novelraw Chapter 1225 588: Pursuing Him
Chapter 1225 588: Pursuing Him
It's well-known that Uncle Wang Gen Sheng's memory isn't great. There was even a rumor that he might have dementia, which worried Xu Tuqiang and others, so they wanted to find a doctor for him.
Under the premise of having a bad memory, it's quite normal that Wang Gen Sheng can't immediately recall a pastry that's especially important and meaningful to him.
Qin Huai wasn't counting on Wang Gen Sheng to give him a side quest right away.
However, Qin Huai didn't expect that Wang Gen Sheng wouldn't be able to give him one the second or third time either. This seemingly insignificant problem bothered Wang Gen Sheng for five whole days, and then he took a leave.
Yes, a leave.
Uncle Wang, who had always been meticulous, even requested leave just because he couldn't make it to Yunzhong Restaurant's kitchen to eat snacks. Without the ability to ask for leave himself, he had his wife come over to do it for him.
"Master Qin, I'm really sorry. My old Wang has been acting strange these past few days, as if he's taken the wrong medicine, mumbling about some snack all day long. This morning, when I came back from buying groceries, he was still sitting at home. I asked him why he wasn't coming over here to have snacks, and he said he couldn't think of anything and felt embarrassed to come see you, Master Qin, so he asked me to come and request a leave for him."
"I wanted to make up an excuse of him having a headache or fever to apply for sick leave, but he refused, insisting that he wasn't sick, just couldn't think of anything, and felt too embarrassed to come, and didn't allow me to lie."
"He even said that if he still couldn't think of anything, he'd be too embarrassed in the coming days too, and asked me to apply for a long leave for him."
"You see how this thing is, now even I'm embarrassed. Every day, he takes a small stool to your kitchen to eat snacks, disrupting your normal business at Yunzhong Restaurant, and you don't even charge him. And yet, he can't think of a snack when asked. I'll go home and tell him off on your behalf, Master Qin. Don't worry, Uncle Wang won't take too long a leave this time, I guarantee they'll have it figured out within three days." Chen Juan stood at the kitchen door explaining to Qin Huai, patting her chest as if taking an oath, assuring Qin Huai that Wang Gen Sheng would definitely complete the task in three days, and if not, they'd face the consequences.
Qin Huai didn't expect this issue to put so much pressure on Wang Gen Sheng, such that he even took leave and didn't come for snacks.
Qin Huai could only nod and counsel, "Aunt Chen, you don't need to put pressure on Uncle Wang. I just thought since he might have tried a lot of good food in Gusu when he was younger, I wanted to know if there's something he's particularly craving. If he can't think of anything, that's fine, no rush, no need for mental pressure. As long as Uncle Wang comes to Yunzhong Restaurant daily for snacks and helps me with taste-testing, that's the biggest support for me."
Chen Juan agreed wholeheartedly, "Sure, I'll tell him that when I get back!"
"By the way, Master Qin, do you need my old Wang to help with bookkeeping? He's got nothing to do at home these days, might as well give you a hand."
Qin Huai: "…No need for now. Our books at Yunzhong Restaurant are quite clear. As for Huang Ji… when Uncle Wang has a chance to visit Gusu, maybe he can help out there by checking the accounts."
Chen Juan understood, "Got it. After the new year, I'll take old Wang to Gusu to visit some old friends."
Qin Huai usually had little interaction with Chen Juan. When Qin Huai wasn't familiar with Wang Gen Sheng yet, Chen Juan didn't talk much on their visits to Yunzhong Restaurant for snacks. Later, when Wang Gen Sheng started to receive special treatment, Chen Juan hardly came to Yunzhong Restaurant, leaving the snack-buying to Wang Gen Sheng.
Come to think of it, Qin Huai hadn't really chatted with Chen Juan and this was the first time he'd heard her talk so much.
He didn't expect Chen Juan's personality to be so much more forthright than Wang Gen Sheng's. Indeed, in a family, one person needs to take charge outside and one inside, and Chen Juan was clearly the one in charge outside.
As Chen Juan felt she'd completed her task and was about to turn and go home, Qin Huai stopped her, asking if she could wait for about ten minutes if she had time.
In about ten minutes, the Crab Shell Cake would be ready, and Qin Huai could make more lotus root powder balls so Chen Juan could take them home, ensuring they weren't without snacks today.
Upon hearing that, Chen Juan immediately said that as a retired lady, she had plenty of time. Ten minutes or even one to two hours would be perfectly fine.
While waiting, Chen Juan sat at Table 9 chatting with Xu Tuqiang. When Xu Tuqiang learned that Wang Gen Sheng took leave just for this reason, he immediately showed a look of envy, jealousy, contempt, and said, "Isn't it just a snack he wants? I, Xu Tuqiang, could come up with 80 in an hour!"
Wang Gen Sheng is really something. Such a small request from Master Qin and he can't meet it; he's not doing justice to his place in the kitchen.
Chen Juan neither commented nor refuted, simply explaining that her old Wang was just that kind of person, has been for so many years and he won't change.
When it was time to take the snacks, Qin Huai casually asked, "Auntie, I haven't asked you before, are you from Shan City or Gusu?"
"Me? I'm from Gusu. Old Wang used to be an accountant at the textile mill, and I was a female worker there. I chased him." Chen Juan said proudly.
Qin Huai, whose mouth was originally closed, instantly dropped open. Not just to dig gossip, but out of sheer curiosity: "Was it you who chased after Uncle Wang back then?"
Chen Juan laughed, "If I hadn't gone after him, he probably would have been a bachelor for life. At that time, the union leaders were worried sick about Old Wang's marriage, set him up with many blind dates but none worked out. Then that particular incident happened, and no one dared to arrange dates for him. When I pursued him, many people thought I was crazy."