Chapter 442 - 215: My Younger Sister is So Cute

Chapter 442: Chapter 215: My Younger Sister is So Cute

The century of business experience from Feiyan Restaurant and Le Ming Restaurant was worth learning from.

"If you’re going to rebuild, do you have an approximate date in mind?" Mrs. Qiu asked, looking at him.

Zhou Yan replied, "I’ve done a rough calculation. Rebuilding it according to my vision will cost a fair bit of money. I’ll have to wait at least three months before reconsidering."

Mrs. Qiu nodded slightly. Gazing at the wintersweet trees in the corner of the courtyard, she said, "Alright. When you’re ready to start rebuilding, go to the Duan Family’s Old Mansion and let them know. Someone will come over to dig up these wintersweet trees. Let them bloom in this little courtyard one last time this winter."

"Alright," Zhou Yan agreed with a nod.

Mrs. Qiu looked at him, her smile radiant. "I look forward to seeing this residence again, completely revitalized."

"I hope I won’t disappoint you," Zhou Yan replied with a nod.

There was a knock at the main gate.

The housekeeper hurried to open the gate. The visitor was Wang. He was wearing a new Zhongshan suit, and his silver hair was combed back immaculately, making him look quite sharp.

"You’re here," Mrs. Qiu said with a smile.

Wang nodded. "A few young readers came to the library first thing this morning. I had to help them find their books, so I was a little delayed."

"Wang," Zhou Yan greeted.

"You came up here without waiting for me, kid?" Wang said with a laugh.

"I’m the chef today, so I couldn’t be late. I really didn’t dare wait for you," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Please, you two take your time and chat. It’s about time for me to get started. I’ll get the beef and ribs stewing in the pot."

"Go on, get to it," Wang said, nodding with a smile.

Zhou Yan smiled and turned away, faintly hearing Wang Yu’s voice, "...after all these years, this is the first time I’ve ever come to your home for a meal..."

The Qiu Family’s kitchen was quite large. It featured a three-hole stove with two large pots, and the middle opening could also accommodate a small pot, which was perfect for boiling water or simmering soup.

"Need any help?" The Qiu family’s housekeeper, a woman in her early forties named Mrs. Li, asked with a smile as she led Zhou Yan into the kitchen.

"No, thanks. Just one table’s worth of food. It’s a small job," Zhou Yan said, shaking his head with a smile.

"Oh, alright then..." Mrs. Li’s hands hung awkwardly in front of her. "I’ll be just outside the door. Call me if you need anything."

Zhou Yan glanced at her and suddenly said, "Auntie, how about you help me with the fire? I’ll start by cutting the beef."

"Sure thing," Mrs. Li agreed, moving behind the stove to tend the fire.

As Zhou Yan chopped the beef, he asked casually, "Auntie, where are you from? Are you one of Mrs. Qiu’s relatives?"

"Not relatives. Mrs. Qiu says she doesn’t hire family, to avoid arguments that could hurt their feelings," Mrs. Li answered with a smile. "My hometown is Li Jia Bay in Suji. Someone recommended me for the job of cooking and cleaning for Mrs. Qiu, and I’ve been here for three years now."

"Suji? What a coincidence! I’m from Suji too. You must know Zhou Village," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Zhou Village! Of course I know it. It’s famous for cattle butchering," Mrs. Li said, looking up at Zhou Yan. "Everyone says the people from Zhou Village made a fortune butchering cattle. Your family didn’t do that?"

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "My family has been butchering cattle for generations. In fact, my old man was the best butcher in all of Zhou Village. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it, so I became a chef instead."

"For Mrs. Qiu to invite you to cook in her home, your skills must be out of this world," Mrs. Li added with a laugh. "I used to work in a restaurant for a few years as a line cook and prep cook before coming here. My cooking is just simple, home-style fare, which Mrs. Qiu probably isn’t too fond of. She eats out every other day. But she’s kind-hearted and never fired me."

"So, with Mrs. Qiu going to Xiangjiang, what will you do?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at her. ’The Duan Family’s Old Mansion already has a caretaker,’ he thought, ’and now that the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion is sold to me, I don’t need to hire someone just to watch the house.’

At his words, Mrs. Li’s expression fell. She sighed. "I’ll have to go back to farming, I suppose. I don’t have any special skills, so I can’t get a job in a factory."

An idea sparked in Zhou Yan’s mind at her words, and he studied the woman before him.

She had a medium build and was dressed in clean, indigo-colored clothes. Her hair was tied back, giving her a neat and capable appearance.

’An auntie on the verge of unemployment.’

’And she also happens to be from Suji.’

’This fits my need for a waitress perfectly.’

He didn’t say anything just yet, though. He decided he’d ask Mrs. Qiu about her later.

’Mrs. Qiu is a shrewd judge of character. If she’s kept a housekeeper for three years without replacing her, the woman must be decent.’

As Zhou Yan cooked, he made idle chitchat with her, managing to get the rundown on her entire family.

Mrs. Li’s full name was Li Lihua. Her husband was a farmer with no bad habits.

They had two children, a son and a daughter. The daughter was already married and living in Rongcheng, only coming home for the New Year.

Their son was eighteen and working as an apprentice at a factory in Jiazhou.

Her and her husband’s goal was to save up money for their son’s marriage.

’Her family background was clean. And from their conversation, it was clear that Mrs. Li was a simple, honest person who spoke her mind and wasn’t one for scheming.’

’He had an aversion to overly complicated things; he wasn’t afraid of much, but he couldn’t stand people who were full of schemes.’

A smile touched the corner of Zhou Yan’s mouth, and he started putting her to the test. "Mrs. Li, could you help me wash these garlic shoots? And peel the shell off this winter bamboo shoot? Do you know how to clean a crucian carp? It’d be a great help if you could handle that for me..."

"Sure thing!"

"I know how to clean carp. Leave it to me, you can rest assured."

Li Lihua agreed, then quickly got the fire in the stove roaring. She stuffed in two more logs of firewood before getting up to start her tasks.

Zhou Yan put the beef and ribs on to stew, observing Li Lihua as she worked.

He had to admit, she was quick and deft. The bamboo shoot peels landed right in the dustpan. When cleaning the carp, her knife moved swiftly, scraping the scales off completely without damaging the skin.