On the day Qi Taiguo went on his assignment, Cheng Su did not see him off because she had to go to the school to retrieve her examination admission ticket.
By the time she returned home after exchanging pleasantries with Principal Gong, he had already left, having only left behind a long note with several things he reminded her of. Cheng Su pursed her lips in a smile, and diligently stuck the note on the refrigerator door where it was easy to see every day.
After tidying up the house, Cheng Su brewed herself a cup of coffee and opened the materials she had brought back from school.
She had also chatted with her classmates who were preparing for the exam, and she knew that the college entrance exam that year was different from what she knew in her previous life.
Not to say it was easier, after all, producing a college graduate that year was still quite an impressive feat, and because she had never experienced it before, Cheng Su did not dare to take it lightly.
Having enjoyed a few quiet days at home, Cheng Su received a call from Elder Sister, who cried and said she needed to take leave and return home.
"Elder Sister, stop crying first, what happened?" Cheng Su asked.
Qi Fenglian paused for a moment and took a sniffle before crying out that Grandpa had called from their hometown, saying that Grandma had taken Xiao Bao to the fields, and due to the rain, they didn’t manage to take shelter in time and both got soaked, which led to them catching a cold and getting feverish.
As an adult, Grandma’s constitution was somewhat stronger, and her fever subsided quickly though she hadn’t fully recovered yet. However, Xiao Bao was less than a year old, with weaker immunity, so his high fever persisted.
The two elderly were already advanced in age, and Yunyun was only a teenager. With Grandma sick, relying solely on Grandpa to care for them was challenging, and fearing some emergency they called for Qi Fenglian to return.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Su said, "If that’s the case, then you should hurry back, a persistent high fever is a serious issue."
What children feared most was a high fever, which, if it continued, could easily lead to brain damage and the child becoming mentally incapacitated in the future.
"But what about the fast food restaurant?" Qi Fenglian, upon getting permission, mentioned the fast food restaurant.
Cheng Su replied, "It’s okay, you go back first. I can cover for you at the fast food restaurant for a few days."
"Aren’t you busy with your exams and reviews?"
"I can review at the fast food restaurant as well, don’t worry. You go back first. I will ask Xiaoying to fill in for a while and I’ll be over soon." Cheng Su glanced at the small clock, ten o’clock. She could still make it in time for the lunch crowd.
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Su quickly changed her clothes and rushed off to the fast food restaurant at the train station.
The area around the train station was crowded, and although the restaurant opened at eleven, people started coming in for food even before that.
Seeing Cheng Su arrive, Xiaoying stepped aside from the cashier counter to let her take over.
The fast food restaurant had been open for several months and, operating on the principle of small profits but quick turnover and offering decent food, the business looked promising. By twelve o’clock, the number of diners kept increasing.
Cheng Su, while handling the cash and tickets, quickly noticed the shortcomings of the fast food restaurant.
Xiaoying and the others, busy serving and preparing food, left used dishes on the tables when the crowds grew, and the dishwasher aunty initially managed to collect and wash them. But as they piled up, the kitchen began to lag, and uncleared tables became an issue.
If Xiaoying and the rest could spare a moment, they would clean up. If not, the tables would be left as they were, and Cheng Su had to collect the dishes to help the aunty with washing.
This back and forth left her hands too full to manage.
After the lunch rush, Cheng Su asked Xiaoying and the others if it was always this chaotic? Xiaoying nodded and said, "It’s like this every time. It’s manageable now with three of us, but even busier when someone takes a day off."
Cheng Su frowned, this wasn’t good. Some people had lower standards and left a mess after meals. Xiaoying and others cleaning up and then serving food was simply unsanitary.
Plus, with a situation like this where Qi Fenglian takes leave and she had to step in, they were clearly short-handed. It wasn’t feasible to go on without rest indefinitely. It seemed necessary to hire another person.