Chapter 30
The boy, who was concentrating on cooking, was actually listening intently to everyone's discussion.
Hearing the girl mention him, especially calling him "Brother Asu," made his ears burn and he felt somewhat at a loss, almost dropping his rice bowl.
Yu Wan's last words made him the center of attention, and Yu's mother and Rong Xun also looked at him.
Rong Xun seemed to remember something and was about to bring it up when he was given a cold warning by the boy, so he swallowed his words.
Yu's mother smiled and smoothed things over: "Studying is always useful, no matter when. I'm uneducated and don't know anything, but I saw the closure notice that Asu wrote a few days ago, and his handwriting was quite beautiful. Although Asu doesn't talk much, I think he's very knowledgeable and a talented person."
He Jing pursed his lips. He saw the little boy looking at him expectantly but didn't speak immediately. He also saw the girl's bright face and lively expression, as she was giving him a meaningful look.
"Your sister is right, listen to her."
Yu Cheng wore a bitter face, looking disappointed.
"Okay, then I'll go study. But Brother Asu, can I become your apprentice? You looked so cool saving my sister in court that day! I admire you so much!"
He Jing's lips curled up slightly as he couldn't help but glance at the girl, only to find that her attention was no longer on him. His slightly upturned lips returned to their cold expression.
"Ask your sister. If she tells you to learn, I'll teach you, but you don't need to become her apprentice."
Yu Wan was naturally willing. This person was highly skilled in martial arts, and ordinary people couldn't even find a master like him.
"Then you can teach me, but take care of your health. You're still recovering from serious injuries, so you can't always use your martial arts. Just give me pointers within your capabilities."
He Jing nodded sullenly.
Rong Xun spent the whole afternoon searching in the mountains and did find several precious herbs, but there was no sign of American ginseng. After finishing his meal, he begged Yu Wan to take him to look for it.
Yu Wan witnessed his deep obsession and promised to take him there.
"Mr. Rong, it's already dark. The shop will be open tomorrow. I'll definitely take you there next time the shop is closed, okay? Anyway, you don't have anything to do, so it's okay to wait a few more days."
Rong Xun pleaded for a long time, but Yu Wan remained unmoved, so he had no choice but to give up in the end.
The next day.
Yu Wan got up with a nervous heart and busied herself in the kitchen, waiting for the arrival of the first customer of the day.
He Jing moved the chairs and benches off the table and put them away. He went to the kitchen, told them, and then drove the horse-drawn carriage to the village to pick up people to sew clothes.
Yu's mother and Yu Cheng made tea, wiped the table, and checked the details.
Everyone performed their duties, and over two months they developed sufficient tacit understanding.
Seeing that it was almost time, Yu Wan called her younger brother to open the door and welcome the guests.
Yu Cheng ran to the door, and before he could even open it, he could see a huge crowd of people outside through the window.
Before I knew it, a long queue had formed at the entrance.
"Sister! Sister! There are so many people outside! You need to go and see, I can't possibly manage them all by myself!"
Yu Wan disagreed. It was barely dawn; how many people could there be?
Usually, the first wave only has about a dozen people, and most of them don't arrive until the sun rises.
This remote town is located in the northern region. The snow in the fields has not completely melted yet, and farm work has not officially started. So, apart from those who do business, most people do not go out too early.
It seems that He Su has been doing a lot of dirty and tiring work these days, making things much easier for the little guy, who has become dependent on him.
Even if they are about to be sent to school, there are still chores to be done at home!
She came out of the kitchen, her tone carrying a hint of criticism:
"You lazybones, once Asu leaves, let's see who you can rely on."
She wanted to say a few more words, but she was stunned by the scene before her.
The lobby was packed with people, and there was an endless queue outside.
Several kitchen helpers from Fu Man Ju, along with her fellow inmates, were grinning and waving at her.
Yu Wan was surprised that they had come together. The courtroom was quite chaotic that day, so when she left, she extended an invitation to them to come to the restaurant whenever it was convenient for them, and she would treat them.
I didn't expect them to be so accommodating.
Most importantly, the county magistrate and his family of four were seated at the first table!
Zhu Zhifeng waved her hand, her smile radiant.
"Awan, I really didn't expect you to make this little shop so beautiful. This is the most unique style I've ever seen in my life. You're amazing! How did you come up with such a fun idea!"
Yu Wan smiled with satisfaction, "Thank you all for your support."
Lord Zhu laughed and said, "We're not just trying to curry favor; we just want to treat ourselves. Madam Yu, can you really make all the recipes on this wall?"
Yu Wan said, "Of course, I will do everything written here. There are still many things I haven't written down because there are too many."
The county magistrate was gentle, but he wasn't always available, so she naturally had to extract the key points and strive to convey crucial information.
Lord Zhu's eyes lit up. "Oh? You're quite capable. Just like Ah Feng said, you're a very intelligent person with a strong personal style. If you can make better use of this ability, you might have even greater surprises."
Yu Wan smiled slightly; having achieved her goal, she decided not to pursue the matter further.
As for her purpose, it is naturally to pursue long-term development.
She's going to open a shop in the county town!
She wants more and more diners to come to her restaurant; she wants to make more money.
Currently, opening a store in a county town is not difficult; the challenge lies in long-term development.
Long-term development naturally requires official support and many other supporting conditions; many of the things she wants to achieve cannot be accomplished by herself alone.
But she couldn't appear too eager, otherwise it would give the impression that she was daydreaming and making empty promises.
She needs to guide them slowly, letting them discover it for themselves.
So she didn't continue the conversation, but instead greeted everyone and went to entertain the other people.
Yu Wan approached Chen Lie and the others, knowing that Fu Man Ju had been closed for the past two days. After Qian Jindai was arrested, his men, fearing they would be implicated, quickly fled, emptying the shop of all its valuable calligraphy, paintings, vases, and other valuables. Some who were late in taking what they could still carry away, even the tables and chairs, and everything in the kitchen.
The once-glorious Fumanju restaurant is now deserted, with not even a scrap of paper left.
Honest guys like Chen Lie didn't take anything. Because Qian Jindai liked to withhold two months' wages, they were owed three months' wages.
"Everyone, I'm so sorry, my actions have caused you all..."
Chen Lie and the others didn't seem to mind, and even joked around with laughter.
"Madam Yu, do you need someone? Just someone who can provide meals."
Yu Wan laughed and said, "We're short-staffed! If you're willing, you can start working right now!"
Chen Lie and the others felt embarrassed. "We were just joking with you. Don't feel bad for us. We've disliked that guy surnamed Qian for a long time, but your situation has made us even angrier and more indignant on your behalf."
Yu Wan pointed to the long line outside the door, "I'm serious, I really need people right now. Are you willing to come? Today is a trial period, and we'll discuss the compensation in detail after work tonight."
Chen Lie and the others hesitated for only a moment, then, confirming that she wasn't joking, immediately stood up and rolled up their sleeves.
"Boss, what do we need to do now? Give us some work!"
A few people at the next table also rushed over anxiously, "Boss, are you still hiring? Can we handle it since we have no experience?"
Yu Wan looked closely and saw that several of her fellow inmates, including Zhu Da, had also stood up to apply.
Her eyes crinkled with laughter as she readily agreed, "Sure! Definitely! Don't worry about not having experience; you'll learn everything gradually."
Infected by their enthusiasm, Zhu Zhifeng also rolled up her sleeves and shouted,
"This looks like so much fun! I want to join too! But what if I might break the plates?"
Madam Zhu pulled her back to her seat: "Don't bother meddling in this. Getting better is more important than anything else."
Jin Yifei looked around and asked curiously, "Madam Yu, where's that assistant named Asu in your shop? Has he quit already? I've been around for many years and seen a lot, so I know a little bit about this. Why don't I help you?"
Madam Zhu glanced at him and smiled. "Yes, we set off very early to be the first table. There are about three hundred people outside, and we can't let our guests wait on an empty stomach in this cold weather. Letting Afei do more will reduce your pressure."
Yu Wan declined, saying politely, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Jin, but with Chen Lie and the others, it should be enough."
At this moment, He Jing returned with Aunt Li and the others.
He Jing, with a calm expression, glanced briefly at the scene before walking directly to Yu Wan and saying in a deep voice:
"I'm back."
Yu Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the person return. "Get to work. You can assign tasks to Chen Lie and the others."
He Jing glanced at Jin Yifei and then got to work.
He first sent Chen Lie and a few other kitchen helpers to the back kitchen to assist, then instructed Zhu Da and a few others to make tea and pour water for each table. He himself skillfully went to each table to take orders, then arranged the order forms and sent them to the back kitchen. He then took out some number slips and went outside to distribute the numbers.
Yu Wan was very satisfied with his series of operations. As expected of someone she had personally trained, he was very effective!
She could imagine that anyone who received training at her shop would never starve.
Jin Yifei smiled meaningfully, "This young master Asu is... quite extraordinary."
Aunt Li and her two companions were terrified by the scene. These farm women usually only saw a few neighbors in the village, never so many people. The people before them were dressed in fine clothes, adorned with gold and silver, clearly wealthy and powerful; in short, everyone looked richer than them.
Not to mention the women, even Yu's mother felt extremely uncomfortable, but she forced herself to keep up the spirits and entertain the guests.
Seeing this, Yu Wan quickly called to her mother, "Mother, please take Aunt Li and the others upstairs."
Aunt Li said apologetically, "Wan, I'm so sorry. I found out this morning that one of my geese was missing, and I asked Asu to help me find it, which is why I was delayed. I saw that he was in a hurry to come back, probably because he was afraid that you would deduct his wages. Please don't deduct his wages, deduct mine instead."
Yu Wan was both amused and exasperated. No wonder she came back late; the image of the boy catching geese had popped into her mind, which was actually quite funny.
"Don't worry, Aunt Li, none of your wages will be deducted. I'm a bit busy today, so I won't talk to you any longer. That's all for now, I have to go to the kitchen."
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