Chapter 67
Uncle Ge glanced at the bodyguard at the door and felt a little angry. This was just letting him go. If it had been there ten years ago, with someone like this standing here, his entire nest would have been destroyed. The mainland is not like Hong Kong, but this kid always makes such a big fuss every time he comes back. If you don't know, you would think there is some kind of monster in the mainland.
He walked up to Qin Xiang and said, "My nephew is here, did you know?"
Qin Xiang was amused. "I know. I even got a ride from your nephew when I came back from Lin City. Tell me, how can I help you?"
"It's like this, he wants to stay for dinner tonight, and I'm not very good at cooking, so could you please help me?" Uncle Ge felt really embarrassed after saying this. He had lived alone all his life and always felt that he didn't need to ask anyone for help. He didn't even give the girl a good look when she came to rent the house, so it was really embarrassing to ask for help now.
Qin Xiang was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "What's the big deal? If there's anything I can avoid, I'll do it."
Seeing that she agreed, Uncle Ge breathed a sigh of relief. "Who cares if he has dietary restrictions or not? He has to eat it anyway." He then murmured in disdain, "You know, people from Hong Kong are very pretentious. If I ordered it at a restaurant outside, he would definitely complain that it was not clean."
He didn't hide the disgust on his face, and Qin Xiang couldn't help but laugh, "Okay, I have some food at home, I'll make it right away."
"No need." Uncle Ge waved his hand. "Just wait. His driver is here to buy groceries. Just watch and do what you want."
After saying that, Uncle Ge turned around and called Xiao Miao, and then saw Meng Huaiqing's driver Miao Sheng coming out with a bag of things. Uncle Ge said, "Give it to Xiao Qin and ask Xiao Qin to help cook a few dishes."
Miao Sheng's eyes fell on Qin Xiang and he happily responded, "Okay."
Then a big bag of things was stuffed into Qin Xiang's hands.
Qin Xiang was shocked. "Uncle Ge, are we going to have a full banquet?"
"Bullshit, it's just a full banquet. Four dishes, one soup and some steamed rice will do. The rest is all yours." After saying this, Uncle Ge thanked him again and went back to the house quickly.
The door of the room was open. Qin Xiang glanced inside and happened to meet Meng Huaiqing's gaze.
Meng Huaiqing nodded politely, his expression gentle and polite, sitting there incompatible with the simple environment.
Qin Xiang also nodded and prepared to go back to cook. Miao Sheng called her, "Miss Qin, I'm sorry to bother you. You don't have to worry about our meals. We can take care of it ourselves."
"I didn't intend to care." After saying that, Qin Xiang glanced at Miao Sheng's wide eyes and went in with the things.
She was willing to help out of Ge Da Ye's kindness, and also because she had at least taken a ride today, so cooking a meal was the perfect way to return the favor, so why not? As for Meng Huaiqing's bodyguards.
My God, those guys are so big, they must have big appetites. If she has to take on their meals, she won’t have any rest.
Who wants to cook in such hot weather? She herself is a person who enjoys life and would rather avoid cooking if possible.
After returning upstairs, He Liping soon went to set up a stall with her things.
Qin Xiang opened the bag and took a look. There were quite a lot of things inside: a young rooster that had been killed and chopped into pieces, a freshly killed sea bass, swimming crabs and abalone that were rare in this season, a piece of beef, and only a handful of juicy rapeseed and a few tomatoes and potatoes as vegetables. There were also some supplements such as dried sea cucumbers. Qin Xiang suspected that the bag was given to Uncle Ge for nourishment, but Uncle Ge gave it to her without even looking at it.
Why not eat meat porridge?
Nowadays, many families in the countryside don’t eat meat all day long.
The big guys in Hong Kong are different. They spent a lot of money on such a bag of things.
Qin Xiang took out the fresh ingredients while sighing.
I also prepared a menu in my mind based on the ingredients: stewed beef brisket with tomatoes and potatoes, steamed swimming crab, spicy chicken, oil-splashed sea bass, garlic abalone, and finally a stir-fried rapeseed. As for the soup, it's even easier. On a hot day, I'll cook a pot of mung bean soup, just enough for each employee downstairs to drink.
When preparing the ingredients, Qin Xiang first washed the mung beans and cooked them. It would take a long time to cook them directly, but in her previous life she learned a faster method. After three boils and three stews, the mung beans would bloom.
Qin Xiang couldn't help but feel fortunate that she had bought a gas stove when she was preparing things. She turned on both stoves at the same time. While one was cooking mung bean soup, the other stove did not interfere with cooking.
While the mung bean soup was cooking, Qin Xiang fried spicy chicken. After the mung bean soup was cooked, Qin Xiang poured it into a basin to cool, and then stewed the beef brisket.
The agreed five dishes and one soup turned into six dishes and one soup, and Qin Xiang was sweating profusely while cooking in the kitchen.
Mi Hongjun came over to help after installing the fan, and couldn't help but curl his lips, "Do they really need to eat so much for just two people?"
Qin Xiang laughed and instructed him to put the prepared dishes on a tray and send it to the next table. "After all, his nephew is from Hong Kong City. He is a guest. It seems that this is also the first time for Mr. Ge to entertain him. We can't let this banquet get away with it."
In reality, all she cooked were home-cooked meals, far from the banquets at the hotel. Meng Huaiqing knew he was wealthy just by looking at his travel gear, and he probably had several nannies taking care of him at home. He was also particular about food and clothing, and he probably thought the food outside was unhygienic.
Since she was helping, she had to do it quickly and efficiently, and not embarrass Mr. Ge.
Mi Hongjun glanced at her, sighed, and went to deliver the food with a tray. After a while, he came back and said excitedly, "Sister Xiangxiang, that Mr. Meng looks so noble."
Qin Xiang looked at him and said, "That's right. A button on someone's body might be something we can't afford."
"So exaggerated?" Mi Hongjun was envious. "Reincarnation is really a skill. They are so lucky."
Qin Xiang quickly took the fried rapeseed out of the pot, then opened the lid and took out the swimming crab. "You're lucky, too. Why compare with others? Living a good life is better than anything else."
The swimming crabs that Meng Huaiqing brought were very large and heavy. Qin Xiang estimated that each one weighed about 700 to 800 grams. Looking at the transparent area on the legs, he knew that they were very fat.
"Sister Xiangxiang, don't tell me, I'm really lucky. My greatest good fortune is knowing you." Mi Hongjun said, fearing that she would misunderstand, and added, "And Third Brother."
Qin Xiang smiled and said, "Okay, stop joking."
After the food was plated, Qin Xiang handed the rest over and instructed Mi Hongjun, "Take the mung bean soup down and share it with the others. Remember to give some to He Liping at the night market as well."
It hasn't been long since He Liping came here, but the girl is really hardworking and quick-witted. Now she is doing very well in the night market, selling several folding umbrellas every day, which is no worse than what she sells in the store. The girl is very motivated.
Qin Xiang took the food out. The bodyguard next door saw her and quickly opened the screen at the door. Qin Xiang went in and saw Mr. Ge and Meng Huaiqing were already drinking in the room.
Seeing her bring in more dishes, Uncle Ge was happy, "Xiao Qin, today is thanks to you."
"You're welcome. We are all neighbors and it's only natural that we help each other."
The man next to her was sitting upright on a small stool, his hands on his knees. His fingers were slender and his skin was white, even whiter than hers. It was obvious that he was not a worker.
As if noticing Qin Xiang's gaze, Meng Huaiqing nodded slightly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Qin Xiang put it down and went back to get some rice, then called Mi Hongjun back to eat.
There were many people in the store in the evening, so everyone took turns eating dinner. As for He Liping at the night market, Mi Hongjun would go and watch over her after dinner.
Qin Xiang was worried that the food wouldn't stay fresh in the hot weather, so she cooked all the fresh ingredients, which saved them from having to prepare dinner separately.
Mi Hongjun turned on the fan, and the whistling wind brought a hint of coolness to his body.
"It's comfortable." Qin Xiang sat on the stool and ate, feeling a little more comfortable.
Mi Hongjun felt a little distressed when he saw her face flushed from the heat. "It would be better if there was a smaller fan. It wouldn't be so hot when cooking in the kitchen."
Qin Xiang looked at him and said, "There will definitely be some in the future. Maybe there will even be a machine that blows cool air directly."
Air conditioners had already become popular abroad at this time, and it would not be introduced to China until next year at the earliest. It would take until at least the 1990s for them to become popular and enter thousands of households in cities.
When Wang Junsheng became rich in his previous life, there were already many air conditioners in the city.
As for when air conditioners would be available in the provincial capital, Qin Xiang wasn't sure.
But if there is no air conditioning, then you can use a fan. You can also buy a floor fan and use it when cooking.
After the two of them finished their meal, Qin Xiang picked up the sea cucumbers and other nutritional supplements and prepared to return them to Uncle Ge.
When he came out, he happened to meet Mr. Ge seeing off a guest. Meng Huaiqing was very tall. He stood in front of the car and bent down to go in. When he saw Qin Xiang, he said politely, "Thank you for your help today."
Qin Xiang smiled and said, "This is what I should do. Didn't I take your car?"
The car door closed, Meng Huaiqing looked straight ahead, and the car started slowly.
Qin Xiang handed the bag to Uncle Ge, "These are all gifts from your nephew and grandson. Please keep them."
Uncle Ge was surprised. He took it and took a look at it, then curled his lips and said, "You brought some useless things. You can keep them and eat them."
"No, that won't do. Your nephew is giving this to you as a filial gift. It's nothing if I eat it." Qin Xiang stuffed it directly into his hand and said seriously, "Uncle Ge, these are all good things. It's good for you to eat some."
After finishing the work, he left quickly, keeping his achievements and fame hidden.
Uncle Ge couldn't help but laugh when he saw her running so fast, but he soon felt a headache because he didn't know how to make these precious things.
After finishing the busy work, Qin Xiang was sweating all over. He took a shower and sat in the living room to rest. His mind was completely empty.
Maybe it's because I suddenly relaxed from my busy schedule and felt a little lost and didn't know what to do.
The new store is still drying. She originally wanted to open it earlier, but with the arrival of summer vacation, it has to be postponed. There are four or five employees looking after the store here. What else can she do?
Qin Xiang couldn't sit still until she had saved enough money, so she got up and went downstairs and saw the two shop assistants she had hired before sitting there doing nothing.
Qin Xiang couldn't help but frown and asked Tan Xiu privately. She learned that there was someone who didn't work much and seemed to be trying to take advantage of the situation.
Calculating the time, the probation period will soon be over, so Qin Xiang decided to observe the situation for another day tomorrow.
This is a private unit, not a state-owned unit where you can get a salary without doing anything. It's wishful thinking.
After going to bed early at night, Qin Xiang took advantage of the few people around the store the next morning to train a few store employees. In her previous life, she was the boss lady of Wang Group. She had participated in the development of the group and also enjoyed the services as a consumer. She knew best what kind of services customers needed.
During the explanation, the little girls listened attentively. He Liping even took a notebook and took notes from time to time.
However, the clerk named Sun Xiumei was not serious not only at work, but also during Qin Xiang's training. She kept darting her eyes around and her thoughts were wandering.
Qin Xiang couldn't help but get angry, "Sun Xiumei."
Sun Xiumei cried out, her face a little confused, "Sister Xiangxiang, what's wrong?"
Qin Xiang suppressed her anger and asked her, "What should you do if a customer is hesitant about a piece of clothing?"
Sun Xiumei was completely stunned and blurted out, "Buy it if you want or not..."
After she finished speaking, she realized she had made a mistake. She was in a self-employed store. Qin Xiang had said before that the first thing to do was to correct the service attitude. She said this was the most common thing to hear in state-owned stores, but it didn't seem to work here.
Seeing the half-smile on Qin Xiang's face, Sun Xiumei was a little scared, "Sister Xiangxiang, I..."
Qin Xiang said directly, "Tan Xiu will settle your salary later, so you don't need to come tomorrow."
Previously, Tan Xiu, Miao Xiaofeng and Qin Xiang all had a probation period of half a month, but because she was preparing for the exam this month and had no time to take care of the store's affairs, all employees were given a probation period of one month.
I didn't expect that I would hire such a clerk due to my negligence.
There is nothing wrong with Sun Xiumei's attitude in state-owned stores, because they have a stable job and the waiters in state-owned stores are always arrogant.
But the problem is that this is not a place that gives people free iron rice bowls. It is impossible to just come here and work hard to get paid.
When Sun Xiumei heard that this meant she was going to be fired, she was immediately stunned. "Sister Xiangxiang, I was wrong. Please don't fire me. My parents are in poor health, and I have several younger brothers and sisters at home. I can't lose this job."
Qin Xiang has always known that Sun Xiumei's family is not well off, so sometimes she would not hesitate to let her take something back.
But she opened a shop to do business, not to help the poor. If Sun Xiumei works hard, she will of course keep Sun Xiumei. Sun Xiumei knows that the conditions are not good but she doesn't work hard and is trying to take advantage of the situation. Why should she indulge her?
Qin Xiang said in a firm tone, "No room for negotiation."
The other shop assistants were silent. This was probably the second time they saw Qin Xiang get angry, and it was even more severe than the last time.
Sun Xiumei covered her mouth and started crying. Qin Xiang was upset and didn't want to talk about it anymore. She said to Tan Xiu, "Pay her salary and give her an extra ten yuan as a subsidy."
She looked at Sun Xiumei and said, "There's no such thing as right or wrong in this world. You know your family's financial situation is poor, yet you still try to fish in troubled waters. Do you think everyone else is stupid? I'm a self-employed person, not a state-owned enterprise."
Sun Xiumei looked at her and couldn't say a word.
Qin Xiang got up and went upstairs. Tan Xiu settled her salary and said to her, "Sun Xiumei, don't do this again when you go somewhere else."
Sun Xiumei looked up at the upstairs, hesitated for a moment and asked Tan Xiu, "Tan Xiu, if I apologize to Sister Xiangxiang and promise her that I won't do this again, will she forgive me?"
Hearing this, Tan Xiu was stunned. "I don't know, but I guess not."
The hope in Sun Xiumei's eyes gradually faded, and she wiped her tears and left.
Who would have thought that she was so complacent last night, thinking that Tan Xiu and the others were stupid, but in the blink of an eye she realized that she was the stupid one.
Qin Xiang seems to be too busy to take care of it, but in fact she knows everything.
After Sun Xiumei left, Qin Xiang came down and looked at the remaining four people. "You have to remember, this is a store run by an individual business owner. It's not a state-owned store that can cover everything. If you do well, I will not be stingy with bonuses and benefits. If you don't do well, you can only leave at any time."
The little girls were indeed scared and nodded quickly. Even He Liping, who was usually the most cheerful, didn't dare to say a word.
Qin Xiang didn't want to scare them. Except for Sun Xiumei, the others did a good job. Li Hongxia, who came in with Sun Xiumei, was a little shy, but she was always actively trying to change herself. When serving customers, she never said that she would not go up to receive them because she was nervous.
"Okay, let's go pack up."
After the meeting, Qin Xiang couldn't help but sigh. He Liping's stall was doing very well now, so she probably couldn't go to the university town for the time being. At least two employees had to stay in the store here, so she had to hire another one.
However, after a while, there was a sudden cry outside. A woman in her fifties sat down at the door of the store, slapping her thigh and crying.
“You’re bullying me!”
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