Chapter 80: Lending a Hand

The chef shivered and instinctively loosened his grip. The burly man also turned around. Seeing Gao Ning stride over, the chef’s face lit up with surprise. “Gao Ning? You’re back?”

But before he finished speaking, his face hardened. “What’s with calling him Jin Damao, Jin Damao? Show some respect and call him Uncle!”

Still, after his words, he smiled at the big man. “Old Tan, this is my sister’s boy, Gao Ning!”

The burly man studied Gao Ning, nodded slightly, and was about to drag the goat away.

Jin Damao hurried to block his way again, holding the man off with his hands while still having the energy to chat with Gao Ning. “Kid, you look like you’ve put on another layer of fat. Sneaking good food again, aren’t you? Uncle’s busy right now, can’t entertain you. Go inside on your own, this is Jin Damao’s Lamb House—your aunt is at the front desk settling accounts. Tell her to make you something nice.”

Gao Ning ignored him and walked up to the burly man, smiling. “Brother, hold on a moment. I overheard your conversation just now, and if I’m not mistaken, this goat is for my family, isn’t it?”

“You owe me money!” the big man replied bluntly.

Gao Ning nodded. “How much?”

“Not much, just eighteen thousand yuan!”

Gao Ning opened his bag and took out two neat bundles of bills. “Here’s twenty thousand. The extra two thousand is for late fees.

Brother, you should know my uncle—he’s not the kind to play tricks or default on his debts. If he’s delayed payment, it’s only because things are truly tight at home. Please understand, don’t blame him! I’ll have Uncle personally cook you a meal as an apology later!”

The big man was taken aback. He let go of the rope and clutched the money, running his fingers swiftly over the tactile marks on the bills. His expression softened.

“Brother, listen to yourself. I’ve known Da Jin for years, I know what kind of man he is. We’re on good terms, or I wouldn’t have let him owe me for two months. But everyone has their own troubles. The farm is tough these days—vaccinations are due, money’s tight. That’s the only reason I had to take things this far. It’s not your uncle’s fault, it’s mine!”

Only then did Jin Damao react. “Gao Ning, take the money back! This has nothing to do with you. How long have you been working, huh? Get a bit of cash and don’t know what to do with it? Old Tan, give the money back to my nephew. Don’t worry, your eighteen thousand is safe. Worst comes to worst, I’ll close the shop!”

With those words, Old Tan looked embarrassed. He rubbed the bills in his hands, as if wanting to return the extra two thousand, but hesitated for a long while without acting.

Gao Ning stepped forward and separated his uncle from the man. “Brother, just keep it, no need to be polite. You can go.”

Old Tan glanced at the glaring Jin Damao, his eyes darting with guilt. “Ah, sorry, Da Jin. I really need the cash. I’ll bring you two goats next time. Use this one for now. Pay me back whenever you can, no rush!” With that, he dashed to his little truck by the roadside and sped away.

Jin Damao stomped and cursed, “Old Tan, you bastard, leave the money behind!” He even made to chase the truck down the road, but Gao Ning grabbed him back.

“Don’t make a scene in the street. Whatever you want to say, say it at home. The goat’s still here, isn’t it?”

Still fuming, Jin Damao turned on Gao Ning. “What kind of way is this to spend money? Who pays off a debt in full and even adds interest? Are you stupid?

It’s not like I don’t have the money, I just didn’t want to give it to him! That crook raised the price three times in two months. I was holding out payment to teach him a lesson, let him know I’m not to be trifled with. It took two months to get him to this point, finally desperate enough to come kicking up a fuss. Who knew you’d barge in and flip the lesson I was giving him into a lesson for me. What was I thinking!”

Gao Ning’s expression was blank. “Save the big talk. I know you. If you had any cash, you’d be dying to spend it for the sake of appearances. If you’re dragging out payments, you’re clearly having cash flow problems.”

Jin Damao’s eyes bulged. Gao Ning shot him a glance. “What, am I wrong?”

After a few seconds of stubborn silence, Jin Damao deflated all at once, hanging his head. “Fine, you’re right. Business hasn’t been easy lately.”

They walked into the alley. The second place in was Jin Damao’s Lamb House.

A woman in her early forties stood at the door. When she saw them return, she glanced at the goat before smiling. “Gao Ning, you’re back? Why didn’t you call ahead so your uncle could pick you up?”

Gao Ning smiled. “Auntie, you look well.”

Jin Damao said, “Xiao Hong, go get the bankbook and see how much is left. Keep enough for a few days’ groceries and transfer the rest to Gao Ning.

This kid just settled a twenty-thousand-yuan bill for me.”

“What do you mean, twenty thousand? Wasn’t it supposed to be eighteen? That bastard Old Tan raised the price again?”

Jin Damao didn’t bother explaining, just urged his wife to hurry.

His aunt was clearly unwilling, but still dragged her feet toward the shop.

Gao Ning said, “Don’t rush about the money. I came back in a hurry and haven’t had lunch yet. Auntie, do we still have any lamb soup? Fix me a bowl, I need something to eat. Once we’re done, I need to talk to Uncle—I came back this time for something important.”

“Oh?”

Jin Damao nodded. “Let your aunt get you something. Come with me to the private room.”

“There’s no rush. We can talk this evening, it’s lunchtime now—you should be in the kitchen.”

“What’s the point? We had some business when we first opened, but now there’s barely a soul! Just thinking about it is maddening. Forget it, come on.”

The two of them entered the shop and sat down in the innermost private room.

The place was small—at most sixty square meters, with the kitchen, vegetable-washing area, and storage in the back. The front could only fit six tables, plus one partitioned private room.

Gao Ning sat and looked around at the decor. It was nothing special, a bit below average. The style was old-fashioned, reminiscent of the 1990s, and there was even a large painting of Eight Galloping Horses on the wall, over a meter and a half wide, framed under glass and gleaming.

Jin Damao sat beside him, poured himself a cup of tea, downed it in one gulp, and pushed the teapot to Gao Ning.

“So, what’s up?”

“It’s good news. I need a chef who can do braised dishes. The pay is upwards of thirty thousand a month, with a team of over twenty people to manage. The job’s in Shengjing. Interested?”