A honeymoon traveling the world was out of the question for now, but Shen Yi still wanted to find some time for just the two of them.
In his last life, he had owed Jiao Jiao far too much. In this life, he wanted to do everything he could to make it up to her.
Qin Jiao had already been planning to take her parents and Xiao Shi on a trip, and the seaside was a great option. She calculated the timing. ’Wouldn’t it be perfect to go in May?’
So she nodded and agreed. "Okay! We can go to the seaside for the May Day holiday!"
Shen Yi was instantly satisfied.
Little did he know just how formidable the lineup for their long-awaited seaside trip would be.
The school semester hadn’t started yet, but the two of them were busy every day. Qin Jiao found some time to talk to her parents about opening a restaurant.
"The house will need renovating around that time, and since it’s over there, we can get the restaurant renovated at the same time. Mom, Dad, I know you both love making noodle dishes, so let’s open a small noodle shop."
A small noodle shop would be perfect for a location near the school, the residential area, and the old alleyways. Besides, specializing in one thing would be less work. They didn’t plan on hiring some master chef—they’d be doing it all themselves—so there was no need for an overly complicated menu.
Exotic delicacies were delicious, but a simple, home-style dish like tomato and egg noodles could also have a flavor so unforgettable it would keep customers coming back.
Su Yun’s eyes lit up when she heard this, but Qin Zhonghui looked a little worried. "Xiao Jiao, what about the cafeteria at the clothing factory?"
"It’s running smoothly now, not like when we first took over. It’s not so tough anymore. Besides, no matter how you look at it, the factory belongs to Shen Yi. My vice director title is just in name only. When the time comes, Dad, you and Auntie can both leave the factory, but we can let Uncle continue working there."
Qin Zhonghui was an honest man. He nodded and said, "You’re right. The Du family has never treated us like outsiders; they trust us with everything. We’re still living in this courtyard home, and on top of that, you two are in a fake marriage. We can’t forget their kindness."
For more than half a year, Qin Zhonghui had been working diligently at the clothing factory, completely unaware that his daughter’s fake marriage was about to become real.
Only the more perceptive Su Yun had noticed certain changes in her daughter. When she heard the two words "fake marriage," she turned to look at Qin Jiao.
Her daughter, however, appeared perfectly composed. She smiled and said, "Dad, you don’t need to feel so much pressure. Some things are mutual. They helped us, so we just need to do our best to help them in return. If you try to keep score with things like this, it just ends up hurting the relationship."
Qin Zhonghui paused, taken aback. "Xiao Jiao, what do you mean by that?"
"Dad, talk to Chen Sheng about the people you’ve been training in the cafeteria. Pick someone reliable, down-to-earth, and capable to take over your duties for now. Of course, you can’t just dump everything on them. You’ll still have to go back every now and then to check in and supervise."
"That’s easy enough."
"Good. Then, before my semester starts, we’ll find a suitable storefront and lease it. Our circumstances weren’t great before, so we had to focus on just getting stable. But now that our lives are stable, it’s time to start enjoying life and doing the things you love. Mom, Dad, I know you’ve always wanted to open a little shop of your own. Our family has finally put down roots here in North City, and we’ve even gotten our household registration sorted out. Everything’s going to get better from here."
Listening to their daughter paint a picture of the future, Qin Zhonghui and Su Yun grew excited as well.
Qin Jiao smiled faintly.
It wasn’t that she wanted to keep a clear ledger with Shen Yi; she just wanted her parents, aunt, and uncle to be able to stand on their own two feet.