A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1499 In the martial world, one's fate is not one's own! (Please subscribe!)
That evening, Hua Shier and his family of three had a meal at Dingqinglou Restaurant. On their way home, he asked Li Xiaozhen in the car:

"Honey, would you like to change your work environment?"

Last night, Hua Shier took out his notebook to check off items and saw that there was a clothing store option among the projects that hadn't been completed yet, so today he started encouraging his wife to change careers.

Li Xiaozhen was somewhat surprised:
"What do you mean?"

Hua Twelve said with a smile:

"I just think, we're not short of money right now, but your current job is too restrictive, you're not free to do anything. Have you ever thought about starting your own business?"

Li Xiaozhen looked at him with a half-smile: "For example?"

"For example, opening a clothing store or something, so you can be your own boss. If something happens, you can just close the store and go out whenever you want. That's really free!"

Li Xiaozhen laughed in anger: "Fine, Cui Guoming, I'll tell Dad tomorrow that you're poaching our restaurant's employees!"

Hua Shier frowned, "How old are you? Why are you still tattled on me? I'm just thinking of you!"

Li Xiaozhen said irritably:
"Dad said that the restaurant will be managed by the two of us from now on. If you become a star, then I'll be in charge of the restaurant. I'm giving up being the owner of a big restaurant to start a business with you. What will happen to our family restaurant then? Are you out of your mind?!"

In the back seat, Cui Mengmeng raised her hand and said, "Dad, I can open a clothing store!"

Without turning his head, Hua Shier said, "You open a six-cake shop, and I'll support your studies and even your university education. You want to open a clothing store? Don't you have any ambition?"

Li Xiaozhen turned to look at him, glaring at him, and said:

"So it's because I'm useless, otherwise why would you let me run a clothing store!"

"Alright, Cui Guoming, I see now. You're a big star now, so you're starting to look down on me, huh?"

Hua Shier was both amused and exasperated: "That's really not what I meant."

"So what do you mean?"

Hua Shierfei quickly organized his thoughts and began to deceive:
"You know what business diversification is, right? If we have a restaurant, and we also have a clothing store, it's like spreading the risk. If business is bad, we have a fallback plan. If business is good, we can have success on both fronts!"

"Then you can switch from accounting to becoming a boss, hire your own staff so you won't have to work hard, and you can meet up with friends for afternoon tea, get a beauty treatment, look at houses, or make some investments. Wouldn't that be great!"

Following the train of thought in her words, Li Xiaozhen said, "Now that you mention it, it seems like a pretty good idea!"

"right!"

Hua Shier smiled slightly: "Then let's make it a happy decision. I'll find you a shop later, and then we'll go on a trip to Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Island, and pick up some fashionable clothes while we're at it!"

"That's good!"

Li Xiaozhen was somewhat troubled: "But what about the finances at Dingqinglou? It was easy to manage before, but now it's our own business."

Hua Twelve offered his suggestion:
"That's easy to handle. You took leave the other day, and Ji Qiang covered for you without causing any trouble. He's a top student who got into Tsinghua or Peking University, and he's much better at math than you. You can mentor him these next few days, and then have him take the accounting exam so he can work as an accountant at the restaurant!"

Li Xiaozhen's eyes lit up:
"That's right. Ji Qiang is a reliable and honest person. Dad wanted to take him on as an apprentice, but unfortunately he doesn't have a talent for cooking. I was thinking, we can't let a top student serve dishes for the rest of his life!"

The couple discussed it and told Grandpa Cui about it the next day.

Now, thanks to his son's treatment, Old Master Cui is getting stronger and stronger. He feels he can still work for another twenty years, so he's not in a hurry to hand over the reins. After a moment's thought:
"That works too. Xiao Zhen, you can mentor Ji Qiang for a while. Once he's settled into his finance job, you can go back to whatever you were doing!"

Li Xiaozhen smiled and agreed, then found Ji Qiang and told him the good news.

Ji Qiang was also very happy. He bowed to Li Xiaozhen on the spot and called her "Master"!

Li Xiaozhen blushed a little. She brought Ji Qiang into the industry and taught him about financial work. It was perfectly normal for him to call her "Master," as this was the rule in other companies as well.

But she knew that she wasn't as good at math as others. Sometimes she had to ask Ji Qiang for help when tutoring her child with homework, so she felt a little guilty about being his mentor.

While teaching Ji Qiang about the restaurant's financial work, Li Xiaozhen also prepared books for her apprentice to take the accounting certificate exam and helped him register for it.

The accounting exam is held twice a year, in June and October. It's definitely too late to take the June exam, so I can only take the October one.

According to Li Xiaozhen's estimate, with Ji Qiang's learning ability, he should be able to pass in October after three or four months of review.

However, she underestimated the strength of the promising students from Tsinghua and Peking Universities. Ji Qiang mastered the knowledge in the books in just over a month, and with his daily practical experience at work, he had completely met the exam standards.

Of course, this is just an accounting certificate exam, a basic entry-level certificate. It's not so easy to become an 'accountant', but it's enough for working in a restaurant.

After Ji Qiang was able to take on the financial work, Li Xiaozhen couldn't wait any longer, because Hua Shier had already found a store and was just waiting for the goods to be ready to open.

The store that Hua Shier found was the one that the couple owned in the original storyline.

However, in the original storyline, the house was rented, but now Hua Shier has taken it over.

Li Xiaozhen had her apprentice start work ahead of schedule while she began preparing to go south to purchase goods.

Hua Shier was planning to go on a honeymoon with Li Xiaozhen in the south, maybe travel around, but Li Xiaozhen packed her bags and left with Yang Baihui.

When Hua Shier dropped the two women off at the airport, he was still a little confused:
"Wait, when did you two become so close?"

Li Xiaozhen smiled and said:
"You told me to have some free time to have tea with my friends, right? I realized I don't have many friends, so I asked Baihui to hang out with me. I found that we have similar interests. Don't you think that's why we click?"

Hua Shier thought to herself, "You two have very similar tastes. Hmm, you both like the same man."

Yang Baihui chuckled: "Brother Cui, I'm your manager. If you're lying at home not working, I have nothing to do either!"

Hua Shier was speechless: "If you guys go to the south, I can go with you. Why leave me behind?"

Li Xiaozhen looked disgusted: "Forget it, we get surrounded by people just going to the department store with you. I want to have some peace and quiet in the south, but I can't do anything with you!"

The two women left Hua Shier at the airport and boarded a plane to Guangdong Province.

As Hua Shier watched the plane soar into the sky, he could only mutter to himself, "You guys are ruthless!"

Well, both women are gone, and now he'll be all alone in his empty room.

These two women stayed for a month at a time, first going to Guangdong Province, and then to Hong Kong and Macau.

The goods were eventually delivered and sent back, but the person didn't return. They said they went to look at houses in the Second Ring Road of Beijing.

However, after Hua Shier talked to the two women about investing in real estate, the two women hit it off immediately during a casual chat.

Hua Shier could only take care of her daughter by herself while also setting up the shop, waiting for Li Xiaozhen to return before opening it for business.

His clothing store hasn't even opened yet, but Huo Dongfeng's grand restaurant has.

This guy even sent him an invitation, not just one or two, but for the entire Cui family.

Hua Shier looked at Huo Dongfeng, who was dressed in a suit and looked quite respectable, and said sarcastically:
"All these invitations are just a cover, aren't they? You really want to invite Cui Xiaohong, don't you?"

Huo Dongfeng gave an awkward smile and began to change the subject:
"Well, I bought my own house, and I'm thinking of bringing Erpang over to live with me in a few days!"

Hua Twelve quickly stopped him:
"Stop! Your debauched scene is making me worried that my nephew will be corrupted by you. Why don't you take Cui Xiaohong away? I'm also afraid that Erpang will be corrupted by her!"

Huo Dongfeng: "So neither of us parents is any good, huh!"

Hua Shier: "You have a really good eye for people!"

Er Mei entrusted the fish market to Huo Dongfeng for more than half a year.

Over the past six months, Huo Dongfeng not only earned enough to buy a hotel, but also acquired a house.

Previously, Hua Shier actually believed what Er Mei said about "if something happens, let the older brother fill in for two months".

Now it seems that they genuinely care about Huo Dongfeng, their elder brother, giving him a chance to earn money with dignity, without embarrassing him, and taking good care of him. Understanding this, Hua Shier's opinion of the two women changed somewhat.

Although this guy is a scoundrel, he is loyal and righteous, which is a good thing.

Therefore, Hua Shier also had some new ideas about Er Mei, at least he wouldn't let her die in the underworld struggle like in the original story.

Huo Dongfeng's new hotel was also located on Jiefang Road, next to the main branch of the dumpling restaurant he co-founded with several others.

Unlike the traditional old-fashioned Dingqinglou, this place features entirely modern decor and a chef from Sichuan, specializing in authentic Sichuan cuisine.

On the opening day, Hua Shier not only sent a flower basket, but also a golden toad. Well, some people also call this toad a golden toad, the kind with a coin in its mouth.

When Hua Shier brought the golden toad to Huo Dongfeng's door, Huo Dongfeng was startled. Good heavens, this golden toad must be worth hundreds of thousands!

"Brother-in-law, this is too much of a waste. I know you're a big star, but this is far too expensive. I'm really in a difficult position."

Hua Twelve stuffed the golden toad into his arms:
"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. It's copper plated with gold, and it's less than a thousand yuan. After all, I'm a celebrity. It wouldn't look good to give me a pure copper one. This copper plated with gold won't be noticeable to others; they'll think it's pure gold. I'll look so prestigious!"

Huo Dongfeng was speechless, both amused and exasperated: "Fine, then I'll just tell everyone it's pure gold!"

He looked behind Hua Shier and asked, "You came all by yourself?"

Hua Shier nodded: "Yes, what's wrong?"

"Where are all those invitations I gave you? I even prepared a gift for your father!"

Hua Twelve chuckled:
“My father-in-law said that if you don’t cause any trouble for a year, he will acknowledge you as a junior, and it won’t be too late to meet again then!”

"As for Cui Xiaohong's invitation, it was just a coincidence. On the day you gave it to me, I went to the bathroom without any toilet paper, so I just used it!"

Huo Dongfeng smiled wryly. Of course he knew that Hua Shier had made up the story about not having toilet paper. In reality, it was just that this brother-in-law had a very bad opinion of his sister, Cui Xiaohong.

How could it not be big!

Hua Shier said that as long as Cui Xiaohong agreed to work honestly and earn money to support herself and Erpang, he would help her solve her identity problem.

But Cui Xiaohong doesn't want to suffer at all and is currently living at her parents' house, sponging off them.

If it weren't for the feelings of Grandpa Cui and Grandma Cui, Hua Shier would have called the police station to report the illegal immigrants from Japan.

Upon entering the hotel, I saw that most of the people sitting inside were from the business world, clearly there to attend the opening ceremony.

Everyone had a cigarette in their hand, creating a smoky and chaotic atmosphere. It didn't feel like a hotel opening at all; it was more like a negotiation between gangsters.

Er Mei was sitting at the table inside, chatting with Hongwei. Next to her was his bodyguard and henchman, Si Xie Leng, who was also a double-flower red stick member. They were all people she had met before.

Upon seeing Hua Twelve enter, Hongwei and Ermei both waved to him:

"Guoming, sit here!"

Many people looked over, and upon seeing Hua Shier, many members of the public stood up. After all, this was a big star they didn't usually see, and they all wanted to say hello, take a photo, or something.

As a result, Er Mei had Si Xie Leng come over and give an order, and all those people became obedient.

Hua Shier walked over to the table with Er Mei and said with a smile:
"Second Brother Mei is really something, he looks just like Big B from the Young and Dangerous movies!"

This is a hint: Big B's whole family is still together; those who know what's good for them should back off early, there's still time.

Ermei laughed and said, "What gangsters? We're just trying to make a living!"

Hongwei pulled Hua Shier to sit down beside him and asked with some curiosity:
"I heard from my senior brother that you, Guoming, also practice martial arts, and that you're even better than him! Is that true? Let's have a spar sometime!"

Hua Shier smiled and nodded: "Sure, I'll lend a hand sometime. I like using a chainsaw, what do you use?"

Hongwei: "."

Ermei smiled and said to Hua Shier:

"Guoming, my brother and I each bought a copy of your book. It's well-written, but it's not the kind of book we like. If you're going to write another book, could you write about martial arts or some kind of master?"

Hua Shier agreed very readily:

"If Er Mei-ge says so, then of course there's no problem. By the way, Er Mei-ge, do you have any plans to clear your name?"

"Clearing the name?"

Ermei took out a cigarette and offered it to a group of people: "Tell me in detail!"

"Your line of work, controlling the vegetable market, fish market, and other markets in Donglin, may seem glamorous and profitable, but it's illegal. The Guo family will eventually have to step in and clean things up, so it's not a long-term solution. And once it comes to that, have you thought about the consequences, Er Mei?"

Hua Shier explained to the two women the benefits of whitewashing their past and the consequences of not doing so.

Ermei nodded repeatedly, but after Hua Shier finished speaking, he smiled and said:
"Brother, I know you mean well, but there's a saying that goes, 'When you're in the game, you're not in control of your own destiny.' I've come this far, and I can't back down, you know? If I back down, I'll die. Besides, so many brothers are working for me, and I have to think about them too!"

Hua Shier smiled but didn't say anything.

After the opening ceremony, Hua Shier found Si Xie Leng and, without even using the Soul Gem, captured him with just his Double-Handed Technique, extracting a lot of secrets and evidence of the Er Mei Group's illegal and criminal activities.

Hua Shier reviewed it and found it to be alright. As expected, people who value loyalty and righteousness usually act with principle. Although Er Mei was involved in organized crime, she did not commit any crimes punishable by death.

The next day, Hua Shier went to the police station with a pile of documents and evidence, and filed a formal complaint against the criminal organization headed by "Er Mei".

Er Mei said she had no choice in what she did, and that's so true. Hua Shier made it happen for her. Now that she's in a prison cell, she'll definitely have no choice in what she does.

However, compared to the original plot where she was assassinated and died, the outcome for Er Mei is indeed much better.

Because the information provided by Hua Shier was too detailed and conclusive, Uncle Hat started arresting people that very day. Er Mei, who was still drunk from the opening banquet yesterday, was arrested and taken to the detention center.

Huo Dongfeng and Hongwei, in a flurry of activity, found Hua Shier:

"Brother-in-law, Ermei has been arrested. You have a lot of connections, can you help me find out what happened?"

Hua Shier told him not to worry: "I thought you were in such a hurry because something was wrong. Oh, it's this? I know!"

"You know? Why was Ermei arrested? He told me he has friends in the hat business, and he doesn't have any murder cases on his hands, so they wouldn't easily target him. How could he just be arrested like that!"

Hua Shier chuckled: "That's easy, I reported him. I found out a lot about his crimes from Si Xie, and as a concerned citizen, I have an obligation to report his illegal activities!"

Huo Dongfeng was taken aback: "What? You reported it?"

He slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly: "Cui Guoming!"

Before Huo Dongfeng could even unleash his fury, Hua Shier slammed his hand on the table and stood up as well:

"Huo Dongfeng, our family has raised your son for ten years, and you're going to turn your back on me?"

"Come on, show me how you can turn on me, I want to see if you're an ingrate!"

Huo Dongfeng chickened out. Er Mei had been good to him, but what Cui Guoming said was also true. He couldn't turn his back on the kindness of raising his son for ten years.

He felt incredibly aggrieved at that moment. His brother-in-law had betrayed his good friend, leaving him caught in the middle and unable to vent his anger. As a result, his anger overwhelmed him, and he fainted.

Hongwei, who had followed, hurriedly helped him up. Hua Shier said:
"Don't worry, she's just dizzy from anger, she'll be fine in a bit!"

When Huo Dongfeng woke up, Hua Shier and Hongwei were playing chess. The two were winning by taking clothes, and Hongwei lost so much that he was left with only his underwear.

Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!