Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Hejiang Dicai After Lin Meiyan handed over the breakfast stall, she observed for about a month. By the end of September, after Linji closed for the day, three account books were spread out on the big round table in the front hall. One was Linji's general ledger, one was the breakfast stall's separate accounts, and the last was Qiaoqiao's little notebook. Qiaoqiao hugged her small iron box and sat on a little stool, her back ramrod straight. Gu Kaihua saw her posture and couldn't resist teasing her. "Hurry, hurry, our little shareholder of Linji is here. Everyone, be serious with the accounting." Qiaoqiao actually nodded. "Must be serious." "Money can't be counted carelessly." Gu Kaihua burst out laughing. "Do you even know how to count?" Qiaoqiao hugged her iron box tighter. "I can watch." "Watch what?" "Watch if you're slacking off!" Gu Kaihua: "..." Ye Qiuju walked over with an abacus and casually smacked Gu Kaihua. "Did you hear that? Even Qiaoqiao knows to watch for you slacking off." Gu Kaihua immediately protested, "I've been getting up before dawn to light the stove for a whole month. My voice is almost hoarse from shouting. And you say I'm slacking off?" "Your voice is hoarse because you talk too much." Gu Kaihua: "..." He shut up. He couldn't win this argument. He really couldn't win. Lin Meiyan sat by the table, sorting through a month's worth of receipts one by one. This past month, she'd gone from waking up every morning wanting to run downstairs, to finally being able to sit and eat breakfast slowly with Qiaoqiao before walking her to the kindergarten. Qiaoqiao was overjoyed. Every day at the kindergarten gate, she'd puff out her little chest and say, "My mommy brought me." If Yu Jianghai ever came along to drop her off too, she was even more insufferable, wishing the whole Simenkou kindergarten could see. "This is my daddy." "This is my mommy." She'd said it more than once! Xiaomin's ears were practically worn out from hearing it, but she still played along every time, saying, "Your mommy and daddy are so good-looking." That would make Qiaoqiao even happier. If this had happened before, Lin Meiyan would have felt heartbroken. But now she felt mostly comforted, because her Qiaoqiao had been wishing for her mommy and daddy for so long, and finally, it had come true. Thinking of this, Lin Meiyan lowered her head and smiled. Ye Qiuju had already sat down, and the beads of her abacus clacked rapidly as she worked. Yu Jianghai sat beside Lin Meiyan. He didn't interfere with Linji's accounts, only helped her sort the receipts into piles. Noodles. Sesame paste. Soybeans. Oil. Coal. Utilities. Side dishes. Gu Kaihua looked at the piles of receipts and his head spun. "Qiuju, we're just selling Reganmian. How did we end up recording so many things?" Ye Qiuju didn't look up. "If we don't record clearly, how would you know if we're making money or losing it?" "We're definitely making money." "What makes you so sure?" Gu Kaihua was stumped. Qiaoqiao immediately whispered, "Great-uncle goes by his gut." Ye Qiuju sneered. "His gut has never been worth much." Gu Kaihua: "..." This was unbearable!! Everyone was picking on him. Lin Meiyan suppressed a smile and opened the ledger. "Aunt, you read it out, and I'll write it down." Ye Qiuju nodded, stopped the abacus, and said, "September breakfast stall revenue: one thousand three hundred twenty-three yuan." The moment she said it, Gu Kaihua nearly jumped off his stool. "How much?" Ye Qiuju shot him a look. "Thirteen hundred. Are your ears failing you?" The pencil in Gu Kaihua's hand clattered onto the table. Qiaoqiao bent down, picked it up, and handed it back to him. "Great-uncle, you need to hold on tight." Gu Kaihua muttered, "Is it the pencil I can't hold on to?" It was the money he couldn't hold on to. Back when they worked at the factory, they made about a hundred yuan a month, and when the factory was struggling, their wages were even delayed. But now, with just the breakfast stall, Linji was bringing in nearly a thousand yuan a month in revenue alone. That money was earned one bowl of Reganmian, one plate of doupi, one Mianwo, and one bowl of soy milk at a time. Ye Qiuju continued, "Net profit is around nine hundred fifty." Gu Kaihua was speechless. Lin Meiyan lowered her head and wrote down the number. Ye Qiuju looked at the ledger. "As agreed before, Linji takes sixty percent, which is five hundred seventy." "Your uncle and I take forty percent, which is three hundred eighty." Gu Kaihua really couldn't sit still now. "That's too much." Ye Qiuju turned to look at him. Gu Kaihua quickly explained, "I'm not saying you calculated wrong. I'm saying we're taking too much." He looked at Lin Meiyan. "Yanyan, your aunt and I just put in some effort. The Linji name is yours, the storefront is yours, and the recipes are yours too. Isn't it improper for us to take nearly four hundred yuan?" And that was just the dividend from the breakfast stall, not even counting their wages. Lin Meiyan closed the ledger and looked up at him. "Uncle, this is what you deserve." Gu Kaihua was about to say more. Lin Meiyan's voice wasn't loud, but it was earnest. "We agreed from the start: Linji takes sixty percent, and you and Aunt take forty. The accounts are all right here. If we change the terms just because the money is more, then should we also change them when the money is less?" At those words, Gu Kaihua fell silent. Ye Qiuju, however, smiled. "Yanyan is right." "When doing business among relatives, the worst thing is being too embarrassed to talk things through today, too embarrassed tomorrow, and by the end, the accounts are a mess and even the family relationship falls apart." She set her share of the dividends aside on its own. "Take what's owed." Gu Kaihua muttered quietly, "You sure can take it." Ye Qiuju shot him a glare. "When I'm up before dawn kneading dough, why don't you say I can't handle it?" Gu Kaihua shut his mouth immediately. Lin Meiyan pushed the money over. "Uncle, Auntie, the breakfast stall will continue to be yours from now on." At those words, Ye Qiuju and Gu Kaihua both fell silent for a moment. This wasn't helping out anymore. This was formally handing over a business. Ye Qiuju felt a warmth in her chest, though her tone stayed steady. "Alright, then from now on we'll settle the breakfast stall accounts at the end of every month." "Purchases, spoilage, credit—all recorded separately." The moment Gu Kaihua heard "credit," he spoke up at once. "I'm not agreeing to any credit." Ye Qiuju looked at him. Gu Kaihua straightened his back. "I listen to you on everything else, but on this I have my own opinion. Breakfast is small money. Someone owes a bowl today, owes a bowl tomorrow, and if they don't own up to it later, who do we chase?" Lin Meiyan nodded. "Uncle's right. No credit at the breakfast stall." Gu Kaihua immediately looked smug. "See, Yanyan agrees with me too." Ye Qiuju couldn't be bothered with him. But Qiaoqiao was anxious. "What about mine?" Everyone looked at her. Qiaoqiao pushed her little tin box forward. "I'm a minor shareholder." Gu Kaihua stifled a laugh. "You invested thirty-three yuan and seventy cents, and you want a cut too?" Qiaoqiao nodded. "Yes." Yu Jianghai looked at her. "How much do you want?" Qiaoqiao lowered her head to think, then held up one finger. "Ten cents?" Qiaoqiao shook her head. "Ten yuan?" Qiaoqiao's eyes lit up, and she tried hard to keep her little face serious. "That works." Gu Kaihua burst out laughing. "You're just waiting for the adults to raise the price for you." Qiaoqiao took the ten yuan, carefully placing it at the bottom of her little tin box. Lin Meiyan asked her, "What are you saving this money for?" "To save it." "To save up for candy?" Qiaoqiao shook her head. "To save up to buy a shop." The room went quiet for a moment. Gu Kaihua was the first to react, slapping the table. "Our Qiaoqiao has ambition!" Ye Qiuju laughed and scolded, "She's just a little thing—you're already filling her head with dreams." But Qiaoqiao was dead serious. "Mom has Linji. Someday I want one too." Lin Meiyan's heart melted. She patted Qiaoqiao's head. "Alright, then you save up slowly." "Mom will be waiting for you to open your own shop someday!" Qiaoqiao giggled, and Ye Qiuju let out a sigh. "To be honest, Linji's business normally wouldn't be this good. It's only because the Jianghai Dicai Phase Two project started, and more workers come to eat here, so the income got a boost." Speak of the devil—just as they were talking, a few workers from the Jianghai Dicai Phase Two site appeared at Linji's entrance. They still had dust on them, mud on their pant cuffs. As they came in, one called out, "Boss Lin, any food left?" Lin Meiyan came out from the kitchen. "Yes, what would you like?" One of the older workers said, "What's quick? We still need to get back to the site this afternoon." Gu Kaihua jumped in right away. "Reganmian is quick, and the braised stuff is quick too. There's still a bit of rice." The workers exchanged glances. "Let's go with rice. We've been working all morning—noodles won't fill us up." Lin Meiyan had Ye Qiuju scoop the rice while she sliced the braised pork, stir-fried a plate of greens, and a plate of tofu, dividing them into portions and bringing them out. The workers ate fast. Between bites, they complained. "Still, Linji's food is the best." "Eating at the site is really inconvenient. Going out takes forever just to walk there and back." "Some people go out for lunch and have a couple of drinks on the side, then they're wobbling around in the afternoon. It's scary to watch." "Old Liu almost fell off the scaffolding the day before yesterday—wasn't that because he'd been drinking?" Lin Meiyan paused mid-motion. Gu Kaihua's ears were sharper. Carrying a bowl of mung bean soup, he sidled over. "Your site doesn't provide meals at noon?" The worker said, "Provide meals? We all go out to eat ourselves. It's already good enough that they set up a shed at the site where we can rest." "So you run back and forth every day like this? What a waste of time." "Tell me about it." Another younger worker took a big mouthful of rice, looked up, and asked Lin Meiyan, "Boss Lin, could Linji deliver food to the site?" Gu Kaihua's eyes lit up. Business. Wasn't this business? He was about to agree on the spot when Lin Meiyan spoke first. "How many people?" The worker was caught off guard. "What?" Lin Meiyan wiped her hands and pulled out a notebook from behind the counter. "How many people at your site need meals right now? Is it daily delivery or occasional? What time is lunch? Who pays for the meals—the workers themselves, or does the site settle it all at once?" She fired off several questions in a row, and the workers were all stumped. Gu Kaihua was stunned too. He'd only thought of it as business, but hadn't considered any of that. The older worker thought for a moment. "There are a lot of us—at least two hundred or so. I can't say the exact number." Lin Meiyan noted it down. "Around two hundred." "But even if we do deliver, we can't start with two hundred portions right away." "Workers want hearty meals—plenty of rice, dishes that go well with it. In hot weather, the food can't go bad. Deliver too early and it won't work; deliver too late and it won't either." The worker nodded repeatedly. "That's the truth." He added, "If you really can deliver, we'd definitely be happy to eat it." Lin Meiyan didn't agree right away, just smiled. "Let me think it over." The worker finished his meal and left. Gu Kaihua immediately leaned in. "Yanyan, this is doable." Ye Qiuju also came out from the kitchen. "It's doable, sure, but the volume is huge." "Big volume means big money," Gu Kaihua said. Ye Qiuju shot him a glare. "All you see is money, not the work?" Gu Kaihua shrank his neck a little. Lin Meiyan looked down at her notebook, saying nothing. She was tempted too. The second phase of Jianghai Dicai was right near Linji. Lots of workers, fixed meal times. If they could really land this, Linji wouldn't just be a small restaurant waiting for walk-in customers anymore. It could go out, deliver meals, take orders. But this couldn't be based on fantasy alone. After all, Jianghai Dicai had over two hundred workers. Even if they only did one lunch, it wasn't something you could just whip up. Rice had to be steamed ahead of time, vegetables washed and cut in advance, meat and vegetable costs calculated. What would they use to deliver? Who would deliver? How would the lunchbox deposit work? Would payment be settled daily or at the end of the month? All of this needed to be figured out. When Qiaoqiao came home from school, Lin Meiyan was still at the counter doing calculations. Yu Jianghai dropped her off at the entrance of Linji. The little girl was holding a bottle of Beibingyang soda, drinking it with orange flavor smeared at the corners of her mouth. "Mommy!" Lin Meiyan looked up. "You're back?" Qiaoqiao nodded and ran over in a few steps. "Mommy, I saw the uncles from the construction site today." Lin Meiyan looked at Yu Jianghai. Yu Jianghai said, "When I picked her up, I took a detour past the second-phase site." Qiaoqiao immediately chimed in. "Lots of uncles were sitting on the ground chewing on steamed buns." "Someone said the food wasn't good." "And one uncle had a bottle of liquor." She frowned a little at that. "Daddy said you can't work if you drink." Yu Jianghai gave a soft "Mm." Lin Meiyan looked at him. "Is the food situation at the site really that messy?" Yu Jianghai didn't hide it from her. "With more people now, it's definitely a problem." "How does Jianghai Dicai plan to solve it?" "Open bidding for outside meal delivery." Lin Meiyan was taken aback. Gu Kaihua immediately perked up his ears nearby. Yu Jianghai sat down at the table, his voice calm. "The site won't build a canteen. Temporary structures cost too much, and people are hard to manage. Outsourcing meal delivery is more suitable." Gu Kaihua couldn't help asking, "Who's being recruited?" Yu Jianghai glanced at him. "Whoever can do it, comes." The words were spoken lightly. But Lin Meiyan understood. It wasn't handing the job directly to Linji, nor was it excluding Linji either. Lin Meiyan pressed her lips together. "Aren't you afraid people will say you're favoring me?" Yu Jianghai looked at her. "Are you afraid?" Lin Meiyan said nothing. Yu Jianghai continued. "Jianghai Dicai will put the word out publicly. The conditions will be written clearly—food standards, delivery time, payment method. Three-day trial first." "If Linji wants to compete, bring a sample meal like everyone else." "Do well, and you stay." "Do poorly, and you're replaced." Gu Kaihua was stunned. "That businesslike?" Yu Jianghai said flatly, "This is business." Gu Kaihua looked at Lin Meiyan, then at Yu Jianghai, and suddenly felt a bit of admiration. He'd originally thought Yu Jianghai would just hand this to Lin Meiyan with a single word. But he didn't. Lin Meiyan, for her part, felt relieved. She'd actually been afraid too—afraid that Yu Jianghai would just shove the opportunity into her hands. Then she wouldn't know whether to take it or not. Take it, and it felt like taking advantage of him. Refuse it, and it seemed overly fussy. This way was best. She'd compete on her own merit. Lin Meiyan looked down at her notebook. "I want to try." Yu Jianghai wasn't surprised. He looked at her. "It'll be hard." "I know." "With over two hundred people, Linji can't handle that volume right now." "I'm not trying to swallow it all at once." Lin Meiyan pushed the notes she'd just written toward him. "Start with fifty portions." "One meat dish and one vegetable per meal, rice unlimited." "Delivered by noon." "Three-day trial first." "If the workers get used to it, then we talk about how many portions per day." Yu Jianghai looked at those few lines, a hint of a smile in his eyes. Lin Meiyan wasn't just tempted—she was already planning. That was who she was. Qiaoqiao leaned over the table, blinking. "Mommy, are we going to deliver food to the uncles at the site?" Lin Meiyan gave a soft "Mm." "We'll try first." Qiaoqiao immediately said, "Mommy's cooking is delicious. They'll definitely like it." Gu Kaihua nodded along. "Definitely." But Ye Qiuju poured cold water on it. "Tasting good is one thing. Whether it gets there on time is another." Lin Meiyan nodded. "Auntie's right." She looked down and kept writing. "We need to buy lunchboxes, buy bamboo baskets, and decide who delivers. The dishes can't have too much sauce or soup, or they'll all spill on the way there." Gu Kaihua immediately said, "I'll deliver." Ye Qiuju shook her head. "You're delivering fifty portions by yourself? You think you're a mule?" Gu Kaihua refused to back down. "I can borrow a cart." "A handcart would work." Lin Meiyan made a note. "Uncle handles delivery, Auntie handles the kitchen prep, and I'll cook the big pot dishes for the first three days." "What about the breakfast stall?" Ye Qiuju asked. "The breakfast stall stays as is. We just need to prep earlier for the lunch shift these three days." Lin Meiyan calculated quickly. "I'll come in the morning and start chopping vegetables, start stir-frying at eleven, and head out at eleven-thirty." Gu Kaihua's scalp tingled just listening. "Yanyan, how is your brain wired?" Yu Jianghai watched her, staying very calm. "What about the money?" What money? It was a seemingly random question, but Lin Meiyan knew exactly what he meant. She lowered her head to calculate. "One portion sells for one yuan and twenty cents." Gu Kaihua sucked in a breath. "One twenty? Isn't that too expensive?" Lin Meiyan shook her head. "It's not." "Rice is unlimited, one meat and one vegetable. For the meat dish, braised pork with potatoes, or soy-braised chicken legs. For the vegetable, greens with tofu, or lotus root with edamame. Cost is around seventy cents per portion." "You also have to factor in labor and waste." "Net profit is about thirty to forty cents per portion." Gu Kaihua murmured, "Fifty portions, that's fifteen to twenty yuan." "What if it's a hundred portions a day?" "Then it's thirty to forty." "And in a month?" Gu Kaihua's brain couldn't keep up. Ye Qiuju fell silent too. This wasn't a small business. Lin Meiyan closed the ledger. "So we need to be steady." "Start with fifty portions." "If it works, we increase from there." Yu Jianghai nodded. "I'll have Secretary Shen send over the terms for the meal delivery bid tomorrow." Lin Meiyan looked up at him. Yu Jianghai's expression was gentle. "Everyone who wants to bid can see it, and so can you." "Business is business." Lin Meiyan watched him for a moment, then slowly smiled. "Alright." The meeting at Jianghai Dicai wasn't easy either. Since the second phase project broke ground, more and more people had been coming and going at the construction site every day. Cement, rebar, bricks, lumber—truckload after truckload rolled in. More workers meant more problems. Secretary Shen placed the compiled issues on the desk. "Boss, the foremen are reporting that the lunch problem is the most obvious." Lu Qingyuan yawned, slouching back in his chair. "I've heard about that too." "Some workers go out to eat and are gone for over an hour." "A few troublemakers drink during their meal, then come back in the afternoon and stagger around on the job." He tossed his pen onto the desk. "If one of them falls off a scaffold, whose fault is that?" Yu Jianghai flipped through the documents, his voice cold. "So we solve it." Lu Qingyuan said, "Build a temporary cafeteria?" Secretary Shen shook his head. "Not cost-effective. We'd need to set up a shelter, buy stoves, hire cooks, and manage sanitation. Phase two just started. Setting all that up would drain manpower and money." Lu Qingyuan rubbed his brow. "Then outsource it." Yu Jianghai grunted. "Open it to outside bids." Secretary Shen glanced at him, and Lu Qingyuan glanced at him too—both with subtle looks. Yu Jianghai looked up. "What do you want to say?" Lu Qingyuan immediately raised his hands. "I didn't say anything." Secretary Shen also lowered his head. "I didn't say anything either." The office went quiet for a second. Lu Qingyuan couldn't hold it in. "Old Yu, isn't Linji right next door?" Yu Jianghai looked at him. Lu Qingyuan coughed. "I'm not telling you to abuse your power. I just think your wife's cooking is really good. Besides, Linji is right there—delivery would be convenient and the workers would love it." Secretary Shen nodded immediately. Yu Jianghai closed the file. "Linji doesn't have enough hands right now." "Breakfast, lunch, dinner, braised goods—they're already busy enough." Lu Qingyuan clicked his tongue. "You're an interesting guy." "If you don't give it to your wife, you feel bad she's missing out on money." "If you give it to her, you feel bad she's working too hard." "So what exactly do you want?" Yu Jianghai looked at him, his tone calm. "I want her to choose for herself." Lu Qingyuan was momentarily speechless. Secretary Shen kept his head down, silently adding a thought. The boss's words sounded nice, but really, he was afraid Youth Lin would feel he was making decisions for her and grow distant. Of course, Secretary Shen only dared to think this—he wouldn't dare say it out loud. "Secretary Shen." Yu Jianghai glanced at him. Secretary Shen snapped back to attention and heard Yu Jianghai's instructions. "When you open the bid, make the terms clear." "First, the food must be clean." "Second, delivery must arrive on time at noon." "Third, a three-day trial, fifty portions per day." "Fourth, after the workers eat, adjust the quantity based on their feedback." "Fifth, payments go through the Jianghai Dicai project account, not personal accounts." Secretary Shen scribbled notes furiously. Lu Qingyuan couldn't help but say, "Isn't this tailor-made for Linji?" Yu Jianghai said flatly, "There's more than one place nearby that can make hot meals and deliver on time." "Then aren't you afraid someone else will take it?" Yu Jianghai said, "If they can outbid her, that's their skill." Lu Qingyuan, "..." He could see it now. Yu Jianghai was like a fool when it came to romance, but once he got down to business, he was sharp as a tack. He truly wouldn't treat matters of Jianghai Dicai as a mere sideshow just because Lin Meiyan was his beloved. Of course, he wouldn't deliberately avoid Lin Meiyan just because she was his wife. Lu Qingyuan was about to speak when a thought suddenly occurred to him. "By the way, I've transferred Lu Jianxin over to the Phase Two site." Yu Jianghai looked up. Lu Qingyuan said, "My cousin. He's been working with contracting crews outside for a while now. He knows how to manage people." Secretary Shen frowned slightly. "Is that the one who did construction work down south for a few years?" "That's right." Lu Qingyuan's head ached a little. "He's a bit slippery, but he understands construction sites. The manpower at Phase Two is a mess right now, so I've got him keeping an eye on things for a while." Yu Jianghai only asked, "Are his hands clean?" Lu Qingyuan paused. "I'll keep an eye on him." Yu Jianghai looked at him, and Lu Qingyuan immediately sat up straight. "Fine, I know what you mean." "I'll say this upfront—if he dares to dip his hands where he shouldn't at Phase Two, I'll be the first to chop them off." Secretary Shen silently lowered his head. Only a real cousin could say something like that. Yu Jianghai said nothing more, only speaking in a calm tone. "People on the construction site can be used, but don't trust them too quickly." Lu Qingyuan nodded. "I'll watch him." The notice that Jianghai Dicai was recruiting meal delivery services was posted at the front gate the next morning, and copies were also distributed. Linji received one as well. Gu Kaihua held the paper and read it over several times. "Trial delivery for three days, fifty portions a day." "Delivered by twelve o'clock." "One meat dish, one vegetable dish, rice as much as you want." "Taste test first, then decide on a long-term contract." The more he read, the more excited he became. "Yanyan, this was practically made for us!" Ye Qiuju was washing greens in the back. "Don't say things like that." Gu Kaihua was taken aback. Ye Qiuju looked up. "What do you mean, made for us? This is an open recruitment by Jianghai Dicai. If we can do it, we compete for it. If we can't, don't go putting gold on your own face." Gu Kaihua was scolded into silence. Lin Meiyan, however, nodded. "Auntie's right." She read the paper once. The conditions were exactly what Yu Jianghai had said last night. Not one line more, not one line less. He hadn't opened any back door for her, and that actually made her feel more at ease. Less than half a day after the notice went up, people around Simenkou were already talking about it. The Jianghai Dicai Phase Two construction site was a piece of fat meat now, and Linji wasn't the only one who could see it. Boss Jiang, who ran a small eatery on the next street, made a special trip over. He stood at Linji's entrance with his hands behind his back, glancing inside. Gu Kaihua was wiping down tables. He looked up and saw him. "Old Jiang, what are you looking at?" Boss Jiang smiled a little awkwardly. "Nothing. Just passing by." "Passing by and stopping at our Linji's door for half a day?" "Well, I heard Jianghai Dicai is recruiting meal delivery. Just here to see the excitement." Gu Kaihua immediately grew wary. "You want to go for it too?" Boss Jiang let out a chuckle. "Now that's a funny thing to say. Jianghai Dicai isn't your Lin family's business. Who says anyone can't go for it?" Gu Kaihua was left speechless. That was true enough. Boss Jiang glanced at Lin Meiyan behind the counter and smiled. "Boss Lin, I know you've got good skills. But delivering food to a construction site isn't the same as running a small restaurant. Dozens or hundreds of portions—what matters is speed, low cost, and big quantity. Your Linji food is refined and delicate. You might not be able to handle this job." Gu Kaihua's face darkened. "Stop talking nonsense here." Boss Jiang wasn't offended. "I'm just giving you a heads-up. Don't take the job and then fail to deliver, and end up smashing Linji's reputation." With that, he walked off with his hands behind his back. Gu Kaihua was so angry he threw his rag onto the table. "He came to fish for information, didn't he?" Ye Qiuju came out carrying a basin of washed greens. "What else would it be? He's not stupid." Gu Kaihua refused to accept it. "With his little eatery where you can't even find a drop of oil, he dares to compete with Linji?" Ye Qiuju shot him a glance. "Don't underestimate people. Construction site food isn't just about taste—cheapness counts for a lot too." Lin Meiyan hadn't said a word. She picked up the recruitment notice and read it again. She wasn't afraid of competition. She had full confidence in her own abilities. After reading it, she had a plan in mind and set the paper down. "We'll do a trial cook this afternoon." Gu Kaihua immediately rolled up his sleeves, looking ready for a big fight. "Then what do I do?" "Uncle, go borrow a flatbed cart." "Got it." "Then go buy lunch boxes—the reusable kind. Ask about the deposit." Gu Kaihua nodded. Lin Meiyan flipped the ledger to a blank page. She wrote down rice first—each portion needed at least three liang of rice, so fifty portions meant fifteen jin. Men doing physical labor had big appetites; fifteen jin might not even be enough. She added another five jin on top. The meat couldn't be too little—if the workers didn't get enough grease, they wouldn't choose them next time. But too much meat and the costs couldn't be controlled. Potatoes could fill stomachs, vegetables were a must, and oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar couldn't be left out. Gu Kaihua had been standing nearby waiting for instructions. Watching Lin Meiyan calculate line by line, he couldn't help but lean in to look. "Yanyan, you're calculating this way too carefully." Lin Meiyan didn't look up. "If I don't calculate carefully, we lose money on every portion. The more we sell, the more we lose." Gu Kaihua thought about it, found it made sense, and asked, "Then how much per portion?" "One yuan and twenty cents." "One yuan and twenty cents?" Gu Kaihua gasped. "Isn't that a bit expensive?" Ye Qiuju chimed in from the side, "It's not expensive. A bowl of noodles outside costs a few mao. A meal with meat, vegetables, and rice for one yuan and twenty cents is a fair price." Lin Meiyan nodded. "If Jianghai Dicai settles the bill in one lump sum, we could bring it down to one yuan and ten cents. But for these three trial days, we'll calculate the cost at one yuan and twenty cents first." Gu Kaihua was stunned. He used to think doing business was just making good food and selling it. Now he realized that to really scale up, being tasty wasn't enough—if you couldn't keep your accounts straight, it didn't matter how hot your wok was. Qiaoqiao poked her head out from her schoolbag and whispered, "Mommy, are we going to make money?" Lin Meiyan looked at her. "Yes." Qiaoqiao's eyes lit up. Lin Meiyan added, "But first, we have to make the food well." Qiaoqiao immediately sat up straight. "I'll write my characters well too." Lin Meiyan smiled slightly. "Right, you focus on writing your characters first." Ye Qiuju asked, "What about me?" "Auntie, you help me wash and chop the vegetables. After the breakfast shift ends tomorrow morning, we'll start prepping the boxed lunches for noon." Ye Qiuju agreed readily. Qiaoqiao looked up from her little schoolbag. "What about me?" Lin Meiyan looked at her. "You do your homework." Qiaoqiao: "..." She wasn't giving up. "I can help too." "Help by writing your characters neatly." Qiaoqiao's little face fell. When Yu Jianghai came by that evening, the lights in the Linji kitchen were still on. Lin Meiyan laid out three sample meals on the table. The first was braised pork with potatoes, stir-fried greens, and white rice. The second was yuxiang shredded pork, tofu, and white rice. The third was braised chicken leg, stir-fried bean sprouts, and white rice. Gu Kaihua stood nearby, staring wide-eyed. "If it were me, I'd pick the chicken leg." "That big chicken leg looks way too tempting." Ye Qiuju said, "What you pick doesn't matter. What the workers pick matters." Gu Kaihua couldn't help but say, "The workers would definitely pick the chicken leg too." Lin Meiyan ignored their bickering. She wrote the cost of each meal beside it. Braised pork with potatoes had a higher cost. Yuxiang shredded pork was troublesome to prep. The braised chicken leg was the easiest, but the legs needed to be braised in advance, and with larger quantities, that had to be factored in too. It was at that moment Yu Jianghai walked in. Lin Meiyan's eyes brightened. "Jiang Hai, come try the meals." If Yu Jianghai gave his approval, then this time they were set. Yu Jianghai picked up his chopsticks and tasted each one carefully. Lin Meiyan was a little nervous and asked softly, "How is it?" Yu Jianghai savored each bite. "They're all fine." Gu Kaihua immediately said, "Jiang Hai, that's like saying nothing at all." Yu Jianghai set down his chopsticks. "The braised pork with potatoes is the safest bet." "Why?" "Plenty of oil and fat, the potatoes are filling, and the sauce mixed with rice is delicious. This dish goes great with rice." Lin Meiyan's eyes lit up. Yu Jianghai continued, "The yuxiang shredded pork tastes good, but the prep is troublesome. The braised chicken leg looks impressive, but fifty portions is fine—when you hit two hundred, the cost and stocking become a hassle. Most importantly, the braised chicken leg doesn't go well with rice." Qiaoqiao leaned in and scooped up a bit of potato with her little spoon. The potato was well-flavored, eating like meat—soft, fluffy, and fragrant. She couldn't help saying, "This is delicious." Lin Meiyan asked her, "What's good about it?" "This sauce mixed with rice must taste amazing." Just talking about it made her swallow in craving. "This is our favorite dish at school." Gu Kaihua slapped the table. "See! Qiaoqiao and Jiang Hai think alike." Yu Jianghai was also a bit surprised. His daughter could think the same way he did, and even his stern expression softened a few degrees. Lin Meiyan made her decision on the spot. "Then tomorrow, the first day, we'll do braised pork with potatoes, stir-fried greens, and all-you-can-eat rice." "The second day, we'll switch to braised chicken leg." "The third day, yuxiang shredded pork." "We'll try all three over three days." Ye Qiuju nodded. "Sounds good." Gu Kaihua was excited. "I'll do the delivery." Qiaoqiao raised her hand. "I'm going too." Everyone looked at her at once. Qiaoqiao immediately changed her answer. "I'll go after school." Lin Meiyan pinched her little cheek. "By the time you're out of school, the meals will already be delivered." Qiaoqiao was disappointed. Yu Jianghai comforted her. "There'll be other chances." Qiaoqiao whispered, "Daddy, will Mommy get picked?" Yu Jianghai glanced at Lin Meiyan. Lin Meiyan looked back at him. That little rascal Qiaoqiao was clever—she was fishing for information in advance, with the air of "Daddy, you need to pull some strings for Mommy." Yu Jianghai looked at Lin Meiyan and said slowly, "That depends on whether your mother wants to be picked." In truth, it was just a word from Lin Meiyan. Qiaoqiao didn't understand, but Lin Meiyan did. Her face flushed, and she couldn't help shooting him a glare. "Keep business, business!" What was he thinking!? You old lecher! Before they knew it, the day of the delivery arrived. Linji was busy from early morning, with double the usual amount of produce coming in. After the breakfast shift ended, Ye Qiuju didn't even have time to drink a sip of water before she started washing vegetables. The flatbed cart Gu Kaihua had borrowed was parked at the door, covered with clean thick cloth. Lin Meiyan poured the braised pork and potatoes into a large aluminum basin in the back kitchen. The potatoes were stewed until soft and tender, and the braised pork, though not cut into large pieces, was glistening with oil on every chunk. As soon as the big pot was uncovered, the aroma rushed outward. Gu Kaihua stood at the doorway and sniffed. "If this doesn't get us selected, then those workers at the construction site really have no luck when it comes to food." A head chef cooking construction-site meals—in his opinion, it was a real waste! Ye Qiuju's hands were sore from all the work. "Less talking, more helping." Packing fifty boxed meals was no easy task. Each portion of rice was pressed down firmly, a scoop of braised pork and potatoes went on top, stir-fried greens were placed to the side, and then the lid was snapped shut. Every time Lin Meiyan packed a portion, she checked the amount—not too little, or the workers wouldn't be full; not too much, or it would spill over during the bumpy ride. By the time they finished packing, Gu Kaihua was drenched in sweat. "This is only fifty portions, but I swear it's more tiring than selling Reganmian all morning." "If we had to make over two hundred portions, that would really be something." Lin Meiyan murmured, "If we do get selected, we should hire a couple of helpers from the neighborhood to handle washing vegetables, chopping, and packing the meals." Hearing this, Gu Kaihua felt reluctant. "That's not cost-effective, is it? Paying wages to outsiders? Might as well have Xiao Yue come help after school." What a real father he was. Gu Xiaoyue was in her second year of high school now—this was a critical time. Lin Meiyan shook her head. "Having Xiao Yue help isn't a long-term solution. Besides, Linji's business has picked up now, and we can't spare the hands." They only had three people right now, which wasn't enough. This time, Gu Kaihua didn't argue. After all the meals were packed, Lin Meiyan was sweating all over. She wiped her forehead with a towel. "It's 11:40. Let's go, time to head out." Gu Kaihua rode the tricycle while Lin Meiyan walked alongside. Ye Qiuju had wanted to go too, worried about them, but Lin Meiyan stopped her. "Aunt, you stay and mind the shop." "Customers will be coming around noon." Ye Qiuju could only nod. "Then be careful, don't push the cart too fast." "Don't tip it over." If it tipped over, all their hard work from the morning would be wasted. Lin Meiyan gave a soft "mm." Actually, the distance from Linji to the Jianghai Dicai Phase 2 construction site wasn't far, but with fifty boxed meals weighing down the flatbed cart, riding felt a bit heavy. As he pedaled, Gu Kaihua said, "If we really end up delivering a hundred or two hundred portions in the future, I'll need to get myself a motorized tricycle." Lin Meiyan replied with an "mm." "Sharpening the axe won't delay the woodcutting." As she spoke, they arrived at the gate of the Jianghai Dicai construction site. It was exactly 11:50. Two other vendors had already arrived with their food, but since the workers hadn't been released yet, everyone was waiting. The security guard at the gate spotted Lin Meiyan and greeted her with a smile. "Boss Lin, is this today's food?" Lin Meiyan nodded, clearly familiar with him. "Yes." She gave Gu Kaihua a look, and he immediately opened a meal box. "Braised pork with stewed potatoes—plenty of rice, and greens too." As soon as the box opened, the aroma spread immediately. Even the security guard couldn't help but shout, "Chow time!" At that shout, heads quickly poked out from the work sheds. Before long, a dozen or so workers gathered around. Some still had cement dust on them, some held safety helmets in their hands, and some wiped sweat while sniffing the air. "That smells good." "How much per portion?" "A dollar twenty per portion," Gu Kaihua said. "Today's a trial meal—Jianghai Dicai is covering the bill." "Well, that's great." Lin Meiyan laid out the meal boxes one by one. "Line up and take them—don't crowd." Her voice wasn't loud, but she moved efficiently. The workers were in a jumble at first, but then Gu Kaihua bellowed, "Everyone line up! Anyone who pushes goes last!" A line quickly formed. One worker got his meal and crouched down right there to open it. The aroma of braised pork wafted out, and he immediately shoveled a bite of rice into his mouth. "Delicious." The person next to him asked, "Really that good?" "No kidding—the meat's stewed till it falls apart." "Give me one too." Half of the fifty meals were gone in no time. The other vendors waiting nearby grew displeased. "Boss Lin, you're playing favorites here." Everyone knew that Lin Meiyan was with Yu Jianghai—the workers saw her coming and immediately started sucking up. Lin Meiyan kept her composure. "The food's right here, and the workers can choose for themselves. What favoritism is there in that?" She curled the corner of her mouth. "If I really were playing favorites, do you think you'd still be standing here?" All she'd need is one word, and Yu Jianghai would outsource the entire canteen for the Jianghai Dicai Phase 2 project to her. She just hadn't said it. She didn't want Yu Jianghai to make an exception, and she didn't want him to earn a reputation for mixing personal and professional matters. Boss Jiang fell silent at her words, and the person beside him urged him, "Boss Lin's got a point. Don't waste time being jealous—start hawking and get the workers over to buy from you. That's what matters." Boss Jiang set aside his grievances and started shouting along with the others. With three vendors selling food, everyone had to rely on their own skills. However, Linji's food sold the best. First, the two sides were familiar with each other—many workers had eaten at Linji before. Second, Linji's food was genuinely fragrant. Especially the braised pork with potatoes ladled over rice—glossy, glistening, and mouthwateringly aromatic. With people spreading the word, the remaining fifty portions sold quickly. Just as Lin Meiyan was about to pack up, a man suddenly walked out from the workers' shed. The man was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a floral shirt with the collar open, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and his hair slicked back with pomade. He didn't look like a construction worker—more like someone who'd come to stir up trouble. Two young laborers followed behind him. The man caught the scent of the food from a distance and raised an eyebrow. Before he could speak, Boss Jiang naturally walked over and offered him a cigarette. "Young Manager Lu." "This is our rent." "We don't set up our stall in front of Jianghai Dicai for free." The amount wasn't small—just a Da Tuanjie note. The man addressed as Young Manager Lu glanced down at it, and his underling immediately pocketed the money. Then the other stall owner hesitated for a moment before also handing over ten yuan. "Young Manager Lu, this is our stall rent." When it came to Lin Meiyan and Gu Kaihua, neither of them moved. They'd never heard of having to pay rent to set up a stall at the construction site entrance. Yu Jianghai hadn't mentioned it at all. Who was this guy?! Gu Kaihua looked at Lin Meiyan, who was also somewhat bewildered. "I don't know him." She only knew Yu Jianghai, Secretary Shen, and Lu Qingyuan. As for this character in front of her, she'd never even heard of him. Seeing that they hadn't moved, Young Manager Lu strolled over. Glancing at the sign on the tricycle, he read it out. "Linji?" "Don't you know the rules of our Jianghai Dicai?" He raised his hand and flicked the Da Tuanjie note, producing a crisp rustling sound—rather pleasant, actually. Lin Meiyan paused, then looked up at him, her tone calm. "I don't." Young Manager Lu raised an eyebrow. "If you didn't know, then now you do. Setting up a stall here means paying rent." "Otherwise, what gives you the right to set up here?" Author's note: Lin Meiyan: Too low-class, don't know him.