The barbecue restaurant was already bustling with activity, the women working enthusiastically and cleaning the place spotless. Even the grandfather and grandson who sold tofu pudding hadn't left, helping with the cleaning and preparations, as they would be welcoming customers at noon soon.
This is the first day after the business was suspended, and it is crucial.
Seeing the lonely cart outside the shop, with an old man and a young boy running back and forth, working from dawn till dusk, Lan Yamei felt sorry for them and said, "Grandpa, you and your grandson should rest for a while. I'll help him upstairs to rest. I'll come down to talk to you in a bit."
While helping Qiu Zeyu upstairs, he said to Tie Tou, "Tie Tou, tell everyone to wash their hands and wait for me. I'll be right down."
Tie Tou hurriedly directed everyone to stop, wash their hands, and get ready. They would be welcoming guests in a few hours, and Tie Tou was filled with anxiety as it was his first time handling things on his own. The others were also anxious, focusing their efforts blindly on their tasks, misdirecting their energy.
Back in the room, I changed Qiu Zeyu's dressing first, then poured him a glass of water. Without making a sound, I dissolved the muscle-relaxing pills in the water, stirred it, and gave it to him. Only then did I speak seriously, "I didn't expect you to recover so quickly, but you still need to rest more to fully recover soon. Now that Wu Tongling is gone, we've avenged Er Gou and his wife. The matter of capturing Nan Fangnan is Murong Xingchen's task, so we shouldn't get involved. You focus on your recovery; I'll arrange things downstairs. The barbecue restaurant will be open today, and the clinic will be open tomorrow. Once everything is running smoothly, I'll immediately look for Aunt Guan and Uncle Anyang."
Qiu Zeyu had been stubbornly holding on, even though his wound had long since reopened and was bleeding profusely; he really needed to rest. He could only nod in agreement, saying, "Don't push yourself too hard. Remember to discuss things with me if anything happens. Qiu Kongkong won't be back for more than a few days. Once things are settled at home, he should be able to come back and help. We'll look for people together then."
Lan Yamei nodded, turned around and went downstairs.
The crowd waiting downstairs spotted Wang Fengyang and said, "Yangyang, go upstairs and take care of your master. When there's food in the kitchen, remember to take it up to your master first."
Yangyang accepted the order and went upstairs with a thud.
Lan Ya Mei then stood on the stairs and addressed the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, we're officially starting today! Whether we can eat and drink well every day from now on depends on how well our shop does! None of you have ever run a barbecue business before! Or even eaten barbecue before!"
At this point, everyone blushed with embarrassment. Women with low status in the family had indeed never eaten out. They didn't even have the right to have their daily meals at the table. Barbecue, stir-fries, and hot pot were all for the men; the women were content to stay in the kitchen and eat their fill.
Lan Yamei changed the subject, "But from today onwards! As long as you work wholeheartedly and without any disloyalty, you can eat whatever the shop sells! You can even sit at the table and eat!"
As soon as he finished speaking, some of the women, who were greatly encouraged, clapped excitedly.
There were also some timid and cowardly women, their eyes filled with incredulous fear, staring blankly at the female shopkeeper speaking in front of them.
"I've already asked Manager Wang of the Drunken Fragrance Restaurant across the street to prepare the food. Today, Tie Tou will lead you into a grand restaurant you've never been to before, and let you taste the kind of food and drinks that men usually eat out. Eat and drink to your heart's content! But we can't let it interfere with our lunch business. We only have one hour for lunch, so let's go! What are we waiting for!" Lan Ya Mei's highly persuasive words ignited the women's passion.
At Tie Tou's call, they all rushed into Zui Xiang Lou.
Shopkeeper Wang was overjoyed and kept bowing in thanks.
After leaving the grandfather and granddaughter behind, Lan Yamei slowly said, "Uncle, please have a seat!"
The old man's eyes were filled with admiration and curiosity. He sat down shakily and asked, "Young lady, you are not old, but you have an extraordinary bearing! You are not like a child from an ordinary family!"
Lan Yamei just smiled, poured the old woman a cup of tea, and said, "I'm just an ordinary person from an ordinary family. I didn't have enough to eat or wear when I was little. Later, I encountered some things, gained some experience, and met some people. I developed an ambition to become rich. Whether you say it's for them or for myself, you can't live in this society without doing anything. Rather than living a mediocre life, it's better to make something of yourself!"
"But you're just a woman, alas, what a pity." The old man held deeply ingrained patriarchal views and wasn't optimistic about the future.
“What’s there to regret? You’re a man, but without me, you probably wouldn’t earn this much money in a day. How could you give your child a bright future?” Lan Yamei didn’t want to be a pushover, so she retorted.
The old man's face flushed with a mix of colors. He took a sip of tea to calm down and continued, "What I mean is, you need to find a good family to marry into to have a happy ending."
Lan Ya Mei chuckled and said, "Uncle, I have food and drink now, and so many employees. Why wouldn't I be happy? A woman's happiness shouldn't be based on relying on a man. Never mind, you wouldn't understand the theory anyway. I have something to tell you."
The old man was a little embarrassed, so he could only nod and didn't bring up the previous topic again.
Lan Yamei felt compassion for the old man and the child, so she said with concern, "You must be very tired from traveling back and forth, so don't bother yourself anymore and go back to rest early. Everything is fine here, so don't worry."
The old man gave a wry smile and said, "Thanks to your adjustments, my tofu pudding business is selling better and better. You've helped us so much, my grandson and I would feel uneasy if we didn't do something in return."
Lan Ya Mei stroked the little guy's dark hair and said to the child, "Don't you want to go to school?"
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