"What am I supposed to do, then?" Song Wenbo said irritably.
"Find someone else. Is he the only chef in town? Does the kitchen stop running without him? If you really can't find anyone, hold back his pay and force him to stay!" Zhou Xiaona said, her eyes flickering.
Song Wenbo's eyes widened, stunned by his wife's callousness.
After all, this was his own sister and brother-in-law.
The woman sharing his bed was this kind of person. A chill ran down his back.
"Hmph. You're so kind, such a good person. You know how important May Day is." Zhou Xiaona noticed his expression. "Don't look at me like that. I've been thinking about what's best for this family from the start."
Song Wenbo struggled with it for a moment, then nodded firmly.
There was nothing else to do. They had to hire someone as soon as possible!
He was in quite a few local community groups, so he immediately posted a job listing in them.
These days, as long as you could pay the wages, finding workers wasn't hard. There were people everywhere. Before long, he'd arranged for a chef who claimed to have plenty of experience to come by and try cooking.
That afternoon, after the kitchen had finished its rush, Zhang Zhaohai finally had time to sit down and eat.
Outside, Song Wenbo and Zhou Xiaona came in with someone.
"Chef, sorry to trouble you, but could you try making a few dishes?"
With Zhang Zhaohai there, Zhou Xiaona spoke up. Beside her, Song Wenbo was too embarrassed to meet Zhang Zhaohai's eyes.
Zhang Zhaohai glanced up and immediately understood.
The couple had rushed to find someone to replace him. They'd certainly moved fast.
The trial went exceptionally smoothly, and the couple finalized an employment contract with the new chef on the spot.
"At last, that's settled." Song Wenbo let out a long breath. He looked at his wife, then went over with a grin. "Honey, you really did think of everything."
There was something else he was relieved about, too.
Now that they'd hired someone, they wouldn't have to hold back Zhang Zhaohai's wages to keep him there. If word got out about that, people would tear him apart.
"Now you see how great I am?" Zhou Xiaona rolled her eyes and said crossly.
Now that they had a new hire, the kitchen no longer depended on Zhang Zhaohai. Naturally, Song Wenbo didn't care whether he left or not.
On the eve of May Day, the first day of the holiday, Zhang Zhaohai's last day at the restaurant arrived.
"Brother-in-law, you've worked hard these past two years at the restaurant." Song Wenbo came over to exchange a few perfunctory pleasantries, hoping to avoid making things too awkward between them.
After all, he couldn't just cut ties with his own sister and her family, could he?
"It wasn't hard. You paid me a salary, didn't you?" Zhang Zhaohai glanced at him.
Song Wenbo gave an awkward laugh and turned to leave. It wasn't just relatives—brothers could fall out over money and never speak again. Once a rift opened up, there was no mending it.
"Don't take it to heart." Zhou Xiaona offered a few words of comfort. "This may sound harsh, but your sister and brother-in-law have peaked. Our family will only keep getting better. We'll never need anything from them, so what are you worried about?"
"True." Song Wenbo felt reassured.
His sister was just an ordinary wage earner, and his brother-in-law depended on him for a salary. How much could they accomplish in the future? And their eldest nephew, who was supposedly working in Magic City, probably wouldn't amount to much either.
They might even end up coming to his family for help one day!
Zhang Zhaohai was the sort who did his job one day at a time. Even though it was his last day working in the kitchen, he still did everything he had to do meticulously.
When things quieted down, he remembered to get in touch with his son.
Zhang Yang's company was on holiday that day, and he'd probably be back that afternoon.
"What time's your high-speed train?" Zhang Zhaohai asked over the phone.
"I'm not taking the train. I bought a car," Zhang Yang said honestly.
"You little punk, you don't spare yourself anything, do you? What kind of car did you buy?" Hearing the news, Zhang Zhaohai immediately pressed him, eager to satisfy his curiosity.
"A Porsche Cayenne. I'll take you for a spin when I get back, Dad," Zhang Yang said with a laugh.
Zhang Zhaohai lowered his phone in a daze.
That kid had only had three and a half million yuan, yet he'd gone and spent over a million on a Porsche. He really...
Damn, he really did take after his old man.
Zhang Zhaohai counted it out on his fingers. Three and a half million, minus over a million, left a couple of million. Enough to buy a house, renovate it, and get married...
All right, all right. He could still afford it.
Let him buy it, then.
At that moment, Zhang Yang was just getting ready to leave his apartment.
Bei Wei wasn't planning to go home for the May Day holiday. Her parents both worked out of town, and the holiday was only a few days long, so she decided to stay in Magic City.
After leaving his apartment, Zhang Yang stopped outside Bei Wei's place.
Before long, a figure with skin so fair it almost glowed came running toward him in the distance. Her simple white dress fluttered around her. It was Bei Wei.
"Brother Zhang." Bei Wei leaned in slightly and handed him a box. "I made sushi this morning."
"It's only fair to return the favor. Here, take this." Zhang Yang glanced at the neatly made sushi, then took a cake box from the back of the car.
It was Black Swan, Holiland's top-tier cake brand. Zhang Yang had ordered one of their Floral Bloom cakes in advance. It cost just under three thousand yuan, and a handsome Black Swan delivery rider had brought it to him that morning.
The cake was stunning, with a delicate pink design that was sure to appeal to any young woman.
Bei Wei held the cake and lightly covered her mouth, clearly both surprised and dazzled.
"Want to get in and sit for a while?" Zhang Yang asked, gazing at Bei Wei.
Bei Wei's cheeks instantly flushed. She gave a soft "mm," opened the car door, and quietly got in.
The drive from Magic City to Yinghai City took several hours.
Zhang Yang sped along, returning to his hometown, Yinghai, in the afternoon.
He drove along, watching the familiar trees and scenery pass outside the window. The city didn't have Magic City's towering skyscrapers or magnificent skyline, but the word "hometown" said more than a thousand others ever could.
"Dad, are you heading home?" Zhang Yang called Zhang Zhaohai as he drove.
"I just finished up at noon. I'm getting ready to head back," Zhang Zhaohai replied.
"Okay, wait for me, then. I'll come find you at my uncle's place," Zhang Yang said with a laugh.
Who didn't like showing off a little? He was driving the car over to his uncle's place partly to make his dad look good.
"You're coming over?" Zhang Zhaohai raised his voice. "All right, I'll wait for you."
After hanging up, Zhang Yang drove his Porsche Cayenne straight to his uncle's restaurant. It took him only half an hour or so to get there.
The parking lot downstairs was full of cars. Business seemed good at the restaurant today.
"My uncle's restaurant really has found its footing," Zhang Yang said approvingly as he got out and looked at Fengsheng Restaurant.
He knew the place well—not only because his dad worked there as a chef, but also because his family had held nearly all their holiday banquets and meals there over the years.
He knew every private room and dining hall by heart.
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