Quick Transmigration: The Mad Beauty Refuses to Be the Scapegoat!

A few days later, new faces appeared in the restaurant’s private room.

This time, Jiang Lai was in charge of arranging the feast.

According to the tradition of Northern Chinese cuisine, it included five cold dishes, twelve hot dishes, and a soup.

Since the guests this time had a bit of status, the only requirement for the dishes was that they be exquisite and delicious.

With the right budget, Jiang Lai had Jiang Li handle the shopping.

Thanks to Jiang Lai, Jiang Li also joined the restaurant, and in the highly favored purchasing department, no less. Whenever Jiang Lai was in charge of the cooking, Jiang Li would handle the ingredient buying.

"When you go shopping, find Lin Gao for me and pass on a message," Jiang Lai said.

Jiang Li, hearing this, became a bit cautious.

"What do you need to tell him? What do you have to say to him?"

Since when did Jiang Lai have such a good relationship with Lin Gao?

"Tell him, the deputy director of the steel plant is eating here now."

"Huh?"

"Just go honestly, no nonsense."

"Oh."

Although baffled, Jiang Li obediently went to deliver the message.

Later, the people in the private room arrived.

After a while, Jiang Li came sneaking back into the kitchen to inform Jiang Lai.

"I just saw Lin Gao carrying wine inside. He wouldn’t be here because of what you said, would he?"

"Mind your own business, just do your job."

Jiang Li mumbled a few words and turned to leave, still curious as to how Lin Gao got such an invitation to dine with the steel plant deputy director. Was it just because his grandfather was once a director?

That was a long time ago, and now isn’t he just a loafer?

The meal lasted particularly long because there was only this one private room today, and the supervisor allowed Jiang Lai to leave work early.

Packing some food and putting on a thick coat, Jiang Lai was about to leave when the supervisor suddenly asked a question.

"A few days ago, Director Zhang’s wife sent a message, saying she’d like to invite you to prepare a family dinner.

Of course, you don’t need to consider their status. If you want to go, then go. If you don’t want to, I’ll have another chef go. Anyway, they can also cook the new dishes, and the taste won’t be too different."

Jiang Lai readily agreed.

"Sure, no problem."

"As long as you don’t mind. I was just worried you might not want to."

"Why not? Cooking for the director’s family is a big honor."

The supervisor gave Jiang Lai a thumbs up.

"You’re a smart kid. You’ll accomplish great things in the future."

Many chefs don’t want to cook for people with status and prestige.

Not just because they’re picky, but mainly because there’s little reward to be gained.

The richer they are, the stingier they get, this saying suits Director Zhang perfectly.

Apart from his wife and children, for the rest, especially the workers in the plant, he’s as tight-fisted as they come, with many cursing him behind his back for being stingy.

Going to his house to cook was mainly just for building a good reputation.

Seeing that Jiang Lai didn’t mind, the supervisor gave him a couple of reminders and then left.

Jiang Lai left work early today, arriving home before dark.

The house was lively recently; Jiang Hai had built an additional kitchen in the yard. Although it cost some money, now the kitchen had two stoves and a large table, and every day the apprentices he took in would practice their skills here.

Jiang Hai seemed to have found a new direction in life, happy every day, tirelessly guiding these apprentices, from chopping vegetables to preparation to cooking, focusing on starting from scratch.

With good teaching results, and the students who came to learn were all vetted by Jiang Lai, there was no one who slacked off, all genuinely wanting to learn cooking skills.

With something to keep him busy, Jiang Hai no longer focused on his messy family relationships.

Of his three sons, the youngest, Jiang Li, was the only one not to worry about, as he spent his days following Jiang Lai around. The other two sons would disappear every day.

Jiang Hai wanted to teach the two sons cooking skills, hoping that in the future, under Jiang Lai’s guidance, they could become apprentices in the restaurant, eventually becoming chefs to support their families.

But it turns out, they each had their own ideas, never allowing Jiang Hai the chance to speak.

Jiang Hu was not too bad, working diligently at the dock, having even been promoted to a small leadership position, earning 36 yuan a month, and receiving plenty of fish coupons.

As for Jiang Shun, his situation was a bit more complex.

He used to work at the port but later, for some unknown reason, went to the steel plant to do odd jobs.

The odd jobs surely weren’t easy, with much work, little pay, and danger.

Others might not know, but Jiang Hai certainly knew.

Those odd jobs were filled with people deceived into them, told that after three years they could become permanent employees.

The pay was less than a permanent employee’s fraction, with no benefits, but they did much more work than permanent staff.

These folks went in hoping to become permanent after three years, but in the end, who can truly complete those three years?

These were the clever tricks the new director came up with.

Not only did he get the work done, but he also saved a lot on wages, and most importantly, in less than three years, they always found faults to dismiss the workers.

Jiang Hai advised Jiang Shun many times, but Jiang Shun verbally agreed and then turned around, quit the port, and went straight to the steel plant.

By the time Jiang Hai knew, he had already been working there for over a month.

"You should see your second brother; in less than a month, he’s lost at least ten pounds.

That boy seems born to suffer, and I’ve got no solution.

Jiang Lai, when you go to the director’s house to cook, if you see your second brother, try to advise him. If it doesn’t work, then forget it, I will just pretend I don’t have this son."

Jiang Hai was drunk, muttering to himself.

Jiang Lai helped him back, agreeing along the way.

"Alright, don’t worry, if I see him, I’ll try to talk to him."

The backyard had been quiet for quite some time.

The neighbor lady said that Shen Yan had been frequently visiting the supply and marketing cooperative recently, and someone with sharp eyes saw she seemed to have bought a piece of red cloth.

Everyone was puzzled about what she was up to.

But Jiang Lai immediately guessed.

That night, Jiang Lai hadn’t fallen asleep yet when Little Buding suddenly spoke.

"There’s something I don’t know if I should tell you."

"Go ahead."

"Your mom snuck into your dad’s room in the middle of the night."

"..."

Those words sounded so strange somehow.

Jiang Lai quickly got up, pulled off the blanket, and started walking out. Before reaching the door, he suddenly saw Jiang Hai turning and heading back into his room, and then he grabbed him.

"Don’t make a sound, come with me."

Jiang Hai, his alcohol not completely worn off, got up to use the restroom, only to be taken away by Jiang Lai upon returning.

After that room in the backyard was rented out, Jiang Hu and his two brothers lived in a vacant storeroom at the neighbor’s house.

Jiang Lai pushed Jiang Hai into the room shared by the three brothers.

"Dad, just crash here for the night. Sober up before going back."

Jiang Hai, still in a drunken haze, nodded obediently and climbed onto the kang.

The steel plant had night shifts, and Jiang Shun wouldn’t be returning tonight.

But Jiang Hu and Jiang Li both watched the scene unfold with their eyes wide open, sleep completely forgotten.