Erlang did as he said and followed Dalang to the restaurant the next day.
Jiang Pan was a little uneasy and sneaked over to check. Seeing that Erlang was indeed diligently managing the restaurant's business, her face was filled with relief.
However, Jiang Wan could tell that Erlang was not happy.
He was just forcing himself to grow up, forcing himself to bear his share of the responsibility.
Jiang Wan felt quite uncomfortable seeing this. In fact, there was no need for their family to force Erlang to stay at the restaurant.
Dalang could manage this restaurant alone. Over time, it was inevitable that the two brothers would have disagreements.
Moreover, Erlang's personality and disposition were not suited for business. Forcing him to stay at the shop would only make him feel more tormented.
But she understood her parents' worries and Zhang Qiaoxiu's fear, so she did not dare to express too much opinion on this matter.
People had to learn to grow up. In the process of growing up, they always had to learn to make choices.
In her previous life, without parents and without any familial ties, she still had to bow to circumstances. How much more so for Erlang, who had parents, siblings, and had just married and had a wife?
The pursuit of ideals was not something everyone had the right and ability to pursue. Whether Erlang could realize his ideals depended on his fate.
Erlang performed diligently and conscientiously at the restaurant, learning management from Dalang every day.
Dalang unexpectedly had some talent in business. In just over half a month since opening, he had already smoothed out all the affairs of the restaurant. He had also built rapport with the guests, chatting with them a few times each visit. He even understood the preferences of regular customers, making them feel at home every time.
Even Jiang Wan found this surprising.
Because Dalang's performance at home had not been particularly outstanding before. He was just a bit more cunning and had a bit of ambition. For example, when Jiang Pan became village chief, Dalang had already set his sights on taking over.
At that time, Jiang Pan had been extremely angry. He never expected that Dalang's ability would be revealed in a different setting.
This kind of talent could not be learned.
Erlang's performance was very ordinary. Even though he had been diligently learning from Dalang, he always appeared stiff and inflexible.
The restaurant staff muttered privately that the gap between the two brothers was like that between a shopkeeper and a waiter. Dalang was the shopkeeper, capable of handling things independently, while Erlang could only be a waiter who did as he was told, and his ability was even inferior to Sun Wang's.
As a result, Erlang overheard this, which made him feel a little uncomfortable. However, he quickly concealed it. After all, what they said was not wrong; he was indeed not cut out for business.
But he had no other choice.
Erlang could only pretend not to know anything and turned back to continue his work.
Jiang Wan no longer paid attention to the restaurant's affairs and turned to her own business.
She wanted to open a tea house in the city.
Jiang Wan, with nothing else to do, wanted to dabble in something and earn some pocket money.
However, her skills were limited. After much thought, she decided to use her special ability to cultivate some premium tea trees, to produce and sell them herself, and to run a unique business.
People in Jiangnan loved tea, and the tea culture was very popular. She was very optimistic about this industry.
Since she wanted to do something unique, she had to choose the tea trees carefully.
Jiang Wan asked her little subordinate to search for several days before finally identifying a tea tree.
After hearing the little subordinate describe the tea tree as heavenly and unparalleled, she became interested.
So, Jiang Wan informed her family, rode her horse, and, with the little subordinate, headed towards the location of the tea tree.
After riding Xiao Hong for nearly two hours, Jiang Wan arrived at the foot of the mountain where the tea tree was located.
This mountain was very steep, and Xiao Hong could not ascend. So, Jiang Wan asked Xiao Hong to find a place to wander and graze, while she, led by the little subordinate, headed towards the tea tree.
In the sky, several large eagles circled, occasionally swooping down and landing not far from Jiang Wan, letting out a cry to attract Jiang Wan's attention.
These were friends of the little subordinate. They had come to show off to Jiang Wan, hoping that Jiang Wan would need them.
Jiang Wan smiled and waved at them, "I'll call you if I need you. Go play by yourselves, no need to guard me."
The eagles, having received her permission, happily flapped their wings and flew back into the sky.
When they arrived at the location, Jiang Wan, guided by the little subordinate, saw where the tea tree was located.
This was a cliff, with a valley below it, hundreds of meters deep. The tea tree grew in the middle section of the cliff.
According to the information gathered by the little subordinate, this tea tree had been growing here for at least a hundred years, and no one had discovered it. Now, the tea tree had grown lush and verdant, and digging it up was not an easy task.
But this did not trouble Jiang Wan.
After sitting on the cliff and eating dry rations for sustenance, Jiang Wan found a vine, used her special ability to wrap it around her waist, and then descended towards the cliff.
As Jiang Wan slid down, she transmitted her special ability to the vine, which slowly lengthened, allowing Jiang Wan to descend smoothly. The other杂树荆棘 (various trees and thorns) on the cliff automatically made way, and in a short while, Jiang Wan descended to the front of the tea tree.
She knew nothing about tea ceremony, but based on her understanding of plants, this tea tree was indeed excellent, both in form and vitality.
As for the taste, she did not know. Her tea drinking was like a bull enjoying peonies; she could not discern good from bad for the time being.
But it didn't matter. With her special ability, she was confident she could make this tea tree unique.
Jiang Wan patted the trunk of the tea tree with satisfaction, activated her special ability, and began to peel the roots of the tea tree from the soil and rock crevices of the cliff.
In a short while, the entire tea tree was uprooted by Jiang Wan without any damage.
Holding the tea tree in one hand and the vine in the other, she released her special ability and, like riding an elevator, quickly and safely returned to the cliff face.
She looked at the tea tree again, and the more she looked, the more satisfied she became. She took out the large cloth bag she had prepared earlier, put the tea tree in it, slung it over her shoulder, and called the little subordinate to descend the mountain.
Xiao Hong had been waiting obediently at the foot of the mountain. Jiang Wan climbed onto the horse's back, holding the reins in one hand and the tea tree in the other, and galloped home heroically.
It was already evening when she returned to the small mountain village.
As soon as she entered the village, someone smiled and said to her, "Wanwan, your sister-in-law is about to give birth. You're going to be an aunt."
Jiang Wan was stunned, "My sister-in-law is about to give birth?"
When she left home in the morning, she had examined her, and it was said that she would give birth in two more days.
The person smiled and said, "Your mother is already back, and even Divine Doctor Jin has been invited. Can this be false? Hurry back..."
Before the last few words were finished, Jiang Wan had already galloped away like the wind.