Emily Thompson's patience had clearly run out. She scowled, put her hands on her bucket-shaped waist, and said, "Hah! Just now I called you Young Master Carter to give you some face, but do you really think you can do whatever you want? Others may not know your situation, but I do! Ever since your father died, you, a bookworm, have mismanaged this restaurant and racked up a mountain of debt. This place is bound to close sooner or later. As for your studies, I'm not making this up—your Carter family has relied on this restaurant for eight generations. Has anyone ever passed the exams and become an official? Dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes to phoenixes, and you think you can suddenly soar to the top? If you ask me, you'll soon have to sell off your family property to pay your debts and end up wandering the streets. At a time like this, what are you still so proud of? Let me tell you the truth: the Zhou family only took a liking to you to give you a way out. Miss this chance and there won't be another!"

Brian Carter's face turned red. So Emily Thompson had come just to kick him while he was down, knowing he was about to become destitute and that the Zhou family's daughter couldn't find a husband, so they set their sights on him.

These past two days, Brian Carter had been obsessing over the impossibility of time travel, but now the crisis was right in front of him. He suddenly searched through the memories of the former bookworm and realized his predicament.

Emily Thompson wasn't wrong. This restaurant was the Qin family's ancestral business, their livelihood for eight generations. Who would have thought it would fail in Brian Carter's hands? The old Brian Carter only cared about studying, memorizing the classics inside and out, but knew nothing about running a restaurant. As a result, the business became harder and harder to maintain, and he had to borrow money to get by. Now, he owed over seventy taels of silver, and bankruptcy was imminent. No wonder Emily Thompson had come at the Zhou family's request to give him a final push. The Zhou family also seemed to be in the restaurant business. It looked like they not only wanted to snatch his family business but also take his virginity.

A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs!

Brian Carter was filled with grief and indignation. He had always been stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat, so he glared at Emily Thompson and retorted, "Who says the restaurant is going to close? Who says I can't pass the exams? Nonsense!"

Emily Thompson immediately sneered, her eyes sharp as knives, as if she wanted to skin Brian Carter alive. "Heh... If your restaurant doesn't close, there's no justice in the world. Just look at what you serve your customers—swill is better than what you give them! The Carter family will never make a comeback. Honestly, marrying Miss Zhou and muddling along is better than being homeless. If you don't listen to advice, you'll regret it."

Just then, the curtain connecting to the main hall was pulled aside, and a chubby fellow came in carrying a dish.

This chubby guy was David Carter, a distant cousin of Brian Carter. With no livelihood of his own, he had been recruited as a cook. When Qin's father was alive, he wouldn't let Brian Carter learn to cook, insisting he focus on his studies, so David Carter always worked as the kitchen helper. Despite his honest appearance, David Carter was actually quite shrewd. Seeing the restaurant couldn't stay afloat and that he hadn't been paid for months, he grew increasingly dissatisfied and looked down on his cousin, thinking he was a disgrace to the family for only caring about books.

At this hour, with no customers, David Carter had still cooked two dishes for the brothers to make do with.

As soon as David Carter brought the food, Brian Carter's stomach started to rumble. He'd been muddling through these past few days, eating nothing but plain steamed buns, but now reality hit him, and his stomach growled.

So he grinned at Emily Thompson and said, "Since Miss Zhou is both beautiful and comes from a wealthy, virtuous family, I'm not worthy of her. I appreciate your concern, Emily. Look, it's just about mealtime—if you don't mind, why not stay for a simple meal before you go?"

Emily Thompson couldn't help but feel frustrated. She already disliked Brian Carter, and she'd long heard that the food at Ruchun Restaurant was terrible, so she was reluctant. Just as she was about to refuse, Brian Carter came out from behind the counter and walked to the table, where he saw David Carter looking sullen and slamming the dishes down hard.

Seeing David Carter's attitude, Brian Carter couldn't help but complain, "What kind of behavior is that? Do I owe you money or something?"

At this, David Carter didn't back down. Instead, he perked up, jiggled the fat on his belly, and shouted, "Boss, you DO owe me money! Let me do the math for you. Since the leap month, you haven't paid my wages. Two hundred coins a month—let's see... it's already been..."

Brian Carter's head was spinning. What era was this? The height of the Tang Dynasty? No, apparently the Tang was over, and now it was the Zhou Dynasty. Who was the emperor again? Oh, Wu Zetian. Anyway, it was the wicked old society, so as the boss, wasn't it my right to exploit you? And you dare to ask for your wages?

Though he grumbled inwardly, Brian Carter didn't dare anger the "head chef." His tone softened, "Come on, David Carter, don't be mad. I was just saying. Look, we're cousins—we should be reasonable, right?"

David Carter snorted, "Who wants to be reasonable with you? Even real brothers settle accounts clearly. If you ask me, you should hurry up and sell this restaurant, pay me my wages, and let everyone go their own way."