Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Jinjiang Solo
"Dad, can you please save some energy? You don't come home after get off work in the middle of the day, and you don't even eat but want to watch people play chess. Have you forgotten that there are people at home waiting for you to eat?"
It was rare for Zhang Mengyu to be angry with her father, but her brother was so angry that he didn't want to talk anymore. He lay on the sofa with a warm towel covering his face to cool down.
He went out in the hot summer sun to look for someone and his face got a little sunburned.
On the contrary, Zhang's mother and cousin Zhang were better off. They had suffered a lot when they were young and their skin was not as fair and tender as their son's. Therefore, their faces were not sunburned. At most, there was a little blush caused by the heat.
They sat there eating with a bottle of soda each, not caring at all about the fact that Mr. Zhang was being scolded by his daughter in a disrespectful manner.
"Can I, can I eat?"
When he got home and saw a table full of food, he realized he was hungry, but his daughter wouldn't let him go, so Dad Zhang had nothing to eat.
"What are you eating? Aren't you full from watching chess? What else are you eating? Stand by the wall and reflect on yourself."
Mother Zhang yelled at her husband, apparently intending to teach him a lesson.
He has been an honest and decent man for decades, but he still does this when he is old. It’s lucky that Mrs. Zhang didn’t beat her husband. She still wants to eat, let alone a door. There is not even a window.
Seeing that his wife, daughter and cousin would not let him eat, Zhang's father turned his attention to his son. If there was anyone in the family who could change their minds, it was only his son.
However, Zhang Mengzhi didn't want to pay any attention to his father. Was his father rebelling in old age? He had never behaved so unreliably. He didn't expect that when he got old, he, as a son, would be cheated by his father.
"Brother, eat."
Zhang Mengyu brought the food to the sofa and saw that his brother had been applying a cold towel to his face. He put the food on the coffee table beside him and gently took off the towel.
"Brother, what's wrong with your face? Why is it so red?"
Looking at the unnatural blush on his brother's face, Zhang Mengyu was frightened.
"Ouch, Mengzhi's face is sunburned. Sister-in-law, quickly take out the vanishing cream you usually use to wipe your face and apply it on Mengzhi."
Aunt Zhang came over and saw it and immediately shouted.
"I have one too. I'll get it."
Zhang Mengyu immediately returned to her room to get the vanishing cream.
He applied a cold towel again and took out a piece of vanishing cream to apply on Zhang Mengzhi.
"Xiao Yu, bring me another tube of Huoxiang Zhengqi water. I think your brother has a bit of heatstroke."
Mother Zhang pinched her son's nose bridge and neck, and soon sha began to appear in these places. The purple marks on his body looked a little scary.
"I-I didn't mean to do that. I just forgot."
Father Zhang regretted his decision so much now. If he had been hoping for the best and thought his wife and daughter had gone too far before, he was now really scared.
My son had heatstroke and didn't respond for a long time. My wife, daughter, sons and sisters at home were all very anxious. They used cold towels to cool him down, applied lotion, and even did scraping treatments on him.
He was the only one who had nothing to do, and all he could do was regret.
This lesson made Zhang's father remember it till death, and he never did anything out of line again. The so-called rebellion was beaten to death as soon as it emerged, and even when other men made fun of him, he just smiled and said nothing.
My son is more important than being called a henpecked man!
Because many people saw what Zhang's father did, the Zhang family in the city quickly got the news. The next evening, the people who were going to deal with him came.
"Cousin."
When Mr. Zhang saw Zhang Deming, he became completely depressed.
"Deyun, it seems that you still have self-awareness."
Zhang Deming laughed angrily when he saw this.
"Brother, I was wrong. I will never watch people play chess again."
He had recently become fascinated with chess. When he was getting off work, he saw people playing chess outside the factory and he couldn't resist the temptation and ran over to watch. He got so addicted to watching that he forgot to go home for dinner. His family members thought something had happened to him and they all came out to look for him.
Zhang Mengzhi got heat stroke and her face was sunburned. My goodness, this sin became serious all of a sudden.
The fact that Zhang Deming came to the house meant that all the Zhang family members in the city knew about it, and asked him to teach Zhang Deyun a lesson on their behalf.
"I'm asking you to look, I'm asking you to look. You're in your forties. Can you spare some trouble for Meng Zhi? You didn't go home for lunch at noon, and you're addicted to watching chess. Do you think you're three years older and two years younger? You don't even have this much self-control."
Zhang Deming's palm as big as a palm fan landed on him, but he didn't hit him on the head because he was afraid that it would make his already dull brain even dumber.
"Ahhhh."
Mr. Zhang cried loudly when his cousin beat him, but he didn't dare to hide.
No one from the Zhang family came out to rescue him. Zhang Mengzhi was lying on the bed resting because he was feeling unwell, while Zhang's mother and cousin were secretly happy in the kitchen.
As for Zhang Mengyu, she went back to school. She was afraid that if she stayed and saw her father being beaten by her cousin, she would be soft-hearted, so she went back to school immediately in the afternoon when her brother felt better.
Anyway, the school has a bed for her, so she can sleep a little longer before class tomorrow.
Therefore, no one came to rescue him, and Zhang's father was beaten up by his cousin. Later, Zhang Deming got tired of beating him, so he took the bamboo stick handed to him by his younger brother and sister-in-law and continued beating him.
Until there was no good flesh left on Mr. Zhang's body except his face.
"I will never dare to do that again. I will keep my word."
Father Zhang squatted in the corner and swore to his cousin.
"Remember today's lesson, or I will go back to my hometown and ask my father and grandfather to deal with you."
Zhang Deming threw away the bamboo stick in his hand and took the tea brought by his brother and sister-in-law to quench his thirst. He beat for a long time and was exhausted.
"I understand. I won't do it again."
Father Zhang nodded and swore that he would not do it again. If his father and his family knew about it, they would probably rush into the city overnight to teach him a lesson.
Forget about his dad, but if his grandparents come here at such an old age, he’s probably going to be beaten to death!
Although everyone thought that Zhang's father forgot to go home for dinner because he was confused at the moment, Zhang Mengxiao asked someone to follow his father after he recovered.
"Follow my dad and see if anyone has said anything to him. Find that person and make sure no one finds out." His dad's rebellion was so strange, without any signs. And his dad never cared about chess before, let alone became obsessed with it.
"Okay, Boss. I'll arrange for someone to follow Uncle immediately."
They still have yellow hair, but now they look like successful people, and the yellow hair on their heads is not so yellow. It used to be yellow because of malnutrition, but now they eat well and sleep well every day, so their hair has naturally become darker.
"By the way, Boss, that kid from the Gu family found a job as a cleaner. Do you want us to ruin his job?"
The little yellow-haired guy, oh no, his name should be Huang Xiong. He was ready to go and ruin Gu Yan's job as soon as Zhang Mengzhi said a word.
"No, just let him do it!"
Zhang Mengzhi was suffering for her family, but if she starved to death without a job, she would not suffer. Wang Lingya lost her job two years ago. She did not study hard in school, so she made mistakes easily at work. She was fired after a few mistakes.
"Okay."
Huang Xiong let Gu Yan go and let him continue to keep company with the garbage!
As for Gu's parents, they were also sent to labor camps. Their crimes were discovered, and one was sentenced to ten years, and the other was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Originally it wasn't that serious, but who knew they happened to run into a severe crackdown!
In the past few years, Gu Yan has been relying on collecting waste to support Wang Lingya. They have two sons, and Gu Yan can't find a job, so there is nothing else he can do except picking up waste.
Fortunately, I have a stable job now, even if it’s just a cleaner!
Gu Yan has been overwhelmed by life. He is a good college student and can't even find a job. He knows that someone is deliberately making trouble for him, but what can he do?
Public institutions and public institutions would not accept him because he had a demerit when he was in school. Private institutions would not recruit him either. After all, no one wanted to offend Zhang Mengzhi.
The fact that Gu Yan stole Zhang Mengzhi's fiancée was no secret in Guocheng.
Even Zhang Mengzhi's opponents would not bother him over a college student. In Guocheng, the Zhang family still keep their word.
Knowing that Zhang Mengzhi was deliberately making things difficult for Gu Yan, no one dared to lend a hand to help him.
The Gu family in the capital city and Gu's father and mother were all destroyed. Even if there were still people outside, no one would remember Gu Yan.
Gu Yan is like an isolated island in Guocheng. No matter what he does, he can't get any help.
The heroine, Wang Lingya, has a difficult life and has given birth to two sons. Although she is only in her twenties, she now looks like a middle-aged woman in her thirties.
Her beautiful appearance has long disappeared in time, and now no one even glances at her when she walks on the street.
Send someone to follow Zhang's father, and there will be news within a day.
"Did someone really say something unpleasant to my dad on purpose, causing him to develop a rebellious mentality?"
Zhang Mengzhi's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. He said that his father had been honest all his life, so how could he suddenly fall in love with chess and even not go home to watch people play chess. It turned out that someone deliberately seduced him, but his father was an honest person and didn't realize that someone was doing it on purpose.
"Yes, Boss, you don't know, that man is so hateful! He whispered some very unpleasant things in Uncle's ear, saying that he was so severely punished by his wife and children, and he had no dignity as a man. If it were him, he would have resisted long ago. But Uncle might have been frightened by the fact that you had a heat stroke, Boss, so he didn't listen to him and advised him not to be angry."
Huang Xiong said angrily that he never expected that there would be someone so hateful as to deliberately whisper in his uncle's ear to sow discord between him and his family.
"Okay, I get it. Take me there. I want to see who is bold enough to set his sights on my dad."
Zhang Mengzhi's eyes sank and he asked Huang Xiong to take him to find someone.
"Okay, boss."
His elder brother had other things to do, so he told Zhang Mengzhi today that Huang Xiong had to be a bit of a bootlicker in order to show off! He didn't hesitate at all when asked to lead the way, and immediately pulled out his own guide, a bicycle.
"Boss, let's go!"
"good."
Zhang Mengzhi sat on the back seat of the bicycle and let Huang Xiong take him to the man's residence.
"you……"
Zhao Gongnong was on his way to work when he saw Zhang Mengzhi standing outside his house.
"It seems that you know me. This makes things easier."
Zhang Mengzhi glanced at Huang Xiong.
"Go in."
Huang Xiong immediately pushed the man back into the house.
"What do you want to do? I'm telling you that we must abide by the law. If you dare to lay hands on me, you will be taken to the police station."
Zhao Gongnong was so scared that he lay down behind his chair and didn't even dare to look Zhang Mengzhi directly in the face.
"Boss, sit down."
Huang Xiong pulled over a chair, wiped it a few times with his sleeve, and placed it behind Zhang Mengzhi.
"Don't worry, the Zhang family has always abided by the law. I came to see who had the guts to sow discord between my father and the family. Now it seems that he is not very brave!"
Zhang Mengzhi sat down and looked at Zhao Gongnong opposite him.
He looks dark and thin, and he doesn't even dare to look at himself. How could he have the courage to sow discord?
"I, I didn't want to do it either. Someone paid me three hundred dollars to do it. Three hundred dollars is like a drop from the sky. With that much money, I can marry a woman. Of course, if you want to know the other person's identity, I can tell you."
Zhao Gongnong spinelessly gave the person away.
"Oh? Who is the other party?"
As expected, someone did this on purpose.
"Hehe, the other party thought I didn't know his identity, but he didn't know that when we first met, I quietly followed him and saw him enter Rongfu Building."
Zhao Gongnong said with a proud look on his face that although he agreed to help the other party, he still had to consider it himself!
Zhang Mengzhi was a famous person in Guocheng, and it was not a wise move to offend him. But he coveted the three hundred yuan, so he tried to follow him, so that if the truth came out one day, he could atone for his sin.
"Rongfulou, is that the restaurant opened by someone from outside the city?"
Zhang Mengzhi tapped his thigh lightly with his fingers. He had no doubt about what Zhao Gongnong said.
It was obvious that this man was greedy for money, and Huang Xiong had already told him about Zhao Gongnong before he came. He was a local from Guocheng, and he loved to take advantage of small opportunities. He was almost 40 years old and still hadn't married. He was a typical example of one person eating to feed the whole family.
Because he is a local, he understands how serious the consequences of offending the Zhang family are. So he must have leverage over the person behind the scenes, otherwise he would not dare to help the other party and go to sow discord between Zhang's father and his family.
"Yes, it was the Rongfulou. I saw that man talking to Boss Rong, and Boss Rong gave him some money."
When Zhao Gongnong said this, his face was full of indignation. Boss Rong gave the other party a stack of money, but the other party only gave him a hundred yuan.
"Okay, I got it."
Zhang Mengzhi stood up and left.
"Boss, aren't you going to teach him a lesson?"
Huang Xiong hated this kind of method of hurting people behind their backs the most. Even if he and his elder brother were doing badly, they would never resort to such despicable means.
"Don't worry, he can't get away. We are good citizens who abide by the law, and someone will take care of him."
After leaving Zhao Gongnong's house, Zhang Mengzhi slightly curled the corners of his mouth.
He is a good citizen who abides by the law. Of course he would look for the police if he encountered such a thing!
"Mengzhi, it's rare to see you come to my place, what happened?"
Zhang Mengzhi's cousin, Zhang Deming's son Zhang Shixue, saw him coming and personally received his cousin.
"Brother Shixue, I really have something to trouble you with today."
Zhang Mengzhi had a cordial conversation with his cousin, after which Zhang Shixue personally escorted him out of the police station.
Then Zhang Mengzhi went to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau and had a good chat with his relatives.
The next day, Rongfulou was raided, but the staff from the Industrial and Commercial Bureau arrived too quickly and the rotten ingredients in the restaurant had no time to be dealt with.
Looking at the meat covered with flying insects and rotting vegetables, all the industrial and commercial staff looked very angry.
However, before Rongfu could find a way to escape, the police came in and arrested him directly.
"Put your hands up and don't move." The police arrested all the staff of Rongfulou.
"Comrade police, why are you arresting me?"
If he uses unclean ingredients, the most he can do is close down the restaurant, fine it, and make corrections. It’s not the police’s turn to arrest him, right?
"Boss Rong, your crime has been exposed."
Zhang Shixue walked in and said with a smile.
"W-what happened?"
Rongfu thought that the bad things he had done in the past were known to others, and he stuttered when he spoke.
"Come with us and you will find out."
Zhang Shixue waved his hand and Rongfu was immediately taken away.
"Cousin, it's up to you now."
Zhang Shixue said to the person in charge of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau.
"Don't worry, if anyone dares to cheat the common people, I will definitely check all these restaurants and hotels."
Thinking of what his cousin said, Wu Qi did not hesitate and led his men to the next house.
At one time, all the restaurants and hotels in Guocheng were investigated and punished, and all those that used unclean ingredients were fined and closed down for rectification.
If someone has problems because of the food they eat, the nature of the case is different and in serious cases they may even go to jail.
All staff members of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau were mobilized and inspected all the restaurants and hotels in one day. Problems were found in half of them.
Not to mention the recycling of leftover oil from customers, the rotten vegetables and meat full of maggots were shocking to the inspectors, and some people even added poppy and millet husks into the food.
"Investigate. Investigate thoroughly."
China has strict control over opium and poppy, and will never tolerate any such substances once discovered.
Zhang Mengzhi didn't expect these people to be so bold. He knew that some people would do anything to make money, but he didn't expect that they had lost even their basic humanity.
You know, food with poppy and millet husks is very addictive, and if you don't eat it for a night, you will feel uncomfortable all over. He has seen people who would queue up before dawn just to eat a bite, which is very exaggerated.
But this is not a joke. Fortunately, it was discovered in time and it is relatively easy for everyone to quit.
It's just that Zhang Mengzhi has become more strict in managing all the food under his name. Someone checks every day, and if any food is found to be stale, it is immediately disposed of. Similarly, things of unknown origin cannot be used, especially seasonings. No matter how much the salesperson boasts, Zhang Mengzhi will never buy them.
Among the dozens of restaurants and hotels in Guocheng, half of them were closed due to problems, the remaining one-third had no problems, and the remaining two-thirds had minor problems that could continue to open for business as long as these problems were resolved.
Among them, Zhang Mengzhi's store received direct praise because of its proper management and food safety.
Therefore, citizens all know that the food in Zhang’s stores can be eaten with peace of mind. The ingredients are purchased and cooked on the same day. The unused food is cooked and distributed to employees on the same day and will never be used the next day.
As a result, more people came to Taibailou and fast food restaurants to eat, and business at other stores that did not have any problems also increased.
Stores with problems, even minor ones, have seen their business drop significantly. As a result, these stores have no choice but to lower prices to attract customers.
Except for those who are looking for a bargain, most people choose to eat in restaurants where there is no problem.
People who can eat out every day don't lack this little money. Compared with money, they care more about the safety of food.
"Boss, we've run out of meat and vegetables."
The dinner was halfway through that night when all the meat dishes were gone.
"... Next, don't entertain new customers. Go apologize to the customers who come later and give them a discount card so they don't have to wait. We'll have no ingredients to cook."
Zhang Mengzhi did not expect that so many ingredients would be used up in advance, but he did not plan to have them delivered urgently, because this wave of growth in business was only temporary and would soon decline after this period.
Instead of adding ingredients rashly, it is better to end the day's business early so that employees can go back to rest earlier after closing.
Many people could not understand this behavior of driving customers away, and thought he was a fool for not making money. However, reality slapped them in the face. Zhang Mengzhi's operation not only did not affect his ability to make money, but the business in his store became even more popular.
Because Zhang's tells everyone with facts that all the ingredients in Zhang's are bought and used on the same day, and there is no leftover. In terms of the freshness of ingredients, Zhang's is worthy of everyone's trust.
Word of mouth spread in this way, and more and more people would come to Zhang's restaurant to eat when they had a choice.
Even fast food is more reassuring than other restaurants. It is cheap, has large portions, and you don’t have to worry about getting an upset stomach. How could anyone not choose such a conscientious business!
"When you came to me, I thought you did this on purpose to attack your opponent. I didn't expect that I underestimated you. You came to me to solve the problem for the people of Guocheng."
Wu Qi poured tea to his distant cousin to apologize for his petty behavior.
"What? Am I so untrustworthy? To put it bluntly, none of the other restaurants and hotels in Guocheng can compete with me. Even if I want to bring down my rivals, I won't use such ruthless means."
Zhang Mengzhi took the tea and was somewhat unhappy with Wu Qi's distrust.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's my fault, Mengzhi, please forgive me this time!"
Wu Qi almost cried after hearing what Zhang Mengzhi said. This matter was neither a big deal nor a small one. If his mother knew about it, he would be scolded.
He is in his forties and still gets scolded by his mother. He is so embarrassed.
"Cousin, I have always kept my public and private affairs separate. I will not retaliate against them because of my personal affairs. Since I came to you, I must have received confirmed information. You sit in the office every day and don't know that those of us who open our doors and run our shops still have some means of collecting information privately."
Zhang Mengzhi drank a sip of tea, saying that the matter was over. He would not go to his cousin to complain, so Wu Qi could rest assured.
"Yes, yes, I was wrong. I will change it next time."
Wu Qi then understood why the Zhang family valued Zhang Mengzhi so much, not only because he was a college student, but also because he knew how to act in moderation.
If this matter is not investigated earlier and a big explosion happens, no one in Guocheng will be happy about it, and the reputation of the Zhang family in Guocheng will also be affected.
"It's good that you understand, cousin. Don't do it again next time. Okay, I have something else to do so I'll go back first."
Zhang Mengzhi stood up.
"I send you."
Wu Qi did not dare to put on airs in front of his cousin and personally sent the man out.
"Brother, I heard you did something big."
Zhang Mengyu ran back from school after receiving the news.
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