Chapter 327: Chapter 327: Attacked

Early the next morning, Shen Lu received a large truck full of merchandise from Qin Shuangshu. She happily stored half of it in the System Warehouse and put the other half in the small storage room behind the front counter.

Today was another busy day, as usual. Shen Lu seemed to have grown accustomed to the hustle.

The kitchen operated like a high-speed, precision machine. Everyone completed their tasks accurately, rushing to get the first wave of dishes to the service window by eleven-thirty.

Xin Yu’s hands were still swollen, but he barely felt it anymore.

"You get used to it after a while," he told Deng Ying. "This is the path I chose, and I have to see it through, even if I have to crawl."

Deng Ying was filled with respect. "I really underestimated you."

She’d thought Xin Yu was the careless type, someone who would just lie down and give up wherever he stumbled.

She never expected him to be so resilient.

While Xin Yu was all smiles on the outside, he was grimacing internally.

’If I’d known the pizzas would sell this well, I wouldn’t have made them hand-tossed. Pan pizzas are so much easier!’

"You’d better keep it up, too," he said. "The boss is going to hold a skills assessment soon, and there’s a penalty for anyone who doesn’t pass."

Shen Lu had mentioned this on their first day back. Everyone was supportive of the idea of a skills assessment, and they had been working with extra diligence these past few days.

Shen Lu’s intention wasn’t to create a cutthroat environment for her staff. She just believed that when you learn something, you need regular assessments to know what you’re doing well and where you still need to put in more effort.

After the lunch rush, Shen Lu grabbed a quick bite and was resting at the front counter when Liu Qiang came stumbling in.

"Ahem!" He pulled the door open a crack and let out a loud cough.

Shen Lu recognized his voice but didn’t turn around, continuing to rest with her eyes half-closed.

Liu Qiang coughed again, even louder, but Shen Lu still ignored him. Left with no other choice, Liu Qiang walked up to the counter and said her name.

"Shen Lu, why didn’t you answer when I called you?"

In front of his daughter, Liu Qiang always instinctively adopted a patronizing posture, as if it were etched into his very bones.

"When did you call me, Dad?" Shen Lu feigned, pretending she had just woken up. "I didn’t hear anyone call my name."

"Are you deaf? How could you not hear me coughing so loudly?"

"A cough? My name isn’t ’Cough.’ Next time you need something, you’d be better off just using my name." Shen Lu crossed her legs. "What is it?"

Liu Qiang looked uncharacteristically embarrassed. "You know how you said you were going to find me a new wife... How’s that coming along?"

Shen Lu froze for a second. "Dad, wasn’t that just nonsense Liu Yaozu was spouting? You actually took him seriously?"

"It wasn’t nonsense," Liu Qiang frowned. "That’s exactly what Yaozu and I are planning. We’re doing this for your own good!"

Liu Qiang understood the principle that you had to get someone in the same boat if you wanted them to put their heart into a task.

But his excuse for pulling her into his boat was so ridiculous Shen Lu wanted to laugh.

"For my good? How is it for my good?"

"Your mother is an illiterate, unpresentable woman. I can see you’re destined for greater things; you’ll probably marry into a good family. How humiliating would it be when your in-laws find out what kind of mother you have?"

Shen Lu almost laughed out loud. ’He must have wracked his brain to come up with that excuse.’

’What a load of crap. Setting aside whether I’d even get married, if we’re following his logic, I shouldn’t just replace my mom. I’d be better off replacing my dad and brother, too.’

’So, Yang Jing isn’t presentable, but he and Liu Yaozu are?’

"Did you give Mom her medicine?" Shen Lu asked, not wanting to engage with his argument and deciding to change the subject.

"We did."

Liu Yaozu hadn’t wanted to, so Liu Qiang had done it himself.

"Has she woken up?"

"Not yet."

"Then let’s wait until Mom wakes up to talk about this."

Shen Lu waved her hand dismissively, trying to send Liu Qiang away.

But Liu Qiang wasn’t so easily dismissed. He had been getting antsy and had come over to pressure Shen Lu, hoping to get a firm commitment from her.

"Shen Lu, this concerns our whole family’s future! Don’t be so flippant about it. You need to take this seriously!"

"Also, how come no one has brought us any food for the past two days?"

Shen Lu shot back, "Have you and Liu Yaozu done any work recently?"

"How are Yaozu and I supposed to work? We can barely walk!"

"No work, no food. My boss isn’t running a charity here. You expect to get food without doing any work?"

"Then why was someone bringing us pizzas three times a day before?"

For the past few days, he and Liu Yaozu had been eating those "pizzas"—the topping-less crusts Xin Yu had made while practicing.

They had gotten sick of them after a few days and set them aside. But with Yang Jing sick in bed for the last two days, they had survived solely on those crusts.

"Those were originally going to be thrown out for the dogs. I thought it was a waste, so I had someone send them over to see if you’d eat them."

"Shen Lu, you—!"

"You can get out of bed now, right? You sound full of energy, so you should be able to work in the greenhouse. Starting tomorrow, you’re on field duty."

’He’s just got too much time on his hands. That’s why he spends all day dwelling on this nonsense.’

’More than half the soil in the greenhouse still needs to be tilled. If he’s this idle, I’ll just have to assign him a task.’

Liu Qiang raged, "Shen Lu, don’t you forget, this injury on my thigh is because of you! It’s not even fully healed, and you’re telling me to work? Have you no conscience?!"

"You’re one to talk, Dad. I’m just following the example you set, aren’t I? If making you work is heartless, then what does that make the things you and my brother have done?" Shen Lu sneered.

"What’s that supposed to mean? Everything I did was for you and your brother!" Liu Qiang roared indignantly. "You cruel, ungrateful wretch!"

After roaring, he limped away.

Shen Lu let out a pair of exasperated chuckles, then lay back in her chair and looked at her Light Brain.

Bai Wanwan seemed very busy lately. Unlike before, she wasn’t constantly bombarding her with messages.

Shen Lu was happy for the peace and quiet. She idly scrolled through DouDou, checking for any recent news in the Imperial City.

Suddenly, Shen Lu came across a news story about an attack on the Bai Family.

It said an unknown organization had taken advantage of a sandstorm to ambush Mr. and Mrs. Bai on a street at night as they were returning from a banquet. The incident resulted in one death and two injuries.

The driver had been killed, Father Bai was severely injured and in a coma, and Mrs. Bai had a broken arm. They were now at the hospital receiving treatment.

The incident had happened a few days ago, but Shen Lu hadn’t had much time to scroll through DouDou or watch the news, so she had missed it until now.

Shen Lu’s brow furrowed. She carefully chose her words as she sent Bai Wanwan a message.

Bai Wanwan’s reply was a little slow, and her tone was dejected.

Bai Wanwan: My brother and I didn’t go that night. We were actually planning to come to your restaurant the next day... Sigh...

Shen Lu: Is it a good time for me to come visit?

Bai Wanwan: It’s better if you don’t. We haven’t even figured out the background of our attackers yet. You shouldn’t come, just in case you get dragged into unnecessary trouble.

Because they didn’t know who the enemy was, Bai Wanwan and Bai Lei hadn’t been attending classes recently, splitting their time between home and the hospital.

Shen Lu didn’t insist. Under the circumstances, it was best to do as Bai Wanwan said.

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