Other parents nearby, seeing Qian Fei’er’s persistence over a grilled sausage, gathered around with confusion. “Is it really that delicious?” they asked.
“It is! I never lie. If you don’t believe me, you can join me in persuading Xiao Bai’s mom to set up a stall. Then you can taste it yourselves.” Qian Fei’er was truly a glutton who would stop at nothing. Seeing that her solo persuasion wouldn’t work, she decided to rally all the parents from the kindergarten to convince Xiao Bai’s mom.
Chen Li Shu had already stated she was in the clothing business. It wouldn’t be right to force her to make grilled sausages for them. Many hesitated, the words stuck in their throats.
Just as they were about to leave, their children finally couldn’t hold back. They swarmed towards Xiao Bai and Chen Li Shu.
“Xiao Bai, your mom is amazing! She makes the most delicious things in the world. Can you bring some for me to try tomorrow?”
“Yeah, Xiao Bai, I want some too!”
“…”
Seeing her classmates’ enthusiasm, Xiao Bai impulsively and happily agreed, “Okay! I’ll have my mom bring grilled sausages tomorrow. You all come and buy them!”
Chen Li Shu, standing nearby, wanted to intervene, but Xiao Bai’s words came out too fast, and her attempt to stop her failed.
Hearing that Xiao Bai’s mom would set up a stall tomorrow, the other parents smiled with satisfaction. Before leaving, they reminded her, “Then, Xiao Bai’s mom, please don’t forget. We’ll prepare change tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Chen Li Shu conceded helplessly.
With a confirmed answer, the parents quickly took their children and left the kindergarten. The crowded entrance gradually fell silent.
On the way home, Chen Li Shu noticed Xiao Bai seemed a bit off. She asked, “What’s wrong, Xiao Bai? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, Mom. Did I cause you trouble today?” After calming down, Xiao Bai regained her composure.
It was a bit troublesome, after all, the company had a mountain of work waiting for her. However, the decision was made, and it was pointless to say more. This would also become a burden on Xiao Bai’s heart.
Since she had been contemplating whether the food industry might create some waves if she hadn’t gone into fashion, she might as well take this opportunity to experience it.
With that thought, Chen Li Shu put on a relaxed demeanor and said, “It’s fine. Doesn’t Xiao Bai want to see Mom every day after school? I’ll pick you both up from school every day from now on.”
“Really!”
“Mm-hmm.”
Chen Li Shu’s seemingly nonchalant tone immediately shifted Xiao Bai’s attention. The three of them chatted until they arrived home.
As soon as they entered, the dining table was already filled with people, but Li Xiu Lan was nowhere to be seen. Chen Li Shu asked with some confusion, “Where’s Mom? Why didn’t anyone call her for dinner?”
Gu Xing Dong, seeing Chen Li Shu return, showed a hint of indulgence on his otherwise expressionless face. He parted his thin lips and slowly said, “She went to visit Auntie’s place. If nothing unexpected happens, she should be on her way back now.”
“Auntie? You have relatives in the capital?” Chen Li Shu was surprised. She had been here for so long and had never heard of this before.
A complex expression then appeared on her face, and she asked with concern, “Then, by rights, we’ve been in the capital for some time. Is it really alright not to see this Auntie?”
When Gu Xing Dong mentioned Auntie, his brows furrowed tightly, his expression somewhat grim. He said coldly, “Ever since this Auntie married into the capital, she’s never contacted us. We don’t have much interaction anyway, so it doesn’t matter much whether we see her or not.”
Chen Li Shu was about to say something more when a commotion was heard from the doorway. Both of them looked towards the entrance and saw Li Xiu Lan walking in with a smile.
Upon seeing Chen Li Shu, Li Xiu Lan quickly approached her and said, “Li Shu, you’re back? Good, I have something important to tell you.”
“What is it, Mom?”
“I paid a visit to your Auntie’s place today. Life is truly unpredictable. Remember how grandly my elder sister married? She looked down on the Li family as a burden and cut off ties with them. But now, neither of her children has achieved much, and even getting meals is a problem for their family.
I was thinking, don’t you have a company here? We’re all family after all. Seeing how they are now, I can’t help but feel pity. I was wondering if your company has any suitable positions where I could arrange for my sister’s son to work.” Li Xiu Lan’s face was filled with worry as she spoke.
Sometimes, being too kind is not a good thing. Just by the fact that this Auntie severed ties with her family after achieving wealth and status, it’s clear she’s a selfish person. Getting involved with such a person might drag one down someday.
Chen Li Shu wanted to warn Li Xiu Lan to be careful, but then she thought that, after all, she was her sister and her elder.
Before the truth was known, gossiping about elders behind their backs wasn’t a good deed. To avoid disrupting family harmony, Chen Li Shu could only suppress what she wanted to say and replied, “Okay, I’ll select a suitable position for them based on their abilities.”
Seeing that Chen Li Shu was willing to help, Li Xiu Lan held her hand and thanked her three times, so moved that she was on the verge of tears.
Chen Li Shu couldn’t stand such scenes and quickly changed the subject, “Mom, you’ve been out and about all this time. You must be hungry. Let’s sit down and eat quickly.”
Li Xiu Lan picked up a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her face. “Let’s eat. The children must be hungry from school too. We can discuss anything after the meal.”
After speaking, Li Xiu Lan led the two children towards the dining table.
-----
The next day, Chen Li Shu arrived at the company.
As soon as she walked in, she saw Zhang Bin approach her with a flushed face, unable to contain his excitement. “CEO Chen, your plan has been successfully completed. I’ve found the mysterious organization you mentioned. We have the employees. Now, should we proceed with the ‘door-to-door delivery’ plan?”
Chen Li Shu shook her head and said, “These people are used to being free and undisciplined. They need some training before they can start working. Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. First, get them a suitable work uniform, explain the company’s salary and benefits, and sign labor contracts. Only after all these steps are completed can these people truly be put to work.”
Reminded by Chen Li Shu, Zhang Bin was enlightened and slapped his thigh. “You’re right! Look at them, they’re all disheveled. If they go to deliver clothes to customers, this plan is definitely doomed!”