I'm Done with the Elite Marriage - Chapter 91

The reality show brought Zhou Youling a brand new life experience, and of course, it was much more difficult than she had imagined. As the boss of her own restaurant, Zhou Youling had a team of professionals behind her, but now, none of the people coming to run the shop had any experience.

The main task for the second day was to determine everyone’s job responsibilities and assign various tasks.

At nine in the morning, the six guests sat down in the restaurant’s front hall and began their first meeting.

Among the six, the 43-year-old Ouyang Weiqi was the eldest, so everyone unanimously recommended Ouyang Weiqi as the Manager.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Ouyang Weiqi was already 43 this year; he was very well maintained and had been in the entertainment industry for over twenty years. You could say Zhou Youling grew up watching Ouyang Weiqi’s TV dramas. Back in the day, Zhou Youling even chased after a romance drama starring Ouyang Weiqi, and it was truly heartfelt. At that time, Zhou Youling never imagined that one day she would actually partner with Ouyang Weiqi to record a reality show.

Up close, there were few traces of age on Ouyang Weiqi’s face; some people would even believe it if you said he was only thirty. Yesterday, the other two male guests couldn’t help but curiously ask Ouyang Weiqi how he maintained himself. Ouyang Weiqi said he actually never did any skincare; only when his face got really dry in winter would he use baby cream.

Sure enough, some people are just favored by the heavens.

Now that he was the Manager, Ouyang Weiqi also showed the authority of being in charge. He said, “Personally, I think the most important thing in a restaurant is cooking. Right now, our top priority is to decide how to allocate the Kitchen.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone’s gaze locked onto Zhou Youling.

Zhou Youling was bowing her head, taking notes. When she noticed the sudden silence, she looked up in confusion and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ouyang Weiqi spoke up, “Youling, how about you take charge of the Kitchen?”

Zhou Youling almost choked on her own saliva.

Actually, there was a little episode last night.

New to the place, all six guests were starving, but for a moment, no one knew what to do. Zhou Youling quickly took some ingredients out of her bag and made everyone a delicious bowl of Fried Sauce Noodles, old Beijing style, right on the spot.

That bowl of Fried Sauce Noodles instantly gave everyone a sense of belonging and quickly brought the six of them together.

As everyone knew, Zhou Youling’s cooking skills were quite good, so it was unanimously decided that she would take charge of the Kitchen. Zhou Youling felt a lot of pressure about this, but Bo Fei volunteered to be her assistant.

“I studied cooking for a while before, so I can definitely help out,” Bo Fei said.

Ouyang Weiqi nodded, “Good!”

With the Kitchen settled, they then determined the front hall staff, discussed the relevant details, and next, they had to finalize the most important thing for the restaurant-the menu.

The main cuisine for this reality show restaurant would be Chinese food, but Chinese cuisine is divided into eight major styles: Shandong, Sichuan, Cantonese, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Anhui.

To open a restaurant, they naturally had to decide on the main cuisine and finalize the menu.

Zhou Youling suggested picking the most classic dishes from these major styles to create the menu, and also launching the restaurant’s signature dishes. She casually wrote down a few dishes: Sichuan Boiled Fish, Longjing Shrimp, Cold Mixed Three Shreds, Old Fire Soup, Oyster Omelette, Country-style Stir-fried Pork, Candied Taro…

Everyone watched Zhou Youling write the menu, their mouths watering as they looked on.

Everyone had gotten up early and hadn’t really eaten, so by this time, they were already craving food, wishing they could taste every dish Zhou Youling wrote down.

Zhou Youling said, “We need to consider the ingredients we can actually buy locally. Otherwise, if we finalize some dishes but can’t get the ingredients, we won’t be able to make them.”

Xin Nen, holding her cheeks in both hands, looked at Zhou Youling with an admiring gaze and said, “Elder sister, do you know how beautiful you look right now?”

Zhou Youling said, “It’s nothing.”

Since she was going to be in charge of the Kitchen, Zhou Youling had to lead by example and would have to go to the market that afternoon to buy ingredients.

Bo Fei volunteered to be Zhou Youling’s helper, so naturally he had to go along.

The program team’s funds were limited, so every penny had to be spent wisely.

Zhou Youling and Bo Fei searched for a long time before finally finding a comprehensive market. The comprehensive market was far from the restaurant, and a round trip would take more than two hours. But the prices there were cheap, and almost everything they wanted was available.

If they chose to buy ingredients there, Zhou Youling and Bo Fei would really have to get up early and work late every day. But if they chose the nearby supermarket, it would save a lot of time, but the prices would be much higher and the selection less abundant.

All things considered, Zhou Youling decided it was better to sacrifice some sleep and come early every morning to buy ingredients.

After finalizing the menu and ingredients, Zhou Youling and Bo Fei were almost exhausted by the time they got back.

Even Bo Fei, a strong young man, couldn’t help but feel tired, let alone Zhou Youling.

On the way back, Bo Fei took the initiative to ask Zhou Youling, “I couldn’t tell, but you’re so young and yet so skilled at grocery shopping. To be honest, I actually see a bit of my mom in you.”

“That’s right, I’ve loved cooking since I was a child.” Zhou Youling was so tired she could only nap for a bit, exchanged a few random words with Bo Fei, and fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

Just now at the market, Zhou Youling was absolutely dominating, cutting through every obstacle with ease.

Even though the aunts at the market and Zhou Youling were completely talking at cross purposes, as if they weren’t even speaking the same language, somehow their conversation sounded like they’d known each other for years. This left Bo Fei, standing to the side, utterly impressed.

Going out together to buy ingredients this time also brought Bo Fei and Zhou Youling much closer.

Seeing Zhou Youling leaning uncomfortably against the bus seat, Bo Fei gently guided her head onto his shoulder, hoping she could get a good rest.

Zhou Youling hadn’t slept well the night before. Being new here, she was a bit restless, but now she fell asleep in an instant.

There was still over half an hour to go before they reached the restaurant. Outside the bus window, the sky was blue with white clouds. Though the weather was hot, their hearts were carefree.

Before long, Bo Fei also closed his eyes, stealing a moment of leisure in this brief, beautiful time.

The camera beside them kept filming, but they had no time to pay attention.

To some extent, Zhou Youling had run a restaurant before, so she was very familiar with the Kitchen workflow.

Because her own Food and Color restaurant was extremely popular, always packed with long lines, the Kitchen prep work there was always orderly, with everyone having clear roles.

Zhou Youling considered that the restaurant would have a steady stream of customers, so she prepared the ingredients in advance. It sounded easy, but doing it was much harder.

Zhou Youling had to get up at five in the morning, go to the market to buy fresh ingredients, then rush back to the restaurant, which already took until eight o’clock.

From eight o’clock, Zhou Youling started prepping ingredients with Bo Fei, working together until the restaurant opened at ten thirty.

But unexpectedly, after Zhou Youling had been busy in the Kitchen, there were still no customers in the front hall.

It was already eleven thirty, but the restaurant was still empty. Manager Ouyang Weiqi was so anxious he was pacing in circles.

“What should we do? Should we go out on the street to bring in customers?” Ouyang Weiqi asked.

Xin Nen and Zu Yuanrong were both helping in the front hall, and since they had no experience, they followed Ouyang Weiqi’s instructions on everything.

Soon, Zhou Youling came out from the Kitchen, asked about the situation, and then said to Manager Ouyang Weiqi, “It’s our first day open-why don’t we come up with some special feature to attract customers?”

Ouyang Weiqi thought that sounded good and asked Zhou Youling, “What do you think we should use to attract customers?”

Zhou Youling couldn’t think of anything else for the moment, but happened to see Qu Chenghong standing nearby, so she asked him, “Did you bring your guitar? How about performing a song at the restaurant entrance?”

“Is that okay?” Qu Chenghong asked.

Zhou Youling said, “Let’s give it a try.”

Qu Chenghong was twenty-five this year, a bona fide handsome guy. Like today’s top star Xu Jiaze, he also came from a talent show. But compared to Xu Jiaze, Qu Chenghong’s luck clearly wasn’t as good. He went to Korea early on as a trainee, but never managed to stand out, only returning to China last year.

Now, Qu Chenghong had a certain level of popularity, following the path of a singer-songwriter idol.

Zhou Youling asked Qu Chenghong to sing some internationally popular songs to see if they could attract some foreigners.

Given the chance to perform, Qu Chenghong naturally wouldn’t waste it. He took his guitar and walked outside the restaurant. As soon as he strummed the first note, he caught the attention of passersby.

“Well you done done me and you bet I felt it

I tried to be chill but you’re so hot that I melted

I fell right through the cracks

Now I’m trying to get back

Before the cool done run out

I’ll be giving it my best…”

As soon as Qu Chenghong started singing, he seemed to radiate a powerful aura.

At first, the other restaurant guests all became Qu Chenghong’s audience, watching him stand at the door with his guitar, singing easily, and couldn’t help but want to sway along.

Qu Chenghong grew up in America and spoke fluent foreign languages, so singing English songs was no challenge for him at all.

Since arriving at the restaurant, Qu Chenghong had been in the background, but now he became the center of attention.

Gradually, more and more people gathered to watch.

By the beach, it’s not unusual to see someone singing with a guitar, but singing well is another matter.

Seeing a crowd gathering, Zhou Youling went up to greet them, then vividly told them that today was the restaurant’s first day open-not only was the food delicious, but there were also discounts.

The discounts had been unanimously decided yesterday, since it was the first day of business. Manager Ouyang Weiqi had also come up with several ways to attract customers, one of which was offering discounts.

As long as one person from the crowd came into the restaurant, that would count as a success.

As a result, more and more customers came.

All the ingredients Zhou Youling had prepared earlier were put to use, and the dishes were served in an orderly fashion, not a single second wasted.

But no one knew how nervous Zhou Youling was at this moment. She didn’t dare to pull back the curtain to look at the customers in the front hall, afraid that her food might not satisfy them, even though she believed there was nothing wrong with her dishes.

Busy times always pass especially quickly. They worked nonstop until one-thirty in the afternoon before the Kitchen finally quieted down.

Zhou Youling finally put down her spatula.

Almost as soon as Zhou Youling set down her spatula, she heard the sound of applause.

Standing in front of Zhou Youling were five guests, led by Manager Ouyang Weiqi, along with Qu Chenghong, Bo Fei, Xin Nen, and Zu Yuanrong, all applauding her in unison.

Zhou Youling pulled out a napkin to wipe her hands and asked curiously, “Why are you applauding?”

Ouyang Weiqi stepped forward to stand in front of Zhou Youling and said to her, “Thank you for your quick thinking at lunch today, and thank you for single-handedly finishing all the dishes in the Kitchen on time. Without you, our restaurant might have had nothing to serve today.”

Everyone had seen everything Zhou Youling did. She worked methodically and stayed calm under pressure. Although Bo Fei helped out, most of the dishes were completed by Zhou Youling alone. Just one person, two woks, and a pot of soup. If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, it would be hard to believe Zhou Youling had done it all herself.

This afternoon, the front hall received a total of twenty-six tables of customers, but not a single one complained about the food. On the contrary, the vast majority said the food was delicious, and some even said they would bring friends back tonight.

“This is just what I should do,” Zhou Youling said sincerely.

She wasn’t being modest; she truly believed it from the bottom of her heart. If she wanted to do something well, she would give it one hundred percent effort and action. What Zhou Youling didn’t expect was that, in the eyes of others, everything she did seemed to have become a model to follow.

The morning came to an end, and it was time for lunch.

Zhou Youling prepared for everyone the signature dishes from today’s restaurant menu, including: Sichuan Boiled Fish, Cold Mixed Three Shreds, Old Fire Soup, Fried Oysters, Country-style Stir-fried Pork, and Hot and Sour Cabbage.

Everyone sat around the table, each holding a big bowl, eating heartily. Even Xin Nen and Zu Yuanrong, who usually paid attention to their diets, couldn’t care less at this moment.

Xin Nen said, “I can only say Zhou Youling’s cooking is too good. If I don’t eat, I’m letting my stomach down.”

Zu Yuanrong said, “Right, right, right, the weight loss plan can pause for now. After all, we have to do physical work.”

Ouyang Weiqi asked Zhou Youling, “When did you start cooking?”

Zhou Youling said, “Probably in junior high school. That was when my family went bankrupt, all the servants left, and I had no choice but to do it myself.”

“Bankrupt? Servants?” That did make everyone a bit curious.

Zhou Youling mentioned it casually, not expecting everyone to be so interested in those words.

In everyone’s eyes, words like bankruptcy and servants might be normal today, but a decade or so ago, that was not something ordinary people had.

Mentioning Zhou Youling’s background, everyone couldn’t help but be curious.

With a little digging, Xin Nen, holding her phone, exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my god, I found out who Zhou Youling’s dad is! Guess who!”

Zu Yuanrong asked, “Who?”

Xin Nen: “It’s actually the former richest man, Zhou Zhishan!”

Former richest man?

Zhou Youling, who was eating with her head down, smiled faintly. “That’s all in the past. Eat up, eat up, or I’ll finish all the food myself!”

From then on, everyone’s view of Zhou Youling changed quite a bit.

So, she wasn’t just an ordinary person on the show, but a hidden big boss! No wonder she’s so decisive and efficient-it’s all inherited from the family of the former richest man.

After lunch and a short rest, it was time to get busy preparing for the evening’s business.

What was comforting was that after the morning’s work, nothing major had gone wrong in the restaurant, the guests got along harmoniously, and everyone cooperated very well.

Zhou Youling didn’t take a nap. She was like a spinning top, never stopping. After lunch, she started prepping ingredients again, making a list of the best-selling dishes and planning to buy more ingredients for tomorrow.

By a little after three, Zhou Youling finally sat down.

The weather was hot, and Zhou Youling’s clothes were already soaked with sweat and then dried again. Her hair was all tied up at the back of her head, and she wore a hat. Taking off her hat, she sat on a chair, enjoyed the breeze for a while, and zoned out.

After a while, Bo Fei came over and sat down next to Zhou Youling. He handed her a glass of sour plum juice and said, “Do you want to take a break?”

Zhou Youling was exhausted and nodded, “I’ll sleep for half an hour. Wake me up then.”

“No problem,” Bo Fei replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Youling was already lying on the bench, fast asleep.

Bo Fei, sitting beside her, was amazed at how quickly Zhou Youling could fall asleep.

Although the weather was hot, there was a breeze. Bo Fei was afraid Zhou Youling might catch a chill, so he found a piece of clothing to cover her with.

One after another, other guests came out from the restaurant, but as soon as they saw Zhou Youling sleeping, they all automatically softened their steps and stopped talking.

In this short half-hour nap, Zhou Youling didn’t dream. She slept very well, because she was tired.

Dinner service started at 4:30 pm.

Because of returning customers, the restaurant had gained some recognition. Still, attracting new customers was necessary, so Qu Chenghong continued singing outside.

Outside the restaurant, Fu Hexu looked up at the sign and asked Fu Xunzhou, “You even chased your wife all the way here, that’s not easy.”

Fu Xunzhou said, “It’s fine, it’s just that I haven’t eaten her cooking in a long time.”

Fu Hexu looked surprised at his words: “Don’t tell me, you came all the way here just to eat her cooking?”

Fu Xunzhou smiled without answering.

Xin Nen, who was in charge of reception at the restaurant entrance, recognized Fu Xunzhou almost at a glance, because this man had come to eat at the restaurant at noon. Not only that, last night Xin Nen had also seen this man entangled with Zhou Youling.

Fu Xunzhou’s looks were outstanding among Asian faces, making him hard to forget.

After entering the restaurant, Fu Xunzhou casually found a seat and sat down.

Fu Hexu followed and sat with him, picking up the handwritten menu for a look.

“Can I order one of everything?” Fu Hexu asked.

Fu Xunzhou was worried Zhou Youling would be too tired, so he frowned at Fu Hexu: “Can you finish that much?”

“Why not? It’s a piece of cake.” Fu Hexu raised his eyebrows, then lowered his voice in front of Fu Xunzhou and said, “Besides, I never get tired of our younger brother’s wife’s cooking.”

“Get lost.” Fu Xunzhou didn’t let Fu Hexu order, and took it upon himself to order a few dishes that seemed relatively simple.

These days were nothing short of paradise for Fu Xunzhou, after all, he could openly eat the food Zhou Youling made with her own hands here.

At noon, Fu Xunzhou had come alone and ordered three dishes: hot and sour cabbage, farmhouse stir-fried pork, and slow-cooked soup.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the moment the food entered his mouth, many memories instantly leaped out from Fu Xunzhou’s mind.

Fu Xunzhou remembered that Zhou Youling could make a great soup, one sip of its delicious flavor could make him forget a whole day’s busyness and toil. But after the divorce, he hadn’t had the chance to taste it for a long time.

While waiting for the dishes to be served, Fu Hexu looked around, turning his head this way and that.

There were cameras everywhere, making it hard for people to feel at ease while eating.

Fu Hexu asked Fu Xunzhou, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll end up on TV?”

“What’s there to be afraid of?”

Fu Hexu teased, “You’re so handsome, what if someone falls for you? What would you do then?”

Fu Xunzhou: “…”

Fu Hexu knew his joke wasn’t funny, so he changed the subject: “Recently my relationship with grandfather has eased a bit, but the old man talks about you all the time. Always asking where you’ve gone, what you’re busy with, he’s practically jealous of me.”

Fu Xunzhou looked coldly at Fu Hexu and said, “Cut the crap, just say what you want.”

“Alright, grandfather wants to know how your pursuit of our younger brother’s wife is going. But from the looks of it, there’s still no progress.” Fu Hexu shook his head as he spoke.

Fu Xunzhou kept a cold face and didn’t answer.

He didn’t want to win Zhou Youling back to prove anything, he just truly wanted her to live well.

Up till now, the Fu Family still didn’t know that Zhou Youling had already given birth to Zhou Ran in B City. Fu Xunzhou kept his promise and was also protecting Zhou Youling and her son.

Soon, the dishes were served, and Fu Hexu was the first to pick up his chopsticks.

Fu Xunzhou subconsciously glanced toward the kitchen.

The restaurant was already packed, and Zhou Youling was busy in the kitchen, working in full swing. She didn’t have time to come to the front hall to join the fun, focusing seriously on her work.

Fu Xunzhou didn’t want to disturb Zhou Youling at this time either. He just wanted to taste her cooking, sitting quietly in the most secluded corner.

After the meal, Fu Hexu burped right in front of Fu Xunzhou without any regard for manners.

Fu Xunzhou looked at Fu Hexu with disdain.

Fu Hexu said, “What are you looking at? Never seen someone burp? It’s just like eating, drinking, peeing, pooping, and sleeping. Don’t think you’re so refined.”

Fu Xunzhou just felt that talking to Fu Hexu was a waste of words. He took out some money from his wallet and handed it to Xin Nen, who had come over to collect payment, saying, “Keep the change.”

Xin Nen checked the amount and said in surprise, “Thank you!”

It wasn’t a small sum, so Xin Nen double-checked with Fu Xunzhou.

Fu Xunzhou said, “Just take it, you deserve it.”

Fu Xunzhou also knew that the proceeds from this reality show would all be donated, so his money didn’t really matter.

Beside him, Fu Hexu lazily propped one hand on the back of his chair, looking at Fu Xunzhou: “Ah, I almost forgot to tell you something.”

“What?” Fu Xunzhou asked.

Fu Hexu shrugged lightly and said, “I still can’t believe it-our younger brother’s wife actually secretly gave birth to a big, healthy boy without telling anyone?”