Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 296 Real Stone Archway

Chen Xiao said, "Spare ribs aren't considered meat. Doctors say it's good to gnaw on bones, but my mom never cooks them. In our family, no one but me likes to gnaw on bones."

Xiao Wei said to Chen Hui, "Can't you just stew some pork ribs and fry some fish whenever you have free time? Neither of those things are difficult, are they?"

Chen Hui tossed aside the bone and said, "It might not work. Besides, I've been very busy lately, always running around outside, I don't have the time. I'll take care of it once the restaurant opens, I can do it every day."

Chen Xiao said, "Once the restaurant opens, there will be plenty of bones to gnaw on. Why would I eat your cooking? You're so shameless. I've already planned it out: once the restaurant opens, Xiao Hong and I will eat a whole bowl of it every day. Wow, that would be amazing!"

After dinner, Chen Hui and Liu Hongliang played games, while Xiao Hong and Chen Xiao washed the dishes. Xiao Wei sat to the side, poured himself a cup of hot water to help him recover from his meal, and looked at Xiao Hong and Chen Xiao chatting and laughing while washing dishes in the kitchen. He said to Chen Hui, "Hui Zi, you can't just play all day. You have to take care of Chen Xiao. If you don't know how to cook, go buy some. You need to make sure she gets enough nutrition and is in a good mood."

Chen Hui stared at the TV screen without turning his head and said, "Just listen to her nonsense. Does she think she can get anything she wants? She's the apple of both families' eye now, and I'm practically second-class citizen. She's just habitually nagging. Ever since I wrongly accused her of being lazy and not wanting to work last time, I've become a sinner. I can't afford to offend her."

Chen Xiao came out of the kitchen wiping her hands, glanced at Chen Hui, and asked, "What? You have a problem with that?"

Chen Hui looked up at Chen Xiao and forced a bright smile, revealing eight small white teeth: "How could that be? You're overthinking it." Everyone laughed, and Chen Xiao gave Chen Hui a smug eye roll. By now, she was already showing a bit of her pregnancy, her belly protruding.

Xiao Hong jumped out of the kitchen, put her arm around Chen Xiao's shoulder, and said, "I was wondering back then, I always thought Xiao Xiao wasn't that kind of person, why did she suddenly change, throwing a tantrum at work. Turns out she just met a pair of silly girls."

Chen Xiao turned around and pinched Xiao Hong's face, saying, "You're the stupid one, you two are both stupid."

Xiao Wei asked Chen Hui, "What's the matter between you two now? Are you still going to get it done?"

Chen Hui said, "We've got the marriage certificate, so we won't hold any more formalities. Anyway, my dad just had a miscarriage, so it's not good to have a big celebration. We'll just have a meal together as a family. We'll see when my son turns one month old. Make sure you all get ready; the full-month gift is a must."

At that time, the government was already cracking down on extravagant spending, misuse of official vehicles, and lavish banquets, but enforcement was not so strict at the local level. People at all levels continued to do as they pleased. However, senior officials were already aware of the implications of these practices.

Chen Xiao pouted. Women's feelings about marriage are completely different from men's, and she always felt a little regretful that she hadn't taken care of it.

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Indeed, it's not a good time for your family to hold a meeting right now. Chen Xiao, you have to understand. You have to think of it this way: why not hold it? Your father-in-law is too high-ranking, right? Besides, we're still short of the gift money. Wouldn't it be better to avoid suffering once? You're the one who gets the most trouble when it comes to handling things."

Chen Xiao pouted and tilted her head to look at the ground. Xiao Hong said, "Alright, why bring up something you don't want to talk about? Xiao Xiao, let's go inside and ignore them." She glared at Xiao Wei. Chen Hui put his left hand behind his back and gave Xiao Wei a thumbs up.

The next morning around 8 a.m., the five people arrived at Sanhao Street in one car.

Chen Hui parked the car on the opposite side of the road and said to Xiao Wei, "How about this?"

Several people looked out the car window and saw a gatehouse built outside the main gate. It was a stone archway with a red roof and upturned eaves. The inscriptions on the archway were covered with red cloth, and the pillars at the bottom were made entirely of stone, giving it a dignified and grand appearance. Above the windows on the second floor, there was a row of large red characters: Anji Centennial Old Restaurant.

Xiao Wei looked at it from all angles for a while, then nodded and said, "It's good, even better than I imagined. Those words on it are the kind that lights up at night, right?"

Chen Hui said, "Yes, there are spotlights hidden under the lettering. When you turn them on at night, the lettering lights up and you can't see the lights. I was setting up those lights in mid-air when you called last time."

Xiao Wei nodded, glanced at the gatehouse, and said, "Is it sturdy? It'll look bad if it's taken off."

Chen Hui said, "No, don't worry. The design and construction were all done by people from the Forbidden City. The tiles and stones used here are all genuine antiques, originally from the imperial palace. There's absolutely no problem with the quality."

Xiao Wei paused for a moment, then turned to ask, "Taking things out of the Forbidden City? Isn't that illegal?"

Chen Hui said, "What law is this against? There are so many things in the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City used to be such a huge area, but it was all demolished, leaving only the central imperial city area. There were tons of wood, bricks, stones, and tiles, and nobody cared about them. In the end, they were all gone. We bought this legally and legitimately." He started the car and said, "Okay, let's go in. You see what it looks like outside. See if it's okay inside."

The car turned into the back courtyard of the building, and the five people got out and entered the restaurant through the back door. There were already people waiting to open the back door; three or four girls were looking at Xiaowei and his group with big, blinking eyes, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitant to do so.

Chen Hui opened the door, and Xiao Wei glanced at the girls and asked, "Are you here for an interview?"

The girls nodded, their faces red from the cold, indicating they had been outside for quite some time.

Xiao Wei said, "Come on in. Isn't it nine o'clock? Why are you here so early?"

Several girls followed them into the restaurant. The one in the lead said, "It's nine o'clock. We live far away and were afraid of being late, so we came early."

Upon entering, there is a small cubicle that separates the food service area from the main hall. To the left is a corridor, which is dark and you can't see anything right now as the lights are off.

Xiao Wei looked up and around. Chen Hui went over and turned on the power switch, and the room was lit up.

Because this is the back, it's the paint on the flat panel, but the workmanship is still very fine, and there's also some simple decoration on the top. Xiao Wei turned around and walked into the corridor. He first went to the front to look at the bathroom and the sink. It was okay. The bathroom was 1.2 meters square, which was enough. The sink was more than 2 meters long, and five or six people could stand at the same time, which was also barely enough.

Pushing open the door, Xiao Wei looked around the dormitory. The double-layered communal bed exuded the scent of wood, and he couldn't help but grin. This trick he learned from the cultural center was quite effective; it allowed more people to sleep comfortably.

The two small dorm rooms were not made into single rooms as Xiaowei had initially suggested, but into four-person rooms, although the conditions were much better than the dormitory-style rooms.

Xiao Wei turned to Chen Hui and said, "Here, install mirrors on the wall, and put a light on each mirror. Everyone can look at themselves before going out to avoid problems with their clothes and hair." He pointed to the wall between the four doors.

Then he looked up at the ceiling and said, "Don't you electricians have steel cables for pulling cables? Run two lines up here so everyone can hang their clothes to dry after washing. Get a long pole ready to carry the clothes. Put a washing machine by the door so we can wash our outerwear." The ceiling height of the house is over four meters, so hanging clothes to dry won't affect walking at all.

Chen Hui looked at the place Xiao Wei mentioned and said, "Okay, I'll have someone fix it tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)