Maria’s smile was almost strained.
Did the snack shop really need that many people?
Inviting her brother and his wife to help was Maria’s way of supporting her maternal family.
Helen’s looks were far behind Whitaker Scarlett’s, and when it came to being lazy, the two sisters were equally matched. Even if the shop needed to hire someone, it wouldn’t be Helen!
But Grandma was a bit tempted.
The better her granddaughter married, the more beneficial it was for the family. She favored Whitaker Rosalie, but Helen also had the backing of her father, Henry, which made her somewhat significant in Grandma’s eyes.
“The eldest and his wife are also helping others; what does Helen need for wages? Just take her to see; if your brother is willing to keep her, let her stay in the shop and just provide her meals!”
Helen pouted. No pay for her work?
She tugged at Grandma’s arm, trying to act cute. Grandma thought to herself, you silly girl, if you really stay in the shop, everyone is relatives; wouldn’t Rosalie’s uncle have to pay her?
“If you don’t want to go, then stay at home and slowly look for someone.”
Helen opened her mouth, and Veronica pushed her: “Listen to your grandma! Sister-in-law, I leave Helen to you; if she misbehaves, don’t hesitate to give her a good beating!”
Maria felt a heaviness in her chest.
Right now, the Whitaker family was still under Grandma’s authority. When the matriarch spoke, Maria could only hold her nose and takeHelen to the county town.
Maria’s snack shop had a particularly good location.
Greenfield County had two major consumer groups: workers from the agricultural machinery factory and the meat processing plant, and students.
County East High School was the best high school in Greenfield County.
Whitaker Rosalie’s grades weren’t good in middle school; after graduating, he repeated a year before being admitted to County East High School. He was already 20 years old this year when he started college… Even a “top student” like Whitaker Rosalie had to repeat a year to get into County East High School. This high school was looked down upon by people from the capital, but in Greenfield County and several surrounding counties, it was already a very good school.
Some students at County East High School came from poorer backgrounds, while others were quite decent. They didn’t have much money, but they could spend on snacks.
Maria’s snack shop, following Whitaker Rosalie’s suggestion, was located right at the entrance of County East High School. Although it was still over thirty meters from the school gate, it was convenient for workers coming and going. To the left was the meat processing plant, and to the right was the agricultural machinery factory; this was a crossroads of foot traffic, a golden spot for business—how could the business not be good?
Helen wore her best clothes and followed Maria to the county town.
The sign for “Maria’s Snack” could be seen from afar. Compared to those small snack stalls, the two storefronts of Maria’s Snack were quite impressive.
It hadn’t always been this impressive; in the beginning, Maria and Whitaker Albert had little capital. Whitaker Rosalie didn’t need Maria’s care while studying at school, so she set up a stall outside. After three years of development, Maria’s Snack had reached its current scale. From a small stall, it had turned into a storefront, and from Maria managing everything alone, they had hired Whitaker Rosalie’s uncle and aunt to help… Maria looked at “Maria’s Snack” and felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
“Sister-in-law, you’re here! This past half month—”
Maria’s sister-in-law ran out, wanting to show off her accomplishments and report on the recent business situation.
Seeing Helen, she immediately shut her mouth.
“Isn’t this Helen from the family? You haven’t seen her in years, have you?”
“Aunt, it’s me, Helen!”
Maria’s sister-in-law swallowed her words. They had agreed beforehand that in front of outsiders, they couldn’t say Maria was the boss.
Helen was definitely an outsider.
“Has Helen grown so big? Haven’t eaten yet? Come in and sit; I’ll get you two buns.”
While dragging Helen into the shop, she glanced at Maria.
Maria sighed, ” Rosalie’s grandma said Helen is of age and wants her to help in the shop. I don’t know if you’re still hiring, so I brought her to take a look.”
Helen looked down at her toes, her eyes secretly scanning the situation in the shop.
The two storefronts had seven or eight long tables, and the walls were plastered with a variety of price lists. The morning rush had passed, and the tables were piled with dishes that hadn’t been cleared.
