Chapter 89: Renovation and Hiring

Jiang Liyun had a pile of things to do, wishing she could split herself in two to handle it all. Fortunately, Feng Yi could help her.

She delegated the renovation to Feng Yi while she focused on recruiting and training staff. Jiang Liyun also took charge of purchasing various kitchen equipment.

Having gathered relevant information beforehand, she had already established the rules and regulations for the store.

When hiring, she aimed for young women, as in recent years, rural girls had started working in the city. Since they typically sought jobs with meals and accommodations, she arranged housing for them.

In addition to renting the storefront, Jiang Liyun leased two more properties—one for the staff and one for herself.

She posted job advertisements and began the hiring process.

While Jiang Liyun was busy, Feng Yi was also occupied overseeing the renovation. Although a professional team was hired for the job, he monitored every step to avoid mistakes.

Most workers were cooperative, but there was one stubborn carpenter named Lin, causing Feng Yi some frustration.

“Master, this isn’t what we want.” Feng Yi frowned at the hired carpenter.

Lin, in his fifties, seemed honest and skilled, but he insisted on deviating from Feng Yi’s instructions.

“Do it like this, and we’ll waste a lot of wood.” Lin frowned.

“Wasting a bit of material is fine; we want the desired outcome,” Feng Yi replied.

“It won’t look good this way!” Lin persisted.

Feng Yi had been approachable with the workers, wearing old clothes and participating in simple tasks. However, being agreeable didn’t mean he had no limits.

The design and renovation were discussed extensively between Jiang Liyun and the designer—not something the carpenters could casually change.

“Master Lin, we hired you to follow our desired outcome, not to do it your way,” Feng Yi asserted.

“I’ve been a carpenter for over twenty years, and I know more than you. Do you think you can command me?” Lin dismissed him, believing Feng Yi was just blindly directing without understanding.

Feng Yi reminded him, “I’m the one paying your wages.”

“Is this shop funded by you? Young people don’t appreciate saving money for their parents. Your parents worked hard for this money, and you’re just squandering it,” Master Lin lectured Feng Yi in a paternal manner.

“Feng Yi responded, “Master Lin, you’ve worked for me for five days. I’ll pay your wages now, and you don’t need to come back.”

“Why? I’m doing the job well!” Master Lin protested.

“I don’t need you anymore; I’ll find another carpenter,” Feng Yi stated.

Master Lin refused to leave, feeling that Feng Yi was arrogantly directing him. Feng Yi, without much talk, packed up Master Lin’s belongings and placed them outside.

Master Lin was a local, previously employed in a local furniture factory. Accustomed to a certain status, he now demanded others listen to him when the factory work dwindled.

This situation resembled the disregard some service personnel in the past had for customers at cooperative stores.

“You know nothing and still give orders, showing no respect for the elderly! I work hard, and you bully me!” Master Lin scolded Feng Yi at the shop entrance, claiming the store would inevitably go bankrupt.

Initially indifferent, Feng Yi became angry upon hearing this. He approached Master Lin outside, his face stern. “Do you want to fight?”

Feng Yi was tall and had become more robust over the years. Though usually mild, his demeanour now conveys an intimidating aura. “If you don’t leave, I’ll take action!”

Master Lin hesitated.

At that moment, a 17- to 18-year-old youth passed by, standing in front of Master Lin, glaring at Feng Yi. “What are you doing? Why bully someone?”

Following him, a woman in her forties chased after him. “Aze, what’s going on?”

“Mum, this person is bullying this uncle,” Aze, the young man, explained to his mother.

The middle-aged woman asked, “Why are you meddling in other people’s business?”

“I’m helping when I see injustice!” Qiao Mingze stated.

Helpless, Aze’s mother turned to Feng Yi. “Why are you bullying him?”

Feng Yi replied, “He didn’t do the job well and got fired. If you feel sorry for him, hire him to work.”

Renting the property was expensive, and Feng Yi was eager to finish the renovation to start earning money sooner. He didn’t pay much attention to the two in front of him and turned to Master Lin. “If you cause trouble here again, I won’t mind giving you a beating!”

Master Lin, still disgruntled, left hastily, muttering about Feng Yi not listening and being unable to do the job well.

Seeing this, Feng Yi returned to the shop.

Aze criticised his mother, “This person is too much, even thinking about fighting!”

Aze’s mother advised him, “Stay away from people like him in the future. Be careful not to get into fights.”

“I never encounter such people; I’m going to college!” Aze proudly declared. Having just finished the college entrance exam with good results, he was confident about his future.

While Aze’s mother often passed by the shop, she noticed Feng Yi working diligently. She couldn’t help but remark to her son, “Look at him, so industrious. Why can’t you learn from him?”

Unlike Aze, who often spoke out for the “weak,” his mother didn’t share the same concern.

On that day, even though she didn’t know the specifics, she could roughly guess that someone had been dismissed for not doing the job well. It’s a quite normal occurrence.

In truth, among those helping with the shop’s renovation, this young man was the most diligent, being the first to arrive and the last to leave every day.

Qiao Mingze said, “Mum, I’m different from him. I won’t have to do this kind of manual labour in the future!”

His mother thought about it and decided not to comment.

After Master Lin left, the shop’s renovation progressed smoothly. Feng Yi found two other carpenters; although their skills weren’t as good as Master Lin’s, they were obedient and did a good job.

Rushing against time, by the end of July, the renovation was completed.

Around this time, the results of the college entrance exam were released. Since the exam involved manual grading and took place in July, the results were relatively late.

Feng Yi performed exceptionally well in the exam, successfully entering the university he applied for, H University. Among the many students at H University, his grades were likely among the top.

This was great news!

Jiang Liyun said, “Feng Yi, let’s go back for a celebration in a few days. We’ll treat everyone to a meal. When we come back, the restaurant will officially open on August 8th.”

“Alright,” Feng Yi agreed.

On the other side, there is the Qiao family.

Qiao Mingze performed well and secured admission to the local H University.

He was about to start college! Qiao Mingze was ecstatic, asking his parents for pocket money to treat his classmates to a good meal.

His classmates came to his house first, and then the group headed to a restaurant. On the way, they passed by a recently renovated but not yet opened restaurant.

“Cheers? Chelsea Burger?” A girl noticed the restaurant. “This place looks nice!”

Another girl, looking through the floor-to-ceiling window, saw the man cleaning inside and commented, “That guy is really handsome!”

Indeed, he was quite handsome, but Qiao Mingze observed with some dissatisfaction. Why wouldn’t this person disappear?

After finishing the renovation, he started cleaning. Was he an employee of the restaurant?

“So what if he’s handsome? He’s just a labourer,” Qiao Mingze remarked, feeling a sense of superiority.

The two girls glanced at Feng Yi’s old clothes and joined Qiao Mingze for dinner.

Feng Yi remained oblivious to being scrutinized by Qiao Mingze.

Jiang Liyun’s shop was eventually named “Cheers,” incorporating various meanings such as toasting, cheering, and encouragement.

They didn’t want to use a foreign name, but honestly, at this time, using a foreign name would help the business thrive.

The shop was fully renovated, employees were trained, and Jiang Liyun, along with the staff, tried making every dish sold in the restaurant.

While a traditional Chinese restaurant might need an experienced chef, their shop didn’t require one. The employees just had to strictly follow the “operation manual” for each dish, ensuring the taste wouldn’t be compromised.

The dishes they offered included various flavours of burgers, chicken rolls, pizza, fries, and fried chicken. The recipes had been researched by Jiang Liyun, and she believed the flavors were good, but it remained to be seen if people would agree.

Of course, before the grand opening, they needed to make a trip back to Jiucun Town.