Going home for the Chinese New Year with a year-end bonus of 100 million

Xiaoya looked at her brother, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered:

"Brother, three million... are you really just going to give it to Zhou Jin like that?"

"It's not a gift," Yang Fan corrected, "it's an investment. And the money is deposited into the company account, which is traceable."

He checked the time; it was already 8:30 in the morning.

"Alright, let's get ready, we should head to the hot pot restaurant. It opens at noon today, Mom and the others are probably already there."

Xiaoya then realized, "Oh right! The hot pot restaurant is opening today! I... did I oversleep?"

"It's alright, there's still time." Yang Fan smiled. "The opening time is noon, so going now will be perfect for helping with the preparations."

The brother and sister tidied themselves up quickly and headed out to the hot pot restaurant.

The streets of the university town were already bustling in the morning. Although the school had not officially started classes yet, many students who had returned to school early and residents from the surrounding area had already begun their activities.

When Yang Fan arrived at the entrance of "Qianweifang", he saw that the store door was wide open and the lights inside were on.

Four women were busy inside.

Wearing a brand-new white apron, Lin's mother stood in front of the huge stainless steel soup pot in the back kitchen, gently stirring the soup in the pot with a long-handled ladle.

She was focused, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead. Every now and then she would lean closer to smell the aroma, then pick up a little seasoning from the small bowl next to her and sprinkle it in.

Wang Xiuying and Li Cuihua were in the washing area next door, with a small mountain of fresh vegetables in front of them—lettuce, romaine lettuce, cabbage, bean sprouts… They quickly picked, washed, and drained the vegetables, then sorted them into different food storage containers.

Lin Xiaoyu was in the area closest to the door, pulling out custom-made light wood chairs from under the table and adjusting the position and spacing of each table and chair.

She wore a light blue sweater today, her hair was tied in a neat ponytail, and her profile looked particularly soft in the morning light.

Xiaoya walked in a little embarrassed: "Mom, Aunt Lin, Third Aunt, Xiaoyu...I...am I late?"

Wang Xiuying didn't even look up: "Not late, not late at all! Just in time! Come and help set the table!"

Lin Xiaoyu straightened up and smiled at Yang Fan and Xiaoya: "Xiaoya, brother, you're here."

Her gaze lingered on Yang Fan's face for a moment, then she looked away somewhat embarrassed and turned back to adjust the chair.

Yang Fan looked around the store.

A red paper-cut with the words "Grand Opening" was pasted on the glass door of the shop. Several flower baskets were placed on both sides of the door—some were from Zhou Yao's family, some were from several familiar stall owners in the vegetable market, and two were ordered by Yang Fan in his own name.

The store's interior design largely retains the original industrial style. The entire space is clean, bright, and has a touch of artistic flair, which is indeed very much in line with the aesthetics of young students.

"Brother, look here!" Xiaoya exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the largest concrete wall.

"Once the projector is installed in a couple of days, we'll play a loop of the bean and rice hotpot making process on it, along with real-life footage of customers eating it! It'll definitely attract people!"

Yang Fan nodded: "That's a good idea."

His gaze unconsciously drifted towards Lin Xiaoyu again.

The girl was standing on tiptoe, trying to straighten a slightly crooked painting on the wall.

But she wasn't tall enough, and she couldn't get it all right after several attempts.

Yang Fan walked over and naturally stood behind her.

"I'll do it."

His voice rang in my ears, warm and gentle.

Lin Xiaoyu's body stiffened slightly, and her ears turned red instantly.

She hurriedly took a step back, her voice barely a whisper: "Thank... thank you, brother."

Yang Fan reached out and easily straightened the picture frame, then used his hand to check that it was perfectly level.

After doing all that, he turned around and looked at Lin Xiaoyu.

"Are you nervous?" Yang Fan asked.

"Yes... a little bit," Lin Xiaoyu honestly admitted, "I'm afraid... afraid people won't like the taste."

"No, not at all." Yang Fan's voice was gentle. "We've all tried Aunt Lin's cooking, haven't we? It's delicious."

"Hmm..." Lin Xiaoyu raised her head, glanced at him quickly, then lowered her head again.

"Mainly because... this is the first time Mom has shown her skills in front of so many people. She barely slept last night, constantly memorizing the process, afraid of making a mistake."

Yang Fan's heart skipped a beat.

He could understand Lin's mother's anxiety.

For a woman who has cooked in the countryside for half her life but has never actually "opened a shop," this is indeed a huge challenge.

"Don't worry," he said. "We're here."

These simple words warmed Lin Xiaoyu's heart.

She nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

The atmosphere between the two was somewhat subtle, as if something was gently flowing in the air.

Just then—

"Big brother! Xiaoya! I'm here!"

Zhou Yao's clear voice came from the doorway, rushing in like a gust of wind.

Today she wore a bright yellow sweatshirt, paired with ripped jeans and a high ponytail, looking youthful and energetic.

"Oh dear! I'm late!"

Zhou Yao started making a lot of noise as soon as she entered the door:

"I wanted to come earlier, but I overslept! Please don't be mad at me, aunties!"

Wang Xiuying smiled and said, "No, no, I'm so glad you came to help!"

Zhou Yao rolled up her sleeves, ready to get to work. She spotted the stools and chairs in the corner that weren't fully arranged yet, and immediately rushed over.

"I'll do this! I'm strong!"

As she deftly moved the chairs, she said to Yang Fan:

"Bro, my brother's still sleeping at home! He stayed up all night working on a project yesterday, and when I left this morning, he was sleeping like a log!"

Yang Fan smiled and said, "Let him sleep a little longer. He really worked hard yesterday."

"What's so hard about it!" Zhou Yao said with a hint of disdain, but her eyes showed a touch of heartache. "He just loves making a fuss over these things. But brother, did you really transfer that three million to him?"

"Not yet," Yang Fan said. "We'll talk about it after his company is registered and he opens a corporate bank account."

"That's good!" Zhou Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was worried you'd give it to him today! I have to keep an eye on him, otherwise I won't even know how the money disappeared!"

Despite saying that, she moved the chairs even more vigorously.

Time flies by in the midst of busyness.

Preparing ingredients, making soup, setting out tableware, checking water and electricity... everyone performs their duties, like a machine that is gradually being broken in.

The aroma of the bean and rice hot pot broth that Lin's mother had simmered gradually filled the air. It was a unique smell that combined the rich aroma of beans with the delicious flavor of bone broth, making one's mouth water just by smelling it.