Chapter 57

Chapter 57

"Yanghong, don't be upset. It looks like you don't even want to be my classmate." Qi Jinhao nudged his childhood friend with his foot.

Sun Yanghong sighed. "You don't understand. I really didn't expect that I could only get into Beizhi University."

Qi Jinhao: "..."

"Don't make me hit you! The civil engineering program at Beizhi University is excellent. You're not satisfied with that?" Qi Jinhao himself hadn't gotten into the civil engineering program; he had been accepted into Beizhi University's agricultural science program.

"N City seems a bit desolate," Sun Yanghong said, looking out the window and sighing.

Qi Jinhao couldn't help but cover his mouth.

"What nonsense are you talking? We've already arrived in N City. If you keep saying things like that, I'll hit you!" Although Qi Jinhao understood his friend's sadness over his exam results, he couldn't bear to listen to him lament anymore.

N City clearly looked fine. The station was clean, though it might be a little less impressive than their own city, but certainly not desolate.

Sun Yanghong’s face turned red as he finally managed to pry Qi Jinhao's hand away.

"Aren't I just using bleak scenery to express my sorrow?" Sun Yanghong muttered softly.

Qi Jinhao glared at him. "Say that again! Watch out, or you'll truly have something to be sorrowful about!"

Who says a city is desolate? That's just asking for trouble.

The train came to a stop.

The two of them got off with their luggage.

Their parents had initially wanted to send them off, but they suddenly received a big business deal. The two friends also wanted to test themselves, so they bought train tickets and traveled together.

"It's so cold." Sun Yanghong remarked as soon as they stepped off the train.

"Cold? This is just right. I think our place is too hot," Qi Jinhao said, adjusting his luggage.

Sun Yanghong tried to throw his bag onto his back, but they heard a voice behind them: "Ouch! Ah."

They turned around.

Good heavens, Sun Yanghong had accidentally knocked down a thin boy.

Oh no.

Both of them were a bit panicked.

Qi Jinhao quickly helped the boy up. "Are you okay? Sorry, my friend was too rough. He didn't see you behind him. Really sorry."

"Sorry, sorry," Sun Yanghong added, "Did you hurt yourself?"

Zhong Wenhou dusted himself off and picked up his woven bag. "It's fine. Just be more careful next time."

He smiled, lifted his luggage, and started to walk away.

"Wait, are you a new student at Beizhi University? We are too. Let's go together." Qi Jinhao, worried that Zhong Wenhou wouldn't believe him, hurriedly searched for his admission letter.

"Oh, okay." Zhong Wenhou responded after a moment.

Seeing that the boy was fine, Sun Yanghong secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At this point, he couldn't afford to be melancholic.

"Hey, what are you studying? What's your name?" Sun Yanghong awkwardly initiated conversation.

"Civil engineering. Zhong Wenhou." Zhong Wenhou spoke as few words as possible.

"Wow, you two are the same! I'm studying agricultural science. His name is Sun Yanghong, and I'm Qi Jinhao." Qi Jinhao's eyes lit up. "Isn't that a coincidence?"

"Yes, it is." Zhong Wenhou repeated.

Qi Jinhao felt a bit awkward. This conversation wasn't going well.

This guy seemed quite shy.

Along the way, Qi Jinhao kept trying to strike up conversations and ask for directions, eventually leading his friend and the shy guy to the North Gate of Beizhi University.

"My goodness, there are so many people in front of that shop. Wow, it smells amazing. They must be selling food, and it smells delicious." Qi Jinhao pointed to the most crowded spot.

"Young man, you have good taste." A middle-aged man approached with a smile. "That food costs ten yuan per serving."

"Ten yuan per serving?!" Zhong Wenhou exclaimed.

Sun Yanghong came from a wealthy family but didn't usually receive much pocket money. For this semester, his parents gave him a bit more, so he wasn't surprised by the price.

Qi Jinhao thought it was expensive but was curious why it cost so much.

"Is this food made of gold? Why is it so expensive?" Qi Jinhao asked.

"Well, you don't know this, but our boss Xiao Shen's cooking skills rival those of top chefs in hotels. Plus, during the start of the semester, they offer a promotion: buy a meal and get a drink and cake for free. You know about chocolate cream cakes, right? They give them away for free!" The middle-aged man said enthusiastically. "There's also milk tea and fruit tea. Have you had milk tea before? It's made by mixing milk and tea, and you can add toppings. It's really good."

"You sound like a shill. Are you?" Qi Jinhao instinctively put Zhong Wenhou and Sun Yanghong behind him.

"I'm not. I sell exchange coupons. These coupons can get you free drinks and cakes. If you want to buy them later, come to me."

Zhong Wenhou tugged on Qi Jinhao's sleeve.

"Let's go."

It looked suspicious.

Qi Jinhao didn't bother arguing further and led the two away. However, the closer they got to the shop, the stronger the aroma of the food became.

Sun Yanghong couldn't help but lick his lips and said, "Look at all these people in line; it might really be delicious. How about we give it a try?"

"No need. Let's just go to the cafeteria," Qi Jinhao said, considering Zhong Wenhou. He could tell at a glance that Zhong Wenhou's family wasn't well-off.

"It's fine. You guys go ahead; I'll go register first," Zhong Wenhou said straightforwardly.

He stood tall, his gaze unwavering, not feeling ashamed of his temporary poverty.

He hadn't stolen or been lazy; being poor wasn't his fault.

"Let me buy you some cake and milk tea. We have milk tea where I come from, but I don't know what it tastes like here. After all, I did hit you, so it's only right that I treat you. Just this once, don't refuse." Sun Yanghong's mind worked unusually quickly when it came to social niceties.

Zhong Wenhou hesitated. He hadn't caused any trouble, so there was no need for a treat.

But he didn't want to reject Sun Yanghong's kindness either.

"Come on, let's go. He has money, and it was his fault today anyway. Give him a chance to apologize." Qi Jinhao pulled the two of them into the queue.

"Hey, are you new students? You can leave your non-valuable luggage here; we'll watch over it for you," Wang Qiutao called out.

Xiao Shen anticipated that there would be many new students today.

With luggage hard to manage, she offered to watch over it. The spot was in front of her shop, and she had assigned two people to help prevent theft.

"Thank you, Auntie." Qi Jinhao saw plenty of luggage already there and realized it wasn't a scam, so he felt safe leaving his bags. Zhong Wenhou and Sun Yanghong hesitated for a moment before doing the same.

"How fragrant! It's braised pork today. No wonder it smells so good."

"Boss Xiao Shen's braised pork isn't greasy at all. I thought she stopped making it, but I'm glad I can still have it."

"The chocolate cake is almost gone again? It always sells out the fastest."

"Well, who wouldn't choose the most expensive one?"

Finally, it was their turn.

Qi Jinhao immediately said, "Three portions for us, here's the money."

Qi Jinhao quickly paid for all three.

He would give Sun Yanghong his share privately later.

"Sure thing." Shen Sijian quickly served them three portions and pointed to the side, saying, "You can get your freebies from over there."

"Thanks."

Shen Siqin frowned slightly as he watched the three of them.

He felt that these three had characteristics similar to the ones in the original book.

After Lin Shengjin was dismissed, some students still believed in him.

Among those who later followed Lin Shengjin to start a business were three students.

One of them wasn't even studying civil engineering but agriculture. He believed in Lin Shengjin because he thought such a responsible teacher wouldn't play with emotions.

Considering the timeline, these three should be students of this year.

"Hey, stop staring at the students; you're making them uncomfortable." Lin Shengjin whispered a reminder.

Shen Siqin smiled. "I know, I just think they seem to have a good relationship."

"Old Sun, which cake do you want?" Qi Jinhao asked.

"I can't decide. Why did you choose chocolate, Zhong?"

"It's the most expensive; we need to get our money's worth."

Now, Shen Siqin was certain—it was indeed these three.

What a coincidence.

However, many new students had come to buy things today, so encountering them wasn't unusual.

It turned out they had become friends right from the start.

Lin Shengjin made milk tea for the three of them. When he had a moment, he asked, "Is there something special about these three students?"

"I just find it odd that two of them seem quite wealthy. I wonder how they ended up together," Shen Siqin said vaguely.

He couldn't reveal the real reason here.

Shen Siqin lowered his eyes. Perhaps one day he would tell Teacher Lin the truth.

"Oh, you mean that? It doesn't matter. I used to be poorer than that kid. Things change after you start studying. Besides, these kids seem nice and polite," Lin Shengjin affirmed.

As he spoke, Lin Shengjin exuded an indescribable sharpness.

Shen Siqin couldn't help but smile. When he started university, he wasn't nearly as composed as Zhong Wenhou.

And Lin Shengjin had a good eye for people.

"When we open a beverage shop, we can hire part-timers. If university students are willing to work, that's fine too," Shen Siqin suggested, half-hugging Lin Shengjin's shoulder.

Lin Shengjin's eyes lit up. "Sounds good."

Boss Xiao Shen is a great boss and wouldn't underpay anyone!

Besides, if he invested, Boss Xiao Shen wouldn't agree to underpaying wages either.

After the event, the news of Shen Siqin opening a new store spread far and wide, raising everyone's expectations.

After five busy days, Shen Siqin returned to his lazy state.

It wasn't until Yan Jihan came to tell him that the shop was almost ready and he could start teaching.

Since it was mainly simple repairs without major changes, the new shop aired out for half a month and had no strange odors left.

The wall in the middle was knocked down, replaced by clean new wooden doors, the kitchen expanded threefold, all the kitchenware was replaced, new flooring laid down, the leaky roof fixed, and the walls painted white.

Yan Jihan also placed several pots of flowers and plants in the shop.

At first glance, the shop looked completely different.

Not overly fancy or luxurious, but absolutely clean and bright.

The newly made tables and chairs were temporarily stacked to one side, all made from good wood, looking durable enough to last a long time.

"Not bad, pretty good." Shen Siqin took a look around and felt very satisfied.

Nothing too flashy, but comfortable to look at.

"Alright, we can start teaching tomorrow," Shen Siqin said.

Yan Jihan: "Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. I'll bring the materials every day; just let me know what you need in the morning. The time is set from 1 PM to 6 PM. A few male employees will take turns watching the place at night, and I'll pay them."

"Sis, you handle those arrangements." Shen Siqin smiled.

Yan Jihan tapped him lightly: "I knew you liked being a hands-off boss. What about your beverage shop? Won't you have to do it yourself? Teacher Lin is quite busy."

"No rush, we'll see when the time comes." Shen Siqin said calmly.

Yan Jihan shook her head helplessly: "Let's not talk about that now. We should still do some activities for the grand opening. Don't teach these people how to make the beverages yet. Since you're planning to open a beverage shop, keep it a secret for a while longer. You'll have to put in more effort later."

"Got it, I understand." Shen Siqin shrugged, seeming indifferent.

In truth, Shen Siqin thought that over time, someone might guess the general method.

But the taste would never be exactly the same.

In terms of reputation, people would still lean towards their shop.

Moreover, although they could collaborate with food factories, production lines wouldn't appear out of nowhere.

Initially, everyone would have to make the ingredients by hand, and it would be a long time before anyone could fully guess the recipe. Besides, he knew many more beverage flavors, so there was no need to rush.

Worrying wouldn't solve anything.

First, he needed to teach this batch of people well. Everything had to be done step by step.

"As long as you understand." Yan Jihan still trusted her little brother's judgment, "Go inform Teacher Lin. Remember, we start tomorrow."

"Mm-hmm."

Speaking of which, Shen Siqin hadn't seen Lin Shengjin for three days.

Even Teacher Lin didn't go running.

With the start of the semester, Lin Shengjin got busy again.

Since Lin Shengjin didn't contact him first, Shen Siqin didn't dare to disturb him, fearing it might interfere with his work.

Finally, today he had a legitimate reason to contact him!

Seeing the smile on his face, Yan Jihan felt a bit embarrassed.

At seven o'clock in the evening.

Lin Shengjin's phone rang.

He saw it was Shen Siqin.

Lin Shengjin picked up the phone, waited a few seconds, then pressed the answer button.

"Teacher Lin?"

Shen Siqin's voice came through, filled with a smile.

"Mm, what is it?" Lin Shengjin said, trying to sound reserved.

Without a mirror in front of him, he couldn't see that he was smiling foolishly too.

Shen Siqin explained simply: "We're going to start teaching cooking here, from 1 PM to 6 PM every day. If you have time, you can come over."

"I'm free tomorrow, but probably not the day after." Lin Shengjin thought for a moment and repeated, "I've been quite busy lately, but after 8 PM, I'm usually free. If the weather is good, I'll continue going for runs tomorrow and the day after."

Shen Siqin thought, is he reporting his schedule to me?

How cute.

"Sure, I got it. By the way, I'll be watching the convenience store in the morning, selling lunch in the afternoon, and teaching in the afternoon. Otherwise, I'm pretty free." Shen Siqin mimicked Lin Shengjin's style and described his daily routine.

"Oh, I see." Lin Shengjin wondered if Xiao Shen was copying his speaking style.

"Cough, cough, what will you teach tomorrow? Should I prepare anything?" He changed the topic.

"No need. I won't teach basic skills; it's a bit late for that. I'll teach dishes based on the menu, along with each dish's preparation method, and extend to similar dishes. It'll be faster this way." Shen Siqin followed Lin Shengjin's lead and switched topics.

Lin Shengjin asked curiously: "What dish will you teach tomorrow?"

"Poached chicken." Shen Siqin thought this dish was simple yet not too simple; he could explain how to select the chicken, how to judge when the meat is cooked, and teach the basics of making the dipping sauce. Moreover, poached chicken is relatively easy to prepare, which would also boost everyone's confidence.

Lin Shengjin recalled the poached chicken he had eaten before.

Hmm, it seemed he could make it too.

"Sure," he said.