Chapter 475: It Overheard a Plot to Harm Someone
Chapter 475: Chapter 475: It Overheard a Plot to Harm Someone
The sun quietly slanted west, painting half the sky with orange clouds.
As closing time approached, the crowds began to thin.
Renee Jennings and the others returned to the director’s office.
Jude Sherman had someone come to take Bonnie and Layla away.
The two little ones had spent the entire afternoon with Renee Jennings and were extremely reluctant to part with her, clinging to her and refusing to go.
"Be good. I’ll come see you again tomorrow," Renee Jennings coaxed with a smile.
Bonnie pouted. "Alright, then."
Layla urged, "You have to come."
Renee Jennings nodded. "I definitely will."
Having promised to meet the next day, the two little ones reluctantly followed Brother Gus out of the director’s office, looking back every few steps.
Jude Sherman had already picked a place to eat—a farmhouse restaurant that specialized in local cuisine.
"There’s a place about fifteen kilometers from here that makes bamboo-tube rice over a wood fire. It’s a local specialty, and I think it’s delicious. I already asked the owner to start cutting the bamboo and cooking, so we should get there just as dinner is ready."
"Cut bamboo?" Michelle Fuller asked, her face full of curiosity. "They cut it fresh?"
"That’s right." Jude Sherman nodded. "The bamboo-tube rice is always cooked using fresh bamboo."
Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow. "Sounds delicious."
A hint of pride crept into Jude Sherman’s voice. "I’ve taken a lot of friends to try it, and they’ve all really liked it."
"Then we’ll probably like it too," Zachary Conway said.
"In that case, shall we head out?" Jude Sherman looked toward Hilary, who was preparing to make her exit. "Hilary, you’re coming with us."
Hilary’s eyes widened in surprise. She pointed at herself. "Me? You mean me?"
"Yes," Jude Sherman said with a beaming smile. "You’re the one who invited Ms. Jennings, so you’re the guest of honor."
Hilary’s cheeks instantly flushed, and she quickly waved her hands. "No, no, not at all."
"Hilary, are you free?" Renee Jennings chimed in with her own invitation. "If you don’t have other plans, please join us."
"I’m free!" Hilary replied quickly. "It’s my honor to be able to eat with everyone!"
In their circle, Renee Jennings was a legendary figure; everyone dreamed of possessing superpowers just like hers.
The black van sped through the twilight. A full moon hung in the inky sky, bathing the world in its clear, bright light. Outside the window, the flickering shadows of bamboo rustled by.
"Look at all this bamboo. Surely the restaurant doesn’t own all of it, right?" Michelle Fuller remarked casually.
Jude Sherman smiled. "You’re sharp, Miss Fuller. This is the very bamboo used for the rice."
"Amazing," Michelle Fuller said, giving a thumbs-up. "You’re making my mouth water."
"We’re almost there." Jude Sherman’s smile grew even warmer.
She could tell that Michelle Fuller came from an impressive background. Although her clothes bore no brand logos, the watch on her wrist was worth over a million.
’It was rare to see someone who could afford a million-dollar watch and still be so approachable.’
The van rounded a bend, and the farmhouse came into view.
After they got out, a staff member from the farmhouse greeted them enthusiastically.
A smiling, middle-aged woman in modern Chinese-style clothing spoke in Mandarin with a local accent, "Ms. Stone, you’re here! This way, please—"
The private room was brightly lit, the round table already set with dinnerware.
Jude Sherman invited everyone to sit down, then turned to the middle-aged woman. "Manager Lawson, you can start serving the food. And please bring me a few menus."
"Right away." Manager Lawson delivered the menus and then left the private room.
Jude Sherman said with a smile, "I wasn’t sure what everyone likes, so I ordered a few things I thought were delicious, as well as the restaurant’s signature dishes. Take a look at the menu and order anything else you’d like."
"Okay." Renee Jennings nodded, turning to discuss the menu with Michelle Fuller.
It wasn’t often they got to visit Lyris, so of course, they had to try the local cuisine.
Zachary Conway felt a bit lonely looking at his menu by himself, so he shamelessly asked, "Can I look with you guys?"
Hearing this, Michelle Fuller waved him over magnanimously. "Why even ask? Come on over."
"Roger that!" Zachary Conway sidled over with a grin, completely unaware that he looked exactly like a puppy wagging its tail.
Once they had chosen their dishes, the food Jude Sherman had ordered in advance began to arrive at the table.
Each dish was served inside a bamboo tube, which fit snugly and securely into two rows of perforated bamboo stalks set on the table.
"So that’s what these are for, holding the bamboo tubes," Michelle Fuller marveled. "I was just wondering what they did. So clever."
"The wisdom of working people is unmatched." Jude Sherman stood up, using the serving chopsticks to place some food on everyone’s plate. "This is bamboo-tube chicken. The farm raises the chickens themselves—they get daily exercise."
"Sounds like they’re living the good life." Renee Jennings picked up a piece of chicken and tasted it. "It really is delicious."
"Delicious!" Michelle Fuller gave a thumbs-up.
Zachary Conway just dug in and ate.
Hilary nodded vigorously. "So, so good!"
Jude Sherman smiled. "I’m relieved as long as everyone is satisfied."
She went on to introduce the other dishes.
"Bamboo-tube meatballs, made from fresh, hand-pounded pork."
"Bamboo-tube river snails with perilla. If you like eating snails, you have to try these."
"Bamboo-tube pumpkin with ribs. The pumpkin is organic, grown right here at the farm."
"Bamboo-tube baby cabbage with garlic. It’s very fresh and sweet. The garlic and baby cabbage are also grown at the farm."
"Bamboo-tube braised duck with perilla..."
With every dish Jude Sherman introduced, everyone’s serving chopsticks would reach out appreciatively to sample it.
Hilary was a dutiful subordinate, always making sure to serve her boss a portion of each dish.
Renee Jennings also served Jude Sherman food out of politeness, so by the time Jude had finished introducing all the dishes, her bowl was piled high as a small mountain.
Halfway through the meal, Michelle Fuller wanted to go to the restroom and leaned over to whisper in Renee Jennings’s ear, asking her to come along.
Renee Jennings put down her chopsticks and smiled. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom. Michelle, would you come with me?"
"Okay!" Michelle Fuller grabbed some tissues from her bag and happily trotted along beside her.
The farmhouse was very large; the restroom was on the other side of a long corridor.
Renee Jennings washed her hands and waited outside for Michelle Fuller. Gazing up at the moon, which was as round as a dinner plate, she pulled her phone from her dress pocket and opened the camera to take a photo.
She adjusted the photo’s settings and was in the middle of writing a social media post when a sudden conversation caught her attention.
"I’m gonna tell you a secret. Wanna hear?"
"You? What kind of secret could you possibly have?"
"Of course I do! I just heard two humans right here plotting to kill a nice lady!"
"Oh, good heavens! Are you telling the truth? How could people be so wicked?"
"It’s true, I swear! I heard it with my own ears!"
"Oh, good heavens! That poor lady!"
"Sigh... I know. It’s a shame she can’t understand what I’m saying. Otherwise, I’d tell her to run."
"Some humans are very nice, but some are so scary!"
’That sounds like a dog talking to its friend. Did it say it overheard someone plotting to kill somebody?’
Renee Jennings’s brow slowly furrowed. She tiptoed toward the source of the sound.
Beside a decorative rockery, a cat and a dog were lazing on the ground.
"Hello there, my furry friends. Excuse me, but who were you saying is planning to harm someone?" Renee Jennings asked in a hushed voice. "Could you tell me about it?"