The female manager at the restaurant was really beautiful. The man wondered why he hadn't seen her before and became curious—where did she live, and how old was she?
Wang Yuehan thought he'd come back soon to eat breakfast there again—and to pay what he owed. But it wasn't because he wanted to see the female manager again—no, it was because the food was really delicious. And he needed to pay back the money he owed.
Yes, that was definitely the reason!
…
The business at Yanxi Restaurant was finally getting on track, thanks to the hard work of Jewel, Xavi, and the Nan siblings.
The restaurant was busy from morning till night. The money they had invested had already been recovered, and within just a month, they were already making a profit.
Once Jewel fully learned everything about running a restaurant, Xavia wanted to leave. But Jewel suggested that she stay and keep managing the place.
"You know more than I do, so just stay," Jewel said. "I can't handle everything by myself. Let's sign a contract—at the end of each month, you'll get paid. The money I lent you before, we'll just deduct it from your salary. How does that sound?"
Jewel, having been a CEO in her previous life, was good at recognizing talent and making deals. She could tell Xavia was capable and responsible. She was even better than Jewel in some ways—more detail-oriented and professional. Jewel knew she couldn't let such a good helper go.
In the end, Xavia agreed to stay and became the head manager of the restaurant, very popular among the customers.
But no one expected the restaurant to soon attract two regular customers.
One was Wang Yuehan, a devoted foodie from a wealthy family. He came in every other day to try new dishes.
The other was He Xiaoshuang, the nephew of Madam He.
His behavior puzzled Xavia. Every time he came, he barely ordered any food. He always said he just wanted to look around the place.
But Xavia felt like he was searching for someone…
Even though the He family was technically related to Xavia and her brother, their connection was weak. Madam He had married in as a secondary wife, and she never really cared about them. So, Xavia and her brother weren't close with her or her son, He Xiaoshuang.
Now that her brother's business was doing well, the He family suddenly started showing up more often…
☆
Across the street from Yanxi Restaurant, a woman named Meng Yan crouched by a vegetable stand, looking sneaky.
An old, messy-looking monk walked over to her and politely greeted her with a bow.
"Amitabha."
Meng Yan saw the monk and mumbled, "Why is this old guy bowing at me? What's that about?"
She turned to leave.
"Please wait," the monk said.
Surprisingly, she stopped and turned around, glancing at him.
"You want something?"
"I see that your face is dark and your fortune looks bad. I came to warn you," he said.
"Disasters caused by others can be forgiven, but when you cause your own misfortune, it's hard to escape. It's best if you stop now—there's still time to turn things around."
When Meng Yan heard him say she was unlucky, she snapped.
"Who do you think you are, you old beggar, talking nonsense!"
She scoffed and walked away.
The monk shook his head and sighed.
"Everyone has their own fate. Not everyone can be saved… alas."
◎
One day, Li San's parents came to visit.
Since that day, An Su had to wake up even earlier every morning and take care of even more people.
He got up to boil water and cook breakfast. While cooking, he had to check on the baby in the crib—see if he was awake, crying, or needed to be fed.
When the water was ready, he poured it into basins so everyone could wash up after waking.
While his mother-in-law and wife ate at the table, he served his father-in-law in the kitchen—setting out the dishes, refilling his bowl, making sure he had everything.
An Su and the baby waited until everyone else finished eating before they could eat.
After the meal, An Su washed the dishes, took out the trash, and then around mid-morning, started preparing lunch. Just like with breakfast, he had to serve the whole Li family.
After lunch, when others took naps, he put the baby to sleep and then carried a basket out to collect firewood.
When he got back, it was time to cook dinner.
After dinner, he boiled a large pot of water so everyone could wash their feet. Then he did more chores before quietly climbing into the small bed he shared with the baby, Nuonuo.
Yes, ever since the baby was born, An Su and Li San had been sleeping in separate beds.
The baby often woke up at night or tossed and turned, so An Su took care of him alone to avoid disturbing Li San's sleep. They hadn't shared the main bed for a long time.
Besides chores, An Su also had to wash clothes for his in-laws, wife, and child…
He was exhausted, but life had to go on. Li San, a hunter, sometimes brought home game to sell, which helped a little. For now, they just had to make it work.
That day, at the entrance of Xie family village, Li San's father sat with other older men and husbands, gossiping while cracking sunflower seeds.
Soon, they began chatting about their sons-in-law.
"My son-in-law just doesn't look lucky—he's thin and doesn't have the face of someone who brings fortune to his wife… What about yours?"
"Young husbands don't know how to take care of children," one man said. "Just the other day, Nuonuo got sick because of him—cost us a fortune. These young ones don't know how expensive life is."
"Your son-in-law had a daughter first? That's real luck…"
An Su knew his father-in-law said these things behind his back, but he didn't care. As long as life went on, he could ignore it.
He knew no one would speak up for him anyway, and arguing would only make things worse for himself.
☆☆☆
Xavia and Jewel were still very close and happy together.
Jewel's first business, Yanxi Restaurant, had already made a name for itself in town. It was bringing in great profits, and she once again had plenty of money to work with.