Chapter 53

[Congratulations, host, on completing the third stage of the main quest: Becoming the richest mom in S City!]

An unintentional act can lead to unexpected success.

The foundation for the film studio that Hu Zhenzhen was planning to build wasn't even finished, yet the mission was already a success.

She glanced at the remaining health points in the upper right corner of the system, and the three-digit number had instantly turned into a four-digit number. Seeing this, she felt a surge of satisfaction.

"Xiao Chen, Mom really wants to thank you this time!"

If Jiang Chen hadn't suggested giving everyone sausages, Hu Zhenzhen wouldn't have thought of using the food stall owners.

Jiang Chen was watching cartoons when he heard Hu Zhenzhen's words and looked up in confusion.

"Mom, I didn't do anything."

"The hundred yuan that Xiao Chen gave us a while ago was a great help. Now everyone can have hot food."

"Really!"

Jiang Chen immediately perked up, "Then I'll be of help too!"

"Yes, you were a great help!"

Hu Zhenzhen spoke with great certainty and her expression was happy. Jiang Chen immediately believed her and smiled as well.

"Then I'll help my mom in the future too!"

“Okay!” Hu Zhenzhen readily agreed.

"Xiao Chen, can you help me now? Mom wants to go eat pizza, but no one is going with her. Would you like to keep me company?"

"good!"

This is great. Hu Zhenzhen not only receives companionship, but also a pleasant sound effect as a reward from the system.

[Congratulations, host!]

Xiao Jin has recently changed; she's become obsessed with drawing all sorts of animals.

The image on the screen is a simple line drawing of a sheep created by it, with a smiling face that Little Gold has practiced for a long time on its face.

[Family Points +1, Congratulations! You have earned one chance to win a prize!]

Looking at her increasingly abstract paintings, Hu Zhenzhen finally remembered the painting lessons she had specially bought for Xiao Jin.

[Xiao Jin, before the raffle, I have a gift for you.]

Using changing clothes as an excuse, Hu Zhenzhen returned to her walk-in closet.

He pulled out a USB flash drive worth twenty from the latest limited edition Mr. Ji bag.

[This is a course I specially prepared for you, it cost me several thousand yuan, Xiao Jin, you must watch it carefully!]

Hu Zhenzhen searched for a long time but didn't know where to plug the USB drive in, so she simply threw it in front of her.

Before anyone could see how Xiao Jin operated it, the USB drive on the ground quickly disappeared, replaced by a small screen that appeared in the system space, along with a teacher lecturing on the screen.

Little Jin peeked out from behind the screen, her two beady eyes wavy with emotion.

[Host, you're so good to me.]

Is this what you call being good to you?

Hu Zhenzhen smiled. "Then you've given me so much money, isn't that treating me even better?"

Xiao Jin was so engrossed in watching the images on the small screen that she couldn't bear to look away.

[No, the host is still the best to me. I heard that the host of the Good Mother System locked the system in a dark room, only allowing it to come out for five hours a day.]

Is this even possible?

Hu Zhenzhen was astonished to learn for the first time that the system could also lock someone in a dark room.

I don't know how the host of this Good Mother System discovered this function.

After Xiao Jin spoke, she suddenly realized something was wrong and cautiously glanced at Hu Zhenzhen.

[Host, you're not going to lock me in the dark room too, are you?]

Of course not.

Hu Zhenzhen and Xiao Jin worked together very well. Xiao Jin had her own hobbies, didn't bother her usually, and could help her in crucial moments. She was truly a triple-good system.

Recalling all this, Hu Zhenzhen felt genuinely grateful to the system.

Don't worry, Xiao Jin, I'll give you a big gift for the New Year.

After saying that, Hu Zhenzhen officially started the lottery draw.

The familiar spinning wheel appeared. Hu Zhenzhen was in a hurry to go out, so she didn't bother with her usual hand-washing and prayer rituals and just pressed the button randomly.

[Congratulations, host! You have drawn a scenic mountain peak.]

"..."

Here we go again, with these strange things.

Upon hearing the name, Hu Zhenzhen knew that this reward was likely to be quite strange.

She still hasn't finished training the shell company from last time, and now another mountain has appeared.

What's going on with the hilltop?

Hu Zhenzhen asked Xiao Jin a question, and Xiao Jin immediately showed Hu Zhenzhen a photo of the mountain.

It's called a hilltop, and it really is a hilltop.

Apart from rocks and trees, there was nothing else; it was a pristine, untouched landscape.

"White Tiger Mountain."

Hu Zhenzhen took a look at the map and, coincidentally, the mountain was near the land she had bought to develop into a film and television base.

There's an extra hill now, which might be used as a natural setting for future filming.

Thinking about it this way, Hu Zhenzhen no longer felt that it was useless.

"Mom, I'm ready!"

Jiang Chen's voice came from the doorway. Hu Zhenzhen knew she couldn't delay any longer and quickly changed her clothes.

"We're here! Let's go!"

The floods in H City are finally coming to an end.

After the water level receded completely, Hu Zhenzhen stopped donating.

She has done enough; let's leave the rest to the more professional officials.

The five hundred stall owners went there by bamboo raft, and returned by bus.

They served the people here for two days, and now is the time for the public to remember their kindness.

Upon learning that they were leaving, many people came specifically to line both sides of the bus to see them off.

[Grateful for the assistance, S City and H City are one family!]

Thank you, vendor! I'll definitely be a customer again!

Wishing the kind person a safe journey!

Banners were stretched out on both sides, and people cheered spontaneously, even leaning against the windows to give flowers.

Aunt Li received a flower.

This made her extremely happy, and she kept showing it off to the uncle next to her.

“I knew it was right to do good deeds with Madam Zhenzhen. Doing good deeds is a meritorious act. Now that I’m going back, I’m a little reluctant to leave. I feel a little empty inside.”

"Look how beautiful these flowers are! This is the first time I've ever received flowers."

"Once we get back to S City, we can rest for a day and then go to Baihua Food City to choose a stall!"

She was overjoyed. The uncle sitting in the aisle, who hadn't received any flowers, couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He ignored what she had said earlier and only responded to her last sentence.

"I wonder if what Mr. Hu said is true. After three months of free service, will he really give us a 30% discount on rent?"

"Of course it's true!"

Aunt Li already has a biased view of Hu Zhenzhen and can't stand hearing others say anything bad about her.

"Madam Zhenzhen never makes empty promises; if she says something, she will definitely deliver on it!"

Upon hearing this, the uncle felt much more at ease.

"Have you decided what kind of shop you want to choose?"

People who run small businesses all hope that one day their dreams will suddenly come true; everyone has their own expectations.

Aunt Li thought for a while and said, "I want to paint it green with latex paint and make it look like some kind of European pastoral style. My best friend loves that style the most."

The uncle chuckled, "What's so great about this O-Zone countryside? You've seen plenty of our countryside, what's so different about it?"

“There are many differences. My daughter said that the houses in Ozhou are all made of wood, and you can even transport them by car.”

The uncle laughed even louder, "Alright, you have to call me when you're done with the renovations. I really want to see the house on your wall that you transported by truck."

"Why are you laughing?"

Aunt Li slapped him lightly, "Stop laughing. You'll see what exotic customs are all about later."

"Hahaha, with your skills, you call that exotic? Well then, I'll show you what traditional culture is all about. When I get back, I'm going to hang two red lanterns at the door."

"Oh my, I thought you were going to spend a fortune on renovations, but all you've got are two red lanterns."

Aunt Li made a sarcastic remark to him, but the uncle didn't seem to care.

"That's because I don't have your wealth. I'm just a kebab vendor; hanging up two red lanterns is enough to make my business thrive."

After exchanging a few words, the topic returned to the present.

The middle-aged man looked out the window and sighed, "I never thought I would experience being treated like a hero in my lifetime."

"Who can argue with that? When President Hu first brought this up, quite a few people were unwilling to come."

Aunt Li chimed in, "Luckily, President Hu didn't mention the benefits beforehand. Otherwise, if people knew we could get a 30% discount, wouldn't they be scrambling to come?"

"Doing good deeds requires the person to be willing to do it. If they are only doing it for personal gain, they won't put in their best effort."

"Exactly, they'll probably regret it to death when they find out."

Aunt Li chuckled, "Anyway, Zhenzhen has done a great service to the entire Xijingmen. Whenever someone comes to Baihua Food City to cause trouble, she doesn't even need to lift a finger; I'll take care of it for her."

As soon as she said that, the uncle next to her laughed again.

"I think that's a good idea. You can use your spatula to scoop them up when the time comes."

Aunt Li rolled her eyes at him, "I never would have guessed you were so funny, Lao Li."

"Do you think you can easily tell? I'm not just funny, I know a lot too."

"I know? What do you know?"

Aunt Li didn't really believe him. After spending a lot of time with the street vendors, she learned that when they were bored, they would sit together and chat.

She'd heard far too many boasts before, and the moment she heard Uncle Li say that, she knew he was exaggerating.

"See, you still don't believe me."

The middle-aged man lowered his head mysteriously and said, "I'll just tell you quietly, this is inside information. It's said that President Hu bought a piece of land in the east, and they don't have enough cooks there, so they're planning to ask among us if anyone is willing to run the canteen."

"Really?"

Aunt Li suddenly became excited, "Where do I apply for this job?"

"What? You're still planning to go? You're abandoning the stall business?"

The uncle asked her curiously, but Aunt Li waved her hand and said, "The stall still needs renovation. My husband can handle the renovation, so I don't need to."

"Tell me quickly, where did you hear this news from?"

Uncle Li could tell she really wanted to know, so he didn't keep anything from her.

“The director of the orphanage said that her child works for General Hu.”

As soon as Aunt Li heard this, she knew where they were talking about.

"It must be Director Lou of Fubao Welfare Home, then it must be true."

In Aunt Li's eyes, being able to work under Hu Zhenzhen was definitely a good thing.

Upon hearing about this opportunity, she begged Uncle Li to give her his contact information so she could give it a try.

Although the two lowered their voices, the carriage was only so big, and the people next to them could hear some of it.

"Are you really going, Aunt Li?"

The roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) vendor kindly offered, "If you ask me, you'd better not take the risk. It's much better to just run your stall honestly. Mr. Hu is clearly offering us discounts now. With a simple renovation, you can open in half a month, and you'll even get more than two months of free service."

Aunt Li understood what she meant, after all, not everyone has such good judgment as her.

"Ah, I'll give it a try. My husband will watch the stall for now."

When the vendor selling roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) realized he couldn't persuade her, he withdrew his head.

The stall owner sitting next to me quickly moved closer and said in what he thought was a quiet voice, "Look at you, you've been meddling in other people's business. They don't appreciate your kindness at all."

Aunt Li is all too familiar with this kind of thing.

Upon hearing these provocative words, he immediately stood up excitedly.

"Hey! How can you talk like that? My sister reminded me, and I appreciate her good intentions. How dare you try to sow discord between us sisters?"

"I'm not trying to instigate anything, don't label me."

Those who were able to sit in the car were all people who had volunteered to come and support H City at Hu Zhenzhen's meeting.

However, unlike those who genuinely came to offer support, Aunt Huang was simply good at currying favor.

She was shrewd; as soon as she heard Hu Zhenzhen's plan at the meeting, she knew it meant she was going to select people.

If she doesn't sign up now, what if she's excluded from the discounted program later?

With this in mind, Aunt Huang thought about it for a long time before finally signing up.

This was definitely the right decision. I only had to do cooking for two days, but I was able to get a 30% discount on rent from now on. This is much more worthwhile than setting up a stall for two years.

Because of the huge discount offered by Hu Zhenzhen, Aunt Huang really put in a lot of effort this time, and could be described as doing her best.

She's just a bit harsh and used to finding fault, so she forgot for a moment and casually said that.

When Aunt Li stood up, she regretted it a little.

"I was just saying something casually. Since you two sisters are so close, you should just explain yourselves. Why did you stand up? Who are you trying to scare?"

She said that because she wanted to quickly coax Aunt Li into sitting down.

After all, the 70% rent payment hasn't been contracted yet, and things aren't settled. If this gets out of hand and reaches Hu Zhenzhen's ears, causing the discount to be lost, then she'll regret it.

I didn't expect Aunt Li to be so easily fooled.

"Since you've misunderstood me, I definitely need to explain it to you clearly, lest I be accused of not appreciating your good intentions later."

Pressed by her, Aunt Huang said, "Alright, I misspoke just now. It's my fault, okay?"

Aunt Li finally gave up.

Seeing that she finally sat down, Aunt Huang breathed a sigh of relief.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. She'd better hurry up and go to that construction site canteen in the east. By the time she comes back, the food court's customers will all be regulars. If they say a few bad things about her then, she'll definitely get the worst review.

Aunt Huang felt relieved after thinking about it this way.

There are always more fools in this world, and she won't stop them.

Aunt Li was a woman who acted immediately.

The car took them all back to S City, and each person was dropped off at the entrance of their residential compound.

As soon as Aunt Li got off the bus, she dialed the number the uncle had just given her.

"Hello, I heard you're short-staffed at our construction site, is that right?"

When Liu An received the call, he was momentarily stunned. He hadn't even had time to make arrangements yet, so why was someone calling?

"Yes, but we haven't started recruiting yet."

"Excuse me, but where did you hear about this job posting?"

Liu An asked a question, somewhat suspecting that someone from one of the construction sites was trying to get a relative in.

He used to work as a bricklayer when he was young, and he saw plenty of the dirty things that happened on construction sites.

Some collude to cut corners, others double the price for the same item, and the most despicable of all are those who build houses that are actually dangerous structures.

If these things happened on other construction sites, Liu An would just mutter a few curses under his breath and then turn away.

But this is the boss's place.

The boss treated him well and had done them a great favor.

If he can't even manage something as simple as a construction site, then he has no right to continue receiving such a high salary from his boss.

That's why Liu An was so alert when Aunt Li suddenly called.

If a foreman does leak the information and tries to contract out the canteen to his own people, he'll inevitably face the problem of lining his own pockets.

Fortunately, that's not the case.

“I just came from that H City meeting. I heard that Zhenzhen wants to select people from our group to work in the cafeteria, so I thought I’d like to sign up.”

Aunt Li is very honest.

She felt there was nothing to hide, so she told Liu An the truth.

"The people on the bus heard this from Dean Lou, and that's how they got the phone number."

Liu An rubbed his forehead, only then remembering that the dean's mother had asked him about work last weekend, and he had mentioned it.

"I see. Please tell me your information, and I will record it. We will conduct a unified interview on the 28th."

As soon as Aunt Li heard there was an interview, she knew she had a chance.

She immediately gave her phone number and name, even detailing what kind of business she did, all in an effort to make a good impression on the person on the other end of the line.

In a sense, Aunt Li did succeed.

Liu An did remember her, and he also remembered her urgent desire.

Now that Aunt Li already knew, Liu An took the opportunity to move up the original announcement date for the recruitment and sent it out.

Many people expressed interest upon seeing that it was Hu Zhenzhen's job posting.

But when they heard that they were going to such a remote place in the east to build a canteen for the workers, most of them backed down.

That's too remote. If I really go there, I'll have to live in the dormitory. What if it's not safe?

Even though Liu An explained that the people in the cafeteria would have separate accommodations, this still made many people hesitate.

Furthermore, the job posting didn't mention any benefits, only offering a stable salary, which made even more people back out.

On the day of the interview, more than twenty people came, thanks to Hu Zhenzhen's reputation for wealth.

But Liu An only glanced at them before eliminating most of them.

A young woman in her early twenties, dressed beautifully, came for an interview; she was clearly not someone you'd put to work cooking on a construction site.

The young man was so thin he was practically skin and bones, and looked like he couldn't even lift a spatula, so he was ruled out as well.

After looking around, it turned out that only Aunt Li and the two other aunts were somewhat reliable.

The cafeteria is large, so hiring three people isn't much.

Liu An finally decided on these three people and planned to let them work for a few days first to see how things went.

The construction site kitchen originally had four people, but because Hu Zhenzhen was building something technically advanced and required professionals, she hired many more workers.

Besides ordinary construction workers, there are also many inheritors of carpentry and intangible cultural heritage skills.

With so many people, the cafeteria is finding it difficult to keep up with the demand.

Cooking for the workers is different from hiring a regular chef.

Hu Zhenzhen understood this principle and instructed Liu An to focus on whether the food was delicious and whether he could cook large meals.

As for the food, that's secondary.

The most important thing on a construction site is to ensure the workers are well-fed, and to the best of our ability, provide them with delicious food.

Within this range, stall owners who run small stalls year-round actually meet the criteria.

After Aunt Li was selected, Liu An took her to familiarize herself with the surroundings.

"This area is already finished and is specifically for the canteen staff. The white building in front is the kitchen. This area is separate from the workers' living quarters."

Liu An led her into the dormitory.

"The first floor is where the men live, and the second floor is where the women live, two people per room. The dormitories all have security doors, so you don't have to worry about safety."

When Aunt Li saw the environment, her worries immediately disappeared.

This small two-story building was built just like the original tenement building, with a long corridor divided into several square rooms, each with its own independent space.

With the security door, it's no different from living in an apartment building.

Aunt Li went inside and took a look at the dormitory; it was even better than the cheap apartment she used to rent.

"If you have any problems with the accommodation, you can come to me and talk to me. You can also give me your opinions."

As soon as Liu An said this, Aunt Li quickly chimed in, "No objection, no objection, this is perfect!"

The other two aunts, who were also long-term laborers, could tell right from wrong and quickly echoed their opinions.

"That's good. Now let's talk about salary and benefits."

...

Two days later, Baihua Food City was officially handed over.

Among a bunch of names, Hu Zhenzhen chose the one that was the simplest and easiest to understand.

Food City – what a down-to-earth name! You can tell at a glance that it's related to snacks.

When Chen Kai reported to Hu Zhenzhen, she was excitedly designing her own signboard, planning to make it and hang it at the entrance of the food court in a couple of days.

"Who? The auntie who made fried noodles we met before?"

"Yes, boss, it's her. As soon as she came back, she took the initiative to participate in the recruitment in the East District, and now she works in the cafeteria."

Hu Zhenzhen was slightly surprised. "What about her stall? Did she choose one?"

"She's already chosen one, and it seems like her husband will have to help with the renovations."

Chen Kai couldn't help but laugh when he recalled that phone call.

"She's a huge fan of yours, boss. After hearing that I'm your housekeeper, she insisted that I convey her gratitude to you."

"I have fans now?"

She was an aunt who was over forty years old.

Hu Zhenzhen herself found it amusing and took her aunt's information from Chen Kai, glancing at it a few times.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that her aunt's description of her as a "super fan" was indeed no exaggeration.

Leaving aside the matter of supporting H City, my aunt actually goes to the downtown mall once a week to buy dolls from the vending machines under her name, more punctual than clocking in for work.

He even argued with passersby in the mall for her sake, and won the argument.

Then he proudly wrote it into his resume.

Hu Zhenzhen couldn't help but smile as she looked at it. "Okay, it seems I've really gained a super fan."

She handed her aunt's resume back to Chen Kai. "Here's what we'll do: go to Baihua Food City tomorrow and ask your aunt what kind of decoration she wants for her stall. Consider it a fan benefit, I'll cover the decoration of her stall."

Chen Kai smiled and agreed.

He acted quickly, contacting Aunt Li and her husband on the same day.

The next day, he took the construction team and blueprints directly to Baihua Food City.

Many stall owners are renovating their small shops here, and they all greet him with a smile when they see him.

"Butler Chen, what brings you here today?"

Someone asked him a question.

Chen Kai didn't hide anything and took the initiative to promote the boss's good reputation.

“Aunt Li is currently busy with two things at once. She works very hard in the East District. Her boss took pity on her and entrusted me with the renovation of the stall. I’m here to help with the renovation.”

After he finished speaking, the renovation workers behind him carried in a pile of beautiful white timber.

This is obviously high-quality wood; you might not even be able to use this kind of material in your own home renovation.

Aunt Huang, who was watching nearby, immediately felt envious.

It seems like Aunt Li gets all the good things. If she had known that working in the East District would mean getting free home renovations, she would have signed up too.

She felt a pang of jealousy, but was also curious, so she moved closer to Chen Kai and asked him a question in a low voice.

"This good wood must cost a lot of money, right? It's such a waste to use it for shop renovations."

Chen Kai glanced at her, and seeing her expression, he understood what was going on.

"If we work hard in the future and strive to become the first store with positive reviews, then the renovation will not have been wasted."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Huang felt a soreness in her tongue.

But in front of Chen Kai, she dared not show it, and could only swallow her bitterness, looking longingly at the decoration materials on the ground, and chuckled dryly a few times.

Judging from Chen Kai's tone, it seems that Mr. Hu, the person above, values ​​Aunt Li highly.

How come all the good things in the world are snatched up by Aunt Li!