Chapter 778

Cousin, you loaf around every day, doing nothing—how long can that little bit of money in your hand last? Or you should find a job soon

Meili sis, don't meddle in my affairs. Once I get that thing done, I'll have as much money as you want. Maybe I can even buy you a big villa.

Cousin, the Zhang Group is already a thing of the past, and all those old connections of your family are broken—be realistic! At least you're still a college student, more promising than me. As long as you're willing to endure hardship, you'll surely make it big in Modu.

Meili sis, if you find me an eyesore, I can move somewhere else tomorrow.

Cousin, I don't know anyone here; you're my only relative. If you leave, what am I supposed to do?

Then stop nagging. I don't need you to support me.

But...

No more 'buts.' You can endure washing dishes in that lowly little restaurant for your child's sake, but I can't. If I can't reclaim what I lost, I'd rather die!

Cousin...

Enough said—my patience is limited!

……

In the General Manager's office of the Modu branch of the Old Hundreds Agricultural Products Trading Company, Chen Yang fell into thought upon seeing the photo of Zhang Meili that Bai Ruonan handed him.

In his previous life they had been husband and wife for twenty years, a mix of love and hatred. After rebirth, he had constantly tried to restrain himself from seeing this person, never expecting to meet again in Modu, a thousand miles away.

Once she never touched a drop of spring water with her ten fingers; now, for her child's sake, she does menial dishwashing in a small restaurant. This has already refreshed Chen Yang's impression of Zhang Meili.

It turns out that, apart from him, she can also endure hardship.

Yet Chen Yang was deceived for a full twenty years, suffering every hardship for her sake.

Director Chen, how should we deal with this woman?

She probably has nothing to do with this, so don't waste effort on her. Focus on Zhang Jun instead—this guy has no real talent but wants to do something underhanded against me; he surely has accomplices.

Alright, then I'll have my subordinates keep a close watch on Zhang Jun.

Mm!

After Bai Ruonan left, Chen Yang leaned back in his office chair, closed his eyes, and thought for a while. In the end he still decided to go check out that place called Qingshui Restaurant.

Although there's no chance of rekindling their old bond, they were husband and wife in his previous life. As long as Zhang Meili didn't come to Modu this time to help that bastard Zhang Jun scheme against him, if there's an opportunity to help a little, he might as well do it.

Chen Yang changed into casual clothes, then requested a company van for office use, and drove straight to Qingshui Restaurant disguised as a delivery boy.

After arriving, Chen Yang parked the van in an empty roadside spot, put on a pair of sunglasses, and only after making sure no one could recognize him did he slowly get out.

Following the address Bai Ruonan gave him, he soon found Qingshui Restaurant.

This restaurant is tiny—under ten square meters. The décor is very simple, with only four small tables in the whole place.

As Chen Yang entered, he happened to see Zhang Meili clearing away the leftover scraps from customers' meals.

After several years of separation, their reunion showed her looking far more mature than when they first met in his previous life; her glossy black hair had also been cut short.

"Good looking, what would you like to eat?" a middle-aged woman hurried over to Chen Yang, her speech thick with a strong Qingshui plastic Mandarin accent. This gave Chen Yang, also far from home, an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"Just bring me two signature dishes," Chen Yang replied casually, then took a seat at an empty table.

By then, Zhang Meili had already gone to the back kitchen to work. Chen Yang asked the middle-aged woman, "Boss lady, how long has your shop been open?"

"Five years." The middle-aged woman sized up Chen Yang carefully, then smiled and said, "Good-looking, you must have just come out to work, right? I've never seen you before."

Chen Yang laughed and replied, "I only came from Dongjiangsheng a few days ago and still haven't found a job."

Upon hearing that, the middle-aged woman warmly told Chen Yang, "There are many big factories around here; I can tell you're talented, so finding a decent job shouldn't be hard."

Chen Yang repeatedly expressed his thanks. Then he asked the middle-aged woman, "Boss lady, was that server just now a relative of yours?"

The middle-aged woman's face instantly showed a few more shades of disgust, and she spoke harshly: "I don't have the luck to be kin with such a slut. She's almost thirty and can't even wash a bowl properly. If it weren't for her still having some looks that could bring in a few more customers for the shop, I would have kicked her out long ago."

Having said that, she put on a solemn expression and warned Chen Yang, "Good-looking, this woman is basically a jinx—don't provoke her. My husband told me her uncle's family used to be the richest in Qingshui City, but they were directly ruined and left destitute. Besides, her man supposedly died in a car accident."

Chen Yang's good impression of the middle-aged woman vanished in an instant; he suppressed his anger and asked her, "If her fate is so tough, why do you still keep her? Aren't you afraid of being dragged down as well?"

The middle-aged woman huffed, "You think I want to keep her? It's just that my shameless good-for-nothing man won't agree. He says business gets better when she's around. I think he's just after her looks."

Chen Yang feigned ignorance, lowering his voice: "Boss lady, since you know the boss's thoughts, you still dare to keep her here? Aren't you worried it'll affect your marriage?"

The middle-aged woman immediately fell silent.

Seeing her hesitate, Chen Yang seized the moment and said, "If you two ever cause trouble over this woman, it won't just be your feelings that suffer—this restaurant might not even stay open."

Upon hearing that, the middle-aged woman instantly made up her mind and hurried back to the back kitchen.

After a while, he saw Zhang Meili being forcibly dragged out of the back kitchen by the middle-aged woman.

"Boss lady, I really need this job—please don't drive me away, okay?" Zhang Meili pleaded with a helpless expression; her pitiful look made even Chen Yang beside her feel a twinge of pity.

"No way—this little temple is too small to hold a great goddess like you." The middle-aged woman was adamant; she took two hundred-yuan bills from the drawer, shoved them into Zhang Meili's hands, and shoved her straight out of the restaurant.

Chen Yang didn't follow her out, but he could still hear Zhang Meili's continual pleas outside.

What surprised him was that throughout the whole process, the restaurant's owner never showed his face.

After the middle-aged woman got rid of Zhang Meili, she hurried back to the back kitchen and brought out Chen Yang's dishes—a plate of stir-fried pork with chili and a plate of minced beef, both authentic hometown dishes from Qingshui.

However, Chen Yang had Zhang Meili on his mind, so after just a few bites he paid the bill and left.

As he was leaving, the middle-aged woman gave him a few admonitions, saying it's not easy for young people to go out to work, and wasting money like that means he won't last long in Modu.

Chen Yang instantly formed a good impression of the woman again—her mouth may be a bit sharp, but at least she's a decent person.