Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Call Him "Husband" The moment those words fell, the construction site entrance fell silent. They all looked at Young Manager Lu with a strange expression. Counting the time, it had been about a month since the Jianghai Dicai Phase II project broke ground. Anyone who had been at the construction site since the start knew that Lin Meiyan was the wife of the owner of Jianghai Dicai. As a result, everyone from top to bottom treated Lin Meiyan with a certain degree of respect—if not with utmost deference, then at least they wouldn't dare cause any trouble. Only Young Manager Lu was different. He had just arrived recently, and he'd gotten in through President Lu's connections. From the moment he arrived, he'd been fawned over, and so he naturally didn't know about the relationship between Lin Meiyan and their boss. Seeing that no one was saying anything, Young Manager Lu figured his show of authority had worked. He immediately puffed up his chest, his dyed yellow hair bobbing as he said with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes, "Boss Lin, look—everyone's paid up, but you haven't. That doesn't seem right, does it?" Lin Meiyan unhurriedly packed up her foam cooler boxes. At his words, she looked up at Young Manager Lu. "Pay what?" She was asking knowingly. "Protection money." Young Manager Lu stared at her face, momentarily struck by her beauty—but compared to a pretty face, he loved money more. "You're a businesswoman, Boss Lin. Surely you know how this works?" If she didn't know, how could she do business? Lin Meiyan finished packing her last item. She had Gu Kaihua bundle everything up and tie it with rope, then replied without missing a beat, "I can pay protection money." "Have Yu Jianghai come and tell me himself." Young Manager Lu nearly jumped out of his skin at that. "Yu Jianghai? The name of our Jianghai Dicai boss—you think you're worthy of saying it?" "Besides, collecting protection money doesn't require our Jianghai Dicai boss to show up personally." Young Manager Lu laid down the law. "Are you paying or not?" "Paying what?!" The one who answered him wasn't Lin Meiyan—it was Yu Jianghai, who had arrived upon hearing the news. It was early October, and the weather in Jiangcheng was gradually turning cool. Yu Jianghai wore a well-tailored dark gray suit with black leather shoes, his limbs long and straight, standing tall and upright as a pine. As he walked, he carried a gust of wind with him. His voice traveled along with that gust, and Young Manager Lu froze for a moment. To be honest, he'd been at Jianghai Dicai for two days now, and this was the first time he'd seen Yu Jianghai. He didn't recognize the man, but he did recognize Lu Qingyuan standing beside Yu Jianghai. The moment Young Manager Lu spotted Lu Qingyuan, his face lit up like a blooming flower, and he bounded over with his yellow hair bouncing. "Bro, bro, bro! You're here!" "Come take a look—I've run into some troublemaker. A woman who wants to set up her stall at our Jianghai construction site entrance but refuses to pay protection money?" "Don't worry, you know why I'm at the Jianghai Dicai construction site? It's specifically to deal with troublemakers like her." Lu Qingyuan swept his gaze around. Within a five-hundred-meter radius, he saw exactly one woman—and she was Yu Jianghai's wife. His heart skipped a beat. His lips trembled as he asked, clinging to a thread of hope, "Who?" Please don't let it be who he thought it was. No—even now, Lu Qingyuan was holding onto that last shred of hope. He hoped Lu Jianxin would say it wasn't her! But Lu Jianxin opened his mouth and said it all too clearly, "Her, right there." He even pointed a finger at Lin Meiyan's position. "The owner of Linji. She wants to set up her stall at our Jianghai Dicai entrance but won't pay protection money? Isn't that a joke?" "And not only is she joking with me—she told me to call Yu Jianghai over to talk to her." At that, Lu Jianxin sneered with contempt. "Bro, tell me, isn't she ridiculous?" "Our Jianghai Dicai boss isn't someone you can just—" She? He didn't even get to finish. Lu Qingyuan didn't dare look at Yu Jianghai's grim expression. Without a second thought, he rushed forward and slapped Lu Jianxin across the face. "Is your head full of water? Stop running your mouth like a damn fool!" "You brainless idiot—" Lu Qingyuan was so frantic that he'd slipped into the Jiangcheng dialect. Lu Jianxin was completely stunned by the scolding. He covered his head and scurried away, his yellow hair bouncing with every step, whining pitifully as he fled, "What did I do? You're yelling at me like this—don't I have any face left?" Lu Qingyuan took a deep breath, grabbed Lu Jianxin by the ear, and dragged him to stand before Yu Jianghai. "Open your damn eyes wide and take a good look at who's standing in front of you!" "You idiot, you don't recognize the boss of Jianghai Dicai?" "The owner of Linji won't pay? Are you out of your mind? You're asking the wife of the Jianghai Dicai boss for protection money?" The air fell silent. Lu Jianxin stopped running, stopped hiding, stopped defending himself. "What? What did you say?" "Who's the wife of the Jianghai Dicai boss?!" He might have been better off not asking—because that question made Lu Qingyuan so angry he slapped him on the head again. "Are you messing around? You worthless fool, don't embarrass me out here!" "Didn't I tell you? Didn't I tell you that Yu Jianghai has a wife named Lin Meiyan? I told you to keep your eyes open! Didn't I tell you? You idiot!" Lu Jianxin was completely stunned by the beating, his head and face bright red, his round eyes darting back and forth between Lin Meiyan and Yu Jianghai. "She's the boss's wife? She's the boss's wife of Jianghai Dicai, and she comes to the construction site to set up a stall selling boxed meals?" "Bro, could it be that you're the fool?" He cursed in authentic Jiangcheng dialect. Not only did he refuse to admit his mistake, but he also called Lu Qingyuan a fool, which nearly made Lu Qingyuan explode with rage. It was Yu Jianghai who finally spoke up. "Enough." The moment he spoke, Lu Qingyuan stopped making a sound. He flung open the hem of his suit jacket, revealing a strip of pale white shirt underneath, his chest heaving with fury. "I really shouldn't have listened to Auntie back then and let you, you damn fool, come watch over my construction site." Lu Jianxin covered his head and said nothing—mainly because Lu Qingyuan really knew how to hit. When he hit someone, he went all out. "Bro, bro, bro, could you be a spy sent by my mom, specially colluding with outsiders to beat me up?" Lu Qingyuan was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead. He reached out to grab Lu Jianxin's ear again. This time, Lu Jianxin had learned his lesson. He ducked to the side, clutching his head. "Bro, bro, stop hitting me! Hit me any more and I'll really become an idiot." "And you're not one now?" Lu Jianxin felt wronged. "I just didn't think it made sense." "What didn't make sense?" "The boss's wife of Jianghai Dicai personally riding a tricycle to deliver boxed meals?" He muttered under his breath, "Who would believe that?" At those words, the surroundings quieted down a bit, though some people were still watching the commotion. Lu Jianxin didn't know Lin Meiyan was the boss's wife of Jianghai Dicai. But they did. Yet when Lu Jianxin had been causing trouble earlier, they deliberately hadn't reminded him. Who told him to come in so high and mighty? He deserved to hit a wall. Yu Jianghai, who hadn't spoken the whole time, asked Lu Qingyuan, "This is what you call reliable?" A guy with yellow hair on top who comes in collecting protection fees the moment he arrives? How does that connect to reliable in any way? Lu Qingyuan was furious, wanting to explain but unable to find the words. He raised his hand to smack the kid again. Even a fool like Lu Jianxin could see what was coming now. He scrambled and rolled to the side. "Bro, I'm wrong, I'm really wrong. My eyes are blind, I didn't recognize a true master, I've got water in my head, I'm just a fool." He admitted his mistake so fast that even Gu Kaihua was caught off guard. This kid had been acting like he was the king of the world just a moment ago—how was he now bending faster than grass in the wind? After admitting his mistake, Lu Jianxin secretly glanced at Yu Jianghai's expression. Yu Jianghai's face wasn't pleasant—not blazing anger, but that bone-chilling coldness. It was so cold that Lu Jianxin felt a chill run down his back. He'd mixed with contractor crews before. He'd seen bosses who could intimidate people—some liked to shout. But this one in front of him was different. He hadn't done anything, just stood there, and Lu Jianxin felt like all his little cleverness and bravado from earlier was nothing but paper. Gone with a single gust of wind. Lu Jianxin swallowed hard. He finally shuffled out from behind Lu Qingyuan, first lowering his head to Yu Jianghai, and stammered, "President Yu." Yu Jianghai didn't respond. Lu Jianxin's scalp tightened. He turned to Lin Meiyan. The mouth that had been so glib earlier was now scrambling to make up for it. "Sister-in-law..." The words barely left his mouth when Lin Meiyan looked up at him. Lu Jianxin immediately corrected himself, "No, no, no—boss's wife." Yu Jianghai's brow furrowed slightly. Lu Jianxin nearly bit his own tongue. "Boss Lin!" Those three words came out loud and crisp. "Boss Lin, I'm sorry." "I'm a guy who hasn't read many books, and my brain isn't too sharp. I didn't think before I spoke earlier." Lu Qingyuan sneered from the side. "You have a brain?" Lu Jianxin didn't dare talk back, only mumbled, "Can't say I don't have one at all." Lu Qingyuan raised his foot to kick him. Lu Jianxin immediately stood up straight, trembling. "No, I don't have one!" Gu Kaihua nearly laughed at his pathetic display, but remembering how this bastard had been collecting protection fees earlier, he figured the kid deserved the beating. Lin Meiyan, however, didn't go along with Lu Jianxin's joke-tacking. She closed the notebook in her hand, her voice still soft but carrying a silent pressure. "You said earlier that setting up a stall at the entrance of the Jianghai Dicai construction site requires paying a protection fee?" Lu Jianxin's face stiffened. Lu Qingyuan also looked at him. "How much did you collect?" Lu Jianxin stammered, "Not much, really." Lu Qingyuan's voice dropped. "How much?" Lu Jianxin shrank his neck. "Today... ten yuan." "And before?" Lu Jianxin protested, "Today was the first day!" Lu Qingyuan sneered and said nothing. It was then that Yu Jianghai spoke. "Secretary Shen." Secretary Shen had somehow already appeared behind them. The moment he heard his boss call, he stepped forward. "Boss." Yu Jianghai said, "Go look into it. Who collected the money, how much they collected—check every single transaction." Lu Jianxin's face fell instantly. Now he was genuinely panicking. He quickly pulled two ten-yuan bills from his pocket. "It's all here. It's just what these two bosses gave me." At the sight of the money, Lu Qingyuan was so furious his chest ached. "I brought you to Phase Two to help me oversee the construction site, not to play king of the mountain here!" "Brother, I'm really not playing king of the mountain." Lu Jianxin muttered in his own defense, "At the other sites I worked before, this is how everyone did it. Outsiders come to set up stalls, take up space, and leave the ground covered in grease. Collecting a small stall fee is also a way to keep them in line." "You call this a stall fee?" Lu Qingyuan pointed at him. "What did you just say yourself? Protection money!" Lu Jianxin hung his head even lower. He raised his hand and slapped himself across the face—not too hard, but loud enough to ring out. "I was wrong, I was wrong, Brother!" The area fell silent instantly. Boss Jiang and the other stall owner stood nearby, not daring to move their spatulas. At first, they'd thought it was amusing that Lin Meiyan had caught the attention of the young President Lu, and they'd watched with a hint of curiosity. They'd paid their money and waited to see whether Lin Meiyan would pay too. Who knew fortunes would turn so quickly? The spectacle had come back to burn them. Especially Boss Jiang—he'd just been saying Lin Meiyan had pulled strings to get in. But looking at it now, where was the string-pulling? If she really had connections, why would she be pushing a three-wheeled cart to deliver meals? One word from her, and the entire Phase Two meal contract for Jianghai Dicai could go to Linji. Just as Boss Jiang and the others were feeling uneasy, Lu Jianxin pulled the two crumpled Da Tuanjie notes from his pocket—still warm. He walked over to Boss Jiang first and handed the money over. Boss Jiang froze and didn't dare take it. Lu Jianxin shoved the money into his hand. "Take it." Boss Jiang glanced at Lu Qingyuan, then at Yu Jianghai. "This..." Lu Jianxin grew anxious. "If you don't take it, my brother's going to hit me again." Only then did Boss Jiang hesitantly accept the money. What could he say? He'd paid that protection money willingly—it gave him a foothold at the gate of the Jianghai Dicai construction site. The other stall owner felt much the same as Boss Jiang. When his refund came, he couldn't help blurting out, "I paid voluntarily. Can I not get a refund?" The air went dead silent. Lu Jianxin's eyes bulged. "Voluntarily? Are you trying to drag me down with you?" He shoved the money back, refunding it in a hurry. After finishing, he coughed once, stood at the site gate, and clasped his hands toward the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, masters and workers, I'm new here—it's all my fault for not knowing better." "No protection money is collected at the gate of Jianghai Dicai." Lu Qingyuan said coldly, "Louder." Lu Jianxin raised his voice. "No protection money!" "And?" "Anyone who collects it is a dog." At those words, the workers couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. Lu Jianxin's face turned red. In his twenty-some years of life, this was the first time he'd called himself a dog in front of so many people. And he'd said it himself. What a disgrace—a total disgrace! Lin Meiyan didn't laugh. She looked at Boss Jiang and the other stall owner. "He owes you an apology." Lu Jianxin was taken aback. He'd thought Lin Meiyan would use this chance to make him bow his head to her, but she wasn't talking about herself—she was talking about the people who'd paid. She said, "I didn't pay, so you didn't take advantage of me." "They paid." "You owe them an apology." The words weren't harsh, but they stung Lu Jianxin's pride more than any scolding. Lu Qingyuan glanced at Lin Meiyan, and Yu Jianghai looked at her too. The coldness in his eyes softened. Lin Meiyan hadn't used his authority to force Lu Jianxin to kneel and admit his fault to her. What she cared about was the rules—and the money those small stall owners had been cheated out of. His Yanyan was truly, truly wonderful. Lu Jianxin scratched his head. He wasn't exactly a good man—he'd scraped by on construction sites, where whoever had the hardest fist, the loudest voice, and the sharpest wits got the bigger share. He was used to that way of doing things. But now, with Lin Meiyan saying this, he felt oddly embarrassed. He bowed his head to Boss Jiang first. "Boss Jiang, I'm sorry." Boss Jiang was flattered. "It's—it's nothing." "It's something." Lu Jianxin said immediately. "I shouldn't have taken your money." Then he bowed to the other stall owner. "Sorry to you too." The stall owner waved his hands hastily. "Forget it, forget it. A refund is enough." Lu Jianxin breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to Lin Meiyan. This time, he didn't shout "sister-in-law" or "boss lady." "Boss Lin, I'm sorry." Lin Meiyan looked at him. "Don't collect this kind of money again." Lu Jianxin nodded at once. "Won't do it, won't do it." "And don't say that kind of thing again either." At first, Lu Jianxin didn't catch on. When he realized what Lin Meiyan was referring to, his face flushed beneath the yellow hair. He raised his hand and slapped his own mouth. "Sloppy mouth." "My mouth is just sloppy." "Boss Lin is generous and forgiving—don't hold it against me." Gu Kaihua snorted coldly. "You sure know how to climb the ladder." Lu Jianxin immediately turned to Gu Kaihua with an apologetic smile. "Uncle Gu, I was wrong." Gu Kaihua blinked. "Who are you calling uncle?" "You're Boss Lin's uncle, so doesn't that make you my uncle too?" "Who's your uncle?" Lu Jianxin immediately changed his tune. "Boss Gu." Only then did Gu Kaihua give a grunt, though his expression wasn't quite as sour as before. Lu Qingyuan wasn't fooled by his glibness. "Starting today, you're stationed at the construction site entrance during meal times." Lu Jianxin looked up. "Huh?" "What 'huh'?" "Whoever comes to deliver meals at noon, you're in charge of maintaining order." "Whoever dares to collect protection money, you're the first to drag them out." "Whoever dares to cut in line or fight over food, you handle that too." Lu Jianxin nearly burst into tears. "Brother, I came here to help you watch over the site." "Meal times are part of site order." Lu Qingyuan said coldly, "Aren't you the one who knows construction site rules? Then set the rules properly." Lu Jianxin didn't dare say another word. Yu Jianghai didn't look at Lu Jianxin, but said to Lu Qingyuan, "One exception." "Next time, he's fired." That worked better than Lu Qingyuan's slap. Lu Jianxin immediately stood at attention and saluted. "There won't be a next time." "I guarantee it." "If anyone dares to collect protection fees again, I'll be the first to object." He even looked around at the crowd, as if swearing a military oath. Lin Meiyan lowered her head again to finish setting out the last boxes of meals. Farce was farce, but the food still had to be sold. The workers had been drawn in by the commotion, and now that they came to their senses, the aroma of the food crept back into their noses. One worker patted his stomach. "Is there any Linji food left?" Gu Kaihua perked up immediately. "Yes, the last few boxes." The worker hurried forward. "Give me one." "I want one too." "Got so caught up watching the drama I almost forgot to eat." Fifty boxes of meals were quickly sold out. Boss Jiang still had ten boxes left, and the other stall owner had plenty left over as well. Boss Jiang's expression wasn't great, but there was nothing he could say. It wasn't because of Lin Meiyan's connections that Linji sold out. The scene had been chaotic—Yu Jianghai had come, Lu Qingyuan had come—but Lin Meiyan hadn't asked either of them to put in a good word for her. The workers chose to buy because the food was genuinely delicious. One worker crouched nearby, scraped up the last bite of rice, and even used his chopsticks to scoop out the sauce at the bottom of the box. "Boss Lin, will you have more tomorrow?" Lin Meiyan paused for a moment. "That depends on what Jianghai Dicai decides." The worker looked up and called out to Lu Qingyuan, "President Lu, let's go with this one." Someone else chimed in, "Linji's food is good." "Plenty of rice, and the meat's fragrant." "The potatoes are stewed soft—perfect for mixing with rice." "When you're working hard at noon, you need food with some grease." Lu Qingyuan had Secretary Shen write down all the workers' feedback, and Secretary Shen scribbled away quickly. Linji's fifty boxes sold out first, with feedback noting sufficient portions, fragrant meat and vegetables, plenty of oil, and on-time delivery. Boss Jiang's was cheaper but had less oil. The other stall had generous portions but ordinary flavor. Lu Qingyuan reviewed the records, then turned to Yu Jianghai. "What do you think?" At that, the surrounding crowd instinctively quieted down. Lin Meiyan also looked up at Yu Jianghai, but she didn't speak. Yu Jianghai didn't look at her either. He just stared at the records in Secretary Shen's hand. "Go by the feedback." "For the second phase, start with a one-month trial for meal supply." "Lunch starts at a hundred portions per day, then increases based on worker feedback after three days." "Dinner only for overtime meals, with numbers reported a day in advance." "Breakfast will use meal tickets for now—if workers want to eat at Linji, they can; if not, no pressure." "Payments go through the project account." "Settled weekly." He laid it out so clearly that anyone trying to accuse him of favoritism couldn't find a foothold. Boss Jiang opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing, because he too knew that with all three stalls side by side today, Linji had genuinely won. Lu Qingyuan nodded. "Then it's settled." Secretary Shen added, "I'll have the project team draft a trial agreement this afternoon." Lu Jianxin listened nearby, his eyes rolling. He was about to speak when Lu Qingyuan shot him a glare, and Lu Jianxin immediately shut his mouth. Fine. He wouldn't say it now. He'd say it later. When Lin Meiyan heard the words "one-month trial," her heart finally settled. It wasn't a long-term contract, but it was enough. One month. She had one month to prove Linji could do it. And one month to get everything in order. She lowered her head and jotted down in her notebook: lunch a hundred portions, dinner based on overtime numbers, breakfast meal tickets, weekly settlement. Gu Kaihua stood nearby, barely able to contain the smile tugging at his lips. He was about to say something when the lingering authority of Ye Qiuju's absence pressed him back down. Can't get cocky. They were still at the construction site entrance—he couldn't embarrass Meiyan. Once the crowd had mostly dispersed, Yu Jianghai walked over to Lin Meiyan. He didn't help her up in front of everyone, nor did he take her notebook. He just looked down at the sweat on her forehead. "Tired?" Lin Meiyan shook her head. "Not tired." She said she wasn't tired, but her temples were soaked with sweat, and a bit of braised pork sauce clung to the back of her hand. Yu Jianghai took a clean handkerchief from his suit pocket and handed it to her. Lin Meiyan glanced around. "There are so many people here." A few traces of amusement flickered in Yu Jianghai's eyes, and his voice was low. "Do you need to avoid people just to wipe off sweat?" Lin Meiyan's ears grew slightly warm. In the end, she still took the handkerchief, though she didn't let him wipe it for her. She held the handkerchief herself and pressed it to her temples. There was a faint scent of cedar on it, the same as the smell on him. Gu Kaihua pretended to look elsewhere, and Lu Qingyuan pretended to be blind. Only the newcomer, Lu Jianxin, blinked and stared at the handkerchief in Lin Meiyan's hand. After looking, he seemed to suddenly understand something. Yu Jianghai glanced sideways at him, and Lu Jianxin immediately looked away. Lin Meiyan clutched the handkerchief in her hand and said softly, "Thank you, President Yu, for keeping business and personal matters separate." A hint of amusement appeared in Yu Jianghai's eyes. "Boss Lin makes her living by her own skill." Hearing this, Lin Meiyan couldn't resist teasing him. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered by his ear, "I'll reward you when we get home." Her breath was like orchid, her voice soft. This made Yu Jianghai's gaze instantly grow deeper, but Lin Meiyan acted as if nothing had happened. She smiled brightly and said, "Then I'll head home first." "Come back early when you're done." Listen. Just listen—that tone was completely different. Lu Jianxin had watched the whole thing from the side and wished he could slap himself again! Idiot! He couldn't even see that! He really was the biggest idiot in all of Jiangcheng! Under Yu Jianghai's gaze, Lin Meiyan and Gu Kaihua packed up the tricycle and returned to Linji. As soon as Gu Kaihua walked through the door, he couldn't hold it in anymore. "We got it!" His voice was so loud that half the street could hear. Ye Qiuju came over smiling with a bowl in her hand. Hearing this, her hand trembled and she nearly dropped the bowl on the ground. "We really got it?" Gu Kaihua stopped the tricycle and slapped the handlebars. "Would I lie about that?" "Our Linji sold out all fifty boxed lunches first." "The workers all praised it after eating." "Jianghai Dicai has confirmed it—one month trial period, starting at one hundred portions per day from noon, overtime meals in the evening counted separately, and breakfast will use meal tickets." Ye Qiuju's eyes lit up when she heard this. Then, she frowned slightly. "But we don't have enough hands." Even today's fifty portions had the three of them running around like crazy, let alone double that amount. Gu Kaihua's smile froze on his face. He rubbed his hands together. "Then what do we do?" "Auntie's right." Lin Meiyan put the notebook on the table and thought for a moment. "We need to hire people." Ye Qiuju nodded. "How many?" Gu Kaihua immediately shook his head. "Hire outsiders? How can we trust outsiders?" Lin Meiyan looked at him, her voice calm and steady. "Uncle, if Linji wants to grow, we can't always rely only on family." The moment she said this, Gu Kaihua was stunned. Back when Linji first opened, he always felt that having family help out was enough. But now it was different—breakfast service, dine-in, braised dishes, construction site boxed lunches, plus dinner. This was no longer something a single small stove could handle. "Meiyan makes sense," Ye Qiuju said. "But if we're hiring, we need people who are quick with their hands and don't gossip." "Preferably neighbors from the area, people we know well." "One person to wash and chop vegetables, one to wash dishes and pack rice." "The wages need to be clear, and the work needs to be clear too." Lin Meiyan nodded. "That's what I was thinking." Gu Kaihua muttered, "Then how much do we pay?" "Forty-five during the one-month trial period, fifty per month after they become regular." Gu Kaihua sucked in a breath. "Fifty yuan?" "Isn't that a bit much?" This was just for helpers—he knew that with his formal job, he only made about a hundred yuan a month. Ye Qiuju shook her head. "Go ask around outside. Who's willing to come wash and chop vegetables before dawn, work nonstop through noon, and wash a pile of dishes at night?" Gu Kaihua was stumped. Lin Meiyan said, "That's the wage." Even Ye Qiuju looked at her. "Meiyan, have you thought this through?" "I have." Lin Meiyan said softly. "People come to work and earn their living by their strength. We keep the accounts clear, and both sides benefit." Ye Qiuju smiled and couldn't help but say, "Alright." "Now that's what a boss sounds like." Those words caught Lin Meiyan off guard. Boss—before, people called her Boss Lin mostly out of politeness. But only today did she truly feel a bit like a boss. Not just burying her head in cooking and rushing around by herself, but having people to help, and being able to solve problems with money. Thinking of this, Lin Meiyan felt lighter herself. "Auntie, you know the neighbors well. Find two reliable people to bring in." Ye Qiuju agreed readily. She was quick and efficient, and by that afternoon she had already looked into two people. One was named Hu Guifen, in her forties, living in the back alley of Simenkou. Her husband had passed away years ago, and her son was apprenticing out of town, so she lived alone. She usually did laundry and pasted paper boxes for others—quick with her hands, not much of a talker, a steady and hardworking person. The other was named Liu Xiaoyan, eighteen years old. She hadn't continued her studies after graduating from middle school. With many siblings at home, she was looking for work that could earn money. That evening, the two of them arrived at Linji. Hu Guifen wore a faded blue cotton jacket, her hair neatly combed, and washed her hands as soon as she came in. Liu Xiaoyan was a bit nervous, standing at the door and not daring to step inside. She could only look at Linji curiously from the doorway. They both lived near Simenkou and had known for days that Linji had opened. But Linji's decor was too nice. Even though the prices weren't high, for poor families like theirs, every time they passed by, they could only look up at it from afar, not daring to go in. A bowl of Reganmian wasn't expensive, but for them, it was something they couldn't bear to spend on. Seeing Liu Xiaoyan too afraid to come in, Lin Meiyan took her hand. "Xiaoyan, come on in." Liu Xiaoyan hesitated for a moment, tugged at the seams of her pants to make sure she wasn't sloppy, and then timidly followed her inside. Once they were in, Lin Meiyan had them sit down. "My aunt-in-law already told you everything, right?" Liu Xiaoyan instinctively looked at Hu Guifen, and only when she saw the other woman nod did she nod along too. Seeing that they both understood, Lin Meiyan continued, "Linji is now going to deliver meals to the Jianghai Dicai Phase Two construction site, and we don't have enough hands." "Sister Guifen, if you come, your main job will be washing, picking, and chopping vegetables." "Xiaoyan, you'll mainly wash dishes and pack the lunchboxes, and help out in the front when it gets busy." "Forty-five yuan a month for the first month, fifty after you get the hang of it. If you do well, there's a ten-yuan bonus on top of that. Linji also covers one lunch meal." The moment those words landed, Liu Xiaoyan's heart started pounding, and even her eyes lit up. "The pay is that high?" Lin Meiyan smiled. "I'm not giving out this much money for nothing." The two of them immediately looked at her. Lin Meiyan's voice wasn't loud, but she laid out each rule clearly. "First, the kitchen has to be clean." "Wash your hands, wipe the cutting boards, and keep raw and cooked food separate." "Second, don't touch the money in the accounts." "Third, don't go around talking about what happens in the shop." "Fourth, if you slack off, you get two warnings. The third time, you don't need to come back." Liu Xiaoyan grew a little tense listening to that, but Hu Guifen nodded. "That's only right." She looked at Lin Meiyan. "Boss Lin, I don't talk much, but I can work." "As long as you don't hold back wages, I'll do the job well." Lin Meiyan smiled. "Linji doesn't hold back wages." Liu Xiaoyan said quietly, "Boss Lin, I wash dishes very clean." "It's just that I've never worked in a restaurant before." Ye Qiuju chimed in from the side, "Never worked before doesn't matter. As long as you're willing to learn." Liu Xiaoyan nodded immediately. "I'm willing to learn." After settling the two of them, early the next morning, before it was even five o'clock, Hu Guifen and Liu Xiaoyan arrived. One washed vegetables, the other scrubbed dishes. At first, they were all flustered—not because they didn't know how to do it, since these were household chores they both knew well. It was just that Linji's standards were high, and Ye Qiuju taught them bit by bit. "After washing the greens, drain the water, or else when you stir-fry them, you'll end up with a pot of soup." "Don't put the lunchbox lids on crooked, or they'll spill all over the road when it shakes." "Wipe the rims of the bowls too, or else when the customer touches them, they'll be all greasy." Liu Xiaoyan's face flushed red from being scolded, but she didn't cry. She lowered her head and took notes very seriously. Hu Guifen was steadier—Ye Qiuju only had to say it once, and she could remember it. By the third day, the Linji kitchen finally stopped feeling like a battlefield. Gu Kaihua also breathed a sigh of relief, but the deliveries were still a problem. A hundred portions of food was way more than fifty. Gu Kaihua made one trip pedaling a three-wheeled cart, and by the time he came back, his legs barely felt like his own. The moment he walked in, he leaned against the wall. "I can't, I can't anymore." Ye Qiuju looked at him. "It's not like they sent you off to war." Gu Kaihua gasped for air. "This isn't much better than war." "A hundred portions of food, pedaling all the way there—I was afraid I'd tip over halfway." Lin Meiyan watched him drenched in sweat and knew what needed to be done. That evening, when Yu Jianghai came home from work, she was sitting behind the counter doing the books. But Yu Jianghai could tell at a glance that she was distracted. He walked over casually, stood in front of the counter, and said gently, "What are you thinking about?" Lin Meiyan looked up. "Thinking about buying a car." Yu Jianghai paused. Qiaoqiao was happily bent over the table writing, but the moment she heard "buy a car," she immediately raised her head. "Are we buying a car?" Gu Kaihua's eyes lit up too, and Ye Qiuju shot him a glare. "You're dreaming along with her?" Lin Meiyan laughed. "Not a car. A three-wheeler." Gu Kaihua's eyes got even brighter. "A three-wheeler is still a car!" He rubbed his hands together. "Are we really buying one?" Lin Meiyan nodded. "Really buying one." "Every day, pedaling to make deliveries is too slow and too tiring." "The volume of food is only going to grow, so the vehicle has to keep up." She thought Yu Jianghai would support her after hearing that, but to her surprise, he stayed silent for a long while. "What's wrong?" Lin Meiyan couldn't help asking. Yu Jianghai thought it over. "Are you planning to do this delivery business long-term, or just short-term?" Lin Meiyan answered without thinking. "Of course I want it long-term." "Then a three-wheeler isn't quite enough." Seeing Lin Meiyan look at him, Yu Jianghai calmly analyzed it for her. "You have to know the weather in Jiangcheng. The wind is strong, the rain is heavy, and the snow is heavy too. A three-wheeler is only good for clear days. Once you hit bad weather, a three-wheeler just won't cut it." What Linji delivered was food—if it got cold, spilled, or spoiled, everything would be for nothing. Lin Meiyan frowned slightly. She knew Yu Jianghai was telling the truth. She raised her hand and shook his arm. "If you have a better idea, just say it." "Why are you hiding it from me?" The moment those words fell, the room inside Linji fell silent. Everyone's eyes landed on Lin Meiyan's hand gripping Yu Jianghai's arm—including Yu Jianghai himself. He looked down at the hand on his arm. Pale, slender, delicate. Lin Meiyan noticed too. She paused, then casually withdrew her hand. But Yu Jianghai seemed dissatisfied. Like someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder, he grabbed her hand again and placed it back on his arm. He was satisfied. "A three-wheeler won't solve the fundamental problem. Buy a van—it suits your current situation." The word "van" instantly shifted everyone's attention. Lin Meiyan frowned slightly. "A van isn't cheap, is it?" Even a three-wheeler cost several hundred yuan, let alone a van. Yu Jianghai hummed in acknowledgment. "Around twenty or thirty thousand." The air went silent. Even Gu Kaihua, who was always loud, couldn't help but say, "Selling Linji wouldn't even fetch that much, would it?" That was the truth. Spending twenty or thirty thousand on a van just for food delivery? That was practically wasting a treasure. Yu Jianghai looked at Lin Meiyan, then without a word, went straight upstairs. What did that mean? Everyone exchanged puzzled glances—except Lin Meiyan, who knew he was waiting for her. Lin Meiyan paused, then casually said to the family, "I'll go ask." She went upstairs. Qiaoqiao wanted to follow, but Gu Kaihua grabbed her. "My little ancestor, just play down here. Don't go disturbing your parents' private talk." Upstairs. When Lin Meiyan came over, Yu Jianghai was sitting on the sofa, back straight, brows furrowed. Seeing her approach, he pointed at his head. "It hurts a bit." Lin Meiyan smiled slightly. "Then let me massage it for you." She walked to the sofa and sat down beside Yu Jianghai, then had him lie his head on her lap. Her fingers moved swiftly, pressing gently on his temples. Yu Jianghai's brow gradually relaxed. He had a top-tier bone structure—skin clinging to bone, sharp features, not an ounce of excess flesh. His face was strikingly handsome. Lin Meiyan looked at him for a moment and suddenly felt that an older Yu Jianghai had its advantages. Familiar, dignified, refined, handsome. With that thought, she suddenly pecked his forehead. "Go on, tell me." Her soft, cool lips touched his forehead. Yu Jianghai instinctively opened his eyes, and their gazes met. "Jianghai Dicai has spare vans." He didn't finish the sentence, but Lin Meiyan understood. "You mean, let Linji use Jianghai Dicai's van?" Yu Jianghai's eyes were deep, his voice low and husky. "Will you accept it?" Lin Meiyan tilted her head, smiling sweetly. "Accept? Why wouldn't I accept?" Her voice was soft. "I can't afford one anyway. Might as well take advantage of what's available." To be honest, Yu Jianghai hadn't expected her to agree so readily. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes—the Lin Meiyan from before wasn't like this. Lin Meiyan touched his face, pressing down gently bit by bit. She smiled. "Yu Jianghai, taking the back door once is the same as taking it twice." With that, she suddenly turned over and lay sprawled on his chest. She chuckled. "Besides, our identities are public now. When there are too many lice, you stop worrying about the bites." Wasn't it just having a leg up? She'd accept it. Yu Jianghai caught her hand and kissed it lightly, his voice low. "That's how it should be." "But I don't know how to drive." "Call me husband, and I'll teach you." "Husband, husband, husband."