After dinner, Zhang Xiaoling gathered up the dishes and took them into the kitchen to wash. She certainly didn’t expect the two people outside to help her.
"Xiao Ling, I have something to tell you," Yang Le said as he approached Zhang Xiaoling.
"Hmm?" Zhang Xiaoling placed a cleaned bowl aside and continued washing the ones in the sink.
"When you go to the factory tomorrow, take Yang Xing and the others with you; you can’t just leave them at home," Yang Le said. With Xiao Ling absent, there’s nobody to cook for them. And with Qian Xiaoxiao at home, it’s not convenient for him to come back. Besides, there’s no extra food at home to cook.
Generally, Xiao Ling has her lunch at the factory and only brings some vegetables home in the evening. There’s no refrigerator at home, and any excess vegetables bought would go bad.
"I won’t take them!" Zhang Xiaoling rejected the idea outright, without a second thought.
"Why not?" Yang Le looked at Zhang Xiaoling, puzzled.
"If you don’t want Luo Shu and me to become enemies in the future, then don’t ask me to take them," Zhang Xiaoling declared. Given Yang Xing’s behaviour, she would surely offend Luo Shu.
"What does this have to do with Luo Shu?" Yang Le asked Zhang Xiaoling in surprise.
"That’s Luo Shu’s territory, and Luo Shu is pregnant right now. What if Yang Xing and Qian Xiaoxiao go there and bump into Luo Shu?" Zhang Xiaoling questioned. She definitely wasn’t going to take them.
"They’re not children; they should know their limits," Yang Le thought, already agreeing with Zhang Xiaoling’s argument, yet leaving Yang Xing and the others at home seemed really improper.
"You either have someone deliver food to them, or let them cook for themselves or eat out. But I’m definitely not taking them. If they don’t want to stay, just say the word, and I’ll pay for their train tickets," Zhang Xiaoling stated.
"What’s wrong with you? Is this how you treat guests?" Yang Xing stormed into the kitchen and pointed at Zhang Xiaoling. Their conversation was so loud that they would have to be deaf not to hear it.
Zhang Xiaoling snorted and continued washing her dishes. She had deliberately spoken loud enough for them to hear.
"Third Brother, look at her attitude. I’m your sister, does she have the right to act as a sister-in-law ?" Yang Xing looked at Yang Le, aggrieved. This woman was truly hateful, insufferably so!
"Your third sister-in-law has her concerns, so how about this, I’ll have someone deliver lunch from the canteen for you." Yang Le suggested.
"Who cares!" Yang Xing stomped her foot and ran towards her room.
"Yang Xing!" Qian Xiaoxiao, who was standing at the kitchen door, called out and then turned to Yang Le, "Third Brother Yang, Sister-in-law, don’t worry, I’ll persuade Yang Xing. She just has the temper of a child, nothing serious."
After speaking, she stepped forward to knock on the door, "Yang Xing, open the door, it’s me, Yang Xing, open up."
After a long wait and seeing no response, just as Qian Xiaoxiao was about to knock again, the door snapped open.
Yang Xing stood in the doorway, glowering fiercely at Zhang Xiaoling in the kitchen. Once Qian Xiaoxiao entered, she slammed the door shut again with force.
"Don’t be mad, she’s not worth upsetting yourself over," Qian Xiaoxiao patted Yang Xing’s shoulder and comforted her in a low voice.
Yang Xing humphed and said through gritted teeth, "If she doesn’t want me to follow, I will make sure to do exactly that, what can she do to me?" She had already made up her mind, determined to see for herself what that factory was like.
"Aren’t you afraid she’ll send you back?" Qian Xiaoxiao asked. She had not completed her purpose for this visit and really didn’t want to go back so soon.
"With Third Brother Yang here, what’s there to fear? I don’t believe that Third Brother will choose a wife over his sister. Sister Xiaoxiao, don’t worry, I will definitely make you my sister-in-law," Yang Xing assured her with a look of promise.
"What are you talking about! I don’t have those thoughts at all!" Qian Xiaoxiao blushed, her eyes scolding Yang Xing, while she secretly wished that day would come sooner.
Luo Shu and Meng Yujuan, along with a few others, were strolling in the courtyard.
Smelling the scent of cake wafting over, Chen Xiaomeng spoke up, "Let’s go see how they’re making cakes." She had been there for several days but hadn’t yet watched the cake-making process up close.
"I’ll pass, you guys go ahead," Luo Shu responded with a smile.
"I don’t feel like going either," Wang Fei added.
"Then let’s have a quick look and come right back," Chen Xiaomeng said as she pulled Meng Yujuan and the others toward the front courtyard.
Zhou Yan and her three colleagues were busy measuring ingredients, mixing, and baking. In this main operating room, only the four of them were present. The workers responsible for packaging and delivery were in the adjacent room, a measure to ensure that the cake recipes stayed confidential.
When they saw someone come in, all four of them looked up.
Seeing it was Chen Xiaomeng and her group, they all smiled at them. They had met once before when Luo Shu had brought them over, so they knew they were Luo Shu’s friends and had been staying there for the past few days. Being able to stay there implied that their relationship with Luo Shu was very close.
"We came over to watch you guys make cakes, hope you don’t mind?" Chen Xiaomeng asked Zhou Yan and her colleagues with a smile.
"Not at all!" Zhou Yan replied with a smile. Luo Shu was essentially their boss, and since she had permitted it, they had no reason to mind. Besides, the cake recipes had been provided by Luo Shu.
Chen Xiaomeng and the others approached the machines and found them quite fascinating to watch in action.
"Could I try it out later?" Xiao Yan asked looking at Ding Chunni.
"Sure, but you have to wear a mask, a hat, and you also need to wash your hands and disinfect them," Ding Chunni explained. These were the rules set by Zhang Xiaoling, strictly to be followed, or else it would affect their salaries.
"Where can we get masks and hats?" Chen Xiaomeng asked excitedly, eager to experience what it was like to work.
"They’re in that cabinet over there," Sister-in-law Xianglan said with a smile, pointing to a nearby cabinet.
Chen Xiaomeng nodded, walked over to the cabinet, opened it, and took out masks and hats to distribute to Xiao Yan and the others, and then they went aside to wash and disinfect their hands. This whole experience was a novelty for them!
Once ready, Chen Xiaomeng saw Zhou Yan measuring ingredients and approached her, saying, "Let me try."
"Okay!" Zhou Yan nodded and stepped aside, then started to explain the steps to Chen Xiaomeng, "Go slow, three spoonfuls should do it, don’t add too much, yes, just like that." Having done this for so long, she could tell the right amount just by looking.
"Is it really that simple?" Chen Xiaomeng asked in surprise. She had thought it would be difficult, but it turned out to be quite simple.
"It’s that simple. Want to give it another try?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.