Married at First Sight

Maverick thought for a moment, then asked, "Uncle River, is your cooking better than Uncle Tatum's? If it is, we'll eat at home. If not, then you have to take us out. Mom said every place has its own special dishes, and I want to try the local food here."

River smiled and replied, "Uncle River knows how to cook, but I can't compete with your Uncle Tatum. He's loved cooking since he was a kid and learned from a lot of top chefs. I'm good, but he's better. So, let's go out to eat. I'll take you to a hotel this afternoon. The food there is delicious and showcases Eaglioncile's local flavors."

"Okay!" Maverick cheered and clapped his hands excitedly.

Bethany, standing nearby, saw her brother clapping and joined in, beaming with joy.noveldrama

Serenity said, "It's all the same to me, but cooking at home is kind of tiring." She figured River didn't usually cook. She had checked out his kitchen and noticed the fridge was nearly empty-just a few things for breakfast.

She assumed he ate breakfast at home and had lunch and dinner out, especially with all his social commitments.

"River, does your company have a cafeteria?" Serenity asked.

River nodded. "Yes, there are two-one for regular employees and one for management. Our cafeterias go through a lot of fresh produce every day. Sister- in-law, does your company deliver fruits and vegetables to Eaglioncile? If so, I can talk to our purchasing department about sourcing from you."

It would be great to keep the business within the family.

But he also realized the distance was a problem. If her business didn't already serve Eaglioncile, it might be too expensive to ship just for his company.

However, if large-scale distributors already buying from her were delivering here, he could arrange for his company's order to be bundled with theirs, lowering shipping costs.

Serenity said, "Grain moves from the north to the south, and vegetables from the south to the north. Most of my produce goes north. I haven't had any orders from Eaglioncile."

She continued, "It's just too far. Even if your company orders a large quantity, it's still not enough to justify the cost. Plus, is your company covering meal expenses or just offering a subsidy?"

River replied, "We offer a subsidy. The company covers 70%, and employees pay the remaining 30%. For the management team, meals are fully covered."

That's because management is considered top talent-and top talent gets better treatment.

He added, "Honestly, even if my company needs a lot, it's still not worth ordering from so far away. Your produce is better than what we get here, but the price is slightly higher. Add shipping on top of that, and food costs go way up." Yantail's cafeteria runs on fast-food-level pricing standards here in Eaglioncile. Raising costs would mean employees paying more too-and they might not go for that.

"The swelling on your face has gone down," Serenity suddenly remarked. River touched the spot Romina had slapped. "She went nuts and smacked me before I even knew what was happening. She totally did it on purpose." Serenity chuckled. “You and Romina have been butting heads for years now, haven't you?"