Why Bother Teasing Me

A moment later, the relatives downstairs at the restaurant dispersed like the wind.

In the blink of an eye, everyone was gone.

Only that lone Lorinsser Gulfstream remained parked in the same spot.

"Your mother... your mother left in your third sister's car?" Zhou Xiaona, her throat a little dry, as she looked at Song Wenbo beside her.

"Yes." Song Wenbo didn't turn around, looking at the now empty venue, the scene from just now still flashing through his mind over and over again.

Words like "stunned" or "frozen" are far from sufficient to describe his true feelings.

The real feeling was a burning sensation on my face, a lump in my throat, and a complex mix of emotions in my heart.

"Xiao Na." Zhou Wencheng suddenly walked up from the side.

"Brother Wen Cheng." Zhou Xiaona was taken aback, stammered, and then realized that she had such a distinguished guest in her home.

At this moment, Zhou Wencheng's expression was quite complex.

"Why would you, with relatives like this in your family, come here to make fun of me?"

"No..." Zhou Xiaona hurriedly tried to explain.

"Enough talk, that's it." Zhou Wencheng waved his hand, turned around and got into the car without thinking, then drove away.

Now, only Zhou Xiaona and her husband are left in the same spot.

"I told you long ago... don't treat my third brother-in-law like that, now look what happened." Song Wenbo finally realized what he had done, his expression full of regret.

"You still dare to talk back!" Zhou Xiaona's temper flared up again. "Who was I thinking of back then? Wasn't it for this restaurant, for this family?"

Song Wenbo stiffened his neck, about to say something defiant, when he suddenly realized what was going on.

He and Zhou Xiaona have long been inseparable.

His third sister's husband's family wasn't just dissatisfied with Zhou Xiaona, but with both of them...

In an instant, he slumped.

One prospers, all prosper; one suffers, all suffer!

"Why aren't you being so tough anymore?" Zhou Xiaona stared at Song Wenbo and pressed him for an answer.

"Enough said, what's there to say?" Song Wenbo waved his hand. "Anyway, our family and my third sister's family are completely..."

He didn't take the initiative to say anything about easing tensions.

He did want to, but if he said it now, he was afraid Zhou Xiaona would point her finger at him and call him spineless.

"Who said that?" Seeing that Song Wenbo wasn't angry, Zhou Xiaona softened her tone as well. "That's your sister. If you want to build a good relationship, do you need me to teach you?"

"Isn't that spineless?" Song Wenbo observed Zhou Xiaona's expression and tentatively asked.

"Are you stupid? That's your sister. Didn't you get bullied by your sister when you were little? There's no such thing as backbone in front of your own sister." Zhou Xiaona looked around and pulled Song Wenbo into the restaurant.

"Go back and get some good wine, go apologize sincerely, and smooth things over."

Song Wenbo opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

"It's possible that the problem of us borrowing money will fall on your sister and brother-in-law's shoulders," Zhou Xiaona said out of the blue.

Song Wenbo's eyes widened.

··

The idea of becoming rich overnight is naturally quite unbelievable to relatives.

But the explanation is quite simple.

It was simply good luck; he made a fortune from gambling on jade. As for the rest, in Zhang Zhaohai's words, we don't know the specifics of the huge business Zhang Yang is doing outside.

With just one sentence, he silenced all the gossip.

That night, Li Kaiguang, the cousin in the passenger seat, sat in the Cullinan as if in a dream, looking at the starry sky roof and glancing through the window at the envious glances cast at him by pedestrians along the way.

My heart is filled with mixed feelings.

"Zhang Yang, if I had your resources, I wouldn't have missed out on her back then," he sighed.

"With such assets, whether it's her or not doesn't really matter, right?" Zhang Yang said with a smile.

As night fell, Li Kaiguang gazed at his cousin's incredibly handsome profile and his elegant demeanor, and for a moment, he was filled with longing.

This is life!

Along the way, the Cullinan made frequent stops and starts.

Countless young women saw the car, and then caught a fleeting glimpse of the person in the driver's seat.

So, Li Kaiguang sat in the passenger seat and saw countless smiling faces and graceful young ladies bending down to chat with Zhang Yang in soft voices, offering themselves to him. Many of them even came up with all sorts of lame excuses.

He never knew that girls could be so proactive, or that they would come up with so many flimsy excuses to achieve their goals.

"So, it really is that simple."

His life and values seemed to have been re-examined tonight.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Yang had just politely declined a girl's invitation when he turned his head and saw Li Kaiguang looking dazed.

"Nothing, nothing. By the way, we seem to have arrived at the next stop?" Li Kaiguang stammered as he asked.

"Hmm, it seems we've arrived at your house. Shall I drop you off up ahead?" Zhang Yang nodded and asked.

"How about we stay here?" Li Kaiguang suddenly said.

Zhang Yang was puzzled, but he didn't insist and dropped Li Kaiguang off on the side of the road ahead.

On his way back, he glanced at the rearview mirror.

Li Kaiguang was standing alone in the same spot, still looking in his direction, motionless for a long time.

··

For Zhang Yang, tonight's events were actually completely uneventful.

There's no need to waste a single bit of unnecessary emotion on unimportant people and things.

As for the idea of being the center of attention in front of relatives, he wasn't particularly interested, but his parents were so eager to show off that he just went along with it.

So when he got home that night, he took a shower, put the whole evening's events out of his mind, and went straight to sleep.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhaohai and his wife were so excited they couldn't sleep.

"Only today do I truly understand what it means to have boundless glory, and I also understand the feeling of returning home in triumph." Zhang Zhaohai said, turning his head back and forth.

In the past, it felt great to be flattered and complimented by classmates, neighbors, and friends.

However, faced with the flattery and adoration of his former relatives, and seeing their eager faces, he still felt a profound sense of shock.

An indescribable sense of impact.

He then realized that his family had truly achieved a leap forward.

It really is different now.

"Don't get arrogant," Song Wenqin said with a smile. "From now on, focus on making the restaurant a success."

"Of course, I, Lao Zhang, am not the kind of person who gets carried away with success," Zhang Zhaohai said decisively. "Well, for the next period of time, stay humble and focused on building your business."

The bedroom was quiet for a while, then Zhang Zhaohai tossed and turned for a long time.

"Wife."

"Um?"

"I still have trouble sleeping, otherwise..."

"Go to hell... you old married couple... Hey, Lao Zhang, I told you, but you still won't listen, huh? This scraggly beard of yours... you're going to die!"

··

The next morning, Zhang Zhaohai looked radiant. Song Wenqin also had a rosy complexion, and her skin condition had improved significantly.

The couple seemed even more affectionate than before.

A breakfast shop near the entrance.

The two of them sat down leisurely, each with a bowl of noodles and a basket of steamed dumplings, and ate breakfast while chatting and laughing. Then they got in the car and drove straight to the restaurant.

A day at a restaurant is naturally the start of a busy day.

The restaurant was bustling with activity all morning as they prepared for lunch.

The couple received a constant stream of phone calls this morning to reserve tables.

At noon, we open the doors to welcome guests.

Outside the Haiqin Grand Restaurant, all kinds of cars came and went, making it completely congested.

"This is the one."

"Yes, this place is absolutely delicious. Old Wang, Old Liu, how could my recommendation be wrong? I guarantee you'll cry while you're eating here."

Outside the restaurant, people were calling out to their friends and companions.

Before long, the restaurant was packed with customers.

More importantly, even when there are no seats left in the store, many people still wait patiently, either to get takeout or simply find a corner to eat in.

"Boss, don't worry if there are no seats. I just want to eat the stir-fry I had last time. I'm fine with standing outside."

"I'll take three portions with me."

"Boss, how about you add some small tables outside? Or maybe you should just open a branch?"

It was one or two people saying it, but as more and more people talked about it, Zhang Zhaohai and his wife began to feel a little tempted.

Or should we actually put the plan to reopen the store on the agenda?

Leaving aside the current cash flow of this store, they also still have a large sum of cash that Zhang Yang left with them when he opened the raw stones.

Opening a branch store really doesn't put any pressure on you at all.

"But, but I still have a question." Zhang Zhaohai finally posed the burning question.

"What's the problem?" Song Wenqin asked, blinking.

"Although our business is good now, we're not an old, reputable restaurant with many years of history. These customers are definitely here for our food. But I'm wondering... is our food really that good?" Zhang Zhaohai asked, puzzled.

The chefs include both previously hired and newly hired ones.

But no matter who cooks the dishes, once they're served in the kitchen, they'll receive all sorts of praise.

How could this be?

"Why should you care about him? If you can't figure it out, don't think about it. Just focus on making every dish well and treating every customer with care," Song Wenqin said with a laugh. "Can't our family have a change of luck?"

"That's true." Zhang Zhaohai nodded. "Alright then, let's prepare for the new store. Anyway... our family can afford it."

Meanwhile, at the Wenbo Grand Restaurant.

Zhou Xiaona carefully prepared two bottles of Moutai and two cartons of cigarettes, repeatedly instructing Song Wenbo on what to do.

"Go over there, and don't say anything else, just a few polite words."

She was afraid of revealing her purpose too early, so it was somewhat deliberate.

"Aren't you coming along?" Song Wenbo asked after thinking for a moment.

"Whether I go or not makes no difference. As long as you and your sister get along well and our restaurant does well, nothing else matters," Zhou Xiaona said with a smile.

"If I go now, it might just backfire."

"Alright then." Song Wenbo nodded, and had no choice but to pick up his things, grab his car keys, and head straight for Haiqin Restaurant.

I'm ashamed to admit it.

My older sister's restaurant opened, and I didn't even get to go and support her last time.

Now, bringing all sorts of gifts and showing up at this time—what does that mean? Does it mean that even if you don't say anything, others won't notice?

"Forget it, this face of mine is meant to be humiliated."

He muttered to himself, "Let's drive."

He timed it perfectly, estimating that the mealtime had passed and the restaurant wasn't too busy, so his visit wouldn't be a disturbance.

However, when he arrived outside the restaurant at around 1:00 PM...

I was still dumbfounded.

"This is my sister's restaurant, right?" He finally found a parking space in a corner and muttered to himself.

The parking lot in front of us was packed full of cars.

That's fine, after all, who knows if they're going to eat or not.

However, look at the crowds coming and going at Haiqin Grand Restaurant, those standing outside waiting, those holding lunchboxes, and even groups of three or five people sitting around small stools and tables, eating heartily.

What's going on?

He was stunned.

Such a grand occasion is unprecedented at their restaurant, not even during the Spring Festival, let alone on ordinary holidays.

Song Wenbo glanced down at the gifts he was carrying and felt it was a bit strange to just let it pass by like that. So he decided to stay in the car and wait.

I waited anxiously until after 2 p. m., which is when people start work. Only then did the situation in front of the gate improve considerably.

He hesitated for a moment, then carefully picked up the gifts and went to the entrance of the restaurant.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the situation in front of the door had improved considerably. After all, not everyone needs to go to work on weekdays, or rather, not everyone needs to go to work at all.

As far as the eye could see, the restaurant was still packed with people.

Looking down, I couldn't see any empty seats.

He immediately spotted his sister and brother-in-law still standing at the front desk.

The two of them were extremely busy.

But in Song Wenbo's eyes, this wasn't just being busy; it was being made money hand over fist.

I'm so envious!

"Third sister, third brother-in-law," he stepped forward and stammered.

As soon as Song Wenqin looked up, her brows furrowed.

Why are you here?

Zhang Zhaohai stood to the side, glancing at Song Wenbo's forced smile and the gift in his hand, and blinked.

"Uncle, have a cigarette?"

He casually offered him a cigarette.

It's Song Wenqin's business how much she feels disgusted with her wife's younger brother in front of her, but he, as a wise man, can't actually believe it and join in with a cold face.

"Thank you, thank you, brother-in-law." Song Wenbo was flattered.

"The shop is busy, we don't have time to serve you. Why don't you make yourself at home and I'll pour you a glass of water?" Zhang Zhaohai said politely.

"No need, no need, brother-in-law, you guys are busy. I've actually wanted to come over for a while, but I haven't had the chance." Song Wenbo gently put down what he was holding. "Well, looking back on the years you worked for me, I've always felt guilty. I really treated you badly."

"It's nothing," Zhang Zhaohai said, feigning magnanimity.

"Take your things away. I don't have time to waste with you here." Song Wenqin's voice was cold. "What do you mean? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Sister, I really didn't mean anything by it, I just... I just wanted to express my apology." Song Wenbo put down his things and turned to leave.

They had only taken a couple of steps.

There was a loud clattering sound underfoot.

He stopped and looked, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Cigarettes, alcohol...

He was just thrown out the door!

Instantly, a feeling of humiliation welled up in Song Wenbo's heart.

Damn it... you're my own sister!