Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 39

By the time Ye Fanglan and Li Dongsheng arrived, a long line had already formed outside the shop. Both of them were taken aback.

“It’s only seven o’clock. Why are there so many people?” Fanglan asked, astonished.

“First day of opening, plus a promotional offer—and Fangfei’s treats are really good. Once people smell them, they can’t resist,” Li Dongsheng said, guiding her toward the backyard, where several people were busy around the ovens.

Shen Cuijuan spotted them and greeted them with a smile, brushing oil onto a baking tray as she worked. “Sis, brother-in-law! You’re here. Come inside and have a seat.”

Shen Jianhua and Ye Laifu were sweating as they whisked egg batter. They smiled at the newcomers, motioning for them to enter.

“You’re busy; don’t worry about us,” Fanglan said immediately.

Li Dongsheng fetched a stool for her, helped her sit, and took the whisk from Ye Laifu.

“Dongsheng, why don’t you go up front and help? I just checked; your sister and the others are almost overwhelmed,” Ye Laifu said to his son-in-law.

Li Dongsheng nodded. “Alright, Dad. I’ll go see what I can do.”

At the front, the pastry section was running smoothly—Ye Fangfei and Ye Erhu were busy but organized.

The braised meat stall, however, was chaotic. With so many items on the menu and free vegetables to serve, Ye Xihu and Ye Sanhu struggled to keep up.

Li Dongsheng stepped behind the counter, taking the scale from his third uncle. “I’ll weigh it. You handle the packaging.”

“Dongsheng’s here! That’s perfect,” Ye Sanhu and Ye Xihu breathed a sigh of relief.

By just after eight, Chen Qian had arrived on her bicycle. Fangfei barely had time to greet her, apologetically gestured for her to take a seat in the back.

Chen Qian rolled up her sleeves and started helping with the pastries.

Since three in the morning, the two ovens hadn’t stopped, yet supplies were still running short.

By nine, egg cakes were sold out, pig head meat gone, and only a few portions of pork intestines and trotters remained.

Fangfei apologized to the waiting customers. “I’m really sorry—the egg cakes are sold out. You can come back this afternoon when the pastries are ready again.”

Some of the disappointed customers muttered complaints.

Chen Qian’s eyes flared; she looked ready to scold someone.

Fangfei quickly covered her mouth and whispered, “Sis, calm down. Don’t get into it with the customers.”

Chen Qian remembered she was here to support a friend, not to enforce order. She laughed quietly to herself.

Once the crowd thinned, Chen Qian said with a grin, “Don’t be too soft with people. Some will take advantage if they can. Your pastries are delicious—no need to grovel. Don’t let them think they can push you around.”

Fangfei smiled and nodded, appreciating her straightforwardness. She liked Chen Qian’s personality, valued her as a friend, but never tried to change her ways.

“Chen Qian, thank you so much today. Without you helping here, I’d be completely overwhelmed.”

“No problem. Aren’t friends supposed to help?” Chen Qian smiled and teased, “You promised me pig trotters. Don’t forget!”

“Don’t worry. I saved some for you this morning—not just trotters, but intestines, pig head meat, kelp, and potato slices too.”

Fangfei gave her brother a nod and led Chen Qian to the backyard. “Today, eat as much as you want.”

Chen Qian knew Fangfei had a lot to do, and the backyard was a whirlwind of activity. The egg cakes were a family secret recipe, so she couldn’t stay to supervise.

She declined Fangfei’s invitation for a meal, grabbed a few packs of braised items and freshly baked egg cakes, left five yuan, and hurried off, promising to return in the afternoon to help.

Fangfei called after her, “Chen Qian! Take the money back—eat and still pay? Are we even friends…”

“I came to support your opening. Of course I’m paying,” Chen Qian replied with a smile. “Stop nagging, or I won’t hang out with you anymore.”

“You’re so childish,” Fangfei muttered, shaking her head, then returned to the shop with a laugh.

Ye Xihu waved excitedly. “Little sister, in just an hour, we’ve sold nearly a hundred jin, plus the braised meat. We’re making a fortune!”

Seeing her usually calm brother so excited, Fangfei had to cool him down.

“Xihu, it’s the first day. People came for novelty and the discount. In three days, it won’t be this crazy.”

Xihu shook his head confidently. “Little sister, even without promotions, our egg cakes are that good. Once the word spreads, business will only get better.”

Fangfei smiled and pulled out some large bills from the cash box, handing them to Xihu.

“Don’t think about the future yet. The ingredients you have will barely last until tomorrow. Don’t worry about the shop—contact suppliers and get rice, eggs, and sugar delivered immediately.”

Xihu had been so caught up in excitement that he’d almost forgotten. He nodded and left.

“By the way, little sister, do we need more intestines and pig head meat?”

“Not yet. We can’t prep them fast enough.”

Fangfei considered the team’s exhaustion and suggested, “Xihu, why don’t you go home? Call our sisters-in-law to help for a few days. Starting tomorrow, we’ll run in shifts. The ovens won’t have to stop, and no one will be so tired.”

“Good idea,” Xihu said. “Once the ingredients are sorted, I’ll fetch the sisters-in-law. They’re quick workers. Your third sister-in-law and Xisao can stay home with the kids.”

“Do as you see fit,” Fangfei said, jokingly adding, “Tell them I won’t short them on food.”

Xihu laughed heartily. “I’ll let them know—they’ll be thrilled.”

They rotated lunch breaks, and by the afternoon pastries, another line formed outside. By six, everything was sold out again.

Chen Qian commented on her way home that it was even busier than the supply station.

They worked day and night for three days straight. Fangfei felt like collapsing, and everyone else looked just as worn out.

Her in-laws and parents were hollow-eyed, Shen Cuijuan and the sisters-in-law had massive dark circles, looking like they hadn’t slept in days.

The Ye brothers were young and strong, so they were slightly better off.

Seeing everyone so exhausted, Fangfei said gently, “Everyone’s worked so hard these past two days. How about we rest for a day?”

Zhou Hongyu immediately opposed her. “What did you say? The shop just opened! If you’re tired, rest. We’ll work.”

“Exactly. Taking a break? No way. We rotate shifts—it’s not tiring at all,” Sun Xiujun chimed in.

The elder sister-in-law agreed: “Little sister, this is easier than working in the fields. Keep going—don’t stop now.”

Even the Ye brothers and the usually obedient Shen Cuijuan shook their heads in opposition.

Seeing everyone so energized, Fangfei quietly cracked eggs into the mixing bucket herself.

If her team was giving their all, how could she, as the boss, slack off?

Work like there’s no tomorrow! If it doesn’t kill you, push it to the limit—more money won’t hurt.