When Zhou Muchuan returned to pick up Shen Zhiyi, he was surprised to hear that she had actually been hired as the Head Chef.
Boss Wei had even taken out a formal contract. They signed the probation agreement he stamped it with the Fumanlou official seal, and Shen Zhiyi pressed her thumbprint beside her name.
Boss Wei knew Zhou Muchuan well; he was Captain Zhou from the police station.
“Captain Zhou, you know this girl pretty well?” The one who had given them the free tofu earlier was the co-owner, but Wei was the main boss.
“Quite well. Boss Wei, are you really going to hire her?” Zhou Muchuan looked worried. From what Mother Shen had told him, Shen Zhiyi was a scholar type, not someone who was good with kitchen work.
That was why she had studied at a normal college and become a primary school teacher.
Switching from teacher to chef was quite a huge leap, wasn’t it?
“Of course! Her cooking is excellent. Someone get chopsticks for Captain Zhou, let him taste it.” Boss Wei called out.
But when they turned around, the three dishes were already completely empty.
Boss Wei: “…”
“It’s fine. We just ate here earlier, we’re quite full.”
“You ate together? So you really are close. Then Captain Zhou, you and your brothers at the station must come patronize my small shop more often in the future.”
Boss Wei was quite sociable, clasping his hands together and bowing slightly in greeting.
“You’re too kind. Are you done signing? I need to take her to fill out some forms.”
“Sure, go ahead. See you tomorrow, Chef Shen.” Boss Wei said with a smile.
“See you tomorrow.”
Shen Zhiyi rode the old bicycle her mother had left for her and followed Zhou Muchuan to the police station to complete the paperwork for her appeal. After finishing, she said her goodbyes and headed home.
Zhou Muchuan had wanted to drive her, but there was an emergency at the station. He only saw her to the door before rushing back.
The security guard, Old Wang, was distraught. Wangcai, their most obedient retired police dog, had gone missing. They weren’t sure if it had been stolen or killed by someone targeting dogs.
They had been searching all day with no luck. Zhou Muchuan quickly gathered a few men to help Old Wang search the surrounding area.
Back home, it was already dinner time. Mother Shen and Shen Zhilan had prepared everything, so Shen Zhiyi just needed to wash up and eat.
In 1982, Lihua Village didn’t have electricity yet. According to the book, power lines were supposed to be installed this year, but Shen Zhiyi couldn’t remember exactly which month.
Soon after dinner, night fell. Happy to have her daughter home, Mother Shen had finished all the chores early. The three women with Shen Zhilan holding little Miao Miao gathered in one room to chat.
Mother Shen brought out the kerosene lamp, usually only lit during festivals, and lit it.
During dinner, Shen Zhiyi had told them about her new job at Fumanlou as Head Chef, with a probation salary of 180 yuan a month.
Mother Shen and Shen Zhilan were stunned. “Chefs earn that much? No wonder they all look so well-fed! They must be eating very well!”
Shen Zhiyi: “…”
It wasn’t like that at every restaurant.
Running a restaurant was a business. Like any business, there were profits and losses.
The fact that Boss Wei could pay her so well meant the daily revenue was high enough to support it.
So there must be quite a lot of high-income people in this town.
She would find out more about the customer flow and demographics when she started work tomorrow.
“It’s a wonderful start, Zhiyi. Mom is so happy for you,” Mother Shen said, simple but wise.
“Thanks, Mom. When I get my first paycheck, I’ll buy everyone gifts.”
“Auntie, does Miao Miao get one too?” the little girl asked sweetly.
“Of course! Miao Miao’s gift will be the biggest one!”
“Thank you, Auntie! Mwah!” Miao Miao pouted and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.
“What a good girl.”
Shen Zhiyi loved this child to bits.
“Sister, since I’ll be earning money now, send Miao Miao to preschool. I’ll pay the tuition fee,” Shen Zhiyi said to Shen Zhilan.
Girls should be given every chance to study.
“Oh, that’s too kind of you, I couldn’t possibly…” Shen Zhilan felt embarrassed letting her sister pay.
Mother Shen interrupted, “We are family. You are sisters, there’s no need to be polite. Since Zhiyi is willing, go home and discuss it with Li Fei properly.”
“Okay,” Shen Zhilan nodded happily.
That night, Mother Shen slept with Miao Miao, leaving the sisters to share a room.
They lay talking quietly.
Shen Zhilan was happy about her sister’s new job, but there was another matter on her mind the appeal.
“Zhiyi, since you’re out now, and you still insist you were wronged… Mom and I believe you. But if you weren’t at the reservoir or at the Lu house that day, where exactly were you?”
“Is there really no one you saw, no evidence at all to prove you weren’t there?”
“…”
The question stumped Shen Zhiyi.
In the book, it seemed the author never actually mentioned where Shen Zhiyi was that day. There wasn’t even any description of her thoughts.
Or maybe it was written, but Shen Zhiyi hadn’t paid attention and forgot.
Either way, the original owner had died without ever proving her innocence.
When Shen Zhiyi transmigrated, she had inherited all the memories of this body… except for this specific period of time.
It was completely blank.
Where had the original Shen Zhiyi gone on the day Tongtong fell into the reservoir?
“Zhiyi? Are you asleep?” Not getting an answer, Shen Zhilan reached out and shook her arm gently.
“No, I’m awake. I just… I can’t quite remember.”
“It’s okay. Don’t force yourself if you can’t remember.”
Shen Zhilan hugged her sister gently. She remembered visiting her in prison during the first winter, probably around New Year’s Day. Shen Zhiyi’s head had been wrapped in bandages. She must have been bullied badly inside.
Maybe that injury had affected her memory?
“Thanks, Sister.”
Shen Zhiyi tried hard to recall, but the memories of that morning were clear, and everything after that was just a void.
Not a single image remained.
“Go to sleep now. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Sister.”
Meanwhile, at the Lu residence.
After a long day, once all the guests had left, the family finally sat down together for a meeting.
Jiang Ruochu wasn’t there. Shortly after Shen Zhiyi and Zhou Muchuan left, the banquet had resumed. After lunch, Jiang Ruochu’s mother had taken her and Tongtong home.
Right now, every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on Lu Yusheng.
“Yusheng, what exactly was wrong with you today? How did you let that ex-convict walk all over you like that?”