Chapter 45

Lin Yibing and Lucy watched Director Xie bustle around, taking orders for customers one moment and helping serve food the next. The two looked at each other, both carrying the same question.

Lin Yibing said, “What kind of relationship does Director Xie have with this boss that’s worth her working so hard to help? If you say they’re friends, this is going too far. Isn’t coming to support the shop enough?”

Lucy clicked her tongue and shook her head. “I really don’t get it. She’s our director, you know? Outstanding performance, and her monthly salary alone could buy several LV bags.”

Lin Yibing speculated, “When we came over just now, Director Xie called the boss Sister. Could they be half-sisters with the same father?”

As soon as these words fell, Tan Shiwei and her friend, seated at the neighboring table, immediately pricked up their ears.

They mouthed to each other, “Half-sisters with the same father?”

Tan Shiwei said, “One is surnamed Xie, and the other is surnamed Xin. Is that possible?”

Her friend said, “Then half-sisters with the same mother?”

Tan Shiwei’s mind began to grow chaotic. “???”

Lin Yibing and Lucy’s barbecue was ready. Read on BaiLianTalesXin Geling brought it to them. “Your barbecue. Would you like anything to drink?”

Lin Yibing said, “Wanglaoji. To cool down the heat.”

Lucy said, “Same for me.”

Xin Geling turned and brought them two bottles of Wanglaoji. “Please enjoy.”

Lin Yibing called after her, asking curiously, “Boss, what’s your relationship with Director Xie?”

It was her first time seeing Director Xie lower herself like this to help take orders and serve food, so skillfully that it was as if this shop were hers.

Xin Geling said, “She’s my younger sister.”

Lucy pressed further. “Like a godsister?”

Xin Geling said, “Something like that.”

Lin Yibing and Lucy looked thoughtful.

Tan Shiwei and her friend beside them also looked thoughtful.

Xin Geling saw Xie Zhitang moving a new crate of Wanglaoji and beer out of the storage room and hurried over to help her.

“I’ll do it.” Xin Geling directly lifted the whole grid crate, while Xie Zhitang lifted the box of Wanglaoji and followed behind her, carrying it to the refrigerated display cabinet.

As soon as Xie Zhitang saw that Xin Geling was about to open the glass cabinet door, she quickly pushed her arm, trying to move her away. “All right, Sister, I’ll arrange them. You go handle something else. A customer wants to pay. Go collect the money.”

Xin Geling glanced at her with relief, then looked at the display cabinet that had already consumed quite a lot of drinks in a little over an hour. Opening this shop had been the right choice. Whether it was barbecue orders or drinks, everything was selling quickly.

“All right. I’ll go collect payment.”

Xie Zhitang opened the glass cabinet door and placed the chilled drinks at the front, pushing the room-temperature drinks to the very back.

She kept crouching down and standing up to restock the goods until the whole display cabinet was packed full. Only then did she close the door and lower the temperature a little to speed up the chilling.

There were still some Wanglaoji and beer left by her feet. There was no helping it. Leaving them outside got in the way and took up space, so she could only move them back into the storage room.

Time passed little by little, and the three of them were busy beyond belief.

“Xiao Tang, come help me bring this to Table 8.”

“Okay.”

Without another word, Xie Zhitang went over to help and brought it to Table 8. Catching sight of Tan Shiwei’s table about to pay, Xie Zhitang restrained her expression and walked over with a smile.

“Would you like to settle the bill?”

Seeing that it was her, Tan Shiwei nodded. “Yes, the bill.”

“Please wait a moment.” Xie Zhitang turned and went to Xin Geling’s side to find their order number.

Xin Geling caught it with sharp eyes. “Weiwei’s table wants to pay?”

The moment Xie Zhitang heard the word Weiwei, her eyes narrowed subtly. In the next second, she smiled and said, “Yes.”

Xin Geling thought for a moment. “They were the first to come support the shop. Give them twenty percent off.”

Xie Zhitang held the calculator, calculating as she lowered her eyes to the order in her hand. It showed Order No. 1. The speed at which she pressed the number keys slowed. “The first ones to support the shop?”

Xin Geling said, “Mm.”

Xie Zhitang resumed pressing the keys. They had added a few more dishes later, so she quickly added them up, then multiplied the final amount by 0.8. “One hundred fifty-four yuan.”

Xie Zhitang went over to collect payment. “After the twenty percent discount, the total is one hundred fifty-four yuan.”

Tan Shiwei paid shyly. “Thank you. We’ll head back first.”

Xie Zhitang wore her usual gentle smile. “Take care.”

After seeing the two off, Xie Zhitang bent down and cleared the plates on the table, bringing them to the back.

Before long, Lin Yibing and Lucy also finished eating. Xie Zhitang told them to go back early and rest.

Past nine in the evening, the barbecue shop was still packed. Xin Geling and Li Fengzhu kept grilling nonstop, while Xin Geling alone had to watch two grills and was so busy she did not even have time to drink water.

Li Fengzhu occasionally had time to come out and greet customers, then take plates back to wash.

Suddenly, a customer at Table 6 took a bite and immediately frowned. “Boss, this isn’t what we ordered, right?”

Li Fengzhu looked at the barbecue that had just been served and took out his ​unauthorized copy​order slip. “That’s right. It’s yours. How could it not be yours?”

The customer said, “We didn’t order lamb. What did you serve me?”

Li Fengzhu checked the order slip. “Young man, what you ordered has lamb on it.”

The customer said, “Impossible. Lamb has a gamey smell. We never order it.”

Xin Geling heard the conversation between Li Fengzhu and the customer and was just about to go over when Xie Zhitang appeared from somewhere and stopped her. “I’ll handle it. Sister, watch the barbecue.”

There was indeed still meat grilling on the stove, and she should not leave, or it would affect the flavor. So she agreed to let Xie Zhitang handle it.

Xie Zhitang walked to Li Fengzhu’s side and asked, “What happened?”

Li Fengzhu said, “Xiao Tang, you came at the right time. He says this isn’t what he ordered. He already ate it, and now he’s saying it isn’t his.”

Xie Zhitang asked, “Where’s the order slip?”

Li Fengzhu handed it to her. “Look, it says three lamb skewers on it.”

Xie Zhitang checked the barbecue that had been served against the items on the order slip. There was indeed lamb, but in the next second, she understood the reason. “We’re very sorry. We served the wrong order. We mistook Table 4 for Table 6. This isn’t yours. We’ll change it for you right away.”

The customer said, “I told you it wasn’t mine, and you didn’t believe me.”

Xie Zhitang bent down and picked up his barbecue, apologizing as she did. “I’m sorry. I’m very sorry.”

Li Fengzhu suddenly understood and followed beside Xie Zhitang, feeling uneasy. This mistake had been caused by her, and she had also grilled Table 4’s order, yet she had served it to Table 6. “Then what should we do with this plate?”

Xie Zhitang placed it on the table inside and said coldly, “Now quickly remake Table 4’s order. Hurry.”

Li Fengzhu asked, “Do I remake everything, or just grill that one lamb skewer?”

Xie Zhitang said, “Remake it all. That order can’t be served to the customers anymore.”

Li Fengzhu muttered, “If we switch it, no one else would know.”

Hearing her mutter, Xie Zhitang repeated in a tone that allowed no argument, “Everything has to be remade. Did you not hear what I said?”

Li Fengzhu glanced at her and wiped her hands. “All right, I’ll grill it now.”

Only after seeing her start grilling again did Xie Zhitang walk toward Xin Read on BaiLianTalesGeling. “Sister, are you grilling Table 6’s order?”

Xin Geling said, “Yes. It’s almost done.”

Xie Zhitang found a tray and took the finished barbecue from Xin Geling one by one.

Xin Geling asked her, “What happened just now?”

Xie Zhitang explained, “Auntie Fengzhu served Table 4’s order to Table 6 just now, and the customer ate lamb that he doesn’t eat.”

Xin Geling was puzzled. “How did she serve the wrong order?”

Xie Zhitang said, “Six and four. The four was written in connected strokes, so it was mistaken for Table 6. I’ve already asked Auntie Fengzhu to remake Table 4’s order. For the customer at Table 6, I’ll give them a bottle of Wanglaoji as compensation. What does Sister think?”

Xin Geling said, “That’s fine. You don’t need to ask me about this kind of thing. Make the decision yourself. I trust you.”

Xie Zhitang smiled. “All right. I’ll serve the food.”

Xie Zhitang took a bottle of Wanglaoji from the display cabinet, returned to Xin Geling’s grill, picked up the tray, and brought it to Table 6. “I’m sorry. This is the barbecue you ordered. As compensation, our shop is giving you one bottle of Wanglaoji for free.”

The customer was straightforward. “It’s fine, it’s fine.”

After Xie Zhitang resolved the issue with Table 6, only Table 4 remained. The customer at Table 4 was still waiting for their food. For no reason, they had to wait all over again. Xie Zhitang saw that the customer’s expression was already a little impatient, and her heart sank.

Ten minutes later, Xie Zhitang finally got Table 4’s order from Li Fengzhu. Likewise, she gave the other party a bottle of Wanglaoji as compensation.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. This bottle of Wanglaoji is on the house.”

The customer, who had originally been somewhat annoyed from waiting, calmed down a little. “It’s fine.”

Xie Zhitang said, “Please enjoy.”

After finally handling this small episode, they remained busy until eleven at night. When the ingredients sold out, there were still people who wanted to come over and order late-night snacks, but Xin Geling could only politely decline.

After sending those people away, the three began tidying up the barbecue grills, tables and chairs, and leftover trays.

At eleven-thirty, all the tables and chairs had been brought back in. Xin Geling swept the floor and threw away the leftover barbecue, tissues, bamboo skewers, and other trash customers had left behind. Li Fengzhu yawned and said she would go back first.

For a while, only Xin Geling and Xie Zhitang remained in the shop.

Xin Geling saw Xie Zhitang [read the original at bailiantales.com]crouching beside the sink, actually washing trays, and her brow twitched.

“Give it to me. I’ll wash.” Xin Geling half-crouched down and took the dish sponge from her hand. “Xie Zhitang, you helped me too much tonight. It’s already eleven-thirty. Do you want to go back and rest first?”

Xie Zhitang sat on a low stool, both hands wearing white plastic gloves and resting on her knees. Looking at Xin Geling crouching beside her and washing trays, she sighed. “It’s fine. Tomorrow is Saturday, so I can sleep a little later. Besides, it’s the opening day. Auntie can’t come help you, and Auntie Fengzhu has gone back too. There’s only this bit left. I’ll wash with Sister.”

As she spoke, Xie Zhitang bent down and fished a stainless steel tray covered in grease from the sink. She opened a new dish sponge, squeezed on some dish soap, added a little water, and began washing it.

Xin Geling saw her carefully and seriously cleaning the tray and, for a moment, did not know what to say. She could only finish washing the trays first.

So the two worked together and washed the trays once. Xin Geling took the hose and rinsed them until everything was clean. Only after even the floor and sink had been cleaned spotless did they prepare to close up and go back.

Seeing that Xie Zhitang still wanted to refill the display cabinet with drinks before leaving, Xin Geling pulled her back. “Tangtang, don’t do it. We’ll restock it tomorrow morning.”

Hearing the word “Tangtang,” Xie Zhitang froze in place. She widened her eyes slightly and looked at her with confusion. “Why is Sister calling me Tangtang?”

Xin Geling did not understand why her focus was on this. Xie Zhitang had helped her all night. Without her, who knew how many mistakes would have happened tonight? Calling her by her full name felt somewhat distant.

She pulled Xie Zhitang outside the door, pulled down the rolling shutter, and locked it. “Tangtang rolls off the tongue better. We need to go back.”

Xie Zhitang glanced at the wrist Xin Geling was holding and hid her delight with an “mm.”

But after closing the door, Xin Geling let go and walked home with her.

“There’s almost no one on the road.” Xie Zhitang looked at the night in the distance. The shops on the street had almost all closed, leaving only the streetlights emitting a dim glow.

Xin Geling said, “It’s pretty late. Are you tired?”

Xie Zhitang shook her head. “I’m all right.”

The two reached the fork in the road, and Xie Zhitang stopped. “Sister, go back. I’m going home too.”

Just as Xie Zhitang was about to step onto the other road, Xin Geling suddenly called out to her. “Tangtang.”

Hearing this form of address for the second time, the corners of Xie Zhitang’s mouth unconsciously lifted. She turned around and raised her eyes warmly. “Is there anything else, Sister?”

As soon as the words fell, her vision went dark, and Xie Zhitang was directly pulled into an embrace.

“Tonight was all thanks to you. You helped me a lot.” Xin Geling hugged her slender body, giving her a rather grateful embrace.

Xie Zhitang froze for a moment, then slightly lifted her head. Her chin sank against Xin Geling’s shoulder, and her hands slowly hugged [bailiantales.com]her back. “It was only this small bit of help. Sister is too polite. If anything comes up, just call me. If I can help, I definitely will.”

Xin Geling let go of her. “I delayed your resting time tonight. Remember to sleep in a little tomorrow.”

Xie Zhitang’s eyes curved. “I will, Sister.”

Xin Geling said, “Let’s go. I’ll walk you back.”

Xie Zhitang did not refuse her kindness and agreed to let Xin Geling walk her home. When they reached her door, she opened it and turned sideways. “All right, Sister. You should go back too. Send me a message to let me know you’re safe when you get home.”

Xin Geling said, “Okay.”

Xin Geling went downstairs and returned. Just as she arrived at the entrance of the residential complex, she saw a thin, frail figure standing beneath the apartment building, holding a flashlight and looking around. Xin Geling recognized who it was at once.

“Mom.” Xin Geling walked over. “Why did you come down?”

Seeing her daughter return, Lin Huailan breathed a sigh of relief. But then, thinking of the shop, she asked with concern, “Was it very busy tonight?”

Xin Geling wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked into the residential complex with her. “It was all right. I can handle it.”

Lin Huailan turned on the flashlight to light the road. “Li Fengzhu already came back, but you were still busy. How can this go on?”

Xin Geling said, “Why can’t it? We earned several times more than when we had the stall.”

Lin Huailan looked at her as they walked, her brows twisted tight. “How about every day after closing, I go over and help you clean up?”

Xin Geling said, “The doctor said you can’t stay in the barbecue shop environment for long periods. Even if I turn off the grill, the whole shop is still full of barbecue smell, and the air contains a lot of chili powder dust too. Don’t make me worry, okay? If I really can’t handle it, I’ll hire someone.”

Lin Huailan became even more self-reproachful. “If Mom didn’t have this illness, I could’ve helped you today. It’s all Mom’s fault for not taking good care of myself back then and dragging it out until this problem developed.”

Xin Geling said, “Don’t think about things that are already in the past, Mom. I’m not blaming you.”

Lin Huailan sighed and stepped onto the stairs. “Let’s go home and rest first. Look how tired you are…”

Xin Geling smiled faintly and went home with Lin Huailan.

“Daughter, I want to talk to you. Mom wants to sell some breakfast at the shop entrance in the mornings. What do you think? Just for an hour or two, from around six in the morning to eight.”

“Breakfast? That does sound like a pretty good suggestion, but let’s wait a while before talking about it. We should get the barbecue shop running first. It only just opened, and there are still many areas that need improving.”