Chapter 6060 Vegetable Bean Curd
Even when she was sitting at Xia Dong's wedding banquet, Xia Dafang was always floating.
The host was speaking on the stage covered with red cloth, but Xia Tang's figure was always swaying in front of her eyes.
The one with the protruding belly, speechless, talking nonsense, laughing sarcastically, gradually merged into the thin figure from earlier.
On the stage, Xia Dong and Wang Xinyue were pushed onto the stage. The people below the stage started to make a noise. Xia Lulu stood at the edge of the stage with a smug look on her face.
Xia Dafang suddenly felt uncomfortable.
She even wondered what it was like when Xia Tang got married.
What would her younger brothers and sisters think if they knew what had happened between her and the Xia family?
Xia Dafang didn't know the answer.
She felt that Xia Tang and them shouldn't have been like this.
If Xia Tang had been more honest and behaved, wouldn't she be following Xia Lulu to make money now?
She still doesn't listen.
Xia Dafang told himself this, but even with this thought, he still felt uneasy.
At this time, her husband Yu Wenxi came over and said:
"Dafang, didn't you receive a referral fee a few days ago? Can you give me a hundred?"
Here we go again.
Yu Wenxi used to be very good at saving money. But ever since they started collecting introduction fees from Xia Lulu for orchid seedlings, he has become more and more extravagant.
Xia Dafang looked at him:
"What do you want to do?"
Yu Wenxi said:
"Isn't our mother's birthday coming up? I was thinking of buying her a silver bracelet to make the old lady happy."
It’s not my 60th or 80th birthday, it’s just an ordinary birthday...do I have to buy me a bracelet?
Xia Dafang was unhappy and glared at her husband:
"I don't have a hundred. Give me fifty. And don't buy a bracelet. Just buy a coat, right?"
Yu Wenxi seemed a little disappointed, but still agreed.
Xia Dafang was even more unhappy about her husband's request for money, and she became emotional when she looked at Xia Lulu on the stage.
This Xia Lulu is also...
When Xia Dong got married, she sang and danced.
It seems like all these platforms were built for her, which is really inappropriate.
She felt contempt in her heart, but she didn't dare to say the same thing about Xia Lulu as she did about Xia Tang.
Who made her the God of Wealth of the Xia family?
On the other side, Xia Lulu went on stage and spoke for a long time after the bride and groom got married.
He was not satisfied with just talking. Not long into the meal, he started spinning around the table with a wine glass in his hand, drinking one glass of liquor after another. He looked so happy.
She laughed, drank, and talked as if no one was around, as if the huge state-owned hotel had become her own territory.
So happy, so arrogant.
Xie Minghui was sitting at the main table watching.
He didn't like drinking, but after being flattered by others, he had a drink and his head hurt a little.
When he looked at Xia Lulu, the disgust in his eyes could no longer be hidden.
Indeed, he had recently become a big shot in school because of Xia Lulu. After contacting the dean with Lan Huamiao, the appointment report of the subject leader was immediately submitted. The dean also promised that after a few years as a leader, he would be promoted to the department leader, and then, promotion to dean leader and associate professor would be just around the corner.
Xie Minghui is happy to see his promotion.
But this does not mean that he is used to Xia Lulu's behavior.
Maybe you're used to it on the surface, but the unhappiness in your heart has been suppressed layer by layer and it's almost unbearable.
"Thank you, teacher. You are so nice to Lulu!"
A soft yet slightly arrogant voice came from beside me.
Xie Minghui turned around with sleepy eyes, and saw Su Man looking at her with slightly red cheeks.
She was beautiful, with long curly hair, cat eyes, and a big sweater. Although she was older than them, she looked more mature.
She was so close that one could smell the perfume on her body.
It smells so good.
This is the type of woman he admires most.
She is much more feminine than Xia Lulu and Xia Tang.
A woman among women.
Xie Minghui remembered that Xia Lulu had said that Su Man and her husband had a bad relationship.
But why is the relationship not going well? She is so beautiful and charming, just like a woman who has walked out of a famous book.
Noble, proud, and born with a sense of fragmentation that comes from fighting tragedy.
Who wouldn’t love a woman like this?
Xie Minghui could not help but move closer to Su Man, smelling her perfume, and whispered:
"I am just a gentleman. I am nice to everyone."
Suman's cat eyes narrowed:
"Really? I don't believe it."
Xie Minghui really wanted to get close to her and make her believe him more.
But the next second, his body was pulled back forcefully.
Xia Lulu came up to him with her red lips painted on:
"Brother Minghui! Come! Let's toast together!"
After saying that, he pulled Xie Minghui up without further ado and walked towards the crowd.
Xie Minghui was forced to stand up. He staggered along with Xia Lulu, and couldn't help but look back at Suman. However, he saw that the woman narrowed her eyes, and when she saw him looking at her, she curled her lips at him.
The entire wedding banquet was as lively as a pot of porridge.
It was not until three or four in the afternoon that the movement gradually died down.
Xia Lulu was drunk, with her hands around Xie Minghui's neck, and she was almost unable to walk.
The group of people had no choice but to send Xia Lulu and Xie Minghui to the only wedding car.
Even when the wedding car drove downstairs and the two people staggered out of the car, Xia Lulu was still drunk.
Although she didn't wake up, the cool afternoon breeze still made her slightly more awake. She held onto Xie Minghui's neck and giggled:
"Brother Minghui, is it...lively today?"
After she finished speaking, she suddenly muttered to herself:
"Today... is so nice... I wish I could marry you again... just like now..."
Xie Minghui felt like vomiting from the smell of alcohol on her mouth and body. He helped her stand up with difficulty and asked her if she could walk by herself.
The next second, Xia Lulu fell into his arms again, drunk:
"I can't walk... carry me... carry me upstairs..."
Xie Minghui gnashed his teeth in anger. He was originally a little drunk, but now he was completely sobered by his anger.
"Can't you just walk away on your own?"
After all, he was just a scholar, how could he carry a living person like Xia Lulu on his back?
However, Xia Lulu seemed to have decided on him and clung to him, refusing to get off.
There was no other choice, Xie Minghui had to put her on his back, try his best, and lift her up by her butt.
Xie Minghui was thin, and Xia Lulu was not comfortable sitting on his back.
But she didn't seem to care about this. Instead, she rubbed Xie Minghui's neck with her messy head:
"Brother Minghui...husband! You are so kind!"
"What does husband mean?"
Xie Minghui didn't understand what was going on, but he didn't get an answer from Xia Lulu, so he had to grit his teeth and walk up the stairs step by step.
Xia Lulu lay on his back, her body felt so heavy that she wanted to fall down, but Xie Minghui's hands would lift her up from her buttocks.
She followed Xie Minghui's rhythm dazedly and even began to doze off while walking.
She thought about her past life, and about her cuckolded husband;
Thinking of how Xia Tang targeted him and ruined his life;
Thinking about this life, when I first came back, I was rejected by Xie Minghui, despised by Liu Mei, and unreasonable attacks from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law...
As I thought about it, I actually felt aggrieved, my nose twitched and tears flowed.
Xie Minghui heard Xia Lulu's voice behind him and felt a wetness on his neck.
He couldn't help asking:
"Xia Lulu, what's wrong with you?"
But the next second, Xia Lulu suddenly burst into tears.
She cried so hard and it was actually quite miserable.
She said:
"Xie Ming Hui, it's not easy for me to find you! You have to treat me well in the future, understand?"
"Who am I fighting for? It's all for you!"
"If you're sorry for me... I'll... I'll..."
But she just couldn't get out.
Xie Minghui turned his head to look at her, but saw that Xia Lulu's head was tilted to the side with her mouth open, as if she had fallen asleep.
Xie Minghui sighed, shook Xia Lulu's butt, and said to himself:
"Just crazy."
*
As the month of Leon approaches, the winter in Yuncheng becomes increasingly gloomy.
People all wore heavy winter clothes, and when they got up in the morning, the ground was sometimes covered with a layer of frost.
On the street, people were walking in a hurry, with white steam coming out of their mouths, and their hands were stuffed in their sleeves or pockets, unwilling to take them out.
Winter is changing everyone's behavior in its own way.
As winter approached, business at the three Tangji stores finally stabilized.
There is a fixed flow of customers every day, and people start queuing at mealtime, which has become a common practice for the three Tangji stores.
And Chen Minzhi finally submitted her resignation application to the factory.
When Xia Tang asked her about it, she said cheerfully:
"I'm really too busy right now to spend the extra time. Whoever wants to earn the few tens of dollars from the factory can do it!"
Xia Tang did not try to persuade her, but secretly resolved to make Tang Ji better and bigger and never let Chen Minzhi down.
This year, she opened three stores with great success, which is a pretty good achievement.
She will have to choose a location next year and try to open the fourth and fifth stores to truly form a chain operation of Tang Kee.
However, the New Year is coming soon, so I won’t rush for now.
There are more important things to do right now.
Qin Yue's house has been decorated.
After discussing it, the couple decided to go to the countryside to pick up Wu Chunmei, Qin Lian and others to celebrate the New Year together, and also make some plans for the coming year.
Qin Yue went back to his hometown to pick up his family. Xia Tang wanted to wait at the train station, but was rejected by Qin Yue.
He told Xia Tang to just wait at home and not to do anything else.
On the day when he was supposed to come back, Xia Tang waited until the afternoon before he heard a knock on the door.
As soon as the door opened, Qin Lian led the girl in front and called out as soon as she entered:
"sister in law."
She was wearing a nearly new jacket, which looked much more relaxed than when they first met.
妞子頭上紮着兩個小揪揪，似乎比上次見面時又拔高了一些，小腦袋一點一點的，甚是可愛。
夏棠笑着應。
背後的水根兒聽到了也有樣學樣：
“嫂子。”
就連妞子都跟着奶聲奶氣的叫了聲“嫂子”，倒是讓夏棠忍俊不禁了。
她家裏早就備了水果和牛奶糖，圓的扁的方的甜的酸的，招呼着幾個孩子過來吃。
秦蓮沒過來，将行李都放到了屋子裏，收拾了起來。
水根兒和妞子饞這一口，卻也規規矩矩的，一直等着夏棠給了，方才拿在手裏頭慢慢吃。
幾個人裏頭，吳春梅倒變成了最局促的一個人。
她原本就是個本分的老太太，本分到有點軟弱。
最近因為秦越有了出息，在村裏倒是有人找着聊天。
沒少聽那些老婆子出的主意，說什麽媳婦就是要壓着，要不就騎在婆婆頭上拉屎。
吳春梅看着夏棠，倒是不覺得她能騎在自己頭上。
只不過一路上聽着秦越說起夏棠做買賣的那些事兒，只擔心這個兒媳婦那麽能幹，會不會瞧不上她鄉下老婆子。
她心裏頭這麽擔心，表現出來的便更局促。
整個人坐在客廳的凳子上，幾乎是坐立難安。
秦越和夏棠的家具都是找木工打的。
客廳做了木質的靠椅，刷了黃漆，樣式看上去比一般人家的好看。
椅子上還鋪了一層軟墊，淺棕的顏色看上去很幹淨。
吳春梅坐在上頭，半個屁股都懸空在外頭，心裏頭只擔心，自己會不會把夏棠的軟墊子給弄髒了。
一直到夏棠将茶水端了進來，見到這樣的吳春梅，不由得有些無奈：
“媽，您往後坐坐吧，這樣不舒服。”
說完，便将吳春梅攙扶着，往後面湊了湊。
吳春梅的背這才靠到了椅背上。
不過她仍然渾身不得勁兒，見到秦蓮正在一旁收拾東西，便忍不住湊過去要幫忙。
秦蓮也有些無語的看着她媽：
“媽，這點兒活我自己就做了，不用麻煩你。”
她手裏不停，吳春梅插不進去，卻也不願意去客廳坐，反而一直圍在秦蓮邊上。
秦蓮實在是沒辦法，小辮子一甩，看着吳春梅：
“媽，你別這樣，嫂子人挺好的，你瞎緊張幹嘛呢？”
“我……我不是緊張……”
吳春梅欲言又止。她回頭看了看正在和水根兒妞子說話的夏棠，又轉過了頭：
“但這畢竟是她們家，你說咱們在這待時間長了，還不得被人厭啊！”
秦蓮将最後一件衣服疊好了放進衣櫃，轉頭對她媽無奈的說：
“要我說呀，你就不應該跟二姨說那麽多的話！”
*
秦蓮和吳春梅她們都在秦越家住了下來。
秦越的房子不算小，有兩個卧室，但這麽多人突然住進來，還是未免有些局促。
夏棠和秦越商量了一下，決定讓吳春梅和秦蓮睡在客卧的床上。
妞子則和她一起住主卧，水根兒則和秦越一起在客廳支小床睡。
這麽一安排，秦蓮反倒是有些不好意思了：
“嫂子，要不妞子還是跟着我們，我在家也是摟着她睡的，都習慣了。”
夏棠淺笑，露出一個小梨渦：
“那多不合适，水根兒和妞子本來就應該跟着我們的，眼下讓你們照顧，已經很麻煩了。這幾天在我這住着，就不用你們再勞累了。”
秦蓮抿着唇沒說話。
晚上睡覺的時候，吳春梅跟秦蓮說起這件事，一張嘴又是吳春柳說給她聽的那些個話：
“蓮兒，你說你嫂子是不是嫌棄我們了？”
秦蓮避着眼睛眯着：
“媽，人家那也是好心，你就別多心了。”
翌日是個好天氣。
雖然仍是年末的冬，和煦的陽光仍給人的心裏投下不少溫暖。
即使這溫暖，沒法透到身體上。
夏棠和秦越領着一家人逛街。
時值年末，此時的後街，熙熙攘攘的多出了不少買年貨的人。
賣年貨的小攤販們推着車子、擺着地攤兒，在街邊上熱情的吆喝着。
臘雞臘肉、大條完整的火腿、農家曬得幹幹淨淨的普洱茶、甜的鹹的白的年糕……各式各樣的年貨擺在大街上，整條後街都透着一股子年味兒。
夏棠領着兩個孩子在一處賣雜糖的小攤旁停住。
攤主支了一張大桌子，上面散擺了各種雜糖，有冬瓜糖、寸金糖、牛皮糖、花生沾、芝麻片等等，一共大概有十多種。各種不同樣式的糖都散發着同一種誘人的甜香，讓水根兒和妞子看着都走不動道。
夏棠讓兩個孩子點着選，一共買了兩斤糖。
水根兒和妞子一人黏着一顆雜糖，吃的別提多開心。
倒是吳春梅還是有些抹不開的樣子，說：
“也不用給他們買那麽多……多破費啊！”
夏棠笑笑還沒說話，秦蓮就先把她媽給拉過去了：
“媽，你別說了，這也是嫂子的一片心。”
後街上熱鬧的非比尋常。
秦蓮和吳春梅之前只趕過農村的墟市，哪裏看到過這樣熱鬧的場面的，一開始還有些緊張，漸漸的也被買買買迷失了眼。
秦蓮挑了一條漂亮的圍巾，吳春梅則買了雙老婆兒鞋，黑色的絨面黃色的牛津底兒，看着別提多結實。
一家人樂呵呵的逛着後街，不知不覺的，便逛出了街，逛到了藥材廠的正門。
吳春梅用手指着“雲城藥材廠”五個紅色的大字，問夏棠：
“這個地方，是你以前的工廠不？”
“嗯，之前是，現在早已經不在裏頭做了。”
吳春梅沒說話，心裏卻忍不住的想為啥不做了呀！
這要是有個固定工作的，不是更好嗎？
逛到中午，夏棠便提議去棠記三店看看。
秦蓮原本就聽說她這個嫂子做生意厲害，一聽立馬來了精神，抱着妞子走在了最前頭。
三店裏熱鬧的氛圍絲毫未減。
人們老老實實的在排隊，最近剛剛推出菜豆花，很快便成了食客們争先品嘗的對象。
陳敏芝正領着笑笑在店裏接待客人，見到夏棠一行人走進來，便笑着迎了上去。
“呦，今天咱們店熱鬧了，把貴客都給等來了。”
她原本就是個快□□說笑的人，幾句之後，當下便說得吳春梅和秦蓮心裏頭暖烘烘的。
水根兒和妞子，更是直接和笑笑玩成了一團。
陳敏芝讓員工把新上的菜豆花盛了，每個人都給上了一碗。
一邊看着她們吃，一邊在旁邊介紹：
“這個是咱們店的新品，有不同口味的菜豆花，大娘您的是清淡的，蓮兒的是甜的，秦越和夏棠的是辣的。別看這菜豆花做法簡單，但味道可确實不一般，現在來店裏的啊，十有八九都得點上一碗。”
吳春梅忍不住往旁邊一看。
果然，旁邊的桌子上，大多都有一碗菜豆花。
排隊的人群裏頭，還有不少拿了個大盔子，比比劃劃的讓服務員給他打滿一點兒。
不過，眼前這碗綠盈盈的吃食，真的有那麽好吃嗎？
吳春梅将信将疑的舀了一勺放進嘴裏，頓時忍不住的眯起了眼睛。
嗯，是好吃。
剛一入嘴，豆子那濃郁又微甜的香味頓時便散溢了開來。她的菜豆花裏面放的是用豌豆苗和嫩白菜做成的配料，細碎的蔬菜被煮得軟爛，和豆花一起放進嘴裏，蔬菜的清香和配料的鹹味同時都激發了出來，再配合獨特的豆子味兒，并不是特別刺激的口感，卻讓人忍不住吃了一口，再吃一口。
吳春梅一口接一口的吃，不多時，便将一整碗的菜豆花吃了個精光。
吃完之後，她對着陳敏芝伸了個大拇指：
“閨女，你做的味道真不賴！真是個賢惠人兒！”
陳敏芝哈哈大笑：
“可惜這賢惠用不出去喽！大娘，我已經離婚啦！”
離婚？
吳春梅的嘴巴張得老大，她聽不得這句話，連忙移開了眼神。
逛街的時候難免有插曲，但總的來說，所有人都逛得十分開心。
在機械廠食堂吃完晚飯後，夏棠有事要去中央廚房看一眼，秦越則陪着其他人，慢慢的往家的方向走。
逛了一整天，妞子已經累的睡着了。
秦越背着她，一邊走，一邊散漫的和吳春梅說着話。
吳春梅最裏頭瑣碎，說的還是家裏頭的那些老事兒，什麽這家的雞被狼掏了，那家的孩子小學沒畢業就沒上學，誰誰誰新娶的媳婦又鬧着要回娘家什麽的。
說得瑣碎沒營養，卻也是吳春梅在家裏頭經歷慣了的日子。
秦越雖然不怎麽愛聽，但也耐着性子的聽着，鮮少打斷他媽的話。
不知怎麽就說到了吳春柳。
吳春梅說了兩句，停頓了一會兒，突然試探的問：
“老大，你二姨說她也想進城裏過年呢。”
秦越的腳步慢了一下：
“她想來是她的事兒，咱們也管不着。”
吳春梅奔奔坎坎的說：
“她……想住你們這兒。”
秦越的眉心微不可聞的皺了一下。
他耐着性子，聽到吳春梅繼續說：
"You know your second aunt's temper. She doesn't get along with her daughter-in-law, and they always fight during the New Year. So she thought about bringing your sister Fang to the city to celebrate the New Year, so she wouldn't have to cook for her daughter-in-law and avoid any trouble."
She knew in her heart that this request was a bit excessive, but she still looked at her son eagerly.
After all, Qin Yue was a good son praised by everyone in the village, and he could always understand her difficulties.
But unexpectedly, as soon as these words were spoken, the first person to oppose was Qin Lian.
"Mom, this is not okay."
Qin Lian simply stopped and looked at her mother with a puzzled look on her face:
"Mom, did Second Aunt drug you? How can you even say such words in front of my brother!"
Wu Chunmei was immediately embarrassed:
"What did I say? Isn't she your brother's second aunt? Your brother has a house in the city, so can't the second aunt come and stay for a few days?"
"Why does she live here? Is it because she is so shameless?"
Qin Lian said it bluntly:
"Mom, I wouldn't say anything if you gave the good things that my brother gave you to my second aunt. But you brought her and Hu Fang to my brother's house. This is not okay! I will be the first to disagree!"