Divorced Dad's Gourmet Shop

Chapter 292: Chapter 292: Mom Takes Him to Task, Jun Qingmeng Learns to Tattle

"Okay, you should get going. Guo Jia might be starving by now."

"It’s fine. She can handle being hungry."

Jun Qingmeng lingered for another hug from Jiang Liu.

The soft, full sensation made Jiang Liu’s heart flutter.

’My girlfriend’s body is so soft and pleasant to hold.’

’And she smells so good.’

"Alright now, go change and come back. We’ll have some fruit in a bit."

"Mhm, got it, darling. Love you!"

Jun Qingmeng made a finger heart at Jiang Liu, patted Tongtong on the head, and headed out.

Meanwhile, Guo Jia had already sent Jun Qingmeng over a hundred messages.

She was like a starving little pig, frantically banging on its food bowl.

She was on the verge of passing out from hunger.

「In the kitchen.」

After he was done, Jiang Liu looked at the little lazybones sprawled on the sofa and called out, "Tongtong, go get our pajamas. It’s time to get ready for a bath."

"Okaaay, I’m going."

Tongtong reluctantly got to her feet. She didn’t want to move.

Seeing this, Jiang Liu said with a smile, "Isn’t a certain little cutie of mine always so hardworking? You just helped Daddy move things, so how did you get so lazy all of a sudden?"

"Ah! I’m going, I’m going!"

As if she’d been given a shot of pure energy, Tongtong leaped off the sofa. She didn’t even put on her slippers, her little bare feet going SLAP SLAP SLAP as she ran to the bedroom and came back out with the clothes.

"Daddy, hurry up! Tongtong will get all undressed and wait for you, okay!"

"Give me a minute."

With that, Tongtong dropped her own clothes, ran to the bathroom, and turned on the tap to fill the tub.

The father and daughter spent the next ten minutes or so taking a bath.

After being praised, Tongtong was very good during her bath today.

Before, Jiang Liu always had to wash her, but today she learned to wash herself.

Jiang Liu didn’t hold back, showering his daughter with praise.

「After they got out.」

After changing into their pajamas, the two of them flopped comfortably onto the sofa.

Jiang Liu took out his phone and added his Third Uncle as a friend.

’I’ve been so busy all day, I almost forgot.’

His mom sent him a message: "Got home an hour ago. Your dad is out showing off the meat you gave him right now, and I’m stuck cleaning up the house all by myself. It’s so infuriating!"

"How did work go today? Feeling okay? If you’re too tired, you have to rest. Don’t force yourself."

Jiang Liu: "I’m feeling fine. Mom, you shouldn’t overwork yourself either. Next time, I’ll give Dad more goodies to take back so he can really show them off. Maybe if he does it enough, he’ll get it out of his system."

Lin Qiu: "If anything comes up, tell us right away. Also, one more thing. Qingmeng just messaged me saying you bullied her? Did that happen? (fist)"

Jiang Liu broke into a cold sweat. ’She really went and tattled on me!’

"It was just a small misunderstanding, and I’ve already explained it to Qingmeng. Don’t worry, Mom. You should get some sleep. I’m about to turn in myself."

Lin Qiu: "Okay, get some sleep. But don’t let me hear about you bullying Qingmeng again. I’ve already promised to have her back, and I’m a woman of my word! If you dare bully her, I’ll be the first one to give you hell!"

Jiang Liu decided it was best not to reply, pretending he’d already gone to sleep.

He opened his chat window with Yue Longfan.

The guy still hadn’t dared to reply. He was clearly terrified of Jun Qingmeng.

He sent Yue Longfan an explanation.

Yue Longfan finally understood and quickly messaged back.

"Your girlfriend is so intimidating, Master. I honestly thought she was going to send someone to beat me up. You have no idea how scared I was!"

"Master, I’m off the highway. I’m about to go refill the gas. Should I leave the car in the usual spot?"

Jiang Liu ignored the first sentence. "The usual spot is fine. Thanks for your hard work. I’ll send you a big red envelope when this is all over."

Yue Longfan: "Got it, Master!"

Jun Qingmeng returned, humming a tune happily.

Fresh from the shower, Jun Qingmeng seemed to positively glow.

She was gorgeous—even more so than a dazzling celebrity on stage.

Jun Qingmeng’s beauty was effortless, like a piece of uncut jade—naturally warm, smooth, and captivating.

Jiang Liu couldn’t help but let his gaze linger on her for a few extra moments.

"Am I pretty?"

Jun Qingmeng flicked her damp hair and sat down next to Jiang Liu.

Jiang Liu turned his head away.

"Yeah, you’re gorgeous. A fairy gracing the mortal world."

Jun Qingmeng smiled.

’My darling is so adorable! What am I going to do? I’m falling for him more and more.’

Tongtong frowned.

"Daddy, you haven’t said anything about Tongtong yet!"

"You’re beautiful too. A little fairy gracing the mortal world."

"Right? I think so too! And Daddy is handsome too, like a star in the sky. Ooh, so bright it’s blinding!"

Jiang Liu: ...

They didn’t head to their rooms early tonight.

The three of them lay on the sofa, cuddled together, watching TV.

「9:05 PM」

Hu Yongfa sent Jiang Liu a message: "Master, we’re all done here and about to close up the shop. Do you have any instructions?"

Jiang Liu: "This late? I thought I told you guys to clock out at eight. Hurry up and finish so you can get home and rest."

He didn’t want his employees working themselves to the bone from dawn till dusk.

They didn’t have his stamina. Who knows, one of them could collapse from illness someday.

Hu Yongfa was deeply touched.

’The master is always looking out for me.’

At his previous jobs, bosses just watched him like a hawk, pushing him to work harder. They’d get all passive-aggressive over the smallest mistake. And when he worked overtime, they’d offer a token "Thanks for your hard work," but you could tell they wished he’d just stay and work forever!

Hu Yongfa: "Okay, Master, I’ll head back right away. There’s something I want to discuss with you. Today’s revenue was about 120,000. We’re getting more and more customers every day, but we don’t have enough staff. Do you think we need to hire more chefs, Master?"

As Jiang Liu lay on the sofa, he glanced over and noticed Jun Qingmeng staring at his phone.

He knew she wasn’t wary of him, but of Hu Yongfa.

Apparently, what Yue Longfan said today had made Jun Qingmeng feel insecure.

Jiang Liu tilted the screen towards Jun Qingmeng.

Jun Qingmeng looked at Jiang Liu, her eyes brimming with affection.

Jiang Liu replied: "You take care of it. My only requirement is that they have to be good people. The shop can use more chefs and apprentices. Have we been looking for servers recently?"

Hu Yongfa: "We’re hiring servers. A few people have submitted resumes, and our current employees have also recommended a few people. I’m screening them now."

"As for apprentices, Master, I have a former apprentice of mine who wants to come from his hometown to work for you. He’s smart, reliable, and has a good heart. What do you think?"

"As for chefs, I have a few candidates in mind. They’re old buddies of mine, about my skill level, and they’ve all worked in big restaurants. I was thinking of bringing them over to our team."

Jiang Liu was quite pleased after reading Hu Yongfa’s message.

He wasn’t worried about the payroll; he was worried about finding talented people to fill the positions.

He immediately replied: "Yes, you can decide the chefs’ salaries when they arrive. For the apprentice, same as Xiao Ao, 2,500. A performance review every three months, and if they do well, they get a raise."

Seeing Jiang Liu agree, Hu Yongfa was overjoyed.

’The master is so understanding.’

"Alright, I’ll do as you say, Master. Right now, the staff meal is ten buns and a bottle of juice, or a stir-fry dish and a nutritious congee. Everyone really likes it."

Jiang Liu: "You don’t need to regulate the staff meals. Some employees have bigger appetites. Just set a few ground rules, like no wasting food and no take-out. As long as they’re looking to get a full meal, they can eat whatever they want."

He wasn’t short on cash, and he certainly wasn’t going to penny-pinch when it came to feeding his employees.

Hu Yongfa looked at Jiang Liu’s message and sighed in amazement.