Chapter 552 | Chapter 553 | Chapter 554
Chapter 552: Treating to Breakfast
“You’ve all been working here for a long time, and I believe you have what it takes to manage these issues on your own.”
“From now on, whoever clocks out last can simply close the books and count the inventory for the day.”
The three employees couldn’t quite fathom their boss’s true intentions and inevitably began to speculate. However, a guess was just a guess, especially since Sheng Wanyan hadn’t spelled out her plans. They knew that as long as they performed their duties well, great opportunities might come their way in the future.
“Understood, Boss.”
Seeing that they were all capable of thinking for themselves, Sheng Wanyan didn’t linger any further and headed home.
The moment she left, the three girls exchanged glances, finally giving voice to the doubts brewing in their hearts.
“What exactly did the boss mean by that?”
“Could she be planning to shut down the shop?”
“How is that possible? The boss makes so much money every month, why would she stop?”
“True. Then what’s the reason?”
“Didn’t you hear the boss say she’s not feeling well and needs to recuperate properly?”
The three of them began to debate, and just as their discussion was on the verge of turning into an argument, they spotted a customer walking through the door. Instantly, professional smiles flashed across their faces.
“Welcome! How may we help you today?”
“I’d like to find an outfit that suits me.”
“Right this way, please.” The three shop assistants attended to her with genuine warmth.
The next day, Sheng Wanyan returned to school for classes. When Gu Tingxiao appeared at the university gates, he instantly caused quite a stir among the students.
Sheng Wanyan had always been on her own, to the point where her classmates had almost forgotten she even had a husband. In fact, quite a few of the older male students had secretly wondered if they might have a chance to step in as a stepfather…
“Wanyan, I’ll bring you lunch at noon.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded. The cafeteria food truly wasn’t enough to fill her up, so she usually supplemented her meals by sneaking items from her space. With Gu Tingxiao around, doing that wouldn’t be nearly as convenient.
“I want chicken wings. Six of them, make it spicy.”
“Alright, I’ll make them for you this morning.”
Gu Tingxiao handed her her bookbag. Sheng Wanyan gave him a wave and headed off to her classroom.
The moment Sheng Wanyan stepped into the room, Wei Lili, with her naturally gossipy nature, darted right over to her side, and the rest of her roommates quickly swarmed around.
“Wanyan, the man just now… was that your husband?”
“Yes. Didn’t you all see him back when the semester first started?” Sheng Wanyan shot them a bewildered look. Had they all come down with collective amnesia?
“That was ages ago! Besides, your husband seems even more… you know, than before.”
“No, I don’t.” Sheng Wanyan had absolutely no idea what they were getting at. What on earth did “you know” mean?
“Oh, come on! He’s even more manly and attractive now.”
Liang Fanghua bluntly put Wei Lili’s thoughts into words, earning an amused look from Sheng Wanyan.
“Well, thank you all for validating my excellent taste.”
Seeing how completely shameless she was, the roommates instantly lost interest in teasing her.
“You’re about to be a mother of three, yet you still don’t know the meaning of modesty.”
“What does being modest have to do with being a mother?” Sheng Wanyan tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and looked up at them with a bright, beaming smile.
The roommates: “……” This conversation is officially dead.
“So, is your husband heading back to Bingcheng once his leave is over? Won’t you two have to live apart again?” The girls looked at Sheng Wanyan with sympathy; they could all see how difficult it was for her as a military wife.
“He’s not going back.”
“He’s not? Did he retire from the military?”
Sheng Wanyan saw no reason to hide the truth, so she straightforwardly explained that Gu Tingxiao had been reassigned to the Capital.
“Transferred to the Capital! That’s wonderful! You won’t have to live in separate cities anymore.” Wei Lili was genuinely thrilled for her. Sheng Wanyan found her enthusiastic reaction endearing and was gradually beginning to view her as a true friend. There was no helping it; no one could resist a bright, warm, and passionate girl.
Liang Jiahua stood at the very back, itching to ask a question, but with so many roommates chiming in one after another, she couldn’t get a word in edgewise. She waited until everyone finally finished before piping up with her burning curiosity.
“Then what position does your husband hold now that he’s transferred to the Capital?”
Hearing the question, Sheng Wanyan looked up at Li Jiahua and replied smoothly, “The rank is exactly the same.”
Li Jiahua felt a prick of annoyance at the response. Sheng Wanyan had always been tight-lipped about her husband’s exact rank. Saying it was “exactly the same” meant they were still completely in the dark.
“Oh, who cares about the rank? The most important thing is that Wanyan won’t have to carry such a heavy burden all by herself anymore.”
“Exactly, exactly! This is a major celebration, you should treat us to a meal!” Lin Meili stared at her with wide, eager eyes. She was a certified foodie and would readily throw all modesty out the window for the sake of a good bite.
“Alright, alright, alright. I’ll treat you all to breakfast tomorrow.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Meili literally spun around in sheer excitement, while the other roommates looked on with happy smiles.
Li Jiahua, watching the roommates consistently cut her off and disrupt her line of questioning, irritably retreated to her own seat. Who cared about Sheng Wanyan’s petty breakfast anyway? What kind of delicacy could breakfast possibly be? Was the school food not enough to satisfy them?
The more Li Jiahua brooded over it, the more she remembered how Sheng Wanyan had refused to let her stay over during the summer. She snapped her head around and bluntly announced that she wouldn’t partake the next morning.
“I won’t be eating breakfast tomorrow, so don’t bother bringing me a portion.”
Li Jiahua turned away the moment the words left her mouth. The rest of the roommates exchanged bewildered glances. Who set her off this time?
Sheng Wanyan simply nodded. Since she didn’t want it, that meant carrying one less portion, which saved her the trouble and the expense.
At noon, Gu Tingxiao arrived to deliver Sheng Wanyan’s lunch. Knowing she had a large appetite, he had prepared dishes packed with meat. The food was still piping hot when it arrived. Sheng Wanyan took it back to the dormitory to eat. Wei Lili happened to be stepping out of the cafeteria with her own meal and carefully supported her all the way back to the room.
The next morning:
Sheng Wanyan brought six portions of breakfast into the classroom and distributed them to everyone. The moment Lin Meili received hers, she tore it open.
“Wanyan, isn’t this way, way, way too extravagant?”
Lin Meili couldn’t help but swallow hard. This breakfast actually included a whole egg, a massive meat bun, and a cup of soy milk for every single person. It was so lavish that she suddenly felt a bit guilty eating it. When she had joked about a treat, it was purely to celebrate the good news. Now, looking at such a costly spread, she felt terrible for making Sheng Wanyan spend so much money.
“Yeah, this is a bit… too much.” Gu Shumin observed that everything was made from premium fine grains and also felt a bit awkward about accepting it, while the others nodded in agreement.
“It’s not too much. I promised to treat you all, didn’t I?” Sheng Wanyan reassured them with a smile. “Eat up without any worries, my husband earns plenty.”
The crowd burst into laughter at her words. “Then we won’t stand on ceremony!”
Sheng Wanyan smiled and nodded. Standing at the back, Li Jiahua’s eyes widened to the size of saucers at the sight of the white, refined flour. The breakfast Sheng Wanyan bought for everyone was actually this premium?
Li Jiahua instantly regretted her stubborn outburst from the day before to the absolute core. Why on earth had she refused! Now, look at that massive meat bun—it was large enough to serve as lunch.
Sheng Wanyan hadn’t specified yesterday that breakfast would consist of eggs and meat buns; otherwise, how could she possibly have turned it down? Who hosts a treat without mentioning what they’re offering first…
She couldn’t help but feel that Sheng Wanyan was deliberately targeting her.
Chapter 553: Her Classmates Find Out She Is the General Store Owner
Sheng Wanyan ignored her, took out her own portion of breakfast, and began to eat, having also brought a portion for Professor Zhao.
Professor Zhao happened to walk past on his way to teach another class, smoothly picked up his breakfast, and walked away grinning from ear to ear. The two red envelopes he would have to give out down the line needed to be eaten back starting now.
Sheng Wanyan watched Professor Zhao’s retreating figure with amusement. Once the instructor entered the room, she focused fully on the lesson. She opened her textbook and listened attentively, completely ignoring that somewhat resentful gaze from behind.
After class, Sheng Wanyan went to the university gates to pick up the lunchbox Gu Tingxiao had prepared for her. When she returned to the dormitory, she saw Li Jiahua eating. Without a word, she sat down at her own desk and began to eat. Li Jiahua opened her mouth as if to say something, but seeing that Sheng Wanyan paid her no attention and didn’t look up to initiate a conversation, she promptly swallowed her words back down.
Gu Tingxiao had indeed prepared chicken wings for her, and they were spicy. He had gone to the general store and bought ten chicken wings; six went to her, and the rest were for Yi Yi. Both mother and daughter loved gnawing on things with bones, a culinary pleasure Gu Tingxiao truly couldn’t fathom. He preferred large cuts of fish and meat—especially fatty meat, which he could eat without an issue and enjoy thoroughly.
Li Jiahua couldn’t resist sneaking another glance at Sheng Wanyan’s lunchbox, and her eyes widened to the size of saucers when she saw it was packed with meat again. What kind of family background did Sheng Wanyan actually have? How could she have two or three meat dishes for every single meal, and eat nothing but fine grains? Even for someone carrying twins, she had never seen any family eat this extravagantly, treating meat as if it cost no money at all.
And Sheng Wanyan’s mother-in-law didn’t say a word to the couple about it; with such extravagance, how were they going to get by in the future?
“Wanyan, did your husband make this for you?”
Sheng Wanyan looked up at Li Jiahua, who was visibly swallowing her saliva, nodded, and continued eating.
“This… your husband must earn a lot each month, right?”
Li Jiahua was dying of curiosity. She truly felt that even Wei Lili wasn’t as extravagant as Sheng Wanyan. Wei Lili came from a good family, yet she didn’t eat meat at every meal or munch on an apple every single afternoon between classes. Just how wealthy did a family have to be to afford Sheng Wanyan’s lifestyle? Since Sheng Wanyan was still a student, the entire household relied on her husband. Looking at it this way, her husband was definitely an officer in the military and had to earn a pretty penny each month.
If he really was an officer, she needed to curry favor with Sheng Wanyan and build a good relationship with her, so she could help her secure a job placement in the Capital after graduation.
“This is a private family matter, so it’s not convenient to share.”
Sheng Wanyan knit her brows. She genuinely disliked people prying into her personal affairs. If she was willing to share with someone, it meant they had a good relationship; if she wasn’t, it meant they weren’t that close yet.
The smile on Li Jiahua’s face stiffened at her words. Does her family own a gold mine or something? She can’t even say a word about it.
After washing her lunchbox, Sheng Wanyan lay down on her bed to rest. The roommates returned from lunch one after another, so even if Li Jiahua wanted to keep pushing, she felt too embarrassed to do so.
“Wanyan, look what I brought you.”
Wei Lili went to her own cabinet, pulled out a bag, walked over to Sheng Wanyan’s bed, and helped her sit up comfortably. Seeing her lively, energetic manner, Sheng Wanyan couldn’t help but think of Yi Yi. Yi Yi’s personality was exactly like hers—lively and passionate, always loving to show off the things she liked.
“What is it?”
“I went home for National Day and brought this back for you from Shanghai.”
Sheng Wanyan truly hadn’t expected Wei Lili to bring her a gift. Wei Lili had always remembered the canvas bag incident and had been looking for a way to return the favor. The incredibly popular “Huayi” clothing store sold canvas bags exactly like that one, and a single one cost a whopping ten yuan.
“Open it and take a look.”
Sheng Wanyan opened the bag and found two pairs of traditional tiger-head baby shoes inside, along with a pair of imported foreign goods—dance shoes for Yi Yi.
“Doesn’t your daughter learn dance?” Wei Lili said. “I asked my brother to bring these dance shoes back from abroad for me. I didn’t know your daughter’s foot size, so I bought them a bit larger so she can grow into them later. My mom made the tiger-head shoes; her craftsmanship isn’t the best, so please don’t look down on them.”
Sheng Wanyan was genuinely surprised. Wei Lili had been incredibly thoughtful.
“How could I look down on them? This is far too valuable.”
“It’s not valuable at all. You constantly tutor me in my studies, so I should be the one thanking you.”
Her grades were only average in the class, and she could only understand about half of what was taught during lectures. Every time she went to ask Sheng Wanyan questions, Sheng Wanyan would patiently explain them to her multiple times without a trace of annoyance. She would only move on to the next problem once Wei Lili truly understood. Without Sheng Wanyan, she might have genuinely fallen behind in her coursework. Furthermore… she literally pestered Sheng Wanyan with questions every single day. Having the student who ranked third nationwide tutor her… she was making a massive profit.
Sheng Wanyan looked at her as if looking at a child, her eyes brimming with warmth and maternal pride…?
“Lili, thank you on behalf of the children.”
“Don’t mention it, hehe~” Wei Lili scratched her forehead with a touch of bashfulness. With things turning so formal, she didn’t quite know how to handle it.
Sheng Wanyan accepted the gifts, secretly deciding to give her a dress from the new winter arrivals once the season turned.
However, before Sheng Wanyan could even present Wei Lili with the new dress, the fact that Sheng Wanyan was the owner of the general store was discovered by her classmates.
After class, Sheng Wanyan had gone to the general store to chat with Mother Sheng, and a student who recognized her happened to spot her there. After inquiring around school, everyone found out that this general store belonged to Sheng Wanyan’s family. With the local neighbors spreading the word, it didn’t take long for everyone to know that the true boss was Sheng Wanyan.
The moment this news broke, it caused a massive sensation throughout the entire school. The general store was a favorite hangout spot for all the university students. Every time they went to browse, it felt like a form of relaxation; whenever they had free time, they loved to wander over to cool off under the electric fans.
Yet none of them had expected that the owner of that place was actually their own classmate! And the campus belle of the Foreign Languages Department, Comrade Sheng Wanyan, at that!
Although Sheng Wanyan was already married with a child, she was exceptionally beautiful, serving as a highly pleasing presence in the eyes of her classmates. She ranked first in every major subject exam, and even in general subjects like mathematics and Chinese, she held the absolute top spot on the leaderboard. If it weren’t for the fact that everyone knew she was married to a soldier, there might have genuinely been male students who wouldn’t mind trying to step in.
The moment Sheng Wanyan entered the classroom, she drew the gaze of the entire class. They all looked at her like a pack of wolves, their eyes filled with intense burning excitement.
Not knowing what was going on, Sheng Wanyan nudged Wei Lili and asked why everyone was staring at her like that.
“Wanyan, you certainly hid it deep!”
The dormitory crew swarmed around her instantly, looking at her with teasing expressions. Sheng Wanyan stared back at them, completely bewildered.
“What on earth happened?”
Liang Fanghua circled around her, scanning her up and down while letting out strange clicking noises from time to time. “Tsk tsk tsk, Boss Sheng!”
Sheng Wanyan instantly understood what had happened. Before she could even speak, Lin Meili grabbed her arm.
“Wanyan! Is that general store packed with all those delicious treats really yours?”
Chapter 554: The General Store’s Warehouse Cleared Out
Lin Meili’s eyes practically spelled out the words “delicious food.” Looking at her round, fair face, Sheng Wanyan’s expression instantly turned affectionate.
“Yes, it’s mine.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t hide it. Everyone would find out sooner or later anyway, so keeping it a secret was quite pointless.
“Really!?”
Lin Meili couldn’t believe her ears. That general store packed with all those delicious snacks really belonged to Sheng Wanyan? To think she had the ultimate provider of fine food right by her side!
“Really.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded with a smile. Seeing her confirm it so readily, her roommates were completely flabbergasted. Hearing a rumor was one thing, but seeing it with one’s own eyes was another. The impact of a direct surprise was always the greatest.
Instantly, the students in the classroom grew ecstatic, looking exactly like a pack of wolves that had been starved for days, their eyes gleaming with green light.
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan, you are incredible!”
“Exactly!”
“Badass!”
The students in the class were filled with immense admiration. Such an outstanding female student was their own classmate!
Seeing how warm and enthusiastic everyone was, Sheng Wanyan didn’t want to spoil the mood. She clapped her hands.
“If you go to the shop to buy things today, you’ll get a twenty percent discount! The professors get it too.”
The crowd was instantly energized, and the entire classroom erupted into cheers. Watching the vibrant, energetic youth around her, Sheng Wanyan smiled without a word, though her heart danced with joy at the sight.
“Is our class the only one getting this treatment?” Wei Lili asked hurriedly.
Sheng Wanyan nodded with a smile, causing the class to laugh even louder. Naturally, there was always a bit of competition between different classes, so knowing they had a perk others lacked made them feel thoroughly vindicated.
Li Jiahua truly hadn’t expected that the “Yi Yi General Store” belonged to Sheng Wanyan. She had assumed Sheng Wanyan relied entirely on her husband to support her…
No wonder she ate so much meat every day; that general store had fresh meat daily. As the boss, she could eat as much as she wanted… To think Sheng Wanyan was actually the owner of the general store. She must be making a fortune every month… Yet despite being so wealthy, she hadn’t treated everyone to anything substantial.
The news of the discount spread across the entire school in no time, leaving the other classes green with envy over the Russian major students. Once the school professors found out, they rushed home to grab their money the moment they finished work and headed straight for the general store.
With a discount, they had to buy extra. It was just about time to prepare for winter anyway, making it the perfect opportunity to stock up on provisions!
When Mother Sheng saw a massive swarm of people pouring into the general store, she was startled half to death. What on earth was going on?
Father and Mother Sheng quickly began tending to the customers. It wasn’t until Professor Zhao and Uncle Hu came to buy things and inquired about it that they found out Sheng Wanyan had offered a discount.
“That silly girl didn’t even give me a heads-up.” It had scared her out of her wits; she had thought everyone had gone mad and rushed in to rob the place.
“I won’t chat with you further. I need to go grab some grains, or there won’t be any left in a moment.”
Hearing this, Father and Mother Sheng hurriedly held Professor Zhao and Uncle Hu back. Since they were close acquaintances, why would they need to scramble with the crowd?
“No need for that. How much do you want? I’ll go to the back and set it aside for you in the warehouse.”
“Then we won’t stand on ceremony! It just so happens we need to stock up for the winter.” Professor Zhao and Uncle Hu were overjoyed. They didn’t have to scrounge around for provisions everywhere or compete with others for speed, leaving them feeling exceptionally pleased with themselves.
“Don’t mention it! Just let us know when you need something.”
Professor Zhao and Uncle Hu stopped competing with the crowd, sitting comfortably on the side under the electric fan, watching their colleagues scramble for food supplies.
“Boss! Are there no more grains left?” Many people were holding substantial amounts of grain, vegetables, and meat; they had genuinely come to stock up for winter.
“There are! Hang on, I’ll go fetch them from the warehouse.” Father Sheng hurriedly went to the warehouse to haul the grains out, explicitly setting aside the amounts requested by Professor Zhao and Uncle Hu.
Grandfather and Grandma Sheng were busy weighing items and collecting money, running completely off their feet.
When Sheng Wanyan arrived and saw the scene, she was thoroughly shocked. Was it always this wild? Was everyone actually this wealthy?
“There are too many people here. Little Gu, hurry and take Wanyan back home,” Mother Sheng ordered the moment she spotted them. The place was packed to the brim; why bring a pregnant woman here when there wasn’t even a proper place to step?
“Mom, remember it’s a twenty percent discount!” Sheng Wanyan called out.
Mother Sheng waved her hand to show she understood. “I know, I know!” With that, she went right back to work.
Seeing how crowded it was, Sheng Wanyan told Gu Tingxiao to help out. “I’ll take you and Yi Yi home first, then I’ll come back to help Grandfather and Grandma.”
“Alright.”
Yi Yi was still small, so all she could see was an endless sea of moving legs. It left her quite dazed as she blinked her eyes. Did our general store… get broken into by thieves?
Gu Tingxiao delivered the mother and daughter safely back home, telling them to go ahead and have dinner first while he headed out to the general store.
“Little Gu, go to the warehouse and haul out the provisions Professor Zhao and Uncle Hu wanted.”
Gu Tingxiao nodded, fetched the items from the warehouse, weighed them, and collected the payment. After that, he went over to take over the tasks from Grandfather and Grandma Sheng.
“Grandfather, Grandma, you two head back to eat. I’ll handle things here.”
Grandma Sheng was about to decline, but Grandfather Sheng pulled her away to head home for dinner. “What are you doing? Can’t you see how busy they are?” Grandma Sheng chided Grandfather Sheng irritably.
Grandfather Sheng quickly explained, “Don’t make the kids worry. We can just come back after we finish eating.”
Hearing this, Grandma Sheng stopped nagging him. At their advanced age, their greatest fear was causing trouble for the children. It was better to just go back and eat obediently, lest the juniors start lecturing them again.
The general store worked overtime for the very first time. Usually, there wouldn’t be a soul past six-thirty, but today they stubbornly kept the doors open until eight o’clock. The stock in the shop’s warehouse was almost completely cleared out. Father Sheng hired someone to haul more goods over from the secondary warehouse Sheng Wanyan had leased.
Seeing the situation, Sheng Wanyan knew the external warehouse also needed to be restocked. Consequently, around noon the next day, she walked over to the warehouse alone. Walking at a leisurely pace, it only took about ten minutes to reach it. She packed the warehouse tightly to the brim with provisions before returning to the dormitory to rest.
“Wanyan, where did you go?” Zheng Lingling asked the moment she saw her return. Sheng Wanyan was the prime object of protection in the dorm; whenever she wasn’t in sight, someone was bound to ask about her.
“I went to fetch a few things.”
Zheng Lingling nodded. Sheng Wanyan’s family frequently came over to drop off food for her, so this wasn’t surprising. Seeing that she had returned safely, the roommates went back to sleep.
After resting for over half an hour, Sheng Wanyan headed to the classroom with everyone else. Since everyone had gone on a shopping spree the day before, the atmosphere in the class today was visibly more upbeat than usual, with bright smiles gracing everyone’s faces.
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan, this is for you.” A female classmate placed a piece of candy on her desk. With one person initiating it, the rest of the classmates followed suit one after another.
“No need, no need, you should eat them yourselves.”
“Don’t be polite with us! You saved us a lot of money, so these are just minor tokens of appreciation.”
“Exactly, they’re just little snacks, nothing expensive.”
Looking at everyone’s warm enthusiasm, Sheng Wanyan didn’t push back further, accepting them with a smile. “Thank you all. Next time there’s an opportunity, I’ll give you another discount.”
“Deal!”
“It’s a promise then!”
The crowd erupted into excitement once again, and Sheng Wanyan looked at the genuine smiles blooming across their faces.
