Wife, please behave yourself.

Chapter 190 I Want to Try It
The unpredictable weather made people who went out shopping feel quite hot.

The new store's business is booming.

The warmer weather made people realize that the high temperatures had not yet subsided, and ice was urgently delivered midway through the day, which allowed the store to return to normal operations.

After several days of training, the three female employees of the new store had become quite proficient. Only after the customer traffic had noticeably decreased did Ning Mengyao clap her hands, drawing the exhausted employees' attention to her.

His gaze swept over the employees before he finally responded.

"You've all worked hard. What would you like to eat for lunch today? I'll buy your food later."

As soon as he finished speaking, the three people who were just too tired to talk immediately became excited.

After all, when they applied for this job, it wasn't mentioned that employee meals would be provided. The thought of saving money on a meal is a rare reward for them after a busy day.

They all expressed their gratitude to the store manager. The store employees, who were just over twenty years old on average, were full of energy. Ning Mengyao, who had been spending the past few days of training with them, also felt encouraged.

I feel like her mindset has become much younger.

I wrote down the types of lunch the employees wanted, because the new store is close to the business district and there are plenty of shops selling all kinds of boxed lunches nearby.

Not long after Ning Mengyao left, Liu Changcun appeared outside the store.

Upon arriving at the new store, he couldn't find Ning Mengyao inside, so he asked one of the employees who was taking a short break.

Where is your store manager?

"The store manager went to buy us food!"

The female employee responded; Ma Lingling, the oldest of the three, was only just over twenty-one years old.

Unlike the countless college students of later generations, most people in today's era do not choose to continue their studies after completing junior high or high school, and the trend of going south to work has intensified with the development of the times.

Ma Lingling looked at the shop owner. Although it wasn't the first time she had seen Liu Changcun, she was still immediately drawn to the man's mature face.

There were still customers inside.

The other two employees were still busy making drinks, while Ma Lingling, who was on break, got up and came to Liu Changcun's side.

Liu Changcun remembered the other person and looked at Ma Lingling standing in front of him.

Upon hearing the words from the other party, he immediately responded with a smile.

"She went to buy you lunch? Looks like you did a really good job this morning."

Liu Changcun nodded approvingly at Ma Lingling and then added.

"Keep your enthusiasm for work, and I will give you extra subsidies when you get paid."

"Really?"

"As long as you work hard, you guys will definitely have a bright future at Mixue Ice Cream."

Liu Changcun didn't just hire random employees for his new store. After all, considering the plan to open more branches in the city, he needed to train prospective store managers as soon as possible.

Otherwise, Ning Mengyao alone wouldn't be able to manage so many shops.

It wasn't just empty promises; Liu Changcun genuinely had such plans. That's why he specifically checked the backgrounds of several applicants when he was hiring new employees.

None of them are very old, which means that getting married and having children will not interfere with their work in the short term.

Sun Yun at the old shop has already been trained by Ning Mengyao, and can operate smoothly even without her supervision. However, due to uncertainties at the new shop, Ning Mengyao still needs to keep a close eye on things at all times.

Once this store is on track, Liu Changcun will open another one in the south of the city, and Ning Mengyao will still have to go there again.

Even on Saturdays, around lunchtime, the shops that were just about to quiet down start to get busy again.

Ma Lingling, who had been resting, has also started to throw herself back into work.

Liu Changcun sat in the rest area of ​​the store, sipping his ice-cold lemon tea.

Perhaps it's been a while since I've had this. Although the taste is slightly inferior to the one Ning Mengyao made herself, it's still a rare and delicious drink in this day and age.

The rising temperature is already unbearable, and a cold tea drink can be a great way to relieve it.

Once the weather gets cooler, the store can also offer hot drinks.

Everything is moving in a positive direction, which fills Liu Changcun, who is waiting in the store, with hope for the future.

With a "click".

The boxed lunch, which had been carried back in a plastic bag, was placed on the table in front of Liu Changcun.

Ning Mengyao, who had already returned from buying food, did not immediately approach the man in the store to strike up a conversation.

He simply said, "Wait a moment," before hurrying off to the workbench.

Perhaps sensing that the new staff were struggling to cope with the lunch rush, Ning Mengyao, who had been promoted to store manager, chose to join in and help.

Liu Changcun silently watched the scene before him, observing the continuous stream of customers entering the store.

The previously somewhat chaotic production process returned to a well-organized routine after Ning Mengyao appeared. She was like the backbone of the new employees, and their initial slight panic subsided with her arrival.

Efficiency has improved, and the speed of food preparation has also changed dramatically.

The number of customers in the store was decreasing at a visible rate, which made Liu Changcun admire Ning Mengyao.

Watching the three new employees being assigned tasks reasonably, and seeing Ning Mengyao's smiling service demeanor.

Unbeknownst to many, Ning Mengyao, who used to work at the flower shop and always looked worried, had vanished without a trace.

Now she not only looks vibrant and alive, but she has also become more confident, unlike her previous unwell appearance.

When a person becomes confident, their temperament will also change.

Looking at Ning Mengyao, who was shining brightly at her post, Liu Changcun felt for the first time that Ning Mengyao was so charming.

She... seems to be born for this job.

Ning Mengyao no longer seems to make him feel helpless.

Liu Changcun began to change his opinion of her and started to appreciate her.

Busy times always pass.

Once the number of customers in the store had decreased slightly, Ning Mengyao was able to leave and distribute the food she had bought to the group.

After watching the employees start eating, she sat down again in front of Liu Changcun.

She first glanced at the lemon tea beside the man, and only after seeing that there were only lemon slices left in the cup did she smile and speak.

"You still like drinking this so much."

"There's no other way, drinking this really cools you down in this heat." Liu Changcun replied with a smile, but his gaze toward the woman in front of him held a hint of scrutiny. After a few seconds, he asked again.

"You've been so busy taking care of them, have you even had lunch yourself?"

"not yet."

In response, Ning Mengyao swung her arm toward the table, pressing her weight onto it and maintaining a slightly forward-leaning posture.

She gazed at the man in front of her with a smile, carefully observing him for a moment before adding her own words.

"My boss asked me if I'd eaten. Does that mean he wants to treat me to a meal later?"

"It's not that it's impossible, but a meal isn't a big expense."

"Then I won't be polite. I'll definitely pick the most expensive items later."

"Well, I have something to do, you can continue working at the store."

As soon as Ning Mengyao finished speaking, Liu Changcun immediately got up to leave.

This sudden turn of events left Ning Mengyao, who had been joking around, completely bewildered. She couldn't quite process what was happening until she saw the man trying to suppress his laughter, at which point she realized she had been tricked again.

Back when Ning Mengyao was still working at the flower shop, Liu Changcun, who lived next door, would occasionally tease her like this.

However, ever since she brought the man into her life, she has encountered one problem after another that has kept bothering him.

It was from that time that Liu Changcun's attitude towards her began to change significantly.

At that time, Ning Mengyao was rather naive. She wishfully believed that as long as she treated him even better, she could regain his attention.

But in reality, she was like a nobody.

Although she became Liu Changcun's employee, she had fewer and fewer opportunities to see him. In their subsequent conversations, the man repeatedly expressed that her one-sided advances were causing him great distress.

It was only after experiencing this incident that Ning Mengyao began to truly reflect.

She began to study, constantly reading to enrich herself.

When Liu Changcun took her to inspect the new store, she would silently observe his every word and action, hoping that she could solve similar problems as naturally as he did in the future.

A person's life is a continuous journey of learning.

Ning Mengyao didn't realize this before, which is why her life was so bitter and miserable.

However, since meeting Liu Changcun, the man has taught her many principles of self-reliance and independence, which has made Ning Mengyao realize that if a person only radiates kindness, the final result will be that she will be hurt all over.

Having learned this lesson, Ning Mengyao began to focus on her own development. It was only after she started to improve herself that she suddenly realized that the problems that had troubled her before were all the result of her own actions.

Come back to your senses.

Ning Mengyao's gaze toward the man grew brighter, and after a few more seconds she smiled and spoke.

"I didn't expect you to be even more stingy than I thought. If you really think it's too expensive, I can treat you to a meal."

"You really have no sense of humor. I was just joking, didn't you realize?"

"I can tell."

Responding with a smile, Ning Mengyao is no longer the type who would unconditionally trust whatever a man says.

It wasn't until Liu Changcun saw Ning Mengyao's smiling face that he belatedly realized what was happening.

I never imagined that the dull and boring Ning Mengyao would one day start joking like me.

Liu Changcun, who had left his seat, did not return to his place. Instead, he took a few more steps to Ning Mengyao's side, looked down at her, and spoke again after a few seconds.

"Pack your things and let's go. I'll make sure you eat whatever you want."

"Is anything okay to eat?"

"Do you really think I can't afford to treat you to a meal? As long as it's not something as outrageous as dragon meat, what kind of delicious food can't I eat?"

"Well... I'd like to go eat Western food."

"Western food?"

He thought that Ning Mengyao would specify which restaurant she wanted to eat at after hearing his words, but the answer she gave was still ambiguous.

Although he doesn't dislike Western food, Liu Changcun still prefers Chinese food that suits the tastes of the general public.

"The steak kind?"

"Ah."

Seeing Ning Mengyao nod in agreement, Liu Changcun seemed somewhat puzzled.

"I'm fine with anything, but you'll be keeping an eye on things at the shop this afternoon. Is it okay if you only eat this?"

"I want to try it."

He answered.

Ning Mengyao tilted her head slightly and looked at Liu Changcun beside her.

At that moment, there seemed to be a glimmer of expectation in her eyes, followed by an indescribable sense of loneliness.

Thanks to the current promotional methods, Western food is often associated with high-end and sophisticated tastes.

It seems that even ordinary people can become part of high society after eating an authentic steak.

Ning Mengyao didn't have such superficial thoughts. It was just that she had seen the male and female leads enjoying steak in TV dramas more than once, and the deepening memory of that scene made her want to taste the real steak.

However... during her previous marriage, she never had such an opportunity.

At that time, she was burdened with a large amount of debt because of her ex-husband Li Mingche, and she had to work constantly to repay the debt.

That's why she's never been able to truly taste the steak she's been longing for.

Now, after hearing Liu Changcun's offer to treat him to a meal.

She didn't know why this thought suddenly came to her mind.

She wanted to try...the taste of steak.

Is it really like in the TV series?

It looks incredibly delicious.

(End of this chapter)