Chuxia Lin was extremely satisfied with Wensong Su’s work ability and showed him the management plan for the Bun Shop and the prepared food courtyard that she had written on the train.
“Let’s check out the storefront tomorrow, and at the same time we can begin arranging for staff. Once the Bun Shop opens, the staff can be transferred there directly and be ready to work. My eldest brother and sister-in-law will come over if there are no accidents. As for the chicken farm, tell them that we can take hens less than two years old for the store, but not any older,” it affects the taste.
Although she has ways to process them until they’re tender and soft, the process is cumbersome and they don’t have the time for it.
“My eldest brother and sister-in-law count as two people; after the new store opens, we’ll need to hire at least four more people. I plan to increase the supply of cooked food; the weather’s getting colder, and it’s easier to preserve food.”
Currently, the most troublesome issue is preservation – it’s not easy to get a refrigerator these days.
She never considered using the space for such purposes. If she were to rely on the space for everything, what would be the point of living this life again?
Might as well just lay down and give up.
The space is merely a boost for her business development, not everything.
In life, what one pursues is not solely an outcome. The energy and joy provided in the process are irreplaceable by a simple result.
After arranging everything, Chuxia Lin only then noticed that Old Sir He was slightly intoxicated.
“Master, why do you indulge in drinking so much? I was only distracted for a moment and you’ve already had half a bottle, which is almost 250 grams.”
Old Master He waved his hand nonchalantly, “It’s nothing. This is just a bit. When I was young, I could drink a full 500 grams.”
“People say that heroes don’t boast about their past bravery. You’re at an age where you shouldn’t compare yourself to the young.”
She called Sun Bingnan over to take Old Master He home.
Old Master He was reluctant to leave and before doing so, he even tried to pocket the remaining wine in the bottle to take home.
Chuxia Lin directly confiscated it, “If you want to drink, come to the shop. We’ll have drinks and dishes ready for you at any time.”
Old Master He complained helplessly to Sun Bingnan, “Look at this, she manages everything. Who’s the apprentice here? She’s my master!”
Despite his complaints, he still left cheerfully with Sun Bingnan.
Seeing that there was nothing urgent at the Bun Shop, Chuxia Lin greeted Sun Lanlan and returned to the Qin Family.
Mrs. Qin was both happy and sad to see Chuxia Lin coming back. She was delighted that her daughter-in-law always had them in mind, even buying so many things for them after being out on a trip.
Especially that sheepskin, which looked very warm.
Her husband suffered from cold legs, and even though they had a warm kang bed, it would become cold by the second half of the night, causing discomfort. Now, with a sheepskin mattress, it would stay warm all night.
And with a sheepskin coat made, they wouldn’t fear going out in winter.
The sad part was that her daughter-in-law had returned after just a few days. Could she be pregnant in just those few days? She also wondered if her son was competent enough.
Qin Han and Zhang Guilan came back early today, and when they saw Chuxia Lin had returned, they both came over to offer warm greetings. After all, she had been out on a long journey; in their minds, even getting outside the county was not easy, let alone spending several days on a train.
“Perfect, eldest brother and sister-in-law, I brought some prepared food back from the shop, let’s eat together tonight.”
Upon returning, Chuxia Lin had to start managing matters related to the new branch. She wondered how Qin Han and his wife had considered the matter.
She thought her eldest brother should have understood what she meant last time.
Seeing that they had planted wheat in the fields, she had a rough idea in her mind.
Sure enough, Qin Han’s eyes lit up, “That’s right, you can say that. The cooked food from your shop does taste amazing. No wonder it sells so well. When I go to the vegetable station to drop off produce, I’ve heard people talking about selling their veggies and heading straight to your place to buy cooked food.”
After sitting on the train for several days, Zhang Guilan wouldn’t let Lin Chuxia step into the kitchen. Mrs. Qin also said dinner was easy to fix and asked her to rest. Having no choice, Chuxia returned to her room.
After dinner, which she wasn’t required to help clean up, Lin Chuxia could only follow Zhang Guilan around, keeping her company to relieve some boredom.
As Zhang Guilan washed the dishes, she was trying to figure out how to bring up the next topic.
During dinner, her sister-in-law had brought up the idea of opening a branch again. They would start looking for a location tomorrow, and undoubtedly more staff would be needed. She had already mentioned this to her husband before, but she hesitated again when it came time for her to speak up. After all, they had previously declined the kind invitation to join the venture.
“Sister-in-law…” Zhang Guilan hesitantly called out.
“Hmm?”
Meeting those clear eyes, Zhang Guilan smoothed her hair, “I just heard you talking about the new branch needing more hands. I’ve discussed it with your brother, and if you don’t mind, both of us can come over to help…”
Lin Chuxia smiled, “Sister-in-law, I’d be delighted if you and my brother could come. If you’re available, feel free to stop by the shop to look into it. I might be too busy these next few days, but I can arrange for someone in the shop to guide you two.”
With Chuxia saying that, Zhang Guilan’s concerns disappeared, and she smiled back, “That’s settled then. There isn’t much left to do in the fields, so your brother and I will come by the shop tomorrow. Just don’t mind our rough edges.”
“Sister-in-law, having family in the shop makes me feel more at ease.”
Qin Han and Zhang Guilan weren’t selfish people. Since getting married, Chuxia could feel that they really treated her like a younger sister, caring for her in every possible way, even worrying about her safety and picking her up when she was late.
How could she not trust such people in her shop?
“For the salary, brother will get 40 a month, and sister-in-law, you’ll get 30. That’s the standard wage for our shop’s staff. Others may have a probation period, but you two won’t need that.”
“We’re all family, no need to talk about money,” Zhang Guilan said nonchalantly, yet she felt that her sister-in-law was very prudent in handling affairs, leaving no room for criticism.
That night, Zhang Guilan went back to her room and discussed it with Qin Han.
Qin Han knew that as long as they mentioned it, their sister-in-law wouldn’t reject them.
“Isn’t the salary a bit high? I heard that Qin Wen makes only 35.50 working the counter at the Hardware Company.”
A wage of 40 was beyond their wildest dreams.
Together, they would earn 70 a month, which meant selling a lot of vegetables.
Zhang Guilan also realized that the offered wage seemed overly generous.
“Sister-in-law mentioned that’s the regular wage in their shop, and that we don’t need a probation period. Oh, let’s not dwell on it. If you think the pay is too high, we’ll just work harder, make sure that the sister-in-law feels it’s money well spent.”
Qin Han thought so too. Now that their sister-in-law had broached the subject, it would be rather inappropriate to keep fussing over this matter.
As the sister-in-law didn’t play formalities with them, they should treat the shop’s affairs as their own once they joined.
With the matter decided, the couple was in high spirits. Qin Han even felt a bit frisky looking at his wife.
Zhang Guilan slapped away Qin Han’s hand, “Go to sleep, we need to start early tomorrow. I need to properly learn how to make those buns that sister-in-law brought looking like works of art.”
Qin Han twiddled his fingers regretfully, seeing his wife’s fighting spirit, he couldn’t bear to dampen her mood, and so he resigned himself to his fate.