Chapter 8: Starting a Life of Working in Ancient Times

Gu Liuxi took off that tattered wedding dress and changed into the uniform of the Xinyue Restaurant staff. She tore a piece of cloth from the wedding dress to tie up her jet-black long hair, even styling it into a nun's bun and wearing a cap, revealing a delicate and exquisite little face.

When she finished changing and came out, both the Manager and the waiter, Chi Heng, were stunned by her beauty.

Gu Liuxi ignored the admiration in their eyes and walked toward them quite naturally, saying sweetly, "Manager, Brother Waiter, I've changed my clothes and am ready to work now. What will my responsibilities be?"

Her professional tone actually snapped the Manager out of his daze, and he gave a light cough to hide his embarrassment. "Uh, Xiao Fang, go find some tasks for this..."

Gu Liuxi answered fluently, "My name is Xiao Xi..."

"Uh... Xiao Fang, just take Xiao Xi to familiarize herself with the work. If there's anything she doesn't understand, teach her."

"Understood, understood... Xiao Xi, right? Follow me!"

Gu Liuxi gave Chi Heng an "OK" hand gesture, but unfortunately, Chi Heng had no idea what that gesture meant.

The work was actually quite simple: serving tea and water to guests, bringing dishes, and clearing tables. Gu Liuxi knew all of this; she had worked as a waitress in tea houses and cafes before, so these tasks were effortless for her.

The Manager had assumed that with her delicate appearance, she certainly wouldn't be able to handle such hard work, but to his surprise, she performed her duties with great precision and poise.

"Guest, here is the tea you requested..."

"Guest, here is the dish you ordered..."

"Guest, here are the dim sum you requested..."

"Guest, the total is 30 taels..."

"Guest, please take care, and we look forward to seeing you again..."

Her excellent service attitude, combined with her graceful appearance and polite manner, always accompanied by a faint smile, quickly earned her a lot of praise.

"Manager, where did you find such a silver-tongued, capable, and beautiful little helper?"

"She is Xiao Xi, she just reported for work today."

The Manager was all smiles; he hadn't expected this Xiao Xi to be so small yet so capable and organized in her work.

Xinyue Restaurant was originally a large establishment with a high volume of customers, including many who ate and stayed overnight. Yet, she was able to handle the responsibilities of the entire first floor by herself. Not only did the guests praise her, but even Xiao Fang, who was responsible for the first floor with her, couldn't stop singing her praises.

He even joked that with Xiao Xi around, there would be no place left for him to stand.

At that moment, the Manager would pinch his ear and scold, "Why aren't you rushing to help? Look at how busy Xiao Xi is all by herself."

Xiao Fang would clutch his pinched ear and repeatedly agree.

Stepping into Xinyue Restaurant, one could see a small figure busy inside and out, yet never once appearing flustered. Serving tea, bringing dishes, and clearing plates, she always maintained a smile on her face, making every guest feel pleasant.

"Guest, here is the tea you requested. Please enjoy."

The guest took a light sip of the tea and praised incessantly, "Ah! Good tea, good tea! Manager, when did you get a new little helper? This tea is brewed much better than Xiao Fang's used to be."

"Dear guest, you might not know, but this Xiao Xi is a real powerhouse here! She can do the work of two people all by herself..."

The guest was likely a regular, so Xiao Fang teased him lightly.

The Manager laughed and scolded, "You rascal, you know how capable Xiao Xi is, yet you don't learn from her..."

"Manager, that's not fair! How can I compare to Xiao Xi?"

Xiao Fang was also an interesting person; although he was constantly getting his ears pinched by the Manager, he often joked with him and didn't seem afraid at all.

When that guest was leaving, he specially gave Gu Liuxi a silver ingot.

She quickly declined, "I can't do this. You have already paid for your meal and tea; how can I take more of your money?"

The guest smiled kindly. "Xiao Xi, this is a tip for you. The pot of tea you brewed perfectly suits my taste, so don't refuse. Just take it! I can see it's not easy for a young girl like you."

"This..." Gu Liuxi indeed needed money very badly right now, but she didn't know if it was appropriate to take tips from guests here, so she looked toward the Manager for guidance.

The Manager, however, didn't even look up from his bookkeeping. "Xiao Xi, the money a guest tips you is yours. Just take it."

"Thank you, Manager. Thank you, Old Master Han. Take care, Old Master, and please come again next time."

Old Master Han laughed so hard he couldn't close his mouth. "Good, good... I'll bring Old Master Zhan to taste the tea brewed by this little one another day. My old friend is an old bone who lives for tea; he will surely love your tea."

"Yes, then Xiao Xi will certainly brew a pot of top-quality tea for you both..."

"Good, good..."

After Old Man Han left, Gu Liuxi happily tucked the silver ingot into her bosom. This was the first sum of money she had earned through hard work since arriving in this era. Though it wasn't much, it was money she had earned through her own efforts.

"Waiter! Waiter!"

Suddenly, someone at a table slammed the table and stood up.

"Coming, coming... May I ask what the matter is, guest?"

"Look! How can there be a cockroach in your food? How are we supposed to eat this..."

"I am sorry, I am so sorry. This was my oversight. I will replace the dish for you immediately..."

The guest's attitude was very poor. "What kind of thing are you? Hurry up and get your manager here..."

Hearing the commotion, the Manager came over. "Xiao Xi, what happened?"

As soon as the man saw the Manager, he spoke fiercely, "You are the manager of this restaurant? Look, there's actually a cockroach in your food! Tell me, how are you going to compensate us? If word of this gets out, let's see if anyone will ever come to your restaurant to eat again."

The guest's attitude was extremely malicious.

It was obvious they were trying to extort and blackmail. As a person from the modern era, how could Gu Liuxi not see through their little tricks?

Gu Liuxi only gave them a small scare, and the two of them immediately didn't dare to press the issue further.

However, in the end, Gu Liuxi still served them a free dish, using the tips she had just earned to pay for it.

Although she felt a bit pained about the hard-earned money, what could she do? Gu Liuxi was born with a streak of bad luck!

It wasn't easy to get this job; she had always been an optimist who accepted her fate. If the money was gone, she could just earn more later.

After those people finished eating, they didn't cause any more trouble.

The Manager praised her as a lucky star and kept her working at the restaurant, even providing her with three meals a day and accommodation.

She finally had a place to settle in this era, no longer needing to wander the streets. The Manager was someone who was harsh in words but soft at heart—actually just a good person.

Chi Heng had been by her side the whole time, watching her every move.

When she received tips from others, she didn't realize it, but her eyes seemed to radiate brilliance.

When she used the money others had tipped her to give those two a free dish, there was a small sense of loss on her face and a hint of reluctance, yet she quickly pulled herself together and returned to being the smiling version of herself.

She clearly was reluctant to part with it, so why did she do it?

This woman was incomprehensible to him.

Yet, for some reason, he admired her even more.

He was even deeply attracted by the aura she possessed.