Chapter 217: Chapter 216: 30 Years in Hedong, 30 Years in
Hexi
Translator: 549690339
Professor Li’s friend helped the Jiang Family Members rent apartments that were fully furnished and very comfortable, the kind you could move into with just your bags. Ji Yue and Ji Xue’s staff dorms were initially given to the sisters Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian to live in. When the rental was first arranged, it did not include them, as they didn’t have Beiping residency and could only attend high school back in Alan City, where Aunt would go back to take care of them.
After a day of high-speed rail travel, even without doing much, one could be utterly exhausted. Jiang Feng initially planned to watch a segment of memory as a bedtime movie before sleeping, but after washing up, as soon as he lay down and his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.
By the time he regained consciousness, it was already the next morning.
Iron body, magnetic bed; the new bed was so soft and comfortable that Jiang Feng, who had always had the good habit of lingering in bed, didn’t want to get up even after waking up naturally.
Looking out the window, the sunlight was just right.
Today was good weather.
“Brother, brother, get up already!” Jiang Junlian was frantically knocking outside, her DuangDuangDuang knocks could lead one to think she was smashing the door, “It’s time to eat, and Zhang is here too!”
Jiang Feng was jolted awake in an instant, the thought of lazing in bed scattered without a trace, and he sprang up with a carp flip, quickly changing clothes and brushing teeth.
Five minutes later, a Jiang Feng indistinguishable from his usual self appeared at the door.
The breakfast was rather perfunctory, just steamed buns from the convenience store downstairs. The ones in Jiang Feng’s hands were filled with curry beef, not very fresh and the taste was mediocre.
Having just moved, there were many things they hadn’t had the chance to buy. After last night’s dinner, they discussed again, and under Zhang Guanghang’s suggestion, the interview for the new employees of Taifeng Building was set to be held in Xia Mushi’s private restaurant.
Xia Mushi’s private restaurant had not been in business for a long time, but someone cleaned it every day, the kitchen equipment was fully furnished, and it was most suitable as an interview venue. The regular suppliers were still in contact, and if all went well, these suppliers would become Taifeng Building’s suppliers in the future.
The interview was scheduled for the afternoon. The morning was shopping time; anything the house was missing or needed had to be sorted out this morning. Zhang Guanghang came over early to give the keys to the Jiang Family Members and also to guide them around the area.
Although Zhang Guanghang was of Chinese-French descent, sporting a standard handsome foreigner’s face, height, and legs, he had lived in Beiping for many years, speaking with a Beiping accent and knowing the lay of the land extremely well. On their way to Xia Mushi’s private restaurant, he also introduced them to nearby malls and entertainment facilities, and he emphasized the location of the nearest IKEA to the apartment.
The Jiang Family men forgot everything as soon as they heard it, but the ladies listened intently, almost wishing they could take out pen and paper on the spot and make a note of it all.
“So, Zhang, is there a gym nearby?” The determined-to-lose-weight great aunt already treated Zhang Guanghang as one of their own.
“Yes, there’s a big gym on the fifth floor of the mall next to Taifeng Building. I heard that their personal trainers aren’t bad,” said Zhang Guanghang.
“Then…”
After taking the Jiang Family Members to check out the private restaurant, the two elders were unwilling to go shopping, so they stayed at the private restaurant. Zhang Guanghang went to the hospital to accompany Xia Mushi.
Jiang Shoucheng had his day off today, and Jiang Zaidi had just completed a job a few days earlier and was currently resting. Both were excellent at carrying heavy items, each worth four Jiang Fengs. Coupled with several of Jiang Feng’s uncles, there were plenty of able-bodied men for carrying shopping bags, fully capable of satisfying the shopping needs of the ladies.
Jiang Feng rarely went shopping. Even after his relationship with Wu Minqi started, they didn’t browse through malls; to them, shopping at a mall wasn’t nearly as interesting as visiting a vegetable market.
Shopping at IKEA today was a difficult battle.
“Mom, look at that lamp; it’s so pretty, let’s buy two!” said Jiang Junlian, her too-plus pounds body housing a 200-pound girl’s soul.
“Mom, that doll looks so cute, let’s buy a doll!”
“Mom, this bowl is big, we can use it to eat from now on!”
“Mom, this plate is big too!”
“Mom!”
“Mom!”
“Mom!!!”
“Do you live here?” Aunt ragefully realized that her daughter wanted to buy even more things than she did.
Jiang Junlian:…
“Mom, look at that blanket, it would look so nice in the living room!” Jiang Junqing exclaimed, pointing at a blanket ahead.
“Where, where, what blanket? What color is it—wow, it’s purple, definitely pretty, really matches our furniture!” Aunt was instantly attracted by the blanket and turned to call someone, “Jianshe, come here and get this blanket for me, the purple one!”
“Sure thing, wife!” Jiang Jianshe pushed the shopping cart over.
Jiang Junlian realized her mother didn’t love her anymore, unwilling to buy her even simple little things.
“Brother,” Jiang Junlian looked at Jiang Feng with puppy eyes, pouting and deploying her coquettish charm.
Jiang Feng:…
You can’t look at me like that; it’s really scary when a nearly 150-pound person acts coquettishly toward you.
“Brother,” Jiang Junlian continued to look at Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng didn’t push a cart but carried a basket containing various items that Mrs. Wang Xiulian wanted but didn’t actually need.
“How about we buy a bowl?” Jiang Feng tentatively suggested, noting that the bowl Jiang Junlian admired earlier wasn’t bad—it was big, seemingly of good quality, durable, and would save a few scoops during meals.
Jiang Junlian continued to look at him with hopeful eyes.
“Two?”
Jiang Junlian still fixed him with that hopeful gaze.
“And add a plate?”
“I want that lamp,” Jiang Junlian revealed her trump card.
“Noway!” Jiang Feng stood his ground, knowing Jiang Junlian would not live here and buying that lamp would be totally useless.
“You buy it for me, and I’ll help you choose Minqi’s birthday gift this year,” Jiang Junlian landed a firm punch, convinced she held the upper hand.
Jiang Junlian’s chosen birthday gifts were always the best, with a deep understanding of a woman’s heart.
“Okay, okay, okay, which color do you want? Pink, yellow, or purple?” Jiang Feng instantly broke through his own bottom line.
Two hours later, all the women of the Jiang Family had completed their satisfying shopping spree, walking out with nothing in their hands and feeling light and relaxed, leaving their husbands and sons to push the fully loaded shopping carts to the front for checkout.
With a shopping basket in hand, Jiang Feng already stood out. Add to that a princess table lamp in an incredibly girly pink on top of the basket, and he looked even more distinctive.
“Little brother, what is this…” Jiang Zaidi was dumbfounded when he saw the lamp.
“Junlian, what are you doing? Didn’t I tell you not to buy this lamp? Put it back! Don’t put it in your little brother’s basket,” Aunt frowned and said.
“Mom, this isn’t for me, it’s little brother who wants to buy it,” Jiang Junlian said.
Everyone turned to look at Jiang Feng, their eyes clearly saying—what, you actually have this kind of taste!
“I picked it out forQiqi,” Jiang Feng used an advanced lie, feeling he had a significant advantage.
“Qiqi likes… this type?” Wang Xiulian found it somewhat hard to accept.
“Auntie, we girls all like this kind of thing!” Jiang Junlian pulled off a masterlevel lie.
Wang Xiulian was convinced on the spot.
Jiang Feng glanced at the time; it was already past 11 a.m. By the time they moved everything home and put it away, it would be 12 p.m.
They casually dealt with lunch at a nearby fast-food restaurant, not forgetting to pack two portions for the two Sirs. When they left, the restaurant owner enthusiastically told them to come back soon, prompting the Jiang Family Members to sigh at how warm-hearted the Beiping people were. There was no time to rest either, as the interview was scheduled for 2 p.m. They needed to leave for the private restaurant right after eating, or the meals they packed for the Sirs would get cold.
Some of the applicants arrived very early, around 1 p.m., appearing quite tense and nervous.
Those who passed Jiang Zaidi’s screening all had decent abilities, most with work experience, but had left their previous jobs for various reasons. What the Jiang Family didn’t know was that since the remodeling day, Taifeng Building had become a household name across the entire Beiping restaurant industry.
Everyone muddles through life, aiming for higher ground and flowing down with the tide. Whether in the service or chef industries, it’s tough to make a living—low wages, long working hours, no holidays, and physically demanding work. Everyone wants to work in a good establishment to earn higher wages, so when they go home for the holidays, they can have a bit more confidence when facing relatives.
The interview venue was chosen to be at Xia Mushi’s private restaurant, which, to the applicants, resembled an examination.
Xia Mushi’s private restaurant, even in Beiping City, was a top-notch establishment frequented by either the rich or powerful. The dishes were expensive, and the culinary skills were exceptional.
The applicants were immediately intimidated upon arrival.
They were uniformly muscular, except for one normally built young man and two slightly overweight elderly men. The rest, regardless of gender, were the perfect material for being enforcers in the underworld.
Jiang Shoucheng was registering at the door, directing those applying for the kitchen to the kitchen area and those for the hall to the courtyard.
“What position are you applying for?” Jiang Shoucheng asked proficiently, as if he were routinely inquiring about a patient’s feelings.
Arriving person: …
He felt like he was seeing a doctor.
“Ca-cashier.”
“For the cashier, go straight inside, give me your resume. Next, what position are you applying for?” Jiang Shoucheng registered the name and the applied position.
“Hall attendant.”
“Give me your resume, go straight inside and turn right to the courtyard. Next.”
“Kitchen apprentice cook.”
“You got a resume? Turn left directly; that red door is the entrance to the back kitchen. Next.”
“Chef,” said Sun Jikai, with mixed feelings.
He, Sun Jikai, the future heir to Jubao Building, an outstanding management graduate from Wharton Business School, a genius chef, was thrown out of his home after his credit cards, trusts, and bank accounts were frozen.
Before being kicked out, Sun Guanyun had spoken up and instructed him to apply for a chef position at Taifeng Building in Beiping and only come back when he had made a name for himself based on his abilities.
With Sun Jikai’s pride, of course, he was unwilling. Who was he? A prodigy! Whether in cooking, academics, networks, or socializing, he was the deserved pride of the heavens, the object of everyone’s envy.
But even heroes fall hard when penniless, and he was out of money.
If he didn’t find a job, he wouldn’t be able to pay rent next month.
Over the years, his well-to-do friends were warned by their elders: as long as he didn’t starve to death, they weren’t allowed to lend him a penny. Just like in soap operas, Sun Jikai felt like he was the male lead.
He would make his mark in Beiping and return to Jubao Building with glory and applause, driving out his treacherous and cunning second uncle’s family, bringing Jubao Building to greater heights, and becoming the pride of the Sun Family.
The pride of the Sun Family was now competing with people he usually looked down upon for a chef position.
“Red Chef, White Chef, or Salad?” asked Jiang Shoucheng.
“Red Chef,” said Sun Jikai.
“Resume, next,” Jiang Shoucheng casually glanced at the resume, and was instantly struck.
A graduate in management from Wharton Business School?
Applying for a position as a Red Chef?
Since when did Wharton Business School start taking jobs from New East?
As Sun Jikai walked forward, he muttered, “Fortune changes every thirty years; don’t bully the young when they’re poor. I will definitely make a comeback!”
With good hearing, Jiang Shoucheng overheard everything:…
It’s been 60 years; you’re already old, how could you possibly still be a poor young man?
He seemed not young anymore yet still acting like a teenager. Jiang Shoucheng shookhishead and said, “Next.”
In the back kitchen, tasks had already been assigned. For example, Jiang Feng, with his exceptional plating skills, was assigned to interview as a kitchen apprentice cook.
“Ding, completed side mission [Turn Enemies into Friends], reward received: Taifeng Building Ordering Program.”
Eh?