Li Zhichen looked up and seriously sized up Hao Meng for a moment. Only then did she notice that he looked exhausted, with faint dark circles under his eyes. He must have been unable to get a good rest for several consecutive days.
Moreover, besides the smell of cooking oil and the fragrance of saponin on his body, there was also a faint smell of medicine.
Having decocted medicine for Zhao and Qi Lixiao for so long, Li Zhichen was already very familiar with this smell.
Coupled with the fact that Hao Meng had asked for leave to go home earlier, she could guess that most likely someone in his family was ill.
Anyway, her restaurant hadn't opened yet. Even if Hao Meng was a few days late, she should be able to manage on her own.
After all, everyone had times when they encountered difficulties. Since Hao Meng had already become her employee, instead of asking questions, it was better to do something practical.
Thinking of this, Li Zhichen directly took out four qian of silver from her money bag and handed it to him.
Hao Meng, who had been feeling uneasy all along, was suddenly stunned. He stared longingly at the silver for a while but didn't dare to reach out to take it. He asked hesitantly,
"Boss, what is this money for..."
Could it be that the new boss didn't like him and this was the severance pay? But this amount of money was too much!
Li Zhichen smiled and said, "It's the payment for your work of cooking and washing dishes just now and the advance payment of your salary for next month."
During the days when Hao Meng didn't work, he still needed some silver for living and meals.
After saying that, she directly stuffed the silver into Hao Meng's hand.
Hao Meng looked at the silver in his hand in disbelief, too touched to say a word.
His monthly salary was not high to begin with. Since his younger sister, who had been dependent on him, fell ill, the money was even more insufficient. Moreover, the previous boss hadn't paid him his salary for last month, so his life had reached a difficult stage.
He came here today originally to ask the boss for his monthly salary. He never expected that he would accidentally meet the new boss!
At first, when he heard Li Zhichen say that he could stay and continue to be an employee, Hao Meng was just happy that he had kept his job.
After all, working for whom wasn't working? As long as the boss of the restaurant could pay him, it didn't matter who it was.
But now he was extremely glad that he had made the right decision. He had really followed the right boss, Boss Li!
Li Zhichen was different from all the bosses he had worked for before. Those previous bosses would be good enough if they didn't deduct his salary. Li Zhichen even paid him the money for the probation period!
The strong man was silent for a while. His lips trembled, and then he suddenly bowed deeply to Li Zhichen and said excitedly,
"Boss, don't worry. I will definitely work hard in the future!"
...
After seeing Hao Meng off, the two of them, who had been on the go all day, finally returned home slowly in the carriage.
When they arrived at the Li Family Compound, it was completely dark. It was quiet all around. Everyone in the Li family had already gone to bed, but the main gate wasn't locked. Obviously, the door was left open for Li Zhichen and Qi Lixiao.
As soon as they pushed open the door, they saw a figure sitting on the stone bench in the middle of the yard.
Zhao was holding a hot water bottle in her arms and had fallen asleep on the stone table.
Li Zhichen was stunned for a moment. She gently pushed Qi Lixiao into the yard and then turned around to close the door.
But Zhao was a light sleeper. She woke up when she heard the sound of the wheelchair rolling. She opened her eyes somewhat blankly and saw Li Zhichen in the moonlight.
Only then did she support the table and stand up. She walked slowly towards Li Zhichen, stuffed the hot water bottle in her arms into Li Zhichen's hand, and then asked softly,
"Why did you come back so late? Was everything all right?"
Li Zhichen was stunned for a moment and then nodded gently. "Everything went smoothly."
Holding the warm hot water bottle, she didn't expect that Zhao had been waiting for her to come home.
Because of what happened yesterday when she "fell off the horse", Li Zhichen didn't know how to get along with Zhao at this moment.
Qi Lixiao's gaze swept lightly back and forth between Li Zhichen and Zhao. He guessed what was going on in his heart and then said softly,
"Zhichen, you stay with Granny for a while. I'll go back to my room first."
Once again, only Zhao and Li Zhichen were left in the yard.
Li Zhichen looked at Zhao and noticed her somewhat pale face and swollen red eyes. She knew that Zhao had been hiding in the room crying all day again.
Seeing that the dusty aura around Li Zhichen hadn't dissipated yet, Zhao reached out her hand and dusted off the ashes on her clothes as usual. Then she gently held Li Zhichen's wrist and led her towards the kitchen.
"Xibao has been waiting for you. He still hasn't gone to bed yet. He just said he was hungry. You must be hungry too. Granny will cook you a bowl of noodles, okay?"
In the kitchen, Zhao rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands, while Li Zhichen obediently started a fire and boiled water beside her.
The warm fire from the stove reflected on their cheeks, and the water in the pot gradually boiled.
After putting the noodles into the pot, Zhao also added two poached eggs and shredded meat.
Li Zhichen was in a daze, looking at the small bubbles rising and falling in the pot. It wasn't until the steam gradually blurred her vision and made Zhao's figure look even thinner that she heard Zhao say softly,
"I've thought about it for a whole day and night, and I've finally understood something. Although I'm extremely sad about losing my daughter, when I think that you're also all alone in this world, I feel even more heart - broken. Zhichen is my daughter, and you're just as much my daughter. Granny doesn't want to see you feel uncomfortable because of this... From now on, I'll still be your granny, and you'll still be Granny's Zhichen. Is that okay?"
Li Zhichen was slightly stunned. She was surprised to find that Zhao's words had unraveled many of the knots in her heart today.
When Li Zhichen first came to this familiar yet strange world, she was a complete outsider. She clearly knew the ending of everyone in the book. Therefore, whether it was in the dilapidated temple or the deep mansion, Li Zhichen could be calm and self - composed.
But now, those illusory characters in the book had long become vivid lives in her world.
Whether it was Qi Lixiao, Zhao, Xibao, or the Li brothers, in the process of getting along with them, Li Zhichen had experienced emotions that she had never felt in the end - times.
When the steaming shredded meat noodles were cooked, Li Zhichen carried the bowl and sat in the small kitchen with Zhao. She ate the noodles in big mouthfuls.
Zhao tucked the loose hair behind Li Zhichen's ear and couldn't help but admonish,
"Eat slowly. Don't choke."
Li Zhichen responded with an "um" and even drank up all the noodle soup.
The two of them chatted softly, and the topic unconsciously turned to Qi Lixiao.
Zhao suddenly sighed softly,
"You've been going out early and coming back late these days. It must be too tiring. It would be great if there was a man to support the family. Then you wouldn't have to be so tired."
Li Zhichen smiled. "Granny, but I'm living a good life now."
Zhao nodded,
"Granny doesn't mean anything else. I can see that Lixiao is a good boy, but after all, he has a disability in his legs, and you were forced to marry him... Zhichen, aren't you aggrieved in your heart?"
Outside the half - closed door of the kitchen, Qi Lixiao's hand that was about to push the door suddenly stopped. He lowered his eyes, and his gaze fell on the thick clothes in his hand for a long time.