All the luggage that Lin Minjun brought from Yunnan is at the Zhao family's house. The rented house is now empty. While the warm winter sun is shining brightly, she has to move all the things into her own house before dark, like little ants moving, so that she can settle down completely.
Two lifetimes. In her last life, she was waiting to get married in Lu Deping's house, living under someone else's roof. In this life, she started over again, and in this huge city, she actually found a small place for herself to live in.
Along the way, Lin Minjun didn't know how to describe her feelings. She walked very fast and it was already past three in the afternoon when she arrived at Zhao's house.
What a coincidence, Zhao's mother was at home, and Zhao Ning was also at home, and they were talking about renting a house.
Mother Zhao patted Zhao Ning's palm and said thoughtfully, "Your brother has been urged once in the factory. He must come back to work. Mom is thinking, why don't you take Minjun back to your grandfather's house first? Your grandfather's house is in the countryside and there is enough room for him to live in."
"That's fine. It happens that the Youth League Office can't arrange any jobs for me right now, so I just go to queue up every day. I haven't been back to see my grandfather in all these years in Yunnan." When Zhao Ning spoke to her mother, there was no trace of aloofness or indifference in her voice. She was just like an obedient little lamb.
The mother and daughter didn't know about Lin Minjun's progress yet, so they discussed that if they couldn't find a suitable house, they would ask their daughter to take Lin Minjun to live in the countryside for a while.
Lin Minjun stood outside the door, her nose a little sour and her eyes a little red. She felt that Zhao's mother and the Zhao family were her great benefactors, especially Zhao's mother.
It was clear that she had nothing to do with the Zhao family and was a stranger to them, but she was willing to consider them wholeheartedly.
Lin Minjun, who had never received love from her elders since she was a child, couldn't help but sniffle to prevent tears from falling.
The noise startled the people in the house. Mother Zhao coughed twice and looked towards the door. "Who's outside? There's someone at home. Come in."
Zhao's mother was in poor health and had a very sincere personality. She would cry when she saw others crying. Lin Minjun quickly wiped her tears before entering the house, put on a smile again, and walked into the house. She smiled as soon as she entered, "Auntie, Zhao Ning, I found a house! I've rented it and cleaned it up. I'm back to get my things now, and I can move in tonight!"
"Really? Why didn't you tell us so I could check for you?" Zhao's mother was shocked at first, and she sat up from the stool and said anxiously: "You are young and don't understand. Housing is not only about rent, but also about neighbors. If the neighbors are not good, you will make trouble!"
Zhao Ning quickly patted her mother on the back and said, "Mom, don't worry. Let's listen to what Xiao Ajun has to say about the house. It may not be that bad! Ajun, where is your new house?"
"It's in Dongcheng." Lin Minjun quickly poured a cup of warm water for Zhao's mother and brought it to her mouth. Then she continued, "It's in Yueya Hutong, where the power supply bureau employees used to live. It's in the innermost courtyard. I rented a back house."
"How many families live inside?" Zhao's mother drank her tea and finally took a breath.
Lin Minjun: "There are more than ten houses. There is a very nice lady living in the first courtyard. I found this house through her. You don't have to worry."
"A dozen households is not a lot, and they are all employees of the power supply bureau. They have families and jobs. They can't be idle and make things difficult for you. OK, this house is great." Zhao's mother breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "I feel relieved that you have found a house and a place to live. Don't relax. Hurry up and find a job that can support yourself. Then you can settle down here in the future. No one can drive you away."
Lin Minjun's eyes turned red again, but she suppressed her anger and nodded vigorously, "Okay! I will definitely settle down here. Auntie, I will come back to see you."
It is winter now and it gets dark very early in the north. Seeing that the sun was about to set, Lin Minjun went into the house to pack her bag, walked to the door of the Zhao family with the bag, bowed to Zhao Ning and Zhao's mother, thanked them again and again, and then left.
On the way back to Dongcheng, Lin Minjun kept thinking about a problem.
What Aunt Zhao said just now was right. The house was built, but without any source of income, she would still be living beyond her means, so she had to hurry and prepare for the stall.
She now has more than 460 yuan left in her hands, and she cannot invest it all at once. At most, she can allocate 100 yuan to set up the stall. In case the business fails, she still has a way to make a living.
It was impossible to sell rice, soup and rice noodles from a stall that cost only 100 yuan. After much thought, Lin Minjun thought of a snack from her hometown that was fragrant, crispy, spicy and numbing. When you took a bite, you would find that the skin was crispy and the inside was soft and glutinous.
Most importantly, the raw materials for this snack are cheap and affordable, making it very suitable for her to set up a stall!
Thinking all the way, Lin Minjun returned to Yueya Hutong. That night, she lay in the small house. The north wind was blowing outside. She had not had time to buy a coal stove, and she did not have a kang, so she wrapped herself in two layers of quilts.
She rolled it to the east, then to the west, then lifted her legs and tucked the quilt under her feet. Lin Minjun was like a cocoon. She closed her eyes and had a sweet dream for the first time since her rebirth.
…
After a good meal and sleep, Lin Minjun started to set up the stall the next day. She had already thought about what to sell at the stall, and now all she had to do was to improve the taste to suit the tastes of the people in North City.
So Lin Minjun went out early in the morning to buy a coal stove, a pot, coal, and seasonings such as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. After packing up the tools, she went out again to buy the raw materials.
When he came back carrying a basket, he ran into Aunt Xu.
Aunt Xu was very surprised. "Girl, what have you been busy doing this morning? Buying this and that, and carrying such a big basket?"
Lin Minjun bought two sets of coal stoves and pots. She wanted to separate the ones she used for herself and those for the guests. Since she was going to do it, she had to do it the best. Of course, the cost was not small. It cost almost thirty yuan to buy two sets.
"Didn't you say before that you were going to set up a stall? I'm buying tools and raw materials." Lin Minjun stopped and wiped the sweat off his face.
"What kind of stall is this? Why is it so grand?" Aunt Xu became even more curious. "I've seen other people setting up stalls with just a piece of rag or a snakeskin bag. The better ones have a big stove to roast sweet potatoes, but I've never seen anything like yours, with all these pots and pans."
She came over and saw that the basket was full of potatoes, each one was round and big. She said quickly, "Are you going to set up a stall to sell potatoes? People are tired of eating potatoes, and these can't be sold."
Lin Minjun still smiled, "I know, but most people eat potatoes by stewing them. What I want to sell is the fried potatoes from my hometown. The surface of the potatoes is fried to a crispy crisp, and paired with the chili powder I grind myself, it has a different taste. But I feel that people here can't eat spicy food, so I have to adjust the amount of chili."
Potatoes are potatoes, and potatoes are potatoes. They can be stored for a long time and are abundant in winter. Aunt Xu had long been tired of eating them, but when she heard Lin Minjun say this, her mouth inexplicably began to drool, and she could already smell the spicy oil.
But she still felt a little worried for Lin Minjun, "Every household has this thing, and anyone can make it. Can you sell it?"
Lin Minjun cannot guarantee other things, but her cooking skills are definitely up to par. Let alone a grand meal, even a snack as simple as fried potatoes is so simple that when she was at home, many children were unwilling to eat their own food, so they gave her potatoes and oil to cook, and the taste she created is unique and delicious.
So Lin Minjun said gently, "Mom, frying potatoes requires oil and chili powder. It's very troublesome to make it at home. Besides, one person can only make one flavor. Maybe someone likes the flavor I make."
The two of them discussed whether they could make money by eating fried potatoes. Finally, Aunt Xu was convinced. "That makes sense. Girl, don't you want to adjust the taste?"
"Yes, what's the matter?" Lin Minjun looked confused.
Aunt Xu clapped her hands and said, "You have just moved here. I plan to take you to recognize your face in the yard. In the future, when we meet outside, I can also help you. The people living in our yard are all authentic old Beicheng people." People, the taste is also old-fashioned Taste, they say it tastes good, your business is guaranteed to be good. I am thinking now, if you want to find someone to try the taste, prepare some later, I will take you to deliver some door to door, recognize each other, and give more gifts People are not weird, what do you think?”
She added, "Of course, it depends on your own opinion. If you are willing to give it, then give it. If not, I will take you to visit other people. In short, you just need to get to know everyone in this courtyard."
"I'd like to. How about this, I'll do it in the afternoon and we'll go in the evening?" Lin Minjun nodded of course.
"It's settled. Go back quickly. It's very cold outside."
Of course the more people you have for taste tasting the better, and you don’t have to worry about whether others are full or not. You can just try a small portion and give your opinions, which is great.
The most important thing is that potatoes are cheap!
Lin Minjun carried the potatoes back to her room, took a stool and sat in the small kitchen at the door, washed the potatoes, and began to peel them.
After peeling and cutting into small pieces, you have to soak them in water to soak out the starch inside.
They were busy for the whole afternoon. When it was getting dark, people in the yard started to come back from get off work, and Lin Minjun started to fry potatoes in a pan. Some people like to eat crispy potatoes with a soft and glutinous inside, while others like to eat them raw and crispy. Lin Minjun fried both kinds.
After frying, add various seasonings to the potatoes, then add mint, coriander, and chili powder that I brought from Yunnan, mix well, and put it in a small bowl. It's done.
Lin Minjun first gave one copy to Aunt Xu, and then Aunt Xu led her to identify people in the yard.
Let’s start from the second courtyard. No one lives in the main house of the second courtyard, but a master and his family live in the west wing.
"The eldest master is an electrician with a high rank and high salary. He is in charge of our yard. If you have any difficulties in the future, just go to him." Aunt Xu warned.
When fried potatoes were brought to the door, the eldest grandfather said no at first, but his little grandson kept jumping around and asking for some. In the end, he was given a bowl and ate it with great relish. The whole family also took a piece to taste it.
After visiting the house of the eldest master, we went to the house of the first master in the courtyard, that of the Ma master. Ma master was also an employee of the power supply bureau and a leader. Although he did not hold the title of the eldest master, he was also an uncrowned official in the courtyard.
When she brought gifts, the masters of both families were all smiling. When they heard that Lin Minjun was a girl from Yunnan and came to the capital alone, they all praised her for being independent and strong, saying that women can hold up half the sky.
After eating the fried potatoes, the two grandfathers were full of praise. The eldest grandfather even said, "It is said that the little girl is going to set up a stall nearby to sell fried potatoes. I think it's a good idea. This thing is delicious and the business will definitely be good."
Mr. Ma is a leader, so he spoke more respectfully. "Well, the country now supports individual businesses. If you set up a stall to make a living, it will also reduce the burden on the country. Well done, work hard, and you will definitely succeed."
Just by making a fried potato, she got the approval of the two masters in the yard?
And they all like it, which proves that the business will be good, right?
Lin Minjun smiled slightly and nodded.
The eldest master was good at speaking, but his wife, the eldest mother, was not so good. She never thought before she spoke. Suddenly, she said, "Oh my God, a woman setting up a stall outside, isn't that showing off and being unfaithful to her husband?"
Suddenly, a murderous look from the eldest master swept over.