Reborn in the 80s: Everyone Falls For Me
Chapter 189 - 188: Split Personality (4 updates)

Chapter 189: Chapter 188: Split Personality (4 updates)

And seeing her helplessness reminded her of herself during the days she was struggling in her previous life.

Chen Xiaorou was stunned, she didn’t expect Xu Niannian to actually take her to her own home.

Feeling nervous and at a loss for a moment.

"Boss, there’s no need... I can just sleep in the shop," she said.

How could she impose on someone else’s home? Having a place to shelter from the wind was already more than enough for her.

Xu Niannian clicked her tongue in helplessness, "Why can’t you understand? It’s not possible to let just anyone stay here, come with me."

With no choice, Chen Xiaorou could only follow Xu Niannian.

Jin Yu drove over every day, which was a bit showy.

Xu Niannian naturally sat in the passenger seat, while Xu Zhiqiang and Chen Xiaorou sat in the back.

This was Chen Xiaorou’s first time in a car, and she was so nervous she didn’t know where to put her hands and feet, sitting ramrod straight.

Since Chen Xiaorou was always working in the back kitchen, Xu Zhiqiang, who was responsible for handling payments at the front, had never spoken a word to her.

Seeing her so nervous, Xu Zhiqiang tried to soothe her, "You don’t need to be this nervous."

Chen Xiaorou, with a tense face, stammered, "I, I’m not, not nervous."

Xu Zhiqiang: "..."

Xu Niannian: "..."

Jin Yu: "..."

When they arrived at Nanshui Road, Jin Yu parked the car outside the entrance, and Xu Niannian led Chen Xiaorou into the house.

This was also Chen Xiaorou’s first time entering such a large yard.

Her eyes were wide open in surprise.

Xu Niannian suddenly realized that Chen Xiaorou wasn’t stiff; she was pretending to be stiff.

She intentionally made herself seem mature, but in reality, she was a young girl who wore her heart on her sleeve.

"Come on in."

Xu Niannian had Xu Zhiqiang prepare a room for Chen Xiaorou to stay in.

Xu Niannian had already cleaned the room thoroughly once before; Xu Zhiqiang just helped her lay out the bed sheets and covers.

These beddings used to belong to the Jin Yu family, but their quality was exceptionally good.

According to Jin Yu, his family were all residents of Jingdu. It was only because his grandfather had some business that brought them to Nancheng, and then they returned, with Jin Yu being just a few years old when they went back to Jingdu.

Later, due to Jin Yu’s father’s job, they came back to Nancheng.

So, the items in the house were actually quite new, just left unused for a long time.

Xu Niannian had just taken them out to air a few days ago.

Chen Xiaorou was extremely grateful to Xu Niannian, her eyes red like a rabbit, and she bowed deeply to Xu Niannian, "Thank you, boss, thank you."

The ninety-degree bow was a bit too much for Xu Niannian, who quickly pulled her up, "What are you doing? Get up quickly."

Chen Xiaorou didn’t insist.

"You don’t have any money on you, right?" Xu Niannian asked her.

Facing Xu Niannian’s penetrating gaze, Chen Xiaorou pursed her lips, "No."

"Then you can stay here for a month for now, and when your salary is paid, you can make other plans. Work hard," she said.

"Thank you, boss." Chen Xiaorou was someone who knew how to be grateful and didn’t like to take advantage of others.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "I will be staying at your place for a month, and when my salary comes, you can deduct the rent from it."

Upon hearing this, Xu Niannian suddenly smiled; indeed, she was a girl who knew gratitude.

The reason Xu Niannian didn’t outright say she could stay as long as she wanted was to avoid encountering those who would take it for granted.

Helping such people was like inviting trouble for oneself.

Now, it seemed that Chen Xiaorou was not one of them.

Xu Niannian did not bring up the subject of not needing to pay rent, as saying so now would probably make the girl feel even less at ease.

"Alright, go back to your room and rest," she said.

"Thank you, boss."

Chen Xiaorou went back to her room, but Xu Niannian still had to practice her horse stance and run.

Jin Yu was already waiting for her in the yard.

It was another two hours of training, and Xu Zhiqiang was learning alongside her.

However, Jin Yu was seemingly more strict with Xu Zhiqiang.

The reason was, as he was the elder brother-in-law, he must protect his sister-in-law well when Jin Yu was not around.

He wished he could train Xu Zhiqiang as if he were a soldier in the army.

This made Xu Niannian, who was practicing her horse stance on the side, shiver involuntarily. Compared to that, she suddenly realized that Jin Yu had already been very gentle with her.

＊

The next morning, when Xu Niannian got up, she heard noises in the kitchen.

Who was in the kitchen? Xu Niannian wondered.

With skepticism, she walked in and was surprised to see Chen Xiaorou cooking porridge.

Moreover, the kitchen was spotlessly clean—she had even polished the bottom of the wok she used for stir-frying till it gleamed.

Not only that, there were also two cold dishes on the stove.

"What are you doing?" Xu Niannian asked.

Chen Xiaorou, who was focused on simmering the porridge, was startled by Xu Niannian’s voice.

"Sorry." Realizing she had frightened her, Xu Niannian apologized politely.

With a timid expression, Chen Xiaorou stood in front of the stove, "I asked Zhiqiang last night, and he said you like porridge a lot. The rice and the vegetables are from the kitchen. You can deduct the cost from my salary later."

In other words, she cooked this meal to express her gratitude.

Xu Niannian pursed her lips, noticed the unease in her eyes, and smiled, "It’s okay, I’m not blaming you."

This girl really knew how to show gratitude.

"Did you also clean the living room?" Xu Niannian asked.

"Yes, I had some free time so I cleaned it up a bit."

Xu Niannian nodded, "Thank you, but you don’t need to go out of your way to do this. You’re not a housemaid."

"It’s necessary." Chen Xiaorou hurriedly said, "You kindly took me in, boss. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t do something in return."

"But you said you’d pay rent. I’m not letting you stay for free; you don’t owe me anything."

Hearing Xu Niannian say this, Chen Xiaorou smiled shyly, "Even though I’ll pay rent, it’s still because the boss was willing to take me in. Otherwise, who would offer a house to live in before collecting the rent?"

Xu Niannian: "..."

There really was someone, Jin Yu.

And he didn’t even charge rent.

Chen Xiaorou, wanting to thank Xu Niannian, had specially prepared breakfast; the taste buds of a gourmet are quite fussy.

Having become very particular about food herself, Xu Niannian found the dishes at other places barely palatable, just good enough to eat, aside from her own cooking.

Surprisingly, Chen Xiaorou’s cooking skills were not bad. The two cold dishes she prepared were refreshing and tasty, and the minced meat and cabbage porridge she stewed was also very good.

This gave Xu Niannian another thought. Perhaps she could train Chen Xiaorou to be a chef in her shop.

However, she didn’t voice this thought. She still needed to observe for some time; after all, her cooking skills weren’t something just anyone could learn. She wasn’t about to be generous with her own rice bowl; she wasn’t foolish.

What if she ended up training someone, only for them to run off and start their own shop? That would be nothing but a waste of her efforts, like making a wedding dress for someone else.

Xu Niannian buried this idea in her heart and decided to see how things would go after a while.

The business in the shop got better day by day. After Qin Feng finished her family duties, she also joined the shop’s staff.

With three employees, plus Jin Yu’s help, Xu Niannian found her workload much lighter. When there were no customers in the shop, she would start making Liuyue Su.

While making Liuyue Su, all other people were kicked out.

Jin Yu didn’t mind at all.

Days went by in a whirlwind of busyness, and in the blink of an eye, seven or eight days had passed. In the meantime, Xu Niannian had sold Liuyue Su three times, each time selling out all two thousand pieces.

A couple of days ago, Jin Yu’s orderly found him, and his army unit had sent out a notice regarding his assignment.

He was to go to Jingdu.

But that would not be until six months later, due to his medical examination report.

His old injuries hadn’t fully healed yet.

Xu Niannian had hired staff, so the shop wouldn’t be overwhelmed. She had also nearly completed her self-defense techniques training—she had memorized all the moves and just had to work on physical conditioning.

She could stick to it on her own. Her memory was exceptionally good; she could remember anything taught to her instantly, and her learning speed in martial arts was fast too. She was a promising martial arts student.

He planned to use this time to investigate Ye Xiangtian’s background because once he went to Jingdu to join the Hu division, he wouldn’t have time to deal with these matters.

Fortunately, looking into Ye Xiangtian didn’t require him to travel far, but it meant he couldn’t help out in the shop.

Still, he had to come back every two or three days. Otherwise, he might end up regretting it if his wife ran off without him knowing where to find her.

The few remaining tables in the shop were at a relatively quiet phase. Jin Yu stood at the shop front, pondering how to win over Xu Niannian.

Then he saw that Liu Wendong approaching the shop again.

It was his second visit.

Almost forgetting about this man, Jin Yu was surprised to see him return.

Suddenly, his memory was jogged; Xu Niannian had a special regard for this Liu Wendong.

Jin Yu stood up abruptly, blocking his way.

Liu Wendong was taken aback by the sudden obstruction and, seeing Jin Yu, asked politely, "Could you let me through, please?"

Jin Yu really wanted to throw back, "I won’t make way," but that would seem overly bullying.

So, Elder Jin could only scowl and turn to enter the shop, heading for the kitchen.

With the shop’s remaining two or three tables occupied by customers eating noodles, Xu Niannian was finally free. Just as she was about to step out for some fresh air, Jin Yu grabbed her.

"What are you doing? I’m going out for some air," Xu Niannian said.

"I’m hungry, cook me something." Elder Jin barked an order, his face dark. Then, suddenly aware his attitude was off, he softened his tone, "I’m really hungry, make me something to eat."

The same meaning, but Elder Jin had just performed a split-personality drama that was quite amusing.

Xu Niannian watched, astounded.