Chapter 52: Simple Meal for the Renovation Workers

The next day.

The residential compound was quite lively this weekend.

Aside from the online homeowners' chat group where people had spent a while discussing the opening of the steamed bun shop, text messages popped up one after another in a dazzling stream.

Offline, an engagement was taking place.

According to local customs, the groom's party had to set off a small string of firecrackers outside the bride's front door.

Nowadays, setting off firecrackers inside the apartment building hallways was strictly prohibited, so they could only light a string in an open space near the compound entrance.

Chen Zhou's small shop was the closest to the entrance.

Thus, the crackling sounds were heard most distinctly.

Chen Taotao happened to be right there. Although she covered her ears with both hands, she still couldn't resist stretching her little head out the door.

Seeing the engagement procession enter the compound and watching the commotion,

she finally turned her head back.

She said to the people inside the shop, "It was just so noisy~"

The two renovation workers had already finished yesterday's minor tasks and were eating the simple meal provided by Chen Zhou inside the shop.

Watching Chen Taotao's adorable little expression, they couldn't help laughing.

"You love watching the excitement, yet you complain about the noise. Hahaha."

"The little girl in your family is truly adorable."

Ms. Lin was also smiling, chatting with the two fellow townsmen in their local dialect.

Chen Taotao had been raised by her maternal grandmother, so even though she couldn't speak the dialect herself, hearing it made her feel a sense of warmth and familiarity.

"Uncles, you must come over to eat again in the future!"

The simple meal for the two renovation workers had been prepared by Chen Zhou—millet congee, tea eggs, steamed buns, and pickled cucumbers.

It was practically the most luxurious set meal the breakfast shop would offer for some time to come.

Because the system prompts had hinted that a few customers might never come to dine at the shop again,

Chen Zhou knew

that these two renovation workers, who went wherever there was work, were inevitably among them.

Therefore, whether consciously or not, he had prepared this simple meal for them according to the future highest standards of the shop.

Hearing Chen Taotao's sincere invitation, the two workers felt a slight sting in their noses.

The two of them said:

"If there's a chance in the future, we'll definitely come back."

"Mm!"

Chen Taotao was five years old this year; she only knew how to say goodbye and had no concept of what parting truly meant.

...

In the afternoon was the time Chen Zhou had agreed upon with Wang Meng.

Captain Wang parked his car directly right in front of the shop.

His bulky figure was quite eye-catching. Chen Zhou spotted him from inside the moment he stepped out of the vehicle, so he quickened his pace and went out to greet him.

Looking at the flashing lights of the car, Chen Zhou felt somewhat puzzled:

"Hey, Captain Wang, did you change cars, or did your consumer spending downgrade?"

"I can't possibly drive a better car than my superior officer, can I?" Wang Meng shook the car keys in his hand. "I still envy you, Master Chen, running your own little business. How free."

...Freedom had its merits, and stability had its merits.

"Don't envy me just yet,"

Chen Zhou joked with him:

"What would you do if your boss rode a bicycle?"

Walking inside, Wang Meng replied, "I would ride right behind him, put it in first gear, and pedal for all I'm worth!"

That was ideological awareness. Chen Zhou admired it.

After entering the shop, Captain Wang quickly put away his joking expression and began to carefully inspect the kitchen Chen Zhou had just arranged.

He nodded far more often than he shook his head.

In the end, he only uttered one sentence:

"You're missing a mosquito-killing lamp."

Chen Zhou replied, "The one left over from the shop before got a bit too dirty for use, so I bought a new one myself. It should arrive in the next couple of days."

Wang Meng was momentarily stunned.

"Well, that settles it. I'll head back first."

Though he claimed he was leaving, his body found the seat closest to the air conditioner and sat right down.

Then, ticking things off on his fingers, he began calculating for Chen Zhou what procedures were needed to open a small food and beverage shop.

"First, you need to..."

Chen Zhou sat across from him and picked up the sentence: "First get the business license, then apply for the food business permit."

Wang Meng could only change his phrasing:

"If you apply online, you can save yourself an extra trip."

He finally managed to salvage a bit of his dignity.

Hearing this, Chen Zhou couldn't help inquiring about something:

"Don't you have some blind date match who works in these government departments?"

"Look at you, Master Chen," Wang Meng raised a finger.

"You've developed a stereotype against me. How could I possibly have been on blind dates with women from every single industry under the sun?"

Chen Zhou thought back and realized he indeed tended to form stereotypes about others.

Take Old Zhang, for instance—he was someone with a rugged exterior and a delicate heart.

Faced with Wang Meng's questioning, Chen Zhou apologized:

"I'm truly sorry about that. I honestly thought you had just been..."

"Forget it, forget it," Wang Meng waved his hand.

......He must have felt a bit guilty himself.

Instead, he changed the subject and asked, "Do you know why I came over this afternoon?"

"Please enlighten me, Captain."

"Do you remember when we first met, and I mentioned having a blind date?"

Chen Zhou remembered. "The two of you had different dietary habits at the time, right?"

"Right. Well, she got engaged today and insisted on asking me to be her witness. I originally wanted to turn it down, but seeing as her venue was in your residential compound, I decided to drop by and grab a free meal first."

Chen Zhou frowned. "I take back what I said earlier; my stereotype of you wasn't wrong at all."

Wang Meng accepted the small sweet drink Chen Zhou handed him and casually chatted about what happened at the engagement banquet.

"While eating, people even brought up your steamed buns."

Chen Zhou asked curiously:

"How could that possibly get linked to steamed buns? Didn't the bride dislike eating them?"

"She doesn't like them, but there were still plenty of other people at the table," Wang Meng continued.

"I asked casually, and good grief—seven or eight people at my table had eaten your steamed buns. The market penetration of your buns is really quite broad."

Chen Zhou modestly replied, "My small business mainly caters to customers in the nearby compound anyway."

Captain Wang did not吝啬 (stint on) his words of praise at this moment. "The taste is good, it's clean and hygienic, and all your business paperwork is in order. You deserve to make a success of this business."

"I'll keep working hard, Leader."

"Those people even specifically instructed me while they were eating to show mercy when dealing with you."

...

By Monday,

Old Aunt and the others informed Chen Zhou that they had already cancelled their old business license.

Meanwhile, the business license Chen Zhou applied for online had also entered the review process.

According to Captain Wang, it usually took about five working days to be approved.

Once the business license was obtained, the next step was to apply for the food business permit. After submitting this application, relevant departments would come to the premises for an on-site inspection.

This referred to all the things Wang Meng had inspected in the shop yesterday.

The two of them had discussed the specific minor details thoroughly yesterday, so it was estimated that they would pass on the first try.

Aside from that, Junior Sister Zhao Yilin had also returned to work.

Naturally, she was still at the design institute.

Before submitting her resignation letter, Junior Sister used the company's computer to send Chen Zhou several styles for the storefront sign.

Junior Sister was a talented person and had designed more than one style.

There were concise and elegant ones, fashionable ones, and retro ones.

Chen Zhou simply created a chat group with Ms. Lin and Zhao Yilin to discuss it together.

Because the next few days were going to be quite busy, Chen Zhou temporarily suspended his steamed bun stall business.