Jiang Ming called Pan Lei, only to learn it would be almost another hour before she could return. He grew anxious but kept his tone even on the phone. "Okay, we'll wait for you."

There was nothing Pan Lei could do on her end. "How about this? You can wash the vegetables and cut the meat first. Aren't we making taro chicken? Go ahead and blanch the chicken. That way, I can just stir-fry it as soon as I get back."

"Alright," Jiang Ming agreed.

After hanging up, he sighed.

Lin Feng came into the kitchen and saw him preparing to blanch the chicken. "Let me do it," he said quickly.

"No, no, you're a guest," Jiang Ming protested. "How could we let you do this?"

"If you blanch it that way, the meat will turn out a bit tough," Lin Feng explained.

"...Oh."

Lin Feng found an apron hanging on a hook and put it on. "When is she coming back?"

"Almost another hour," Jiang Ming said awkwardly.

An hour? How is Yuxi going to last that long? Lin Feng thought, glancing towards the living room. While blanching the chicken, he made a suggestion to Jiang Ming.

"How about I make dinner tonight? That way, when your wife gets back, she can eat right away."

Of course, Jiang Ming couldn't agree. They had invited them over as guests; it wouldn't look right to have the guest do the cooking.

Lin Feng smiled faintly, his tone leaving no room for objection. "It's just one meal, Brother Jiang. Don't take it so seriously."

Jiang Ming was at a loss for words. "But this is so embarrassing, having a guest do the cooking..."

"Don't worry about it," Lin Feng said nonchalantly. "Didn't I get to try your wife's cooking last time I was here? Besides, this is a special situation. How about this: when she has a day off, we'll come over as guests again. What do you think?"

Jiang Ming immediately nodded. "Then it's settled."

Under the guise of washing her hands, Zhang Yuxi slipped into the kitchen. Seeing that Jiang Ming wasn't there, she whispered to her husband, "Honey, how much longer?"

Lin Feng turned, amused by her puppy-dog expression. "Fifteen minutes at most, and it'll be ready."

"But I heard Brother Jiang say Pan Lei won't be back for more than half an hour..."

"She'll be back soon. I called Wang Zhihua and had him let her off early today."

"Who's Wang Zhihua?"

"The general manager of the hotel."

"Oh, right."

Sure enough, Pan Lei arrived home just then. Drawn to the kitchen by the delicious aroma, her expression changed instantly. "Oh no, how could we let you cook!" She quickly washed her hands and hurried over to help. "I'm so sorry, something held me up today, and I'm only just getting back. Next time I have a day off, I'll cook a big meal and then call you guys over."

"Sounds great," Lin Feng nodded.

The seating arrangement was the same as last time, with the children kneeling on their chairs to eat. They ate quickly, eager to go and play. The adults had barely taken a few bites before the kids finished and ran off.

Jiang Ming brought out orange juice, filling glasses for Lin Feng and Zhang Yuxi. "I'm really sorry about today."

"You're being too formal," Lin Feng said with a gentle smile.

Zhang Yuxi didn't say a word, completely focused on filling her empty stomach.

Once they had nearly finished eating, Jiang Ming was the first to speak. "The main reason we invited you over tonight was to thank Mr. Lin for helping my wife find a job." He raised his glass. "I'll toast with this juice in place of wine. Thank you!"

Pan Lei also raised her glass and stood up with her husband.

Lin Feng stood as well. "There's no need to thank me. It's because she is so capable."

"I'm not very good with words," Jiang Ming said with a smile. "But I'll always remember this. If you ever need anything from me in the future, just ask."

"Of course," Lin Feng laughed.

After eating and resting for a while, they saw it was getting late and decided to head home.

"Next time I have a day off, I'll cook everything first and then invite you over," Pan Lei told Zhang Yuxi. She could tell at the dinner table that her guests had been starving.

Zhang Yuxi shook her head. "Please, don't worry about it. It's just one meal."

But it was precisely because it was just one meal, and their hospitality had been so poor, that the couple felt even more guilty.

Once their guests had left, Pan Lei's face fell. "Our hospitality was terrible this time."

"Honey, don't worry about it," Jiang Ming said softly. "We'll make it up to them next time. They don't seem like the kind of people who would mind, so don't take it to heart."

"Mhm," Pan Lei nodded.

The two of them washed the dishes together in the kitchen.

"You did a great job cleaning the house today," Pan Lei commented. "By the way, I want to buy an electric scooter."

"I was just thinking about that today," Jiang Ming said. "I know a guy who sells them. I'll give him a call later. What color and style do you like, honey?"

"I'm not picky. Anything is fine," Pan Lei said with a smile.

Jiang Ming leaned in closer. "I may not be able to afford a car for you, but when it comes to an electric scooter, I have to get you the best."

"Something around two thousand yuan is fine, as long as it looks decent," Pan Lei said.

"No way. You deserve one that costs at least four thousand."

"Why buy such an expensive one? It's a waste of money."

"I don't care, that's the one I'm getting for you!"

"We could save that thousand or two for my mom for the Lunar New Year. We only gave her a few hundred for the other holidays this year. We should give her at least one or two thousand for the New Year, shouldn't we?"

"Don't worry about it. The two clients who owe me final payments said they'll transfer the money before the New Year."

"Really? How much?"

"About 25,000 yuan. It'll be more than enough for us for the holiday."

Pan Lei's voice dropped to a mysterious whisper. "I asked Manager Wang about the salary today. Guess how much it is?"

Jiang Ming could tell from her expression that it must be a good amount. "Is it five thousand?"

Pan Lei held up eight fingers. "Eight thousand!"

"Eight thousand?!" Jiang Ming exclaimed, shocked.

Pan Lei nodded. "Manager Wang said this is just for the probationary period. Once I'm officially hired, my salary will be 12,000 a month."

Jiang Ming took a sharp breath. "Wow, honey, you're about to make over ten thousand a month. Don't go kicking me to the curb, okay?"

Pan Lei rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop being silly. From what Manager Wang said, there's a lot of room for growth, so I have to work hard and do a good job!"

Jiang Ming nodded. "It sounds like Mr. Lin really went out of his way to help us."

"Exactly," Pan Lei agreed. "Otherwise, why would Manager Wang personally take me under his wing? He's so busy every day, and I don't know anything yet. If it weren't for orders from the top, he wouldn't waste his time on me."

"This is a favor we'll have to remember," Jiang Ming sighed.

"Absolutely."

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