They say good things come in pairs.

Tonight, it’s Zhao Meng’s night shift.

Fu Yu had a couple of drinks last night and slept well all night.

He stood at the kitchen counter in the morning, feeling refreshed, preparing each sauce.

Now that there are plenty of staff in the back kitchen, Fu Yu no longer needs to handle the daily prep work himself.

When he heard the notification on his phone, Fu Yu didn’t pay much attention.

Only after finishing his work did he remember to take a look.

It was a bank notification of a deposit.

The payer was the music restaurant.

Fu Yu has already received two paychecks from the music restaurant.

Even though he only went there four days a month, considering the occasional "house call" and some improved dishes, plus the bonuses for two special banquets.

Altogether, the money he earned from the music restaurant was 5,000 yuan more than his monthly salary at Qianlima.

However, when he saw the amount for this part-time payment, Fu Yu couldn’t help but feel overwhelming joy.

Not counting the change, it was 760,000 yuan.

The transaction detail read "medicinal cuisine bonus."

Yao Shi had directly transferred the entire proceeds from the medicinal cuisine to Fu Yu.

Feeling touched, Fu Yu carefully crafted a thank you message to Yao Shi.

Then he shared the great news with Zhao Meng.

Zhao Meng was genuinely happy for him and whispered, "Kid, you’re indeed more successful than I was. At your age, I was still earning a meager fixed salary every month."

For Zhao Meng, over 700,000 yuan wasn’t much.

But for someone Fu Yu’s age, it was already quite impressive.

Fu Yu chuckled, feeling elated.

Zhao Meng reminded, "You should properly thank Chef Yao for this."

Fu Yu nodded, "I know. But Chef Zhao, do you think I should return some money to Chef Yao? After all, I made the medicinal cuisine in his restaurant using his ingredients."

Even though Yao Shi once said that Fu Yu making medicinal cuisine in his restaurant was mutually beneficial.

Fu Yu still felt like he was freeloading off Yao Shi, taking advantage of him.

Zhao Meng thought for a moment and said, "No need to return the money. Since Chef Yao gave it to you, he won’t take it back. How about this, I’ll find some time to ask him tonight if he’s free. If he is, let’s find a place for you to treat him to a meal. We’ve been busy lately and haven’t gathered for a while."

Fu Yu agreed, and since Zhao Meng brought it up, all he had to do was pay.

Since turning adult, it was Fu Yu’s first time earning this much.

After showing off to Zhao Meng, he quickly called his family to share the good news.

He had already mentioned the medicinal cuisine to his parents before, so they were pleasantly surprised and delighted when they heard he got the bonus.

His mom advised over the phone, "Don’t tell other relatives and friends about the bonus yet. Not everyone genuinely wants others to do better than themselves. And in this world, it’s fine if you have no money, but having money makes people envious."

Fu Yu understood, but he had the habit of showing off good things to close ones.

This trait definitely came from his father.

His dad, Fu Xiaoliang, was straightforward and could never keep things to himself.

After hanging up, it’s likely his dad called each relative to boast until everyone nearby knew.

They say in the first thirty years, the father guides the son; in the next thirty years, the son honors the father.

Fu Yu was never great in academics and transferred to a culinary school before finishing high school.

The other kids in the family at least graduated from vocational colleges, all better than him.

Though his parents never complained, facing other parents outside must have made them feel a bit embarrassed.

Fu Yu knew this well, feeling both touched by their open-mindedness and guilty for not achieving more.

So whenever he made progress, he’d immediately report home.

Partly to make his parents happy and partly to let them hold their heads high in front of relatives and friends.

Zhao Meng organized the dinner, inviting Yao Shi and arranging the place.

Because it was different from random midnight snacks, they chose the Red House Barbecue on the pedestrian street.

Red House has been around for quite some time. It used to be an old establishment, but as more customers came, it relocated three years ago, and the renovation is excellent.

The first floor is an open hall, while the second-floor private rooms are like a home-style barbecue bar.

With the complete set of barbecue equipment, skewers are grilled over charcoal, keeping them hot for whenever you want to eat.

Although Fu Yu was treating Yao Shi to show his gratitude, Zhao Meng kept the conversation going at the table.

Recently, Yao Shi seemed preoccupied, often just checking in at work in the morning and leaving after a quick round.

Over dinner, Yao Shi talked about his plans to buy a house.

Zhao Meng wasn’t very familiar with Yao Shi’s family situation.

Neither of them was nosy, mostly discussing work-related matters when together.

Upon hearing about Yao Shi buying a house, Zhao Meng felt compelled to offer some advice.

They didn’t exclude Fu Yu from their conversation, allowing him to catch bits and pieces.

It seemed Yao Shi had an old friend in real estate, who had been busy in the provincial city, now focusing on Bei’an, which was striving for city allure and emphasizing urban development.

"Red Flag Avenue is undergoing redevelopment. His friend secured this project, with the main street meant for commercial properties. But the land is vast, and there are plans to turn it into a modern community with a well-drafted design."

Zhao Meng found it interesting: "Red Flag Avenue? That’s a good location, close to the Second Hospital and Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and the 20th High School campus is there, right?"

Yao Shi laughed, "I wasn’t considering the school district, but I like the commercial space; it’s in a good location. My friend will definitely offer me a good deal. I’m just wondering whether to buy consecutive units or with gaps."

Throughout the conversation, Zhao Meng didn’t give specific advice but mentioned some points based on his understanding and experience.

Only then did Fu Yu know that Zhao Meng had a commercial space at the East Bridge Riverfront, although he still had three years left to pay off the loan.

Though nothing was finalized in their discussion, it was clear Yao Shi had made up his mind, evident from his increasingly determined expression.