Chapter 55 Master-Servant Relationship: Chen Junbo Didn't Receive Li Yang Again
Li Yang went to great lengths, and with the help of Uncle Fang and Aunt Fang, one choking her and the other twisting her ear, he finally managed to "beat" Fang Yuan into joining the flower club.
The young woman from Fang's Teahouse turned out to be Manager Fang of the Chen family.
Everyone at the flower shop was completely bewildered. Why did Manager Zhong quit, and why did Manager Fang suddenly appear?
But since the owner had given the instructions, they could only cooperate with the owner's arrangements and sporadically started calling him 'Manager Fang'.
Only Xiao Lu, in her hands, turned a rag into a handkerchief held by a rich young lady, twisting it with her ten fingers until it was torn in several places.
No wonder Bi Fang was silent in the carriage today; it turns out there was a problem with the shopkeeper.
Manager Fang? Bah! Wasn't she just a lowly waitress at that Fang family teahouse before? Speaking of which, that teahouse wasn't even as big as this flower shop. She only got the manager's job because of the young mistress. Since the young mistress was looking for a female manager, why didn't she think of her? She runs around for the young mistress all day long, but in the end, it all comes down to favoritism.
Her eyes nearly bled; she hadn't forgotten how Fang Yuan had called her an 'ungrateful wretch' at the banquet hall that day. Now that Fang Yuan was the manager, what good could she possibly gain?
Thinking of this, she had prepared a pool of tears, determined to squeeze out a few drops on her way back to the Chen residence tonight, so that the steward could speak to the young master about it again.
Manager Fang? Heh, in the end, it's still Young Master Chen who's in charge of the Chen family.
After explaining everything to the flower shop, Li Yang carried boxes and bags of all sizes, hired a car, and headed towards Manager Zhong's residence.
The door to the Zhong family's house was ajar, and just standing at the door, one could hear Aunt Zhong rambling on and on, "Oh, don't worry, tomorrow I'll go see the real estate agent and see if we can return that house. Over the years, I've saved up some of the money you gave me, so we can manage."
You were a manager at that brothel, not making much money, and they called on people day and night. It's good you're out of that job now; you can finally rest and recuperate.”
It seemed as if Manager Zhong coughed a few times, and the clatter of teacups echoed in the room. Mrs. Zhong continued her nagging, "I've told you long ago that taking good care of your health is the most important thing. It's fine for the whole family to eat less meat, but if you collapse, who will we be able to rely on? You're always coughing or wheezing, and you don't dare show a hint of your back or leg pain..."
Aunt Zhong kept complaining, whether it was a grumbling or a pang of heartache, when Manager Zhong suddenly said, "Tomorrow I'll go to town and see if there are any jobs available for that shopkeeper. Or, I can set up a table and help people write letters. Xiuxiu, don't worry, your man will definitely find work to support you."
"Oh dear, it seems all my words this morning have been for nothing."
Li Yang raised his hand and knocked on the door: "Manager Zhong, are you home?"
The conversation inside abruptly stopped, as if the two people had paused. Then, Sister-in-law Zhong opened the door from the inside and looked the newcomer up and down. "And you are?"
Li Yang grinned, "Sister-in-law Zhong, right? Manager Zhong mentions you all the time in the shop. My surname is Li, and I come from the Flower Bureau."
Upon hearing about the flower banquet, Sister-in-law Zhong's face immediately fell. It was one thing to persuade Manager Zhong, but it was quite another to actually meet the people at the flower banquet.
Half of her worry was for the future, and the other half was heartache for her husband who had been wronged. He was bottling things up inside, tossing and turning every night, unable to sleep. How could she, as his wife, not know?
Now she really couldn't say anything nice to Li Yang. "You must be the boss. Why are you coming here? When my old Zhong came back, he came back empty-handed. He didn't take a single leaf from your Huaju."
"Hey, boss?!" Manager Zhong rushed out to greet him, while coaxing his wife, "Why are you saying such things? The manager has always treated me well. Come in quickly and boil water to make tea."
As he spoke, Manager Zhong ushered Li Yang into the house.
Li Yang awkwardly entered the house, rubbing his nose, and placed all the bags and packages on the table. Only then did he see Sister-in-law Zhong pout and go to the backyard to fetch water to make tea.
"Master, you've come today?" Zhong Qian asked Li Yang cautiously.
Li Yang understood perfectly well, but she could only tell the truth about the flower shop manager's situation, nodding and saying, "Manager Zhong, I refused the new manager that Bi Fang arranged. But now that Chen Junbai has personally stepped in to dismiss you, I can't ask you to go back to be the manager. It would cause discord between the master and mistress, which wouldn't be good for you either. Today, I asked a close friend to temporarily fill in for me at the shop."
Hearing her words, Zhong Qian's faint hope vanished. He nodded and looked down at the ground, "Ah, yes, yes, of course, that's natural."
At this moment, Sister Zhong walked in, carrying a covered bowl in one hand. She slammed it down on the table, the lid clattering and a few drops of tea splashing out.
"What are you doing, you old hag!" Zhong Qian couldn't stand it anymore and got up to scold her.
Aunt Zhong glared at her, then turned and disappeared into the backyard, peering through the curtain to eavesdrop on the sounds inside.
Li Yang didn't mind Zhong's sister-in-law's attitude and asked, "Manager Zhong, how has everything been at home lately?" As he spoke, he looked around the room and saw that the humble room and cold window were indeed cozy.
Look, this Mrs. Zhong is a very thrifty person. The tabletops, chairs, and cabinets inside are spotless, the curtains on the doors are neat and tidy, with faint creases still visible, and the simple vases and new branches add a touch of life.
Only the faint sounds of an old woman coughing and wheezing could be heard from inside the room, as if she had been ill for a long time.
Zhong Qian nodded repeatedly, "Everything is fine at home, thank you for your concern, employer."
I don't remember from which day, but Zhong Qian stopped calling Li Yang "Young Madam". He wholeheartedly accepted this mistress of the house and always referred to her as "Master".
Even though the two no longer have an employer-employee relationship, they still call each other "Butler Zhong" and "Owner Zhong".
Upon hearing this, Li Yang paused for a moment, then said, "Manager Zhong, you are still willing to call me 'boss,' but I am no longer your boss."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Qian looked up at her, only to see the proprietress smiling at him. "Chen Junbai promised me he would no longer interfere in the affairs of the flower shop, but bringing you back now is a slap in his face. If you find a good place, then go for it. If fate allows in the future, I'm afraid Manager Zhong will look down on my little flower shop."
These words offered a glimmer of hope, yet offered no concrete assurance. Li Yang had no better options at the moment. He had come today partly to inform Zhong Qian about the matter of Manager Hua, and partly to inquire about Manager Zhong's family situation and see if there was anything he could do to help.
Zhong Qian felt a mix of emotions. He was just a shopkeeper in a small shop owned by the Chen family. How many shopkeepers had the Chen family had over the years? If it weren't for the young mistress's kindness, why would she have given him a large bag of silver that day, and why would he have come to her door today with gifts to be met with her displeasure?
At that moment, Zhong Qian's usual glib tongue seemed to have sprouted legs and burrowed into the ground. He felt a pang of sadness and tenderness in his heart, but after wiping the corner of his eye with his sleeve, he finally smiled and said, "I am content with the employer's kindness. If we can work together again someday, that would be my good fortune."
The summer breeze was warm and damp, unable to lift the curtain, but it made Sister-in-law Zhong raise her arm to rub her eyes until they were red. She had been trying to comfort him for days, afraid that the old man would make her sick. Now, listening to this young woman's few words, it was she who had helped Old Zhong resolve his inner turmoil.
She twitched her nose and then vigorously rubbed the clothes in the basin with both hands.
When Li Yang left, Manager Zhong and his wife saw her to the door. After taking only a few steps, they called her back to the door.
She shook off her husband's attempt to stop her and rushed forward. "Master, my husband, Old Zhong, has been talking about you a lot these days. He says you're beautiful and kind-hearted, and that any other employer wouldn't have bothered with you. I... I just..."
With a smirk, she stamped her foot. "Sigh, I'm just a coarse woman who doesn't know anything. If I offended you in any way, you can hit me or scold me. My husband, Zhong, is an honest man. He's had a hard time supporting our whole family all these years. Only in the last two years, after becoming the manager, has our family become a little better off. Who would have thought..."
She grabbed Li Yang's sleeves with both hands, but didn't dare to hold the fabric too tightly, and quickly smoothed out the wrinkles. "Young Madam, look at this... I, I just wanted to thank you for taking care of my old Zhong. If he still has the chance to work for you... Let's not talk about this, sigh, let's not talk about this. These are homemade pastries, simple snacks, please don't mind them."
He handed the paper bag he was carrying to Li Yang, saying, "If you have time, come and visit often. I'll cook for you. Oh, look at me, what silly things I said. You're so busy... Boss, take care. Thank you."
Aunt Zhong kept turning back to look at herself as she walked along the short path, and it took her quite a while to walk it.
When Li Yang left, she felt a stinging sensation in her eyes and a dampness in her stomach. A sour feeling was stuck in her chest, and she had to exhale several heavy breaths to feel a little better.
It's all Chen Junbo's fault! If he hadn't interfered, so many people wouldn't have been unhappy.
Every day, seeing Manager Zhong hunched over like a shrimp and spouting nonsense, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Thinking about how he had concealed his identity as Brother Long, which had caused the trouble in the warehouse, she had also felt a burning hatred that made her teeth chatter.
Now, it's like we've been old friends for years.
When I saw Manager Zhong again, I was surprised to find that he was of the same generation as me, with a few strands of silver in his hair.
It turns out that he wasn't just spouting nonsense when he wasn't in the shop.
It turns out that he's quite a man when he's with his wife at home.
Li Yang's head was throbbing, so he told the driver to return to the flower shop on his own and walked slowly along the path by himself.
It had been a long time since I had taken a leisurely stroll on a summer afternoon like this. A few frogs croaked in the rice paddies on the outskirts of the town, and cicadas chirped among the sparse sycamore trees. The slightly warm wind brushed against my face, bringing out a thin layer of sweat.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the flower shop, a lively discussion began.
Chen Junbo: "Where's Zhaozhao?"
Fang Yuan: "Oh my, isn't this young master Chen? Are you looking for Zhao Zhao? How would I know where your wife is? Why don't you look somewhere else?"
Chen Junbo had received news from Bi Fang early in the morning that Li Yang had invited his friend to be the manager of the shop. He had promised not to interfere in the flower business again, and he kept his word.
Judging from the current situation, this friend seems to have some issues with me?
She spoke just like Ziyan… Ziyan used to be a courtesan at his Ruyi Pavilion, and because of Mr. Zheng, she spoke to him in a sarcastic and mocking manner. This woman is now the manager of his family's brothel, and relying on his wife, she is just as sarcastic and taunting.
But with Li Yang on his mind, he was too lazy to get entangled with her, so he waved goodbye and hurriedly returned to the Chen residence.
The waiters at the flower shop each clung to a pillar, wiping the flowers back and forth with unwavering focus, their ears practically bulging out of the shop entrance.
At this moment, everyone in the room heard Fang Yuan's retort that left Chen Junbo speechless.
Everyone applauded inwardly. No wonder the boss chose this young woman to be the manager; she's really feisty.
Having followed Zhong Qian for a long time, these men couldn't help but feel a sense of 'the rabbit mourns the fox' and 'the lips are gone, the teeth are cold' when they suddenly heard that Young Master Chen had fired someone for no reason. In short, none of them learned any good phrases from Zhong Qian.
When Fang Yuan returned to the shop, the waiters greeted her with smiles, each one calling her "Manager" smoothly.
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