Western food lover

The end of the cold air mass means that winter is about to leave and spring is coming soon.The temperature began to rise slowly, and small green dots could be seen faintly in the mud. In a short time, the city would be covered with a dazzling green, and sparrows and pigeons would happily appear in the center of the city where humans rested. place, waiting for feeding and casting.People's vitality has begun to recover again, and everyone is gearing up to welcome the spring of mind and business.

When Zhong Mingli returned to the company, the planning department was on the way to publish the advertisements for the new season, and the exterior decoration of the store had to start a new change.The report of the sales department shows that although the sales volume in the past winter has declined at the beginning, it has rebounded and increased slightly after the adjustment of the strategy. With the improvement of the weather and the arrival of spring, the sales volume is expected to gradually increase .

Zhong Mingli was very happy, everything seemed so beautiful.There is a career, a lover, and the weather has improved. People walk as if they are floating on the clouds so relaxed and happy.

It's all because of meeting a little bear, such a cute, innocent and motivated little bear, that I can forget the unhappiness in the past, abandon my loneliness, and start enjoying the warmth of my family.

But this good mood all ended in an unexpected phone call.

"President Zhong, Aunt Zhong called in the morning and said she wanted to discuss a business development plan with you about Hezong."

"Really? Thank you." Hearing Chen Junru's report, Zhong Mingli frowned.

Chen Junru looked at Zhong Mingli, and remained silent for a while, until Zhong Mingli looked at her questioningly.She just bowed her head and walked out silently.

Zhong Mingli was not very close to his mother, Wang Zhen, because of his childhood. He was as independent as his mother, and Zhong Mingli, who knew that his mother's interests were paramount, was unwilling to let his mother intervene in his career.But because he did not have enough funds or the ability to obtain a full loan from the bank when he first opened Hezong Western Restaurant, Zhong Mingli had no choice but to ask his mother for help, and was forced to follow his mother's management for a period of time. Thinking works.

Ever since Hezong Western Restaurant got on track and developed steadily, Zhong Mingli, after calculating that he had enough surplus liquidity, immediately paid off the debt his mother lent him to open the restaurant, and truly realized the independence of autonomy.This eagerness to regain control of the mother's control of Hezong Western Restaurant has also attracted the mother's "unfilial" remarks.

Zhong Mingli later allowed his mother to receive regular dividends from the company in the form of a small shareholding, which made her mother feel better.Later, Wang Zhen went to a foreign country to study and learn more advanced western management knowledge and technology, and rarely returned to H City. Occasionally, she only talked with Zhong Mingli on the phone, asking about Hezong's business situation and Zhong Mingli's personal life. , but no longer intervenes in Hezong's decision-making.

So why did my mother call me early this morning?An uncomfortable feeling lingered in Zhong Mingli's heart.

"Hello, mother? I'm Mingli." Zhong Mingli pressed a series of numbers and said in a steady voice when the other party connected.

"Akari, how is Hezong's business going recently? ’ A gentle voice came from the opposite side.But Zhong Mingli knew how shrewd a woman was behind this gentle voice.

"Yes, although the turnover has declined due to the winter season, it has grown back after hard work."

"What about the total sales this year?How much has it increased compared to previous years? ’ the other party asked again.

"60.00% eight."

"It's very low. Such a slow growth rate is not acceptable. How can we make a lot of money?" ’The other party complained.

"Really? I don't think so. The growth rate of business is not everything, and profit is not the ultimate goal." Zhong Mingli replied, do you want to explain why you are here, mother?

"Silly boy, what are you talking about innocently?"What do you do for a business that doesn't make a lot of money, is it for love?The American catering giant Case Company intends to develop in City H, starting with occupying the western food market in City H, and then gradually moving towards the whole country. I think this is an excellent business opportunity for Hezong. If you can join forces, Xiaoxiao The H city is nothing.I have already sent the information about Hezong to President Keith. He is very interested in you and Hezong, and hopes to communicate with you. 』

Zhong Mingli was very troubled by her mother's self-assessment, "Mom, how can you make your own opinion? I have no interest at all. I have my own development direction and plan, so you don't have to worry about me."

"You really don't understand your mother's painstaking efforts, so you can do whatever you like!" After finishing speaking, the other party hung up the phone angrily.

Zhong Mingli looked helplessly at the phone with the busy tone of "beep—beep—" and smiled wryly.My mother is still the same, even though I am already a mature man in his 30s with a successful career, but my mother still treats herself in the same way as she treats her lover.

First he was coaxing gently, then he became angry and angry, and then he continued to coax gently, unwilling to give up until the goal was achieved.It seems that this Sino-foreign cooperation plan will be a long battle.

Zhong Mingli buried himself deeply in the sofa chair, thinking dejectedly.

Although he knew that his mother would not give up easily, when Zhong Mingli received another call from his mother, saying that she had already booked a flight ticket to return to City H next week, Zhong Mingli was not only frustrated, but also began to have a headache because of her mother's determination.

"Mom, I'll book a hotel for you right away. How long do you want to stay?"

The mother is definitely not allowed to live in the house.He was not afraid that his mother would know his sexual orientation, or that he was afraid of explaining his relationship with Du Xiaoxiong to his mother.

Rather, he was very aware of his mother's behavior after she knew Du Xiaoxiong's poverty status.She has been taught since she was a child that she must marry a rich man's daughter, otherwise she will be ashamed of her mother's high cultivation expenses, and she will definitely be furious with her choice, and then vent all her anger on Du Xiaoxiong.

After all, he was a mother, and he didn't want social headlines and family ethics debate dramas like sons beating their mothers for their wives or husbands throwing away their wives for their mothers to happen to him.

"Why don't you live in your apartment like before?We haven't seen each other for a long time, so we took this opportunity to have a good chat. 』

"There was a burglary in the previous apartment, and I have already moved out. The new apartment has just moved in not long ago, and everything is not ready yet. It is not suitable for you, mother."

"chat?Let’s talk about your investment plan.When you want to have an intimate chat with you, you are only busy with your career, and when you want to chat with me, it is also for your career. Alas, when can we sit down and talk as a mother and son? 』Zhong Mingli thought helplessly.

"It doesn't matter, you don't mind staying here, why would mom mind?"Or you don't want to live with your mother, or someone in the house is inconvenient? 』

"Why, you are overthinking."

"Hehe, don't be shy, you are not too young, if you have a suitable candidate, you might as well let your mother have a look and check it out for you.If it's really inconvenient, let her go home for a few days. 』

"Really not, I must let my mother know. Let's meet next week and talk about it in detail."

After hanging up the phone, Zhong Mingli rubbed his forehead in distress. It is absolutely impossible to let his mother live in, and it is even more impossible to ask Du Xiaoxiong to move out for a few days. It is estimated that Xiaoxiong will think wrong again and think that he is going to abandon him.

There was no choice but to do so, Zhong Mingli called Chen Junru in, "Help me rent a five-star hotel apartment immediately, I need to move in next week."

After dinner, Zhong Mingli and Du Xiaoxiong hugged each other and sat on the sofa watching TV.But Zhong Mingli turned his eyes to the TV, but his soul drifted away to nowhere, only his tightly furrowed brows revealed his mood.

"Mingli..." Du Xiaoxiong called out.

"...Huh? What's the matter with Xiaoxiong?" After a while, Zhong Mingli responded.

"If you think TV is boring, let's watch something else." Du Xiaoxiong suggested in a low voice, Zhong Mingli was not interested in doing anything these days.

Just like today, I have worked very hard to talk about the topic as much as possible, but every time I finished speaking, Zhong Mingli either did not respond, or only answered words like "yes" and "um" that have no communicative effect.

"Ah? No, doesn't Xiaoxiong like watching this "Hell's Kitchen" very much?" Zhong Mingli said with a gentle smile.

"It's strange..." Du Xiaoxiong said silently in his heart.

"Mingli, is there any trouble in the company? You haven't been in a good mood these days." Du Xiaoxiong asked tentatively.

Zhong Mingli seldom talks about business when he returns home, and Du Xiaoxiong is neither his employee nor his business operations, so the two of them have a tacit understanding that they only talk about food and not about company affairs.

"But it must be very troublesome to worry Mingli for a few days. Even if I can't help, I hope I can chat with him so that he won't be so stressed. 』Du Xiaoxiong thought.

"no."

"Liar, you still said that people who are in love can be honest with each other. Now you have something on your mind and don't tell me. You are bored by yourself. I don't want to see your bitter face." Du Xiaoxiong pretended to be angry and left.

Zhong Mingli quickly smiled and pulled Du Xiaoxiong back into his embrace.Since the last "Little Bear" incident, Du Xiaoxiong has become more and more able to express his emotions, express his thoughts, get awkward, get angry, and become more lively and energetic.

"My mother is coming." Zhong Mingli hugged Du Xiaoxiong and said softly.

"Ah? Auntie is coming?" Du Xiaoxiong was a little surprised. Speaking of his and Zhong Mingli's affairs, he still kept the matter from both parents, so this time, wouldn't it be...

"She'll be back for a week and was supposed to come and live with me here, but I said no."

"Why?" Du Xiaoxiong felt relieved, but also a little unhappy. Is the relationship between the two unscrupulous?

Zhong Mingli kissed Du Xiaoxiong and said: "I'm not afraid of exposing my relationship with you. My mother has lived abroad for many years and has never seen anything. She came back this time to ask me to join forces with a foreign restaurant giant, but I have my own I don’t like other people meddling in my affairs, not even my mother.”

"Besides, since she was a child, she hoped that I would find a rich girl to marry, but I was deceived by love, so I fell in love with you, little bear. If I let her know, I will definitely blame you for everything that goes wrong. I was afraid that she would be rude to you. So I had to rent another apartment outside and used it as my temporary residence. I might not be able to come back to live in that week."

"...Okay, but I also hope that Mingli and your mother can get along well." Du Xiaoxiong and his mother have a very close relationship, so they can't understand Zhong Mingli and his mother's mother-child mentality of isolation and defense.But since Zhong Mingli was so worried about his relationship with his mother, Du Xiaoxiong couldn't say anything, he could only hope that they could get along well.

With everyone having their own concerns, Zhong Mingli's mother, Wang Zhen, finally returned to City H.

There is not much passenger traffic in City H in winter, and the airport will not be busy and crowded again until spring comes.Not long after Zhong Mingli and Chen Junru waited in the pick-up room, Wang Zhen appeared at the gate. She was dressed in a beige suit, with a bead chain around her neck, and her hair was tied up in a bun at the back, simple and capable.Although she is over fifty years old, her appearance can vaguely tell that she must have been a beauty when she was young.

"Mingli, I miss my mother, how are you doing?" Wang Zhen immediately smiled and hugged her son when she saw her son.

"Very well, thank you for your concern. Let's go to the apartment to drop off our luggage, then go to eat and clean the dust for Mom."

Zhong Mingli and Chen Junru took Wang Zhen's suitcases and walked to the parking lot.

"Xiao Ru, thank you for coming to pick up the plane today." Wang Zhen cordially took Chen Junru's arm. "You are an old employee of Hezong, and you have worked hard for so many years."

"This is what I should do." Chen Junru gave Zhong Mingli an embarrassed look and replied.

Zhong Mingli didn't speak, but walked in front silently. Without Zhong Mingli's participation, Wang Zhen and Chen Junru had nothing to talk about, and the three of them returned to the new apartment in silence.

The next day, Zhong Mingli used the pretext of inspecting the operation of the branch early in the morning, and then left a sentence to Chen Junru: "My mother hasn't been back to City H for many years. You can accompany her to go shopping, and the company will reimburse all expenses." He took a few managers with him. Wandering around the city of H.

"Xiaoxiong, did you have a good meal last night? You are not allowed to treat yourself badly when I am not here." Zhong Mingli took the time to call Du Xiaoxiong. He hadn't seen him for a day, and he was already full of thoughts. The days passed so slowly.

"I have a good meal, don't worry.Auntie, how is she? 』

"She's fine. We had dinner together last night and talked about our respective lives."

"That's good, I hope you get along well, you can come back soon, I miss you." 』Du Xiaoxiong's depressed voice came.

"I miss you too. I'll go home as soon as my mother's affairs are done. I can't sleep well at night without you." Without Xiaoxiong's smiling face, without Xiaoxiong's warmth, Zhong Mingli is alone Tossing and turning on the cold and spacious bed, suffering from insomnia.

The goddess of insomnia, who has not appeared since meeting Little Bear, came to him again.

"Alas—" Zhong Mingli hung up the phone, and continued to listen to his staff report on the business results of the branch in a bored manner.

When I got home at night, Wang Zhen had already put the plan on the table, ready to "see where you hide".

Zhong Mingli suddenly felt a headache, "Mom, haven't you slept yet?"

"Waiting for you to come back. I wanted to show you this plan today, but you were too busy to find anyone all day, and you didn't come back for dinner. I had to wait here." Wang Zhen Said angrily.

"Mom, how many times have I said that I have my own business strategy and characteristics. At this stage, I have no intention of seeking investment from others. Even if I do in the future, I will not cooperate with Case."

"What's wrong with cooperating with the Case Group? Don't talk about City H. Your western restaurant chain can cover the whole country, and you can go public in the future. What a bright prospect, you just give up for nothing? If It’s useless for you to regret that Case joined forces with others!”

"Case is a profit-seeking group. Apart from annexation and rapid development, what else does it have? There is neither food culture nor corporate culture."

"Joke, isn't making money a kind of culture? If a company doesn't make money or develop, is there still a need for it to continue? Didn't you promise your mother that you would expand the company well, let the company go public, and let us become tens of millions together?" Are you a rich man? But look at you now, you are self-confident, you neither let the company go public nor allow foreign capital to enter, do you just want to guard these few run-down shops for the rest of your life!" Wang Zhen said angrily.

"Mom! Do you only have money in your eyes? A gentleman loves money, and he takes it with restraint. Is it possible for the company to go public just by talking about it? Let foreign capital enter? You want to sell the Hezong brand directly to Case Group Well, first in the name of investment cooperation, in the end I used all means to get more than half of the equity and drove away the original controlling shareholder, obliterating all the original culture of the restaurant and changing it to my own. Do you think I don’t know their bad deeds in the United States! For the sake of Are you going to sell the brand we have worked so hard to build for a little money? Mom, how can you do this?"

"Since it's a business and someone offered a good price to buy it, why not sell it? With this money, we can do a bigger business instead of sticking to these small restaurants. How much profit can it bring you? 100 million or 1000 Ten thousand?"

"This is my restaurant, how to manage it is my right, Mom, I thank you for your kindness, but I have no intention of changing my mind, no matter before, now or in the future." Zhong Mingli said firmly.

His mother's words hurt Zhong Mingli severely. He was not born in the catering industry. He didn't know much about the catering industry before he joined the industry. He opened his first western restaurant with his management skills and confidence.Zhong Mingli endured the setbacks of losses in the early stage, and then broke even and then made a profit. He watched the opening of one store to two stores, and one branch after another. Only he knew the taste of it.

This company is not just a business to Zhong Mingli.But his mother actually asked him to sell his hard work and dreams for money, without any concern for his feelings.How could he not be sad?

Since he was a child, his mother always left him at home alone on the grounds that he was busy with work and making money to give him a better life.That's right, a superior and comfortable living environment does require money, but after meeting Du Xiaoxiong, he realized that without a happy home, what is the use of more money?Without someone who makes you want to go home, a house without family warmth, no matter how luxurious and comfortable it is, is just a house and cannot create good memories.

"The wings are hard, so you don't need to listen to what my mother said. If I didn't lend you the money back then, do you think you could afford to open this western restaurant just because you just graduated?" Hearing his son's answer without any room for change , Wang Zhen said angrily regardless of her image.

"Mom, I am very grateful that you lent me money to open a store, so I will pay you back as soon as I have money. But this brand is my painstaking effort after all, how to manage it is my business, not that I will not listen to my mother when my wings are hard. words."

"Huh, you still say no. Rent this new apartment to fool me, what shameful hoof is hiding in the house!"

Surprised that his mother knew the actual situation of this apartment, Zhong Mingli had no intention of entangled in this topic, so as not to bring the innocent Du Xiaoxiong into it, so he took a step back and said: "We are all excited, everyone calm down tonight."

Zhong Mingli, who didn't want to continue arguing with his mother, picked up the car keys and left the apartment, leaving Wang Zhen with a gloomy face in the apartment to lose her temper, without her original elegant image.

"Hey, Xiaoxiong, where are you? I want to see you." Driving out of the apartment parking lot, Zhong Mingli wandered aimlessly in the urban area for more than half an hour, waiting for the depression in his heart to settle down before taking out the Call Du Xiaoxiong.Now he urgently wants to see Du Xiaoxiong, wants to kiss him, and let his innocence and cuteness help him to wash away the anger in his heart.

"My classmates and I are at KTV in Hung Hom, where are you?"I miss you as well. 』Du Xiaoxiong felt his eyes suddenly sore.

Because Zhong Mingli didn't come home, Du Xiaoxiong felt endless loneliness and fear alone in the huge apartment.He didn't even dare to sit in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Seeing the lights of thousands of houses, the night sky, and the piece of wool, Du Xiaoxiong would keep thinking back to the days when he and Zhong Mingli watched the stars and chatted, and missed his hug. Then loneliness and inexplicable fear will come surging.This made Du Xiaoxiong very sad.

So when the students said that they would sing KTV together tonight to relax, Du Xiaoxiong, who seldom goes out at night, also agreed.

But Du Xiaoxiong, who was sitting in the KTV, was not interested in participating in the activities at all.In the past, I didn't have much time to learn about fashion, and I didn't know many songs and people, let alone rap.Coupled with worries and missing Zhong Mingli, Du Xiaoxiong can be said to be "in Cao Ying and his heart is in Han". With a stiff smile on his face, he clapped along with everyone, but his heart didn't know where he went.

"Why does Xiaoxiong look listless, is something on his mind?" Zhang Tian asked curiously.Du Xiaoxiong has never been so low since the tuition fee incident was resolved. What is the difficulty this time?

"Brother Zhang, I'm fine, why don't you sing?" Du Xiaoxiong replied with a smile.

"Hey, people are old, and there is a generation gap with young people." Zhang Tian said with a smile.

"Brother Zhang is not old. When will I be as mature as Brother Zhang?" Then I can help Mingli solve his troubles, unlike now where I can't do anything but wait.Du Xiaoxiong thought sadly.

At this moment, the phone vibrated, and when the word "Ming Li" was displayed on the screen, Du Xiaoxiong felt that the world was suddenly full of color and energy again.He quickly said "I'm sorry" to Zhang Tian, ​​slipped out of the box, and went outside to answer the phone.

"I'll go over, I'll send you a text message when the meeting arrives, you go to the back door." 』

"Um."

During the following period, Du Xiaoxiong felt that it had never been so long. The combination of anticipation and anxiety made him extremely restless. When the phone vibrated again, Du Xiaoxiong hurriedly said goodbye to his classmates and ran out.

Zhang Tian, ​​who had just finished using the bathroom, saw Du Xiaoxiong running towards the back door of the KTV in a hurry, thinking that something had happened to him, and followed him, but unexpectedly saw him get into a limousine, kiss the owner of the car and then leave.

Reminiscent of Du Xiaoxiong's recent situation, Zhang Tian not only became suspicious: "Could it be that Du Xiaoxiong helps socialize?" But thinking of his character, he felt that he was not the kind of person who would do such a thing.Zhang Tian, ​​who was full of doubts and worries, turned back and accidentally bumped into a person holding a camera. The person apologized to him with his head down, and left immediately.

"It's weird..." Zhang Tian ignored him and continued to walk back to the box.

Over there, as soon as Du Xiaoxiong got into the car, before he sat down, Zhong Mingli dragged him over and kissed him passionately.Du Xiaoxiong, who had only seen Zhong Mingli's gentle side, was a little surprised at Zhong Mingli's rage at first, and couldn't help but want to struggle.But after a few seconds, knowing that Zhong Mingli would not hurt him, Du Xiaoxiong stopped struggling, embraced Zhong Mingli with both hands, and accepted his rage until he calmed down.

Zhong Mingli stopped for a while, then gently touched Du Xiaoxiong's lips, started the car without a sound, and left the back alley.

The car was driving so silently on the city streets, and the unpredictable city lights reflected on Zhong Mingli's side face, adding a bit of gloom to his dull expression.

Du Xiaoxiong looked at Zhong Mingli worriedly in the passenger seat. The dull atmosphere in the car made people extremely uncomfortable, but seeing that Zhong Mingli had no intention of opening his mouth, Du Xiaoxiong didn't know how to ask what happened to him and his mother. .

"Mingli, let's go home and rest." Seeing that Zhong Mingli seemed to have no intention of stopping wandering around, Du Xiaoxiong finally summoned up his courage and said.

Zhong Mingli nodded, his irritable mood has calmed down a lot, looking at Du Xiaoxiong's worried eyes, he felt apologetic.Although I can't tell him about the problems between myself and my mother, I really shouldn't let my lover worry with me.

"We're going to live outside tonight." We can't go home. Since my mother already knows that I rent an apartment to deal with her, maybe she also knows where she really lives. Although I think my mother doesn't necessarily know Du Xiaoxiong's existence, But in order to prevent unexpected problems, let's sleep out tonight.

Although Du Xiaoxiong doesn't like to open a room in a hotel, half of it is because he feels sorry for the money, and the other half is because he always feels that it doesn't sound like a proper behavior, but he didn't object and sat obediently in the lobby for a while, waiting for Zhong Mingli to get the room key. Walk in one after the other.

After entering the room, the two of them took a brief shower, and Zhong Mingli pressed Du Xiaoxiong on the bed urgently, and then started to move into rhythm.Although Zhong Mingbu did the foreplay as usual before entering gently, Du Xiaoxiong didn't feel any special pain. Although he still felt a little uncomfortable, he felt Zhong Mingli's sadness and melancholy. Du Xiaoxiong just hugged him tightly, with both hands The feet clamped around his waist, followed his rhythm, reached the peak together, and then embraced and fell asleep.