Chapter 123 - 53: Helping Pay Off a Debt, Becoming a Mob Boss
The rice noodle shop wasn’t large, just over fifty square meters, with an open kitchen where you could even see the noodles being cooked.
The owners were a middle-aged couple in their forties or fifties with kind and friendly faces.
But they were stooped and hunched over.
Just as she was talking with Shen Yanzhi, she suddenly heard a middle-aged woman’s voice ask, "Old man, when do you think we can finally go back home?"
Looking toward the source of the voice, Jiang Li saw the owner’s wife busy chopping green onions, a flicker of wistful hope in her eyes.
The owner let out a long sigh. "Let’s just wait a bit longer. We should be able to go back in a few more years."
Jiang Li couldn’t contain her curiosity. She said to Shen Yanzhi, "Wait here for me, I’m going to ask what’s going on."
’It’s mainly because their skill is just too good. Being able to eat this every day... I can’t even imagine how blissful that would be.’
Jiang Li walked over and stopped in front of the table where the owner’s wife was. "Ma’am, sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation."
The owner’s wife looked up with suspicion. Jiang Li smiled. "I was just a little curious. What’s preventing you from returning to your country?"
The owner’s wife instinctively glanced at her husband, as if asking whether she should say anything.
Afraid they would think she had ulterior motives, Jiang Li quickly explained, "I don’t mean anything by it, I just think your cooking is excellent. I happen to own a company and would like to have you run our cafeteria. If it’s a matter of money, I can help."
The owner’s wife stopped chopping the green onions and asked in disbelief, "Young lady, are you serious?"
Jiang Li nodded. "Huaguo People don’t cheat Huaguo People."
’Of course, this is all on the premise that their rice noodles are delicious.’
’If they weren’t good, I wouldn’t want to get involved in this mess.’
’Sure, I’m rich, but if the food isn’t good, I’m not about to throw my money away.’
The owner’s wife’s eyes welled up with tears. Without even waiting for her husband to speak, she immediately grabbed Jiang Li’s hands warmly. "A few years ago, our son came abroad to study, but he got addicted to gambling and ran up a huge debt. So his father and I sold our storefront back in Hua Country and came here to work."
"But the money from selling the storefront wasn’t enough. The boss here took a liking to our cooking skills and had us work to pay off the rest."
She let out a long sigh. "Business was pretty good for the first few years, and we paid off more than half the debt. But for some reason, we haven’t had many customers recently."
Jiang Li was starting to understand. ’Their son was probably scammed.’
’It was a deliberate trap set to get him into debt, all to force this old couple to come here and work for them.’
’I feel so bad for them. They’re middle-aged but still have to run themselves ragged for their son.’
’I don’t even dare to think what I would do if a son of mine and Shen Yanzhi’s ever ended up like that.’
She shivered. "So how much do you still owe?"
’If it’s not too much, I can help.’
The owner shook his head. "Forget it, young lady."
The owner’s wife pressed her lips together. "Yes, what we owe is no small amount."
"Besides, we’re just strangers who’ve met by chance. There’s no need for you to spend this money on us."
Even though they were all from Hua Country, several million was not several hundred. There was no reason to let Jiang Li pay this debt for them.
Jiang Li was exasperated. "Don’t tell me you owe tens of millions."
The owner smiled sheepishly. "Not tens of millions, but it is several million."
Jiang Li waved her hand dismissively. "It’s just a few million. I’ll cover it."
Just as the two were about to refuse, Jiang Li spoke again. "If you feel bad about it, then after you return to Hua Country, you’ll just receive a base salary each month."
The owner’s wife swallowed hard. "Are you serious?"
Jiang Li spread her hands. "Do I look like I’m joking?"
Then she suggested, "Or, if you don’t believe me, I can draw up a contract for you."
The two looked at each other, then knelt down stiffly in front of Jiang Li and began to kowtow. "Young lady, please don’t worry. For everything you’ve done for us today, we will repay you with everything we have. Forget the salary, we’d work for free!"
These past few years abroad had been nothing but torture for them.
Their entire monthly income was taken by debt collectors. They hadn’t bought new clothes in years; their clothes were patched up and worn for years on end.
All they ate were leftover rice noodles, and they had never had a full meal.
As for their son, besides attending classes, he spent the rest of his time helping out in the shop.
You could say they had wasted all these years in this shop, and they still hadn’t cleared the debt.
Now that Jiang Li was willing to help—and they weren’t fools—they were naturally willing to believe her.