Chapter 345: Chapter 345: Boss and Employee
When Cheng Wenhui got home, she found Tan You, Editor Chen, President Hu, and Tan Deming sitting around the eight immortals table in the living room. There was a cup of clear tea in front of each of them, while Tan Lin was busy in the kitchen.
She parked her electric scooter and went to greet Editor Chen first. After all, they had met once before and had spoken on the phone twice, so they weren’t exactly strangers.
Editor Chen also had a good impression of Cheng Wenhui. The two chatted and laughed for a bit. He looked at the electric scooter outside the door. "Did you just get off work?"
Cheng Wenhui answered forthrightly, "Yes. Tan You found me a master pattern-maker to learn from. I’m apprenticing with him now. Today was my first day."
Editor Chen glanced at Tan You. ’This young lady is pretty efficient,’ he thought. ’It’s not so easy to get someone to teach you their craft these days.’
He thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "Our publishing house has good relationships with several fashion magazines. I’ll mail you some when I get back."
Tan You raised an eyebrow. "Then thank you, Editor Chen. Oh, and could you subscribe me to a few fashion magazines? I’ll also need some on art appreciation. Just take the cost out of my royalties."
Editor Chen readily agreed. "No problem. But I’m curious, you don’t seem to have access to much out here. How do you know about all this stuff?"
Tan You brushed it off with a laugh. "I read a lot, I suppose. You can learn many things from books."
Cheng Wenhui didn’t chat much longer with Editor Chen and President Hu, instead going to the kitchen to help Tan Lin with dinner. Seeing that only Wang Hunv was nearby, Tan Lin whispered, "I just signed the contract. One million. I’ve never seen so much money in my life."
Then he grew smug. "Last time, you were the one who went with her to sign a contract. This time, it was my turn. We’ve each done it once. That’s fair."
Cheng Wenhui shook her head and chuckled, not realizing Tan Lin was still holding a grudge about her accompanying Tan You to sign the last contract. ’Too bad he doesn’t dare to make a fuss with Tan You,’ she thought. ’He can only make these petty comments to me behind her back.’
Wang Hunv overheard the number and rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She had no objection to Tan You buying a house for Cheng Wenhui. If it meant not having to live with her daughter-in-law, she couldn’t be happier.
Besides, it would just be her and the old man at home. Once Tan You went off to school, it would be even quieter. Wang Hunv knew she wasn’t a very tolerant person, so the current situation was already quite good.
Just as dinner was almost ready, an old woman suddenly came sauntering past the main hall. Putting on an act, she held a small basket of cowpeas. "Hu Nu, getting ready to cook? We have more cowpeas at home than we can eat, so I brought some for you."
Wang Hunv feigned politeness. "No, no, that’s alright. We have some at home, too. You should take them back and enjoy them yourself."
Cheng Wenhui couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. ’How does that old shrew Wang Hunv even know how to say things like that?’ she wondered. ’What has Tan You been teaching her?’ She wiped her hands and came out of the kitchen. "Really, it’s fine. We can’t even finish all the vegetables from our own garden."
Wu Yunzhen’s eyes flickered when she saw Cheng Wenhui. "You have relatives over today? I haven’t seen them before."
Cheng Wenhui smiled. "Yes, they’re relatives from my side of the family, here to see me."
She knew Tan You didn’t want others to know she was making money, so she and Tan Lin had to help her cover it up. Most people in the village knew how many relatives Tan Lin had.
But Cheng Wenhui had married far from her hometown, and her family lived a long way away. The villagers really had no idea how many relatives she had on her side.
Wu Yunzhen froze for a moment, then asked again, "I heard from Fenzhen that you started working at the garment factory today. Does that mean you won’t be going to C-City anymore?"
Cheng Wenhui’s expression didn’t change. "That’s right. I won’t be going anymore. I’ll be working here from now on."
She then smiled. "Auntie, if there’s nothing else, I need to get back to cooking. We have guests."
Wu Yunzhen stammered, "Oh, w-well, I’ll be heading back then. You keep the cowpeas... We still have more at home..."
With that, she put down the cowpeas. Before leaving, she couldn’t resist peeking into the Tan family’s living room. Seeing Tan You and Tan Deming entertaining the guests, Wu Yunzhen was a bit puzzled. ’Weren’t they Cheng Wenhui’s relatives? Why are Tan You and Tan Deming hosting them?’
As soon as Wu Yunzhen left, Wang Hunv’s face darkened. She glanced at the cowpeas. "Who needs these? It’s not like we don’t have any."
Cheng Wenhui shook her head. Compared to before, Wang Hunv actually seemed a little easier to get along with now. ’Too bad,’ Cheng Wenhui thought. ’I’ve given up any hope of getting along with her. From now on, we’ll just keep to ourselves.’
Although Tan Lin didn’t like being in the kitchen, he was actually quite a good cook. Perhaps because his eyesight was poor, his other senses had become more developed. His sense of smell, for example. Tan Lin could identify the seasonings in a dish with near-perfect accuracy just by sniffing it.
When Tan You came into the kitchen to pour some tea, she saw Tan Lin sniffing the air. She couldn’t help but stiffen for a moment. ’I guess I am a bit like Tan Lin in some ways,’ she thought. ’For instance, my sense of smell is also very keen.’
Tan Lin said, "This braising liquid smells amazing. What do you think about us setting up a stall in town to sell braised dishes?"
Tan You was indifferent. "If you want to do it, then go for it. But making braised dishes is a lot of trouble. Do you have the patience for that?"
Tan Lin thought about it and shook his head. "We’ll see. I can’t just sit at home doing nothing. Maybe I could just make a small batch each day, enough to earn back our grocery money."
"I can’t just let you support me forever."
Tan You raised her eyebrows slightly. ’So Tan Lin can say something sensible after all,’ she thought. To be honest, setting aside his role as her father, Tan You tried to find his good qualities. Only by forcing herself to see his strengths could she stop fixating on his flaws.
Of course, emotionally, that was as far as it went. Tan You still held to her belief: with enough money, almost any problem could be solved.
Editor Chen and President Hu left after having a simple meal at the Tan family’s home. Before they went, however, they left a check. At first, Tan Lin was worried. ’It’s just a piece of paper. Can you really get money with this?’
Tan You chuckled. "You’ll find out tomorrow when we go to the bank. During our lunch break tomorrow, we’ll go look at houses in town. Since I’m buying the house for Mom, you’re the one who needs to like it."
Tan Lin twisted his lips. ’A house for his wife isn’t much different from a house for himself,’ he thought. ’Then again, a daughter is always closer to her mother. It still feels a little strange, though.’
While Tan Deming was clearing the dinner table, Tan You tapped on it, and the living room fell silent.
Tan You looked at Tan Lin. "Since everyone’s here today, let’s sign a work agreement. It’s better to get everything clear up front to avoid arguments later."
Tan Lin asked, "A work agreement? Do we have to be so formal?"
Tan You replied, "Of course. When workers join a factory, they sign an employment contract. This may not be a factory, but your rights and responsibilities still need to be laid out. From this moment on, I’m your boss, and you’re my employee."
Tan Lin made a face. Even though he’d been calling Tan You his benefactor, hearing her put it so bluntly made him feel she was being cold and impersonal.
