Binjiang Police Affairs

Chapter 1509 - 280: With Relatives Like These, Why Be a Chef? (Part 2)

The Boss Lady came over with a bright smile and asked, "Hello, are you Master Xiang’s cousin?""Yes, my surname is Han, called Han Xiangning, Ai Dong’s father is my uncle, and my mom is Ai Dong’s aunt."

"Cousin, may I ask how old you are this year?"

"Thirty-one."

"You’re a few years older than me, so I should call you cousin as well."

"You can call me whatever you like. You’re the Boss Lady, right? My brother works for you. He’s been causing you trouble, please take good care of him."

"Cousin, you’re too kind. Master Xiang is helping us out. If it weren’t for Master Xiang, we wouldn’t even know how to start this restaurant."

The Boss Lady is young and beautiful.

Han Xiangning likes interacting with young people and genuinely feels a fondness for the Boss Lady, so she asks with a smile, "Boss Lady, what’s your surname?"

"Almost forgot to introduce myself, my surname is Wang, I’m Wang Juan, and this is my husband Chen Guijun."

"Sis, we usually call Boss Chen the second brother and the Boss Lady Sister Wang."

"That’s nice, calling each other like that feels friendly, like family."

As soon as Han Xiangning finished speaking, the Boss Lady curiously asked, "Cousin, where do you work, is it far from our shop?"

Regarding the identities of the big cousin and her husband, Xiang Aidong has never told the boss and the Boss Lady. Mainly because the big cousin and her husband are so capable, he feared they might frighten the boss and the Boss Lady, and then they’d find a reason not to let him and Zhang Hongmei work here.

He didn’t say, and Zhang Hongmei didn’t dare to spill the beans.

That’s precisely why the Boss Lady asked.

"I work in Changzhou," Han Xiangning smiled slightly and turned back to ask, "Ai Dong, have you called home these days?"

"I did."

"Good, you did." Han Xiangning took out her cellphone and asked again, "When I called you before coming, why couldn’t I reach your cellphone?"

Xiang Aidong quickly explained, "I changed my card at the cellphone store across the way, switched to a local Binjiang number. The old number was from Chen City, calling here would be an expensive long-distance with roaming charges."

Han Xiangning realized, "That’s why I couldn’t get through. What’s the new number?"

Xiang Aidong quickly rattled off the new number, then, looking a bit embarrassed, said, "Sister Ningning, I intended to call and tell you, but I got busy and forgot."

"No worries, as long as I know now."

...

Since I’m here, I should certainly check out my little cousin and his little girlfriend’s workplace.

The store isn’t too big or too small, showcasing both Xichuan style and modern elements. Although the dining area is a bit cramped, it feels like dining here would be quite comfortable.

After touring the shop, she went upstairs to check out her little cousin’s living environment.

It’s a very old apartment building, but it has all necessary facilities. The boss even brought in a black-and-white TV to help occupy their leisure time.

As Han Xiangning descended the stairs, she curiously asked, "Boss Lady, how did you and Boss Chen think of opening a Sichuan restaurant?"

"We’ve tried business ventures in the past, but luck wasn’t on our side, and we didn’t achieve anything notable. We spent a lot of time elsewhere and sampled various dishes. Among them, we found Sichuan cuisine to be the tastiest. Many young people in big cities love Sichuan food. After coming back home with nothing to do, we decided to open a Sichuan restaurant."

"Once you had the plan for a Sichuan restaurant, you should have considered hiring a Sichuan chef early on. I noticed your place has been renovated for a while. Before my brother applied, did you talk to other chefs?"

"We spoke with a few. There are not many Xichuan people in Binjiang, and even fewer Xichuan chefs. We mostly talked with local chefs. They claimed to know Sichuan cuisine, but it was not authentic."

The Boss Lady turned to look at Xiang Aidong, then continued, "When Master Xiang applied, my husband and I invited him to our friend’s restaurant to stir-fry a few dishes. Just a taste convinced us to hire Master Xiang as our head chef. We wanted exactly the flavor Master Xiang delivers!"

"So that’s why after negotiating with him, you immediately decided to hire my brother. It turns out you’re experts too!"

"What kind of experts are we? We only know how to eat."

The boss and Boss Lady are really nice. Yesterday, they advanced a hundred to a waiter because he was short of money even though he hadn’t started working yet.

Zhang Hongmei felt the need to say some good things about the boss and Boss Lady, and she hugged her cousin’s arm and said, "Sister, Sister Wang treats us very well. She worries the temperature will drop soon, so she brought blankets from home for us to use. She took me shopping, and the second brother is even taking Ai Dong to see a battleship the day after tomorrow!"

"What battleship?"

"The Binjiang Ship, haven’t you heard?"

"Oh, they’re going to see the Binjiang Ship. Why aren’t you going?"

"The second brother queued for half a day but only got two tickets. An ID registration is required, so only registered individuals can go."

Han Xiangning laughed, stopped walking and asked Zhang Hongmei with a smile, "Do you want to go?"

Zhang Hongmei paused and asked excitedly, "Sister, do you have tickets?"

"I don’t have tickets, but your brother-in-law is there. If you want to see the battleship, you can go anytime. Just give your brother-in-law a call at the entrance of Dock No. 4, and he’ll take you inside."

"We can enter without tickets?"

"Yes, just tell them I sent you."

"Great, we don’t have time today, can we go tomorrow afternoon?"

"You can go whenever you want."

No need to ask, Master Xiang and the little supervisor’s big cousin and her husband are all working for the government!

Boss Chen and the Boss Lady were just about to express their gratitude when a young woman waiting outside walked over, covering her phone, and said, "Mayor Han, Director Wang from the City Committee Office called to say Secretary Wei will be accompanying a business guest to our park for a tour tomorrow morning. He asks if you have time to join them."

"Sure, when Secretary Wei personally accompanies a business guest, I must make time even if I’m busy."

"Alright, I’ll inform Director Wang right away."

"..."

Mayor Han!

Master Xiang’s big cousin is indeed the Mayor!

Boss Chen and the Boss Lady were stunned, staring blankly at Han Xiangning without daring to speak.

"Boss Chen, Boss Lady, I’ve got some things to do, so I’ll head out first. Please take care of my brother and his girlfriend. Here’s my business card, don’t hesitate to call me if anything comes up."

"Mayor Han, you’re the Mayor of Changzhou..."

"The vice mayor, acting. Boss Lady, it was lovely to meet you. No need to call me Mayor anymore, just call me cousin like before."

Han Xiangning smiled, turned back to pat her little cousin and his girlfriend’s arms, then walked out of the restaurant, got into the car, and drove away.

Not until the car vanished at the corner did the Boss Lady pull Xiang Aidong aside: "Master Xiang, your cousin is the vice mayor, why didn’t you mention it earlier?"

"What... what’s there to say about that?"

"What does your big cousin’s husband do?"

"He’s in the police."

"I know he’s in the police, but what does he do in the Police Bureau?"

"My big cousin’s husband is the deputy director at the Changhang Bureau."

Quite the backgrounds, having such powerful relatives, why are you even working as a chef...

The Boss Lady was at a loss for words, while Boss Chen looked at the card and murmured, "Juan’er, Mayor Han isn’t just any vice mayor, she’s a standing vice mayor in Changzhou."

Zhang Hongmei didn’t understand this, and before the Boss Lady could speak, she curiously asked, "What’s a standing committee?"

Stunned, Boss Chen gingerly put the card away, took a moment to gather his thoughts, and eventually smiled, "No matter whether it’s a county or a city, there are only eight or nine standing committee members, and everything big or small is decided by these eight or nine members."

"Second brother, you mean my big cousin is one of the eight or nine top officials in Changzhou?"

"Yes."

"Big cousin is so impressive, no wonder she rides a small car."

"What’s so special about a small car, that girl with glasses earlier is definitely her secretary."

"My big cousin has a secretary!"

"You all, you’re blessed without even realizing it. If I had such connections, I’d close the restaurant." Witnessing all that happened, Boss Chen couldn’t help but reminisce about the days when the old man was a factory director, but those good times are no more, now he relies entirely on himself.

Xiang Aidong didn’t think much of it, only knowing that whatever skills the big cousin has are hers, and as a chef, he should focus on cooking well, managing the kitchen, making more money to build a house back home, and eventually open a restaurant of his own.