kiwanis-nylisc Chapter 228 Mu Xi's Opening Ceremony
Chapter 228 Mu Xi's Opening Ceremony
The Shen family was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
When everyone returned to the Yu family home in the evening, their joy was even more palpable—after all, they had just acquired a large house, and everyone had an undisguised smile on their face.
If it weren't for the busy end of the year, someone would probably be in a rush to call in craftsmen to do renovations the very next day.
My uncle is on a train heading north and will arrive tomorrow.
Tonight, the family decided to get together for a reunion dinner.
The courtyard was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, but Shen Li keenly noticed that there was a hint of melancholy in Grandpa Yu's expression.
She held a handful of sunflower seeds in her hand, cracking them open with a "crunch" sound, and sat down next to her grandfather.
"Grandpa, do you miss Grandma?" She raised an eyebrow, her tone slightly mischievous.
Grandpa Yu was taken aback by her words, raised his hand and gently tapped her forehead, feigning anger, and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Shen Li covered her forehead, smiling mischievously: "You usually never leave the house, but lately you've been going out every day. If you're not missing my grandma, who else could you be missing?"
"I'm just going out to play chess with my old friends!" Grandpa Yu rolled his eyes at her, but his tone was somewhat unfocused.
"Hmph, so stubborn!" Shen Li leaned closer and lowered her voice, "Tell me, is it because my grandma is ignoring you that you're throwing a tantrum?"
"It has nothing to do with your grandmother." Grandpa Yu turned his face away, his voice becoming deep.
"What's wrong with you?" Shen Li was genuinely curious now.
Grandpa Yu turned his head and looked at her earnestly: "When do you plan to move to the new courtyard?"
"That courtyard has been in disrepair for many years and is very dilapidated. It will take half a year just to repair it."
Shen Li counted on her fingers that the plumbing and electrical systems would have to be redone, so she might as well get it all done at once.
Shuanzi is planning to open a decoration company in Beijing after the New Year, and this order just happened to come to him.
"So, you're moving there in the second half of next year?" Grandpa Yu's voice lowered even further.
"Yes." The moment Shen Li nodded, she clearly saw the light in her grandfather's eyes dim again.
Even she, slow to react, realized what was happening and slapped her thigh: "Ah! You're unhappy because you're worried I won't take you with me when I move to my new house, aren't you?"
Grandpa Yu didn't speak, he just lowered his eyes.
In his view, his granddaughter is all married and has her own family. How could she possibly take her grandfather with her after getting married?
Leaving him here is enough; someone will take care of him.
"Isn't that right?" he muttered to himself.
"Hahaha..." Shen Li laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up. Looking at her grandfather's stubborn yet soft-hearted appearance, she found it adorable. "You're my living god of wealth, how could I not bring you? Even if I don't bring Lu Cheng, I still have to bring you!"
Grandpa Yu suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly brightening as if they had been tempered with light: "But you're married now, wouldn't it be inconvenient for me to live with you?"
"What's inconvenient about it? You still have to help me take care of the child!"
Shen Li patted her chest and assured them, "The new courtyard covers more than eight acres, and besides the front yard, there are four or five smaller courtyards in the back! Lu Cheng and I will live in one, Mom and Dad will live in one, Xiao Nan and Xiao Zhou will live in one, you'll have one by yourself, and there will be one empty courtyard left. If you can persuade my grandma to come, it will be perfect for the two of you to live together!"
"Don't talk nonsense again!" Grandpa Yu's cheeks flushed slightly as he scolded him, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
The weight that had been pressing on my heart has finally been lifted.
The New Year was exceptionally lively, with the whole family gathered together.
After the New Year, there were New Year's feasts every day, with people gathering at different homes.
In previous years, Shen Li had never hosted such a banquet while living alone in the capital. This year, however, the entire Lu family was present, so he simply invited the Xu family, the Shen family, and Chen Haisheng's family to the Yu family as guests. The courtyard was filled with laughter and joy.
Although there were bound to be a few annoying characters at the banquet, they saw that Shen Li was not someone to be trifled with, and after getting no response twice, they were too lazy to go looking for trouble again.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Shen Li's shop officially opened for business.
She kept quiet, not even informing the Xu family, let alone the Shen family.
Early in the morning, everyone in the Lu family except Grandpa Yu rushed to the store to help out. Before the Lunar New Year, the staff had already distributed a lot of flyers, and the neighbors all knew that this was a new type of store that only served female customers.
The store entrance was filled with custom-made opening flower baskets from Shen Li, and congratulatory gifts from family members were placed on both sides. Fortunately, the entrance area was spacious, otherwise the lion dance team they hired would have had nowhere to perform.
Shen's mother arrived with Shen Qingnan and Nuannuan. Shen's father had to go to work, and his eldest brother was in the army and couldn't make it.
Shen Li immediately spotted the four young men, Lu Sheng, Lu Cheng, Lu Zhou, and Shen Qingnan, and pulled them aside for temporary training.
"There are only four people at the front desk, they definitely can't handle it all. You four are so good-looking, we can't let your talents go to waste."
Shen Li winked. "We need to entice customers to spend more!"
The four people: "..."
A moment of silence.
She suddenly remembered when she and Lu Cheng sold hair clips back then. Lu Cheng would just stand to the side and the business would be booming. She figured it would be just as good today.
Lu Cheng, Lu Zhou, and Shen Qingnan all readily agreed, while Lu Sheng appeared slightly reserved but did not refuse.
The store manager, Zhao Lanzhi, is Xu Xiyuan's senior from high school. She graduated a year earlier than Xu Xiyuan. The two were both in the student council and had a good relationship.
Shen Li had asked Xu Xiyuan to inquire about suitable candidates for store manager, and Xu Xiyuan recommended Zhao Lanzhi.
Xu Xiyuan was initially worried that Zhao Lanzhi, a graduate of Peking University, would look down on such a small shop, but she didn't expect that Zhao Lanzhi was actually there for the high salary.
On the day Zhao Lanzhi came for the interview, she was somewhat disappointed when she saw the small storefronts and the group of trainees.
It wasn't until Shen Li explained the shop's plans to her and took her to see the five-story storefront in Wangfujing that she became interested.
Shen Li cherished this talented graduate from Peking University and got along exceptionally well with her, so he frankly told her about his career prospects, and Zhao Lanzhi immediately decided to keep him.
Xu Xiyuan naturally knew about this and came to show her support.
Shen Li greeted her with a smile, called Lu Nan over to sit with her, and then pulled her mother, saying, "Mom, you go upstairs with Xiao Nan and Sister hope Yuan, I'll have someone give you a massage."
As a result, the three of them came downstairs as soon as they went upstairs—they had to take off their clothes to get a massage, and Shen's mother and the others weren't used to it.
Shen Li had no choice but to change her mind: "Then let's go upstairs for a head massage, it's very comfortable."
The lobby on the first floor was already packed with people.
For the first three days after opening, only a limited number of customers will be received; all others will require an appointment. The details of the event are clearly stated on the promotional leaflet, and if customers have any questions, the front desk staff will provide a detailed explanation.
The office is located at the back of the first floor. The accountant and cashier are employees that Shen Li recruited before the Lunar New Year. The store also employs four veterans as security guards. Everything is in good order.
By the time the shop closed at 8 p.m., everyone inside was exhausted and on the verge of collapse.
The first day of opening was the busiest.
No one is immune to fatigue, including Shen Li himself.