Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 283

He Yuzhu thought about it and realized that he was a magnanimous person, so he didn't take the unfriendly tone to heart and decided to go and see what kind of opera the man wanted to perform.

He nodded and said, "Okay."

He Yuzhu got up to wash his hands, and Xu Huizhen advised him, "Fan Jinyou is a scoundrel. You don't need to bother with him. Running a small tavern isn't that easy. He's bound to suffer a big setback."

"I just went to see what kind of play he could put on."

Xu Huizhen didn't say anything more, and He Yuzhu then came out and went back into the tavern.

Upon entering, one sees Fan Jinyou sitting imposingly, exuding the air of a leader. In front of him, with his back to him, are three women and one man, all sitting very properly, in the standard subordinate posture.

Just like in the TV series, Fan Jinyou still called these four employees over. After all, as a manager, if he doesn't have any subordinates, wouldn't he be a manager who doesn't live up to his title?

As soon as He Yuzhu entered, he exclaimed, "Hey, Manager Fan, we have four guests already. Why are you just sitting there? Hurry up and get the drinks and serve the dishes!"

Fan Jinyou called out, "What are you saying? These are four new employees. Come, sit down. I'm about to start speaking."

"The four new employees?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Yes, what's wrong? This is a newly opened tavern, so it has to look like a new tavern. You sit there and listen to me. It's not your turn to speak yet."

"Okay, you're the company manager."

He Yuzhu sat down first, and Fan Jinyou said, "Let me introduce you to these four new employees. This lady is Zhao Yali, our bar's accountant."

Zhao Yali nodded in agreement.

"Kong Yuqin is in charge of cashiering."

Kong Yuqin, having learned the proper etiquette, stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "Hello, Boss He."

"Hello," He Yuzhu said.

Fan Jinyou glanced at Kong Yuqin, slightly displeased. Kong Yuqin noticed and felt a little embarrassed, realizing that she had overstepped her bounds in her attempt to flatter him, since she was the one Fan Jinyou had brought her.

"Old Ma, Ma Liansheng".

Ma Liansheng stood up and greeted him with a smile, without addressing him as Boss He.

"He is in charge of our tavern's purchasing, including buying wine, vegetables, and meat."

Fan Jinyou explained to He Yuzhu, then said to Ma Liansheng, "Old Ma, I hope you can also take on the job of our chef."

He glanced smugly at He Yuzhu and continued, "Old Ma, your cooking skills are still pretty good. Some people shouldn't think they're so great just because they're chefs."

He Yuzhu just smiled and didn't say anything more. After all, he was a first-level cook, while this old Ma was probably only a junior cook at most.

Only someone like Fan Jinyou, who doesn't know anything about the profession, seems to be unaware of his own rank as a cook.

Fan Jinyou said, "Zhuzi, your house next door is vacant. You only sell breakfast once a day. It's such a waste. It doesn't look like a business at all."

"Oh! You say I don't know how to do business? Well then, I'd like to hear your expert opinion today."

“I told you you don’t know how to do business, but you won’t admit it. After selling breakfast in the morning, you can sell stir-fries for lunch and dinner, right? That way you can make more money.”

He Yuzhu clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Brilliant! Brilliant! How come I didn't think of that?"

"You just don't know how to do business, now you admit it? This tavern and breakfast shop will only thrive if I take care of them."

"Then I'll wait and see what happens!"

"Stop talking sarcastic and unfriendly. Don't be resentful. I'm here to run this tavern on behalf of the leadership, and I'm going to do a better job than you did before."

"Alright, alright!" He Yuzhu didn't say much, letting him be smug for a while, knowing he'd regret it later.

Fan Jinyou called He Yuzhu over today to show off his superiority. He was extremely satisfied and then said to Ma Liansheng, "Today I want to see a hot meal tonight. Old Ma, you have a heavy task ahead of you."

"This..." Ma Liansheng was a little dumbfounded. It was already afternoon, and he was in a tight time to prepare the stir-fried dishes for dinner.

Fan Jinyou frowned, looking somewhat displeased: "Is there a problem?"

"Although there are some minor difficulties, I can overcome them and guarantee to complete the tasks assigned by my superiors."

Fan Jin nodded in satisfaction: "That's right."

Then he said, "By the way, where were we in the introduction?"

Of the three women, Zhao Yali and Kong Yuqin were older and looked like middle-aged women, while the last one was younger and was a lively young girl.

She quickly and cheerfully said, "It's me, it's me. Now it's time to introduce myself."

"By the way, this is He Yumei, coincidentally, she also shares the surname He."

He Yumei stood up and bowed to He Yuzhu: "Hello, Brother He. I also have the surname He. We were one family 500 years ago."

Fan Jinyou frowned. Wasn't He Yumei just making things difficult for him? He regretted bringing her along now that he had tried to establish a relationship with He Yuzhu.

"Hello, Yu Mei!" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

Fan Jinyou said, "It just so happens that you two siblings will both be in charge of the waiter/waitress job from now on."

He Yumei didn't say anything, and He Yuzhu even wondered if he was hallucinating. He scolded, "Fan Jinyou, what did you say?"

Chapter 209 Transformation

Fan Jinyou was immediately displeased: "He Yuzhu, what's your name? You're such a grown man, don't you know any manners? How can you yell at your superiors like that?"

He Yuzhu said dismissively, "What kind of leader are you? You're just a temporary worker on the street. Do you really think that becoming a company manager makes you a leader?"

Fan Jinyou slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, "He Yuzhu, are you trying to rebel? You need to recognize your own place first."

He Yuzhu was very puzzled and asked, "I really don't understand what my identity is."

"Who do you think you are? You are now the one being transformed by us."

He Yuzhu pointed a finger at his nose: "You're saying I was modified?"

"Of course! How can you study documents if you can't even understand this?"

Fan Jinyou began to instruct: "You are someone who needs to be reformed."

"me?"

"I'm talking about you, He Yuzhu. What is joint public-private ownership? What is socialist transformation?"

"It means using socialism to socialize and transform you capitalists."

"The reason why the higher-ups sent me here as the public sector manager is to have me, a socialist public sector manager, reform you capitalists, do you understand?"

“I know what you’re talking about,” He Yuzhu started cursing.

Why are you swearing at me?

Then he turned to the four of them and said, “Look at this, this is the face of capitalists. As long as it doesn’t go their way, they immediately start cursing at us. Of course, people like this need to be reformed.”

"Okay, okay, you're right."

He Yuzhu asked, "So I'm going to work as a waiter in the bar?"

"Yes, from now on, you'll be a waiter, just like He Yumei, responsible for serving dishes, but most of the time you'll be responsible for washing plates and bowls."

He Yuzhu asked, "So am I a waiter or a dishwasher?"

"Your main responsibilities are washing dishes and cleaning. You can only come over and act as a waiter when He Yumei is too busy, understand?"

"So all you've said is that I'm just a cleaner, washing dishes and sweeping floors for you every day?"

"Yes, so this is your transformation project? We'll start with the hardest work so you'll know how tough it is for us working class."

"hehe."

He Yuzhu said angrily, "Fan Ningyou, don't forget, I'm still the private manager of the tavern."

"What use is a private manager? You're the one being reformed now. From now on, all you'll be doing is washing dishes and sweeping the floor. Nothing else is your responsibility."

"But that's not what the joint venture contract says. It says I'm the private manager and I also have certain management rights."

Fan Jinyou pointed at Ma Liansheng and his group:

"What operating rights? No, once the government buys up all the taverns, you'll be just like them, an ordinary employee."

Of the four, apart from He Yumei, the other three suddenly relaxed a lot, no longer as reserved as before. Yes, from now on, Boss He would be just like them, and they all straightened their backs immediately.

Only He Yumei, still a naive young girl, hadn't quite understood.

He Yuzhu was so angry he laughed: "Fine, then let me ask you, have you finished bribing me? Am I still considered a manager?"

Fan Jinyou was taken aback. Yes, they hadn't paid any ransom yet, but he said, "Why do I feel like there's something behind your words? What exactly are you trying to say?"

He Yuzhu said, "What I'm trying to say is, have you calculated the costs of hiring so many people? The little money the tavern makes isn't even enough to pay their salaries. I don't understand how you're going to support all of them?"

Ma Liansheng and the others were unhappy when they heard He Yuzhu's words.

Zhao Yali said in a low voice, clearly disgusted, "How can you talk like that?"

"Exactly, are they looking down on us?"

"You all heard it. They're full of capitalist ideas, and all they talk about is money. Now it's all showing."

Fan Jinyou said loudly, "Support? Who supports whom? This is a new society, a socialist country. There's no question of who supports whom. Do I need to give you a lesson again?"

"No need, I'm the one who needs to be reformed."

He Yuzhu said, "I just don't understand one thing, because the contract I signed with the street office stipulates a four-way profit-sharing principle, which means that in addition to receiving dividends, I can also receive 25% of the operating profit."

"Yes, so what?" This is the most basic contract, and even if Fan Jinyou had the guts, he wouldn't dare to deny it.