I Have a Lake as I Walk Through the Courtyard

Lin Feng chuckled. Talking to smart people is so much easier.

"To earn that much a month, one must be the head chef in a restaurant, otherwise the kitchen staff won't be satisfied. What do you think, sir?"

He Daqing slowly sipped his tea, pondering for a long time. "Tan family cuisine is extremely time-consuming, unlike other cuisines that can be ordered and served immediately!"

"Don't worry, sir. Anyone who can eat this dish will be prepared! We have a professional team to manage the restaurant; you just need to take care of the kitchen!"

"I'm relieved to hear you say that! I agree, that's settled!"

"Very good!" Lin Feng stood up and called over the waiter at the door. "Go and invite Chef Nan over."

A moment later, Nan Yi entered the private room, looked at the four dishes on the table, and stared at He Daqing with a defiant gaze. "Chef He, how's the food?"

Lin Feng smiled wryly. Luckily, he had the foresight to do so, otherwise a fight would have broken out in the kitchen someday!

"Master Nan, please have a seat. We need to discuss something with you!"

Nan Yi immediately put on a fawning smile, which made He Daqing's disdain undisguised.

"Boss Lin, you're too kind. Just let me know if you need anything..."

Lin Feng explained his thoughts, and Nan Yi glanced at He Daqing, who was leisurely drinking tea, and pondered for a long time.

"That's a great idea! The kitchen is quite spacious. Wait a moment, Chef He and I will go in, and I'll designate a specific area for it."

Lin Feng was still somewhat uneasy after listening. "You two are the pillars of our restaurant. I don't know some of the rules of the culinary profession, but I hope you won't undermine each other. With Chef He joining us, our restaurant's business will only get better and better."

Nan Yi's face turned serious after hearing this. "Don't worry, from now on, everyone in the kitchen will rely on their own abilities, each with their own space, and we won't bother each other!"

"Strictly speaking, you're also the owner of the restaurant, so you must provide full support in terms of personnel and resources! Understand?"

"Understood!" Lin Feng explained it so clearly that Nan Yi truly understood this time: the better the restaurant's business, the more profit he would receive.

"Chef He, let me take you to the kitchen!"

"Hehe, no rush! Go and prepare first. Old Master He doesn't start work until tomorrow, so we need to make sure he finishes these four dishes!"

Nan Yi glanced at him and immediately gave an awkward smile. "I'll go back to the kitchen and prepare for Mr. He's arrival tomorrow!"

After Nan Yi left, He Daqing ate the other three dishes. "He's a character; skilled, and with a temper!"

"Grandpa! It's settled then. If you ever feel unhappy about anything in the future, please give me face and tell me first, even if you're angry for a moment. Please don't..."

"Hehe, Boss Lin, I'm not a three-year-old. Back in the day, every restaurant in the Eight Great Restaurants had its star chefs. Don't worry, there's a way for chefs to get along!"

"I'm relieved to hear you say that!" Lin Feng raised his glass, and He Daqing quickly followed suit, the glasses making a crisp sound in the air.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, He Daqing hummed a little tune in a good mood as he returned to his daughter's house, carrying a large pile of gifts in his hands!

"Dad! If you keep spending that 1000 yuan like that, it won't be long before it's gone."

"Hehe, my good daughter! Your dad has found a job, so I won't have to worry about money anymore!"

The couple became instantly curious upon hearing this. "Where is it?"

"That restaurant the Lin family lad opened hired me as head chef without even tasting the dishes. Looks like your father has a pretty good reputation!"

Rainwater's curiosity only grew stronger after hearing this. "I heard that restaurant pays ridiculously high wages, Dad, how much does the head chef earn a month?"

"3000..."

"What the hell? 3000 yuan!"

"Yeah! I was shocked at first too. When I got back, I asked a few old friends, and the head chefs in Beijing are already making over 1500, almost 2000!"

"Dad! I regret it. I should have learned to cook from you back then... Why don't you teach your nephew instead!"

"If he's willing to learn, of course I'm happy to teach him."

"Isn't it supposed to be passed down only to sons, not daughters?"

"The He family line is about to end, we can't worry about that anymore!"

He Daqing unwrapped the gifts one by one, and Yu Shui's eyes lit up as she looked at them, as if she had suddenly returned to her childhood.

After unwrapping the gifts, He Daqing sighed. "Sigh, if I had known the market was like this, I would have come back sooner. That kid Nan Yi not only gets a salary but also bonuses. I reckon that restaurant's business makes him at least 5000 a month!"

With a thud, the gift in Yushui's hand fell to the ground, and Li Jianguo wasn't much better off.

"No wonder that kid's been living the high life lately, having a color TV worth over 1000 yuan sitting in the yard as a public TV! Turns out he earns that much a month..."

"That Lin family lad is really a good guy," He Daqing said, glancing at his daughter.

"Don't envy others for making a lot of money. Without the skill, even if you had the opportunity, you wouldn't be able to use it... What a pity for my silly Zhu, that's the difference..."

"It seems like business at that restaurant isn't so good lately?"

"The prices are high, the shop is shabby and small. If it weren't for a few regular customers keeping it afloat, it would have gone out of business long ago! Look at his senior and junior colleagues, aren't they all doing very well? This is what happens when you marry the wrong wife—one wrong step leads to another!"

Raindrops curled his lip. "That Jia family is like a bottomless pit. My brother's restaurant has actually made quite a bit of money over the years."

"But would Qin Huairu be willing to spend money to renovate the shop? What kind of person is Jia Zhangshi? Do you think I don't know her? She's a woman who only takes and never gives. If your brother can even pull out 200 yuan from his pocket right now, I'll consider him quite capable!"

He Daqing's eyes darted around as he said this. "I reckon news of Chef Chen's affair will soon reach the courtyard. From now on, if your brother comes looking for me, just kick him out! Don't be polite, just say it's my order."

Rain was taken aback upon hearing this. "Father! Isn't this too heartless?"

"Heartless? Didn't you see when I was kicked out of the Bai family? My today is his tomorrow. No amount of money can fill the hole in the Jia family. Kick him out and it's all over! If your brother is unlucky in the future, I can still save up some money to help him."

Rainwater instantly understood. "My brother needs money, probably for the Jia family's sake, so that's settled."

After speaking, Yu Shui looked at her husband. "Jianguo, did you hear me?"

Li Jianguo looked at the father and daughter speechlessly. "I'll do whatever you say!"

"That's right. Being soft-hearted now will not only harm him but also implicate us. He'll suffer the consequences later! Just wait and see! I'd rather give that spare money to my two nephews!"

As He Daqing spoke, he took out some gifts. "Where are those two guys? Still not off work? Ask your son later if he'd like to learn a trade from me!"

Raindrop chuckled upon hearing this. "Dad! He's over 20, can he still study?"

"With my hands-on instruction, becoming a master chef is difficult, but getting a second-in-command position on the 9th floor shouldn't be a problem!"

"Alright, I'll ask him what he thinks when he gets back!"