Divorced woman with child travels through time

Wang Erniu blushed on the spot. Wang Xiaoer and Chef Wang had seen Chen Wenfang and Wang Erniu together every day and guessed that there was something between them, but since Chen Wenfang was their boss, they didn't know what to say or ask. They were just a little embarrassed.

Seeing their expressions, Dazhuang quickly explained, "Oh, right, you don't know yet, do you? Let me tell you, our Uncle Erniu and Madam Chen are engaged and will be getting married next month."

"Oh, oh, oh..." The two of them had an "I see" look on their faces and quickly clasped their hands, saying, "Congratulations to you both!!"

Wang Erniu returned the greeting to Chen Wenfang, saying hurriedly, "Bring your family to Wangjiazhuang for dinner then, no need to bring gifts."

"Okay, okay." The two took it as a joke; how could one attend a banquet without bringing a gift?

Chen Wenfang then asked, "Hanyang, how's it going over there?"

Wang Hanyang said, "I have no problems on my end. The menu is ready and hanging up, the storyteller has been hired, the bowls and chopsticks have been counted, and the private rooms upstairs and downstairs have been confirmed. There are no problems."

"That's good, thank you for your hard work!"

After finishing her steamed bun, Chen Wenfang said to Chef Wang, "Aunt Liu will come over to help you tomorrow morning. Her steamed buns are delicious. I think the flour in yours probably wasn't sifted properly. Take a look when she makes them. Our steamed buns need to be delicious to sell well."

"Okay, boss." Wang Jincai was a little confused. How much better could a steamed bun be?

After thinking for a moment, Chen Wenfang added, "Hanyang will have someone add a sentence to the notice board: 'Grand opening special offer! Everything you buy will be 20% off for the next ten days. We'll have to work hard during this opening period, and we'll give you bonuses later.'"

"Great!" Da Zhuang cheered first.

"Then godmother, I'll keep my wages with you." Chu Yi said.

"Keep it yourself. You need to start saving money to get married in the future," Chen Wenfang joked.

"My godmother is teasing me again, saying I'm going to do big business in the future, so I'm not in a hurry to get married." The old woman remained calm and collected on the first day of the lunar month.

"Then it's up to you. If you're willing to let me go, I will. If you want it back, just tell me. You keep the accounts yourself; I don't care," Chen Wenfang said with a smile.

"I know, Godmother just doesn't want to worry, do you think I don't know that?" Chu Yi pouted and went back to checking the accounts.

The next morning, Chen Wenfang got up very early. They had slept at the shop the day before. Early in the morning, Dazhuang drove to pick up Aunt Liu, Uncle Liu Hai, and several children. They had all taken leave from school today, except for Wang Xiaoming who stayed home to look after the house.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Liu and the others brought a large basket of steamed buns, still warm. Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "Auntie, were you worried I hadn't eaten breakfast?"

Aunt Liu said, "I knew you had nothing to eat without having to guess. You're a picky eater, so you must want to eat what I make. That's why I brought you some, and there's also a big basket of chili peppers that your Uncle Liu picked."

Chen Wenfang smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Uncle Liu, thank you, Auntie."

After breakfast, everyone changed into their matching blue uniforms. When the auspicious hour arrived, firecrackers were set off. Amidst the crisp crackling of firecrackers, Chen's Teahouse opened for business. As soon as the two storytellers struck their gongs, the crowd surged in. Chen Wenfang and Wang Erniu stood next to Wang Xiaoer, who greeted the guests and led some of the distinguished guests upstairs.

The first wave of customers were regulars who loved eating all kinds of snacks. The second wave consisted of neighbors from the surrounding area. To Chen Wenfang's surprise, Ouyang Jin actually brought several teenagers with him. Chen Wenfang quickly led them to the upper room on the second floor and asked Dazhuang to keep an eye on them. Dazhuang was about the same age as them, so they should have something to talk about.

Chen Wenfang was worried that with too many people, the children would easily run around, so she told Shi Tou that they were only allowed to play in the backyard bungalow and not to go anywhere else. Chen Xuanyu and the others listened to her and played in the backyard. When they saw Uncle Di leading a few people to build a wall behind the door, all four kids ran there to play in the sand.

Today, all the goods on the shelves are 20% off. People who usually wouldn't buy snacks are probably coming now. Chen Wenfang is helping to pack snacks. There are so many people buying them, they're buying them by the pound to try, or maybe they're trying to get a good deal. Chen Wenfang thinks to herself, "It's a good thing I didn't plan to make small cakes, otherwise I wouldn't be able to handle it at all."

Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu went to the kitchen to help. Chunlan, Yanxia, ​​Chahua, Wang Hanyang, and Wang Xiaoer were serving dishes and pouring tea. Chuyi and Zhuantou were at the counters on both sides, weighing snacks and collecting money from customers. Chen Wenfang and Wang Erniu were collecting money, greeting customers, and packing snacks. They went wherever they were needed to help. Everyone did their job, and although they were busy, they were organized and efficient.

It was noon soon, the peak of lunchtime. Chen Wenfang thought she should take a moment to check on the children so they wouldn't go hungry. Dazhuang ran over and said apologetically, "Sister-in-law Chen, Young Master Ouyang said he wants to eat your cooking. I'm sorry, it's all my fault for bragging to them that your cooking is especially delicious, so he wants you to cook a few of your signature dishes yourself."

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "It's alright, it's only right that I cook some dishes for them. Young Master Ouyang has helped us so much, you go and keep him company while I go to the kitchen and cook a few dishes myself. I'll bring them up when they're ready."

"Okay, I'm off then." Da Zhuang laughed and ran off.

Chen Wenfang wiped her hands, said goodbye to Erniu, and went to the kitchen. The kitchen was bustling with activity. Chen's Teahouse pioneered stir-frying, and almost every table ordered stir-fried pork with chili peppers. Chef Wang was also a capable man. Chen Wenfang only taught him once, and he mastered the technique: stir-frying over high heat with enough oil.

When Chef Wang saw Chen Wenfang coming over, he hurriedly said, "Boss, I need to find someone to help me start the fire, otherwise Hanyang and Brother Liu Hai can't get away."

"Okay, I'll go find someone to help." Chen Wenfang responded, intending to call the children over to watch the fire, especially Shi Tou, who was good at tending the fire.

Chen Wenfang walked through the back gate and saw Shi Tou and Chu Yi piling sand on the ground.

"Stone, are you guys hungry? Where are Xuanzai and Xiaohao?"

"They went to fetch water." When Shi Tou Shiwu saw Chen Wenfang coming over, he immediately wiped his hands on his clothes, stood up and replied.

Where can we get water?

“There’s a ditch over there, and those two went there to get their buckets,” Stone said.

"Shitou, go and call everyone back. Let's go to the kitchen together. You can help with the fire. I'll get you some treats later. If you do a good job, I'll pay you for your work tonight. Hurry up!" Chen Wenfang said with a smile.

"Okay!" Stone Fifteen ran off.

Seeing this, Chen Wenfang returned to the kitchen, washed her hands, and prepared to cook a few dishes. The kitchen had everything: chicken, duck, goose, fish, meat, and eggs.

Chen Wenfang didn't know Ouyang Jin very well, but based on their interactions over the past year, Ouyang Jin was quite open to new things. He liked spicy food, so she made braised chicken and boiled fish fillets. Today, there was some beef delivered from the market, so she made stir-fried beef with yellow peppers. Stir-fried pork with chili peppers was a must. There were also some fresh small fish and tender perilla leaves delivered by the farmers, which she could also stir-fry.