Chapter 42: I Didn't Say I Was Leaving

The lion dance team, the drum team, and the atmosphere-building group had already warmed up the venue early on.

Yu Wan invited Lord Zhu to give a speech, and the latter delivered an encouraging speech, taking the opportunity to mention the agricultural assistance activity, encouraging everyone who had not yet signed up to do so as to contribute their share to help the county get out of its predicament.

Yu Wan ripped off the red silk and saw the plaque of Yu Family Restaurant, her heart filled with a mixture of emotions.

Time flies; it's been almost three months since I came into this world.

To have achieved such success now is truly extraordinary.

After experiencing several crises, fortunately, the road ahead went smoothly.

She firmly believes that this is not the end.

She knew this path wouldn't always be smooth, and that she would inevitably encounter unknown crises.

But, there's always a way out, and she believes that as long as she's alive, nothing is a problem.

After the unveiling ceremony, the staff were busy as bees. Those who were working in the kitchen stayed at their posts, while those who were serving customers in the lobby were constantly on the go.

The lobby was packed with people, and there was a long queue outside.

Some shop owners were extremely envious of this amazing scene.

"Is this Yu Family Restaurant really that delicious? I've never seen such a scene in the capital. People are queuing for hours just for a bite to eat. That's outrageous!"

"It really is that delicious! Everything at her place is exquisite. I'm going to try them all someday!"

“Then I’ll have to try it too. In our remote area, apart from Zuixianlou and the old Fumanju, there really aren’t any decent restaurants left. Some small eateries are quite good, but unfortunately the owners only know a few signature dishes, and you get tired of them after a while.”

The group walked to the back of the line as they talked.

Yu Wan was busy with everything, sometimes going to the kitchen to check on things, sometimes to the main hall to entertain guests, and sometimes to the outside to take care of the waiting queue.

At three-quarters past dusk, the last group of diners finally left.

Xue Xiujun lay sprawled on the table, completely losing his composure. He had been talking all day, and his voice was hoarse.

"Boss lady, it's a good thing you had the foresight to set opening hours and persuade some people to leave, otherwise we wouldn't be able to rest even if we worked for seven days and seven nights without sleep."

Just as Yu Wan was about to speak, two cups of hot tea appeared in front of her.

One cup was for He Jing, and the other was for Jin Yifei.

The two men presented the food to her almost simultaneously; one was smiling, and the other had a stern face.

They seemed not to see each other, neither willing to back down, and the situation remained deadlocked.

Yu Wan was somewhat embarrassed.

If I accept one answer, it seems like I'm not giving the other face; if I don't accept any, I feel like I'm being too cold-hearted, since we all know each other well.

If you accept both, whose drink should you drink first?

However, He Jing didn't leave her embarrassed for long. He finished his drink, turned around, and left, though his eyes darkened slightly.

Now, Yu Wan only had Jin Yifei's tea left in front of her, but for some reason, she didn't want to accept it. The atmosphere just now left her with a strange feeling that she couldn't quite explain.

But refusing isn't a good idea either.

At this moment, Xue Xiujun received a signal from He Jing's eyes, got up from the table, snatched Jin Yifei's cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Thank you, Mr. Jin. My throat is parched, I'm dying of thirst. Boss lady, I might not be able to speak tomorrow, what should I do?"

Yu Wan breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "I'll brew you some lung-clearing and moisturizing tea in a bit."

Xue Xiujun smiled sweetly, "Thank you, boss lady! It's my greatest honor to be able to work for you for the rest of my life!"

Jin Yifei glanced at him, unconcerned about his earlier rudeness, and maintained his smile, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Yu Wan, praising her:

“Awan, you’re amazing. You managed to handle such a big event perfectly. I remember when I was little, I went with my dad to the opening of a branch store. It was just as crowded as it is today. My cousin, who was in charge of running the branch, was so busy that he made a mistake. Luckily, my dad saved the day in time, and things didn’t go wrong.”

Yu Wan knew that her smooth sailing today was inseparable from Jin Yifei's help. She had always had a detailed plan, and Jin Yifei had helped with some parts of that plan, as well as things she hadn't considered.

It has to be said that, being born into a merchant family, he naturally possesses a talent for business.

"Ah Fei, thank you so much. You've really helped me so much. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to get by so smoothly since I started my stall."

Young people are never stingy with their smiles; a hearty laugh...

“I didn’t help much, just some small things. But you, planning so many things must have been very tiring. If there’s anything I can do in the future, just let me know.”

"This is no small matter. What you did for me, I probably wouldn't have been able to do." Yu Wan felt that this person was very smart. She wondered why he didn't manage the family business but instead traveled all over the country. Did he really just like traveling and sightseeing?

She was even a little envious of this unused talent.

The achievements she has made in her life have absolutely nothing to do with talent; they are entirely the result of hard work and learning, which allowed her to accumulate experience.

Jin Yifei laughed and said, "Let's not talk about these formalities. I'd be happy if there's anything I can do to help."

Yu Wan looked at Zhu Zhifeng, who was already fast asleep on the table, and said, "It's getting late. If the magistrate allows, let Zhifeng stay here overnight."

Zhu Zhifeng was also very busy that day, mainly helping to share Xue Xiujun's work. The two of them distributed food samples at the gate and even ate them eagerly for everyone to see, so there was no need to worry about them going hungry.

Jin Yifei smiled and agreed, "Okay, I'll go back and tell my aunt and uncle, they'll agree."

After seeing Jin Yifei off, Yu Wan carried Zhu Zhifeng back to her room and praised her to the staff, only mentioning a few shortcomings.

These people all worked very hard, and there was a feeling that everyone was working together as one, which made Yu Wan feel very at ease.

"Everyone, get some rest today. The next few days might be busy, but things will get better after this. Hang in there, everyone!"

Everyone laughed and shouted, "We'll definitely keep up the good work! We can only eat if we follow the boss!"

It's tiring, but every drop of sweat I shed is rewarding, so it's all worth it!

Yu Wan reminded them, "Be careful on your way back, especially you five girls."

The five young women each had a different personality; some were cheerful and lively, while others were introverted and shy. They were all young and vibrant, like flowers in full bloom, so Yu Wan needed to give them special instructions.

Sun Dajiang joked, "Boss lady, you're being too biased. Why are you reminding them to be careful, but we men don't need to?"

Fang Wulou chuckled and said, "It's one thing for us young lads to be careful, but how old are you? You're a rough man in your forties, what danger could you possibly be in?"

The men laughed and joked as they said goodbye to the proprietress and then left in small groups.

Aunt Li and the others live too far from home, so they stayed at the restaurant today. However, they have chickens, ducks, geese and dogs at home, so they can't leave for too long. Therefore, they will be taken back by He Jing and the others early tomorrow morning.

Old Rong is used to a carefree life, running around all day long. He comes back to eat when he's hungry, and you won't see him when he's not hungry, so there's no need to worry about him.

Sister-in-law Dong brought over several bowls of clear soup noodles. "Awan, I don't know how to cook, but you all looked tired, so I made a few bowls of noodles."

Yu Wan quickly stood up. "Thank you so much. You, Aunt Li, and Aunt Zhang have all helped me a lot. I should be the one cooking for you."

Sister-in-law Dong smiled and said, "This is what we should do."

Yu Wan took a bite. Although very few ingredients were used, the taste was quite good.

She praised her, and Sister-in-law Dong became extremely shy.

After washing up, Yu Wan was about to go back to her room to rest when she saw He Suzhi waiting for her at the door.

"Why aren't you resting so late? Is something wrong?"

He Jing looked directly at her. "I'm going back to the main store first thing tomorrow morning. Is there anything you need to tell me?"

"The head office has been closed for three days. You're going back, but the branch has already opened. The head office will be under much less pressure and won't be as busy anymore."

"What about me?" He Jing asked, a hint of expectation in his eyes.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to be the manager anymore?" Yu Wan asked with a smile.

Recalling their first meeting, the young man, wielding a sword, had slain several assassins.

Such a talented person is either a warrior or a chivalrous knight-errant, and has nothing to do with being the owner of a small eatery. It is indeed a waste of his talent and a disservice to him.

"Here's what we'll do. Give me a few more days. Once this busy period is over, I'll hire a manager to replace you, and then you'll be free."

He Jing pursed his lips. "What do you mean?"

Yu Wan was taken aback by the question: "Freedom means going wherever you want. Is there anywhere you'd like to go right now? If I have the chance to visit you in the future, we can catch up."

A hint of frustration at being misunderstood flashed in the boy's eyes. "I didn't say I was leaving."

Yu Wan thought about it and figured that the young man probably also thought there were a lot of fun things to do in the county town and wanted to come here to join in the fun.

"Okay, you can come over once I find a new manager."

He Jing gave a sullen reply and turned to leave.

Yu Wan stood there, staring blankly at his departing figure, a hint of curiosity rising in her heart.

"Who exactly is he?"

Where do we come from, and where are we going?

Why were they being hunted down?

Why haven't the assassins who were chasing him reappeared?

A lot of questions suddenly popped into her head, but the boy probably wouldn't be able to answer them.

Unable to figure it out, she simply stopped thinking about it.

The branch in the county town is doing very well; it's been packed for three consecutive days.

With the start of initiatives to support farmers, restaurants are also facing new pressures.

Every evening, after the restaurant closes for the day, those who have signed up to help farmers come to the restaurant to receive their "benefits," which is dinner.

Because Zuixianlou, some restaurants, and other shops participated in the sponsorship, Yu Wan's pressure was greatly reduced.

This is great. People don't have to wait in line for too long to eat hot meals and can go home early to rest, so they have the energy and strength to continue working the next day.

Seven more days passed, and the restaurant had been open for ten days.

The planting tasks for the entire county have been completed, and the sponsorship activity has temporarily ended. We will hold another one during the autumn harvest.

During this period, Yu Wan hired a manager surnamed Zhou, who was in his forties and was introduced by Chen Lie.

Both of them were very honest and recounted Manager Zhou's past experiences in great detail.

Manager Zhou used to be the manager of Fumanju, but he was later wrongly accused of stealing money and was fired.