Chapter 36: The Second Madam

After speaking, I turned to leave.

“Wait!” Brother Leopard called after me.

“Is there something else?” I asked, glancing back.

Brother Leopard looked at me and asked, “Brother, why didn’t you tell Acai about this? He’s lost to me many times over the past two years but never caught me slipping. If you’d told him, he’d definitely promote you. At the very least, a raise would be a breeze.”

“Do we have a grudge, bro?” I asked.

Brother Leopard opened his mouth, then caught himself. He handed me a cigarette and said, “You’re really sharp, way smarter than your cousin. Honestly, my older brother taught me this trick, and I only use it on Acai. I never pull it on anyone else. I just don’t like him and want to mess with him.”

“I’ve heard a bit about this, it’s because of the two boss ladies, right?” I said.

Brother Leopard didn’t deny it. “It’s not just that. Damn it, I once liked a girl who also worked as a waitress here—Guo Jiajia. I treated her like a treasure, feared she’d break or melt in my mouth. But that bastard slept with someone else! And after getting bored, dumped him! That girl followed me crying, and I didn’t mind because I truly liked her. But just three days after we got together, she started vomiting. At the hospital, they found she was three months pregnant. I put up with that. Then Acai teased me, saying how could a head chef like me fall for a dishwasher? Dishwasher! How disgusting is that?”

I looked at Brother Leopard. In terms of looks and temperament, he was burly and rough. Acai wasn’t exactly handsome either, but compared to Leopard, he was somewhat better-looking. Losing in love was not entirely undeserved for Acai, but on this matter, Leopard was indeed deeply disgusted.

I lit a cigarette.

When I mentioned the two boss ladies earlier, I almost suggested to Brother Leopard that he introduce one to me so I could help solve his troubles.

But I hesitated and never said it, feeling perhaps the time wasn’t right.

Yet events never unfold according to one’s wishes.

Near the end of the workday, a car pulled up. A woman stepped out, her hair styled in fashionable waves, wearing exquisite makeup. Her clothes and handbag were clearly expensive. I opened the car door for her, and a waft of perfume greeted me.

I couldn’t help thinking, “This woman is a real enchantress!”

She glanced at me with disdain. “Close the door gently. If you break it, can you afford to pay? Lao Hai! Lao Hai!”

Old Hai put down his drink and hurried over, wearing a sycophantic smile. “Xiaoyue, you’re here.”

She frowned. “Is ‘Xiaoyue’ what you call me too? If you don’t want the job, get lost! Watch the car—scratch it and I’ll hold you responsible.”

With that, she swayed her serpentine waist and strode into the restaurant.

Old Hai spat and said, “Damn it, a sparrow on a branch never becomes a phoenix! Xiao Zhang, this is Acai’s sister, He Wanyue, the one who gave our boss a big fat son.”

It was already 9:10 p.m., half an hour before closing. Only one table remained occupied. The waitstaff and kitchen crew were preparing to leave—some cleaning, others organizing ingredients, and a few chatting in small groups.

As He Wanyue entered, chaos erupted.

“Who told you to start cleaning with customers still here?!”

“Is it after hours? You’ve already changed clothes?”

“Your husband pays you to work, not to gossip!”

Wu Dahai and I stood by the door, watching through the glass as He Wanyue stood with her hands on her hips like a strutting rooster, while the workers blushed under her scolding.

“Back when she was a waitress, wasn’t she the same?” Wu Dahai sighed.

“There are two extremes for those who rise from the bottom: some become magnanimous, understanding the hardships below; others become even harsher, tormenting those beneath them and even driving away co-workers because they know all their secrets and past,” I said with a smile.

“You must be well-educated, Xiao Zhang, talking in such polished ways,” Wu Dahai remarked.

His words made me blush instantly. Lately, I’d been studying a book and discussing it seriously with Xiaowen, which had made my speech sound a bit pretentious.

I scratched my head. “Hey, if I were truly educated, I wouldn’t be working as a security guard.”

That was no exaggeration. In those days, having a degree guaranteed good jobs. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have repeated years just to get into university.

“Degree or no, I think you speak well. By the way, Xiao Zhang, did Leopard bother you this afternoon? He’s not that bad—just straightforward. Because of He Wanyue, he led a strike and upset the boss,” Wu Dahai said.

“He didn’t trouble me. In fact, he even wanted to be friends. Hai, has He Wanyue always been like this?” I asked.

Wu Dahai nodded. “Yeah. When she first came, she was honest—a simple country girl. But I soon realized she was no ordinary person. A girl from the countryside working here, seeing rich customers adorned in gold and silver while she served them, it’s natural to feel envy. But Wanyue’s eyes held not just envy but resentment. I even saw her spit in a female customer’s food several times. I remember clearly—when she got her first month’s salary, she bought loads of makeup but didn’t know how to apply it. The next day, she came to work with a clownish face, and we all laughed. Gradually, she learned to dress up and do makeup. She was naturally pretty, and once she cleaned up, she dazzled. Many bosses came to dine here, and which man doesn’t like a young, beautiful girl? One greedy for money, the other lustful—it was a perfect match. From then on, she went down the wrong path. After work, someone would drive her away, and soon she left the restaurant.”

“Was she kept by someone? How did she catch the boss’s eye?” I asked.

“She was naive. Those bosses aren’t fools. They care about their family reputation but want to enjoy flashy pleasures outside. For a pretty girl, it’s just spending a bit to find a toy. If she was obedient, the bosses might have kept her, but she was greedy. Twice she confronted the wives of these men, and each time, she was dumped. The second time, she was beaten so badly she stayed bedridden for a month before recovering,” Wu Dahai said.

That aligned with what the book said: the wealthy fear trouble.

If a problem can be settled with a little money, they avoid using connections to prevent future complications.

“That’s truly reckless, not knowing her place. But if that’s so, why did the boss still sleep with her?” I asked.

“That’s complicated. Xiao Zhang, do you believe in feng shui or physiognomy?” Wu Dahai asked me.