Chapter 114 - 112: The Sharp-Tongued but Soft-Hearted Young Boss Lady

While Rose was enjoying the doting of her two formidable masters, Firestone was sweating buckets on his end.

After chopping wood continuously for an hour, even though the boy was stronger than an average child, his arms still ached. Looking at the woodshed, there was still a massive pile left to go.

He could grit his teeth and endure the soreness, but right at that moment, his little stomach let out a loud GROWL.

It was so loud that Shannon, who was supervising him from the side, burst out laughing.

Mr. Fuller, who had been keeping an eye on the situation, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity. Firestone was a truly sensible child, and incredibly resilient. Most kids wouldn’t last ten minutes doing this kind of work, yet he had pushed through for a solid hour!

In truth, the harsh words he had said earlier were only meant to frighten the boy. If he had been scared off right then and there, it would have proven a lack of tenacity. Such a child, no matter how good his Ability talent was, wouldn’t be suited for this line of work. Forging weapons required going through the crucible. He refused to take in an apprentice who lacked a resilient temperament.

Mr. Fuller was exceedingly picky when it came to choosing disciples; he would rather have none than settle for mediocrity! Over the years, many prominent families had brought their children before him for selection, but not a single one had caught his eye. But this boy right in front of him had won him over at first glance.

The only reason he decided to test him first was out of fear that his judgment might be off, and he would end up with someone lacking perseverance. Thinking of this, he swallowed the words he had been about to say to tell the boy to rest.

After Shannon had laughed enough, clutching her stomach, she ultimately couldn’t bear to see the boy suffer. She stood up, went to the kitchen, and scooped out a bowl of leftover gruel. It was the exact same batch her grandfather had complained about being terrible earlier.

Shannon waved at Firestone and called out, "Little guy, come here! Eat your fill before you keep working!"

"No, I can’t. Master Fuller hasn’t agreed to hire me yet. If I eat it, what if he gets angry and refuses to hire me?" Firestone looked at the pitch-black gruel in her bowl and licked his lips, but he shook his head, refusing to stop working.

"How can you be so rigid at such a young age, just like a stubborn old man?

"My grandfather only told you to chop wood. He never said you weren’t allowed to eat, rest, or go to the bathroom in between!" Shannon said.

She naturally saw right through her grandfather’s intention to test the boy. But she felt that a token test was more than enough; there was no need to work someone to the bone. Besides, she found the little guy quite endearing. Once her grandfather took him in, the old man wouldn’t spend all day staring at her and nagging her constantly. Plus, she would gain a little sidekick to boss around however she pleased.

All in all, Shannon really hoped that Firestone would pass her grandfather’s test.

Doing physical labor on an empty stomach was obviously a bad idea, which was why she took it upon herself to bring him food. However, no matter how much she tried to persuade him, Firestone stubbornly refused to take the bowl of gruel. Shannon stomped her foot in frustration.

Finally, a sudden flash of Spiritual Light struck her mind. She shook the bowl in her hands and threatened, "If you don’t eat it, I’ll tell my grandfather that you dumped this bowl of gruel out. He hates wasting food more than anything!"

"Don’t dump it, don’t dump it! I’ll eat it, okay?" Firestone panicked. He hurriedly dropped his small hatchet, took the bowl, and began gulping it down.

Knowing all too well how precious food was, having been starving every single day not too long ago, his appreciation for it was etched into his very bones. He couldn’t bear to waste even a single drop. Firestone drank it down quickly, silently praying that Master Fuller was busy at the moment and wouldn’t see him eating.

Seeing him polish off the large bowl of gruel, Shannon leaned in and asked, "Little guy, was the gruel I cooked delicious?"

"Mhm, very delicious," Firestone nodded, going against his conscience.

He silently added in his mind, "It tastes way worse than the gruel my mom makes. Poor Master Fuller, having to eat such awful food every day."

"Hmph! Since it’s delicious, you’ll be responsible for finishing whatever is left in the pot after meals from now on. Got it?"

Shannon’s tone carried a hint of a threat. Firestone hurriedly nodded in obedience, then picked up his small hatchet to resume chopping wood.

Although the food the older girl had given him tasted awful, Firestone felt strength surging through his body after eating it. Even his arms didn’t ache as much anymore. Invigorated and full of drive, he swung the small hatchet with vigorous, wind-whipping strikes.

As he chopped the wood, a belated realization dawned on him. He wondered if what she had said at the end meant she would be providing his meals every day from now on.

Having eaten his fill, Firestone chopped wood for another hour or so. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and his arms were so sore he could barely lift them.

Mr. Fuller finally couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He strode over, keeping his face stern, and said to Firestone, "Enough. That’s all for today. You can chop the rest tomorrow."

"Master Fuller, do you think I’m not capable enough? I have a lot of strength. I can do so much work.

"I can twist hemp rope, and I can weave cushions—even though they might not be perfectly flat. I can also wash and chop vegetables.

"Oh, right! I can also cook! I’ve watched my mom cook so many times. The food I make will definitely taste better than hers!"

Assuming Master Fuller thought he chopped wood too slowly and no longer wanted to hire him for odd jobs, Firestone hurriedly spared no effort in selling himself.

Before Mr. Fuller could even open his mouth, Shannon took offense. "Little guy, what nonsense are you spouting? My cooking isn’t as good as yours? I don’t believe it for a second!"

Shannon had always possessed an inexplicable confidence in her culinary skills. Even though her grandfather often complained that her food was terrible, she firmly believed it was just because he was too much of a picky eater, not because there was anything wrong with her cooking. Of course, the fact that no one else besides her grandfather had ever eaten her food contributed heavily to the illusion that she was a great chef.

But now, a six-year-old brat actually dared to question her cooking right to her face! This was a blatant provocation! Who could tolerate that?

Seeing her anger, Firestone belatedly realized he had accidentally blurted out his true thoughts and offended the young miss of the house. He figured there was no hope of getting this job anymore. At the thought of this, the boy’s eyes turned red.

Seeing that he was on the verge of tears, Mr. Fuller felt a stab of guilt. He wondered if he had pushed the child too far. He was just about to speak up and tell the boy he could stay, but instead, he watched as his furious granddaughter grabbed the boy by the wrist and dragged him straight into the kitchen.

"You little brat, you’re going to cook a pot of gruel for me right now! Let’s just see whose cooking is actually better!"

Seeing that she was actually serious, Firestone felt a wave of guilty apprehension. After all, he had only ever watched his mom cook; he had never actually done it himself. But now that he had been put on the spot, no matter how unconfident he felt, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it.

Left alone in the yard, Mr. Fuller stood utterly dumbfounded.

He wondered how his simple plan of taking in an Artifact Refining apprentice to pass down his legacy had somehow devolved into a cooking competition with his granddaughter.