Chapter 106
Lin Xiaohan came on a bicycle, so Chuxia also rode his bicycle to school.
They were not in a particularly hurry, so they rode at a moderate pace.
We rode at a normal speed and chatted leisurely on the road.
Lin Xiaohan turned around and asked Chuxia: "By the way, has Auntie's application for unpaid leave been approved?"
The business of the restaurant was very good after it opened. Chuxia and Lin Xiaohan had to go to school. If Wu Xuemei continued to work, Tang Haikuan would be the only one in the restaurant and he would definitely be too busy to handle it.
There are also clear regulations now that individuals cannot hire people.
The restaurant had just opened and was in the trial phase. Chu Xia certainly didn't intend to take too big a step and immediately hire people.
At this stage, ambitions cannot be exposed and we must proceed cautiously.
Since we can’t hire anyone, Wu Xuemei will have to stay in the restaurant to help.
Wu Xuemei would feel uneasy and reluctant to quit her job.
After all, at this moment, in the minds of most people, those who have a proper job are respectable people, and those who have a stable job in the country feel at ease.
I don't dare quit my job, but I can't really let Tang Haikuan run the restaurant alone.
So Chuxia came up with the idea of asking Wu Xuemei to apply for unpaid leave, and asked her to talk to her company to keep her position. She would not receive any salary or work for the time being, and would come back to take care of the family restaurant first.
This is still a rare thing at the moment.
Before long, more and more people went into business, and doing business became a trend. Taking a leave of absence from work became a very common and widespread thing.
Chu Xia replied to Lin Xiaohan: "It has been approved."
Lin Xiaohan responded: “That’s good.”
***
Chuxia and Lin Xiaohan arrived at school. The sun was still high.
When we arrived at school that day, there was nothing important to do related to studying. We just dried our bedding and mats and cleaned the dormitories, classrooms and other places.
I used the time before dark to finish my work, and chatted with my roommates in the dormitory at night.
We haven't seen each other for a whole summer, so naturally we have a lot to talk about.
We talked about our respective summer vacation lives.
Zhou Jin suddenly said, "By the way, have you all been paying attention to the news about Courtyard No. 8 of Tianxian Temple?"
When this topic was brought up, others responded:
"I've been paying attention. I opened a private restaurant not long ago, and even major foreign media reported on it."
"I heard the business is booming, with long queues in the alleys every day."
"Such a big new thing will definitely attract attention."
…
As they were talking, they suddenly remembered the only local person in the dormitory.
Zheng Xiaomin looked at Chuxia and asked, "By the way, Chuxia, you are a local, you should know the most about this matter, the local media must have reported it in more detail."
Chu Xia smiled and said, "I know it well... because this restaurant... is owned by my family..."
"Ah?" Upon hearing this, the roommates' expressions and voices were synchronized.
Then everyone became more excited and hurriedly dragged their stools to gather around Chuxia, sitting her around the table and asking her to tell them in detail about the opening of the restaurant from beginning to end.
After listening, everyone looked at each other.
Then Zhou Jin looked at Chu Xia and said, "You are so bold. We are still discussing it verbally and communicating it in writing, but you have taken a direct step to do something big in practice."
Chuxia naturally didn't exaggerate, but only talked about some realistic factors.
When the topic was brought to life, others naturally said, "When are you coming home? We will go with you to try something new and experience the atmosphere of your first private restaurant."
They also plan to write an article about this matter and submit it to the department magazine.
Of course, their magazine is just their club activity and an internal campus reading material, which satisfies their college students in expressing and exchanging views on current affairs.
Because private restaurants are still very popular and roommates are very interested in it, Chuxia took them there on Sunday after a week of classes.
On Sunday, which is a holiday, more people come to restaurants to eat than usual.
Zhou Jin and the others didn't want to cut in line by taking advantage of Chu Xia's relationship, so they waited patiently according to their order. While feeling the atmosphere, they also chatted with the people next to them to learn more about the situation.
Chuxia did not wait with them.
Since she was back and had time, she naturally went to the restaurant to help out.
While helping, she asked Tang Haikuan how business was going this week.
Tang Haikuan told her that it was still the same as before, with many people coming to eat every day.
There were also foreign journalists who had never been here before and came to interview us, as well as foreigners from different countries who came to eat.
Of course there aren’t many foreigners, just a few here and there each time.
Chuxia helped Zhou Jin and the others in the restaurant until they queued up and finished their meal. Then she said hello to Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei, and went back to school with Zhou Jin and the others.
Because early summer had returned, Wu Xuemei took some time out to buy some things.
When Chuxia was preparing to go back to school, she asked Chuxia to go to the main house to get it herself, just like when school started, one copy for Chuxia and one for Lin Xiaohan.
Chuxia packed her things and took the bus back to school with Zhou Jin and the others.
All they talked about along the way were topics related to Chu Xia's private restaurant.
After returning to school, Chuxia did not go back to the dormitory with them.
She asked Zhou Jin to help her take a package back to the dormitory, while she took another package to the library.
Of course, this time he went to the library not to find a place to study, but to find Lin Xiaohan.
Chuxia searched around the library and saw Lin Xiaohan sitting at a seat on the second floor.
The library was very quiet, so she didn't say hello to Lin Xiaohan. She just walked lightly to his desk, tapped it lightly, and placed the package in front of him.
After Lin Xiaohan raised his head and saw her, she said in a very low voice: "I went back home today. My mother asked me to bring this to you. You study. I'm leaving now."
After saying this, she turned around and walked away lightly.
Lin Xiaohan did not sit there any longer. He hurriedly collected the books and stationery on the table, took the package Chuxia gave him, and chased Chuxia out of the library.
You don't have to suppress your voice when you go outside.
Chu Xia looked at him and asked, "Why did you come out? I just wanted to give you something."
Lin Xiaohan didn't answer, but only asked: "Did you just come back from home?"
Chu Xia nodded at him: "Yes, I guessed you were in the library, so I came to find you."
Once people leave, there are no more seats in the library.
Lin Xiaohan naturally did not go back. He and Chu Xia continued to walk forward and asked her again: "Why did you buy me something again? I helped in the restaurant for a few days, and how much is it worth?"
In the past, no matter what Chu Xia did, she had to make sure everything between her and Lin Xiaohan was clear and not let things be tainted with too many emotional ties, but she doesn't plan to do that now.
So she told Lin Xiaohan: "This is not about money, nor is it a special way to thank you for coming to my house to help. Every time I go home and then go back to school, my parents will prepare something for me to bring to school. My mother said that from now on, as long as there is a portion for me, there will be a portion for you."
Of course Lin Xiaohan understood.
They weren't buying anything specifically to repay him for his help over the past few days.
They treated him as their own and gave him some of the love they gave to Chu Xia.
If you want to know what he is worst at dealing with.
That's all about emotional things.
So he kept silent again.
Whenever he was like this, Chu Xia couldn't understand his emotions.
So Chu Xia thought about it and said hurriedly: "If you think these are burdens and only make you feel troubled, you don't have to accept them... No need to force yourself..."
"I accept."
Lin Xiaohan looked at Chu Xia and interrupted her.
After a moment, he continued: "It's not a burden, nor does it feel troublesome."
Chu Xia stared at him for a while.
Then he let out a sigh of relief and laughed, "That's good."
As they talked, they walked to the edge of Weiming Lake.
There was still some time before dinner in the evening, and there would be no seats available in the library or study room on Sundays, so Chu Xia and Lin Xiaohan simply found a place to sit down by the lake and read some books.
After a year of crazy cramming, everyone's strong hunger for learning has eased a lot, and the learning atmosphere on campus this year is no longer as overly tense as last year.
Especially after various club activities became increasingly active.
In addition to studying, everyone also started to focus on other things.
Now, by the Weiming Lake, there are also other students sitting in groups discussing things other than studying.
The willow branches, as thin as silk ribbons, sway in the wind.
The autumn wind swept down the thin willow leaves, creating shallow ripples on the water.
Another gust of wind came, and a thick layer of ice formed on the surface of the lake. Groups of students wearing knitted hats, gloves, and ice skates slid across the ice, laughing and making noises.
Five months later.
Tianxianan Hutong.
The coldness of winter spreads from the entrance of the alley all the way into the depths of the alley.
In early summer, I walked into the alley with my schoolbag on my back and my hands in the pockets of my cotton coat.
After walking two steps into the alley, her pace suddenly slowed down unconsciously, and a look of confusion appeared in her eyes outside the scarf.
After a moment of confusion, she resumed her pace and walked forward.
When I walked outside the restaurant and looked inside through the window, the doubt in my eyes became even more intense.
Because there was no customer in the restaurant, only Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei were sitting inside.
The two of them sat face to face at the table, not talking, just eating melon seeds.
Chuxia pulled up the thick curtain on the door and went into the house with doubt.
Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei looked over when they heard the voice and quickly stood up and asked, "Is Xia Xia on vacation?"
Chu Xia didn't answer, she just pulled down her scarf and asked, "Why is it so deserted?"
Tang Haikuan continued, "It's getting cold, so no one wants to go out anymore."
It can't be so deserted.
Chuxia looked at Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei in confusion, then went over and sat down next to them.
Because it was busy near the end of the semester, Chuxia hasn't been back for more than a month.
The last time she and Lin Xiaohan came back to help, the restaurant business was still good.
After three months of booming operation, the restaurant business had stabilized.
Logically speaking, even if business has its ups and downs, it can't be this bad.
Chuxia certainly didn't believe what Tang Haikuan said.
After Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei sat down, she looked at Tang Haikuan and asked, "Tell me, what happened?"
Tang Haikuan lowered his brows and sighed.
Wu Xuemei took a deep breath and said, "Our restaurant business has stabilized. These neighbors may have become jealous because they saw that we have succeeded and our business is still so good. They went from talking behind our backs to shouting to our faces, saying that we are doing private business and engaging in capitalism, and that we are the vanguard of the restoration of capitalism..."
Wu Xuemei couldn't help but take a breath as she spoke.
Tang Haikuan continued: "In the first two or three months, there were many reporters from other countries who came to interview us, and some ambassadors came to eat with us. They said that we were entertaining foreigners and colluding with foreign countries..."
After a pause, he continued in a low voice: "He is a big traitor."
Chuxia had anticipated the emergence of capitalist rhetoric.
Before opening the restaurant, she had told Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei about this in advance, and gave them a heads-up at the time, telling them not to panic if they encountered this, and just remember that they were just test households.
But when Chu Xia heard the words "big traitor", she was so angry that she couldn't help but pound the table.
Wu Xuemei continued, "We went to the Industry and Commerce Bureau to explain the situation. The leaders of the Bureau told us not to worry and to continue working steadily. But after hearing so many people say that in front of us, our customers were so scared that they didn't dare to come to eat."
After that, she relaxed her tone and said, "It's actually nothing. I've worked for half a year and made more money than a couple would make in ten years. Even if I can't continue, it's still worth it."
Chu Xia clenched her fingers and said firmly: "No, I will definitely be able to do it."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
