"I intend to hire you all to work in my restaurant. The monthly pay will vary according to different positions. We can discuss the details one by one when signing the contracts. What do you think?"
As soon as Li Ying said this, an uproar broke out among the crowd.
What?
Did she mean to recruit all the refugees in the city?
"Everyone, please rest assured. I'll take care of your accommodation and meals. After you're hired, there will be unified training. You'll work five days and rest two days. There will also be a full - attendance bonus, an annual bonus, and paid annual leave. If any female employees are pregnant, they can also apply for maternity leave. If you're not satisfied with your job, after negotiation, we can terminate the contract, and you're free to find other jobs. How about it?"
When had these refugees ever been treated so politely? They all stared blankly at each other. It took a long time for someone to finally come to their senses and hesitantly asked, "Boss Li... This job of yours... Sounds really good. But... We're all just uneducated and inexperienced people. I'm afraid we won't be able to learn the rules and serve the noble people in the capital well..."
Li Ying smiled slightly, her eyes sharp. She said gently, "This is not a difficult thing. After you're hired, the restaurant will arrange unified pre - job training for you. You can only start working after passing the assessment."
"I will never deliberately make things difficult for you. The rules of Li's Restaurant are different from those of other places. You're all normal people, not stupid or clumsy. As long as you study hard, you will surely learn. But if you try to be lazy and take shortcuts, don't blame me for turning my back on you and not considering our current acquaintance."
This speech showed both kindness and severity. Seeing that the refugees were all hesitant, she smiled again and said, "You don't have to give me an answer in a hurry. You can go back and think carefully about the pros and cons, and then come back to me. It's up to you whether you want to have a stable job from now on, live an ordinary life with your family in the capital, or continue to live a wandering life, sleeping in the open and not knowing where your next meal will come from."
Just as she finished speaking, Ruyi came out with a copper kettle and added boiling soup to the pickled cabbage and pork hot pots on each table.
Many of the refugees had seen Ruyi before. Seeing that she had changed a lot, wearing a new thick satin dress, no longer looking dirty and embarrassed as before, with neatly combed double - bun hair and clean hands, they couldn't help but feel tempted.
"Okay! Since Boss Li trusts us so much, we're not ungrateful people. As long as you need us, we'll do whatever you tell us!"
"Right! We're also normal people. We're not necessarily worse than others! Boss Li, we're willing to follow you! We promise we won't play any tricks!"
Several of the refugees took the lead in speaking, and the others followed suit, responding in chorus.
Li Ying smiled slightly and greeted them, "That's great! Then I'll rely on your help in the future!"
She let out a long sigh of relief in her heart, her face beaming with joy.
That day, Lu Xunguang had brought these refugees to the Court of Judicial Review to drum for justice. Obviously, he had already checked their backgrounds, and they were clean and useful people.
She trusted Lu Xunguang extremely.
As long as given some time, these people would surely become her capable confidants.
This was just the most obvious consideration. Another consideration was for Su Buchi.
Everyone in the capital now knew that she and Su Buchi were in the same boat. Her every move represented Su Buchi's reputation.
He had given her enough confidence and supported her in everything. She had already given her heart to Lu Xunguang and couldn't reciprocate Su Buchi's kindness. The only thing she could do was to carefully plan for Su Buchi.
Previously, when he entered the Hanlin Academy, staying away from the court struggles, he only got a leisurely job as a compiler.
But now, he had been promoted to the vice - minister of the Court of Judicial Review, a fourth - rank official. He had finally truly stepped into the treacherous storm of the court struggle.
If the refugees were not properly handled, they would sooner or later become bandits, which had always been a great concern for the emperor.
Li's Restaurant giving these refugees a chance to make a living was, externally, the first fire ignited by the newly - appointed "Young Master Su", warming the hearts of the common people in the capital. Internally, it was to relieve the emperor's worries and solve a major problem for the emperor, which would be of great benefit to Su Buchi's future promotion.
Such a plan that killed two birds with one stone, why not do it?
Seeing that the refugees were all enjoying their meals heartily, many common people in the capital also felt tempted. They swallowed their saliva and looked at Li Ying rather sheepishly.
She understood their intention and was secretly happy in her heart, but her expression remained calm.
"Dear guests, I'm really sorry. Today, I'm here to thank those who drummed for justice for me in the Court of Judicial Review. It's really inconvenient to entertain other guests. But please rest assured that under my management, Yunlaixuan will not be the same as before, only serving rare delicacies for the noble families."
"Food is the prime want of the people, and all sentient beings are born equal. There should not be any distinction between the high and the low. It's really absurd if one has to cross numerous thresholds just to enjoy a simple dish for filling the stomach."
"My Li's Restaurant welcomes guests from all over. You can taste all the dishes served at today's whole - pig banquet another day. Moreover, even for a grand feast like the Swallow - Tail Feast, we can adjust the ingredients according to your budget. I don't have any lofty ambitions. I just want to satisfy every diner's appetite, so that these grand banquets no longer depend on one's family background, and everyone in the world can taste them!"
Her words were really straightforward. Although it seemed that she was only talking about food, she had actually hit the hearts of the common people. There was an instant outburst of cheers in the crowd, and there were also some secret praises for Su Buchi.
Li Ying smiled. With her worries resolved, she felt completely relaxed. Then she walked over with a smile and took Lu Xunguang's hand.
"Xunguang, I really have to thank you for today's matter."
She deliberately chose to hold this whole - pig banquet in front of Yunlaixuan. Firstly, it was to announce to the capital that Yunlaixuan had changed its owner, and from now on, it would be the territory of Li's Restaurant. Secondly, it was to let the people in the capital see her cooking skills with their own eyes and quietly promote the upcoming opening. Thirdly, it was to publicly win the hearts of the people for Su Buchi.
But if the refugees' dirty and old clothes and bodies were not cleaned before the banquet, there might be complaints from diners about the hygiene problems when the restaurant opened in the future.
God only knew how Lu Xunguang had taken this group of ragged refugees to take baths and change clothes. This man always seemed to handle all the unsightly trivial matters for her.
"Xunguang, I've been planning for Junior Uncle today..."
After a moment of thought, Li Ying still decided to explain.
But Lu Xunguang just said indifferently, "Junior Uncle Su is the most care - free person. He was forced to become an official this time. His original intention was to help me investigate my mother's old case. Ying, you don't have to worry too much. We should definitely give him our full support."
"Ying, don't you think I'm a narrow - minded person who gets jealous easily?"
His understanding made Li Ying feel sweet in her heart. She softly leaned into his arms, and her eyes showed infinite affection.