Chapter 025

Chapter 025

The night of the grand opening of Da Yin, the staff had cleaned everything inside and out, and by the next morning, the firecracker debris on the road outside the door was all cleared away.

Hu Pan stood with her hands on her hips on the road: "Should we leave some traces behind? It's too clean."

"No need. If we leave traces, people will know we just opened, and they might doubt the professionalism of our service," said San Bing, also standing with his hands on his hips.

"That makes sense," Hu Pan looked at Chen Jian who was squatting on the other side of the road, "Store manager, why don't you go back and get some more sleep?"

"No need," Chen Jian sneezed.

"Catching a cold on the first day of official business, you really know how to pick your timing," San Bing said.

"He's been working hard for so many days, and now that he's relaxed, he's gotten sick," Hu Pan said.

"It's not even cold, how did you catch a cold?" San Bing asked, "How long were you patrolling outside yesterday?"

Just one round.

I lay down on the chair for half an hour.

"...Quite a while," Chen Jian took out a mask and put it on, "I'll eat separately later so I don't infect you guys."

"Just don't infect the boss," Hu Pan said.

Infecting the boss would be fine; he doesn't do any work anyway.

"Are you a spray bottle? Spreading germs as you walk by?" Shan Yu asked over the phone.

"Whether I'm a spray bottle or not, I still breathe," Chen Jian said, "They told me to stay away from you."

"As long as you're not kneeling next to me to check if I'm dead, you won't be breathing in my face," Shan Yu said.

Chen Jian sighed.

"If there's nothing much today, just sleep more," Shan Yu said, "They say sleeping more helps you recover faster. Get well soon, we can't do without a store manager."

That salary of 14,000 isn't for nothing.

"Yeah," Chen Jian responded.

But indeed, there wasn't much to do today. The three couples for the opening red envelope wouldn't arrive until noon tomorrow. Chen Jian went back to the dormitory and lay down.

This cold really was quite awkward.

He wasn't sure if Shan Yu had seen him when he opened the window last night. Maybe at first, he hadn't seen him; a normal person wouldn't stare into the yard the moment they open a window. But his run—that was harder to explain.

Why run?

It was a position where neither peeking nor eavesdropping would work. Although it was a bit strange for the store manager to be lying there late at night, running made it even stranger.

Chen Jian sighed and decided to just sleep in the dormitory.

A cold really was exhausting. Rarely one to feel sleepy during the day, he fell asleep within minutes of lying down.

It could also be because his nose was congested and he was lacking oxygen.

But he didn't sleep soundly. His phone rang twice, and he woke up, seeing that the call was from "Dad." At the same time, he noticed that he had already slept for two hours.

"Dad?" he answered the call.

"Me," his father's voice on the other end was as hoarse as usual, "Have you eaten?"

"Yes," Chen Jian said.

"Oh, where are you working recently?" his father asked.

"At the same homestay, just with a new boss," Chen Jian said, "So I came back."

"That's good," his father fell silent.

Chen Jian didn't want to continue talking about work, but remembering Tang Rui's words and not knowing what else to say, he added, "I'm the store manager now."

"Store manager?" his father asked, "In charge?"

"Yes, in charge," Chen Jian said.

"That's good," his father chuckled, "Very good, very good."

"How about you recently?" Chen Jian asked.

"I've been delivering food for two months," his father said, "I've gotten familiar with the roads."

"Don't work too hard," Chen Jian said.

"It's fine, not too tiring," his father paused, "I'll save some money into the card later. See if you can help old Yu with some of it."

"Did you leave yourself some living expenses?" Chen Jian asked.

"I did," his father said.

"Okay," Chen Jian responded.

There was silence on both ends for a while before his father asked, "You caught a cold?"

"Yes, it's not serious, I'll be fine soon," Chen Jian said.

Dad fell silent for a moment again. "I'll hang up then."

Chen Jian held his phone and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

After a while, the phone's message alert sounded, showing that 6,300 yuan had been deposited into his bank card.

Chen Jian rested his head on his arm and gently sighed, thinking if he could scrape together enough to make it 10,000. He was still short less than 20,000 yuan to pay back Old Yu's money; paying it back as soon as possible would mean one less person to hassle him for debt.

Someone knocked on the dorm door twice.

"Come in," Chen Jian said.

When the door opened, only an arm reached in, throwing something that looked like a cardboard box towards his head.

"What the hell..." Chen Jian reflexively swatted it away, sending the object to the floor.

"Pick it up yourself," Shan Yu's voice came from outside the door, "I was aiming for you."

Chen Jian saw that it was a box of cold medicine.

Couldn't you have given a heads-up before throwing it!

"Yeah," Chen Jian said helplessly, getting out of bed to pick up the medicine.

Could Hu Pan show some initiative and arrange some work for the boss? We're all so idle!

"Hu Pan asked me to give this to you," Shan Yu said, "The store manager has pretty good rapport with the staff."

...Thanks a lot, Panpan.

"Sister Zhao is cooking a meal for the sick," Shan Yu said.

"I'll come down to eat," Chen Jian said.

"Okay," Shan Yu closed the door.

Chen Jian opened the medicine box and took out the tablets, only to realize there was no water in the room.

He got up to get a cup from the water dispenser outside, but just as he was about to leave, the door suddenly opened again, and a bottle of water flew in through the doorway, landing on his bed.

"Ah!" Chen Jian was startled, his nose cleared up instantly.

Shan Yu said from outside the door, "Sorry, I forgot."

After taking the cold medicine, and with the psychological effect plus the boss's two startling moments, Chen Jian felt like he was getting better.

He put on a jacket, grabbed the walkie-talkie, and slowly headed downstairs.

His phone beeped again; it was a message from his dad.

"A Mountain Old Chen" Work hard. Why did the boss make you store manager? You only have a high school diploma, be more careful.

Chen Jian sighed and quickly replied to his dad.

"Chen Yu Luo Yan" I know.

Zhao Fangfang had made him carrot and corn porridge, along with a bowl of fish soup, and two big tomatoes on the side.

Chen Jian ate heartily, reminiscing about the meals his mom ate when she was sick.

"How are you feeling?" Hu Pan asked.

"Pretty good," Chen Jian said, "My colds usually last only two or three days."

"The college kids have confirmed the time and number of people," Hu Pan said, "But we'll have to go to the old town to pick them up. I told them we only have a seven-seater, so some of them will come in a minibus, and the rest will ride with us."

"Let Chen Erhu handle the pickup," Chen Jian said, "Make sure to confirm their meal arrangements and preferences in advance. We should prepare what they need so it won't be chaotic later."

"Okay," Hu Pan nodded, then smiled, "In the past, I would have found all these things annoying, but now I think it's quite interesting."

"It's good to be busy; if we're idle all the time, we might lose our jobs," San Bing said.

It wasn't too busy, though. After those few couples during the opening, there were hardly any guests. Chen Jian's work wasn't demanding, and he often stood on the balcony upstairs, observing the guests coming and going, and checking out the other homestays.

They were mostly weekend guests, just like them. This weekend, they even had an extra room compared to the others.

In a few more days, Liu Wu and the others would arrive, and they'd have something to show off about.

"Store Manager Chen," Shan Yu's voice came through the walkie-talkie, "Where are you?"

"On the fourth-floor balcony," Chen Jian said.

"Put the surveillance on hold for a bit; come with me on a trip," Shan Yu said.

Chen Jian was surprised. "A trip?"

"To the city," Shan Yu said.

We usually call that going to the city.

Chen Jian went to the office, where Shan Yu was already sitting in a wheelchair, with crutches stuck in the side pocket.

"Shopping?" Chen Jian asked.

"Picking up a package," Shan Yu said, "We probably won't be back until evening. Ask them if they need anything, make a list, and bring it back for them."

"Picking up a package and shopping shouldn't take the whole day, right?" Chen Jian quickly estimated the time.

"I'm taking a break on the way," Shan Yu said.

"Hmm," Chen Jian glanced at him, "Then I'll go ask them first."

There weren't many things that everyone needed to buy. Zhao Fangfang asked them to bring some snacks. The variety in the old town's supermarket was limited, and none of the snacks her daughter wanted were available. Hu Pan's items were all for a young girl: lipstick, foundation, eyeshadow, and shampoo. She wrote everything down in detail, pressing Chen Jian's phone to enter the specifics in the notes. She even noted which floor of the mall, which store, and what color code.

"Now you should be able to understand this," Hu Pan said.

San Bing and the others didn't need anything. After all, as troublemakers, they often spent their free time taking a minibus to the city for a day of wandering, which was something they frequently did before.

"Are you ready?" Shan Yu emerged from the elevator.

"Yes," Chen Jian put away his phone.

They placed the wheelchair in the trunk and then sat in... the passenger seat. At that moment, Chen Jian could somewhat feel the helplessness of working for a boss with a bad leg.

Having to drive himself instead of his assistant-cum-store manager.

"Go get a driver's license," Shan Yu started the car, "After the college student tour group leaves in a few days, go get it."

"Hmm," Chen Jian responded, "Is it difficult?"

"You should ask Chen Erhu," Shan Yu said.

Chen Jian smiled and remained silent.

"I'm not using navigation," Shan Yu said, "You know the way, right?"

"Yes," Chen Jian nodded.

"Did you go to high school in the city?" Shan Yu asked.

"Yes," Chen Jian looked out the window, "I have to drive on this road twice a week."

"Is San Bing your classmate?" Shan Yu lowered the window, letting in a cool breeze.

"From a neighboring school," Chen Jian said, "We don't usually meet, but sometimes I see him on the school bus when going home."

It took about three hours to drive from the small town to the city. After arriving at the old town, they would usually take the ring road highway, but Chen Jian used to take the county road. He only went on the highway when Tang Rui gave him a ride back to the city.

Shan Yu played some music and didn't speak again. Chen Jian, looking out the window at the passing scenery, soon fell asleep.

It wasn't until Shan Yu honked a few times that Chen Jian jolted awake.

Seeing the empty road ahead, he was a bit confused, "What happened?"

"Not fair, I'm driving while you're sleeping," Shan Yu said.

"Not eating any loss," Chen Jian smiled and sat up straight.

"Is your father working in the city now?" Shan Yu asked.

"Yes," Chen Jian nodded, "Delivering food."

"After picking up the parcels and buying what they need," Shan Yu glanced at him, "I'll go to the arcade for a while. You can go see your father."

Chen Jian was startled, "What?"

His question surprised Shan Yu as well, "To see your father, it's been a while, right?"

Chen Jian hesitated, feeling a bit awkward, "It's... not necessary to see him."

"Not on good terms with your father?" Shan Yu asked, tapping his fingers lightly on the steering wheel.

"Not really," Chen Jian said, "We just... don't talk much. It's awkward."

"You two haven't lived together much, have you?" Shan Yu asked.

"I suppose," Chen Jian thought, "After my mother passed away, he was always out and about. We barely saw each other twice a year."

Shan Yu took a long time before saying, "Maybe he feels like he's burdening you and is embarrassed to see you."

Chen Jian turned to look at him but said nothing.

Once they were on the highway, with the windows closed, the monotonous scenery became the best hypnotic.

One second Chen Jian was reminding himself that his boss was driving, and a boss with a bad leg at that, so he shouldn't sleep again. The next second, he was dreaming.

He slept soundly, even better than in bed.

It wasn't until Shan Yu slapped him on the face that he jolted awake.

"Did you hit me?" Chen Jian looked at the approaching road sign, "We passed the exit."

"Keep sleeping," Shan Yu said, "It's the ring road. We can just go around again."

"...Let's exit at the next one," Chen Jian kept his eyes on the road and pointed ahead, "We've gone about ten extra kilometers."

"Do you have trouble sleeping at night?" Shan Yu said, "Maybe you should ask Chen the Masseur for some medicine."

"It's Chen Half-Immortal," Chen Jian said.

"Chen Half-Immortal sounds less likely to get raided than Chen the Masseur," Shan Yu said.

Chen Jian laughed, "The villagers all call him that. I'm used to it. Did his medicine work for you before?"

"I stopped having so many dreams," Shan Yu said, "It worked to some extent. Maybe we should go see him again."

"Good." Chen Jian nodded.

Even though they had driven an extra ten kilometers, even if they had gotten off at the previous intersection, with the city’s usual traffic, the time would have evened out with a couple of delays.

Chen Jian was quite familiar with the place to pick up the package, and he took a winding shortcut to get there.

"If the package is sent via China Post, it can be delivered to the town," Chen Jian said.

"Your boss letting you have some fresh air must be making you uncomfortable. Even though there weren’t any customers today, he actually left this empty store," Shan Yu parked the car.

So, should all your future packages be picked up during these fresh air breaks?

Chen Jian didn’t respond.

Shan Yu handed him his ID card. "You go pick it up; I’ll stretch my legs."

Chen Jian hesitated for a moment before taking his ID card. He was unsure; it seemed a bit impolite to look directly, but not looking at all felt fake.

"Take a look; what if I’m holding Qian Yu’s?" Shan Yu said, "Besides, I’ve kept ugly copies of all your IDs."

Chen Jian sighed and, while heading into the package station, casually glanced at Shan Yu’s ID card.

The name was real.

The age was real.

The photo matched.

The address was not from this city but a neighboring one.

Judging by the date, the ID was newly issued after Shan Yu’s release.

The package they picked up was a large wooden box, sealed tightly, with an unknown content.

Chen Jian moved the box to the trunk.

"The high school you just passed by," Shan Yu leaned against the car door, "is that where you went to school?"

"Yes," Chen Jian responded, "How did you guess?"

"You were staring," Shan Yu said.

Chen Jian smiled, "I haven’t been back since graduation; it doesn’t look like it’s changed much."

"What change could a school have?" Shan Yu said, "It’s the people who change."

Chen Jian gently sighed and closed the trunk, "Where to now?"

"Have lunch in the mall, then buy some stuff from them," Shan Yu said, "After buying, let’s play some video games."

"The arcade is full of kids," Chen Jian said.

"Exactly, it’s easy to snatch machines from kids," Shan Yu said and got into the car.

Chen Jian felt a bit troubled along the way. Over the years, being apart from his father had become a habit. Most of the time, he accepted that he was alone, whether dealing with debt collectors or his own issues, never considering contacting his father.

Shan Yu sometimes spoke bluntly and always hit those points you never thought of or perhaps just wanted to avoid.

This person was like alcohol poured on a wound.

Chen Jian sighed and looked out the window, pointing the way for Shan Yu, "Turn left at the traffic lights, then drive ahead and make a U-turn to reach the destination."

"Okay," Shan Yu responded.

Chen Jian glanced at the time; he didn’t know if his father was eating or delivering food.

Would they run into each other when having lunch in the mall later?

The mall was empty since it wasn’t the weekend. Chen Jian initially thought Shan Yu brought a cane for walking, but he opted for a wheelchair.

"I thought you brought the cane to walk," Chen Jian walked alongside the wheelchair.

"This is for pushing kids aside in the arcade," Shan Yu said.

"Damn," Chen Jian couldn’t help but laugh.

"No rules today," Shan Yu said, "I’m just using it as an excuse to go out and have fun, bringing you along to relax. Be happy; at least today, you don’t have to think about anything. In a few days, when Liu Wu and the others come, you’ll have plenty to worry about."

"Thanks," Chen Jian nodded.

"No need to thank me," Shan Yu said, "It’s the least I could do."

Chen Jian walked a few steps with the wheelchair and looked behind it, "Didn’t you say before..."

"You can stand on the back," Shan Yu stopped, "Want to?"

Chen Jian hesitated for a moment and stood on the back step.

As the wheelchair started again, a small train in the mall started alongside them, with kids staring.

"Hi," Shan Yu looked at the kids.

"Don’t be weird," Chen Jian immediately became alert.

"Tch," Shan Yu pushed the controller, and the wheelchair suddenly sped up, quickly leaving the train behind.