Chapter 65

Ding Hao stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing the secret that his mother had given him. Finally, feeling it was time, Ding Hao prepared to take Chen Fang out for a drive, but he noticed that Chen Fang seemed unhappy.

"Chen Fang, what's wrong with you these days?" On the way, seeing that Chen Fang remained silent, Ding Hao broke the silence.

"Nothing." Chen Fang shook her head and said no more. Although living off Ding Hao was comfortable, Chen Fang was not a foolish woman. Ding Hao was about to start school, and there were plenty of young and beautiful girls at the university. A divorced woman like herself had no chance of becoming Ding Hao's partner.

Rather than wait for the day when Ding Hao would have a girlfriend and kick her out, it would be better to find a job and seek help from Ding Hao if she encountered difficulties. However, lacking any special skills, she had hit a wall for several days. As she had said, men in big cities were even more lecherous than Zhou Fuquan. Most of them wanted Chen Fang to be their personal secretary!

Although Chen Fang had a strong sexual desire and extensive theoretical knowledge, she could not accept a life where three or four women competed for one man. Sometimes, the gap between theory and reality was just that big! On one hand, she advised Ding Hao to have multiple wives, but on the other, she refused to be a secretary for male bosses. Of course, having Ding Hao, this handsome young man, by her side was also a reason for her resistance to being a secretary!

"Are you unhappy because you don't have a job?"

Chen Fang nodded.

"I'll take you to a nice place to eat. I know a good farm restaurant. We'll have dinner there. Don't think about those unhappy things all the time."

"Whatever."

The farm restaurant Ding Hao mentioned was in the western suburbs of Qianjiang City, about ten kilometers from the city center. Due to its proximity to Qianjiang City, it was home to a large number of migrant workers from other regions. The main attraction was that several farm restaurants there were quite unique. Ding Hao thought that Chen Fang could feel the rural atmosphere and relieve her depressed mood by going there.

From the city center, it took less than half an hour to reach the noisy urban-rural fringe, and Ding Hao arrived at a place called Yunhe Mountain Villa.

Speaking of Yunhe Mountain Villa, it was well-known in Qianjiang City, located in the National Nature Reserve of Qingliang Peak. It was in Taohuaxi Village, Dajuxia Town, which had received honors such as "Jiangsu-Zhejiang Province's Characteristic Farm Restaurant Village," "Jiangsu-Zhejiang Province's Characteristic Tourism Demonstration Village," "Qianjiang City's Ecological Demonstration Village," and "Advanced Hygiene Village." It was only a five-minute drive from the core scenic area of Dajuxia, Jianmenguan.

The villa had a three-story building, offering unique delicacies and over ten private dining rooms. It also had a mahjong room and a fish pond for entertainment and fishing. Additionally, it had over ten standard guest rooms, including single, double, and triple rooms, which could accommodate more than 30 people. The rooms were clean and bright, with private bathrooms, air conditioning, TVs, and hot water. Free Wi-Fi was also available. If you were tired or had too much to drink, you could stay overnight. It was truly a small but complete place.

Away from the city's noise, the villa, built on a hill, had a beautiful surrounding environment. In the morning, you could open the window and enjoy the fresh air provided by nature. Activities like leisurely fishing, bonfire parties, and mountain climbing allowed you to temporarily escape the fast-paced city life and experience a quiet and comfortable rural life. For those driving, there was no need to worry about parking, as the villa could accommodate over ten cars.

Ding Hao chose this place to stay because Chen Fang was in a bad mood. If she didn't want to return to the city at night, she could stay here for a few days. After all, he wasn't short of money, and it was rare to have someone like Chen Fang who was so honest and enthusiastic towards him.

Upon arriving at the villa, seeing the lush green trees and the winding stream in front of the door, Chen Fang's mood seemed to improve. However, Ding Hao noticed something was off. It was already 5 PM, which should have been the peak dining time. Tourists and food enthusiasts should have been sitting down one after another.

But Ding Hao saw only a few scattered guests, with only three tables occupied in the outdoor area, and none of the private dining rooms were open.

Ding Hao and Chen Fang sat down, and just as he was about to call a waiter to order, he saw the owner, Old Liu, coming over. The most famous and unique dish at the villa was the spicy fish head made by Old Liu himself.

Old Liu's real name was Liu Jiang, in his fifties, a native of Sichuan. He later moved to Jiangsu-Zhejiang with his wife and children, and with his excellent culinary skills, he saved enough money to open Yunhe Mountain Villa. Old Liu's spicy fish head was famous, and food enthusiasts from Qianjiang City came to try it. Even people from neighboring cities like Huhai and Huangshan would drive over a hundred kilometers to enjoy a meal cooked by Old Liu.

However, Old Liu had a rule: he only bought twenty fish a day, ten for lunch and ten for dinner, all used to make spicy fish heads. It was first-come, first-served, and no reservations were accepted. This rule made the business even more popular, with some people arriving as early as 4 PM to secure a spot and order.

Those who arrived later were not upset; many would stand respectfully in the kitchen, watching Old Liu prepare the spicy fish head, feeling satisfied just by the smell.

Today, something was different. Old Liu was personally taking orders, which puzzled Ding Hao.

"Boss Liu, why are you taking orders yourself? You could just call a waiter." Ding Hao didn't think he was a VIP who needed the owner's personal attention, so there must be a problem.

Old Liu shook his head, "All the waiters have left. What would you like to eat, sir?"

"Oh." Ding Hao thought the waiters had quit because Old Liu didn't raise their wages. In this era, it was hard to find waiters, but it wasn't difficult to hire college graduates, some of whom even worked as waiters. Ding Hao smiled sympathetically at the owner, "Do you still have spicy fish head? We'll have one."

"Yes. Would you like anything else?"

"Chen Fang, what would you like to eat?" Ding Hao handed the menu to Chen Fang.

"Anything is fine, you decide." Chen Fang rarely ate out in the countryside, and this was her first time at Yunhe Mountain Villa, so she didn't know what was good.

"Oh, boss, anything is fine, give us one."

Old Liu looked at Ding Hao with a smile, then looked at Chen Fang with a hint of helplessness.

Chen Fang had meant to let Ding Hao decide, but she didn't expect him to take it so lightly. She gave him a stern look.

"Hey, you don't want to eat me, do you?"

"Stop it, can't you be serious?" Chen Fang couldn't help but laugh.

"This gentleman is quite humorous. Would you like me to recommend a few dishes?" Old Liu thought Ding Hao and Chen Fang were a couple flirting, but he didn't want to delay too long, so he interjected.

"Sure, one meat dish, one vegetable, and a soup. You decide, and if it's not good, we won't pay."

"Sure, sure." Old Liu took the menu and headed to the kitchen.

After about five or six minutes, the dishes started coming. The owner's wife served them, and Ding Hao didn't hesitate to start eating.

"Ding Hao, can you ask the boss if he needs waiters?"

"Do you want to work here as a waiter?"

"It's quiet here, and it shouldn't be too tiring. Besides, the boss just said the waiters left."

"Sure, I'll ask later, but think it through. Working as a waiter might mean living here, and you might not see me for days."

"Who cares about seeing you?"

"Looks like I'm not worth much. Sigh, I was being too presumptuous..."

"Go ahead and eat."

"I'm sad, I have no appetite."

"You have no appetite, yet you're eating so well."

"I'm turning my sorrow into appetite."

"Sir, how does it taste?" Ding Hao was surprised to see Old Liu personally bringing out the spicy fish head, indicating there wasn't much work in the kitchen.

"Boss, do you need waiters? My friend is from the countryside, strong and hardworking."

"Sir, the business is so slow, why would I need waiters? The restaurant is almost out of business..."

"Really? What happened? I was here last month, and the business was booming."

"Ah..." Old Liu hesitated.

"Boss, what's going on?"

"It's a long story. I'm waiting to sell the villa and take my family back home."

"Why are you selling it?"

"Sir, you look like a wealthy person. Could you help me find a buyer? I'll sell it cheap."

"Oh, how much?"

"1.5 million. I just want to recoup some of my investment and minimize my losses."

"1.5 million?" Ding Hao was surprised. The villa was over a hundred square meters, with a three-story building and over ten private dining rooms, worth more than 1 million, not to mention the land and the intangible value of the signature dish. It seemed the old man was facing some serious problems. Ding Hao thought about buying the villa, as he could probably earn it back in less than a year.

"Ah, if it weren't for..."

"Old man, come quick, Master Hu is here again. Look at their car."

Hearing the owner's wife call, Old Liu's face changed. "Silly woman, why are you shouting? Hurry up and tell Liu Xia to hide outside. Sir, please enjoy your meal, I have to go." He walked quickly to the kitchen.

Master Hu and Liu Xia, it seemed there was something going on. Ding Hao looked at Chen Fang, who was focused on eating, clearly enjoying the food.

"Chen Fang, what do you think about buying this villa?"

"Ah?" Chen Fang was taken aback. She had been upset, thinking Ding Hao didn't care about her job, but now, hearing he wanted to buy the villa, she was confused.

"Ah, what? The boss said it's only 1.5 million, a real bargain. He must be in trouble, otherwise, he wouldn't sell it for less than 2 million."

"But we don't have that much money, and you can't cook."

"Can't you cook?"

"I don't have the money..."

"I'm not asking you for money. I'm saying you should be the boss's wife and manage the villa." Ding Hao knew that although Chen Fang hadn't seen much of the world, she was a good cook and hardworking. She had been trained in customer service at the convenience store, making her a good fit for managing the villa.

"But where will you get the money, and didn't you say the signature dish is the boss's spicy fish head? I can't cook it like him."

"Hmm, that's a problem. Without the signature dish, we'll lose many customers. As for the money..." The two were whispering, considering buying Yunhe Mountain Villa.

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