After four years of living alone after marrying far away, he went back to his parents' home and

Upon receiving the message, Lan Yujuan immediately got up and prepared to go downstairs.

Because she knew in her heart that, under normal circumstances, Qi Lei would try not to bother her with things he could handle himself.

Especially when she was in her upstairs studio.

Seeing that she was about to go downstairs, Lan Qingqing immediately stood up and followed her.

"Sis, don't rush downstairs yet! My store manager training contract hasn't been signed!"

Lan Yujuan, holding onto the railing, looked back at her as she walked downstairs and smiled:

"Haven't we already raised the 300,000 yuan for building the house?"

"Since you've already raised the money, and you're not in a hurry to get an advance on your salary from the store, why bother signing a long-term contract?"

"Just relax, study diligently, and work hard!"

"As long as you don't resign voluntarily and we open the new branch as planned, you'll definitely be the manager!"

She originally thought that her clear promise would put Lan Qingqing at ease.

After all, the contract she mentioned a few days ago was just a temporary solution she came up with to help Lan Qingqing raise money to build a house!

Half-Mountain Retreat Cafe is only a cafe that has been open for a few months. Nobody can say for sure what will happen in the future.

If Lan Qingqing has better opportunities and development in the future, signing this contract now will only restrict her actions and be a loss.

"No! I want to sign!" Lan Qingqing quickly took a few steps to catch up with Lan Yujuan and stopped her.

"Sis, those terms in the contract that you told me about before, even if I don't need to get an advance on my salary, I'm still very tempted."

"Just let me sign it, I won't feel at ease if I don't!"

Lan Yujuan looked helpless and explained with a smile:

"Qingqing, even if we don't sign this contract, my attitude towards you will remain the same."

"If you're willing to stay at the coffee shop for three to five years, that would be something I'd love to do."

"But this contract is very unfair to you; it will restrict your freedom of choice for the next few years."

"You might be content with just staying in the store and working hard right now."

"What if you wait a while, or a year? You will improve, you will gain knowledge and broaden your horizons through learning, and you will have more and better choices."

"Let me give you a simple example: You're still so young. If you can win national or even world-class awards in the coffee industry in the next year or two, plenty of coffee companies will want to hire you with high salaries!"

"If you joined a company like that, not only would your salary double, but you would also receive all sorts of benefits and bonuses that you wouldn't even dare to dream of now."

"Do you understand when I tell you this?"

Lan Qingqing looked at her with clear eyes, nodded, and then quickly shook her head.

"I understand!"

"But, sister, my mind is made up now. I want to sign this contract."

"You might think that this contract could restrict me and affect my future choices and judgments."

"However, after hearing these words, I became even more determined to sign the contract."

"If I work in a coffee shop for a year or two and, with the training there, I can win medals nationally or even internationally, wouldn't it be even better if I stayed longer and made even greater progress, going even further?"

"What I want now is not to use Xiaoyin Coffee as a stepping stone, but to develop in a better coffee company in the future."

What I want is inner peace.

"Sister, I understand very well that only after signing this contract can I calm down, and that will be the best way for me to grow."

"My master said that whether it's studying or working, one should not be half-hearted or greedy."

"Talented people may achieve temporary glory. But if you want to go far, it is those who put in the hard work, accumulate experience day by day, and are willing to work hard that will ultimately prevail."

"I know I'm not a genius. I just want to be the latter, someone who keeps working hard and learning diligently."

It must be said that Lan Yujuan was completely moved by these words.

Her eyes welled up slightly, and she immediately relented, "Alright, since you're still willing to sign, let's continue signing later."

"However, since you no longer need to receive an advance of 300,000 yuan in base salary from the store, the contract needs to be adjusted again."

"There's no rush. I need to go downstairs to take care of something. We can sign the contract this afternoon, okay?"

After listening, Lan Qingqing finally let them go, satisfied. "Okay!"

Soon, Lan Yujuan arrived at the lobby downstairs.

As soon as she came down the stairs, Qi Lei, who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, invited her to the backyard for a talk.

"Boss, come with me for a moment, I have something to tell you."

Lan Yujuan was somewhat puzzled, and as she followed them to the backyard, she asked softly:

"What's wrong?"

"What exactly is it that you can't explain all at once over the phone?"

Soon, the two arrived at the small pavilion in the backyard.

Qi Lei looked around the backyard and, after confirming that no one else was nearby, lowered his voice and spoke.

"Boss, we have a very unusual customer today."

"She came with a friend. First, she ordered two cups of our coffee shop's signature hand-drip coffee, and then she asked to become a member and deposited some money into the counter account."

Lan Yujuan didn't think much of it at first, but when she heard that the other party had ordered two signature drinks on their first visit, she couldn't help but straighten her back as soon as she sat down.

"So, how much money did she transfer to the account?"

"Has her membership been processed yet?"

The shop's signature hand-brewed coffee costs 5,000 yuan a cup. I ordered two cups at once, which means a single transaction of 10,000 yuan.

Currently, only three types of people are allowed to come into the store and order this coffee:

One type is wealthy people who genuinely love coffee and come for the champion beans and champion baristas; the second type are family members or friends who come simply to support the business; and the third type come for other reasons and with ulterior motives.

Clearly, the customers who came into the store today do not fall into the first two categories, so it can only be the third.

Qi Lei pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "I transferred 100,000 yuan."

"I'm feeling uneasy and think something's not right, so I haven't helped them register for membership yet."

"I was thinking of asking you first to clarify things, and then deciding whether to sign up for a membership or have the money refunded."

From this point of view alone, both Manager Qi and Lan Qingqing are very reliable!

They want customers to recharge and renew their subscriptions because they get a commission, but they won't be blindly driven by profit.

In special circumstances like today, we would prioritize her and the store's needs.

This made Lan Yujuan very happy and at ease!

"Okay, I understand!"

"Don't rush, let me go to the lobby and see who our distinguished guest is today."

The two exchanged a few words briefly, and then came out from the backyard.

Lan Yujuan first asked the two of them which coffee beans they ordered, and then asked for two small snacks from behind the bar to go with the two coffees. She carried them herself and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Hello! I'm the owner of this coffee shop, my surname is Lan." Lan Yujuan walked to the seat, stood gracefully, and then greeted everyone with a smile.

"I heard that you two ordered our coffee shop's signature dish today, so I specially arranged two small snacks for you. They go well with your coffee, so please give them a try."

The two women turned to look at her one after the other, their faces smiling; they were complete strangers.

Lan Yujuan was certain that she had never seen either of these two people before. However, one of them looked rather familiar.

"Hello, Mr. Lan!"

One of the women, whose demeanor seemed quite familiar, stood up with a smile and extended her hand in a friendly manner.

I'd heard of "Hidden Café on the Hillside" before.

"I came here today after hearing so much about your brand, and I tried your champion coffee. It was really good!"

"From now on, my two girlfriends and I plan to come here often when we have a get-together."