Rebirth 07: Starting with Saving a Bankrupt Restaurant

Zhou Wen nodded and then asked, "How far is your current place from the restaurant?"

"It's only a ten-minute walk or so, and I live near Kumho District."

The distance isn't far; it's within an acceptable range.

He then asked a few more work-related questions. Zhou Wen was fairly satisfied with Shi Ying's answers, but whether it would actually work out remained to be seen.

In 2007, the salary of an average factory assembly line worker was probably in the range of six hundred to a little over a thousand yuan, and Zhou Wen offered a salary of one thousand yuan per month.

Of course, Zhou Wen still proposed a trial period.

"This is a three-day probation period. If there are no problems during these three days, you will become a full-time employee."

"Of course, no matter what happens in the end, you will be paid for these three days. Is that acceptable?"

Without hesitation, Shi Ying quickly nodded and said, "Okay."

"Should we start work today, or take some more time to adjust?" Zhou Wen asked.

"No need, I can start work today!"

It's clear that Shi Ying cares a lot about this job.

Zhou Wen then led Shi Ying around the restaurant, explaining some relevant details and precautions.

"Boss, do you usually manage the restaurant all by yourself?" This was the question Shi Ying had wanted to ask since she first arrived at the restaurant.

"Yes, I did all of that myself."

Upon receiving Zhou Wen's reply, Shi Ying's face showed surprise.

Entering the kitchen, I took a sniff and couldn't help but exclaim, "It smells so good!"

And the kitchen is so clean!

Zhou Wen smiled and said, "I'm making soup now. Have you had any for breakfast? I'll get you a bowl of soup to try later."

Shi Ying felt a little embarrassed and quickly waved her hands, saying, "No need, boss. I've already eaten breakfast."

Zhou Wen nodded slightly and led Shi Ying to familiarize herself with the surroundings.

While Zhou Wen turned around, Shi Ying secretly swallowed and rubbed her stomach.

Shi Ying didn't sleep well at all last night. She barely got up around seven o'clock in the morning and spent a lot of time getting ready, after all, she wanted to leave a good impression.

After getting ready, I rushed to the store, afraid of being late or leaving a bad impression. As for breakfast, of course I hadn't eaten it.

……

"That's pretty much it. Everything takes time to get used to, so just take it slow."

The smile on Shi Ying's face had vanished, and she nodded solemnly, "Boss, I will study hard."

"You can sit alone for a while, or you can look around and familiarize yourself with the surroundings."

Since it was her first day at work, Shi Ying was a little reserved and didn't wander around. She just sat in her seat and looked at the place where she would be working.

When Zhou Wen came out of the kitchen, he was carrying a bowl of soup.

"Let's have something to eat first."

Shi Ying was somewhat flattered and remained seated in a daze for a moment.

"After you finish drinking, just take the bowl to the kitchen sink."

"Oh...oh, okay."

After Zhou Wen left, Shi Ying put the bowl in front of her and swallowed as she looked at the steaming soup.

After blowing on it a few times, he couldn't wait to take a sip, but it was too hot, so he stuck out his tongue.

But then his eyes lit up, and he worked even harder to cool the soup down. When it was almost done, he took a sip.

"The boss's soup is so delicious." Shi Ying had already given her opinion in her mind, and the bowl of soup was gone in no time.

Shi Ying wiped her mouth, a satisfied smile on her face, and then took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen.

……

As the restaurant's opening time approached, Zhou Wen found a clean apron in the kitchen and handed it to Zhou Ying.

"Wear this, otherwise the oil stains will be hard to wash off if they get on your clothes."

Shi Ying took the apron, her expression somewhat stiff: "Boss, are we about to open for business?"

Zhou Wen noticed Shi Ying's nervousness and smiled, offering a few words of comfort: "It'll be soon. Relax, don't be so nervous. It's actually similar to dealing with other coworkers when you were working before."

Shi Ying took a deep breath and nodded.

Soon, Zhou's Restaurant opened for business.

It must be said that Shi Ying has a strong ability to adjust. Although she may still be a little nervous, the smile on her face has returned.

Zhou Wen was observing through the gap in the kitchen.

To Zhou Wen's surprise, just five minutes after opening the store, Shi Ying, seeing that there were no customers, actually went outside to solicit customers.

It should be noted that Zhou Wen did not ask for customers to be solicited, and it is truly rare for Shi Ying, as a girl, to take the initiative to do so.

Whether they had eaten at the restaurant before or were genuinely attracted by Shi Ying's advertising, customers soon started coming in.

"Do you think this seat is suitable?" Shi Ying led the diners to an empty seat, then picked up a cloth and wiped the clean wooden chair again.

"We currently have fried rice, fried noodles, and tomato and egg noodles. What would you like to eat?" Shi Ying asked, placing her hands in front of her and bowing slightly.

Zhou Wen didn't mention these small details, but Shi Ying remembered that she had been to some places before where the waiters did the same thing.

"A big bowl of tomato and egg noodles."

"Okay, please have a seat and wait a moment." Shi Ying said, writing down the food the guests needed in her notebook.

After finishing writing, he went to the kitchen, lifted the curtain, and said, "Boss, a big bowl of tomato and egg noodles."

Then he took the iron kettle and poured a cup of hot water for the guest.

"Please have some water first. If you need more water or anything else, just let me know."

Previously, there was only Zhou Wen, so these services were somewhat cumbersome to provide. But now that there is a "little assistant," the necessary services are still available.

After serving the guests, Shi Ying would continue to stand at the door, and if she saw any dirt, she would immediately wipe it clean.

Zhou Wen, who was hiding in the kitchen, nodded. He was very satisfied with Shi Ying's performance.

Some even doubted whether Shi Ying was doing this kind of work for the first time.

After the noodles were ready, Zhou Wen rang the bell. Upon hearing the bell, Shi Ying quickly came to the kitchen.

"Shi Ying".

"Boss, what's wrong?" Shi Ying was a little nervous, wondering if she had done something to displease Zhou Wen.

Zhou Wen looked at Shi Ying, whose body stiffened instantly, and found it somewhat amusing: "You don't have to stand all the time. You can sit down and rest when there are no customers."

"Also, you can slow down a bit, otherwise sometimes there is water on the ground, and it would be bad to slip and fall, especially when carrying food that has just come out of the pot and is still in soup."

Shi Ying secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded: "Okay, boss."

However, Shi Ying didn't seem to listen to what Zhou Wen said and remained standing. It was unclear whether the girl could hold on for the entire day.

Zhou Wen shook his head and smiled helplessly.

After the guests finished their meal, Shi Ying followed them to the door and said, "Take care, and welcome back next time."

Only then did they clean up the dishes left by the guests, doing so in an orderly manner.

First, set the bowls and chopsticks aside, then carefully wipe the areas with oil and soup stains, and finally wipe the entire table again.

For someone like Shi Ying who had absolutely no service experience, Zhou Wen originally thought it would be bumpy and that he would need to distract her and remind her.

The result is that it doesn't need any reminders at all, and it's much better than what I could do myself.

……