Old Zhang doesn’t usually deliver fish to guesthouses and restaurants like these. He’s not a fishmonger, and delivering fish is a hassle.
Chen Jian didn’t know what Shan Yu had said to Old Zhang, but anyway, Old Zhang brought the fish over that afternoon, and he personally drove over with four big fish.
“They’re alive?” Hu Pan, who had rested well and was back at the front desk, was stunned when she saw the fish Old Zhang brought in. “Do we have to kill them ourselves?”
“I’ll clean them up for you,” Old Zhang said. “Just leave them be. They’ll be perfect for dinner.”
“I’m a little scared to watch,” Hu Pan said. “I’m a bit afraid of killing living things.”
“Young lady,” Old Zhang said with a smile as he walked into the kitchen, “don’t be afraid. I’ll make it quick for them. It’ll only take a few minutes.”
Chen Jian followed him into the kitchen, ready to lend a hand. “Uncle Zhang, thanks for your hard work.”
“If it were any other place, I definitely wouldn’t do this,” Old Zhang said as he skillfully began to clean the fish. “Your Boss Shan knows how to treat people, very generous. Don’t tell anyone else I delivered fish to you. I really don’t do this.”
“Mmm,” Chen Jian nodded.
“It’s not about the money. I didn’t charge your Boss Shan much either,” Old Zhang said. “This is helping a friend.”
“Mmm,” Chen Jian continued to nod.
As long as Shan Yu wasn’t looking for trouble, he was always very thoughtful in his words and actions. It wasn’t surprising that Old Zhang considered him a friend. The employees at the guesthouse had also been won over in the same way.
Old Zhang was quite talkative. He talked as he cleaned, and Chen Jian didn’t even have to chat with him, just “mm-hmm” on the side. He couldn’t even find an opportunity to speak.
By the time Old Zhang finished cleaning the fish, he finally found a chance to speak as he was seeing him off. “Are they still eating?”
“They had finished by the time I came over,” Old Zhang said. “Boss Shan wanted to take his friends for a walk around the village… they’ve probably finished walking by now. Our village isn’t that big.”
“Mmm,” Chen Jian smiled.
Shan Yu did indeed like to wander around. Usually, there was no one to walk with him, and his leg had been inconvenient before. Now that the brace was off and his friends were here, it was the perfect time.
After seeing Old Zhang off, just as he was about to head back, someone walked over from the pavilion at the fork in the road and shouted at him, “Manager Chen!”
Chen Jian stopped and took a look. It was the lobby manager of Liangye, Da Li, or a manager, or a shop manager of some sort. Anyway, he was in charge. When He Liang wasn’t around, this guy was responsible for Liangye.
Yes, the owners of these guesthouses were not always at the guesthouse. They were there for about half a month each month, staying longer during the peak season and disappearing during the off-season.
In the past, Qian Yu wasn’t at the guesthouse every day either.
When Shan Yu’s self-imposed exile was over…
“Manager Chen,” Da Li walked up to him. “I was just about to come find you.”
“What’s up?” Chen Jian asked. “Did one of our people go to your guesthouse to poach customers?”
“Hey,” Da Li frowned. “You.”
Chen Jian smiled.
“There’s this thing,” Da Li said as he walked into Dayin’s courtyard and sat down on a chair in the garden. He took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one. “I wanted to get your opinion on something.”
“I don’t smoke,” Chen Jian said.
“Oh.” Da Li took out a cigarette, preparing to light it.
“You can smoke in the backyard,” Chen Jian walked towards the inner part of the garden. “There’s a smoking area over there.”
“Hey…” Da Li followed him with the cigarette, sat down at a small table with an ashtray, and lit it. “You have a lot of rules.”
But they weren’t very strict, it depended on the person.
“Isn’t it almost the snow season? The customer traffic during last year’s snow season was alright, and the snow came early this year,” Da Li said. “We were discussing with Guans Shan and Suiy Yun about organizing some kind of event to attract more customers.”
“Did the three of you already discuss it before coming to find us?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“No, no,” Da Li was suddenly a bit embarrassed and said with a smile, “It’s mainly that we three usually communicate more with each other, so we had this idea first, and then we wanted to ask you guys so we can all discuss the specifics together.”
“Oh,” Chen Jian nodded.
Chen Jian didn’t feel very comfortable hearing this. These three guesthouses basically had no interaction with Dayin, and now they were saying they usually communicated more.
How do you three communicate?
Do you have a private group chat?
Can you add me to the group?
Of course, he didn’t ask any of this. If it were Shan Yu, he might have asked. After all, Boss Shan had a certain nonchalant attitude about business.
“We were thinking of holding a bonfire festival or something,” Da Li said. “I wonder if Dayin has any ideas.”
“Holding an event is a good idea,” Chen Jian said. “But since you already have an idea and you’re all more experienced than us, why don’t you just list the parts that Dayin needs to cooperate with and let us take a look.”
Anyway, if the minority had to obey the majority, Dayin would be the minority. It was better to just skip the formalities and see if they could comply.
“Is that so? Can you make the decision?” Da Li asked, seeming a bit doubtful.
This didn’t annoy Chen Jian. Da Li was in his thirties, older than even Shan Yu. The managers of the other two guesthouses were also around the same age. In their eyes, a twenty-year-old like him was just a kid.
“I’ll discuss it with Boss Shan,” Chen Jian said. “But he’s someone who’s afraid of trouble. You probably know that to some extent. In short, let’s just simplify things.”
Brother Li, Boss Shan’s behavior is very unpredictable. If he gets annoyed, he probably won’t participate. You’ll be short one person to contribute money and effort. It’s not impossible that he’ll just come over and freeload after you’ve organized it.
“Alright then,” Da Li nodded. “I’ll add you as a friend later and send it to you?”
“Mmm,” Chen Jian nodded.
“Is the ‘Dayin Chen’ in the big group chat you?” Da Li took out his phone and looked.
“Yes,” Chen Jian said.
“Chen Yu…” Da Li had probably opened his profile and looked up at him.
“That’s me,” Chen Jian answered immediately.
The big group chat was where all the guesthouse management staff were. Usually, no one chatted in it; it was only used for receiving various notifications. Chen Jian didn’t mind being in the group with the name “Chen Yuluoyan,” but if Da Li dared to say it out loud, he would silence him.
“Alright, I’ll contact you later,” Da Li stood up. “You can discuss it with Boss Shan and see if it’s okay.”
“It’s fine. It looks okay. The cost isn’t much, and Boss Qian just paid us,” Shan Yu said, lying on the sofa, looking at the rough plan for the bonfire event that Da Li had sent over on Chen Jian’s phone. The parts that required Dayin’s cooperation were highlighted.
“They’ve already planned it all out,” Chen Jian was a little annoyed. “And we’re paying the same amount but have more to do.”
“You already guessed that, didn’t you?” Shan Yu smiled. “It’s fine. We’ll put in more effort, so we’ll be the ones in the spotlight.”
“Huh?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“Have your Sister Xiao Yi help find someone to come and report on it,” Shan Yu said. “If things get desperate, Dayin can even connect the town with them to create some tourist routes.”
“Is Yao Yi in the tourism industry?” Chen Jian asked.
“She’s from the tourism bureau,” Shan Yu said. “It’s just that it’s too much trouble to set up, so I don’t want to do it.”
“Mmm,” Chen Jian looked at him. “There’s not much development here anyway. There’s no need to go through so much trouble.”
Shan Yu didn’t speak. His gaze shifted from the phone he had been holding to Chen Jian’s face.
Chen Jian didn’t speak either, waiting for him to say something.
But Shan Yu never said anything, just stared at him.
“Did I say something wrong?” Chen Jian finally couldn’t take it anymore.
“Sit,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian had been standing next to the sofa because Shan Yu was lying down, occupying the entire three-seater. Now that he was told to sit, he didn’t know where to sit.
Shan Yu moved his legs further into the sofa, making a spot for one person to sit.
Chen Jian sat down, his elbows on his knees, looking at the pile of Chinese medicine that Shan Yu had just gotten from Chen’s Massage on the coffee table.
This person actually took the Yue Lang couple to Chen’s Massage…
“Hey,” Shan Yu shook his leg, bumping his back.
Chen Jian turned to look at him.
“I’m not leaving,” Shan Yu also looked at him.
Chen Jian was stunned.
I’m not leaving.
Those three simple words instantly filled his heart with a jumble of emotions. He couldn’t come to his senses for a long time.
“Did you hear me?” Shan Yu asked.
“Mmm,” Chen Jian replied.
“Do you have anything to say?” Shan Yu asked again.
Yes.
A lot.
Chen Jian still looked at him.
But he didn’t know where to start.
Shan Yu, however, was very patient. He didn’t rush him, nor did he say anything else, and went back to looking at his phone.
After a moment of daze, Chen Jian remembered that Shan Yu had been looking at his phone the whole time.
“You haven’t finished reading it yet?” Chen Jian quickly tried to recall if there was anything on his phone that couldn’t be seen. “I’ll just send you the document directly.”
“Scared you, didn’t I?” Shan Yu smiled and placed the phone by his leg.
The phone screen was black.
Shan Yu was holding a phone with the screen off.
Chen Jian also smiled, placed the phone on the coffee table, and glanced at the Chinese medicine again.
“Did you take them to get a massage at Chen’s Massage?” Chen Jian asked.
“Mmm, we just wandered around and ended up there, but they didn’t dare,” Shan Yu said. “They’re afraid of pain.”
“They’re probably also worried it’s not a regular hospital,” Chen Jian said. “A lot of people don’t believe in it.”
“I’ve already tried it. What do they have to worry about?” Shan Yu said. “They’re already here. They want to go up the mountain tomorrow to see the snow.”
“They…” Chen Jian finally managed to formulate his first question. “Why did they suddenly think of coming here to play?”
“They just happened to have some unused annual leave,” Shan Yu said. “So they… came to see the manager.”
“Came to see…” Chen Jian paused. “What?”
“To see the manager. Isn’t it obvious?” Shan Yu said. “You didn’t realize?”
“I didn’t,” Chen Jian answered firmly.
“If you didn’t realize, why are you asking?” Shan Yu said. “If you thought they were just here to play, would you ask?”
Chen Jian didn’t speak and glanced at Shan Yu.
“But they don’t have any ill intentions, nor do they have any other motives,” Shan Yu said. “They just want to see… you know what I mean, right?”
“Huh?” Chen Jian was taken aback. He could feel that the Yue Lang couple had no ill intentions, but he didn’t immediately understand the latter half of Shan Yu’s sentence.
“To see what the person I like is like,” Shan Yu said.
When these words were spoken, it was as if they came with a tinnitus effect.
When some things were only in your head, they were always vague, as if there was a protective layer. You understood, you knew, but there was distance, a buffer.
But when it became a sound, became words spoken face to face…
It was like a knife cutting through a transparent bag over your head. All the blurry light and shadows became clear, and even the air became exceptionally clear.
Chen Jian’s breathing immediately became a little chaotic, as if it had been snatched away by Mushroom—running, but not fast, and not quite able to catch up.
…Chen Jian, what are you “ah-ing” for?
“Oh,” Chen Jian felt that his own reply was as unreal as a dream. His throat even tightened a little.
“If you feel uncomfortable, they can leave tomorrow,” Shan Yu said. “Or we can have them stay somewhere else…”
“No, no, no, no…” Chen Jian quickly waved his hands, his brain finally returning to its normal speed. “That’s not what I mean. I was just asking.”
“You don’t have to be too deliberate. The boss’s friends, although they’re not ordinary tourists, just treat them normally,” Shan Yu said. “Just like when Qian Yu had friends over before.”
“…He never had friends over,” Chen Jian said.
“You…” Shan Yu started to laugh. “How am I supposed to console you now?”
Chen Jian thought for a moment and started to laugh too.
For some reason, he suddenly felt a little lighthearted.
As if a burden had been lifted.
As if he had just paid someone back twenty thousand yuan.
“Let’s have a barbecue in the garden for dinner,” Shan Yu said. “We’ll stew a pot of fish, and get some meat and stuff. Call everyone over, we’ll have a meal together, and hand out the red envelopes at the same time.”
“Mmm,” Chen Jian nodded. “I’ll go tell Sister Zhao.”
“Have Sanbing or someone go buy some wine. Let’s all have a drink,” Shan Yu said. “Let the guests know that there will be no service staff at the front desk tonight. If they need anything, they can call the manager’s phone. Anyone who wants to join the barbecue is welcome.”
“Should we let the guests come too?” Chen Jian asked.
“It’s for fun,” Shan Yu said. “And have Yao Yi take some photos. They might come in handy later.”
“What for?” Chen Jian asked.
“Dayin leads the town’s guesthouse operators in promoting their own guesthouse’s entertainment activities for tourists as the town’s whatchamacallit bonfire festival,” Shan Yu said. “Who knows? Those other guesthouses will definitely come up with some clever tricks to get ahead. We need to be prepared.”
Chen Jian looked at him in surprise.
“Am I impressive?” Shan Yu asked.
“Impressive,” Chen Jian nodded.
“Learn from me,” Shan Yu said.
“Oh,” Chen Jian replied.
“Go on, get to work, Manager,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian stood up and casually picked up the Chinese medicine on the coffee table. “Are you drinking this medicine tonight?”
“Don’t ask me,” Shan Yu said. “I never want to drink it.”
“Alright,” Chen Jian smiled and turned to walk out of the office.
For the past two days, this was the first time he had walked out of the office without feeling dazed.
The boss’s sudden whim to have a dinner-cum-barbecue party in the garden, although the time was tight, a group of employees were full of enthusiasm. In this small town with little entertainment, this was a very attractive event.
Lao Si, who only came to work three times a week, even came over after hearing the news. A group of people helped Zhao Fangfang in the kitchen, went to buy wine and ingredients, and cleared and decorated the garden. Along with the guests who came to join the fun, it was chaotic and joyful. Chen Erhu even brought over the large iron barrel they used to use for fires when they gathered at the old pigsty.
Several groups of people from the guesthouses inside came to check it out. Hu Pan took the opportunity to invite them all.
By the time everything was ready and the meal started, there were twenty to thirty people gathered in the garden, besides Dayin’s own employees.
“This is pretty interesting,” Yue Lang held a glass of red wine.
“Where’s your wife?” Shan Yu said.
“Taking photos as you requested,” Yue Lang said.
“She can take them after eating,” Shan Yu said.
“She’s on a 16:8 diet,” Yue Lang said. “She’s not eating tonight. I’ll have her come over and take some photos of you guys… and the employees.”
After Yue Lang walked away, Shan Yu glanced at Chen Jian. “Not running?”
“What?” Chen Jian handed him a skewer of meat that Sanbing had just brought over.
“They’re coming to take photos,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian didn’t speak.
But he stood there without moving.
When Yao Yi came over with her camera, he was still standing next to Shan Yu.
“A photo of the boss and the manager?” she asked.
“Mmm,” Chen Jian replied.
Yao Yi raised her camera, but didn’t press the shutter. She lowered the camera again. “Be natural. Little brother, you look like you’ve hijacked Shan Yu right now.”
“Don’t kill the hostage,” Yue Lang said. “The ransom is negotiable.”
Chen Jian started to laugh. He looked down. Shan Yu was sitting on the chair in front of him, and he was standing next to him holding a handful of skewers, with the skewers all pointing at Shan Yu… it did look a bit like that.
He was still nervous.
A bit deliberate.
“Chen Jian, have a bite,” Yue Lang said.
Chen Jian took a bite of the meat. On the other side, the camera let out a series of soft clicks.
“You two both have faces that are very suitable for photos,” Yao Yi looked at the camera, then showed it to Yue Lang. “Little Curly Hair’s hairstyle has a great feel to it. Don’t I make him look quite handsome?”
“Hey!” Shan Yu shouted.
“What?” Yue Lang looked at him.
“Don’t…” Shan Yu hadn’t finished speaking when Chen Jian knocked the back of the chair with his knee.
“It’s nothing,” Shan Yu changed his tune.
“Can’t call him Curly Hair?” Yao Yi reacted quickly.
“You can,” Chen Jian said. “It’s fine.”
After they walked away, Shan Yu turned to look at him. “Is your rule so specific?”
“It’s different,” Chen Jian sat down next to him.
“How is it different?” Shan Yu asked, taking a bite of meat as he ate.
Chen Jian looked at him.
“Hmm?” Shan Yu also looked at him.
“Aren’t you supposed to not talk while eating?” Chen Jian asked.
“I’ll make an exception once in a while,” Shan Yu said.
