Chapter Six Yuanbao Tower
The restaurant hadn't opened yet. In the lobby, besides Mrs. He, there were two other young women moving tables and chairs and doing cleaning.
There was a person standing behind the counter, looking down at something. After locking onto her target, Li Yan walked straight towards the counter.
Manager Xu was checking the bills when he suddenly looked up and saw a wall blocking his way, which startled him.
"Who are you?" Startled, Manager Xu patted his chest lightly while sizing up the person in front of him.
Judging from her attire and deducing from her experience that she was definitely not a customer, Manager Xu showed no smile at all. "Don't you know where this is? This is a place to eat. If you're not here to eat, please leave."
His attitude was arrogant, and his words were impolite.
However, since she needed his help, Li Yan ignored his attitude and simply smiled at him: "I didn't mean to disturb your business. I was brought by Sister-in-law Zhang..."
Before Li Yan could finish speaking, Manager Xu waved his hand impatiently and said, "I know." Then he looked her up and down again, squinting as if he didn't want to look at her anymore. He looked away and continued to fiddle with the abacus beads as he said, "I originally had you wait outside because I was planning to call you in to talk in detail after I finished my work, but now... it's not necessary."
At this moment, Madam He rushed over, first apologizing to Manager Xu, then pulling Li Yan: "Didn't I tell you to wait outside? Why did you come in by yourself?"
Li Yan said helplessly, "I've been waiting for quite a while, but you haven't come looking for me, so I came in by myself."
"We're busy right now," Mrs. He complained. This job was good; it was easy work, only requiring an hour or two around dinner time, and wouldn't interfere with farm work during the day. At the end of the month, she could earn an extra coin.
She got the job by asking relatives in town for help and giving them many gifts.
If this clueless Li Shi messes things up and she loses this job, she'll probably be so anxious she'll swallow rat poison.
Li Yan knew what He was worried about, so she quickly reassured her, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I definitely won't ruin your job." She then explained, "It's not too busy right now. If I don't seize the opportunity to find it, the shopkeeper will have even less time to take care of me once the guests start arriving for their meals. It's hot today, so I can wait, but I'm afraid this bowl of meat won't be ready in time. That's why I was a little anxious just now, and that's why I acted a bit rashly."
Hearing that her words made sense and that she didn't seem to be up to any trouble, Mrs. He felt a little relieved.
"I'll go apologize to the shopkeeper and then we'll talk things over properly."
Mrs. He was filled with trepidation and dared not follow Li Yan to find Manager Xu. She could only continue with her own work while watching from afar.
Li Yan went over again, but before she could speak, Manager Xu, without even looking up, said, "Don't say we're not short-staffed lately, even if we were..." He slightly raised his eyelids, glanced at Li Yan, and smiled rather sarcastically, "This lady, although we're in the food business, the customer's mood while eating is also very important. You... your appearance..."
Li Yan understood.
First, he disliked his own appearance. Second, Zhang's wife hadn't explained herself clearly, and he misunderstood that he was there to help in the main hall.
Li Yan quickly explained, "Shopkeeper, you've misunderstood..."
"Please come in, sir." Manager Xu didn't give her a chance to explain. He glanced at the guest and immediately greeted him with a smile.
As more and more customers came to the shop, Li Yan had even less chance to speak to Manager Xu.
But since the people have already come and the meat has been prepared, we can't just leave empty-handed.
After thinking for a moment, Li Yan found an opportunity to call He Shi aside again.
"Sister-in-law, could you please take this bowl of meat to the table of the newest guest? Just say it's for them."
He was frightened and quickly waved her hand, saying, "It's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that I'm really not capable enough to help you. Yan Niang, you should go now."
Li Yan said firmly, "As long as you help me deliver the meat to the guests' table, I will pay you one tael of silver as a reward."
Mrs. He fell silent.
Seeing that she was swayed by the prospect of profit, Li Yan pursed her lips and continued to tempt her with benefits: "As long as you help me with this, I will give you a coin as a reward, whether it succeeds or not. In addition, if I manage to secure this cooperation, I will give you a penny every day as a thank you for helping me make the deal."
One coin a day, that's thirty coins a month. It's not much, but it's free.
This was indeed very tempting for the He family.
"I... well... then I'll help you, I'll give it a try." After weighing the options in her mind, Mrs. He gritted her teeth and agreed.
“Wait for me here,” He instructed.
Fortunately, the weather was hot, and Li Yan had covered the bowl with gauze and was holding it in her arms, so the meat was still warm.
He mustered her courage and walked to the table of the newest customers. After trying her best to calm herself down, she said, "This is a new dish at our restaurant. Please try it; it's free."
Hearing that the roast pork was free, the customer immediately picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
I was stunned as soon as I tasted it. Then I savored it carefully, and after finishing one piece, I immediately picked up another.
"This roast pork is delicious." After eating several pieces in one go, the customer put down his chopsticks, smacked his lips, and asked as if he still wanted more, "Did Yuanbaolou change its head chef?"
"It's a new technique, a new method." Since He had taken it upon herself to do this, she didn't dare reveal too much and simply said, "If you like it, that's fine."
"Delicious, delicious." The customer said, licking his teeth with his tongue, savoring the lingering flavor between his teeth and lips. "Bring another serving, I'll take it home and let my wife and children try it together."
"This..." Madam He suddenly had no choice and didn't know how to answer.
Although Li Yan was hiding in a secluded spot, she kept a close eye on He Shi's movements. When she saw He Shi's pleading gaze fall upon her, Li Yan beckoned to her, signaling her to come over and talk.
He made up an excuse and ran away first.
"What should we do? He said it was delicious and wanted to pack some to take away." Mrs. He was anxious. "I don't know what the shopkeeper said. I don't dare to say a word in front of the customer."
Li Yan said, "Sister-in-law, go to the shopkeeper and tell him the truth. Even if he's angry that you acted on your own, he'll only scold you a couple of times. But once his anger subsides and he sees there's profit to be made, he won't blame you anymore."
Things had come to this point, and Mrs. He had no other choice but to do as Li Yan said.
He had acted on his own initiative, and a scolding was inevitable. He bowed her head before Manager Xu, repeatedly apologizing and saying she knew she was wrong.
After scolding her and venting his anger, Manager Xu gradually regained his composure and asked, "Which table of customers ate the meat she cooked?"
"The table by the window, the one in the last row," Mrs. He pointed.
After giving her a disdainful look, Manager Xu immediately put on a smiling face and eagerly went over to her.
"So you're the young master of Jinxiu Cloth Shop. I apologize for the intrusion." Manager Xu responded nimbly, greeting him first before saying, "Young master, please feel free to give any instructions you may have."
The young master Liu, the owner of the cloth shop, said, "What are you asking, Manager Xu? You're too kind." Then he brought up the roast pork from earlier, "The roast pork in the shop today is different from usual. It has a delicate and slightly sweet taste. It's really delicious. Is it a new dish? I'm so ignorant. This is the first time I've tasted roast pork with this flavor."
Only when he heard his old customer, Young Master Liu, praise him personally did Manager Xu truly take the matter seriously.
He didn't answer Young Master Liu's question, but simply picked up another pair of chopsticks and put a piece of meat into the bowl to eat.
The moment the meat entered his mouth, he paused for a moment before resuming his serious chewing.
After they finished eating, Manager Xu didn't say anything else, only urging Young Master Liu to eat first, and then quickly went to talk to Madam He on the side.
"Where is your neighbor?" Manager Xu asked anxiously.
Mrs. He's heart was pounding with anxiety, not knowing what was going on, and she felt like she was about to faint from fright.
“There, there…” Madam He raised her hand and pointed to the door, but found that Madam Li was no longer there. “Where is she? She was just there a moment ago.”
Manager Xu was already regretting his earlier attitude, realizing he had been too arrogant. He shouldn't have judged people by their appearance and turned them away based solely on past experience without clarifying the situation.
Fortunately, the woman didn't give up; otherwise, she might have missed a chance to make a profit.
After reflecting on his actions, Manager Xu's attitude towards Madam He improved: "Go and find her, and once you find her, be nice to her and invite her to the shop properly."
Seeing the shopkeeper's attitude change drastically, Mrs. He's anxious heart finally calmed down.
"I'll go find it right now."
Li Yan didn't go too far, but seeing more and more people coming and going in the restaurant, she moved to another spot to avoid disturbing their business.
As soon as Mrs. He stepped out, she saw her standing in a corner not far away.
Overjoyed, He immediately ran off.
"Quick, Manager Xu is looking for you. Come with me." Madam He couldn't hide her joy. "It's good news."
Although Li Yan was confident that the outcome would be good, the feeling was still different when she heard the good news from the He family.
Madam He took Li Yan to the shop, and Manager Xu saw her from afar and immediately came over to greet her.
"I haven't even asked your surname, madam."
"My surname is Li."
"So it's Madam Li," Manager Xu said humbly. "I hope you won't take my rudeness to heart."
Whether in ancient times or in later generations, the principles of conduct and interpersonal relationships are actually quite similar.
If someone treats you with respect, you should treat them with even greater respect; this is the way to maintain a lasting relationship.
"Manager Xu, you're too kind." Li Yan spoke politely and eloquently. "Your shop is so large and prosperous. Manager Xu, you manage such a big business all by yourself, yet you still find time in your busy schedule to give me this opportunity. I am extremely grateful."
Only then did Manager Xu properly examine the rather plain-looking woman before him. He felt that although she was ugly, her speech suggested that she was educated. As a result, he felt even more respect for her.
"Madam Li, let's skip the formalities." Manager Xu's tone was gentle, his eyes smiling, and he went straight to the point, "Madam, are you looking to work in our restaurant's kitchen?"
A note from the author:
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Red envelopes are dropping!
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