A leisurely life starting in a bar after being reborn

When I got home, Zhou Shufen had already set out breakfast.

Millet porridge, fried dough sticks, pickles, boiled eggs, a small dish of pickled vegetables, and a bowl of steaming hot soy milk.

"Sister Zhou, isn't this too much?" Xu Wenshu looked at the table full of breakfast.

"Not too much, not too little! You two young people need to eat more so you have the energy to work!" Zhou Shufen said with a smile, bringing out another plate of fried cakes. "I made the dough last night and fried it this morning. Eat it while it's hot!"

Fu Yan glanced at the fried cake—golden and crispy, with oil sizzling on the outside.

He reached out, took a bite, and found it crispy and fragrant, filled with red bean paste that was sweet but not cloying.

"Sister Zhou, your cooking is amazing."

"That's right! The fried cakes from my hometown are famously delicious!" Zhou Shufen smiled, her eyes narrowing into slits, then turned to Xu Wenshu, "Little Xu, you should try some!"

Xu Wenshu took a bite of the fried cake, her eyes lighting up: "Mmm, delicious!"

"As long as it tastes good! I'll make you jianbing guozi tomorrow!"

Fu Yan and Xu Wenshu exchanged a glance, then smiled at the same time.

This life is getting a little too comfortable.

……

After breakfast, the two went out separately.

Xu Wenshu was working a regular shift today, and she had to be at the station to get her makeup done before 8 a.m. She usually had to get up around 6:30 a.m., but since someone was making breakfast today, she thought she'd get up a little later. However, some annoying guy insisted on dragging her out of bed for morning exercise, wasting her precious little bit of sleep.

"I'm leaving." Xu Wenshu changed her shoes in the main room, put on her burgundy coat, and was about to leave.

"Have Zhao Gang take you."

"No need, I'll just take a taxi."

"Zhao Gang," Fu Yan called out into the courtyard.

Zhao Gang walked out of the garage next to the east wing and stood ramrod straight: "Brother Fu."

"I'll take Wen-Shu to work at the station."

"yes!"

Xu Wenshu glanced at Zhao Gang's military-style posture, then at Fu Yan's "I'm in charge" expression, and sighed: "Alright, I'll do as you say."

She walked to the door and glanced back—Fu Yan was standing in the courtyard, wearing that dark gray overcoat, the branches of the old locust tree intertwined above his head, and the morning light filtered through the branches, bathing him in its glow.

"See you tonight," she said.

See you tonight.

……

Fu Yan went to the bar by electric scooter.

Yes, he now basically rides that little electric scooter everywhere he goes—one reason being its convenience. Driving in the alleyways is troublesome, while bicycles offer unobstructed access, so he has fallen in love with this mode of transportation.

In addition, Zhao Gang drives the A8, while the Land Rover is still parked in the garage, occasionally used as a temporary official vehicle for others when needed. He's even considered having Zhao Gang buy two more minivans in a few days, either as reception vehicles for the bar or for his own comfortable long-distance travel.

However, electric vehicles are convenient, but they are a bit cold.

He turned up his coat collar, wrapped his scarf around his nose, and curled up into a ball, buzzing through the alleys of Houhai, looking just like a vendor heading to an early morning market.

When Fu Yan arrived at the bar, she found that the door was already open.

And it's very lively inside.

Pushing open the door, I found all the employees already in their places.

Bartender Zhou Lei stood behind the bar, wiping glasses with much smoother movements than the previous two days. Three servers were checking the tables, chairs, and cutlery; one was adjusting the lighting, one was checking the drink menu, and another was bringing today's fruit platter to the bar.

Qiu Kai was standing next to the stage, talking to three people—two men and one woman, all of whom were carrying musical instruments.

"Fu Yan!" Qiu Kai saw him and quickly walked over. "Let me introduce you. This is the 'Black Cat' band. I contacted them. They're performing at their opening today."

The lead singer was a tall, thin man with long hair, who looked to be in his early thirties. He was wearing a black leather jacket and had an acoustic guitar hanging around his neck. He nodded to Fu Yan: "Hello, Boss Fu, my name is Chen Hui, this is drummer Lao Zhang, and keyboardist Xiao Lin."

The drummer, Lao Zhang, was bald, burly, and looked more like a butcher than a musician. The keyboardist, Xiao Lin, was a quiet girl with round-framed glasses; she gave Fu Yan a slight smile.

"I've tried it, and the sound quality is great," Chen Hui said. "Manager Qiu tuned it; the low frequencies aren't muddy, and the vocals are very clean. It's one of the best we've ever heard of in a venue."

"That's good." Fu Yan nodded. "Don't be too nervous for today's opening. Just treat it like a regular performance. Keep the music gentle, like jazz, folk, or light rock, nothing too energetic."

"Understood, we've been running this bar for a while now."

Qiu Kai added from the side, "The band will be divided into two sessions. The first session will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the second session will be from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., with a half-hour break in between. I've already checked the setlist with them, so there shouldn't be any problems."

Fu Yan checked his watch—9:30 a.m., nine and a half hours before the opening.

But as he looked at the scene before him: Zhou Lei was busy behind the bar, waiters were tidying up the tables, the band was testing their instruments on stage, and Qiu Kai was patrolling back and forth with a walkie-talkie—everyone was in their own place, doing their own thing.

This scene made Fu Yan feel very at ease.

It's not because he cares so much about whether the bar makes money or not—to be honest, he wouldn't care even if not a single customer came today.

What he cared about was that the bar had come to life.

From an empty shop to a warm and inviting bar—from renovations, hiring, training, menu planning, and band selection—every step was painstakingly crafted by Qiu Kai, Lin Xiaochen, and their team.

Now, it's finally ready to open its doors to visitors.

"Chou Kai".

"Um?"

"You are fully responsible for what happens tonight; I will not interfere."

Qiu Kai was taken aback: "You're not going to get involved? You're the boss!"

"A boss should act like a boss—sitting in the corner drinking and acting all serious." Fu Yan patted him on the shoulder. "You're the manager, but today you're the boss."

Qiu Kai took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay! Leave it to me!"

Fu Yan smiled and walked to the bar and sat down.

Zhou Lei handed him a glass of water: "Brother Fu, what would you like to drink? This is the last drink before the opening, it's on me."

"Okay, I'll have an Americano."

"This is a bar, not a coffee shop."

"No coffee? Never mind then, just make me a low-alcohol one with a hint of coffee."

Zhou Lei thought for a moment, then turned around and took a few bottles from the wine rack. After jingling and bustling around for two minutes, he pushed over a dark brown drink.

"I came up with this myself, and I call it 'Houhai Morning Mist.' It's made with espresso, Baileys Irish Cream, a touch of whiskey, and topped with a little milk foam. It has a very low alcohol content, so it's perfect for drinking during the day."

Fu Yan picked up the cup and took a sip—the bitterness of the coffee, the creamy aroma of Baileys, and the warmth of the whiskey blended together in an unexpectedly harmonious way.

"Not bad." He nodded. "Add this to the drink menu from now on, and write 'Fu Ge's Special' on it."

"Huh? Really?"

"Really. The first drink we make on opening day has to have a name."

Zhou Lei was so happy he almost threw away the shaker.

Fu Yan held his "Houhai Morning Mist" glass, leaned against the bar, and watched the busy people in the bar.

Houhai Lake outside the window slowly awakens in the morning light, the thin ice on the lake begins to melt, and a few early-rising elderly people are taking a stroll on the distant Yinding Bridge.

Everything is just right.

Tonight, Gui Chu will open.