Stay Home Daddy: I Was Reborn After My Daughter Passed Away
Chapter 421: Four hundred and twenty-one, did a little apprentice come?_1

Chapter 421: Four hundred and twenty-one, did a little apprentice come?_1

"Don’t worry, Daddy, Tangtang will definitely be a good girl!"

"Daddy, you have to come pick up Tangtang early today, okay?"

Feeling cheerful, Tangtang followed Gu Chen to kindergarten.

On the way, Gu Chen realized that Ji Pianran really had a way with things.

This tiny garlic twist braid was all it took to make Tangtang so obedient.

After dropping off Tangtang at kindergarten, Gu Chen headed to Qiwei Vegetarian.

In the afternoon, he would arrive at the kindergarten on time to pick up Tangtang.

There was a long queue in front of Qiwei Vegetarian, and all the seats inside were filled.

Everyone was eagerly waiting for Chef Gu Chen’s arrival.

The business was getting better and better, with an absolutely high return rate.

If it weren’t for the lack of various review platforms, he was confident that Qiwei Vegetarian would definitely have a hundred percent positive feedback.

As Gu Chen walked into the restaurant, many regular customers greeted him.

"Boss Gu, have you gained a bit of ’happy fat’ there?"

After hearing this, Gu Chen glanced over and saw a woman in a sleek black suit, the epitome of a well-dressed career woman.

He remembered something about her but couldn’t quite place who she was.

Could she be one of the ones who had secretly touched his hand before?

"You’ve maintained your figure very well," Gu Chen said offhandedly.

His casual compliment made the career woman very happy.

Other regular customers also joined in on the banter at this point.

"Boss Gu, when are you going to open a branch? Every time I come here, it’s like going through mountains and rivers. The food I eat here is almost burned off by the time I get home, and then I’m hungry again."

Upon hearing this, an idea flashed through Gu Chen’s mind.

Franchise!

It wasn’t especially popular yet, and the concept of franchising was just beginning to emerge.

Brands like Grandpa Ken and Old Man Mai from overseas already existed.

But many domestic food businesses hadn’t entertained this idea yet.

They were all still focused on "learning the craft" and "being an apprentice."

"We’ll see about that. After all, for everyone’s dining experience, we need to be very cautious about opening a branch," Gu Chen said.

All the patrons in the restaurant nodded in agreement with his statement.

"That’s right! Boss Gu, you can always earn money, but if you lose quality, it’s really gone."

"Exactly, I’d rather go through mountains and rivers for half an hour than eat subpar food."

"We all come for the flavor, and if that’s gone, it really wouldn’t be worth it."

The customers all echoed this sentiment.

Listening to what the customers were saying, Gu Chen knew his decision was the right one.

With Qiwei Vegetarian’s reputation so prominent, he was confident that any branch he opened would still be packed.

The diners were all seated, waiting for Gu Chen to showcase his culinary skills.

As Gu Chen prepared various exquisite dishes in the kitchen, he couldn’t help but think about franchising.

With a daily net profit of over four thousand, opening a branch would mean eight thousand.

In Chuan City’s market, launching ten outlets would mean a profit of forty thousand a day!

Even after deducting various costs, he would still pocket at least thirty thousand.

While these thoughts were nice, if it were really up to Gu Chen to implement them, he felt he’d rather not.

Money wasn’t something he was so desperate for now.

A daily net profit of four thousand, even if ten years down the line, would still be a high income unreachable for the vast majority.

It was entirely sufficient to ensure a life without worries about food and clothing for Tangtang and Ji Pianran.

So Gu Chen didn’t consider much else beyond that.

If he opened branches, the money would come, but the reputation might be ruined.

But now, he still wanted to work behind the scenes in this restaurant, having someone to take over whenever he had something to take care of.

As he worked on these things, Gu Chen glanced at Xiao Fang beside him.

Xiao Fang’s vacant gaze was fixed on the cold dishes in Gu Chen’s hands.

With one look, Gu Chen knew the girl’s mind was wandering.

"Xiao Fang," Gu Chen called out to her.

Xiao Fang jumped with a start, seemingly unsettled.

When her eyes met Gu Chen’s, she immediately felt a bit embarrassed.

"You need to concentrate when you’re working," Gu Chen said to her softly.

After hearing this, Xiao Fang nodded, her little cheeks quickly heating up.

Gu Chen shook his head, not scolding her for anything.

This was the age when Xiao Fang was not yet settled.

It was normal for her to get distracted and have trouble focusing.

Back in the day, he was the same way.

It wasn’t until one was over thirty that one understood the need for life to settle down.

After a busy half-day and the passing of the lunchtime rush, the restaurant had quieted down a lot.

Since there was no kneel-down service now, when there were no customers in the restaurant, Gu Chen would let Xiao Fang and the others sit down instead of standing there foolishly.

He cooked them some lunch.

One of the benefits of being a waiter at Qiwei Vegetarian was definitely the free meals prepared by Gu Chen every day.

While these dishes were priced high when sold, free meals for staff were truly attractive.

Even many of the regular customers joked about working as waiters for Gu Chen just to get the food.

Just after noon had passed, another male customer entered the restaurant.

Upon entering, the man looked around in all directions.

With a glance, Gu Chen knew this man was likely not a customer.

He had no special abilities, it was purely instinct.

When Xiao Ping and the others saw someone come in, they immediately put down the buns in their hands, frantically wiped the corners of their mouths, and quickly stood up.

The man’s gaze swept over Xiao Ping and the others.

It finally settled on Gu Chen, who was standing there.

After seeing Gu Chen, he immediately approached.

He looked furious, as if he was picking a fight.

Gu Chen narrowed his eyes, unsure of the man’s intentions.

Could it be that someone jealous of Qiwei Vegetarian’s business had sent him to strike at him?

Xiao Ping and Xiao Fang, seeing the man charge towards Gu Chen with great strides, also stood frozen in place out of fear.

Gu Chen, on the other hand, remained calm and collected.

When the man reached Gu Chen, he did not engage in the expected fisticuffs.

Instead, he grabbed Gu Chen’s hand and, with excitement, said, "You must be the owner of Qiwei Vegetarian! Chef Gu!"

"I am here to learn from you! I want to learn your skills!"

"As long as you take me as your apprentice, I will follow your orders without question. If you tell me to go east, I will not go west; if you say go north, I will not go south. From now on, whether the sky falls or the earth splits open, or through a sea of flames and over mountains of blades, I will never take a step back.

"When you, Master, grow old, I will take care of you. When the Mistress grows old, I will take care of her.

"Your affairs will be my affairs; just give the word, and your apprentice will do anything for you!"

His emotions were terribly unstable. He wasn’t there to fight, he was there to ask Gu Chen to take him as a disciple.

Upon hearing his words, Gu Chen immediately lost interest.

"If you like to eat, I can treat you to a meal," he said.

"But if it’s anything else, then I’m sorry to say," Gu Chen said resolutely.