Zhu Qianying knew very well that her mother was mild-mannered and unambitious. If she were to find a man like Yan Bo or Ji Rui, her mother would probably only be suppressed or even mistreated.
The best twenty years of her youth had been squandered by Zhu Zhizhou, so for the rest of her life, Zhu Qianying hoped that her mother could find someone who would pamper her.
Perhaps some people will say, "She's already in her forties, why spoil her?"
But even if a human lives to be a hundred years old, he or she still needs to be pampered.
Only by being loved and loving others can one truly feel happiness.
"Just call me Uncle Luo, that's what Xiaoyu and Ji Huan call me."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Qianying didn't stand on ceremony and called out "Uncle Luo" before sitting down opposite him.
Although it was a bit tactless, after all, this "Uncle Luo" came to see his mother. Whether he came to talk about the restaurant or to strengthen their relationship, it was still somewhat like being a third wheel if he insisted on interfering.
But she had to ensure that this person was absolutely safe.
After all, this matter might concern my mother's happiness for the rest of her life, so what's wrong with her not being sensible?
Even if this "Uncle Luo" dislikes me and treats me as a villain, so what?
However, this Uncle Luo seems to have a really good temper, or rather, he is very well-mannered. Even though Zhu Qianying sat down so tactlessly, he still had a smiling face.
“I have two sons in my family. I used to envy Tongtong’s family for having a daughter. Now that I’ve seen you, I can’t help but envy you too, Mom.”
That really does sound like an implication.
At this point, he still claims he has no other feelings for his mother, but Zhu Qianying would never believe it, even if you beat her to death.
As for the daughter of Letong he mentioned, he was referring to Letong's adopted daughter, Ji Sihan, who is now the daughter-in-law of the Ji family.
However, Zhu Qianying had heard Xiaoyu mention this before. Before Ji Sihan became Ji Yu's lover, the Ji family really treated her like their own daughter. It is said that Ji Sihan only found out that she was an adopted daughter when she was sixteen years old.
"Uncle Luo is so funny. It is said that the relationship between children and parents depends on fate. Perhaps you are more connected with your two sons, which is why your daughter can't squeeze into your family!"
Luo Yifan laughed out loud, "Shadow, what you said is really interesting. But now that you mention it, I suddenly really want to go home and give my two stinky sons a good hug."
The two were chatting enthusiastically when Chen Jing, who had finally finished handing over her work, walked over quickly.
"Mr. Luo, are you also having dinner with friends today?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Qianying mentally marked her mother with a series of big X's!
My mom's straightforward personality is hopeless.
No wonder Takeshima has been lukewarm towards her all these years; how come he doesn't even understand a little romance?
Zhu Qianying secretly worried, glared at her mother with a look of disappointment, then stood up and offered her mother the chair.
"Uncle Luo, you two take your time chatting. I'll go help out."
As she spoke, she subtly pressed her hand on her mother's shoulder, signaling her to be more alert. Under Luo Yifan's concerned gaze, this was probably all she could do.
But Chen Jing didn't appreciate it and pulled her back with her hand.
“Ying’er, I’m very busy inside, so I came out to say hello to Mr. Luo. Could you please greet him for me?”
As he spoke, he pressed Zhu Qianying back into the chair, and then smiled apologetically at Luo Yifan.
"Mr. Luo, I'm sorry, my two apprentices can't handle the menu the guests ordered, so I have to go in and take charge of the cooking."
Luo Yifan didn't show any particular dissatisfaction. He smiled very gently, just like before, and gestured for her to go quickly.
"Alright, I'm free today, let's talk after you're done with your work."
Zhu Qianying watched thoughtfully as her mother hurriedly ran back to the kitchen as if she had burned her foot, and couldn't help but frown.
When she looked away from Luo Yifan, her smile returned.
"Uncle Luo, I'm sorry, but my mother cherishes the reputation of this restaurant very much, so she has to do many things herself to feel at ease."
Luo Yifan's face remained calm, and it seemed that he truly did not mind Chen Jing's neglect.
Or perhaps, he was actually mentally prepared before he came.
“Shadow, you don’t need to apologize for this. Actually, I understand Ah Jing’s feelings better than anyone else. When I opened my first shop, I felt much the same way as Ah Jing. Because customers are hard to come by, I cherish them all the more. Back then, I wished I could stay in the restaurant 24 hours a day, researching new dishes that suited customers’ tastes, adjusting the business model to attract customers, and so on.”
Zhu Qianying listened attentively, and combined this with the information she had seen about the man in the encyclopedia. If those experiences were true, then his words were absolutely true.
He truly empathized with his mother's current feelings and situation.
After all, their experiences are quite similar, and their feelings, which are difficult for others to understand, should also be similar.
Although his mother was penniless and he came from a wealthy family, everyone experiences hardship and bitterness during the entrepreneurial period.
Of course, Zhu Qianying couldn't possibly feel the same way about what Luo Yifan said as her mother did, but seeing her mother desert her post, Zhu Qianying, as the daughter, couldn't just abandon her responsibilities and leave.
Besides, this situation presents her with a golden opportunity to get to know this man.
"Come to think of it, Uncle Luo, you and my mom actually have a lot in common."
My mother herself admitted to this.
"Yes, when we sit together, we start talking about different cuisines and the food industry, and we just can't stop."
Luo Yifan was also very honest, or perhaps he had already sensed Zhu Qianying's motives, so he obediently cooperated with her pace.
Isn't this behavior clearly an attempt to gain favor?
"That's great. It's rare for my mom to meet a like-minded friend. In the future, I hope Uncle Luo can give my mom some pointers. All she knows is cooking all day long. She doesn't understand business at all."
Luo Yifan did not refuse and readily agreed.
"It would be too formal to say I'm giving advice. She and I complement each other perfectly, one of us is good at cooking and the other is good at business. We often exchange ideas and I've benefited a lot from it!"
These words, when heard by Zhu Qianying, carried a hint of ambiguity.
"Uncle Luo, you flatter my mother too much. She's not very educated. Besides having some talent for cooking, she doesn't know anything else!"
It wasn't that Zhu Qianying was deliberately belittling her mother; rather, she needed to remind Uncle Luo as soon as possible that, in the eyes of some people who didn't appreciate her, her mother was just a cook.
“Shadow, you’re wrong. A person’s level of education is just a facade. It’s more important for a person to make good use of their talents and abilities than to be well-educated.”
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