“Their cooked food still has a bit of a gamey taste, but our cooked food is all meaty and flavorful,” Su Wensong, who was in charge of the cooked foods section, said pointedly.
Lin Chuxia tasted a bit of each and felt the difference. Indeed, both the texture and flavor were slightly worse than those of Qin’s Cooked Food, which bolstered her confidence in the new store.
After the meeting ended, everyone went back to their respective places, but Ma Yingzi stayed behind.
“Boss, does our new store still need people for the opening? You see, I have a neighbor who asked me to inquire if they could work at our bun shop.”
This request wasn’t surprising. With so many idle people and few jobs around, it’s natural for others to envy those who are making money.
“What’s the situation with your neighbor? Does she know what working at the bun shop entails?” Lin Chuxia didn’t oppose referrals, as long as the person was suitable, it didn’t matter who it was.
Seeing that Lin Chuxia was easy to talk to, Ma Yingzi’s nervous expression relaxed a bit and she nodded, “She knows. After I started working here, she would often come over for a chat and found out about what I do here. She thinks she can handle it too. She’s two years older than I am, 32 this year, with her child already in school.”
“Alright, have her come by tomorrow for me to take a look at.”
Lin Chuxia readily agreed and then said to the others, “If you all know someone suitable, feel free to refer them. But let me be blunt upfront: you can make the referral, but whether we hire them depends on if they fit the work at our bun shop. When it comes to work, I won’t consider personal favors. I made this clear when Brother Pang and Sister Ma joined, and it will be the same going forward.”
“Got it, boss,” the others responded.
Although the boss’s words were not pleasant to hear, they knew that the boss was actually offering them a favor.
These days, who doesn’t have a few relatives or friends looking for jobs? As long as they refer them, they’ve done a favor. Whether or not the person can stay on the job depends on their own capabilities.
Of course, having said that, considering how well the boss treated them, they also couldn’t just refer anybody and end up causing trouble for the boss.
Moreover, the boss was strict about work and never cared about personal faces. If they recommended someone incompetent, in the end, it would only backfire on themselves.
Sun Bingnan saw Sun Lanlan busy in the kitchen and sneakily came over to Lin Chuxia, “Boss, I also want to refer someone here.”
Lin Chuxia saw him glancing toward the kitchen with a sly look and asked doubtfully, “Who are you referring to? You’re not thinking of bringing your girlfriend over, are you?”
Sun Bingnan was still looking at the kitchen when he heard this and grimaced, “Do you see me as that kind of person?”
“No problem, Third Brother. Even if you are that kind of person, I don’t mind. It would be good for you to refer her over, so Lanlan and I can help you take a closer look.”
Sun Bingnan waved his hands, “I’m talking about serious stuff. I want to refer Cai Jun over, the one who was my classmate in middle school from Cai Ying’s place. We have a good relationship, and he’s a lively person. I was thinking of taking the next step and having him as my brother-in-law,” he said with a note of seriousness, “I’m only telling you this. I haven’t mentioned it to Lanlan and Cai Jun. Lanlan is my sister, and I want her to find someone she likes. If a spark ignites between them, then it’s all good. If Lanlan doesn’t feel anything for him, then let it be, consider it helping a buddy find a job.”
Lin Chuxia couldn’t help but look at Sun Bingnan with new respect, giving him a thumbs up, “Lanlan is fortunate to have you as a third brother.”
She remembered that Sun Bingnan had opposed Sun Lanlan’s marriage arrangement with Liu Dahui.
Embarrassed by the praise, Sun Bingnan said, “In this life, we should find someone we like. It’s better to live alone than to settle for someone out of convenience.”
This was indeed very much like Sun Bingnan. In his previous life, he was still unmarried well into his thirties, which turned his parents’ hair white with worry.
“Alright, let me know when you can bring him over for me to take a look,” Lin Chuxia was also very accommodating.
With everything arranged, Lin Chuxia returned to the small courtyard’s office. The new place was larger and required careful planning.
Upon entering the small courtyard, Yuan Bao came wagging his tail, circling around her.
When Lin Chuxia crouched down to rub his head, he naturally followed her into the office.
Lin Chuxia gave him half a bowl of spiritual spring water. His dog food was a pancake specially made for him by Zhang Guilan.
After all, it seemed like a sin to feed a dog with meat buns.
Lin Chuxia didn’t refuse. Nowadays, it indeed didn’t seem right to feed a dog with meat buns, and Yuan Bao wasn’t picky, happily munching down the pancakes.
She kept busy until it got dark. The bun shop finished for the day, and Sun Lanlan had returned to the small courtyard as well.
Qin Han and Zhang Guilan knew that Lin Chuxia hadn’t gone home yet, so they came over to wait and walk home with her.
Lin Chuxia simply packed up her half-finished work and decided to continue at home.
On the other side, Su Wensong also finished his day’s work and went home, where Granny Su had dinner ready, waiting for them to eat together.
While eating, they talked about the day’s events and even took out the property deed for Su Wensong to keep safe.
Su Wensong didn’t refuse. It made his granny anxious to keep the deed herself; it was better for him to hold onto it.
At the end of the conversation, they brought up Sun Lanlan again.
“She’s a good girl, straightforward, with a clear sense of gratitude and grudges. We have her to thank for today…”
Granny Su spoke while observing her grandson’s expression and finally added, “When you get a chance, thank her for me.”
Su Wensong recalled Sun Lanlan’s support for him the previous day and nodded, “Alright.”
Satisfied with her grandson’s enthusiastic response, Granny Su smiled.
…………
Lin Chuxia first went through the accounts when she got back. She planned to renovate the new shop well, not skimping on the investment.
She had spent most of her money on buying and renovating the small courtyard, but now with the cooked food business, the bun shop was earning nearly a hundred in profits daily. Even after spending quite a bit in the Northwest, she still had almost three thousand yuan left, in addition to the more than five hundred that Qin Yang had given her.
She used eight hundred for the new rental’s rent, deposit, and red packets; Lin Chuxia planned to invest two thousand yuan in the renovation and hardware of the new shop front, which gave her a lot of room to maneuver.
With that considered, she only had a few hundred yuan left for turnover.
Lin Chuxia thought of Li Jian, feeling grateful for the three thousand yuan loan he had helped arrange; otherwise, she really wouldn’t have been able to open the new shop.
She’ll need to visit this “good friend” when she has the time.
Over the course of two days, Lin Chuxia visited the new store to survey it again before completing the design plans.
Although it was a 2-story building, the initial focus was still on the first floor.
Taking advantage of these days, Su Wensong also found a good tiler and carpenter. With the design drawings in hand, the renovation work officially began.
The person Ma Yingzi referred was named Chen Chunhua, who looked quite clean and was chattier than Ma Yingzi, and seemed quite observant.
After discussing the job duties and salary, with both parties having no objections, Chen Chunhua was kept on.