Seeing that Aunt Maggie was starting to understand, Whitaker Scarlett continued, “Besides these stews, stir-fried dishes can also be used to make rice topped with dishes. It can be rice or noodles; the method is the same, but the flavors can vary greatly.”
Whitaker Scarlett did the talking while Aunt Maggie nodded along.
Even Amanda and Elizabeth were captivated. It didn’t sound too difficult to open a snack shop; why should such a business be left to outsiders? Wouldn’t it be better to keep it in the family?
Whitaker Scarlett initially had the same plan.
But now she found snack shops too tiring; she looked down on this business, purely wanting to create trouble for Maria’s shop. After training Aunt Maggie for two hours, the latter left feeling confident.
“Auntie, once this shop opens, I must thank you properly!”
Aunt Maggie praised Whitaker Scarlett profusely, not knowing how other families raised their daughters, but she found Whitaker Scarlett smart and likable.
After Aunt Maggie left, seeing that Elizabeth and Amanda were puzzled, Whitaker Scarlett explained the situation. She didn’t want Elizabeth to think about the annoying people from the Whitaker family again, and she didn’t mention running into Helen at the entrance of County East High School. Now, Whitaker Scarlett clarified everything about snack shop, and Elizabeth listened with —how could those people from the Whitaker family be so persistent? Greenfield was so big, and they wanted to open a shop right at the entrance of County East High School.
Would it affect Scarlett’s schooling?
Helen liked to compare herself with Scarlett; if Scarlett had something she didn’t, she would get jealous and might run to school to spread rumors.
Elizabeth was sweating with anxiety.
Having moved to the commercial city, would the old bad reputation still affect Scarlett? And then there was Kay, who was far away in Washington and didn’t know; what if he heard rumors and minded Scarlett’s past reputation?
Elizabeth was indecisive by nature; when faced with problems, she would only worry herself, and now she was feeling numb.
Amanda, however, was stronger than her. Although she was shocked, she knew Whitaker Scarlett wouldn’t say these things without reason.
She slowly regained her composure, “…So you taught Aunt Maggie how to make rice topped with dishes and encouraged her to open a new shop across from Maria snack shop?”
Amanda was both surprised and delighted, feeling extremely pleased.
If “Blue Phoenix” was doing well, and someone opened a clothing store nearby, she would probably be so worried she couldn’t sleep, constantly fearing someone would steal her business. How could she have the energy to care about other matters? Those shameless people from the Whitaker family deserved to be dealt with in this way!
Amanda cursed the Whitaker family members from top to bottom, from Grandma to Whitaker Rosalie, not sparing anyone, young or old.
“Aunt Maggie’s shop must thrive, so that Maria won’t have time to plot against Scarlett. What are you afraid of? Who dares to bully my Micheal? I will scratch her face! Aren’t you afraid to deal with Maria?”
Elizabeth nodded heavily.
From the incident where Whitaker Chris was pressured into divorce, Elizabeth had seen the pattern. Most people in this world bully the weak and fear the strong; she could endure some grievances, but Scarlett’s education and future couldn’t be delayed. If Maria caused trouble, she wouldn’t just beat someone up; she would be ready to stab them!
“Mom, Aunt, don’t be too nervous. The Whitaker family isn’t a big deal; we should live our lives as we always have.”
Whitaker Scarlett cleaned up the leftover food and took a detour to Pinnacle Road, where William was busy with a few workers. The storefront was already cleaned up, the original ceiling had been taken down, and the display cabinets had been moved out.
Here, the carpenters and bricklayers were working together without delay. Once the ceiling, walls, and floor were finished, the various shelves made by the carpenters would also be nearly done, greatly shortening the renovation period.
When William saw Whitaker Scarlett come to deliver food, he grinned but then frowned.
“Scarlett, the small spotlights you mentioned can still be bought, but the crystal chandeliers are hard to find.”
At first, Whitaker Scarlett wanted a rustic style, but then she thought about it; she loved minimalist decor, and customers from the ’83 generation might not appreciate it. People in the ’80s had already become accustomed to simplicity; only European-style decor could impress them.
The wooden floors were replaced with the tiles now used in restaurant lobbies, the ceiling was made of solid wood, and the floor-to-ceiling display racks were made of European-style wrought iron. These few points of renovation materials nearly drove William to his limits, as he ran around the commercial city to gather them.
The ceiling and walls still needed to be adorned with relief patterns, and the workers William found didn’t know how to do that; he was working hard to figure it out himself.
These problems could be solved gradually, but William truly hadn’t been able to find a crystal chandelier. Without this light, the European style wouldn’t stand out.
