Courtyard House: Inheriting the Restaurant, the Jia Family Wants to Get It for Free

Chen Xueru was a decisive woman. Once she understood the key to the matter, although she was extremely reluctant to give up the business she had built up, she still nodded heavily.

She understood that Cheng Shuhai was looking for the safest way out for the whole family, for the two children, and even for Qin Huairu and her son.

"I understand." Chen Xueru looked at Cheng Shuhai. "You're right, I was being stubborn. Compared to the stability of our family, what do a few shops matter?"

Her eyes regained their brightness and determination.

"Since we've decided to gradually withdraw, let's start preparing now." Chen Xueru immediately got into the swing of things and began to plan. "At the silk shop, I need to find a reliable accountant and train a manager who can handle things independently. As for the restaurant, we have Liu Guangtian in the kitchen, but we also need our own people for the front-of-house management and accounting."

Cheng Shuhai looked at her with satisfaction. He knew that his wife could always keep up with his train of thought.

"That's right. So, the three of us need to discuss this together." Cheng Shuhai said, looking towards the door.

Qin Huairu was holding Jia Xingzhou and talking to her mother in the courtyard.

Cheng Shuhai also called Qin Huairu in.

After hearing Cheng Shuhai and Chen Xueru's plan, Qin Huairu was somewhat at a loss. Unlike Chen Xueru, she didn't have a business mind. She just felt that Cheng Shuhai had put her in charge of the food processing plant's business, and she hadn't even mastered it yet, so why was she already preparing to quit?

"Brother, sister-in-law, I...I'll listen to you. But what can I do?" Qin Huairu asked somewhat nervously.

"Why can't you?" Chen Xueru held her hand and encouraged her, "You're in charge of the factory's accounts now, which is the most crucial link. In the future, you'll not only have to learn to manage accounts, but also production and personnel. Shuhai's idea is that we need to cultivate a team, a team that can keep these industries running even without us."

"Yes." Cheng Shuhai nodded. "Huai Ru, your task is very important. The processing plant is upstream of our entire industrial chain; it's the foundation. You must grow up quickly and firmly grasp this part."

Looking at the trusting eyes of Cheng Shuhai and Chen Xueru, Qin Huairu nodded heavily.

She knew she could no longer rely on others like before. She also had to support her family and her son.

This is the first time that the three of them have officially begun preparing to "gradually withdraw from the front line" for a common, long-term goal.

This decision caused a subtle change in the atmosphere of the Cheng family in the days that followed.

Cheng Shuhai began to consciously reduce the number of times he cooked for himself.

Previously, any distinguished guest at the restaurant would specifically request that Director Cheng personally cook. Now, Cheng Shuhai would use excuses such as "being busy with neighborhood committee affairs" or "guiding the development of new dishes" to hand over most ordinary banquets to his apprentice Liu Guangtian, who is already capable of handling things independently, and other chefs in the kitchen.

He himself was only responsible for receiving truly important guests, such as the military control commission, city leaders, or important partners like Lou Bancheng.

More often than not, he would simply take a quick look around the kitchen, check the dishes, offer a few pointers, and then return to the neighborhood committee office or go to the food processing plant to coordinate relationships between the various parties.

He is gradually transforming from a hands-on boss into a manager who sets rules and cultivates a team.

The neighbors in the courtyard gradually noticed this change as well.

"Hey, have you guys noticed? It's so hard to get a meal cooked by Director Cheng himself at his restaurant these days!"

"That's right! She's the head of the neighborhood committee now, how could she have time to cook every day?"

"However, to be fair, his apprentice Liu Guangtian is truly skilled; he's inherited Director Cheng's true talent!"

"That's right, a good teacher produces outstanding students!"

Cheng Shuhai simply laughed off these comments.

He knew this was an inevitable process. A person's energy is limited; he couldn't be tied to the stove forever. He needed to stand higher and see further.

With everything at home settled, Cheng Shuhai finally felt at ease.

Days passed by, and before we knew it, two months had gone by.

The weather is gradually getting cooler, and autumn is in full swing.

On this day, a great joyous occasion occurred in the courtyard.

Sha Zhu's wife, Wu Cuilan, went to the hospital for a checkup, and the pregnancy was completely stable. The doctor said the baby was healthy, and the due date was next spring.

This news made Sha Zhu so happy he almost jumped for joy.

That very day, he went to the supply and marketing cooperative, bought several kilograms of the highest grade assorted fruit candies, and returned to the courtyard to distribute them to each household.

"Come on, Uncle and Aunt, have some candy!" Sha Zhu grinned and grabbed a handful of candy, stuffing it into the hands of Yan Bugui and his wife Yang Xiulian.

"Hey, silly Zhu, what's the good news?" Yang Xiulian asked as she deftly stuffed the candy into her pocket.

"I'm going to be a dad!" Sha Zhu puffed out his chest, looking very proud.

"Wow! Congratulations!"

"Wow, you're going to be a dad!"

Everyone in the courtyard offered their congratulations, and the entire courtyard was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Surrounded by the crowd, Wu Cuilan wore a happy smile, but she couldn't help but scold Sha Zhu, "Look at you, so smug! It's not even close to happening yet!"

"Hehe, how could there be no sign of it? The doctor said it's a sure thing!" Sha Zhu agreed verbally, then secretly slipped two more pieces of candy into Cheng Wangzhou and Jia Xingzhou's little hands.

He's happy to see everyone now, and everything looks good to him. Lying in bed at night, he's already planning to find some good wood in the spring and make a small wooden bed for his unborn child by hand.

However, this joy stung the eyes of another person in the courtyard.

Xu Damao held the wedding candy given to him by Sha Zhu, saying "Congratulations, Zhu Zi," but the expression on his face was even more unpleasant than if he had eaten bitter melon.

He and Sha Zhu have been rivals since they were children, and he has never yielded to the other in any matter.

But now?

Sha Zhu got married; she's a beautiful and capable model worker at the textile factory.

Now, we're even having children!

Looking at myself, I'm not getting any younger, and I'm still single.

How could he possibly swallow this insult?

That evening, when Xu Damao returned home, he slammed the few pieces of wedding candy onto the table.