60s: I have a store

Chapter 542: Dinner in the Park
Zhou Yimin rode a motorcycle with large and small bags of purchased food loaded on the back seat, slowly moving forward on the bustling streets.

He had just finished shopping and was looking at the car full of "trophies", but a trace of sadness arose in his heart.

There are so many things, including a large number of juicy greens, crisp cucumbers, round potatoes and other vegetables, as well as a bunch of seasonings. I don’t know how long it will take to prepare them all by myself.

He couldn't help but frown and sighed softly. His eyes swept over the pedestrians passing by on the street. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind and he thought of Zhou Dazhong and Zhou Dafu.

They are all great helpers. Why not use this free labor now?

Although Chow Tai Fook is not from the purchasing department, I believe everyone will not have any objection to having more people help out. After all, this dinner is his own treat.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yimin raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a sly smile. He stepped on the accelerator and the motorcycle sped towards the direction of his own courtyard.

Soon, Zhou Yimin arrived at the gate of the courtyard. He parked the car, walked up and knocked on the door.

"Knock knock knock," the knocking sounds echoed in the quiet alley.

Inside the house, Zhou Dafu was sitting on a small stool, helping Zhao Gang repair a broken chair. Hearing the knock on the door, he put down the tools in his hands, dusted off his body, and walked quickly towards the door.

With a creaky sound, the gate of the courtyard slowly opened. Zhou Dafu saw Zhou Yimin standing at the door at a glance. A bright smile immediately broke out on his face, and he greeted him warmly, "Uncle Sixteen, what brings you here?"

Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded. Without further ado, he walked straight into the yard and asked as he walked, "Da Fu, where is Da Zhong?"

Zhou Dafu followed behind and answered hurriedly: "Dazhong is inside."

Then, he shouted at the top of his voice: "Dazhong, Uncle Sixteen is looking for you!"

This sudden shout, as loud as a bell, frightened Zhou Yimin, who was walking in front, and he shook unconsciously.

Zhou Yimin turned around and said unhappily, "Da Fu, can't you be more steady? That voice almost deafened me."

Zhou Dafu scratched his head, a blush appeared on his face, and he said embarrassedly: "Oh, Uncle Sixteen, I'm so sorry, I was so excited that I couldn't control my volume and scared you."

At this time, Zhou Dazhong heard Zhou Dafu's shouting and hurried out of the room.

Following behind him were Zhao Gang and Xiaomei.

When Zhao Gang and Xiaomei learned that Zhou Yimin had come, they followed him out happily. After all, they knew that their current stable life was all thanks to Zhou Yimin's shelter and help.

Not only did they provide them with a shelter from the wind and rain, but they also provided them with jobs, giving the brother and sister a foundation to settle down.

When Zhou Yimin saw Zhao Gang and Xiaomei, he was slightly startled, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

After not seeing each other for a while, the brother and sister have changed a lot. Zhao Gang's originally thin body is now much stronger, with obvious muscle lines on his arms, and he looks full of energy.

Xiaomei's originally sallow face has now become rosy and shiny. Her figure is no longer frail and she looks healthier.

Zhou Yimin felt very relieved and felt that his original decision was absolutely correct.

When Xiaomei saw Zhou Yimin, her eyes lit up all of a sudden. She jumped up to him like a happy little bird and shouted crisply, "Brother Yimin!"

Zhou Yimin smiled and took out two White Rabbit candies from his pocket, handed them to Xiaomei, and said, "Xiaomei, take it. This is a little surprise for you."

Xiaomei took the candy, a happy smile on her face, and carefully put it into her pocket, as if it was the most precious treasure in the world.

Zhou Dazhong stepped forward and asked respectfully, "Uncle Sixteen, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Zhou Yimin cleared his throat and said, "You should have received the news about the dinner tomorrow, right?"

Zhou Dazhong nodded quickly and said, "Got it, Uncle Sixteen. Everyone is so happy to hear that we are going to have a dinner together."

Zhou Yimin continued, "Tomorrow, you guys go to the park early and I'll bring the meat over. I can't handle so much by myself."

Zhou Dazhong nodded without hesitation and said, "No problem, Uncle Sixteen, don't worry, I will definitely go over and help you soon."

At this time, Zhou Dafu's eyes rolled, and he was about to make a few jokes, but Zhou Yimin seemed to see through his thoughts and immediately said, "All four of you have to go!"

Zhou Dafu's grinning mouth suddenly froze, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.

Zhao Gang, Xiaomei and Zhou Dazhong smiled at each other.

The four of them nodded obediently. They all knew in their hearts that their current good life was all thanks to Zhou Yimin.

Helping to prepare the dinner is just a piece of cake, and you can also enjoy a good meal together, so why not do it?

After Zhou Yimin found that everything had been explained, he said goodbye without staying for long, left the courtyard and returned to where he lived.

The next day, the early morning sun gently sprinkled on the earth, dispelling the remaining coolness of the night.

Zhou Yimin got up early, opened the store and bought all of today's flash sale products.

But I don’t have time to deal with these things now. Anyway, they are stored in the store space and won’t move away.

Let’s deal with it slowly when we have time!

After Zhou Yimin simply washed up, he started to get busy.

He moved the prepared meat and vegetables onto the motorcycle one by one. The meat, which was packed in thick plastic bags, was neatly stacked, and the vegetables were carefully packed in bamboo baskets. The green leaves were still covered with morning dew, making them look particularly fresh.

Zhou Yimin rode a motorcycle loaded with food and slowly drove towards the park.

Along the way, the breeze caressed his face, bringing a touch of freshness.

Shops on the street opened one after another, and the hawkers' cries of hawking added a touch of liveliness to this quiet morning.

When we arrived at the park, the sun had risen a little higher. The golden sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows.

Other people from the purchasing department have not arrived yet, but Zhou Dazhong and his team have already arrived early.

Zhou Dazhong, Zhou Dafu, Zhao Gang and Xiaomei stood at the entrance of the park, looking forward to it.

Seeing Zhou Yimin's motorcycle coming, they immediately went to meet him.

Zhou Dazhong was agile and was the first to run to the motorcycle. He reached out to hold the food on the back seat and said, "Uncle Sixteen, we've finally got you here. We've been waiting for a long time."

Zhou Dafu was not to be outdone, and stepped forward to help unload the vegetables. As he was unloading, he said, "Uncle Sixteen, you bought a lot of things. It seems that everyone is in for a treat today."

Zhao Gang and Xiaomei carefully took the ingredients handed to them and moved them to the designated dining location.

Everyone worked together and soon all the things were lifted off the motorcycle.

Zhou Yimin looked at the four busy people in front of him, and his heart was full of gratitude. He said, "Thank you for your hard work. If it weren't for your help, I really don't know what to do." Zhou Dazhong wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, "Uncle Sixteen, what are you talking about? This is nothing. You usually take care of us. We are so happy to be able to help you."

Next, everyone started to work together to prepare the ingredients.

Zhou Dazhong was in charge of processing the meat. He picked up the knife skillfully and cut the pork and beef into evenly thin slices with clean and neat movements.

Zhou Dafu helped pass the seasonings on the side, and from time to time he would come over to see Zhou Dazhong's method of cutting meat, muttering: "Dazhong, your knife skills are really amazing, teach me sometime."

Zhou Dazhong smiled and replied: "Sure, when I have time, I will teach you step by step."

Zhao Gang and Xiaomei are responsible for washing the vegetables.

They moved the vegetables to the faucet in the park, filled basins with water, put the vegetables into the water, and carefully washed each leaf.

Xiaomei was humming a cheerful tune while washing, with a happy smile on her face.

Zhao Gang couldn't help but smile when he saw his sister's happy expression.

Just when Zhou Yimin and his team had almost finished preparing the ingredients, people from the purchasing department arrived one after another.

From a distance, everyone's laughter could be heard. Xiao Li and Lao Zhang were walking in front, and Xiao Li said excitedly as he walked, "Lao Zhang, what do you think Chief Zhou will prepare for the dinner today?"

Lao Zhang smiled and replied, "Don't worry about that. If Section Chief Zhou does something, it will be done properly. It will definitely be something everyone likes to eat."

As the crowd approached, they saw that Zhou Yimin and Zhou Dazhong had prepared everything in an orderly manner, and they couldn't help but look at them with admiration. "Chief Zhou, you came really early and prepared so carefully. Thank you for your hard work!"

"That's right, Chief Zhou, you are so thoughtful. You must have put a lot of thought into this dinner."

Everyone praised Zhou Yimin.

Zhou Yimin responded with a smile: "Everyone is here, come and sit down. These are what I should do. Today we just want to have a good gathering and relax."

Everyone gathered around, some helped to set up the tables and chairs, while others looked at the prepared ingredients curiously and began to discuss how to eat them.

At this time, Wang Weimin also came over. He looked at the lively scene in front of him, nodded with satisfaction, and said to Zhou Yimin: "Yimin, your arrangement is really good. It seems that today's dinner will definitely make everyone happy and have fun."

Zhou Yimin said modestly: "Chief Wang, this is all thanks to everyone's help. If Zhou Dazhong and the others hadn't come early and helped me prepare the ingredients, I really wouldn't be able to handle it."

The dinner party officially kicked off amid laughter and joy.

Several long tables connected together were filled with a wide variety of delicious food.

On the grill, the meat slices sizzled under the charcoal fire, and the fat continued to seep out and drip onto the charcoal fire, splashing a string of sparks and emitting bursts of tempting aroma.

The pork belly is roasted to a golden and crispy texture with slightly curled edges. When you take a bite, it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the aroma of the meat instantly spreads in your mouth. The beef is tender and juicy, and the texture is soaked with the aroma of seasoning, which makes people linger in the aftertaste.

The vegetable salad on the side is colorful, with emerald green lettuce, orange carrots, and bright red tomatoes matched together, and topped with sweet and sour salad dressing. It is fresh and refreshing, adding a different flavor to this meat feast.

This vegetable salad was made by Zhou Yimin. After all, after eating so much meat, you must have something to relieve the greasiness. The salad dressing was specially purchased by Zhou Yimin from the store.

Everyone sat around the table, enjoying the food and talking freely.

With a large piece of barbecue in his mouth, Xiao Li said incoherently, "Chief Zhou, your cooking skills are amazing. This barbecue is better than any I've ever had outside."

Zhou Yimin smiled and waved his hands, saying, "Just enjoy your meal, these are all home-cooked dishes."

Lao Zhang picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and said with emotion: "I haven't been so relaxed for a long time. Today's dinner is really rare."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After eating and drinking, Zhou Yimin stood up, clapped his hands, and said, "Comrades, we can't just eat, we have to play some games to liven up the atmosphere.

I think we should play a game of guessing riddles. I'll give you the riddles and you can guess. If you guess correctly, you'll get a small prize."

When everyone heard this, they immediately became interested. They put down their bowls and chopsticks, sat up straight, and prepared to show their skills.

Zhou Yimin cleared his throat and said, "The first riddle is, 'A knife, floating on the water, with eyes but no eyebrows', guess an animal, everyone, guess it."
As soon as the music stopped, everyone started whispering to each other and started thinking.

Xiao Li's eyes rolled around, and he was the first to raise his hand and shout, "I know, it's a fish!"

Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded, saying, "Xiao Li, your answer is correct. I will give you a piece of White Rabbit candy as a reward."

Everyone present was shocked by Zhou Yimin's generosity. They didn't expect that the small prize Zhou Yimin mentioned was White Rabbit Milk Candy.

Xiao Li jumped up excitedly, took the candy, peeled off the candy wrapper and put it in his mouth, with a satisfied smile on his face.

Then, Zhou Yimin gave a few more riddles, and everyone participated actively, creating a very lively atmosphere.

Some riddles were difficult and no one could guess them no matter how hard they tried. Zhou Yimin would give some hints to guide everyone's thinking. During the process of guessing riddles, there were bursts of laughter from time to time, and everyone's faces were filled with happy smiles.

After guessing the riddle, Zhou Yimin suggested: "Let's play a relay game. Divide into two groups, and each group will take turns to complete the designated actions. Let's see which group is faster."

Everyone responded and soon divided into two groups, standing in two rows.

Zhou Yimin stood aside, acting as a referee, and said, "When the game starts, the first person jumps rope ten times, then runs to the other side and pats the second person's hand. The second person jumps rope ten times, and so on."

Following Zhou Yimin's order, the two teams quickly took action.

As the first one in the first group, Xiao Li picked up the skipping rope nimbly and jumped quickly, "1, 2, 3..." He counted while jumping and soon finished ten times. Then he quickly ran to the other side and patted his teammate's hand.

The first one in the second group was Xiao Zhao. Although he was usually introverted, he did not show any weakness in the game. He jumped rope vigorously and then passed the relay quickly.

The two teams chased each other, refusing to give in, while the people around them shouted and cheered: "Come on! Come on!"

The whole park was filled with laughter and cheers. Everyone was immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the game, as if they had forgotten all their worries and fatigue.

After the game, the winning group cheered and the losing group was not discouraged, and they all said they must win again next time.

Zhou Yimin looked at the lively scene in front of him, feeling a sense of accomplishment. It seemed that this dinner had brought everyone closer together.

After Zhou Yimin is promoted, he will be able to integrate with everyone more quickly.

Time always passes quickly, and it was time to end the dinner. Although everyone was still a little reluctant, they still had to go to work tomorrow.

After everyone packed up their things and took away the garbage, they went home.

(End of this chapter)