Chapter 73 Going to the Market to Sell Handicrafts (1)
The dishes were served.
Braised pork, braised pork liver, stir-fried Shanghai greens, sour shredded potatoes, tofu with green onions, meatball and egg soup, stir-fried bean sprouts, and glutinous rice.
A group of young men full of vigor and vitality were drooling with greed.
Mother Zhong smiled and said, "Eat, treat it like your own home, don't be polite."
After hearing what Mrs. Zhong said, except for Fang Nan and her sister, the other young men made a big bucket of rice and were so full that they were seeing stars.
"Aunt, you made this so delicious! It tastes amazing!"
“It can be compared with the ones in other restaurants.”
"Aunt Zhong's cooking skills are really good."
Mrs. Zhong was grinning from ear to ear and was trying hard to put food into their bowls.
After dinner, they said goodbye. Zhong Qiao and Zhong's mother sent them to the door. The young men bowed and thanked Zhong's father.
A few people, adhering to Chinese politeness, argued at the door for a long time.
Zhong Qiao hid behind them, staring at Fang He and Fan Ming silently.
They were wearing coats, and they were both handsome and beautiful. Standing in the snow, they looked like a pair made in heaven.
Fan Ming leaned close to Fang He's ear and said something, and secretly held her hand, which made Fang He smile shyly.
Their behavior is intimate and their conversation is ambiguous.
Especially Fang He, it was obvious that she was very dependent on Fan Ming, just as Fang Nan said.
No wonder they were about to get engaged, and onlookers all thought that Fan Ming was still deeply in love.
Zhong Qiao, who was in the middle of the situation, felt a little unsure of himself.
"Da Qiao, I'll come see you next time when I have time."
Before leaving, Fang Nan patted her shoulder.
"Don't forget to go get the book from Old Man Fang. He said he hasn't seen you for several days and misses you."
Zhong Qiao nodded in agreement and watched them leave in a panic, as if there was a ghost chasing them.
After they ran away in a mess, the bored Zhong Siqi rummaged through the thank-you gifts brought by the Fang family.
"Mom, can I have this?"
He picked up a box of pastries and shook it. As he did so, a red envelope stuck at the bottom of the tin box fell out.
"What is this?" Zhong's mother picked it up and opened it.
This was a shocking sight. Inside was a stack of money and a lot of meat and grain coupons, enough for their family to eat for half a year.
Mother Zhong took it out and counted it, and there were exactly one hundred of them.
Zhong Qiao understood instantly.
"This is the money they gave me as a token of gratitude."
The Zhong family was worried.
They never thought that they could get any favor. Mother Zhong and father Zhong discussed the matter of saving people. After they understood it clearly, they realized that it was just a matter of convenience.
After all, as Mr. Zhong said, everyone in the family has daughters, and he simply couldn't bear to see a beautiful young girl fall into the river and die.
But wouldn't this hundred yuan and various tickets really stifle them?!
"Mom, keep it for now." Zhong Qiao didn't think much of it. "I'm sure we can't catch up. I was wondering why they were running so fast. It turns out there's something fishy going on."
"Tomorrow, I'll have Old Man Fang return it to Fang Nan."
The heavy stone in Zhong's mother's heart fell.
"Okay, let's do it."
This incident was over. Half a month later, early in the morning, Mr. Zhong rolled up his sleeves in the yard and started sawing a pile of wood.
Zhong Qiao ate a plate of pickles and porridge, plus some tofu buns brought by Mrs. Qian. Seeing Zhong's father working, he handed him some water.
It’s still 70% hot.
Mr. Zhong’s favorite temperature.
Mr. Zhong glanced at her, and the father and daughter understood each other tacitly.
He took the hot water and drank a few big gulps.
Zhong Qiao smiled, waited for him to finish drinking, and took the bowl.
As they spent time together, Mr. Zhong changed.
Back in Hong Kong, he was decisive and unyielding in business, and was also very strict with Zhong Qiao and Zhong Siqi when he returned home.
But now, Mr. Zhong has learned to be tolerant.
The relationship between father and daughter is getting closer and closer.
Although Mr. Zhong still disapproved of Zhong Siwan in his heart, his complaints were becoming less and less.
This is a good sign.
"Dad, how's it going?" Zhong Qiao leaned over to look.
The last time I mentioned to Zhong's mother about making money by doing handicrafts, Zhong's father immediately started working.
Zhong Qiao recalled some new craft styles from his previous life and drew some blueprints, asking his father to copy them.
"It's almost done." Father Zhong picked up the wood and compared it. "I did it just as you said. But this stroller...wood is hard to polish, so it took a lot of time."
Zhong Qiao's eyes fell on the semi-finished product and lit up.
Mr. Zhong is so skillful, he can make anything he does look good.
Not to mention weaving bamboo baskets, even the wood carvings she mentioned are very good. The animals she carved are lifelike. There are also small stools and baby strollers, all with exquisite craftsmanship and delicate details.
Zhong Qiao touched the edge.
Very smooth.
It was obviously carefully polished by someone.
Pulled the cart back and forth.
The wooden wheels roll very smoothly.
"Qiao Qiao, is that right?" Father Zhong wiped the sweat from his forehead. "There are some parts of the blueprint you drew that I don't understand. I just based it on my own understanding."
"It's okay, Dad. You did a great job. There's just one thing you need to improve." Zhong Qiao discovered a flaw. "This kind of stroller for babies learning to walk is actually an assistive stroller. You need to put a frame on it to prevent it from tipping over."
Mr. Zhong understood as soon as he heard it.
"Okay, Dad will change it again."
This change took an entire afternoon to make. Zhong Qiao didn't dare ask him to do too much, so he only made two.
Although there are baby carriages these days, they are only used by wealthy families and are very expensive. Ordinary people only have a small cradle at home. Not everyone can afford such things. It would be a pity if they were stuck with them. The main focus is still on selling benches, bamboo baskets, and wood carvings.
After checking everything, they borrowed a small tricycle to transport the goods. Before leaving, Zhong's mother prepared dry food and hot water for them.
Knowing that Zhong Qiao was afraid of the cold, in addition to giving her a kettle filled with hot water and hanging it around her neck with a red string, she also gave her a hot water bottle for warming her hands.
"Mom, I'm not a child anymore, you don't have to do this." Zhong Qiao was helpless.
Mother Zhong raised her eyebrows and said, "I boiled the hot water and filled it up. Just enjoy it. Why are you so unwilling to come?"
"No, no, no." Zhong Qiao was powerless to resist. "I was wrong, Mom. Is it okay if I was wrong?"
Mother Zhong snorted coldly.
"Remember to come back early. It's okay if you can't sell anything. Don't wait until dark, or the way back will be difficult."
Zhong Qiao didn't dare to refute and agreed to all of them.
The father and daughter entered the city and found a crowded place. Amid the curious gazes of others, they calmly set up two small stools and sat down.
Without waiting for Mr. Zhong to speak, Zhong Qiao started shouting first, with a very skilled posture.
"A baby stroller is 16 yuan, a bamboo basket is 2 yuan, and a bench is 1.5 yuan. Wood carvings can be customized. Don't miss it if you pass by. Take a look, take a look."
"Qiao Qiao, when did you learn this?"
Zhong's father had been a hawker in his previous years, but this was the first time he saw Zhong Qiao shouting.
Zhong Qiao was stunned.
In her previous life, she earned money to support the Xu family and also to pay for Xu Shaojun's tuition and living expenses. She got up early and went to bed late every day, stayed up late at night to embroider, and then waited until she got off work the next day to sell the flowers.
Such a small thing as shouting has long been engraved in my bones.
"Oh." Zhong Qiao said dismissively, "I learned it when I was at the Xu family. Sometimes after get off work I would find some work to do, like selling vegetables, embroidering, or looking after the shop. I learned it that way."
After saying that, she continued to shout with all her might, but she didn't know that Mr. Zhong behind her felt heartbroken and filled with remorse after hearing it.
His poor daughter, how much suffering did she endure in the Xu family?
He had never let her do such dirty work before. He had already made a big concession by letting her come out to sell things to him. He didn't expect...
"Qiao Qiao, take a rest." Father Zhong suppressed the pain in his heart, took a long breath, and pulled Zhong Qiao to the bench. "Let Dad handle these things."
After a moment of silence, Zhong's father said, "From now on, Dad will find a way to make more money in mainland China, even richer than when we were in Hong Kong. I will never let you suffer."
He straightened his back and started shouting in a somewhat awkward accent.
Zhong Qiao felt warm in his heart.
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