"I see!" Huang Er licked his lips and nodded.
"Owner, rest assured. You’ve given us brothers such a great opportunity. We are born for the restaurant and will die for the restaurant. Even if you don’t pay us, I’ll still work for you!"
Huang Er raised his hand and said to Mu Shuangshuang.
"Alright, determination is shown through actions, not words. I won’t skimp on your pay. Whatever other restaurants pay, I will only pay more, not less.
Whoever works hard, whoever is diligent, I’ll take notice of it. More work, more pay. Less work, less pay. No work, you’re fired!"
Mu Shuangshuang’s words echoed powerfully. The chefs and servers in the kitchen all heard her.
Their hearts filled with motivation, hoping to be recognized by the youngest owner.
In the kitchen, the sounds of frying and chopping filled the air. Everyone was focused on their tasks; no one was lazy.
During dinner, Huang Da returned. The man had road the town all day, familiarizing himself with the local vendors and markets.
He felt dizzy and a bit uncomfortable.
Only after eating his fill did he slightly regain his energy.
That night, Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng stayed in the town.
Huang Da and Huang Er also decided to stay, but the brothers would reside in a separate house in the restaurant’s backyard.
It was right after dinner, in Chengfeng Restaurant, and half of the staff had gone to rest.
A few remained to attend to custors coming by for late-night snacks.
Mu Shuangshuang, Lu Yuanfeng, the Huang brothers, and Yu Dahai gathered around a table.
All listening to Huang Da share his day’s discoveries and thoughts.
Huang Da summarized the situation, which didn’t differ much from what Yu Dahai and Mu Shuangshuang already knew.
From this, it seed Huang Da was suited for restaurant procurent.
Once fully operational, Yu Dahai could focus on his own matters.
"Our restaurant, whether it’s the service, the dishes, or the people working here, isn’t worse than the old Fulin Restaurant. As long as everyone is confident, we can surely do well," said Yu Dahai.
Mu Shuangshuang felt fortunate to have encountered such an experienced and hardworking steward.
"It’s just a pity about that kid Da Wu. If only, back then..." Yu Dahai suddenly lanted, realizing he had said sothing he shouldn’t, and quickly covered his mouth.
Mu Shuangshuang said, "Brother Dahai, there’s nothing that can’t be said. I have no taboos!"
Lu Yuanfeng added, "Facing problems directly is the only way to prevent them from happening again."
-
Far away in Shigou Town, the family of Sun Dawu.
Having returned to town, Sun Dawu’s family’s Wu Dalang baked pancake gained popularity again.
A baked pancake costs five coins, and it sells from morning to night, with money flowing into Sun Dawu’s ho.
He hired soone to build a large house with the best materials; even before completion, he rented a yard in town.
His son Sun Xiaozhu was sent to the best school in town.
Making only sixty baked pancakes a day was no longer enough for Sun Dawu’s family.
From morning to night, Sun Dawu made at least three hundred baked pancakes daily, earning from three hundred coins to one and a half taels of silver.
However, with the increase in pancake production, negative effects also erged.
For instance, people felt tired of it, saying the pancakes were getting harder to eat. Previously rare, now easily accessible.
Initially, Sun Dawu was unaware of the issues with his pancakes until sales started to decline steadily. The stall that once had long queues gradually beca deserted.
Only then did Sun Dawu realize that there was no longer anyone in Shigou Town willing to buy his Wu Dalang pancakes anymore.
One day, while making pancakes at ho, his wife suddenly rushed in, saying to Sun Dawu, "Father Xiao Zhu, the workers said if we don’t pay them, they’ll stop construction."
"What?" Sun Dawu was stunned.
When the house was being built, pancakes were selling at their highest.
But now, with pancakes no longer profitable, family savings had been poured into the house construction and schooling for the child.
"What do we do now? We can’t sell the pancakes, and the money is gone..."
Sun Dawu’s wife spoke while crying.
Debt collectors ca several tis, and the rented house in town was due to expire.
The family was forced to move back into that shabby little courtyard.
The only consolation was that when building the big house next door, they hadn’t dismantled the old courtyard.
But every day staring at the half-built new house, unable to continue due to a lack of funds, brought Sun Dawu and his wife waves of heartache.
The pancake business was no longer viable, forcing Sun Dawu to work on construction sites.
Using his strength to earn his bread.
But even after a day of hard work, he didn’t earn as much as selling three pancakes.
Twelve coins a day for labor, over three hundred coins a month, still less than selling pancakes daily.
After half a day, Sun Dawu didn’t want to work anymore.
The family visited Mu Shuangshuang in early March.
After nearly a month, the restaurant business was booming; Mu Shuangshuang was overseeing the restaurant, preparing her afternoon storytelling material.
She looked up and saw Sun Dawu and his wife standing at the restaurant entrance, faces filled with regret.
Sun Dawu was visibly emotional seeing Mu Shuangshuang.
Ignoring the staff’s greeting, Sun Dawu rushed forward.
"Miss Shuangshuang, Miss Shuangshuang..."
"Do you rember ? I’m Da Wu!" Sun Dawu said to Mu Shuangshuang.
Mu Shuangshuang glanced at the man before her.
In almost a month, Sun Dawu had changed significantly.
His previously well-rounded figure had thinned considerably, his cheeks hollow, eyes protruding.
His clothes were filthy, and beside him, Little Bamboo’s clothing was equally worn.
The once proud aura was completely gone, replaced by timidity and fear.
"Do you... need anything?" Mu Shuangshuang didn’t ask what had happened to them.
Because she already guessed.
Yet Sun Dawu didn’t know this. He began explaining to Mu Shuangshuang.
"Miss Shuangshuang, after we returned from Qingshan Town, we went to sell pancakes again. We initially made a lot of money, and later, we used it to build a house and send Xiao Zhu to school, but suddenly one day, no one bought the pancakes anymore..."
As Sun Dawu spoke, he started to sob.
Mu Shuangshuang felt her hair stand on end, suddenly finding the man before her sowhat resembling Xiang Lin’s wife.
A once sturdy man from the military turned into this current state; Mu Shuangshuang found it hard to believe.
After Sun Dawu finished his lantation, his wife began sharing how miserable their life had beco.
No good houses to live in, Xiao Zhu’s school couldn’t afford lunch despite the tuition being paid...
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