The Japanese spy's siren blared for a while, and pedestrians on the street ducked to both sides to avoid causing trouble.
The streets behind Shoufo Tower are already deserted, and every household has closed its courtyard door tightly, making no sound at all.
Chen Baoxiang waited for a while, and a dozen spies quickly walked south, no longer hiding their hiding places, and directly holding pistols in their hands.
"Okay, that's how it should be. The devils are hard to guard against. Kill...kill them all!"
He walked onto Ximen Street and followed the road north to east.
Over at Luoyuan Mansion, a dozen trucks filed out, with machine guns mounted on the roofs, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Chen Baoxiang felt relieved and returned to the rice shop.
Liu Yue'e opened the door and lowered her voice: "A spy just came in to search. Fortunately, your second sister has left. There is no one in our house who is afraid of being searched. Fortunately..."
Chen Baoxiang remained silent and returned to the north room. He first took out the good tea leaves from the drawer and brewed a pot of it.
For so many days, he had been extremely depressed, weighed down by the chaos among the major rivers and lakes forces and unable to hold his head up or breathe.
"Only by killing to stop killing can Jinan be saved."
Chen Baoxiang smiled, as if he suddenly saw light in a world like a black iron pot. Although it is narrow, it is enough for the people of Jinan to breathe and live well.
"Master, why are you so happy?"
"It's okay, I just saw big fish eating small fish in Daming Lake, small fish eating shrimps, and shrimps eating mud, hehehehe..."
"There's no movement from Boss Tian. Did something happen in the business?"
Chen Baoxiang poured tea. The couple was in a rare good mood and sat together drinking tea.
"No one can say anything about business matters."
"Master, during the Chinese New Year, I was still thinking, how can good things happen to ordinary people like us? They are looking for someone to open a restaurant in partnership. There are so many big restaurants in the city and hundreds of chefs, who can't they find? The one over in Luokou.
Many restaurants have closed down, and many cooks have come to Jinan..."
Chen Baoxiang shook his head: "You don't understand the business of opening a restaurant."
Liu Yue'e smiled and nodded: "Yes, yes, I will listen to you."
Talk about Cao Cao, Cao Cao is here.
When the two of them were talking about Tian Dongliu, someone in the store shouted loudly: "Boss Chen, Boss Chen, is Boss Chen at home?"
"Is it Boss Tian?"
Chen Baoxiang put down his tea bowl and took a few steps to the store.
Tian Dongliu was holding a black leather bag and standing in front of the counter with a smile.
The two exchanged pleasantries, and Tian Dongliu took out two contracts.
It turns out that the rental, decoration, store layout, kitchen layout, etc. are all ready.
"Boss Chen, I'm just waiting to find a famous artist to write a plaque."
Chen Baoxiang thought for a while, and found that there were many famous calligraphers in Jinan City, including regular script, cursive script, and seal script.
He mentioned a few names, and Tian Dongliu asked again: "After much deliberation, the four words Loudanggususuo are not enough to outweigh the others. I met with the sponsor several times, and they were generous enough to name them directly.
'Chen's Grand Hotel' is generous and open, not covered or hidden, what do you think?"
Chen Baoxiang was overjoyed. If it were really named after "Lou Tang Guan Shu", it would be troublesome. It would be like stepping in and challenging the status of those old restaurants in Jinan City, where there are many restaurants.
Named after "Chen", people in Jinan will know that it is Chen Baoxiang's hotel.
"Okay, that's great."
"Boss Chen, I'm going to find someone to write a plaque. As for you, take good care of yourself for a few days. Once the restaurant opens, you'll have to stay there every day and you won't be able to take care of family matters."
Chen Baoxiang patted his chest and affirmed loudly: "Don't worry, Boss Tian, a man who knows his friends will die. You and the sponsor have entrusted me with the important affairs of the hotel, and you have spared no expense and devoted yourself to it."
Liu Yue'e brought the teapot and teacup over, and Chen Baoxiang waved his hand: "Make another pot to entertain Mr. Tian."
Tian Dongliu smiled and shook his head: "Don't dare, Mrs. Chen, how can you do such a trivial matter?"
Liu Yue'e smiled so hard that her eyebrows arched: "Boss Tian is a person who does great things. It is our honor to come to our house for tea."
"Mrs. Chen, please don't say that. It's an honor for me to know Boss Chen. When the restaurant in Grand View Garden opens, I'll hire two girls to follow. I won't bother Mrs. Chen with serving tea and water!"
Tian Dongliu sat for a while and discussed various matters regarding the recruitment of chefs.
"Boss Chen is in charge of everything. If the cooks and waiters are not to your liking, they can be fired at any time. The power is yours."
Chen Baoxiang nodded frequently and was full of ambition.
After Tian Dongliu left, Liu Yue'e happily picked up the rag, but didn't know what to do. She walked around the store and felt restless.
"Master, should we sell out this rice shop or keep it? Our whole family will move here, and we will pass on the civil service and martial arts to work. It will be convenient for us to leave work..."
Chen Baoxiang drank several bowls of tea and gradually became calmer.
Opening a restaurant in Grand View Garden is a major event for the Chen family and requires careful consideration.
Tian Dongliu couldn't come, and he and Liu Yue'e were anxious. When the matter was finally settled, he was a little worried.
In the evening, the three children came back. When Liu Yue'e relayed Tian Dongliu's words, the children suddenly became excited.
"Great, Dad, I won't work as a laborer. The work on the counter is tiring and dirty. I want to work as a waiter in a big hotel, which is light and clean!"
Chuanwu picked up the tray, imitated the behavior of a restaurant waiter, ran back and forth in the room, and threw it to the ground with a thud.
Chuan Wen picked up the wine bottle and poured wine for Chen Baoxiang.
"Dad, let's go to Grand View Garden to open a restaurant. From now on, we can set up a flag in Jinan City and compete with several other big restaurants. Then we can put down roots and create a foundation. I heard the story of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang from my coworkers, who rose up to fight against
The violent Qin Dynasty is known as 'Princes, generals and Xiang Ning have the right kind'. Our Chen family has been running a rice shop for many years, and it's time to really establish a name..."
"Boss, you can also pour me a glass."
Chuan Wen shook his head: "I don't dare, I don't dare. Father and son are not at the same table. My parents are on top, but my son doesn't dare."
Chen Baoxiang nodded, no longer reluctant.
Chuan Wen is becoming more and more like a big brother, and I will feel relieved to entrust this family to him in the future.
"Dad, I work as a waiter, how much do I get paid per month? I can't make less than what I earn at the counter!"
Chuanwu was still messing around, Liu Yue'e waved her hand: "Okay, okay, stop making trouble, eat, eat."
After dinner, the three children laughed and made noise, which was more lively than the Chinese New Year.
Chen Baoxiang stood alone in the store, looking at the tables, chairs and benches around him.
He never thought that one day he would be able to move from a rice shop to a big hotel, from a small shopkeeper to a big shop owner.
"Soaring into the sky, overwhelming the heroes... This is much more leisurely than fighting and killing in the rivers and lakes. Open a good restaurant so that the people of Jinan can eat authentic Shandong cuisine and become the number one in Qilu. Food is the most important thing for the people. Those old people in Jinan
The restaurant has been open for too long, so it’s hard to avoid having a high opinion of oneself. The waiters know how to watch people take their plates and only serve rich people..."
Chen Baoxiang thought a lot, and everything had to wait until the big hotel opened.
Later in the night, while the couple was sleeping, Liu Yuee suddenly sat up.
"Master, I dreamed about Xiu'er and her grandfather. He was standing in the Grand View Garden, holding two fat and white dolls in each hand. He said, I will leave these two silver dolls to you, and work hard in the future.
Eat delicacies from the mountains and seas, wear silks and satins, both Chuanwen and Chuanwu will marry and have children, and flourish, and Xiu'er will find a good family. The good life of your family is behind you. You have a bright future, so work hard..."
Xiu'er's grandfather has been dead for many years, and Liu Yuee has never dreamed of him.
Now, if you come here in a dream, something big must happen.
"Okay, at midnight tomorrow, go to the intersection and burn some money and food for him."
"It was just burned during the Chinese New Year, and there were two big dustpans full. Oh, boss, I really feel like I'm dreaming. Why did such a great event happen to us?"
Chen Baoxiang patted the pillow: "Sleep, sleep, good days are ahead."
"Head of the house, I often hear regular customers say that everything goes well. When all bad things come to an end, everything turns into good things."
Chen Baoxiang closed his eyes and listened silently.
"Head of the family, we have had a hard time in the past few years. Now things are really turning around. Good times are coming soon... I hope that the lives of Jinan people will gradually get better..."
Liu Yue'e did not lie down anymore, but kept sitting with her chin on her knees, and she fell asleep unconsciously.
Chen Baoxiang didn't bother her and felt guilty.
Liu Yue'e followed her when she was eighteen years old. Over the past twenty years, she has given birth to two sons and one daughter. She has continued the legacy of the Chen family, adhered to women's ethics, and diligently managed the household. She has done a good enough job.
"She should be allowed to live a good life——"
When he turned over, he thought of Gu Lanchun, a man in green clothes on the stage.
Chen Baoxiang especially likes to watch Da Qingyi's "Silang Visits His Mother". Whether it is the complete version or the scene "Sitting in the Palace", he is fascinated and addicted to it.
"What a pity, what a pity..."
Chen Baoxiang sighed secretly in his heart, but he didn't know why it was "a pity"?
Just after dawn, Bi Gong knocked on the door, followed by eight men in black.
"Boss Chen, excuse me, search——"
With a cold expression on his face, Bi Gong waved his hands, and the man in black pushed Chen Baoxiang away, broke into the store, and searched the front and back yards.
Song Zixue is not here, and she is the only one at home. No matter how much she searches, there won't be any trouble.
Chen Baoxiang wanted to speak out to stop him, but knowing it was useless, he could only stand aside and let the man in black rummage through the cabinets and search everything inside.
After the search, the man in black returned to Bi Gong: "Uncle, there is nothing."
"Fuck, there's nothing? I brought Japanese guests over for dinner, and I fed the tortoise at Daming Lake when I got back. The problem doesn't lie here, does it lie with me?"
Bi Gong dragged Chen Baoxiang to sit at the table, then pulled out a pistol from his waist and slapped it on the table with a bang.
"Boss Chen, either you or I leaked the secrets of our Japanese friends. Tell me, who did you inform about the Japanese friends coming for dinner? The Sharpshooter Club, Wanhua Tower, the Eighth Front Army... or the bandits in the south of the city?
"
Chen Baoxiang shook his head, not doing anything wrong and not afraid of ghosts calling the door.
No matter how Bi Gong deceived him, he remained calm and composed.
"Uncle Bi, I didn't tell anyone. No matter who comes to eat, we will greet them with a smile. What can I do? That's how you open a restaurant. Set up a seven-star stove and welcome friends from all directions with a smile. Everyone can come and go.
Come in."
"Fart, you followed us to Daming Lake, sat on the shore, and watched with your own eyes someone assassinating Japanese people in the lake. Those are your people, right?"
Chen Baoxiang shook his head, and Bi Gong grabbed the pistol, put the muzzle of the gun between Chen Baoxiang's eyebrows, then hooked his thumb and slowly opened the nose of the pistol.
"Old Chen, let me ask again, who is the master of the boatman who killed people in Daming Lake, and where can I catch him?"
Chen Baoxiang had no choice. When he saw people killing people in the lake on the banks of Daming Lake, he couldn't save the Japanese even if he wanted to. What's more, when he saw that kind of thing, he would only clap his hands and cheer.
"You really don't want to say it?"
Chen Baoxiang shook his head: "Uncle Bi, I really don't know."
A man in black bent down and reported: "Uncle, the Second Master said that Boss Chen is a good person and will not collude with gangsters. We should go to other places, outside the city, Grand View Garden, train station, ship wharf, Beiyang
Grand Theater…”
Bi Gong frowned and slowly put down his pistol.
"Boss Chen, I also want to excuse you, but the Japanese can't catch the real culprit. How can I explain it to you?"
Chen Baoxiang calmed down and explained in detail what he had seen yesterday.
"Uncle Bi, if someone kills someone in Daming Lake, you have to go around Daming Lake to look for them. You can't find anything here."
Bi Gong stared at Chen Baoxiang, as if there were two red-hot rods in his eyes, forcing him to unable to open his eyes.
"Old Chen, I will let you go today. If you have any news about the killings in Daming Lake, please report to me immediately."
Bi Gong led the people out, turned back at the foot of the steps, cupped his fists and handed over his hands, and then headed west.