Chapter 268

The matter of baby was a knot between Liu Tong and Xu Ran. In the meanwhile, it was also a knot for everyone. Everyone avoided mentioning the topic in order to let Liu Tong recuperate without disturbance.

Liu Tong was anxious. He knew that because of him, too many things had been delayed.

Xu Ran refused to let the Red House open for business because of him. Tangtang and Guoguo had also planned that they would go to the military camp to practice after the new year, and Lu Qi never got out of the house in order to look after him. The matter that King Yan had originally mentioned to Xu Ran to build a Honeycomb briquettes factory was delayed too. Even Xiao Qingyun had to visit him frequently while getting busy with the affairs of the mansion. As to Baozi, he had completely given up playing and stuck with him all day long.

Liu Tong was really sorry, so he could only obediently take the medicine and allow Lu Qi to give him acupuncture.

At the end of the first month of the lunar year, Liu Tong, who had been lying in bed for a whole month, was finally allowed to get out of bed and have a walk, which meant that he was fine. Not only him, everyone was happy.

The first thing Liu Tong did after getting out of bed was to stretch his arms and legs. He twisted his waist and said to Xu Ran, “Ran, I think my bones have gotten soft.”

Xu Ran smiled and pinched his waist. “Tongtong, you have gained weight.”

Although it was a teasing tone, Liu Tong involuntarily pinched himself and found that Xu Ran did not lie to him. He did gain weight.

Liu Tong was a little depressed, but he soon felt relieved. Because he was going to work soon, the meat on his waist could be gotten rid of quickly.

Xu Ran saw the change of expression on his face and knew what he was thinking. Xu Ran quickly killed Liu Tong’s beautiful whimsy.

Xu Ran said, “Tongtong, although you’re doing well now, you still can’t work. You can just make clothes at home. After all, after spring, we have to change into thinner clothes, but don’t get too tired. If you’re bored, you can come to the Prince Residence to chat with Xiao Qingyun.”

That meant that he was forbidden from going to the Red House. Liu Tong was very displeased at this, “Ran, I can still go to the Red House. You must be busy with so many things, and you need time to recruit staffs.”

Xu Ran waved his hand and didn’t give him any chance to negotiate it. “No, it’ settled. I don’t want you to be tired anymore. This incident has frightened us all. As for the manpower, don’t worry about it. I’ve already posted a notice to recruit people.Several people have come, whose I have met myself. Some of them are qualified, and can come to work when we open for the business.”

Xu Ran’s words made Liu Tong unable to refute. He knew what Xu Ran meant, but he still couldn’t accept it in his heart. In fact, he also knew that he should just make clothes and cook at home like Xu Ran said. After all, the other brothers all lived like this.

They would have their husbands accompanying them If they wanted to go out. It was because Ran spoiled him that he could do anything he wanted and Ran would not say anything against him.

Looking at Xu Ran’s determined expression, Liu Tong knew that there was no room for negotiation. No matter what, he was more or less unhappy.

How could Xu Ran not understand Liu Tong’s thoughts, but even if he was unhappy this time, he would not agree.

Xu Ran patted Liu Tong’s hand and said to him, “Tongtong, do you remember what I told you? I said that we would give our unborn child a name and burn him some spirit money.”

Although it was just a blood clot, Xu Ran still wanted to do it, trying to make up for the regret in his heart.

Liu Tong was distracted by Xu Ran’s words and felt sad. However, he still agreed with Xu Ran’s idea of giving the child a name. At least, when he remembered this unborn child, he could call him by his name, even if he wouldn’t know anything.

Xu Ran said, “Tongtong, Tangtang Guoguo and Baozi’s names are all picked by me. You can name this child! What do you want to call him?”

Liu Tong frowned and started to think about his name seriously.

Xu Ran pulled him to sit down on a chair beside him, letting him feel at ease.

After a while, Liu Tong raised his head and said to Xu Ran, “Ran, I am not good at picking the name. Do you think we can call him Xu Si?”

Xu Si, Xu Nian, Si and Nian putting together was ‘miss’, whose meaning was too obvious. Let alone him, anybody could understand what it meant.

Xu Ran nodded and praised him, “Tongtong is so amazing. Little baby’s name and Baozi’s name putting together is ‘miss’. Think about it–every time we call his name, it means we miss him. Tongtong is awesome.”

Xu Ran’s praise made Liu Tong blush.

Then he asked Xu Ran, “Ran, do you think he will like the name?”

Xu Ran replied with a smile, “How can he not like it? You’re his Daddy. Does he dare not like it?”

At Xu Ran’s words, Liu Tong smiled again and nodded, “It’s good that he likes it.”

……

On the first day of the second month of the lunar year, Xu Ran family, who had been away from home for a whole month, finally returned.

After returning home, the neighbors expressed their hospitality and wanted to treat them to dinners. They also inquired about where they had been during this month.

Xu Ran only said that Liu Tong was sick, so they lived in the doctor’s house, who was friends with them.

After saying that, Xu Ran didn’t say anything more. So it was not good for others to ask him further. Instead, they began to ask when to open for business.

Xu Ran said that it would be within these few days.

Some people must have read the notice that was posted at the entrance of the Red House and asked Xu Ran if he still wanted a staff, some relatives of theirs could come.

Xu Ran rejected all of them, saying that he had long hired enough people. He even mentioned that a half of the staff had been decided before the new year, and he only recruited one or two people after it. Had he known that their relatives were willing to go, he would not recruit other people.

It was nicely said, so these people couldn’t refute it. Since they were the matters of relatives, not their own business, they didn’t care much.

Xu Ran family had dinners at these people’s homes one by one, which lasted for a few days. After they finished it, Xu Ran officially started to work on the opening of the Red House.

Tangtang and Guoguo were also sent away by Xu Ran, letting them go to the military camp. They wouldn’t come back often once they went there. Xu Ran pulled their hands and instructed them a lot of things needed to pay attention to.

On the 6th of second month of the lunar year, Red House officially opened for business. The whole staff were only Xu Ran, Gao Quan, Shao Yu, and Liu Yu, who was under training.

Just like that, the four opened for business.

The people recruited by Xu Ran came one after another on this day, plus Liu Yu, there were a total of eight people, which were a lot.

Xu Ran’s plan was to let Gao Quan and Shao Yu manage the Red House in the future. He could just be the hands-off boss himself. After all, he had to be busy with King Yan’s affairs.

There weren’t many customers on the first day. First, there weren’t many people who knew that they opened for business today and didn’t come. Second, the new year month had just passed, after people had eaten a lot of fish and meat, it was normal for them to stay away from eating hotpots.

Taking advantage of the occasion, Xu Ran took the new staff to get familiar with the Red House, and also familiarized themselves with their work.

When Xu Ran recruited the staff, he had a requirement, which was literacy. He didn’t require them to know a lot of words. As long as they could recognize some simple ones, it would do, since they needed to introduce the menu to the guests.

People who could read usually would not come to be waiter, but Xu Ran offered a high salary, and there was always some people who would yield in front of money.

These people were recruited after passing his interview. As to his judgement, Xu Ran had a blind trust, no matter how many people he had misjudged before.

On the first day, these staff had the task of reciting the menu, and the etiquette language written down by Xu Ran.

Liu Yu was the best one among these people who had completed the task. His good memory was fully displayed, remembering everything that Xu Ran had let him remember, which really surprised Xu Ran.

Xu Ran looked at the eight staff who were standing in a row and reciting the menu as well as the price. He felt that it was necessary to get them uniforms, which had to be colorful and good-looking, so as to reflect the specialty of the Red House. Mm, yes, it should be red. It was best if it was embroidered with hotpot.

However, this was a huge project and it was unknown when it would be completed.

Xu Ran planned silently in his mind, thinking about going back and discussing with Liu Tong.

Gao Quan and Shao Yu each had chosen two students to teach, while Xu Ran took over Tangtang’s position to keep accounts and collect money.

The first day passed uneventfully.

They also closed earlier. As all the staff lived in their separate homes, they would have supper at home if the restaurant closed early; otherwise, they would eat in the restaurant, which was settled by Xu Ran at the very beginning. Of course, if they went back late, there would be extra pay, which was called overtime.

Such an approach naturally made all very satisfied.