Chapter 40: Ch. 19 Part 2
Xiao Ling started to ask them all sorts of questions with pressure giving them no break or time to think.. he ask them question after question in a way to mess up their minds and see which of them can stay calm and focus on serving and work when pressure is on them... he stopped asking the questions after a while and swept through them as he was in a deep thought before he pointed one boy and one girl and asked them to step forward from the rest, he asked them their names and where they were from after they stepped forward... the boy was named Li Haoran and coincidentally he stays at the northwest of the village which made him a fellow villager but Xiao Ling did not know him..
Infact he did not really pay attention to others both this era’s Xiao Ling and him. The girl was name Zhou Zihan and she was also a fellow villager and she stayed just around them but Xiao Ling didn’t know her too, she looked like the type who doesn’t have friends or people wouldn’t want to be friends with her since she appeared timid but when she was answering the questions her nature didn’t bother her
" Li Haoran communication skills, ability to stay calm under pressure... your position will be the General Manager. Your work is to supervise all workers and take care of everything in the restaurant... it’s just like being a shopkeeper but not the same... you’re to assure everything in the restaurant goes smoothly.. you’ll be paid 5 taels on the first of every month, that’s monthly pay. I’ll teach you how to do your work for the upcoming days until the opening of the shop.. that’s you’ll be coming here from the day after tomorrow to learn... " they all gaps when they head the pay as they all felt their hearts pumping excitedly but Xiao Ling didn’t bother with them and continued... " the scholar ... what’s your name and where are you from? " he asked.
" Boss my name is Guo Yuxuan and I’m from the next village " he answered enthusiastically.
" Okay Yuxuan I want you to start teaching all of them how to read and write and arithmetic, I’ll pay you a tael every three days for teaching them.... that’s just a side work I’m giving you, I haven’t decided where to put you in the restaurant yet..... can you teach them? " Yuxuan nodded happily.
" Yes boss, I’ll do it " Xiao Ling nod and continued again " Zhou Zihan assistant manager, 4 taels monthly salary..... your work is to assist Haoran in supervising the restaurant, Haoran is your direct superior. Your training also starts the same day as his " Xiao Ling informed " before we continue with the rest, I’ll let Yuxuan read the contract for you.. Xiong Gong please pass me one of the contracts " YanZhi passed him the contract which he been writing for Xiao Ling after breakfast.. Xiao Ling gave the contract to Yuxuan who read it out loud to them... there was nothing much to say about the contract just that when they violate the rules and regulations in the restaurant or when they cause damage to the restaurant they’ll be taken to Yamen and will be fined a thousand taels of silvers, or their entire family will be sold as slaves if they can’t pay..
That was just to scare them because Xiao Ling didn’t want to buy their loyalty with the money when he was going to pay them highly monthly salary and treat them well... because in the county even if they work the entire year the most they can make was about five hundred cents not even a tael. They were scared to hear the harsh contract but they soon got over it thinking that they just didn’t have to violate the contract and they would stay safe, the pay was too good to leave so they all made their minds to sign it. Haoran and Zihan readily signed their contracts with ease and after Xiao Ling gave them a tael each as advance making the rest eyed them waiting for their turns... Xiao Ling asked them to stand with the first group of three but to leave a space in between and not to be mixed up with them.
After dealing with them he continued with his questions.. the five remaining were optimistic after seeing their colleagues got the job and even silver they also started putting their hearts into it.. Xiao Ling mentioned some of the dishes he was planning on selling in the restaurant once and asked them to say it one after the other just the way he said it in the same arrangement but Yuxuan was the only who could, so he asked Yuxuan to step forward
" Yuxuan server, knowledgeable and good memory.. that’s your position and you’ll be paid three taels monthly. You’ll also start receiving your training starting from the day after tomorrow. " he said to Yuxuan and explained what a server’s job was to him before Xiao Ling gave him the contract and he signed and took his tael of silver as advance " Yuxuan can you get me two people who can read and write... they should be honest and hard-working, bring them along with you the day after tomorrow " Yuxuan nod in understanding before he was also asked to stand aside with the selected group. He was about to continue with the other four when Yanbei walked out of the kitchen and cupped his hands.