Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots
Chapter 1217 - 126 Girls (First Update)

Chapter 1217: 126 Girls (First Update)

Lin Yuan slightly pondered before looking at the young man and asked, "What is your name?"

The young man cupped his hands together, his expression humble as he replied, "This one is called Sun Qian."

"Sun Qian?" Xia Zheng raised his eyebrows with clear interest and laughed, "That’s a good name; you’re destined to have a lot of money in the future."

Sun Qian smiled awkwardly and corrected, "Second Young Master, it’s not the ’Qian’ that means money, but the ’Qian’ that means forward. My father said one should look forward, so he named me Sun Qian."

Xia Zheng nodded, "The ’forward’ is also good."

Yet, in his heart, he gained a new respect for Sun Qian.

Lin Yuan felt the same way, then turned to look at Shopkeeper Xiao with a somewhat cold tone, "Shopkeeper Xiao, is it that our kitchen isn’t spacious enough to accommodate so many people?"

At this point, Shopkeeper Xiao dared not utter a word of objection, and said with a smile, "Of course not, our kitchen is very spacious and certainly large enough."

Surely it would be spacious enough, and even if it truly wasn’t, it wouldn’t be possible for those master chefs to occupy the entire kitchen. Lin Yuan curved her lip and beckoned to Shui Xian with a wave of her hand, "You take them to the kitchen and tell them, the kitchen is halved on each side. If anyone finds the space too small, bring them to me. My inn isn’t so big that they can take their leave without hard feelings!"

This was a direct hint at dismissal.

Shui Xian understood her heart and bowed slightly before leading the helpers to the kitchen.

Although Lin Yuan hadn’t instructed it, Shui Xian understood that Lin Yuan hoped she would supervise the back area; otherwise, the master chefs would certainly trouble these young men over ingredients or utensils.

After watching these people leave, Lin Yuan turned her head to glance at Shopkeeper Xiao who stood hunched slightly beside her, and inwardly shook her head. She wondered if Shopkeeper Xiao was not sharp enough in business due to his old age, always carrying a kind and amiable demeanor, not at all like a shrewd businessman.

She had considered keeping him for a while longer, but now she was truly contemplating dismissing him.

"What about the people you brought?" Dismissing Shopkeeper Xiao couldn’t be resolved in a moment, so Lin Yuan turned her head to ask Xia Zheng. She wanted to thoroughly review those recruited during the cooks’ two hours of meal preparation.

Xia Zheng raised his chin slightly, and Dong Qing swiftly ran to the staircase of the second floor and called out, "Ladies, we have guests! Boys, come downstairs!"

Lin Yuan’s lips twitched slightly. This Dong Qing, it seemed his old habits were hard to kick; previously, seeing him quietly following behind Xia Zheng without speaking a word, she thought he had finally managed to keep his mouth shut. But once he spoke, his true nature was revealed—what did he mean by ’ladies, we have guests’? It made it sound like they were at a brothel!

No sooner had Dong Qing’s words faded than she saw the doors of two neighboring rooms on the second floor open. The boys were fine, but the girls’ cheeks were flushed, too shy to lift their heads.

With a speechless glare at Dong Qing, who was eager to say something, Lin Yuan inwardly shook her head.

As Xia Zheng had said, he indeed found these individuals according to the standards dictated by Lin Yuan. At a glance, it was evident the girls were of medium height, not too tall or too short, not chubby or too thin, and each was as pretty as a flower, very pleasing to the eye. The ten women coming down last were the most noticeable, for they stood about half a head taller than the others—by current standards, at least 1.7 meters tall. Their height made their figures appear even more proportionate, and though they wore simple cotton clothes, it couldn’t hide their shining points.

Looking at these flower-like girls, Lin Yuan felt as if she were seeing a heap of gold. It was so dazzling she couldn’t take her eyes off them.

These women clearly came from simple families, very down-to-earth, with none of the airs of the noble girls from the Capital city. But they had plenty of shortcomings too, and it seemed a thorough training would be necessary.

There were about thirty women and fewer than twenty men—nearly half as many. While one couldn’t describe them as handsome or stunning, they were quite clean-cut.

No wonder Xia Zheng had said good-looking men were hard to find, managing to find these ten plus was already quite impressive.

After descending from the second floor, these people naturally separated into two groups, standing on each side of the main hall. It was fortunate that Shopkeeper Xiao had already moved all the tables and chairs out of the hall. Otherwise, it would have been too crowded to accommodate so many people.

Once everyone had taken their places, they all closed their mouths and quietly looked at Lin Yuan and Xia Zheng, waiting for them to speak.

Their discipline was exceptional. Lin Yuan nodded inwardly, stood up, and spoke out loud, "Before coming here to apply for a job, you all should already be aware of the rules and compensation here, right? My standard for treating my subordinates is to be strict. As long as your work meets my standards, everything is negotiable. But if not, I won’t hesitate to part with those who fall short."

After pausing, her cool demeanor slowly swept over everyone present. Though only fourteen years old, she showed no hint of intimidation in front of those three or four years her senior—there was even an inherent authority about her.

This authority caused a slight pause in the hearts of the young men and women in front, washing away any prior contempt they might have had after seeing the young boss. They all became serious and focused.

Noticing the subtle changes in their expressions, Lin Yuan felt a thrill of satisfaction and softened her tone slightly, "Of course, my requirements are high, and so will be the wages. As the previously published recruitment notice stated, if you work honestly and diligently, the salary I offer will certainly be three times higher than elsewhere."

At the mention of three times the usual wage, happiness flickered across the faces of the young men and women in the hall, and their concerns lessened considerably. Three times the wage—that was even higher than what the renowned Drunken Immortal Tower in the Capital city offered!

But just as Lin Yuan had said, higher pay came with higher demands. Working in such an inn, didn’t it mean they had to be much more exceptional than others?

However, before they could fully relish their joy, Lin Yuan’s next words poured cold water on them.

She said, "I’m sure you’ve all noticed that my inn is only three stories high. Even if I wanted to expand and refurbish, it’s not possible to employ so many of you. Therefore, I tell you frankly, not everyone here will be able to stay. Only those who meet my standards after a month of training will have the opportunity to stay and enjoy a wage that’s three times the norm. However, if you don’t meet my standards, then I’m sorry, but I’ll have to bid you farewell."

Ah?