Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 407 What to do with the secret recipe?

Aunt Wang, holding her chopsticks, watched Xiao Hong enter the house, then turned to Xiao Wei and asked, "Huh? What did she say?"

Xiao Wei said, "Let's go to my brother's place together. We'll take the train in the middle of the night, and there will be five of us."

Aunt Wang put down her chopsticks and said, "What are you doing at your brother's? Is something wrong?"

The sound of water coming from the toilet came out. Uncle Wang came out, glanced at it, and said, "Why are you back so soon?" He went straight to the kitchen to wash his hands. Back then, the bathrooms in apartment buildings in Northeast China only had a squat toilet and nothing else. The space was also very cramped, about one meter wide and one and a half meters deep.

Aunt Wang waved her hand and said, "Don't interrupt." She looked at Xiao Wei.

Xiao Wei said, "My brother is selling off some of his assets, and it's a pretty good deal. The three of us will go take a look. If it's suitable, we'll buy some; if not, we'll just treat it as a trip and visit my brother. He's dating someone and they're getting ready to get married."

Aunt Wang's attention shifted instantly: "Dajun's got a girlfriend? So he's planning to stay over there? Have you seen her yet?"

Xiao Wei said, "I haven't seen him yet, and I haven't even sent him any photos. I guess my brother will settle down there in the future. He's now a volunteer soldier, so it's like he's working in the military, which is a permanent job."

Aunt Wang smoothed her hair and turned to clear the chopsticks. "That's pretty good. Dajun, so young, went out on his own. He's really made it through. Your mom and dad are finally settled. Now it's just Xiaobing left. You guys really aren't eating at home?"

Xiao Wei said, "No, there's Xiao Hui too. Besides, is this much food enough for the four of us?"

Aunt Wang laughed and slapped Xiao Wei lightly: "You naughty child."

Geng Hui sat on a chair to the side, watching Xiao Wei and Aunt Wang talk with wide eyes, and said, "You two get along really well."

Aunt Wang smiled and said, "I've watched him grow up from a baby. I even carried him in my baby's first month. How is he any different from my own son? Would you like some fruit? Old Wang, wash some fruit and bring it over."

Uncle Wang brought out a large bowl of stew and placed it on the table, saying, "Xiao Wei, go wash it."

Xia Maosheng said, "Uncle and Aunt, please don't stand on ceremony. We're not strangers, so there's no need for that. We're not thirsty right now either."

Uncle Wang laughed and said, "I only asked Xiaowei to wash it because I don't consider you all outsiders. If you were outsiders, you would think I was being stingy."

Xiao Hong packed a small bag and said, "Okay, let's go."

Aunt Wang said, "Didn't you bring clothes with you before you went to Longcheng? What are you bringing now?"

Xiao Hong said, "How can that be the same? It's such a long trip, I'll have to bring some cosmetics and stuff, and I don't even know what it's like over there."

Aunt Wang glared at Xiao Hong and said, "Showing off, what time is your train?"

Xiao Hong said, "Midnight, sleeper berth. Hehe, I've never ridden in a sleeper berth before."

Uncle Wang glanced at his daughter and said, "How many times have you taken the train?" Everyone laughed. Xiao Wei said, "Alright then, Uncle and Aunt, you go ahead and eat. We'll be off soon and come back early."

The four of them went downstairs and got into the car. They drove to Xiaojia's building and waited for more than ten minutes before Chen Hui came down with a suitcase.

Xia Maosheng said, "Why are you so slow?"

Chen Hui stuffed the box into the trunk and said, "You guys have packed everything up, but I have to find everything myself. Chen Xiao made my room look like it's been bombed, and I have to search for everything for ages."

Xiao Hong laughed heartily. She often came to Chen Xiao's place, so she naturally knew what the room looked like.

The five of them arrived at the restaurant, told Li Na, Sister Jin, and Lao Wu about their business trip, and then had dinner. The main focus was on entertaining Geng Hui, who hadn't fully integrated yet and was still considered a half-guest.

Geng Hui was no longer surprised. She felt there was no need to try to save her. She hadn't paid much attention when Xia Maosheng mentioned doing business with some buddies, but the digging had gotten bigger and bigger these past few days. Now, with such a luxurious and extravagant restaurant, she was completely unfazed. Didn't she see that the million yuan was about to be spent? What was a bottle of wine worth a thousand yuan? Anyway, it was really delicious and tasty.

After finishing their meal, they brewed a pot of tea and sat in the private room to digest. Chen Hui offered a cigarette and asked, "What are we doing now? Our train is at midnight."

Several people looked at Xiaowei. Xiaowei checked the time; it was a little past eight, and there were still almost four hours left. He said, "Why don't you go downstairs and get some sleep?" The dormitory downstairs wasn't full, and there were still beds and bedding available.

Xiao Hong looked at Geng Hui and said, "Okay, Xiao Hui and I will go downstairs to lie down for a while. You guys are free to do whatever you want, just don't forget the time." She got up and pulled Geng Hui downstairs to the dormitory. After all, she was pregnant and easily tired.

Then Chen Hui went up and down the stairs for a walk. There were fewer people eating at this time. The waiters had started cleaning the private rooms, the cleaning lady was busy, and the kitchen was preparing to close.

Chen Hui returned and sat down, then asked, "How are the arrangements for opening a branch?"

Xiao Wei said, "I haven't told Bozi yet. What did Fifth Brother say?"

Chen Hui said, "Fifth Brother is definitely eager for this. His ideal is to make Anji even more successful, and it's being realized step by step."

Xiao Wei said, "Let's wait until I get back. After I arrange things in Longcheng, I'll head to Andong. Who should I hand over the management there? Do I have any suitable people?"

Chen Hui asked, "Do you think Li Na can do it?"

Xiao Wei paused for a moment, then asked, "Li Na?"

Chen Hui nodded.

Xiao Wei frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "I can rest assured, this girl is clean. But, is it really okay to let a girl travel so far alone? Will her family agree?"

Chen Hui said, "That girl is really ambitious. She can't wait. Besides, she'll be a hotel manager over there, which is much more comfortable than being a lobby manager here. If you think it's a good idea, I'll talk to her about it."

Xiao Wei said, "If he can go, that's fine. Let Wei Yun take over here. It seems we need to find a way to train some people. We can't just hire anyone from outside to manage the restaurant. Remember to send out a job posting when we get back. We need to have some backup. Who knows when we'll have another chance to open a shop? It would be a problem if we didn't have enough people. We should also give Fifth Brother's apprentice a big role."

Xia Maosheng said, "Can an apprentice be trusted? What if he learns the skills for a few days and then runs away? Not only will he create some competitors, but it will also be troublesome if the secret recipe is leaked. There are many wealthy people now, and more and more people are opening big restaurants. What if someone buys the secret recipe?"

Chen Hui rubbed his head a few times with his palm and said, "Then what should we do? Don't turn it on?"

Xia Maosheng said, "You can open this in Anton, right? Why don't you ask Bozi and Yingzi to go? Think about it and see if there are any good ideas later."

Chen Hui leaned back in his chair, raised his hands, and sighed to the heavens: "Is my plan to open a hundred stores going to fail like this? Heavens and earth!"

Xia Maosheng said, "It's no use crying to heaven. Once the secret recipe branch opens, it's all over. Also, I advise you not to encourage An Laowu to teach apprentices. It's hard to say. Even if he wants to teach you, you should think twice. You can't judge a book by its cover. Now, his skills are no longer just a matter for the An family. By the way, tell An Laowu to be wary of the people in the kitchen."

(End of this chapter)