Chapter 535: Shanghai Chefs Check Out the Restaurant

Chapter 535: Chapter 535: Shanghai Chefs Check Out the Restaurant

"So, we’ll bathe together next time?" Jiang Liu teased, a rare occurrence.

"Th-That’s... okay too!"

"??" Jiang Liu chuckled. "Let’s watch TV. I was waiting for you. Hmm? Why are you staring at me?"

Tongtong stared at Jiang Liu with her big, adorable eyes.

"Daddy, if you and Mommy are bathing together, what about me?"

"You can bathe by yourself!" Jiang Liu’s eyes went wide.

"Waaah! No, no! Tongtong doesn’t want to bathe without Daddy!" Jiang Tongtong hugged Jiang Liu’s leg tightly, acting cute and spoiled.

"We’ll talk about it later. Let’s watch TV first," Jiang Liu said, changing the subject.

Jun Qingmeng snickered softly from the side.

"You two can just be stuck together then, hehehe."

"Hehe, Mommy, it’s the three of us who are stuck together!"

Jiang Liu watched TV with his daughter and wife. Around ten o’clock, he received a message from Ren Qingqing:

"President Jiang, it looks like most of Yang Yixue’s stores have closed down. The one on Zhongyin Road already has a ’For Lease’ sign up!"

"Her whereabouts are unknown. It seems she’s looking for someone to take over the stores."

It all happened tonight.

After the video was exposed, Ren Qingqing had specifically sent someone to investigate.

According to her sources,

many former customers had blocked the entrances to Yang Yixue’s few remaining stores, shouting that she not only had to compensate them but also get on her knees and apologize.

A terrified Yang Yixue had called the police, and in the end, she had to pay a sum for emotional distress to barely resolve the situation.

Then, her employees showed up demanding their wages, adding fuel to the fire. Yang Yixue was left in a complete mess.

Jiang Liu read the message and asked, "They’re all closed? How many stores did she have in total?"

Ren Qingqing: "Around 22, I think. They’re all closed now. The locations have a bad reputation; it’ll be difficult to lease them out for another restaurant business."

Ren Qingqing: "Oh, right, President Jiang. Yang Yixue has already handed your old house over to the bank. It’ll probably go up for judicial auction. You could get it for a million. Do you want to buy it?"

Jiang Liu thought for a moment and decided against it. He didn’t have any nostalgic attachment, and besides, that place might bring back traumatic memories for his daughter. He definitely wasn’t going to buy it.

"Let it be. I’m not buying."

Ren Qingqing: "From what I see, Yang Yixue has sold her house. It’s likely she’ll take what little money she has left and skip town. Do you have any thoughts on this, President Jiang?"

She was probing Jiang Liu’s intentions. If he still held a grudge against Yang Yixue, Ren Qingqing would definitely kick her while she was down.

Jiang Liu was in a good mood. He replied, "Don’t worry about her. As long as she doesn’t come bothering us, we’ll just pretend she doesn’t exist."

’I don’t want to hear Yang Yixue’s name,’ he thought. It wasn’t because he was upset, but because he felt her whole family was just bad luck. Why bother with such people?

Ren Qingqing: "Understood, President Jiang. One more thing: Stores Four and Five are done with renovations. When are you free to come and inspect them? Also, when will the personnel for the supervisory positions you mentioned start working?"

She had been looking for a chance to get in touch with Jiang Liu’s parents to win more of his favor.

Jiang Liu: "We’ll see. I’ll go take a look tomorrow if I’m free. The supervisory staff can start tomorrow."

After finishing his chat with Ren Qingqing, Jiang Liu sent a message to Lin Qiu, who was out for a walk:

"Mom, the new Stores Four and Five are ready to open. You and Dad should go check out the work situation tomorrow afternoon."

Lin Qiu: "We’re starting work already?"

Lin Qiu: "Isn’t that too fast? I’m not ready yet."

Jiang Dahai was also a bit stunned. ’Has it only been a few days, and our son already has five stores?’

What was going on?

Jiang Liu replied: "Yes. You don’t need to prepare anything. Just dress a little more formally, go check out the work, and slowly get used to it. It’s like that for everyone at the beginning."

Lin Qiu: "Alright then. Your dad and I will talk it over."

Lin Qiu: "How about a suit? Or what should we wear? Your dad looks quite handsome in a suit."

She and Jiang Dahai were both very nervous at that moment.

They used to be public sector employees, living stable, uneventful lives.

Now, they were suddenly in business, wielding great authority. They felt a little out of their element and were worried about embarrassing their son.

Jiang Liu: "Just dress neatly and presentably. The staff are all our own people. Don’t worry, they won’t give you a hard time."

Lin Qiu: "Okay, I understand, son."

Lin Qiu: "The day before yesterday, I told our relatives about opening the stores. They don’t know you’re making money out here. They said you were screwing us old folks over by making me give up my permanent position. They also said if I tried to open a store, I’d just open one and then have to close it."

The news of Lin Qiu’s resignation had naturally spread to relatives on both sides of the family.

They all came over one after another to persuade her against it, but Lin Qiu felt she should trust her son and didn’t listen.

This angered the elder relatives, who took turns giving her stern lectures.

Jiang Liu couldn’t help but laugh. He replied, "Don’t mind them. If you think it’s right, just do it. Besides, with Uncle Jun backing me up, how could I possibly not make money?"

Lin Qiu: "Exactly! Mom won’t listen to anyone else. I’ll only listen to you, my son."

Jiang Liu: "Once you start making money, I’ll buy you a nice car to drive. Then they’ll naturally shut up and won’t dare to say a thing."

Lin Qiu was pleased by his words. "Okay, son. Your dad and I will walk around a bit more. You should get Qingmeng and Tongtong to bed."

After replying, Jiang Liu hugged his soft, fragrant wife.

Their cheeks touched.

Jun Qingmeng cherished these moments with Jiang Liu.

At eleven at night, Jiang Tongtong fell asleep on Jiang Liu’s lap, her drool soaking his pajamas.

"Let’s go back to bed?"

"Mm! Hubby." Jun Qingmeng blushed, still feeling shy.

She really desired her husband, but she was too shy to be too forward.

...

Soon, a week went by in the blink of an eye.

At six in the evening, the warm light of the setting sun shone down on the bustling Yangzhai Street.

"Heavens, I feel like I’ve seen that person somewhere before... No, no, I must be mistaken!"

"This is the World’s Second-Best Restaurant? Good grief, how is anyone supposed to eat with this many people?!" Out-of-town tourists who had come seeking it out were completely shocked.

The entire street was packed shoulder to shoulder, like a temple fair from the early 2000s.

Xia Changzhi, Uncle Li, Uncle Niu, and other neighbors sat by their doors, playing cards.

In the line, three chefs from a grand hotel in Shanghai shook their heads and chuckled.

The fatty with a fleshy face, Jiang Wei, remarked casually:

"Quite a crowd. I have no idea how this owner advertised, but he sure knows how to make a scene!"

"I don’t even need to taste it to know what it’s like. Our hotel has been open in Shanghai for decades. Every time we have an event, it’s always packed like this, heh."

"I heard the owner is a kept man for a rich woman. I also heard her father is pretty wealthy, so he probably pulled some strings to help," said the head chef, Liu Fuyou, a man with high cheekbones and a face full of gossip.

"What else could it be? Why else would there be so many people," Jiang Wei scoffed.

As they chatted, their turn finally came just as they were growing impatient.

Jiang Wei led the way in. The three of them ordered ten of each type of steamed bun, as well as the yak beef with tuna and the special of the day, Fuqi Feipian.

"So this is it, huh? The decor is mediocre. At best, it’s on par with what an ordinary chef at our hotel could do. If I had a rich father-in-law, I could definitely do better than him!" Jiang Wei said, his face full of resentment.

Liu Fuyou chuckled. "Too bad you weren’t born with that luck."

"Haha."

Before long, three bowls of fragrant rice and several dishes were served to their table.