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Yang Maixiang's cousin, Yang Lihua, works in a textile factory. The factory is not doing well and has not been able to pay wages for several months.

I heard that my cousin's husband owns several restaurants and the business is booming, and my eyes lit up instantly.

So Yang Lihua and her husband Wang Jianyi discussed it and felt that this was an opportunity. The couple bought some fruit and rode their bicycles to the Daming Imperial Kitchen Drum Tower branch.

At this moment, Suning was in the kitchen keeping an eye on the new dishes, while Yang Maixiang was in the front hall greeting guests.

When Yang Lihua entered the room, Yang Maixiang was stunned for a moment, as she hadn't seen her cousin for a long time.

The last time I saw her was during the Chinese New Year. We were having a family reunion dinner at my uncle's house. My cousin didn't talk much; she was sitting in the corner knitting. We didn't exchange more than a few words.

Yang Maixiang put down the menu in her hand, went to greet her, and said with a smile, "Cousin, what brings you here? Your husband is here too, please have a seat."

"Maixiang, are you not busy?" Yang Lihua handed over the fruit in her hand with a smile on her face.

Wang Jian followed behind, carrying two bottles of liquor, Yanghe.

"It's alright!" Yang Maixiang poured them tea and asked the waiter to bring out two plates of pastries.

Yang Lihua held her teacup, looked around at the shop's decor, and clicked her tongue in admiration, "This shop is really grand, much better than those state-run restaurants."

Wang Jian chimed in, "Yes! Yes! My cousin's husband is really capable, young and promising."

Soon after hearing the commotion, Su Ning came out from the kitchen and was surprised to see Yang Lihua.

When Yang Lihua saw him, she quickly stood up to greet him, "Brother-in-law, busy?"

"Cousin, is your husband here?" Su Ning smiled.

"Yes! I heard you opened a restaurant, so I came here specifically to check it out."

"Thank you! Is there anything else?"

Yang Lihua glanced at Wang Jian, who immediately cleared his throat. "Su Ning, it's like this! The textile factory isn't doing well, and they haven't been able to pay wages for months. We heard your business is doing well, so we wanted to see if there's any work we could do."

After listening to him, Su Ning nodded. "The store is indeed short-staffed. We need people for everything: dishwashing, food preparation, service, and cashiering. If my cousin is willing to come, she can start work tomorrow. As for training, she can do it while she works, and her salary will be paid as a regular employee."

Yang Lihua glanced at Wang Jian again, and sure enough, Wang Jian spoke up again, "Su Ning, you misunderstood. Lihua isn't here to be a waitress. She used to be a workshop director in a textile factory, she has experience managing people. We thought, with so many stores, you need someone to manage them, right? Lihua is capable of being a store manager or something."

Upon hearing this, Su Ning's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes changed.

Looking at Yang Lihua, then at Wang Jian, he asked, "You want to be the store manager?"

Yang Lihua chimed in, "Su Ning, I won't lie to you, we can't go back to the textile factory, and we want to work for you. With so many stores, you need someone from your own side to keep an eye on things, right? Can you trust outsiders? Mai Xiang and I are cousins, we're family, so let's not be formal. If you let me be the store manager, I guarantee I'll manage your store very well, a hundred times better than those outside hires."

Wang Jian nodded in agreement, “That’s right! Lihua has the ability, so you can rest assured! It’s the right thing to do to leave it to her.”

Su Ning didn't say anything, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then glanced at Yang Maixiang.

Yang Maixiang lowered her head, her expression complex, a mixture of embarrassment and awkwardness. She seemed to want to say something, her lips moved, but she didn't utter a word.

Su Ning put down her teacup and looked at Yang Lihua to explain, "Cousin, we already have store managers for each store."

"That's easy! Just fire one of them! I think the Gulou branch is pretty good! I'll be the manager of that branch."

"I'm sorry, cousin. The manager of the Gulou branch was personally trained by Maixiang, and they all have signed contracts. We can't fire her just because of you. That's not appropriate."

Yang Lihua's smile froze for a moment. "What about the Qinhuai store? What about the Xuanwu store? Don't you have several stores? Surely one of them needs a store manager?"

Suning said, "These store managers were all hired based on their abilities, not their connections. Cousin, if you want to work, I welcome you to any position, whether it's washing dishes, preparing food, or serving. Even if you want to be a store manager, that's fine too, but you'll have to start from the bottom."

Yang Lihua's face immediately darkened; she felt that Su Ning was being extremely disrespectful.

Wang Jian coughed beside him, as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Yang Lihua stood up. "Su Ning, what do you mean by this? I'm Mai Xiang's cousin, and Mai Xiang is your wife. I'm here to help you, and you're complaining? Who do you think you are? You think you're so great just because you run a shabby restaurant?"

Several customers at nearby tables heard the commotion and turned around to look, wondering what had happened.

Su Ning didn't stand up. "Cousin, I don't look down on you. I said, if you want to come and work, you're welcome. But the store manager position can't be given to you just because you're a relative. It's unfair to those who got in through their own abilities. You have no experience, and if you suddenly become the store manager and can't manage people, and something goes wrong, you'll be upset, and I'll be upset too."

Yang Lihua sneered, her lips curling into a sneer, her face full of disdain. "I have no experience? I was a workshop director in a textile factory for five years, managing over a hundred people. How can I have no experience? Your store manager, how many people has she managed? Can she compare to me?"

“Cousin, managing a textile factory and managing a restaurant are two different things. You may know how to manage workers, but you don’t understand the dishes, costs, inventory, or how to handle customer complaints. Not just anyone can sit in the position of restaurant manager.”

Yang Lihua choked, her face turning red and then white, her mouth agape.

"Lihua, let's go!" Wang Jian stood up, tugged at Yang Lihua's sleeve, and tried to get her to leave.

Yang Lihua shook off his hand and pointed at Su Ning's nose, yelling, "Su Ning, you're ungrateful! When you first married Mai Xiang, we helped you a lot. Now that you're successful, you're turning your back on us, aren't you? Let me tell you, if you continue like this, you'll be in trouble sooner or later!"

Su Ning looked at Yang Lihua, neither angry nor refuting, just staring at her calmly.

Yang Lihua felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but she still stubbornly continued to criticize him.

Yang Maixiang stood up and took Yang Lihua's hand. "Cousin, don't say anymore. Su Ning didn't mean it that way. He was just trying to do what's best for the shop. If you want to work, come tomorrow, and I'll personally train you."

Yang Lihua shook off Yang Maixiang's hand, "Maixiang, you too, you don't recognize your family after you get married? We grew up together, and this is how you treat me?"

Yang Maixiang opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

She knew it was pointless to say anything; her cousin wasn't here to look for a job, but to become a manager.

Yang Lihua picked up the fruit on the table and pulled Wang Jian out.

He stopped at the door, turned around, and looked at Su Ning. "Su Ning, remember what I said today. Fortune changes, don't think you'll always be so lucky."

Su Ning didn't respond. Having experienced countless worlds, he was naturally not surprised by this kind of person.

If you agree today, that will be the beginning of your disaster. Never let relatives into your business circle.

Yang Maixiang stood at the door, watching her cousin and cousin-in-law's figures disappear into the street. She stood there for a while before turning around.

She looked at Su Ning with a wry smile and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know they would do this."

Su Ning shook her head. "It's not your fault. This kind of thing is not uncommon."

Yang Maixiang lowered her head. "Then are you still going to let her come and do the work?"

Suning said, "It's up to you whether you come or not! You're welcome to work. But it's impossible for you to be in charge directly."

Yang Maixiang nodded and said nothing more.

Although she knew Su Ning did the right thing, she still felt bad. That was her cousin, someone she had grown up with since childhood. Now that things had turned out like this, she was caught in the middle, not pleasing anyone.

……

The news spread quickly, and within a few days, Suning's circle of relatives was in an uproar.

Some say Suning is ungrateful, some say Suning looks down on people now that it's made a fortune, and some say Suning is stingy and won't even give a store manager position to a relative.

Yang Maixiang's mother called immediately, "Maixiang, that's your cousin. How could you and Su Ning be so heartless?"

"Mom, you know my cousin best. Letting her be the store manager is just the beginning of trouble."

"Hmph! You're just looking down on people."

"Mom, I've already discussed it with Suning. Our relatives can't come to work at the store."

"What? You brat, how am I supposed to face people now?"

"That's your problem. If you're so capable, you can arrange jobs for them yourself."

"You brat, I've spoiled you for nothing."

"..."

……

After her humiliating defeat at the Ming Dynasty Imperial Kitchen, Yang Lihua was still seething with resentment.

I stayed home for two days, neither eating nor drinking.

Wang Jian knew Yang Lihua was frustrated, but there was nothing he could do. Suning wouldn't budge, so what could he do?
We can't exactly go and get into a fight, can we?

On the third day after lying down, Yang Lihua suddenly sat up.

I changed into clean clothes, combed my hair, and rode my bicycle out the door.

Wang Jian stood at the door watching her back, his heart pounding with unease, feeling that something was about to happen.

Yang Lihua went directly to the district's Administration for Industry and Commerce.

She was greeted by a middle-aged man in his forties. "Comrade, what can I do for you?"

Yang Lihua sat opposite him. "Comrade, I want to report this. The business at the Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty is so good, I think it's abnormal. I suspect they've added something they shouldn't have to the dishes, something addictive. Otherwise, why are other restaurants deserted while theirs has queues stretching down the street?"

The middle-aged man frowned and asked, "Do you have any evidence?"

Yang Lihua was stunned for a moment, and stammered, "I...I don't have any evidence, but everything I said is true. You can check it out and you'll see. His dishes don't taste right; they're different from other people's."

The middle-aged man glanced at Yang Lihua, said nothing, simply noted down her report, and then told her to go home and wait for news.

Unwilling to give up, Yang Lihua asked again, "Comrade, when are you going to investigate?"

"Don't worry! We'll let you know if there's any news."

After leaving the Industry and Commerce Bureau, Yang Lihua went to the fire station.

Tell the fire department directly, "The fire exit of the Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty is blocked by debris, the fire extinguishers are expired, and the electrical wires are haphazardly connected, posing a serious safety hazard."

The firefighters asked, "How did you know?"

“I went to eat there and saw it with my own eyes.” The fire department registered Yang Lihua’s report and asked her to leave her phone number.

After leaving the fire station, Yang Lihua went to the health and epidemic prevention station.

This time she didn't say there was a problem with the food. Instead, she said the kitchen of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Kitchen was dirty and messy, with rats and cockroaches everywhere, and the hygiene standards were not met.

Yang Lihua described it so vividly, as if she had actually worked in the kitchen.

The staff at the health and epidemic prevention station also took note of Yang Lihua's report and said they would arrange for someone to investigate.

After finishing these three tasks, Yang Lihua rode her bicycle home.

He had a smile on his face, with the corners of his mouth turned up high, as if he had won a battle.

I feel like I've done something big, something that can help me vent my anger.

They didn't think about the consequences at all, nor did they consider what would happen if the tests showed no problems.

After all, in her mind, there was no restaurant without problems.

They found it even more hard to believe that Suning could be so disciplined; if they made even the slightest mistake, it could bring them down.

……

When the news reached Suning, he was in the central kitchen debugging new equipment with the workers.

Yang Maixiang called and said that someone had reported us, and the industry and commerce bureau, fire department, and health department were all coming to investigate.

After hearing this, Su Ning paused for a moment, then smiled.

I told the workers in charge of installing the AI, and then rode my motorcycle to the Gulou store.

When they arrived at the shop, Yang Maixiang was pacing back and forth in the front hall, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Seeing Su Ning come in, he quickly went to greet her, "Su Ning, what should we do? If they come to investigate and find something wrong, will our store still be able to stay open?"

Su Ning calmly helped her sit down and poured her a glass of water. "Don't worry, it's alright. Our store can withstand any investigation."

"..." Yang Maixiang looked at him, still somewhat doubtful.

Although I know that Suning is always reliable, these days, how many businesses are not afraid of being investigated?
Even if there's no real problem, if someone wants to cause you trouble, they'll always find something to criticize.

The industry and commerce bureau, the fire department, and the health department all came at once—isn't that a recipe for disaster?
Suning didn't explain much to Yang Maixiang and turned to go to the kitchen.

First, they inspected the kitchen inside and out, making the staff wipe the stoves until they shone, mop the floor clean, cover the trash cans, and arrange the ingredients in categories with complete labels and expiration dates.

I also checked the fire-fighting facilities. The fire extinguishers were under normal pressure, the fire exits were clear, the emergency lights were working, and the evacuation signs were clearly visible.

Standing at the shop entrance, I looked up at the signboard that read "Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty" and felt confident and fearless.

The first to arrive was the health and epidemic prevention station.

Two people in white coats, a man and a woman, carrying sampling boxes, entered with serious expressions, as if they were there to investigate a case.

Yang Maixiang went up to them, smiling and greeting them, "Comrades, is there anything I can help you with?"

"We're from the health and epidemic prevention station! It's a routine inspection; please take us to the kitchen."

Suning came out of the kitchen and personally led them on a tour of the store, then went back to the kitchen.

The woman opened the refrigerator, took out several bags of pre-cooked food, checked the production date and shelf life on the labels, and then checked the storage temperature before nodding.

The man opened the cabinet under the stove and touched the edges and corners with his hand; there was no dust or grease.

The two then went to the dishwashing area, checked the temperature of the sterilizing cabinet, and asked about the tableware sterilization process.

Suning answered each question clearly and thoroughly.

The two exchanged a glance, said nothing, took out several sterile bags from the sampling box, filled them with food samples, and said they would go back to have them tested.

As she was leaving, the woman said to Suning, "Boss, your store is quite clean. But there are a few details to pay attention to: clean the drain filter in the dishwashing area frequently, and make sure the trash cans have lids on, don't leave them open."

Su Ning nodded and escorted them to the door.

Two days later, the fire department arrived.

Three people arrived, dressed in uniforms and wearing peaked caps, and they entered with an imposing air.

They walked around the store, checking the pressure of the fire extinguishers, whether the fire hydrants had water, whether the emergency lights could be turned on, and whether the evacuation routes were blocked by debris.

The leader checked off a few boxes on the checklist, signed it, handed it to Su Ning, and said, "No problem, keep it up."

Suning took the checklist, glanced at it, and saw the word "qualified" written on it, which put her at ease.

The most troublesome one is the Administration for Industry and Commerce.

When the people from the Industry and Commerce Bureau arrived, they not only checked the business license, food business permit, and health certificates of the employees, but also took away several food samples, saying they would send them for testing to see if any prohibited substances had been added.

Suning knew that someone had reported him for adding something addictive to his dishes.

He didn't panic, but cooperated actively, finding all his certificates and licenses and laying them out on the table for people to look at one by one.

The section chief who came was surnamed Zhao. He looked at the license and certificate, then at Su Ning, and asked, "Mr. Su, who have you offended recently?"

Su Ning smiled and said, "In business, there will always be people who are envious."

Section Chief Zhao nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

When the test results came out, Yang Maixiang was so nervous that her palms were sweaty.

Su Ning wasn't nervous. He knew what was in his dish: salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine, scallions, ginger, and garlic, along with natural spices he'd taken from his spatial world. None of them were prohibited.

As he expected, all samples passed the test without any problems.

When Section Chief Zhao called Su Ning, he casually added, "Boss Su, the food at your restaurant is really good. I've eaten there before, and the braised pork is excellent."

Su Ning thanked him, "Thank you for your recognition, Section Chief Zhao! When we have new dishes, we welcome Section Chief Zhao to come and taste them."

"Haha, okay! I'll definitely go when I have time."

After hanging up the phone, he turned to look at Yang Maixiang and smiled, "I told you! It's okay. Our store can withstand any investigation."

Yang Maixiang breathed a sigh of relief, but then her relief was short-lived. "Who reported it? Do you know?"

Su Ning picked up her teacup, took a sip, and put it down. "I don't know, and I don't want to know. What good would it do even if I knew? Would I go and beat them up?"

Yang Maixiang didn't ask any more questions, but she knew what was going on.

I can already recall what my cousin Yang Lihua said when she left that day, her gloomy face, and her words about how fortunes change.

Who else could it be besides Yang Lihua?

Yang Maixiang did not tell Suning her guess.

Because she didn't want to make a big fuss, and even more so, she didn't want Su Ning's relationship with her relatives to completely break down.

But Yang Maixiang couldn't help but call Yang Lihua.

On the other end of the phone, Yang Lihua's voice sounded a little unnatural, "Maixiang, what's up with your call?"

"Nothing much, just asking what you've been up to lately, cousin."

"I'm just staying at home, what else can I be busy with? Unlike you two, who are big bosses."

The two exchanged a few bland words and then hung up the phone.

Yang Maixiang held the microphone and stood there for a long time without saying anything.

Although it has been confirmed that my cousin did it, she can't produce any evidence.

Even if we take it out, what good will it do?

Sue her? Taking a relative to court over something like this won't sound good, and the elderly in the family won't be able to stand it either.

We have no choice but to swallow this anger, even if it's painful.

Su Ning saw through Yang Maixiang's worries but didn't point it out. He only said, "Maixiang, try not to get involved in your relatives' affairs in the future. Help if you can, and don't force yourself to help if you can't. Some people won't remember your kindness if you help them, and they won't necessarily hold a grudge if you don't help them."

Yang Maixiang nodded without saying anything.

The Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty withstood this sudden inspection and was not only unaffected, but actually benefited from the misfortune.

The inspection results from the industry and commerce, fire protection, and health departments all showed that the product was up to standard, which is rare among companies in the same industry.

The news somehow got out, and when the locals heard that this restaurant had been inspected three times without any problems being found, they realized that it was truly clean and well-regulated, even better than those state-run restaurants.

In no time, the reputation of the Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty became even more renowned, business was better than before, and the queues were even longer.

Yang Lihua waited at home for several days, but did not receive the result she wanted.

I heard that the Imperial Kitchen of the Ming Dynasty was not only not shut down, but its business was even better. I was so angry that I smashed a cup at home.

Wang Jian advised Yang Lihua to stop causing trouble, but she wouldn't listen. She said that Su Ning must have used connections and back channels, otherwise how could nothing have happened to her?

Wang Jian was too lazy to argue with her, so he went to the kitchen to cook.

Yang Lihua sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the TV, her mind preoccupied with other things.

...(End of this chapter)