Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Ning Shanan swaggered into the living room.

Ning Hedong, who had been waiting for Ning Shanan to come home, saw him walking like a crab, almost sideways, and couldn't help but frown.

"What's gotten into you? Did you eat some magical pill?" Ning Hedong asked.

Ning Shanan, still strutting, walked to the coffee table with his hands behind his back.

*Slap.*

He slammed a file folder onto the wooden coffee table.

Joke’s on him if it wasn’t a wooden table; he wouldn’t dare throw such a thick file.

If he broke the table, his confidence would shatter too.

Ning Hedong: "…"

This kid, how did he turn so silly after just one trip out?

"What is this?" Ning Hedong took out his reading glasses from his pocket.

Ning Hedong picked up the proposal and read through it from start to finish.

The more he read, the brighter his eyes became.

"Shen Siqin wants to cooperate with you?" Ning Hedong asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, Grandpa, what’s that look for? Is it strange that they want to work with me?" Ning Shanan sat proudly on the sofa, pointing vaguely at the proposal. "Grandpa, just tell me how good this proposal is."

"It’s certainly good," Ning Hedong nodded slightly, noting its clear structure and comprehensive data and information.

Even though Ning Hedong didn’t fully understand the industry, after reading the proposal, he could see how promising it was.

"Did you agree?" Ning Hedong asked.

Ning Shanan nodded: "Of course, I agreed."

Ning Hedong frowned slightly: "What were the initial terms you agreed upon? Tell me specifically."

He wasn’t that easy to fool.

"The first phase involves opening ten stores. Since we can rent in the beginning, the main investment will be in transforming the food factory production line. According to the proposal, the initial investment totals around 200,000 yuan. We agreed that I would contribute fifty percent of the funds, while Teacher Lin and Boss Xiao Shen would provide the other fifty percent."

"In addition, Boss Xiao Shen will handle product development and personnel training, Teacher Lin will liaise with related food factories, and I will manage everything else. After the company is established, profits will be split seventy-thirty. If there are any equity issues in the future, it will also be seventy-thirty. The primary person in charge of the company will be Boss Xiao Shen."

Teacher Lin is, after all, a university professor. Investing is fine, but actively participating in management might be too much.

"As for further cooperation, it depends on how things develop. If the first phase goes smoothly, subsequent collaborations will likely follow a similar model. This is just an initial intention; we haven’t signed any contracts yet."

Ning Shanan said, "Do you think it’s okay?"

"You get thirty percent?" Ning Hedong asked with a faint smile.

"Yeah, I get thirty percent, and they get seventy percent." Ning Shanan nodded.

"You’re involved in specific management, investing fifty percent, and only getting thirty percent?" Ning Hedong felt this arrangement was reasonable, but he still thought the boy was being a bit naive.

"They also provide the recipes. Besides, we don’t have connections in the local food industry. Plus, Boss Xiao Shen has gained some fame now, and we’ll rely on him for promotion. I’m involved in management, but they aren’t slacking either. Seventy percent combined seems fair enough." Ning Shanan knew he was slightly disadvantaged.

But the prospects were good, and when he calculated it, he didn’t feel too shortchanged.

"Hurry up and get things done." Ning Shanan said, "Grandpa, don’t tell Dad yet. Wait until I’ve made a name for myself before telling him."

Ning Shanan rubbed his hands, eager to get started.

"You’ve thought it through clearly." Ning Hedong smiled with some relief. "Since you think it’s feasible, go ahead and do it. Do you have enough cash on hand? If not, I can lend you some."

"No need. When I came here, my mom gave me some money. I’ll figure out the rest." Ning Shanan had already planned it out; he could cover the costs himself, but afterward, he’d have little private savings left.

"You’re using the money your mom gave you? You really are... dedicated."

Seeing the proposal, Ning Hedong had considered investing as well.

But seeing his grandson’s determination to take it all on himself, he couldn’t bring himself to mention it.

"Indeed. Oh, by the way, Grandpa, you don’t know, but today Boss Xiao Shen’s hot pot tasted pretty good. I brought back a few pieces of the base ingredients. The spicy ones won’t suit you, but you can try the bone broth." Ning Shanan pulled out a plastic bag from behind his back, containing several carefully wrapped pieces of base ingredients.

It was hard for him to get these from Boss Xiao Shen.

Boss Xiao Shen seemed to want to save them for Teacher Lin.

He didn’t want to give them to him...

******

"Just a few pieces of base ingredients, and you’re being stingy? Usually, you’re so generous. This time, why are you so tight-fisted? Ning Shanan is our partner." Lin Shengjin, washing dishes, looked at the sulking Boss Xiao Shen.

"I’m not being stingy; I just... made those for you." Shen Siqin sighed.

He wasn’t being stingy, but these base ingredients were specially prepared for Lin Shengjin!

They had a different meaning, didn’t they?

Teacher Lin seemed to love hot pot, and he wanted these ingredients to last him a while.

Now half of them were taken by Ning Shanan.

Lin Shengjin chuckled.

Xiao Shen Boss is sometimes so reliable, and sometimes so childish.

He knows it himself; he doesn’t lack for food.

Shen Siqin’s ‘grievous’ gaze drifted toward Lin Shengjin.

Laugh.

Teacher Lin still laughed.

"Alright, alright, I won't laugh anymore. I know what you mean. Isn't there still half left? Wait until I finish eating, and then you can make more for me. Or are you tired of cooking for me?" Lin Shengjin said matter-of-factly.

"How could that be? Teacher Lin, you've become quite the talker now." Shen Siqin said helplessly.

Lin Shengjin shrugged: "Maybe this is what they call rubbing off on each other."

Shen Siqin: "…"

Teacher Lin has improved so quickly. When we first met, Teacher Lin was so polite, not like now.

But he likes it!

"It's getting late; it's already nine o'clock in the evening." Shen Siqin placed the washed dishes and utensils neatly, looking up at the wall clock with a sigh.

If only he could stay overnight.

He just thought about it.

They haven’t officially started dating yet; staying over, even if they don’t do anything, would seem too casual.

Although Shen Siqin talks a lot, it’s just talk.

For now, holding hands with Teacher Lin and listening to him talk is enough for him.

Lin Shengjin, as if not hearing the implication in his words, said: "Oh, it is getting late. You should go back early."

Shen Siqin: "…"

He suddenly had a feeling that he might soon be outtalked by Teacher Lin.

Sigh, learning good takes effort, but learning bad comes easily.

"Okay." Seeing that everything was tidied up, Shen Siqin wiped his hands on a towel hanging in the kitchen and said, "I'll be going now. See you tomorrow."

Seeing how readily he was leaving, Lin Shengjin felt a bit strange.

Well, he admitted, he rather enjoyed spending time with Shen Siqin, doing chores and chatting; it made him feel at ease.

He pursed his lips, thinking for a moment before saying straightforwardly: "Actually, you can stay overnight if you want. But I don’t have a guest room; I turned it into a study. You’d have to sleep in the living room."

Shen Siqin smiled; Teacher Lin was still so honest and cute.

He gently shook his head: "Get some rest early. Is there anything you want for breakfast tomorrow? I’ll bring it."

"Oh, then you also get some rest early. I don’t want anything special. By the way, let’s go eat noodles tomorrow. There’s a place that serves authentic southern-style noodles. We did say we’d explore the area around the school when we had time, but we never got around to it."

Lin Shengjin had been so absorbed in cooking lately that he almost forgot about this!

"That’s right, we did say that. Okay, let’s go eat noodles." Shen Siqin was quite looking forward to it.

Taking a few steps to the door, his hand already on the handle, Shen Siqin suddenly turned around with a smile and said to Lin Shengjin, "Brother Lin, see you tomorrow."

With that, he opened the door and stepped out.

Before the door closed, he caught a glimpse of Lin Shengjin’s suddenly flushed face through the crack.

Riding his motorcycle, Shen Siqin felt the evening wind blowing against his face.

Yeah, it stung.

In the deep autumn of the north, the wind already had a hint of winter, though not quite cutting like a knife. Still, facing the wind wasn’t a pleasant experience.

The next day.

Shen Siqin hadn’t eaten anything and went to the playground early.

Together, they jogged for several laps, then started doing pull-ups.

At first, Shen Siqin could only manage two or three pull-ups, but now he could do seven or eight.

Quite an improvement.

Though it couldn’t compare to Lin Shengjin’s effortless performance, it was a significant improvement for Shen Siqin!

He remembered one of his young employees mentioning that many college guys struggled with pull-ups during physical tests, barely managing to lift their bodies.

Thinking about this, Shen Siqin felt a bit comforted.

Then, he watched Lin Shengjin effortlessly do over thirty pull-ups while sitting on the parallel bars.

Shen Siqin estimated that with six months, he might catch up… maybe.

"Let’s go. That noodle place is famous around here. Let’s go eat!" Lin Shengjin wiped his sweat and said energetically.

Still slightly out of breath, Shen Siqin: "…"

Shen Siqin smiled resiliently: "Okay, let’s go."

Lin Shengjin nimbly led Shen Siqin through a shortcut to the east gate of the school.

Go out the east gate and walk another five or six hundred meters, and you'll arrive at an ordinary shop.

The sign is the simplest kind, with the words — Authentic Laoyou Rice Noodles.

Shen Siqin's lips twitched.

It had to be said, people really went for straightforward names.

But using the word 'authentic' was indeed eye-catching.

In any case, he wanted to try it.

As the saying goes, there's no wife in wife cake, and there are no old friends in laoyou rice noodles.

Laoyou rice noodles are actually rice noodles, also called rice vermicelli, made by grinding rice into a paste and steaming it, then slicing it into flat, wide strips.

To make this kind of noodle, they add stir-fried sour bamboo shoots. Those who love it find it truly delicious, while those who don't are really put off by it.

Walking into the noodle shop, Shen Siqin caught a strong scent of sour bamboo shoots.

It had been a long time since he last smelled that!

The sign outside only mentioned laoyou rice noodles, but once inside, Shen Siqin discovered they also sold char siu rice noodles, fresh meat rice noodles, spring rolls, meat buns, and flatbread.

Shen Siqin: "???"

This menu was quite a mix of northern and southern styles.

He even wondered if he had seen the word 'authentic' correctly.

Looking more closely, Shen Siqin noticed that the laoyou rice noodles could be enhanced with fried eggs and sausages—a modern touch indeed!

"We'll have laoyou rice noodles with added eggs and sausages, all three taels each, plus a plate of spring rolls and two flatbreads," Lin Shengjin said, turning to look at Shen Siqin.

Shen Siqin shook his head, indicating he didn't want anything else.

Cooking the noodles was quick.

Since the rice noodles were already cooked, their order arrived promptly.

Of course, they ran into a few acquaintances.

Food lovers always seemed to bump into each other wherever good food appeared.

Shen Siqin felt he was getting used to it.

"Try it; the soup is both sour and spicy, really delicious," Lin Shengjin recommended.

Shen Siqin nodded and picked up his chopsticks, lifting a strand of noodles.

Smooth and tasty, the flavor was rich and spicy.

Indeed, it tasted great, not exactly like what he had eaten in the southern shops before, but equally good.

On a slightly chilly morning, having such a bowl of noodles made him feel warm and comfortable all over.

Three taels of noodles were a bit small for Shen Siqin, but with the spring rolls and flatbreads, he was quite full.

After eating and drinking their fill, as they walked back together, Shen Siqin voiced his confusion.

"It's rare to see southerners opening snack shops here." Shen Siqin hadn't expected to find such authentic laoyou rice noodles.

"You don't know everything," Lin Shengjin blinked his eyes, urging Shen Siqin to ask more.

"What's going on? Is there some inside story?" Shen Siqin asked, playing along.

"This shop is run by the family of a new teacher at our college. Teacher Mu successfully stayed on campus this year," Lin Shengjin said, his eyes shining.

"That's impressive," Shen Siqin said.

"I heard she's the only girl in her family."

"That's somewhat unusual," Shen Siqin knew most people their age had siblings.

"Well, it's not that strange. Teacher Mu said her mother's health suffered after giving birth to her, so she's the only one. And she's very accomplished; you don't know how tough the competition was to stay on campus!"

"You probably haven't met her; she was too busy recently, trying to secure her position, so she hardly went out. But she likes ordering from new restaurants."

Shen Siqin laughed. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Your new restaurant is popular among young teachers, and many professors like it too, though they can't eat it every day because the dishes are heavy and hard to digest."

"She plans to work here long-term, so her family moved here. Her parents make excellent noodles; they ran a small shop in the south and started anew here. At first, people thought the laoyou rice noodles weren't filling enough, and some couldn't get used to them, so they added flatbread and spring rolls. They also introduced fresh meat and char siu rice noodles to cater to a broader taste."

Lin Shengjin didn't mind the change, but initially, he wasn't satisfied either.

Three taels of noodles looked plenty when cooked, but they disappeared quickly.

Rice noodles digest fast.

While delicious, they didn't satisfy Lin Shengjin for long, leaving him hungry two hours later.

Now, however, the shop offers several new options. Soaking flatbread in laoyou rice noodles adds a unique flavor.

Shen Siqin observed, "Their shop seems to have many customers. Truly, people thrive where they're planted. It's essential to adapt and explore."

Initially, he had asked Lin Shengjin to treat him to dinner mostly to spend more time with him, but now he found it beneficial in multiple ways.

"Right? Right!" Lin Shengjin said, slightly tilting his head with pride. "There's no corner around here I'm not familiar with. Too bad I've got plans with my friend who runs a food factory tomorrow, otherwise, I could treat you again."

His friend expressed a desire to taste Shen Siqin's cooking, as they had some business to discuss. Such a reasonable request was naturally no trouble at all, so the only option was to host the meal at home.

Shen Siqin looked at his slightly proud expression and nodded with a smile.

"No rush, we can take our time to enjoy the meal."