The next day.
After lunch, it was time to head to the factory. The two little ones still had language lessons, so it was just Nana who accompanied Jia Fuhai.
As Jia Fuhai was about to set off, Zhen Fugui reminded him, "Xiao Hai, with so many people going, make sure to stay safe!"
"Don't worry, everyone's from the same community; it should be fine," Jia Fuhai wasn't too concerned.
After telling the two little ones to listen to their mom, he headed out with Nana.
By the time they arrived at the community gate, a crowd had already gathered.
As soon as Jia Fuhai appeared, people started greeting him.
"Xiao Jia, I've been craving your cakes so much!"
"I'm so excited! I skipped breakfast and lunch just to save room for this."
…
Jia Fuhai quickly reassured everyone, "Don't worry, we'll start once everyone's here."
"Not everyone? There were only about twenty people registered yesterday, and now there are over forty!"
"And you have the nerve to talk? Didn't you bring two kids yourself?"
Jia Fuhai: "..."
No wonder there were so many people! They had brought their whole families.
"Brother Jia," Chen Xiaofeng walked up with dark circles under his eyes.
"What happened to you?" Jia Fuhai was startled by the sight of the exhausted young man in front of him.
"I couldn't sleep all night thinking about your cakes, Brother Jia!" Chen Xiaofeng swallowed as he recalled the taste of the cakes from the other day.
"No need for that, no need," Jia Fuhai was speechless. How could cakes drive a healthy young man to this state?
Couldn't the young people control themselves at all?
He continued, "By the way, Xiaofeng, you were helping with the count yesterday. Is everyone here now?"
"Don't even mention it. We originally agreed on a few, but now there are so many that I had to arrange for another bus." Chen Xiaofeng was exhausted, but he didn't argue since some had brought kids.
"Thanks for your hard work." Jia Fuhai patted his shoulder in sympathy, seeing how Chen Xiaofeng had to run around coordinating everything.
He realized that trying to handle everything himself would just tire him out!
"By the way, if you're all skipping meals, it'll still take some time to make the cakes," Jia Fuhai pointed out to those who hadn't eaten.
"It's fine; we can hold out for the cakes."
"Yeah, skipping one meal isn't a big deal. We'll make up for it later."
"Same here," Chen Xiaofeng echoed the messages from the group chat.
Not only had he not slept, but he also hadn't eaten, so he looked even more worn out.
Seeing how popular Jia Fuhai's cakes were, Zhen Lina was even happier than him. After all, she had helped him with this.
"Oh well, let's get going. The sooner we start, the sooner you can eat. I don't want to be responsible for you all fainting from hunger," Jia Fuhai urged them to move along, feeling that the sooner they left, the better.
"I'll check," Chen Xiaofeng quickly opened his phone to confirm.
Even though they were all from the same community, they didn't all know each other well, so he had to ask around to make sure.
After confirming three times, Chen Xiaofeng ran back over, "Brother Jia, everyone's here; let's go. I'm starving too."
"Alright, let's head out," Jia Fuhai nodded.
The others started boarding the bus in an orderly fashion, bringing their children along.
Most of the kids were preschoolers, as school was still in session today.
Mama Zhao also joined, though she came alone. Her husband was busy, and her son was at school, so she "reluctantly" (though internally thrilled) came to sample the cakes at Jia Fuhai's factory.
The last time she brought two cakes home, her son stared at her with such resentment that she almost thought her house was haunted.
The journey to Tianfeng Factory went smoothly.
At the front of the convoy, Jia Fuhai was driving the car his father-in-law had given him for his wedding.
"Xiao Jia, you're here!" Grandpa Huang spotted Jia Fuhai and immediately jumped into the car without hesitation, then shouted out the window, "Xiao Zhao, take over! I'll help keep things in order."
"Got it, Grandpa!" Xiao Zhao replied with a smile, though internally, he was grumbling. It felt like someone had smacked him in the face with a giant abacus.
It wasn't like Xiao Zhao had never tasted Boss Jia's cakes. If it weren't for his respect for the elderly, he'd show Grandpa Huang what the young people were capable of with their fists the size of clay pots.
"Xiao Jia, I'll help you keep things organized," Grandpa Huang said, grinning as he settled into the car.
"No problem, thanks, Grandpa," Jia Fuhai agreed without hesitation.
"Your cakes are just too delicious. When are you starting production?" Grandpa Huang swallowed again as he spoke, clearly anticipating the cakes.
Zhen Lina, sitting in the front passenger seat, covered her forehead with her hand. Here we go again.
Ever since Grandpa Huang had tasted the cakes, he'd been urging them to start production so he could be a loyal customer.
"Uh, it should be soon," Jia Fuhai replied, not wanting to make any promises.
"Hurry up! The employees need their wages, the venue costs money, and you've got a son to raise. Time is money, so get things moving!" Grandpa Huang applied pressure, showing his elder-like concern, all for the sake of getting a taste of those cakes.
"No worries, I'm spending my wife's money. The venue was a gift from my father-in-law," Jia Fuhai said with pride, feeling good about his situation.
But to Grandpa Huang, this shamelessness was infuriating.
Still, it rendered him speechless.
"Wait, Hai-ge, I don't think you've ever spent my money," Zhen Lina suddenly remembered, speaking up.
They were legally married now!
Why did it sound like Hai-ge was using some mistress's money to support her? The thought alone was thrilling.
Sorry, sis, but it feels so good!
If Zhen Linqi knew what her sister was thinking, she would probably curse. After all, she was the one keeping the family finances in check, and it was her and their parents taking care of the kids, while her sister just played around and talked behind her back.
Grandpa Huang raised an eyebrow at this. Wait, is his wife a different person? What's going on here?
"Fine, next time I'll spend yours. Spending my wife's money is perfectly justified," Jia Fuhai responded casually. When they went out to play, it was usually Nana who paid, though the expenses were small.
As for his own money, it mostly remained untouched.
"…" Grandpa Huang finally understood. He had initially thought Xiao Jia was an ambitious young entrepreneur. But to his surprise, he was just a shameless freeloader.
Not only that, but he was freeloading off two women, and they were even fighting over the chance to support him.
He shouldn't be sitting in the back seat. He should be under the car instead.
By the time they arrived at the factory, Grandpa Huang was standing off to the side, looking completely dazed. If not for his uniform, people might have mistaken him for a homeless man.
"Let's go, into the factory," Jia Fuhai led the group forward once everyone had disembarked.
"Hey, isn't that the Xiangjin Shiji Café? Your factory is right next to it," someone who recognized the café pointed out. They had all tried Uncle Zhou's coffee before.
"That's right, Jiaji Food Factory is just a wall away from Xiangjin Shiji," Jia Fuhai replied with a smile.
"Haha, I've seen their production livestream before. Now I get to see yours."
"Same here."
Most of those who had tried Xiangjin Shiji coffee had also watched their production livestream.