Ling Dapeng immediately pressed for details and learned from his sister-in-law that the fire last night had not only burned down their own restaurant, but also the grocery store next door, and several other shops next door.
"It's over, it's really over!" Ling Dapeng collapsed to the ground with a thud. They had no restaurant to inherit!
Jiang Youfu walked out with a laugh, feeling rather embarrassed about staying overnight at someone else's house.
"Manager Jiang, what are you going to do? Your general store is gone too." Wang Hongyu asked worriedly when she saw Jiang Youfu come out.
"Going back to farming, what else can I do? Um... I'm going out to get something to eat. Manager Tao is getting up, please give him my thanks." Jiang Youfu said wistfully, "My wife and kids are in the countryside. I used to think about bringing them here to enjoy a comfortable life, but in the end, I have no choice but to go back!"
"Why go out to eat? We have food in the kitchen," Wang Hongyu said. "Honey, why don't you get some water for Manager Jiang to wash his face? I'll go to the kitchen and get him something to eat."
"That would be so embarrassing!" Jiang Youfu chuckled, and actually stopped walking.
After having breakfast, they cried together about being poor, which brought Jiang Youfu closer to the Ling brothers and their wife.
Bai Yumei and Xiao Qiao'er only learned about this from the others after they woke up, and they immediately felt depressed.
"Where's Mother? Hasn't Mother gotten up yet?" Ling Dapeng looked around. The sun was high in the sky; why wasn't she up?
"What time did you get back last night? You probably went to bed late," Bai Yumei guessed. "My eldest sister is a strong-willed person. Even if she doesn't cry, she's still heartbroken. This restaurant is her life's work!"
"I'm going to check on Mother." Little Qiao'er hurriedly ran towards the main courtyard.
After a while, Xiao Qiao'er ran back.
"Mom said she wants to sleep more and told us not to disturb her."
"Sigh, Manager Tao is so optimistic and sleeps so soundly," Jiang Youfu remarked.
The group was still chatting when there was a loud knock on the door.
Ling Dahu immediately went to answer the door, opened it, and froze. "General Ling, what brings you here?"
"Where is Tao?" Ling Yunzhou asked anxiously with a grim face. The small restaurant had been burned down, and he felt something was wrong. He rushed over to see if Tao Wanniang was too heartbroken.
"Mother hasn't woken up yet. General, why don't you come in and sit down?" Ling Dahu wasn't sure what the general wanted to do here.
Ling Yunzhou strode into the house and followed Ling Dahu to the living room to wait. When he saw Jiang Youfu, he first frowned, then remembered that this was the owner of the general store next door.
However, is there another expert in the Tao family? Last time, when he was injured on the face, the opponent must have used a hidden weapon.
Jiang Youfu did not recognize Ling Yunzhou. He had seen Ling Yunzhou entering and leaving small restaurants a few times, but he had an extraordinary demeanor and thought he must be a big shot.
"Such a big thing happened, how can she still sleep? Have you gone to check on her?" Ling Yunzhou said with a stern face, "Is she really sleeping or hiding in her room wiping away tears?"
"I went to check on her. Mom said she was very sleepy and wanted to sleep a little longer, so she told us not to disturb her," Xiao Qiao'er said weakly. This uncle is so fierce!
Ling Yunzhou glanced at Xiao Qiao'er, realizing that this little girl was the cause of his misunderstanding, and his expression inevitably turned somewhat unpleasant.
Xiao Qiao'er hid behind Bai Yumei in fear.
"Your restaurant is gone. Have you thought about what you'll do after that?" Ling Yunzhou shifted his gaze from Xiao Qiao'er, glanced at the Ling brothers, and then looked at his two daughters-in-law and three grandchildren. This was the first time he had ever seen them like this!
"General Ling, my mother hasn't woken up yet. It depends on what she says," Ling Dahu said truthfully, clearly looking dejected.
"How can such a small thing make you like this? As the eldest son of the Ling family, how can you be so irresponsible?" Ling Yunzhou looked at Ling Dahu with eyes full of disappointment and frustration for his son.
Ling Dahu blushed a little after Ling Yunzhou's words, but at home, it was indeed his mother who made the decisions!
"General Ling, this is our family matter," Ling Dahu said weakly, sounding both timid and impatient.
Ling Yunzhou paused, it was time to reveal his identity.
"Go, wake Tao Shi up," Ling Yunzhou said sternly. "Tell her I've arrived!"
“Well, sir, you are a guest here, this is too much for you to do…” Jiang Youfu couldn’t stand it anymore. This was a matter for the Ling family, and this official was meddling too much!
“You’re an outsider, so why don’t you leave for now?” Ling Yunzhou said directly.
“I am an outsider, but aren’t you, sir, also an outsider?” Jiang Youfu replied without hesitation.
The Ling brothers' eyes also fell on Ling Yunzhou's face. This general kept mentioning the Tao family. Could it be...? Then, the two brothers looked at each other and silently shook their heads.
Such a high-ranking official is definitely not a good match for his mother.
"Well, General, Mother has a terrible temper when she wakes up. If she hasn't slept well, it'll be even worse. Besides, Mother has worked hard, so it's only right that she get some rest," Wang Hongyu said, forcing herself to speak.
Are they all so afraid of Tao Wanniang? Ling Yunzhou glanced at his son and daughter-in-law, who all avoided his gaze, and felt a little annoyed.
Bai Yumei was also an outsider and had never heard Tao Wanniang mention Lingyunzhou. Seeing this person's behavior, she wondered if there was something between him and Tao Wanniang that she didn't know.
"Is General Ling in a hurry?" Bai Yumei asked. "Everyone understands how hard my eldest sister works for the family. After what happened last night, she was the first to rush out. She probably didn't sleep all night."
Ling Yunzhou raised an eyebrow. He hadn't slept all night, so...
“Then let’s wait. I have something I need to explain to her. It’s good that you’re all here; there are some things I shouldn’t hide from you.” As Ling Yunzhou spoke, he made a point of looking at all the members of the Ling family.
These words are too suggestive. Not to mention the Ling brothers, even Zhou Xiaoyun and Wang Hongmei secretly tugged at each other's clothes. The mother-in-law's charm is too great; she has attracted the attention of a big shot!
"You... haven't had it easy these past few years, have you?" After waiting for a while, Ling Yunzhou finally spoke up.
As soon as he said this, even Jiang Youfu, an outsider, sensed something was wrong. That tone... Thinking of Tao Wanniang's charm, he couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"Um... I need to pee urgently, where's the restroom?" Jiang Youfu said, feeling it was inappropriate.
Ling Dapeng told Jiang Youfu the location. He had previously thought General Ling was quite good, but now, alarm bells were ringing in his mind. This person was no good. He was so domineering. If he got together with his mother, wouldn't they be fighting every day?
“General, life wasn’t easy for us before, but after Mother led us out of Lingjia Village, things got better,” Ling Dapeng said, his words exceptionally clear.
“Yes, General, my mother not only raised us, but also helped us get married. She really worried herself sick for this family. Most importantly, she was devoted to my father.” Ling Dahu said seriously, “We were able to have enough to eat and drink on our journey of fleeing famine, all thanks to my deceased father’s blessing.”
Ling Yunzhou was stunned. His deceased father was referring to him.
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