Chapter 32: Pickled Papaya

Actually, sour papaya is not a local specialty of Yuncheng.

Therefore, when Xia Tang started to slice the papaya, Ma Dafeng and Chen Meijuan were quite surprised:

"Boss, what are you doing?"

After hearing Xia Tang's simple explanation of how to cook and eat it, he couldn't help but say:

“Will this be delicious?”

"It's delicious, it must be delicious."

Xia Tang smiled and narrowed her eyes. "Just wait for the food."

There are two ways to make sour papaya.

One is to soak the whole thing, which takes longer, usually about a month.

The other is what Xia Tang is doing now.

Cut the papaya into slices of uniform thickness and place them in a coarse porcelain jar along with cold boiled water with sugar and salt.

After completing the above step, add garlic, chili, ginger and a small amount of wine, press the papaya slices tightly to release air, and finally cover and seal.

This method makes the fermentation faster and the taste is sweet and sour. Not only is the color bright golden, but the taste is also very complex.

It has all the flavors of fruit, wine, sourness and sweetness, and tastes crispy and juicy. It is a double enjoyment of texture and taste.

Now that he has help, Xia Tang has more time to make sour papaya.

She stored several jars of sour papayas in a row. While cooking, she couldn't help thinking how delicious the sour papayas would be when they were taken out of the cellar to make fish cooked with sour papaya, shredded papaya with salad, stir-fried beef with sour papaya, etc.

A whole day's work is spent in busyness.

Chen Meijuan had something to do today, so she told Xia Tang in advance and left at around seven o'clock.

Ma Dafeng and Chen Minyun who arrived later stayed at the end to clear the dishes and clean the house.

After working for a few days, Chen Minyun and the other two became familiar with each other.

Ma Dafeng and Chen Meijuan both knew about Chen Minyun's situation, and were even more surprised that she could now help with things.

Today, Chen Meijuan was not at home, so Ma Dafeng pointed at Chen Minyun who was washing dishes diligently and said to Xia Tang:

"Boss, I think this girl is different recently."

Xia Tang was doing some accounting, and after hearing this he just raised his head casually:

"Really?"

She didn't think it was any different.

She felt that Chen Minyun had always been like that.

But to see obvious changes in her, an opportunity is needed.

She didn't know if her shop was an opportunity, but if it was, she would be even happier.

Ma Dafeng sighed:

"I've been watching that girl for several years... She and her sister... It's really not easy..."

"Don't be fooled by Minzhi's cheerful appearance. Her mother-in-law..."

Having said this, Ma Dafeng stopped talking again.

At this moment, Chen Minzhi's voice came from the door:

"Oh, you're all done."

Xia Tang responded without looking up and continued to settle her account.

Chen Minzhi went to the kitchen to check on Chen Minyun first, then turned around and didn't see Chen Meijuan, so she couldn't help but frown:

"Where is Meijuan?"

"She has something to do, so she's going back first."

Xia Tang said.

Chen Minzhi couldn't help but curl her lips, but didn't say anything.

Of the two people she introduced, she felt that Ma Dafeng was reliable, but there was still something wrong with Chen Meijuan.

Apart from anything else, she is rather weak and likes to take advantage of others. Although it is harmless, she doesn't like it. These shortcomings will affect Xia Tang.

Now, this person has already left early before the trial is even over.

As a team leader in the workshop, Chen Minzhi understood these people's sneaky intentions best, and her face immediately looked unhappy.

However, it didn't look good, and she couldn't tell Xia Tang about it. She just planned to wait until tomorrow and talk to Chen Meijuan in private.

Xia Tang had no idea what Chen Minzhi was thinking.

She was concentrating on calculating the accounts, and as she did so, she was secretly delighted:

In the past few days, her daily net income has actually increased again.

At the beginning, it was twenty a day, but with the help of others in the past few days, it has increased to more than thirty a day!

Thirty a day! In that case, wouldn't it be over a thousand a month?

Even if we deduct the salaries for three people, we can still make a net profit of 800.

Opening a snack bar is really profitable!

Xia Tang was so surprised that even when he looked at Chen Minzhi, his face was filled with joy:

"Sister Minzhi, wasn't it me who sent Minyun back home before? Why are you here today?"

"I... just wanted to come and take a look."

Chen Minzhi pursed her lips but did not tell the truth.

She came here today, actually to have an argument with her mother-in-law.

Everything was fine these days.

She would send her sister over every day, then go home to pick up the children and cook, and her life was back on track.

As Chen Minyun came back late, she had less interactions with her mother-in-law and the others, which left them with less to talk about.

I thought that everything would be fine, but unexpectedly, during dinner last night, my mother-in-law actually said that Minyun is making money now and needs to pay for my living expenses every month!

Chen Minzhi was so angry that she laughed.

Living expenses!

Chen Minyun has made money, but now she hardly eats at home!

She went to work with Chen Minzhi every morning, and had canteen meal tickets for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

I just set up a bed on the balcony to sleep on. I had to pay living expenses to sleep at my sister's house!

Give twenty every month!

Why should she give twenty?

You can rent a house outside at the age of 20!

Chen Minzhi was unhappy, but she couldn't say anything harsh, so she could only try to refute the request, saying that she earned little now and it was not enough to spend.

But unexpectedly, Wang Kaiyun actually said, can't Chen Minyun still earn one dollar a day after work?

If you calculate it this way, it’s a lot every month, so why not give me living expenses!

Not only that, she even looked at Chen Minzhi with sarcasm, saying that her sister-in-law didn't have a job, but she was only concerned about finding one for her sister.

Say she is a traitor!

Only then did Chen Minzhi realize that living expenses were one thing, and Wang Kaiyun’s real intention was waiting here!

Seeing that she found a part-time job for Chen Minyun for 31 months, I was jealous!

Let her arrange for her sister-in-law as well!

But how could she introduce Liang Yanfang, a person who only wants to eat and wait for death, to Xia Tang!

Isn't that cheating her?

Moreover, no one knew that Chen Minyun had a salary except Xia Tang and the two helpers.

How did they know?

Chen Minzhi didn't understand, but she didn't want to argue.

But she didn't agree, and just endured her mother-in-law's nagging without saying a single soft word.

But she didn't expect that after work today, her mother-in-law would still nag her about this matter.

The implication was that she should bring Chen Minyun back and let Liang Yanfang go.

Chen Minzhi really couldn't bear it anymore, so she scolded her mother-in-law for a long time and finally slammed the door and walked out.

She didn't want to go back to her parents' home, but it made her worry, so she subconsciously came here.

It was only when she saw the sign of Tangji Snack Shop that Chen Minzhi realized, belatedly, that, like Chen Minyun, she seemed to have regarded this place as her own "place".

She didn't say any of these words to Xia Tang.

However, on the way home, she pulled Ma Dafeng over and asked her if she had told anyone about Chen Minyun.

Ma Dafeng was startled and quickly denied it:

"Minzhi, you can't not trust me on this matter!"

"How can I, an old woman, tell anyone else what you told me before?"

In fact, Chen Minzhi felt that it was not Ma Dafeng who said that.

She is not a local, but she is the most familiar person in the tube building.

She is a decent person and doesn't spread gossip. The person who gets to talk about it may not be her.

But if it wasn't Ma Dafeng, then it would be...

Chen Minzhi's eyes darkened and she bit her lower lip hard.

*

To be honest, Chen Meijuan's working days are pretty good.

She was uneducated, but thanks to Chen Minzhi's introduction, she somehow found a job with good salary.

Forty bucks a month! That’s more than what Chen Minyun earns from her regular job. And if something happens at home, she can leave early. How can it not be considered a good job?

However, her good work these days was always a little overshadowed by one person.

This person is Liang Yanfang.

Liang Yanfang is the wife of her cousin Chen Minming, so she naturally knows him.

Before, because both of them were unemployed at home, their relationship was even closer than that of Chen Minzhi and the others.

So, after Chen Minzhi found a job for her, she went to work for a day and then Chen Meijuan told Liang Yanfang.

"Hey, that's not bad. How much do you make in a month?"

Chen Meijuan's voice was slightly boastful:

"Forty per month, one and a half days off per week, and you can also take leave on weekdays."

After saying this, she showed Liang Yanfang the fried potatoes in her hand:

"I made a pot of it before I left today, and there was some left, so I brought it back."

In fact, when she was making it, Ma Dafeng kept saying that she put too much, but she ignored him, so there was so much left.

Liang Yanfang's eyes were full of jealousy, but she said:

"Don't think that Chen Minzhi found this for you. In fact, it's all because of your own ability."

Chen Meijuan was very happy to hear that.

Liang Yanfang asked again:

"Is Chen Minyun also working there? How much does she make per month?"

"She gets paid one dollar a day."

Chen Meijuan felt a little regretful after saying this.

After all, Chen Minzhi had told her not to tell anyone, so why did she keep silent?

"Her? She's such a taciturn person that she can make a dollar a day?"

Liang Yanfang sneered.

"If that's the case, I don't think you've earned much."

Chen Meijuan felt uncomfortable again.

She didn't want to continue talking to Liang Yanfang, but Liang Yanfang loved to talk to her.

Their two families lived close to each other, and Liang Yanfang had plenty of free time.

Every time she came back, Liang Yanfang would rush over as if she had smelled something and would tell her about her part-time job at the snack bar.

In just a few days, she had learned almost everything about the business there.

When she heard that Xia Tang's rice noodles sold about a hundred bowls a day, Liang Yanfang's eyes widened:

"Wow, that's a lot of money!"

Chen Meijuan is honest after all:

"Boss Xia's food is delicious, so he deserves to make so much money."

Liang Yanfang chuckled:

"It's not all rice noodles. If she can make it, you can make it too. How delicious can she make it?"

"Maybe you can do better than her!"

"Don't talk nonsense."

Chen Meijuan denied it, but she listened to it in the end.