All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

"Dad, who are you looking down on? I'm telling you, it's at least 30,000!"

Upon hearing the 30,000 yuan, the old man lost his grip on the teacup, which fell onto the table and then rolled to the ground, shattering into pieces. His sleeve was also soaked.

Everyone quickly stood up, and the waiter noticed the commotion. One of the waiters on duty at the counter hurried over.

After inquiring about the situation, the waiter quickly instructed another waiter to replace the entire set of tea. He then brought a clean white towel to the old man and began cleaning up the broken teacups on the floor.

Seeing the waiter's kind attitude, the old man felt a little guilty and kept apologizing while saying he could pay for the teacup himself.

The waiter quickly replied with a smile.

"Sir, you don't need to pay for it. We are the ones apologizing. It was a mistake on our part, and we hope it didn't disturb your meal!"

The old man felt a little embarrassed when he saw that he had broken someone's cup and was apologized to. He quickly tried to grab the broom from the waiter to clean it up himself, but the waiter told him to sit down and that fresh tea had been served.

With brand-new cups and tea, plus the sweet smiles of the waiters, the old man felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Putting aside the taste of the food, the service alone made the prices on the menu worth it!

As soon as we finished preparing this, the waiter brought the hot pot to the table and started serving the side dishes. Everything was done in one go. A few minutes later, the broth in the pot was boiling, a bright red color that made our mouths water!

Han Erge quickly picked up a piece of rolled mutton, put it into the pot, and urged everyone to start eating!

Although Brother Han boasted about the restaurant, it was actually his first time eating hot pot there. He had been there a few times before, but he had only ever stood at the entrance and peered inside.

Back then, when he saw the restaurant packed with customers, he was filled with envy and jealousy. Now, however, he has a completely different mindset. He is thrilled that he can open a hot pot restaurant like that soon!

The moment the cooked mutton roll entered his mouth, Han Erge felt his tongue drooling. The taste was so stimulating—spicy, numbing, and fragrant, each flavor seemed to dance on his tongue. He chewed the smooth mutton a few times and then swallowed it.

At that moment, he only felt one word!

"Cool!"

Indeed, the first time we tasted this flavor, it was as if a whole new world had opened up for us. All four of us were completely captivated by the taste!

The old man picked up a piece of tripe and stuffed it into his mouth. The crunchy texture lingered on his tongue, prompting him to exclaim with emotion.

"The taste is indeed good, the service is good, and it's worth the price!"

Han Erge, sweating profusely from eating, took a sip of soda and, upon hearing this, quickly added his own words.

"Yes, Dad, I told you, the essence of this restaurant lies in the taste. Fangfang and I have already found a good location these past few days, but we're still a bit short on capital. We originally wanted to just ask directly, but we were afraid you two would object, so we brought you here to see it."

"How does it taste? If Fangfang and I opened a hot pot restaurant, it would definitely be a huge success!"

The old man and his wife exchanged a glance and then nodded. The old man then said...

"Your mother and I were mainly worried that you didn't have any experience in opening a shop. Since you're confident, then okay, your mother and I support you in opening the shop!"

With his parents-in-law's approval, Han Erge was overjoyed. With their support, the shop was already halfway to success. Next, he just needed to find an opportunity to ask his mother for money!

After they had finished eating, Brother Han put down his chopsticks and, instead of paying at the counter, called the waiter over.

The waiter stood smiling in front of them and quickly asked what they needed.

Han Erge waved his hand and said boldly.

"Tell your boss to put this meal on my tab. By the way, I'm your boss Han Chunming's second brother!"

After the second brother finished speaking, he got up to leave. Seeing this, the waiter quickly stopped them apologetically and then said...

"Sir, I can't make that decision myself. Let me check with my boss first, okay?"

Han Erge was stopped by the waiter and was a little displeased. He wanted to say something, but then he remembered that his parents-in-law were still there, so he spoke instead.

"Alright then, go ahead and call the boss over!"

Upon seeing this, the waiter quickly apologized again and turned to run towards the counter.

A moment later, the waiter led Guan Xiaoguan over.

Guan Xiaoguan was wearing a light yellow fitted women's suit today, which accentuated her figure. Underneath the suit was a light white strapless top that looked tight and upright. Her delicate face seemed to have a touch of frost on it, which only made her stand out from the crowd.

Her expression created a natural sense of distance, completely different from the smiling waitresses.

Guan Xiaoguan didn't know Han Erge. She walked straight up to the group, glanced at Han Erge, and then asked indifferently.

"Hello, are you looking for the boss?"

When Han Erge heard the sound, he looked up and was immediately stunned. The girl in front of him was really too beautiful. But he quickly came to his senses and hurriedly pretended to cough to cover up his embarrassment. However, in front of the beautiful girl, he was still pretending and shouted arrogantly.

“I’m looking for your boss! You must be the manager here! I’m looking for your boss, Han Chunming. I’m his second brother. Put this meal on my tab first, and we’ll settle the bill later!”

After saying that, Brother Han stood up again, ready to leave!

But Guan Xiaoguan reached out to stop them, and then said coldly.

"Excuse me, I don't know any 'Second Brother'. Our store doesn't offer credit. Please pay the bill first!"

Han Erge felt like he was being slapped in the face, especially in front of his girlfriend and in-laws. His anger flared up instantly, and he was about to explode.

At this moment, the old man next to him finally couldn't hold back anymore. He put on a stern face, gave his future son-in-law a cold look, and then turned to Guan Xiaoguan with an apologetic expression.

"Excuse me, could you please calculate the cost for me? We'll settle the bill now!"

Guan Xiaoguan nodded and then asked the waiter to bring out the bill so they could calculate the cost.

Han Erge's face was now a mix of red and green, and he felt that he had completely lost face.

The waiter had already calculated the money and, holding the ledger, spoke to the group with a smile.

"Hello, your total bill is 21.3 yuan!"

When Han Erge heard that the meal would cost 21.3 yuan, he immediately shouted loudly.

"Don't try to scam me, when did we eat for so much money?"

The waiter quickly handed over the bill, explaining carefully as he did so.

"Sir, the prices are listed on the dishes and drinks you ordered. Please take a look!"

Seeing their future son-in-law lose his composure like this, the old man and his wife's faces turned completely dark. The old man snatched the bill and handed it back to the waiter, taking out his wallet as he spoke.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, I'll pay for it!"

Upon seeing this, Brother Han immediately shouted.

"Dad, how can you pay? I'll pay, I'll pay! I just feel they overcharged me, that's all!"

As he spoke, Brother Han took out his money from his pocket and took the bill from the waiter. Looking at the bill, he saw that the prices and dishes were clearly marked. Brother Han thought about it carefully and realized that he had indeed ordered the items listed, and the prices were indeed correct!

At this point, Brother Han wanted to say a few more words, but his girlfriend quickly pulled him back.

Han Erge then noticed that his parents-in-law's expressions were indeed a bit off. He quickly remembered the purpose of his visit today and realized that he couldn't let such a small amount of money cause him to lose more than he gained.

Brother Han had no choice but to quickly take out his money and pay the bill!

The group then left the hot pot restaurant. Outside, Han Erge's parents-in-law still looked rather unwell.

Seeing the expressions on his parents-in-law's faces, Han Erge smiled awkwardly, wanting to say a few kind words to ease the atmosphere. Just as he was about to speak, his father-in-law, with a stern face, spoke up.

"Xiao Han, you go back first. We're going to take Fangfang to buy some things!"

Han Erge was a little puzzled and quickly said.

"Dad, I'll go with you. Perfect timing! We can buy some groceries together and have hot pot at home tonight. Ten yuan is enough for us to eat all day. The food at this restaurant is too expensive!"

His father-in-law's face darkened further, and he ignored Han Erge, glanced at his daughter, and then said.

"Fangfang, tell him to go back first. I need to talk to you about something!"

Fangfang glanced at her father nervously, then tugged at Han Erge's hand, signaling him to go first!

Han Erge then reluctantly left on his own!

After Han Erge left, the old man's stern face finally relaxed a bit, but his face was full of worry. He then walked forward and talked to his daughter beside him.

"Fangfang, why don't you two reconsider your marriage with Xiao Han?"

Fangfang was stunned when she heard this.

Seeing his daughter's stunned expression, the old man stopped and turned to her with a worried look on his face.

"Fangfang, Dad isn't against your marriage, but we hope you'll think it through before making a decision. Dad has more life experience than you, and I'm quite good at judging people. This young man, Xiao Han, is definitely not a good match for you. Dad and Mom are worried about your future happiness, do you understand?"

Her mother nodded, looking at her daughter with a worried expression.

Upon hearing her parents' words and seeing their worried expressions, Fangfang's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she spoke with reddened eyes.

"Dad, actually... actually I'm pregnant!"

The old man and his wife were completely stunned when they heard their daughter's words!

This was not the era of later generations; when the couple heard the news of their daughter's pregnancy, they completely lost their composure.

With red eyes, Fangfang forced a smile and spoke to her parents.

"Dad, Mom, I know you mean well, but this is the path I chose myself, and I won't regret it. Don't worry, I'll keep him in check!"

The old man glanced at his daughter, then let out a deep sigh, nodded, and said, "Fine, I've answered!"

Chapter 55: Spring Festival of 1983

The Han siblings each used their own methods and finally managed to raise the money within half a month. They then started looking for shops and preparing for renovations.

Brother Han has no real skills, but this time he managed to scrape together nearly five thousand yuan and open a three-hundred-square-meter shop.

Of the five thousand yuan, three thousand were his parents-in-law's retirement savings, their entire fortune. He had squeezed their retirement savings dry!

He learned from his girlfriend that his in-laws were somewhat dissatisfied with him, so that very night he knelt down in front of them and swore an oath.

He swore that he would treat Fangfang well for the rest of his life, and if he broke his vow, he would be struck by lightning, hit by a car, or burned to death!

The harsh vow finally gained the temporary approval of the daughter-in-law's parents, perhaps mainly because they were worried about the child in their daughter's belly, and the old man and his wife really had no other choice.

By swearing oaths and kneeling, Han Erge managed to get a savings account from his parents-in-law, which contained 3,017.5 yuan—their entire life savings.

Without saying a word, Brother Han took three thousand yuan, leaving only seventeen yuan and fifty cents.

Kneeling can be addictive. After getting such a large sum of money from his parents-in-law, Han Erge returned to the compound with his girlfriend the next day without saying a word.

He knelt down again, this time pulling his girlfriend down with him, and told his mother that Fangfang was pregnant.

Finally, with tears streaming down his face, he recounted his bitterness, saying that among the five siblings in the Han family, he had the worst life, that he didn't get married until he was almost thirty, that his in-laws looked down on him, and so on.

In the end, Han's mother softened and gave Han's second brother 1,500 yuan.

Having managed to get 1,500 yuan from his mother, Brother Han finally stood up straight and prepared to become his own boss.