The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Seeing the little maid hesitate, Granny Cai asked impatiently, "Doesn't the shopkeeper recognize the Zheng family?"

The maid's face stung from Xu Zaohua's slap. She glanced timidly at Xu Zaohua and then at Granny Cai, stammering, "I recognize her."

Granny Cai gave a cold laugh.

If you recognize it, hurry up and serve the hazelnut cookies.

"You good-for-nothing, Manager Feng."

Since they know the Zheng family, it seems that the manager of Su Shi Yuan has also been taken over by Tao Hua Dessert Shop.

Well, Manager Feng, you were so destitute when you were expelled from the Meng family. If it weren't for Master's cousin Ma Ming giving you a way out, you would have fallen into the mud long ago.

Thinking this, Granny Cai wished she could point her finger at Manager Feng and scold him for being ungrateful.

She didn't even consider what Manager Feng, as Ma Ming's manager, had done to wrong the Zheng family.

The little maid opened her mouth, wanting to tell Granny Cai that the owner of Peach Blossom Dessert was Steward He, not Steward Feng.

But now she was caught in the middle of the contest between the young mistress and the senior nanny, and dared not speak rashly.

Xu Zaohua glanced at Granny Cai.

Although she and Peach Blossom Dessert Shop were sworn enemies, the fact that the little maid was met with a cold shoulder at Peach Blossom Dessert Shop was a slap in the face to Granny Cai.

A surge of pleasure welled up inside her.

Xu Zaohua began to mock Cai Mama, saying, "Didn't you say that there's no shop in Pingchuan County that doesn't respect the Zheng family? But Peach Blossom Dessert doesn't. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. The Zheng family's name doesn't matter in Yanguan Town. You've been in the Zheng family's inner quarters for too long, and you think the whole world belongs to the Zheng family. I'm young, but I still advise you not to make promises so easily in the future. Losing your own face is one thing, but losing the Zheng family's face is another."

When Granny Cai heard this, she wanted to refute it, but for a moment she didn't know how to start.

He glared fiercely at the little maid with his eyes.

He hated Manager Feng even more.

Meanwhile, he wondered to himself what kind of background Peach Blossom Dessert had that it didn't even acknowledge the Zheng family's reputation.

She then thought that she should remain calm and not rush into the shop to confront them. She needed to find out where Peach Blossom Desserts came from first.

This shop was able to acquire Su Shi Yuan, which shows that it has an exceptionally strong background.

Thinking back to when Xu Zaohua asked her if she knew who owned Peach Blossom Dessert Shop, she realized that Xu Zaohua must have known, which was why she asked that question.

"Young mistress, nanny."

"Young mistress, may I ask you where this peach blossom dessert comes from? How dare it be so arrogant, not taking our Zheng family seriously?"

Granny Cai hurriedly interrupted the little maid, saying that she was so tactless and didn't deserve to be slapped by the young mistress.

Xu Zaohua had a smile playing on her lips.

Granny Cai is becoming increasingly arrogant and domineering. Even when she asks her questions about Xu Zaohua, she does so with a condescending attitude.

Xu Zaohua did not intend to hold a grudge against Granny Cai.

Because she wanted to see Granny Cai and Peach Blossom Dessert fight it out.

Whoever lost, she considered it revenge; whoever lost, she was happy.

Xu Zaohua curled her lips, deliberately feigning disdain, and said, "Granny, you're joking. What's the story behind this peach blossom dessert? The shop owner is from the same village as my family. She used to be very poor in the village. It was only after her son passed the imperial examination that she started to rise up and sell pastries in town. I don't know what stroke of luck she had, but she opened a shop a few months ago."

The shop owner and Xu Zaohua both came from Qinghewan, so they definitely didn't have any special background.

Country folks are short-sighted; they think it's a big deal if their family produces a student who has passed the imperial examination.

Her master is a scholar who can speak with the prefect; bringing up his name would surely crush them.

Granny Cai perked up.

"I'm going to meet Manager Feng. I want to ask her if she knows the Zheng family. It would be best if I could also meet the owner of Peach Blossom Dessert Shop. I want to know if her son still wants to take the imperial examination."

The little maid was extremely anxious and wanted to say something, but Xu Zaohua glared at her and stopped her. Xu Zaohua added fuel to the fire, saying, "By the way, Granny Cai, I suddenly thought of something. If I tell you, the owner of this shop is probably an old acquaintance of our Zheng family. Maybe Granny Cai has even met him."

Granny Cai looked at Xu Zaohua.

Since you're an old acquaintance, why don't you tell me who it is?

Granny Cai couldn't imagine who, besides the Xu family, was familiar with the Zheng family in Qinghe Bay.

It was Xu's daughter who married into Zheng's family. If Xu Zaohua hadn't gotten pregnant, she probably wouldn't even be a stranger to the Xu family.

Seeing that Granny Cai couldn't remember Tong Huaqiong, Xu Zaohua smiled and reminded her, "Granny Cai, do you still remember Widow Tong from Qinghe Bay?"

Granny Cai thought for a long time, then frowned, her face filled with astonishment.

Is this peach blossom dessert shop owned by that unreasonable and nagging widow Tong?
How can this be.

"Don't disbelieve me, Granny. You can find out for yourself. I passed by Widow Tong's house this morning and you seemed unhappy. The reason I struck up a conversation with Gu Jingzhe was to investigate Widow Tong's shop. Now that I've married into the Zheng family, Widow Tong is my enemy."

Xu Zaohua took the opportunity to dispel the doubts that Cai Mama had about her and Gu Jingzhe.

"So when Xiao Que said that Peach Blossom Dessert doesn't recognize the Zheng family, it's not because our Zheng family isn't famous enough, but because Peach Blossom Dessert doesn't take us seriously at all. I heard from my husband that Widow Tong caused a scene at the Zheng family to break off the engagement, and my husband was deeply humiliated. If it weren't for Widow Tong's outburst, my husband's illness might have been cured."

Xu Zaohua took the opportunity to remind Granny Cai that Tong Huaqiong had brought shame upon the Zheng family by breaking off the engagement.

Provoked by Gu Taohua, Granny Cai got off the carriage without a second thought.

Last time at the Zheng family's house, no one was prepared for Widow Tong's persistent pestering, which put them at a disadvantage.

This time, she would absolutely not let Widow Tong be so smug.

She didn't smash the shop.

"Granny, the owner of Peach Blossom Dessert Shop is Steward He."

The maid finally couldn't help but shout it out. She was afraid that if she didn't reveal who the steward was, she would be the first to suffer if the young mistress became embarrassed.

Her face couldn't withstand a second slap.

Moreover, the young mistress is pregnant. If she were to be provoked by Butler He and something were to happen to her, the master and mistress would be the first to beat her to death.

Granny Cai stopped and asked in confusion, "What manager is Steward He?"

Xu Zaohua's eyes widened. She felt guilty as soon as she heard the name Butler He, and involuntarily raised her voice, saying, "What? Butler He? Tell me!"

The maid gritted her teeth and said, "Granny, young mistress, Steward He is the manager of this shop."

Granny Cai blurted out, "You're not seeing things?"

The little maid was extremely aggrieved; which servant in the Zheng family didn't recognize Steward He?

How could she be wrong?

Butler He even spoke to her and could pronounce her name accurately. Butler He told her that Madam Zheng wanted to eat hazelnut pastries but she had to pay for them. He said that he was now the manager of Peach Blossom Dessert Shop, not the owner. If he were the owner, he would give them away for free.

Steward He had actually fallen so low that he ended up working as the manager of a pastry shop in Yanguan Town.

Granny Cai snorted through her nose.

She and Butler He, one a senior and popular woman in the inner quarters who was part of the lady's dowry, and the other the head butler of the Zheng family, often had their share of friction.

When Granny Cai heard that Steward He was the owner of Peach Blossom Dessert Shop, she became even angrier.

How could He Chao not know that Xiao Que was a maid in the Zheng family? Is this how he treats his old master?

Taking advantage of someone's misfortune is Cai Mama's guiding principle in dealing with her opponents.

Granny Cai perked up; she was determined to humiliate He Chao to his face. (End of Chapter)