Chapter 2

By evening, my aunt brought my uncle to the roast-meat shop.

He looked around the kitchen and spoke with a mocking edge. “So this is just a little shop?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be a big-shot owner? Why are you still slicing meat here?”

My mother hurried to explain, “This is just a side business. He only opened it for something to do.”

I frowned. “Mom.”

But my uncle ignored her and said bluntly, “You have to show up on Saturday.”

I asked him, “What did I tell you last time?”

My aunt scoffed. “What did you tell us?”

I stared at her. “That restaurant isn’t mine.”

She slapped her thigh. “There you go again.”

“Xiaoyuan, your aunt is only doing this for the baby.”

I turned to my uncle. “Have you paid back the thirty thousand yuan you borrowed last year?”

His expression changed at once. “That money… wasn’t it for inventory?”

I laughed. “You took it to gamble.”

My mother stood beside me, her eyes a little red.

That thirty thousand yuan had been money she brought from her marital home and lent to him.

When she later learned he had gambled it away, she was heartbroken for a long time.

My uncle flushed with shame and anger. “Is that how you talk to your uncle?”

I answered coldly, “You borrowed money and didn’t pay it back. That’s not right, is it?”

He glared at me. “You’ve become insolent.”

“Your uncle borrowed money from you because he was doing you a favor.”

I wasn’t about to indulge him.

“I’m not hosting the banquet.”

“When you pay me back, we can talk.”

He pointed at the door. “Get out! Get out of here!”

I stood in my own shop and looked at him. “This is my store.”

“You and Auntie are the ones who should leave.”

My aunt’s expression turned ugly. She pulled my uncle away.

But before long, my grandmother came too.

She leaned on her cane, her eyes red.

“Xiaoyuan…”

“Your uncle on the Li side of the family only has one grandson. If you won’t host the one-month banquet, where will the Li family’s face be?”

I helped her sit down.

“Grandma, twenty tables will cost at least a hundred thousand yuan.”

My aunt, following behind her, immediately started wailing.

“My life is so hard! My nephew has grown up and no longer recognizes his own relatives!”

I looked at her. “Why should I be the one to pay for your twenty-table banquet?”

Her crying stopped at once.

“What did you say?”

I repeated, “I said I shouldn’t have to pay for this.”

Grandma grew anxious. “Xiaoyuan, your mother only has you as her son.”

“If you won’t host it, then who will?”

I looked at my uncle. “When he borrowed money, why didn’t he think of hosting it himself?”

My aunt gritted her teeth. “Fine. Fine!”

“You won’t do it? I’ll make the reservation myself.”

And she really did.

That evening, a longtime customer of mine who worked at the Cantonese restaurant sent me a private message.

He said a woman claiming to be Boss Lin Yuan’s aunt had booked twenty tables.

I told him not to stop her.

I only asked him to make sure all the necessary confirmations were documented.

Before long, the security-camera footage was sent to me.

Zhang Guilan sat in the banquet area with her legs crossed.

“I’m the aunt of your boss, Lin Yuan.”

“My eldest grandson is having his one-month celebration. Twenty tables.”

The employee asked politely, “How many tables would you like to book, ma’am?”

My aunt waved her hand. “Didn’t I just say? Twenty.”

“The largest private room, the best tableware, and extra spotlights.”

The employee hesitated. “Ma’am, should we confirm with Manager Lin?”

“No need.” My aunt’s tone was firm.

“I’ll tell him to come pay on Saturday.”

“Then could you leave your phone number?”

After giving her number, my aunt added, “Two Australian lobsters per table, two king crabs, one grouper, and two bottles of Moutai.”

The employee warned her, “Ma’am, that menu will be quite expensive.”

My aunt slammed the table.

“What? This is my nephew’s restaurant. You can’t make that decision?”