Chapter 68 Handover

  During the Chinese New Year, relatives come and go in the village. It's already very good to ride a donkey, but such a horse-drawn carriage is rarely seen, I wonder whose relative it belongs to.

  Mr. and Mrs. Li stared blankly as the carriage stopped in front of their own home.

  The person who was in a hurry to catch the bus lifted the curtain and a woman wearing a bright festive New Year's dress got off.

  On a withered winter day outside the village gate, it was as if someone had suddenly painted a stroke of thick ink on a white rice paper, and Li Dabao's line of sight suddenly came alive.

  The maid looked around, seemingly determining something.

  Are you asking for directions?

  Mr. and Mrs. Li were lost in thought, then they saw their maid looking at them with a smile on her face.

  "I almost thought I remembered it wrong." The maid smiled and walked in the door, making a curtsy. "Does sister-in-law still remember me?"

  Naturally remembered, that maid sister who came with Master En and also invited the doctor, such kindness, how dare I forget.

  Li Dazui and his wife hurriedly stood up.

  "You, you're the sister who came with Lang Jun..." The woman said hastily.

  The maid nodded and handed over the gift box in her hand.

  Li Dazui and his wife waved their hands in refusal.

  "How dare you, how dare you." They said uneasily.

  "It's still early in the first month, and after all the New Year's commotion, how can you possibly come empty-handed?" The maid said with a smile, putting down the gift box.

  Mr. and Mrs. Li were at a loss for words, stunned for a moment, then hastily offered their seats, only to realize there was nowhere to sit.

  "It's nothing, I've sat down. I came today because someone asked me to ask for your help, big brother." The maid said.

  "Go on, go on, sister just speak up." Li Dabao hurriedly nodded.

  That Mr. Lang is familiar with will never be a bad person, besides, they have already done so, who would still harm them.

  "Our family's friends wanted to settle down in the capital, so they happened to see that divine residence was for sale and bought it." The maid said.

  Mr. and Mrs. Li were greatly surprised.

  "Is this what you've been looking for?" they asked in unison.

  The maid smiled.

  "It's not us, it's the people I know, outsiders who just made some money in the northwest and came back, a few brothers, they don't have any livelihood either, just like running a small shop to make ends meet." She said with a smile.

  Li Dazhu and his wife just smiled, but what did this have to do with them?

  "They are unfamiliar with the local customs here, and I was asked to hire a cook. That's when I thought of you, Brother. I heard from Mr. Han that you used to be a cook. Would you be willing to go and take charge of the kitchen?" The maid asked with a smile.

  Li Dazhu and his wife were stunned.

  What happened?

  Worrying about making a living at home, someone actually came to the door and gave me work to do.

  Han Lang Jun...

  So it was still Mr. Han Lang who helped them out; otherwise, where could they find a cook?

  "Thank you." Mr. and Mrs. Li said in a trembling voice, their eyes slightly red, hastily making a bow.

  Really met a noble person, how should they repay each other?

  The maid servant rubbed her hands and stepped into the house as it started snowing again.

  A girl's voice came from inside the house.

  "...What a pity that you were ill, sister, and didn't see the fifteenth lantern festival. I went with Grandfather to watch it, and it was lively..."

  The little girl outside the door saw the maid coming and hurriedly opened the door respectfully.

  Inside the house, Chen Dan Niang was holding a small and exquisite flower lamp.

  "...Look, I bought it especially for you, okay?" she said.

  Jiang Nang nodded and said okay.

  The maid came forward and took it over.

  "It's really great." She also praised.

  A maid beside her reminded Chen Dan Niang that it was time to leave, Chen Dan Niang felt a little reluctant, but still remembered the family's instructions and got up to bid farewell.

  "Sister is fine, go to my home to play." she said.

  "I'm fine now, don't worry about me," said Cheng Jiaoniang.

  The maid personally saw them off and watched as the carriage drove away before turning back.

  "My daughter, I've been there and everything is done." She sat down with a smile and said, "The young master and his family have already moved in."

  At this point, I couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

  "That Dugu Qi is really excessive, he cleaned out the entire store, and would have dismantled the pillars if he could." she said.

  Jiang Yao curved her mouth corners.

  "It's no wonder." she said.

  "The craftsman has started repairing according to the young lady's request. Sanlang said it will be done around February 15th." The maid said.

  Jiang Nang nodded.

  "Li Dazhu also agreed, I didn't follow him, he must have gone to see Lang Jun and the others by now." said the maid.

  "How are you going to do it? You and Sanlang have already discussed it?" asked Cheng Jiaoniang.

  The maid answered.

  "She said with a smile."

  As dusk approached, a team of horses galloped down the main road. The two leading horses suddenly stopped and looked at something unexpected by the roadside.

  "This is strange, isn't the Drunken Phoenix Pavilion supposed to be here?" someone asked, looking at the empty food stall with only one open door.

  No smoke from kitchen chimneys, no bustling crowds, a cold and desolate isolation.

  "It's closing time." An old man passing by with a cow on a rope said loudly.

  "Is it closed?" The people nearby were even more surprised.

  "They've moved into the capital and made a fortune." The old man said, sizing up the group, "With customers like you rich folks, it's hard not to get rich."

  He sighed softly, both admiring and resentful, and walked away with a shake of his head, leading the cow.

  So it was, and the two turned their horses' heads.

  "County King." They galloped back and stopped in front of a horse carriage, saying, "The Drunken Phoenix Building is already closed."

  "Then let's not stop and go straight into the city."

  A clear and bright voice of a young man came from inside the car.

  People and horses rushed past on the official road, stirring up a flurry of snow mist.

  Xu Bangzhu walked out of the gate and looked around, watching a team of people leaving in the distance.

  "It's okay here, the location is pretty good and there are a lot of people passing by," he said.

  Li Dazhu followed closely behind and nodded hastily upon hearing this.

  "Yes, yes, although it's closer to the capital now, it doesn't seem quite right in terms of distance, but the source of customers is still not bad." He said, although he was still weak after his illness, his spirit had improved a lot.

  "What's more important is that the dishes are good." Xu Maosheng said with a smile, looking at Li Dazhuang, "So, from now on, we'll have to trouble you, Chef Li. We brothers don't understand this stuff."

  Li Da Shao hastily bowed and said he didn't dare.

  "Master, I will certainly do my best," he said.

  Xu Maoshou nodded.

  "There's something else," he said suddenly, "it's a bit embarrassing."

  Anything else?

  There were quite a few unexpected things today.

  "The master is being polite, just speak as you wish." He said respectfully.

  Xu Maoshou didn't say a word, but instead pointed to the large hall beside him.

  "Come, let's sit down and talk." he said.

  Li Da Shao returned home when it was already dark, and his wife was holding their child, waiting with a neck that had grown longer.

  "How is it? Is it true?" she asked hastily.

  "What's wrong with what Han Enren said?" Li Dabao said, taking the child from her, "You go cook dinner first, we'll talk after eating."

  The woman didn't say much more, and busied herself making dinner. The Li family's circumstances were once considered good in the village, but after an illness and losing their jobs, their current life was really tough. All that was placed on the dinner table were two bowls of cornmeal soup.

  Like all families, the woman was not qualified to sit at the table. She waited for her husband and mother-in-law to finish eating, fed the children, and hastily ate a mouthful in the kitchen.

  "What's going on? Who is it? Are we really opening a restaurant?" she asked hurriedly as she gathered her things and went inside.

  Li Da Shao sat under the oil lamp, looking at the paper in his hand.

  "Is this the document?" the woman asked.

  Li Dazhu nodded.

  "He said, 'There is a seal of the Association.'"

  The woman was overjoyed and joined her hands in prayer, chanting Buddha's name.

  "But I look at those people, they don't seem like the kind of people who run a restaurant." Li Da Shao shook his head and said, "They look more like soldiers."

  "It's also possible, that sister of yours said she was coming back from the northwest." The woman said, taking up her needle and thread to mend, "They bought a restaurant, they're really running it with heart, as long as you cook well, that's all that matters."

  Li Dazhu nodded.

  "When will it open?" The woman put down her worries and felt that the days had a new expectation, and the flying needle and thread were much easier.

  "It's been renovated, it'll be fine in half a month." Li Daxi said, "I took you to see it, but they've put in the effort and replaced everything with new ones. The house is full of patterns, I don't know what kind of flowers, each room has a different style, it's especially good."

  The woman felt more at ease.

  The woman in the room fell silent for a moment, then lifted her head and saw that the man was still staring at the contract in his hand.

  "What are you looking at? You can't even read." She smiled and said, "Do you still remember the documents I read to you?"

  "No, this is not for me." said Li Daxi.