Chapter 298 The Long-Missed Taste
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During this period, almost no one had rested properly, after all, since moving to the mall, we had entered the 24-hour business mode, and everyone took turns catching some sleep at their respective stations.
When Chen Yu arrived, he just happened to see Chu Hong curled up on a small stool, sleeping there.
The nearby Yang Shu also looked completely drained, even her movements seemed mechanical.
Startled by Chen Yu's approach, Yang Shu quickly nudged Chu Hong, who was on the chair.
"Welcome, customer, welcome to our shop, may I ask what you would like to order?"
Chu Hong was so hurried in her greeting that she didn't even open her eyes, as if this had become the norm for her.
Chen Yu suddenly felt rather embarrassed; he hadn't expected his employees to be driven to such a state.
He had been too busy lately to take care of the mall business himself.
"It's me, Xiao Hong!"
Upon hearing Chen Yu's voice, Chu Hong jerked awake.
"I'm sorry, Brother Yu, I wasn't slacking off, it's just..."
Chen Yu patted her shoulder, "It's okay, if you want to sleep, take a break. You've all worked hard recently. Also, we'll post recruitment ads on major job platforms tomorrow to hire more people."
Chu Hong immediately perked up and quickly took out the tablet beside her.
"I've already sent out the recruitment details, and several people have come for interviews recently, but unfortunately, very few meet our requirements."
Chen Yu's interest was piqued, and he pulled up a chair to sit beside Chu Hong.
"It's just a waitressing job, why set so many requirements? As long as they can work, that's fine!"
Chen Yu was somewhat frustrated; to him, being a waiter wasn't a highly difficult profession, especially since the criteria for applying here weren't very strict.
"I know that!" Chu Hong said with a face full of helplessness, then she flipped through the information of the recent applicants.
"It's not that I don't want them, it's just that these people are too much! Two of them looked quite honest, but they were actually old hands at this, always asking about the basic benefits here."
"They weren't willing to work long hours, they wouldn't do it if the food wasn't up to par, and they even demanded that we provide them with private dormitories."
Chen Yu could hardly believe his ears, this wasn't about hiring waitstaff but accommodating some overlords coming to enjoy themselves.
"Not everyone can be like that, surely. As long as they're more or less okay, that should be fine."
Chu Hong got serious, "No can do, Brother Yu, our business is growing, and many are jealous! Who knows if some of those applying are spies sent by others. Brother Wang Qingshan has said, better to have none than to have something bad, told me to be strict in the recruitment process."
Chen Yu cleared his throat twice. While he was comforted to have such conscientious employees, this inadvertently increased Chu Hong's workload, and it would be counterproductive if she ran herself down.
As he was about to offer some words of advice, a rugged shout suddenly sounded not far away.
"The herbal tonic soup is ready!"
Wang Qingshan was seen placing a large pot on a table.
There, five young men were seated, evidently newly employed office workers.
Even from a distance, Chen Yu could smell the medicinal herbs and raw materials used in the tonic soup.
Wang Qingshan had not used strong medicine in the soup; all the herbs were of a mild nature.
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After all, these people were young, and if they were nourished too much, it would be very easy to harm their bodies. It seemed that Wang Qingshan had reached a masterful level of expertise in making medicinal meals.
However, Wang Qingshan's originally obese and swollen body had slimmed down significantly, looking at least forty pounds lighter.
It seemed that he too had been under unprecedented pressure during this period.
Not far away, at two of the stations, Ning Kai and Li Gang were tirelessly swinging their knives.
Li Gang was visibly tired, his movements a few beats slower than before.
It looked like there was an urgent need to hire a large number of workers in the shortest time possible, otherwise, those under him might just collapse from exhaustion.
"Xiaohong, I remember you once said that there were many people in your village who wanted to find work. Do you know how many exactly?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Hong somewhat embarrassedly lowered her head.
"Our place is quite backward, and the local customs are also a bit different from other places. Many people our age are already married with children and simply can't come out."
Chen Yu didn't want to give up just yet; all the servers he had, except for Yang Shu, had come out with Chu Hong.
These people were not only hardworking and honest but also of excellent character, which is why Chen Yu had a special persistence for the people from Chu Hong's hometown.
"What about the adjacent villages or towns? Are there any idle hands there?"
Chu Hong pondered for a moment: "There are, but sadly our area is quite backward, and many people are very ignorant. Although they want to earn money, getting them to leave the village is very difficult."
If someone else heard this, they wouldn't understand, but Chen Yu knew exactly what it meant.
It was nothing more than the constraints of their native families and backward notions, which forced them to stay in their local area, get married, have children, and lead an unremarkable life for generations.
"How about this then, pack your things, and in a couple of days, I'll go back with you to your hometown to personally recruit people."
Chu Hong opened her eyes wide in disbelief. She had thought about recruiting people from her hometown before, but after calling a few people last time, she hadn't been able to get anyone else.
They were indeed poor, and many couldn't even afford proper meals. She had wanted to bring more fellow townspeople out to earn some money, but to no avail.
Now that Chen Yu was willing to personally go back with her to recruit workers, it was naturally something she had long hoped for.
"Thank you so much, Brother Yu!"
Chen Yu patted Chu Hong on the shoulder, then pointed to a small table nearby.
"If you are really too tired to stand, sleep there, don't slump over in the chair, it's bad for your waist and abdomen."
Chu Hong, a bit embarrassed, scratched her head but didn't follow the advice, instead mustering the strength to stand behind the counter.
Chen Yu didn't say anything more and simply took Hou Jianchang over to Ning Kai.
"Master Ning, do you still have the ingredients I gave you last time? Make me two dishes."
Seeing Chen Yu come over, Ning Kai was also thrilled and immediately twirled his kitchen knife.
"Of course I do, just wait at the side for a moment, and I'll prepare the dishes right away."
Chen Yu nodded and then sat with Hou Jianchang at the counter nearby.
It wasn't long before a rich fragrance wafted through the air.
The long-missed aroma involuntarily made Hou Jianchang stand up from his seat.