The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 517 - 516 Closing the Store

Chapter 517: Chapter 516 Closing the Store

Julie nodded, looking at all the front-of-house waitstaff, "Today’s incident appears to be a problem with the kitchen crew, unrelated to the front of house, but we are one entity."

"Whether it is the kitchen or the front of house, each serves the purpose of business operations. Apart from assisting each other, we also need to supervise and communicate with one another."

"If any one of us had achieved these last two points, today’s incident would not have taken place, and we would not have lost a month’s performance pay."

"So, does anyone in the front-of-house still feel their penalty is unfair?"

Everyone exchanged glances, and no one spoke anymore.

Seeing that the staff had no objections to the performance deduction, Shen Mingzhu continued to announce the subsequent punishments—

"All currently employed kitchen staff, in addition to the deduction of this month’s performance pay, will also have half of their annual bonus deducted. Anyone who objects, stand up now."

An apprentice chef stood up, "President Shen, I reminded the Executive Chef to call you. He’s the leader, and there’s nothing we could do."

This statement garnered the agreement of many kitchen staff members.

"You’re misapplying your solidarity. If you had united against the use of spoiled crabs when the order was given by the Executive Chef, like you are doing now, the subsequent events would not have happened."

"Even if, retreating ten thousand steps, the Executive Chef ignored the opposition of all of you, you could still have gone to Manager Julie or even call me."

"If he, Shen Xiangnan, were committing a crime today, and you all watched without stopping him, from a legal standpoint, you would all be accessories to the crime and would be subject to judgement."

Most of the employees were thoroughly convinced, but there were still a few who were not.

"If we are accessories, then the Executive Chef is the mastermind, isn’t he? You’re only penalizing us and not him, which seems incredibly unfair."

Shen Xiangnan, full of self-reproach, spoke up, "This incident is all my responsibility. I’m willing to take it all upon myself. Punish me instead, don’t deduct from everyone’s wages, it’s hard for them."

Hearing this, all the kitchen staff looked expectantly at Shen Mingzhu.

Of course, it would be best if they could avoid the fine.

Shen Mingzhu looked coldly at Shen Xiangnan, "You don’t have to rush to take responsibility for others; you can’t escape your punishment!"

Shen Xiangnan accepted this with resignation.

Shen Mingzhu then announced the management’s punishment. Julie, besides losing this month’s performance pay and having her annual bonus halved, was also given an additional fine of two hundred.

Julie readily accepted Shen Mingzhu’s punishment.

Turning to Shen Xiangnan, "The cost of the dishes for today’s four tables, as well as the consumption of three tables at Zhenwei Restaurant, totaling 1475 yuan, you as the main wrongdoer will bear half, and I as the owner will take on the other half. Do you have any objections?"

Shen Xiangnan quickly shook his head.

Shen Mingzhu nodded, "This amount will be deducted from your and my earnings over two months, and the deducted money will be allocated to the store’s monthly revenue in the form of earnings."

Hearing this, the staff members who had been upset about their punishment were thoroughly convinced.

The store’s revenue is directly related to everyone’s wages.

The higher the revenue for the month, the higher their income.

In doing so, Shen Mingzhu was indirectly subsidizing the money that had been deducted as a penalty back to them.

Yet, that was not the end.

Shen Mingzhu looked at everyone, "Today’s incident is the first time, but it is also the last time. In the restaurant business, food safety is of utmost importance and does not tolerate any negligence or laxity."

"I am responsible for Shenji, and a mistake you make lightly could make me pay a heavy price. So, if there’s a next time, I will not penalize any of you. I will choose to close the shop."

All faces turned solemn.

Clearly, they were shaken by Shen Mingzhu’s words.

If the shop closed, they would all be out of work.

Finding a job with as good treatment as Shenji outside is not easy.

"If you cherish this job, I hope you will protect Shenji like it’s your own home. I can responsibly promise every one of you that the more serious you are, the more you will gain. But if you slack off even once, what you face is losing your job."

"Meeting is adjourned!"

Shen Xiangnan chased after Shen Mingzhu to the outside of Shenji, "Little Sister, were you serious just now? Do you really want to close the shop?"

Shen Mingzhu looked at him, "Shen Xiangnan, I’m not joking with you. I’m handing Shenji over to you, you’d better tighten your skin and work properly. If there’s another screw-up, roll back to our hometown to farm!"

Shen Xiangnan hung his head, "Understood."

...

"Why should you be the one to pay this money? Over the years, you’ve earned so much for her but haven’t seen her share any with you. Now that there’s trouble, she expects you to bear it. Isn’t she bullying you?"

Shen Xiangnan originally went home with his frustrations and just mumbled a few words to Jia Yuemei, hoping Jia Yuemei could comfort him.

But Jia Yuemei exploded like a firecracker at a single spark.

"Why hasn’t Little Sister shared the money with us? I’m getting a meager salary of two hundred a month, plus a ten percent bonus. I make three to four hundred in hand each month, what more do you want?"

"Three to four hundred, so what? She can take home several thousand a month. You work yourself to death from dawn till dusk, while she just sits in the office and blabs away, taking all the money."

"What do you mean ’takes all the money’? She was the one who invested the money to start the shops, the two stores alone cost over thirty thousand in investment, are you blind?"

"So what? She earns more than that in a year. As a big boss, she makes more than ten thousand a month. And yet she makes you foot the bill for a few hundred, I’ve never seen anyone as stingy as her!"

Shen Xiangnan pointed at her, "Shut up! If you slander Little Sister again, I’ll slap you, believe it or not?"

"What did I say wrong?"

"Slap!"

Shen Xiangnan swung a heavy slap across her face.

Jia Yuemei was stunned at first, then she covered her face and started to sob uncontrollably.

Three-year-old Erya, clutching her floral fabric doll, looked from one to the other, pouted her lips, and began to cry as well.

Shen Xiangnan ignored Jia Yuemei, bent down, picked up his daughter, and walked out the door.

Once outside, Shen Xiangnan pacified his daughter with an ice cream, and then strolled down the street with Erya to clear his mind.

A child’s mood is quick to change; in the blink of an eye, Erya had forgotten the quarrel between her parents and began hopping and skipping happily.

Seeing his daughter’s innocent joy, Shen Xiangnan’s gloominess dissipated quite a bit.

After finishing the ice cream, Erya started to get sleepy and wanted to go home.

But Shen Xiangnan didn’t want to return.

The thought of going back and arguing with Jia Yuemei filled him with an indescribable resistance and weariness. He just wanted to stay outside, preferring the discomfort of mosquito bites on his legs to facing Jia Yuemei.

For the first time, he felt having a wife was a bothersome affair.

Yet, seeing his daughter so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open, he also felt a deep sense of tenderness.

Knowing there was a park ahead, Shen Xiangnan carried his daughter into the park, found an empty bench, laid her down on it, and took off his shirt to cover her from head to toe, preventing the mosquitoes from biting her.

Having done all this, he leaned back on the bench and spaced out alone.

"Slap."

While his thoughts were drifting, his arm was suddenly slapped, startling Shen Xiangnan.

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