neatly at the joints of the frozen chicken. Soon, the chicken was cut into neat pieces by her.

"Wow, you really don't look like you when you cut up chicken." Dai Rou sighed, at this time she was holding a wet pig's hand and was helpless.

Jiang Rongxi seemed to have her whole body pressed against the duck, and she was fighting with the dead duck. Although she tried her best, the duck still got the upper hand because she couldn't figure it out. The chopping board went down.Panting, she bent down to pick up the duck, and happened to meet Dai Rou's helpless gaze, and the two looked at each other, and immediately burst out laughing.

"I think the two of us should just forget about it and stop wasting things." Dai Rou said.

"Cut it casually, do you have scissors? It's probably easier to have scissors." Jiang Rongxi stroked a lock of hair that fell on his forehead with a hand wearing a silver ring.

"How do you become a housewife?" Dai Rou pointed at Zhao Yanshu with a smile, "Look at Yan Shu, she is a real good wife. We are really far behind."

"Please, I don't usually have time to make vegetables! If Liao Yongli hadn't said something pitiful today, I wouldn't have done it." Jiang Rongxi replied with a smile.

"How long has it been since we cooked together?" Dai Rou asked while chopping off the pig's hand with a knife.

"The last event was probably before graduation." Moran recalled. Indeed, it has been a long time since they gathered together to cook as happily as they do now. Thinking about that time, although they didn't have much money and homework Busy, but as long as it is a cooking club event, no one wants to be absent. At that time, as long as they can get together, enjoy a meal of their own food without worry, and talk about each other, they are already satisfied.But now, such carefree, simple and happy days are gone forever.

"I really miss the old days." Zhao Yanshu sighed softly.

"Yeah, at that time we were like idiots, always trying to make the most complicated dishes, but in the end, we either forgot to put this or that, and we always did poorly." Dai Rou said with a smile.

"But the taste is not bad." Jiang Rongxi corrected, she has now found a pair of scissors, and began to work hard to cut the duck into pieces, but it was obviously not easy.

"Remember, we made a lot of innovative dishes back then." Moran reminded, she was quite skilled at cutting vegetables.

"Yes, Ba Xian Tang is one of them." Dai Judao.

"Don't mention it, who knew that this soup would be so famous later." Jiang Rongxi seemed to be tired, so he stopped again.

"I heard that you and that policeman came here again a few days ago?" Dai Rou suddenly looked at Moran with a smile and asked.

I knew you would ask a long time ago, it must be Liao Yongli who told you.

"Yeah," Moran said.

"Are you here on a date, or looking for clues?" Dai Rou joked.

She felt that she was being surrounded by eyes from all directions.

"What date?" Moran immediately denied, and she thought of him that night again, "He just asked me to help him see if the cosmetics in Du Xiaomei's room are all Du Xiaomei's, you all know that Du Xiaomei only uses Japanese products Yes."

"That's right. We used Japanese ones that day." Dai Rou said.

"So what?" Jiang Rongxi asked.

Zhao Yanshu looked at Mo Lan nervously, waiting for her to continue.

"I said that there is a lipstick that is not hers, I gave it to her, CD brand, lavender. I only know this, as for other such as lip balm, perfume, lip gloss, I don't know."

"They suspected that there were items left behind by the murderer among those items."

"Probably, but I think he also confiscated them and threw them all in the drawer of Du Xiaomei's bathroom." Moran looked around, "Maybe it's not important, he just asked casually."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.

"Maybe he's just looking for an opportunity to get close to you. I don't know where to ask, so I have to talk about cosmetics." After a while, Dai Rou suddenly laughed, breaking the dull atmosphere.

"Yes, I think so too." Jiang Rongxi immediately agreed.

"I also thought it was wrong last time. He must like you." Zhao Yanshu also laughed.

"Stop talking nonsense, we're not even friends at all." Moran argued blushingly.

"Then let's just become lovers. You're divorced anyway. It's hard to buy freedom." Dai Rou waved the knife in her hand and smiled.

"Fuck you!" Mo Lan gave her a blank look, and suddenly felt a pain in her hand, "Ah..." She exclaimed, and the kitchen knife fell to the ground with a "dang".

Everyone turned their heads, only to find that Moran was trembling all over, with a painful expression on her face, her right hand was pressing hard on her left hand, and blood was flowing from her fingers.They immediately surrounded him.

"Ouch, you're bleeding!" Zhao Yanshu said in panic.

"Yeah, I accidentally..."

"What happened? Does it hurt?" Dai Rou bent down and asked.

"Fortunately."

"It seems that the wound is quite deep." Jiang Rongxi said with concern, looking at Moran's bleeding hand.

"I have to stop her bleeding quickly. Wait a minute, I'll look for something to stop the bleeding." Dai Rou rummaged through the kitchen as she spoke.

"Why are these things in the kitchen?" Zhao Yanshu muttered, and hurried out.

"Molan, wait a minute, I'll look for it too." Jiang Rongxi patted Moran's hand to comfort him, and then walked out quickly.

Dai Rou slammed the big drawer shut in frustration and said, "There's nothing at all. Well, I'll go to Liao Yongli and see if he has a solution." She hastily opened the kitchen door, and then added: "It's all his fault!"

In an instant, only Moran was left in the kitchen.

On the surface she sat quietly on the spot, but her heart was pounding nervously.

Dai Rou was the first to enter, and Dai Rou looked unhappy.

"He doesn't know where to put it? How did this happen? This is his own home." Dai Rou scolded Liao Yongli.

"Where did he go?" Moran asked knowingly.

"He said to look for it in his original bedroom bathroom on the second floor." Dai Rou said.

"If it's true..." Mo Lan muttered, Jiang Rongxi rushed in with a box of napkins in his hand.

"I'm sorry Moran, I only found napkins." She said apologetically and walked forward. Just when Moran was worried that she would pull out a large pile of napkins to stop the bleeding, the door suddenly opened and Zhao Yanshu walked in. Behind her was Liao Yongli with an extremely ugly face. Moran saw the alcohol, cotton and band-aids in her hand at a glance, and her heart fell suddenly.

"Mo Lan, look..." Zhao Yanshu was about to say that she had found the medicine, but she shut her mouth in an instant, because Mo Lan's eyes made her suddenly understand what a fatal mistake she had made.

Moran spread his "injured" hand, and threw the blood bag held in the palm of his right hand into the trash can at his feet.

Liao Yongli borrowed this from his friend who was a prop master the day before, and it is indeed very realistic.

"She took the lip balm." Liao Yongli said curtly, as if it was a sentence.

After saying this, he seemed to pass out.

Neither of them said a word, only the clock was ticking.

"I really don't want to believe it's you." Moran broke the silence and sighed softly.

Zhao Yanshu smiled, and looked at her sadly with her big beautiful eyes. The cowardice of the past was swept away, replaced by despair and sadness.

"What made you doubt me? Lip balm?" she asked after a moment, her calm voice tinged with tiredness.

"No, this was the last one," Moran replied, "It was actually the smell at first."

"Smell?" Zhao Yanshu seemed confused.

"The smell of the mask." Moran stared at her intently, "Xiaomei brought a lot of self-service masks, and each of us can choose the mask that suits our skin type. You and Du Xiaomei both have oily skin. Xi is sensitive, Dai Rou is combination, and I have dry skin. Right?"

"Mm, yes." Zhao Yanshu replied not very enthusiastically, as if she just didn't want to let down Moran's enthusiasm for speaking.

"I found this small shop selling CNM self-service mask on the Internet," Moran said here, paused, she noticed a flash of panic in Zhao Yanshu's eyes, she continued, "I bought all the varieties, After unpacking and comparing the instructions, I found a problem. For example, the mask for dry skin is extracted from walnuts, which should have the smell of walnuts. I have dry skin, but when I made the mask that day, I didn’t smell it. I could smell walnuts, but I didn't actually smell anything."

"Maybe you were too sleepy that day..." Zhao Yanshu said.

"Yes, maybe I was too sleepy that day, my senses were not so sharp, so I looked at other people's, but I found it was all messed up. Sensitive skin masks are alcohol-free and fragrance-free, colorless and odorless , but Rong Xi said that she smelled green papaya, and the combination skin mask should have the smell of green papaya, but Dai Rou smelled lemon. Do you know why this is?"

Zhao Yanshu didn't respond.

"Du Xiaomei confuses everything. She unpacks all the masks and mixes them with each other. In fact, she only uses the right mask for herself. Her purpose is to see who has used this mask. She Wondering if anyone would have a particular reaction, and she finally found out. Of all the reactions to face masks, you are the only one who lied. She gave you a face mask for dry skin, but you said you used The mask smells like traditional Chinese medicine."

"You're talking nonsense, I used an oily mask!" Zhao Yanshu argued.

"Du Xiaomei bought two boxes of oil-based facial masks, but she only used one box, and the other box is still in her closet. I have already learned from the owner of the store, and Du Xiaomei only bought CNM self-service from her once. Mask, by the way, in China, there is no other place to sell this kind of cosmetics, this is the owner's husband brought back directly from Japan, in this shopping, she bought two boxes of masks for oily skin and two boxes of dry skin Yes, now the two boxes of dry mask are used up, but one box of oily mask is left. The police have investigated it, and she has never given away the dry mask to others, so she can only use it up.”

A moment of silence.

"Because of your gaffe at dinner, she doubted you very much, but she was still not sure. She wanted to hear each of us's reaction to the mask, so she first talked about the characteristics of the oily skin mask, which smells like traditional Chinese medicine, but you followed She said it, but in fact, she knows best that she didn't give you the mask for oily skin, because it was the mask she assigned, and everyone except her used it wrong. The mask for dry skin and oily skin are in color They are very similar in appearance, but the smell is different, but Jiang Rongxi, who put on the mask for you, doesn't know this. From the outside, the color of the mask you put on is similar. You lied, Yan Shu."

Zhao Yanshu thought for a while before saying, "Yes, I feel a little different from her, but I just said that not to spoil her interest."

"So, you also know that you are not using a mask suitable for oily skin, but you just lied because you didn't want to spoil Du Xiaomei?" Moran asked.

"Well, yes, I heard her say that, and I followed suit."

"How do you know that the mask that Rong Xi gave you is not suitable for oily skin? How do you know that the smell is wrong? Maybe Du Xiaomei used it wrong? Or maybe Rong Xi made a mistake? Could it be that you Unexpectedly, you can just remind her with your true feelings?" Moran asked again.

"She can't be wrong, I know, because..." Zhao Yanshu stopped suddenly.

"Because you have used it." Moran continued in her place. "You know what oily skin smells like. You haven't used other skin types of masks, and you don't know if others have used this brand of cosmetics, so you don't know others It was also used wrongly. You thought Rong Xi made a mistake, or Du Xiaomei took it wrong, or simply sent it wrong, because the colors are indeed very similar. You didn’t expect that Du Xiaomei was deliberately testing everyone. In this kind of Under the circumstances, you feel that if you tell your true feelings, Du Xiaomei will suspect that you have used this kind of cosmetics, so you think it is safer to do what Du Xiaomei said."

(End of this chapter)