sbdcsierra Chapter 78 More Orders
Chapter 78 More Orders
Chapter 78 More Orders
At 1:50 p.m., Wang Sheng and Su Weiwei returned to the small storage room behind window number 07 in the cafeteria ahead of time, tidied up briefly, and waited for Aunt Zhao to arrive.
The warehouse was filled with rice, flour, cooking oil, and miscellaneous items, but it was kept fairly tidy.
At exactly two o'clock, footsteps were heard.
A middle-aged woman, dressed simply but neatly, appeared at the door. She was of medium height, slightly plump, with a round face and fine lines around her eyes. Her expression was kind, yet shrewd and subtly tense. It was none other than Zhao Yaqin, the "calm and collected" woman in the profile picture.
"Boss Wang? Hello, hello!" Zhao Yaqin greeted Wang Sheng with a warm yet reserved smile and quickly walked in. "I'm Zhao Yaqin. I contacted you on Boss this morning."
Her gaze swept quickly across the warehouse environment, scrutinizing it.
"Hello Aunt Zhao, please have a seat."
Wang Sheng pulled up a stool. "I'm Wang Sheng, and this is Su Weiwei, my junior from school. She's also helping out at the window."
"Hello, Auntie!" Su Weiwei greeted politely, curiously sizing up her potential future colleague.
"Oh, hello, hello, you're a beautiful young lady!" Zhao Yaqin replied with a smile. After sitting down, she unconsciously rubbed her knees together before getting straight to the point, "Boss Wang, I've looked at the requirements for this job. Preparing meals from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., I can handle that! I'm skilled at kneading dough, chopping fillings, cooking porridge, stewing soup, and frying dough sticks back home! Don't worry about the kitchen work, I'll be incredibly efficient!"
She spoke quickly, with a slight local accent, conveying a sense of sincerity and urgency.
"That's great." Wang Sheng nodded. "The main job is to assist with preparing ingredients for breakfast and late-night snacks, such as washing, chopping, and simmering the basic soup base. The probationary salary is 6,500 yuan, and it will be 8,000 yuan after one month. Two employee meals are provided, which means you eat what we eat during mealtimes. The working hours are a bit tiring, but you see—"
"It's not hard at all!"
Zhao Yaqin quickly waved her hand, her face beaming with joy, "This is excellent treatment! It earns more than I did back home, working from dawn till dusk! And the main thing is—"
Her voice lowered, tinged with embarrassment and eagerness, "My daughter is studying at Jinda University, she's a sophomore. I came here, firstly to earn some money to help her, and secondly—to be closer to see her and take care of her. As a mother, I'm always worried about whether my child is eating well and whether the cafeteria is hygienic—"
Here it comes, the important part.
Wang Sheng understood. "I understand, it's a parent's concern. You can rest assured about the hygiene at our counter; it's absolutely rigorous. I personally select the freshest ingredients every day, and we follow the strictest operating procedures. Your presence here is a good opportunity for us to oversee the process."
He then added that this was also one of the reasons he valued Aunt Zhao.
"Absolutely!"
Zhao Yaqin immediately perked up, her eyes lighting up. "Boss Wang, not to brag, but in the food business, hygiene is paramount! Back in my hometown, we even use three different cloths for cleaning, one for raw food and one for cooked food, and we disinfect the cutting board every day! Rats and cockroaches simply can't get in! And here—"
She stood up and instinctively looked towards the door leading to the kitchen. "Can I see the work area? It's not that I don't trust you, it's just a professional habit. Seeing the layout helps me know what to do and how to get things done smoothly."
Wang Sheng smiled: "Okay, of course. Weiwei, show Aunt Zhao around and let her get familiar with the environment." He wanted to see Aunt Zhao's professional eye.
Su Weiwei responded and led Zhao Yaqin through the small door into the kitchen.
As soon as Zhao Yaqin entered, she seemed like a different person. Her eyes were as sharp as searchlights, sweeping over the stove, cutting board, sink, freezer, and condiment area.
"You need to wipe the grease stains in the corners and crevices of the stove frequently, as they easily trap dirt and grime."
"The cutting board is nice and sturdy, but you have to stand it up to air it out after use, otherwise the back will easily get moldy."
"The sinks are great, with separate sections for washing vegetables, meat, and tableware, and the signs are clear."
"Let me check the freezer temperature—minus eighteen degrees Celsius, meets the standard! The separation of raw and cooked foods is also done well."
"The seasoning jars are well-sealed, and the date labels are clear — sigh, this container of oil is almost empty, it's best to replace it with a new one, the bottom oxidizes easily —"
She looked at it and muttered to herself, pointing and touching here and there with her fingers. It was all practical stuff, and Su Weiwei nodded repeatedly as she listened.
Wang Sheng followed behind, feeling even more at ease. This Aunt Zhao knew her stuff!
With her around, the reputation of our hygiene industry is even more secure.
Moving to the cleaning area, Zhao Yaqin picked up a rag hanging on the wall, carefully examined its color and texture, and nodded: "Hmm, this color-coding is correct, light colors for countertops and dark colors for floors. However, while this kind of cotton yarn is absorbent, it easily harbors bacteria. I suggest regularly replacing it with the microfiber kind, which is easier to clean and disinfect."
"Auntie, you know so much!" Su Weiwei exclaimed sincerely.
"Sigh, after half a lifetime of this, all I've ever thought about is this." Zhao Yaqin was a little embarrassed by the praise and put down the rag.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over Su Weiwei's phone, which was placed on the table next to her.
The phone screen was lit up, displaying the end screen of a video call. The last frame was a close-up photo of a girl smiling brightly.
Zhao Yaqin suddenly stopped in her tracks!
Her face was filled with disbelief, and her voice trembled: "Weiwei? This—this phone is yours? This photo—who is this girl?"
Su Weiwei was taken aback by the question. She picked up her phone and saw the screenshot of the end of her video chat with her roommate Lin Zihan from the previous night. She casually replied, "Oh, this is my roommate, Lin Zihan. I video chatted with her last night. Do you know her, Auntie?"
"Zihan?! Lin Zihan?!"
"She's my daughter! My own daughter! Lin Zihan! You—you're her roommate? This world is so small!"
?
Now it was Wang Sheng and Su Weiwei's turn to be surprised.
Su Weiwei's mouth formed an "O" shape. She looked at her phone, then at Zhao Yaqin, whose face was flushed with excitement, and then at Wang Sheng, who was equally stunned. Her mind was a little blank: "Wait—Auntie, you—you are Zihan's mother?"
"Yes, yes, yes! That's me! I'm Zihan's mom!"
Zhao Yaqin laughed and said, "I came here without telling her! I wanted to surprise her, and also—and incidentally—find a job to keep an eye on her! This child, she only tells me good news, never bad, always saying the cafeteria food is good, I was worried she was saving money and not eating well! Who would have thought—who would have thought it would be such a coincidence! Weiwei, good girl, are you and Zihan's roommates? How is she—how is she in the dorm? Does she really eat regularly? Does she often stay up late at night? Does she get along well with her classmates?"
A series of questions.
Su Weiwei took a moment to compose herself before replying with a smile, "If Zihan knew you were working at our window, she'd be terrified! She's great! She's just a little picky about food, but ever since your window opened, she's been a loyal fan! A regular at late-night snack stalls!"
"That's good."
Zhao Yaqin wore a relieved smile.
The reversal came so suddenly that it took Wang Sheng two seconds to process it.
He couldn't help but laugh, extending his hand: "Aunt Zhao, welcome to Shengji. The salary will be as agreed, not a penny less. I'll be relying on you for preparing meals in the early mornings and for cleaning. As for Zihan—"
"Don't say anything yet!" Zhao Yaqin interrupted immediately, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Give her a surprise! When she comes over for a late-night snack, I'll stand behind the window wearing a mask and hat, and see if she recognizes me! Hehe!"
Su Weiwei chuckled, "Auntie, you're so clever! Zihan must be totally confused!"
Wang Sheng couldn't help but chuckle; this Aunt Zhao was quite interesting.
He thought of the apartment his mother rented: "By the way, Aunt Zhao, about accommodation. I rented a two-bedroom apartment off-campus for my mom who helps make lunchboxes, and there's still one room available. If you don't mind, you can live with my mom, which will save you the trouble of finding another place. It's close to the school, so it'll be more convenient for you to see Zihan."
"Oh! That's wonderful!" Zhao Yaqin exclaimed with delight. "Living with Boss Wang's mother will allow us to exchange cooking tips! It's perfect! Boss Wang, you've really helped me a lot! Don't worry, I promise I'll keep this kitchen spotless from now on, so clean that even flies will slip and fall!"
The characters fit each other perfectly, their skills are a good match, their motives are pure, and they even have a delightful, serendipitous connection.
Wang Sheng's last remaining concerns vanished. The new employee was a sure thing!
With Mom now having company, increased boxed meal production capacity is just around the corner!
Just then, Wang Sheng's phone buzzed. He picked it up and saw several red dots in his WeChat contacts. The notes were all identical: "Recommended by General Manager Zhang of Xinghui, XX Company ordered boxed lunches."
An off-campus order has arrived.