Everything I bought on online shopping platforms was genuine.

Chapter 288 Shut Up
"A little to the left, a little to the left again, up, yes, that's it."

At the restaurant entrance, Liu Ruyan directed the workers to hang a plaque covered with red cloth above the entrance.

"Alright, Sister Ruyan, come in quickly. The chefs can do it themselves. Why do you, such a big boss, have to do it yourself? Come in and have some ginger tea," Lin Mo put down what he was holding and greeted Liu Ruyan at the shop entrance.

Upon hearing his voice, Liu Ruyan stepped in with a mysterious gait, her black cheongsam accentuating her figure.

“This is your first time opening a shop, why don’t you seem excited at all? I’ve found that you’re really suited to being a hands-off manager,” Liu Ruyan said.

Hearing this, Lin Mo smiled and said, "You know what, my mom had someone do my fortune telling before, and they said I'm a lucky person who will never have to worry in my life."

“Auntie still believes in this? But that’s normal. My mom believes in it too, but I’m not as lucky as you. The fortune teller said I’m destined to worry, and now it seems that’s true,” Liu Ruyan said, sitting on the sofa in the lobby on the first floor.

The spacious lobby on the first floor, apart from a reception desk, only has a row of sofas for people to rest, and maybe two money trees on either side of the entrance.

Looking at the red date and ginger soup next to her, Liu Ruyan frowned: "Can't you just use water instead? Room temperature is fine. Drinking this in this weather is really uncomfortable."

Although it is late autumn and the weather is getting colder day by day, the temperature at noon is still quite hot.

“There are some cold drinks, but are you sure you can drink them right now? Be content, drinking this will actually benefit you. It has a warming effect on the uterus, replenishes qi and blood, makes menstrual blood flow more smoothly, relieves abdominal discomfort, and also replenishes energy,” Lin Mo said with a smile.

It's only because it's Wednesday that he has the "Wednesday Chef" buff; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to make even a simple bowl of red date and ginger soup.

Given his personality, the most he'd say would be something like, "Drink more hot water."

It was nothing like now, with people even making ginger tea. Lin Mo couldn't help but marvel at this. Sure enough, every skill has unexpected uses, which made him look forward to the new skill, [Painter].

"Okay, I appreciate your thoughtfulness. The Chinese medicine for the bath you gave me is really effective. After taking a bath every day, my stomach feels warm, my hands and feet are no longer cold, and even my sleep has improved a lot. Moreover, I feel particularly energetic after waking up."

"Do you have any more? If possible, please get me more. You know, my sister suffers every month," Liu Ruyan asked, picking up the ginger tea. She really needed it.

Aside from the initial facial cleanser, the subsequent scar removal patches, Angong Niuhuang Wan (a traditional Chinese medicine), Gong fan, and even the Longquan ink paste and tobacco ink that Lin Mo sold to the Yuan family, none of them were very appealing to her.

Even though she used the scar removal patch on her chest, who could see the scar there unless she took off her clothes?
Rather than those unsuitable things, this herbal bath was clearly more to her liking, after all, the effect was surprisingly good.

This period is much better than last month, which is why she's in such good spirits.

"These things can't be bought outside. I've said it before, and who knows when we'll be able to get them again."

Besides, my teacher said that in your situation, you should either find a boyfriend to mediate, or you shouldn't put so much pressure on yourself. If you rest and recuperate, there will definitely be no problem." Lin Mo spread his hands, indicating that he was powerless to help. At most, he could only help with a massage.

"Tch, I do have a boyfriend, but it's useless. He's like a eunuch. Hmm~ How did you make this ginger tea? It tastes so good!" Liu Ruyan first gave Lin Mo a charming and reproachful look, then was surprised by the taste of the ginger tea in her hand.

At her age, brown sugar water and ginger sugar water are commonplace for her, but she never imagined that ginger sugar water could taste so good, and it was noticeably different from the one her housekeeper usually makes.

Lin Mo couldn't explain it either. Even though the ingredients and cooking methods were the same, the food he made on Wednesdays always tasted better, as if it had a special effect.

"Hey, hey, why are you making personal attacks? Our relationship is fake. What if I actually do something and you call the police? Would I get three years for free?" Lin Mo rolled his eyes and spat.

If they were truly boyfriend and girlfriend, he would have made Liu Ruyan experience the taste of betrayal long ago.

But then again, although he was not as intelligent or emotionally intelligent as Liu Ruyan, he was not a complete fool. This woman was a master of verbal sparring. Don't be fooled by how alluring she was with her words and actions. If he crossed the line even slightly, she would back down and then righteously question him, judging him from her moral high ground.

Simply put, they first make you irresistibly attracted, and then watch you make a fool of yourself with a smile. Lin Mo had already fallen for that trick before, so how could he possibly fall for it twice?

"What's fake?"

Just then, the Sichuan girl walked in carrying a flower basket.

"You're here! My brother said he never expected to become a boss so soon. It's like a joke. Come in and sit down!" Liu Ruyan stood up and smiled when she saw the visitor, her reaction speed was quite fast.

"What's the difference between real and fake? Lao Mo, you're the store manager, where are you going to put this?" the Sichuan girl said, holding up a flower basket.

Lin Mo: "Just leave it at the door."

"okay"

Then Lin Mo and Liu Ruyan came out and saw Director Wang and the two female class monitors, each holding a flower basket, which they placed at the shop entrance.

"Congratulations on your opening, Lin Mo. No, from now on, I should call you Boss Lin," class monitor Wang Jing said with a smile.

He Xiaoyue: "What Boss Lin? You should call me Manager. We swore an oath with knives drawn that day!"

While the group was talking, the chefs had already hung up the signboard, and with the addition of several flower baskets at the restaurant entrance, it finally looked like a new store opening.

"You're going to unveil it already? Don't you need to have any ceremony?" Liu Ruyan asked, watching Lin Mo reach out to tear the red cloth off the plaque.

Lin Mo rolled her eyes at her: "I don't know many people in Jiangning, and half of them are here. Even if they all come, what difference will it make?"

Besides, look at this place, it's not a bustling commercial street, there's not a soul in sight. Even if we brought in a lion dance troupe, it wouldn't attract any people, so why bother? We don't rely on the masses to make a living, let's just open quietly."

This makes sense. First, he doesn't know many people and doesn't need acquaintances to support him. Second, it doesn't matter whether he celebrates or not, since no one will notice anyway. Even if he does attract people, they'll probably be scared away when they see the prices of his dishes.

However, Liu Ruyan was still somewhat unwilling, so she handed her phone to class monitor Wang Jing and said with a smile, "Take a picture and record a video for the two of us!"

"I'll do it! I'll do it, I'm good at this, I'm the photographer for a blogger with 200 followers," Director Wang said with a smile as he quickly took the phone from the side.

Liu Ruyan didn't mind, and then reached out to hold Lin Mo's hand that was holding the red cloth, and said with a light smile, "Let's go together. Although you are the boss, I have also contributed to this store. It's not an exaggeration to call me the boss's wife!"

Lin Mo naturally wouldn't refuse this request, since Liu Ruyan was the owner of the restaurant and could take it back whenever she wanted.

As the two exerted their strength together, the red cloth slowly fell down, revealing a plaque with the words "Wednesday" written on it.

The calligraphy is very elegant. The entire sign is carved from solid wood, with a dark red color and a layer of gold paint on the characters. This is the entrance of the restaurant.

The signboard at the entrance lacked any lighting design and was not conspicuous at night, making it quite different from the entrances of most restaurants today.

‘Kakaka’

As Wang Chu searched around, Lin Mo and Liu Ruyan were captured in the frame, becoming a shared memory for the two.

Although there weren't many people—only six including Lin Mo—they still applauded and celebrated the moment the red cloth was lowered, and even Lin Mo himself was extremely excited.

Before he could even invite everyone inside, a series of firecrackers went off.

The loud noise startled everyone, and Liu Ruyan jumped even closer to him. Then, they saw plumes of white smoke rising from the ground not far from the shop entrance, and Chuanmei ran over, holding a lighter to her ears.

It has to be said that the Sichuan girl's string of firecrackers was quite large; it took Pali a while to set them off.

Wow~ Wow~

As the loud noise shook Liu Ruyan and Chuanmei's car, causing the alarm to go off, Chuanmei exclaimed excitedly, "Old Mo, congratulations on your grand opening! Isn't that awesome?"

Lin Mo: "Where did you get these firecrackers?"

"I bought it specially, the '100,000-Sound Earth Red,' isn't it lively!" the Sichuan girl said proudly.

Half an hour later, Chuanmei and Wang Chu were sweeping up the firecracker residue outside the shop under the scorching sun.

"Officer, we're so sorry, we know we were wrong. Don't worry, we only set off one string of firecrackers. We've caused you trouble," Lin Mo said with a wry smile.

At this moment, two men in hats were standing in front of him. That's right, they had been reported for setting off fireworks and firecrackers.

Fortunately, the incident was minor and did not cause any serious consequences. In addition, since it was the opening of a new store, and especially since the police knew that some of the people involved were college students, the two officers did not impose excessive penalties. They mainly gave them a reprimand and education, and asked them to clean up the premises.

"Considering that it's not easy for you college students to start a business, and that it hasn't caused any negative impact, this time you'll be fined 100 yuan. Remember, fireworks and firecrackers are not allowed in Jiangning City, especially here, which is right next to the ancient city," the police officer said with a lecture.

Lin Mo could only nod with a wry smile. There was nothing he could do; although he hadn't set off the firecrackers, the shop was his.

He never expected that the first person to arrive at his restaurant opening would be a police officer, which was quite unprecedented.

After paying the fine and watching the two women from Sichuan clean up the trash, the two police officers left.

Lin Mo: →_→

Sensing the killing intent in his eyes, Chuanmei seemed to have grasped the ability to sense killing intent, and quickly picked up the mop and rag.

"Old Mo, you can rest. How can I let you do this dirty and tiring work? I'll take care of all the cleaning on the first floor. I'll even make sure the stair railings are spotless."

After saying that, he picked up a rag and started working, leaving Lin Mo no chance to get angry.

"Hehehe, your way of getting along is pretty good. No wonder Yuanyuan likes to come over to you," Liu Ruyan said with a smile as she sat on the sofa.

When the police came, she didn't show up. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but that she didn't need to. After all, it wasn't a big deal. A reprimand and a fine would suffice; there was no need for her to show up.

"These people, let alone helping, they're lucky if they don't make things worse. Never mind, I'll go to the kitchen to prepare a meal. What about you?" Lin Mo asked.

Liu Ruyan thought for a moment and said, "Never mind, I'll go back first and come back around four o'clock in the afternoon. Xiao Tian will bring the waiters to help in the afternoon. Remember, make sure you do your best at my table."

"Don't worry, everything will be arranged perfectly," Lin Mo said with a smile.

After saying that, Liu Ruyan drove away, while Lin Mo went straight into the kitchen to start preparing.

As for the four girls from Sichuan, they weren't idle either. They cleaned the lobby on the first floor, sprayed air freshener, put beer in the refrigerator to chill it, and even the front desk was tidied up by the two girls who were class monitors.

"Life, can you please spare me this time? Sometimes I'm so tired, yet I don't know why I keep going. Cruel reality is shattering the strong fortress of my heart. I wipe away my tears, carry my guitar, and live a noble life... a spoonful of sauce..."

In the kitchen, accompanied by the unique background music of cooking and repairing household appliances, Lin Mo's progress was also very fast.

The movements were fluid and unhurried, and the background music was even a little catchy, attracting the four members of the Wang family to come and watch.

The exquisite knife skills left the four speechless with amazement.

Especially Lin Mo, with such a handsome face, cooking so skillfully in the kitchen, even the class monitor and He Xiaoyue, who were quite familiar with him, were completely captivated for a long time, repeatedly exclaiming that this was art.

Which woman wouldn't love this kind of vibe? If Lin Mo could start a live stream, this restaurant would be a hit. Just the infatuated girls alone would keep the restaurant packed every day.

At 2 PM, Secretary Xiaotian led four girls with long legs in black stockings and wearing identical uniforms into the room. They took over the work at the front desk and the two private rooms upstairs, freeing up Director Wang and the others.

With nowhere else to go, the four of them went to the kitchen to help wash vegetables and such, before Lin Mo sent them upstairs to rest in an empty private room.

At 3:30 pm, Lin Mo was focused on cooking when a figure in a black cheongsam suddenly flashed in his peripheral vision. Because he was busy, he didn't even look up before saying, "Sister Ruyan, could you get me that casserole over there?"

There was no response from the other party, but soon a black clay pot was handed over. Lin Mo took it and smiled, "Have you finished everything at the company? By the way, who's coming over to your house today?"

Seeing that the other party did not respond, Lin Mo couldn't help but look up. The next second, a pretty face that looked exactly like Liu Ruyan was right next to him.

Despite the striking resemblance, Lin Mo still sensed that this was not Liu Ruyan and involuntarily took a step back: "You...you are?"

"Me? I'm the guest that Xiao Ruyan invited today. You must be Lin Mo?" the woman asked.

But the gaze in her eyes kept scrutinizing him up and down, making Lin Mo feel a little uncomfortable.

"Yes, I am Lin Mo, and you are?"

Even if he were slow-witted, he could tell that the person in front of him was related to Liu Ruyan by blood, so he naturally had to be polite.

Although he could tell that the person in front of him was older than Liu Ruyan, he couldn't tell her age, so he didn't know how to address her.

"Ah, I'm Ruyan's cousin, my name is Liu Rushi."

Lin Mo: ? ? ?
Liu Rushi? The foremost of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai? What kind of name is that? Are all the names Liu Ruyan and her family come up with this way?
The person who came was certainly not Liu Ruyan's cousin, but rather the previous Emperor Ruyan in disguise; who else could it be but Ms. Cheng?

After much thought, she specially chose a cheongsam for today and even had someone do her makeup. She looked like she was under forty.

“Come on, call me ‘sister’ first!” Ms. Cheng said with a smile.

Lin Mo: "Hello, cousin!"

"Oh, so sweet, take this." As she spoke, Ms. Cheng took out a thick red envelope from her handbag.

The next second, the kitchen door was flung open, and the real Liu Ruyan walked in:

"shut up!"

(End of this chapter)