NOVPUBChapter 306: Chapter 306 The Necessity of Reform
Chapter 306 -306 The Necessity of Reform
Bai Xiao returned to the office with a mind unsettled, finding the developments of many matters to be beyond her expectations. The probing by Shang Feng, she was convinced, carried hidden meanings—what nonsense about an old friend, with that fervent gaze, who would believe it?
Go deceive the ghosts!
She hadn’t anticipated such a twist.
She could almost be certain that Shang Feng was the despicable brother, Chen Shimei; she really hadn’t seen that coming.
Shang Kaiwen could be her half-sister from the same father, and Shang Kaijie could be her half-brother. Was what she was doing now akin to fratricide?
Ha-ha!
Yet, she didn’t feel the slightest guilt or unease about it. She finally understood why Shang Kaiwen had treated her that way in her previous life and why Shang Kaijie had been so cruel to her, often seeming to loathe her to the extreme.
Although Shang Kaiwen had never spoken ill or hurt her, the way she treated her was different from how genuine friends behave. It was something she could not fathom! Why would the best of friends, benefactors, who had supported each other through so many hardships, end up in a love-hate clash. 𝚗o𝚟pub.𝚌𝚘𝚖
Now she understood the reason.
No wonder Shang Kaiwen had looked at her with that love-hate gaze countless times; no wonder the mother of Shang Kaiwen she had seen had been so rude to her, even treating her unreasonably. In fact, they had always known the truth. They had never considered her family at that time, so they must have been afraid that she would discover the real cause of her mother’s death and seek revenge for her own mother, right?
Then, who would care about being half-siblings? What she wanted was a blood debt repaid with blood. The only people in the world who were closest to her were her eldest brother, eldest sister, and second sister; as for everyone else, let them go to hell.
In her past life, she had been a wrongful ghost without clarity! This time, she didn’t care about these matters; her kindness was not spared for such people to use.
This time, she was the one who was aware, not knowing what the Shang Family planned to concoct using her.
Bai Xiao was busy all afternoon, shoveling snow at the hospital entrance, which was nearly a feat of physical labor. She worked up a sweat, feeling her back drenched. She couldn’t take off her coat, so she unzipped it to feel more comfortable, and it was not until nearly five o’clock, when the workday was about to end, that they ceased their labor, leaving the space in front of the hospital clean.
Without going to the cafeteria for dinner, Bai Xiao decided to check on the hot pot restaurant; considering last night’s incident, her sisters, especially the mistress, were probably scared stiff. It was only right to see how they were doing.
She didn’t feel the chill until she was on the bus; the weather was indeed cold.
Upon arriving at the hot pot restaurant—
From a distance, she saw that it was still brightly lit; entering, it was bustling with people and packed full, with some even queuing up on stools at the entrance.
Bai Xiao saw Bai Yue with a smile beaming from ear to ear and felt relieved. She had worried that her eldest sister had been frightened.
Now, it seemed like her eldest sister was stronger than she had imagined.
“Xiao, you’re here! Come in and sit at the bar! Have you eaten? If not, I’ll get you something to eat,” Bai Yue said, busy as ever, taking bottles of alcohol from the bar and serving them table by table.
The waitstaff was clearly overwhelmed, each one busier than the next.
Bai Xiao shook her head and took off her coat! The temperature in the room was definitely several degrees higher now. She found an apron to tie on, “Big sister, what do you need? I can help!”
She was family, there was no need to stand on ceremony.
Bai Yue wasn’t shy either, why should she be formal with her own sister?
“The kitchen can’t keep up with the orders, take a look at what’s happening!”
Bai Xiao entered the kitchen and saw Li Haiping and an assistant both scurrying about nonstop, one cutting meat, the other washing vegetables.
She sighed. It seemed there was still a lack of experience. These tasks ideally should have been prepared in advance. It was already too late to catch up; at least the vegetables should have been washed before the meal service began. When it was time to serve the dishes, they could have been plated directly. Washing them now, not only was cleanliness an issue, but the speed was insufficient too.
She grabbed the menu and started plating, frozen tofu, glass noodles, meatballs, potatoes, and other items—none of these posed a problem for her. Her participation immediately relieved a great deal of kitchen pressure, significantly speeding up the dish output.
Li Haiping and the assistant could finally catch their breath.
“Auntie, you came just in time; we were about to collapse. Sometimes, I doubt myself for not being able to think of a good solution that would let us get all the dishes out at once,” Li Haiping lamented, feeling that there must be such a method, but it eluded him.
As Bai Xiao cut vegetables, she offered advice, “Tomorrow you should reform some of these processes in the kitchen. For instance, these meat rolls, you can cut them ahead of time, plate them, and freeze them in the freezer. That way when you need them, you can just take them out and serve.”
“But those lamb rolls and beef rolls will get deformed if they’re pressed. They won’t look good,” Li Haiping had also thought of this before.
“Are you silly? Just freeze one layer, then add another on top, that way they won’t get squashed. Haiping, you have to use your brain more when working, think of solutions. Otherwise, if business is this good every day, you’ll work yourself to death!”
Li Haiping scratched his head, feeling embarrassed, “Auntie, how come I never thought of that?”
“Also, these vegetables should be washed before you start to open for business. Tell your mom to get some large plastic basins. After washing the veggies, let them drain and sort them out. Like these frozen tofu pieces, and the potatoes, cut them in advance, soak them in water. That way, when it’s time to serve, you just need to plate them, saving a lot of effort. Potatoes don’t keep well, but submerged in water, they won’t turn black.
And another thing that needs reforming: the condiments should be self-service! That includes sesame paste, garlic chive sauce, fermented bean curd, and so on; set them outside for customers to help themselves. First, customers feel like they’re getting a good deal, which makes them feel their meal is worth it. Second, it saves on labor costs, and you won’t need an extra step in the process.” Bai Xiao introduced many successful experiences from the future that could help free up their hands and bodies in advance.
Such busyness would otherwise be the death of the two of them.
“But won’t that lead to people wasting food?” Li Haiping couldn’t understand. If he knew he could eat as much as he wanted, wouldn’t he eat a lot, even if he couldn’t finish it?
“No worries. People mainly come for the hot pot. Who is going to drink three bowls of sesame sauce? That would be crazy! Even if there are such people, I believe they’re few and far between. Most groups come to eat hot pot with friends, no one wants to make a fool of themselves in front of others.” It was all about mindset.
Li Haiping nodded, half understanding, half not. He just knew that his auntie understood better.
Everything Auntie said was definitely right.
Finally, the day’s business came to an end.
Everyone was exhausted.
