Chapter 40: The wedding anniversary (10)

Madam Tang couldn’t take it anymore. “How dare you accuse my daughter! Do you mean she herself purposely poured half bottle of salt in her Mapo Tofu?”

Huian was also confused. Nana seemed very professional to make any such mistakes. But when she tasted the dish as well she couldn’t take her side anymore.

“Nana, no matter what you say, the dish is too salty. It doesn’t change that. I think you should apologize to Suyin.”

Jianyu said, “Maybe Suyin left her plate unattended somewhere.”

Suyin couldn’t believe that Jianyu defended Nana.

“Jianyu, do you think I’m lying?”, she cried.

Jianyu said nothing.

“What is wrong?”, a voice came from behind.

Grandma Liu finally made her entrance. She was tired and was having rest in her room. When she came back to join for dinner, she saw an argument happening.

“Elder Liu!”, Madam Tang immediately came to her, “We don’t know who this chef is but she made my Suyin’s dish so salty. And Mrs. Chen and Jianyu are all defending that girl! We have known each other for so long. How can they take some unknown girl’s side over us?”, She said indignantly.

Grandma Liu looked at the girl.

Hm? Isn’t she the same girl Jianyu was dancing with?

She didn’t know about Jinhai and Nana’s last dance because after her talk with Jianyu was when she returned in her room to rest.

“Grandma”, Huian said. “We personally hired her for this event because Jianyu recommended her. We also tasted her dishes and we were very impressed with it. But now like Suyin said, the dish is really salty. And as the chef responsible, I think she should apologize.”

Grandma Liu was stunned. Jianyu recommended her? When? How did he meet her? Are they…

“She is not an irresponsible girl.”

All turned to look.

Liu Hai was the one who spoke.

“There has been some mistake. No doubt about that. But I know it’s not from the girl’s side.”

Suyin, Huian, Madam Tang and even Grandma Liu were startled.

Father Liu was also defending Nana? What is happening? Why is everyone taking her side? Just who is she?

Suyin wanted to cry. “Uncle you too…”

“Son. Even we had Mapo Tofu. But that was perfect, wasn’t it? And till now none of the other guests complained.”, he interrupted her.

“En.”, Jinhai said.

Nana felt a little relieved when she saw Mother Chen, Jianyu, Father Liu and Liu Jinhai defending her.

“But that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen with me. So many people have already tasted it.”, Suyin protested.

Grandma Liu was tired. It already became such a big scene in front of all the guests. She didn’t want to drag this any longer.

“Enough already! Well, if the dish is salty then the chef should take responsibility for it. So you..”, she looked at Nana and said, “Just apologize and end this here.”

The twins were shocked. What? That is unfair!

Mother Chen interjected, “But mom-“

“I don’t want to hear anything.”

Nana clutched her dress. Everybody was watching her. She had no choice but to end this now. She had no evidence to prove otherwise.

“I-“

“Why should my pretty sister apologize?”

A voice came from behind.

Everyone was confused. It was a little boy who had spoken.

Nana looked down. Cao Mingyu!

Jinhai furrowed his brows when he saw the boy. Everybody else too turned to look at him.

Grandma Liu asked, “What do you mean?”

“Hmph! Why don’t you ask that mean sister yourself?”

Suyin got angry. Who is this brat? And how dare he call me mean?

Grandma Liu frowned. “I’m your elder. You shouldn’t talk like this. It’s not nice.”

“And you think unreasonably blaming my pretty sister is nice?”, Mingyu glared.

Mother Chen quickly said, “Dear child, can you tell me what happened?”

He looked at her. She seemed to be a nice lady. “I saw what happened. My pretty sister made Mapo Tofu and gave it to her. Then this mean ugly sister went beside this table. She called her friend and kept her plate on the table toppling the salt bottle on the plate, the lid opened and salt started pouring in. She didn’t see that. She started talking to her. Then again she wasn’t paying attention while talking and she took the plate back without noticing the salt bottle and it got toppled again to the other side. That’s when she saw the bottle fallen and picked it up. She must have thought it fell after she took the plate back; not when she first kept the plate.”

Silence.

Suyin was flabbergasted. She didn’t know that her plan was already seen by somebody.

Yes. She had to secretly pour more salt to make the dish unpalatable but not to be seen by anybody. So she toppled the bottle and pretended that she didn’t notice it. Before ordering her dish she had already loosened the lid a little so that it falls off when she would push it with her plate. And then she would accuse Nana of being unprofessional.

“T-that’s not possible.”, Suyin stammered.

“Lying is bad! Don’t you admit that you put your plate on the table?”

One guest murmured, “Mm I didn’t see the salt thing but I did see Miss Suyin talking to her friend near that table. That time she didn’t have any plate with her.”

“Yeah me too.”