Chapter 41: They Actually Asked for Benefits
Yu Wan patiently explained, and then took the opportunity to tell the onlookers that the store would officially open tomorrow and that everyone was welcome to come and support it.
Zhu Zhifeng then realized she had misunderstood, but she still didn't give Xue Xiujun a friendly look, and even looked at him with some jealousy.
"Awan, why didn't you ask me for such a good job! I can eat too! Why don't you let me do it instead? I have nothing to do all day anyway, so I might as well help you out. I don't need wages, three meals a day are enough for me."
Yu Wan took it as a joke. She was the apple of the magistrate and his wife's eye, how could they bear to let her work for someone else?
Even if all you're responsible for is eating, it's still a job.
"You don't have to work, so you can come and eat whatever you want."
"But that's different!" Zhu Zhifeng persisted.
Yu Wan smiled and changed the subject, asking, "What brings you here today?"
Zhu Zhifeng shook her head, "I haven't been feeling well these past two days and didn't even know you were officially opening tomorrow, so I rushed over as soon as I heard the news today."
Yu Wan then noticed that her complexion was indeed not very good. "You came out while you were sick. Your parents will worry about you. I'll have someone take you home to rest. You can come anytime you want when you're better."
Zhu Zhifeng took her hand and said coquettishly, "Oh, I'm not sick, it's just that... it's almost over."
Yu Wan understood; she guessed it was her period.
"I'm not busy right now, so I'll make you some longan and red date porridge. When you leave, take a portion for your wife as well."
Zhu Zhifeng hugged her, "Awan, you're so good to me, even better than my mother."
Xue Xiujun pouted and rolled her eyes. "Boss lady, I've finished all the food on my table. I'm going to find Asu and help him clean the backyard." With that, she left.
We had lunch together, and then we finished work early in the afternoon.
Yu Wan told them to get some rest early tonight, as tomorrow might be particularly busy.
Yu's mother and Yu Cheng also moved in and have been busy helping out.
With everything ready and finally able to catch her breath, Yu Wan took the two of them out for an hour to familiarize themselves with the surroundings, so they wouldn't get lost.
After Rong Lao came to the restaurant, in addition to treating He Jing's injuries, he also cured Yu's mother's leg ailment, and she can walk much better now than before.
After walking around, they returned home and the family of three sat together chatting.
Yu Cheng ate malt candy and said regretfully, "If only Dad and my brother came back, I can't even remember what they look like."
These words stirred up Yu's mother's sadness. "Yes..."
Knowing that her mother cried secretly every night, Yu Wan comforted her, "Mother, they will definitely come back. No news is good news."
Besides offering comfort, she didn't know what else to say.
Mother Yu wiped away her tears and forced herself to be strong, saying, "I'm alright. Awan, I never dreamed I'd live such a good life. If your father and brother came back and saw this, they'd be just as happy as I am. I have to thank you; if it weren't for you, we might not be alive today..."
Yu Wan hugged her. "Mom, smile more when you're happy. Let's all take good care of ourselves; we have a long good life ahead of us."
Mother Yu nodded, "Okay, okay."
“Oh, right,” Yu Wan remembered the important matter, “Are Aunt Li and the others still willing to have clothes made? Currently, each person in the restaurant only has one set of uniforms. I’m thinking of making another set for them, otherwise it’s not very convenient without any changes of clothes.”
She found that when Yu's mother was busy, she wouldn't worry too much, and she had a good relationship with Aunt Li and others, and it was nice to visit and chat with them often.
As expected, Yu's mother's attention was diverted, and she became interested. "Of course they'd be willing. This time when I came over, they also wanted me to ask you what kind of work you could do."
Having finalized the matter, Yu Wan saw that the sun was about to set, so she went to the kitchen to cook.
To her surprise, He Suzhi had already prepared six dishes and a soup, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, and they looked very appealing.
"Well done!"
She was very pleased, as this was a talent she had personally nurtured, and he had truly inherited her skills.
A simple compliment pleased He Jing, and his thin lips curved into a smile.
"I'll go call Auntie and Acheng for dinner."
Watching his rapidly disappearing figure, Yu Wan sighed, "It seems his injuries have truly healed completely; he's using his lightness skill even when he's not doing anything."
When Xue Xiujun learned that He Jing had prepared the meal, he immediately gave him a thumbs up.
"Wow, this tastes really good! I never expected the He family to have such a talented descendant like you. Your ancestors' graves must be emitting auspicious smoke!"
The warning look in the other person's eyes almost made him bite his tongue.
He observed that no one noticed anything unusual, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After dinner, Yu Wan went to do the laundry and found that the clothes had already been washed and hung up to dry.
The flowers and plants in the garden have all been watered.
Hmm... seems like there's nothing to do?
Could these have been done by He Suzhi again?
This person has always been very diligent, and he has become even more diligent since becoming the manager.
The boy returned carrying a bucket of water for watering the flowers; it was already full of water.
Yu Wan is used to preparing a day in advance, so she waters the flowers every day and then fills the water container with water to place in the garden.
He Jing put the bucket back in its original place, looked around to check and make sure there was nothing he had missed, before coming to her.
"Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Yu Wan shook her head: "No. Actually, you don't need to do these things. Just help me manage the head office."
He Jing stared straight at her face, his thin lips pressed tightly together.
Yu Wan knew he would definitely have something to say, and she was already used to it.
"What's wrong?"
"I..." He Jinggang only managed to utter one word before dragging out the last syllable, stammering and unable to finish a sentence for a long time.
"What exactly happened?" Yu Wan couldn't figure it out or guess what was going on, so she could only ask directly.
"Ahem!" He Jing cleared his throat, reorganized his thoughts, and looked at her with a nervous expression.
"Could I also have a few new outfits made?"
Yu Wan's eyes lit up; this person was actually asking for perks.
That's really rare!
“Sure, I was going to make one for you anyway, but now that you’re in a different position, you’re the manager, so I’ll make two sets for you every month from now on.”
It would be a shame if this clothes hanger didn't wear new clothes.
“Okay!” He Jing grinned, “I…I also want to make new shoes.”
Yu Wan looked him up and down. Was he at the age where he cared about his appearance, or was he feeling resentful because Xue Xiujun had so many new clothes?
“Sure, that’s part of the plan.” She asked curiously, “When I get paid each month, don’t I give you your share? You need to save money to get married, right? If you want to have clothes and shoes made, you can buy them yourself and ask me for reimbursement.”
He Jing's face flushed red, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.
Fortunately, the setting sun cast its glow on his face, concealing his true appearance.
Yu Wan smiled and said, "By the way, you taught A-Cheng martial arts and literacy, which is much more reliable than me, his older sister. Thank you!"
She was so focused on the restaurant that she only thought about finding a school for Yu Cheng so he could go to school; she never even considered teaching him to read.
He Jing smirked, "I just taught him while I was at it."
Yu Wan glanced at the horizon and said, "Let's all go back to our rooms and rest early today, and get up early tomorrow."
After she finished speaking, she turned and left, leaving the boy alone in a daze for a while.
Yu Wan returned to her room but couldn't sleep; she was about to open her first branch.
In her past life, she was a popular barbecue restaurant, but it was just a shop.
Now she's going to have a branch!
What an exciting thing this is!
The next day, before dawn, everyone got up on their own.
More than twenty men also arrived.
To Yu Wan's surprise, Aunt Li and a few others actually set off from the village in the middle of the night, driving an oxcart to come and help.
"Awan, today is a joyous occasion. We are so grateful to you for helping us so much. You could have easily found someone else to make the clothes, but you chose to let us do it and help us through this difficult time. Thank you so much."
"We don't know anything else, but we can wash dishes and clean bowls, and we can also sweep the floor and wipe the table for you."
"Yes, it's a good opportunity for us to see the world. Many people in our village have said they want to come and watch the excitement, and they're probably on their way now."
It's still quite cold this time of year, and even colder at night.
Yu Wan could imagine how hard they had worked on their journey, and she was very grateful that they came to support them.
"Okay, welcome everyone, thank you all. Please warm up and have a hot meal. The sun hasn't risen yet, it's still early, no rush."
Even cooking for a few people was no challenge for Yu Wan, let alone the fact that she had trained more than twenty workers to be useful to everyone.
However, to save time, Yu Wan steamed buns and cooked wontons.
Halfway through the meal, Jin Yifei and Zhu Zhifeng arrived and joined in for a free meal.
Immediately afterwards, people came one after another to deliver flower baskets.
The names of the flower senders were written on them, mostly shop names and owners from the county town.
Yu Wan knows some people and doesn't know others. In this situation, it's just a matter of social etiquette, and others are taking the initiative to show goodwill.
She politely thanked them and invited the representatives who sent the flower baskets, saying, "Thank you everyone. If you're not in a hurry, you can stay and enjoy our food when the auspicious time arrives."
They laughed and said that once they arrived, they didn't want to leave; they were just waiting for their meal.
The scene was lively and bustling with noise.
Zhu Zhifeng said, "Awan, my father said he'll be here in a bit."
Yu Wan invited Lord Zhu to cut the ribbon. She thought he wouldn't agree, since a government official and a businessman should not get too close. But Lord Zhu said it was fine.
More and more people came to the restaurant and saw the red silk covering the signboard. Many people sighed that just a few months ago it was Fu Man Ju, but now it has changed owners.
"However, Yu's Restaurant is really popular right now. I've been to the main store twice before, and the food is indeed delicious. I said back then that it was too far away, and that it would be great if it were in the county town so I could eat there every few days. I never expected it to actually come true."
"Yes, hahaha, we won't have to travel so far anymore. This Madam Yu is really amazing. She's such a young woman, managing so many employees and running two shops."
Yu Wan fried some popcorn chicken and had Xue Xiujun carry a tray to distribute it free of charge at the door.
Adults and children alike love it; they want to eat more after they've had it, their eyes lingering on the tray in Xue Xiujun's hands.
Yu Wan noticed that Jin Yifei was also busy with various tasks; he seemed to have good interpersonal relationships and knew many people.
After a little thought, it all made sense. Jin Yifei's family were wealthy merchants in the south, and the bosses in the county probably wanted to get in touch with his family.
"Ah Fei, a lot of bosses come here because of you, right?"
Jin Yifei smiled and admitted, "It is true that I have a connection to this, but they all really want to get to know you. I heard from my uncle that because of your good deeds in helping farmers, places like Zuixianlou and some other shops have also shown their appreciation."
Yu Wan hadn't thought about this question before. Would her actions make her seem like a clown?
But it doesn't matter; she won't change her plans because of what others think.
"Thank you for your help."
Zhu Zhifeng ran over, "My dad's here!"
Jin Yifei smiled and said, "Awan, the auspicious time has arrived, let's begin the ceremony!"
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