Chapter 29: Ginger is still spicy with age

The weather has been bad during this period and it has been snowing all the time.

Although the snow has not reached the point where the doors are blocked, there are few pedestrians on the streets. Even those who go to the hospital for treatment would rather squeeze into the cramped space of the outpatient department than stay outside.

Business at the tea stall had dropped significantly. Yesterday, the three of them, mother and daughter, worked tirelessly all day, braving the cold, yet only managed to sell less than a dollar. So Shi Xiaoai decided to take the day off.

The stall being closed doesn't mean she has to be idle. She made an appointment with Li Qiaoyun yesterday afternoon, and today Qiaoyun will accompany her to Master Liu's house.

Master Liu and Li Qiaoyun's families both live in the catering company's staff quarters, and the two families usually have a good relationship.

If we really want to force a relationship between them, Xiao Ai can also fit in.

Speaking of it, Master Liu and the late old man had a semi-master-disciple relationship. I remember that Master Liu learned cooking skills from the old man for more than half a year.

It's just that this person always has his strengths and weaknesses. It is obvious that Master Liu has no talent in the red case.

In desperation, he finally left the kitchen and went out to do odd jobs.

Although he couldn't be a chef, Master Liu was a company employee and had relatives in power. It didn't take long for him to take over the purchasing business for the state-owned restaurant.

This job is much more lucrative than working as a kitchen helper!

Li Qiaoyun said that many of the popular goods that the old man had obtained before were obtained by Master Liu who secretly helped him get them out of gratitude for the master-disciple relationship over the past six months.

Today, Xiao Ai went to see Master Liu. On the one hand, she wanted to rekindle all the old relationships with her grandfather, and on the other hand, she wanted to thank Master Liu for taking care of her grandfather and indirectly their family.

Because she remembered the aluminum lunch box and the box full of sugar.

She felt that those must be related to Master Liu.

Of course, Shi Xiaoai also had some selfish motives. She wanted to see if Master Liu could help her get some things that didn't require tickets, such as eggs, food, etc.

It doesn't matter if you give more money.

Shi Xiaoai got up early. She tiptoed to clean the house and finish her breakfast. Mingrui and Mingxi were still snoring in their sleep.

The two children have worked hard with her during this period. Although they can't do much work, they spend the whole day in that shed and it is common for them to suffer from the cold. Shi Xiaoai feels very distressed about them.

The snow outside still hasn't stopped today. The whistling wind carries small snowflakes that hit the window glass, making crackling sounds. She really can't bear to take the two little ones outside again.

What's more, she still has concerns.

It was her first time visiting Master Liu's house, so she always had to bring something with her. She prepared a bag of black fungus, a bag of day lily, and a piece of bacon that she couldn't bear to eat.

There weren't many things, but they were the most valuable ones she could offer.

She brought some things with her and two children with her... The more Xiao Ai thought about it, the more she felt it was inappropriate.

Isn't this putting people in a difficult position? As an elder, it's the first time for him to meet a younger person. Should he give a gift or not?

So last night she made an agreement with Mingrui and Mingxi that she would prepare breakfast and lunch and let the two children stay at home.

"Xiao Rui, the food is in the pot. You can eat it after you get up. Don't sleep too long. Get up after a while and finish the homework that mom gave you yesterday. I will come back this afternoon to check it. Also, remember what mom said. Don't open the door to strangers casually. Don't answer anyone you don't know."

After Shi Xiaoai finished cleaning up, she returned to the bedroom, patted her son on the face, and gave him instructions again.

Mingrui struggled to open one eye, looked at her, then nodded obediently and said perfunctorily, "I know. Goodbye, Mom."

I turned over and fell asleep again immediately.

These days, after staying with her at the tea stall, the biggest change in the two children is that they no longer call her mother but instead call her mom.

This was what Li Qiaoyun taught them. She said that they would be going to school in less than a year and they must get rid of their accent before then, otherwise when they spoke in class, their teachers and classmates would not understand them and no one would like them.

Although Shi Xiaoai felt that it was not necessary and the language in the village was not that difficult to understand, it was always more convenient to adapt to local customs, so she did not stop him.

The two children are obviously eager to go to school, so they have been trying hard to learn Mandarin in the past few days. The biggest change is that they started by calling "Mom".

Listening to her son's soft, baby voice, Shi Xiaoai felt her heart melt. She couldn't help but bend down and kiss the little boy's rosy, sleeping face. She then tucked in the quilt for her still snoring daughter. Then she left the bedroom.

I didn't stay at Master Liu's house for long, mainly because he had guests. But this trip was quite rewarding. Master Liu took the initiative to give Shi Xiaoai a suggestion, which helped her solve her food shortage problem.

Master Liu said, "I remember your tea stall was government-run. Why do you have to find a way out on your own? You can go back to the government office and get a letter of introduction, then write a letter of authorization, and then bring it to our restaurant. Just tell them you hope we can help you buy some non-staple food, and don't worry about the rest."

There's a saying that this is a mutual aid and reciprocity between the two organizations. When I buy something for the restaurant, I'll also buy what you need, and you can just come pick it up."

Old ginger is still spicy!

Master Liu's words were like enlightenment, and Shi Xiaoai suddenly understood.

yes!

Why did she insist on relying on the office in the first place? Wasn't it just to lean on a big tree for shade?

If you buy grain and eggs privately and then process and sell them, you might be reported for speculation. But if you do it between public and public parties, it is reasonable and legal!

Shi Xiaoai quickly thanked Master Liu and immediately decided to go home immediately and get the letter of introduction and power of attorney today.

After hurriedly saying goodbye to Li Qiaoyun, Shi Xiaoai braved the snow and returned home.

Before she even reached the tea stall and was still quite a distance from the alley entrance, someone saw her and shouted, "Shi Xiaoai, where have you been? Go back quickly and see! Your grandma and your child are fighting!"

Her grandmother?

Shi Xiaoai was surprised.

Why doesn't she remember that the original owner had a grandmother?

Isn't there anyone left in the original owner's mother's family?

She quickly looked in the direction of the voice and found that the person talking to her was an unfamiliar middle-aged woman.

Seeing that she didn't react, the old lady got anxious: "Why are you standing there? Go home quickly! Your child will suffer a lot if your grandma behaves like that!"

After hearing this, Shi Xiaoai didn't bother to ask whether it was grandma or not, and ran towards home.