"Mom." The obedient and sweet voice of the little baby finally attracted Xu Xiangjuan's attention.
Just as she saw off the customer who was buying steamed buns, she noticed Niu Niu who had become a little cat.
Half of the sweet potato had been hollowed out. Niu Niu put it in his mouth, but he couldn't eat anything and just made his little face dirty.
The black burnt shell and slightly yellow sweet potato flesh of the sweet potato stuck to the corners of his mouth, and the little overalls were not spared, and his chubby hands were even dirtier.
Xu Xiangjuan ordered Zhou Chengning: "Aning, come in and hold Niu Niu."
Zhou Chengning heard his lover's voice coming in, and saw Niu Niu still holding the sweet potato in his hand. He hesitated for a moment: "Juan, do you want to carry Niu Niu to wash his hands and face?"
Xu Xiangjuan: "Well, you hold Niu Niu and I will wash Niu Niu."
One to control, one to wash.
With the cooperation of his lover, Zhou Chengning is not so resistant to Dirty Baby Niu Niu.
He took a shower last night, so he was clean today. Although he was roasting sweet potatoes outside, he didn't get himself dirty. But he didn't want to be dirty by Niu Niu.
Xu Xiangjuan took the remaining sweet potato from Niu Niu. Niu Niu was reluctant to give it up, but since it was his mother who gave it to him, he didn't cry out much. He just kept asking his mother to give him another one.
Zhou Chengning picked up Niu Niu from behind. He didn't have the courage to hug his son from the front, for fear that his dirty little hands would directly touch his face and clothes.
His daughter and son-in-law were both out, and even though it was only for a short while, Xu Gensheng still felt that he had a great responsibility. While talking to the customers who were currently eating spicy hot pot, he also did not forget to pay attention to whether there were any new customers arriving.
Some guests like to eat quietly by themselves, while some guests like to talk. Xu Gensheng can tell which type of guests they are.
It’s actually very simple. You can tell what kind of people some guests are just by the way they start talking.
Xiao Li came into the shed carrying a package: "Uncle, your package has arrived. I'll put it here for you."
Xu Gensheng stood up and said, "Xiao Li, just put it here. Thank you for your help."
"Uncle, do you have buns for sale at noon? Just give me two buns. If you don't have buns, steamed buns will do." Xiao Li took out a wallet from his inner pocket and took out fifty cents.
"We have buns. I'll get them." Little Gua Gua ran out of the shed to get buns for the customers.
Xu Gensheng: "My granddaughter ran away quickly. She ran away without even asking what kind of buns she wanted."
Xiao Li is not that particular. He has tried all the buns here. They are delicious. He has no particular preference for any one. "Uncle, I can eat any bun. I'm not running around outside. Come in and have a bun to warm up."
In the kitchen, Zhou Chengning sat on a small stool holding Niu Niu. Xu Xiangjuan poured hot water into a small basin, adjusted the water temperature, and used it to wipe Niu Niu's hands and face.
"Grandma, the guests want two buns!" Gua Gua ran to the kitchen and shouted.
Niu Niu was being served by his parents. When he heard his sister's voice, he called out Baozi and continued to let his mother wash his face and hands.
His lover's movements were gentle, and the towel was wrung out from hot water, so Zhou Chengning wanted his lover to wash his face.
Wu Caifeng: "Guagua, what kind of buns does the guest want?"
Gua Gua: "Any buns are fine. Grandma, pack them for me and I'll take them out for the guests."
I haven't done any work this month. I will get more wages at the end of the month if I work.
There is a big difference between one cent and two cents.
Xu Xiangjuan wiped Niu Niu's face and hands and said, "Mom, I'll go outside and ask."
The child probably didn't hear clearly, and when he saw the guests coming, he ran excitedly into the kitchen.
The adults didn't believe him, so Guagua talked to Niu Niu: "Niu Niu, you believe your sister, right? It doesn't matter what the guest says."
Niu Niu: "Ahhh."
Guagua: "Niuniu believes what I say, why don't grandma and mom believe it?"
Wu Caifeng felt that what her granddaughter said was correct, but just in case: "Grandma didn't disbelieve Guagua, your mother should go out and see if the customer wants some spicy hot pot."
Xu Xiangjuan came back with a package, "Mom, it's Xiao Li, I'm here to deliver the package, and I bought two buns. I'm picking out some vegetables right now, and I'm also going to have a bowl of spicy hot pot."
Wu Caifeng: "Did you ask for any buns?"
Xu Xiangjuan: "One tofu dish and one mushroom dish. Mom, remember to bring the package home when you and Dad go back tonight."
It was a package sent by my second sister. I had already told Xiao Li that the packages from my parents' house should be delivered directly to her house. Luckily, the items sent by my brothers and sisters were not large, so my parents could carry them when they got home at the end of the day.
Unlike the summer when we opened the shop for three or four hours in the afternoon to sell cold noodles, we are now open during the day, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The buns that Xiao Li wanted were actually ordered by Xu Xiangjuan. Xiao Li herself said that they were just two random buns, but she felt that she couldn't let Gua Gua think that her mother didn't trust her.
When Gua Gua heard his mother mention the specific buns, he doubted himself for a moment and scratched his head. Did she really remember it wrong?
"Guagua, help your mother serve the buns to the guests." Xu Xiangjuan handed the plate with two buns to Guagua.
Gua Gua had something to do, so he immediately went to deliver the buns, but he didn't run while delivering the buns. He walked carefully for fear of dropping the precious buns.
Xu Xiangjuan: "Aning, you take Niu Niu to the outside shed. I'll stay in the kitchen to cook the rice."
"Okay, I'll carry Niu Niu out."
Zhou Chengning quickly carried baby Niu Niu into the shed. Niu Niu did not resist and obediently let his father carry him to the shed.
Wu Caifeng saw her daughter washing rice leisurely, "Wait until the customers order before cooking the rice. Mom will do it."
Xu Xiangjuan: "Mom, don't worry, Dad knows how to weigh it, and Dad can do it alone."
Wu Caifeng thought about it and said, "Okay, let's give your dad a workout. I'll open the package and see what's inside."
Xu Xiangjuan: "Mom, it was sent by my second sister."
Wu Caifeng opened the package and said, "Juan, when the rice is ready, read to mom what's written in the letter."
Xu Xiangjuan: "Mom, I'll read it to you after I dry my hands."
Wu Caifeng: "Your sister gave you some dried meat, biscuits, and candy. Don't sell the dried meat. Keep it for your family to eat, and save the biscuits and candy for Guagua and Niu Niu."
Xu Xiangjuan: "I know, mom. I'm not the kind of person who thinks too much about money. You and dad can take the extra cookies and candies, and just leave some for me."
Save them for her and Aning. The cookies and candies her sister sent look like good stuff.
Xu Xiangjuan washed the rice, dried her hands and read the letter. The important content of the letter could be summarized as follows: "Mom, my second sister will not be back for the New Year."
After the four siblings started their own families, especially since my older brothers and sisters were all living away from home and transportation was not well developed, it was really difficult to get together for the New Year.
Wu Caifeng: "Your sister is not coming back this year. Why did she marry so far away?"
Xu Xiangjuan: "Didn't my sister come back last year? Maybe she will come back next year. Anyway, my third brother lives nearby, so he will definitely come back for the New Year."
Wu Caifeng: "We are now running a small business, and we are much better off. We need to find someone to do some renovations and buy some things to make the house look more luxurious, so that your brother and sister can stay at home comfortably during the New Year."
Xu Xiangjuan now disagrees with her mother's point of view: "Mom, why bother about whether my brother and sister are comfortable? They won't be staying for long. Just make sure you and Dad are comfortable. Don't worry about the children."
In the eyes of parents, their children are still children even when they have started their own families.
Wu Caifeng: "Girl, you still don't speak politely even after having a child. Your father and I are already half buried in the earth, why do we need to live in such a comfortable place?"
Xu Xiangjuan: "Whether I have children or not, I always speak like this. Mom, the meal is ready. I'll go outside and take a look."
In the shed.
Xiao Li was different from the customers who were already eating Malatang. He did not choose all vegetarian dishes. He also picked up some meat dishes from another small bamboo basket.
Zhou Chengning carried Niu Niu into the shed and sat him down, while he continued to watch the sweet potatoes outside.
After choosing, Xu Gensheng weighed it for Xiao Li to see. Xiao Li said there was no problem. Xu Gensheng also called his son-in-law outside to come in and weigh it again to confirm that there was no problem. The total amount was one yuan and one cent.
Xiao Li: "It's cheaper than eating out in the county town. The food in the county town is so expensive that I don't dare to eat there a second time."
Xu Gensheng: "County towns are indeed expensive, and provincial capitals are even more expensive. I went there a few times to visit old friends and brothers, and a meal cost several yuan, and the taste was not very good."
The first customer had almost finished his meal. "There are some delicious ones, but there are only a few to eat."
Zhou Chengning was about to take Xiao Li's dishes to the kitchen when he happened to meet his lover coming over.
Xu Xiangjuan saw Zhou Chengning halfway through the walk and took both baskets over. "Aning, get ready for lunch. Don't put new sweet potatoes in to roast. Wait until this afternoon."
Zhou Chengning: "Juan, I understand."
Xu Xiangjuan: "Ask Dad to keep an eye on Niu Niu and don't let him eat anything else."
At Niu Niu's age, he can stuff anything into his mouth, and winter doesn't affect his appetite.
Zhou Chengning: "Well, Juan, go and blanch the vegetables. I'll watch."
Xu Xiangjuan: "Okay."
Xiao Li had already smelled the sweet potato and asked Xu Gensheng: "Uncle, your sweet potatoes are also very fragrant. How much are they?"
"The big ones are 20 cents, the small ones are 10 cents." Xu Gensheng sent away the first customer who came to eat spicy hot pot and replied to Xiao Li who had already finished two buns.
His granddaughter just brought some buns over with a conflicted expression on her face, but he praised Gua Gua for being so sensible, and the little guy happily said nothing and sat on his little stool.
"I'll come back to eat next time a package is delivered."
"Okay."
Xiao Li is a package deliveryman. He is responsible for delivering packages to Dezao Town and nearby towns. He is usually not seen and his home is quite far from here, so every time he delivers a package to the Xu family, he will have a meal at the same time for convenience.
"Dad." Niu Niu blurted out a word.
"Dad, Niu Niu is calling you." Gua Gua shouted again on behalf of his brother.
In fact, Niu Niu's voice was quite loud. Zhou Chengning had already heard it and went into the shed. "Why is Niu Niu calling dad?"
Fat Niu Niu clapped his hands on his mouth.
Zhou Chengning probably knew what it meant, "Dad, go in and get Mom."
What's the point of calling dad? Mom is still the one in charge at home.
Niu Niu probably wants to eat sweet potatoes.
Zhou Chengning went to the kitchen. Xu Xiangjuan had just made some spicy hot pot and asked him to bring it out. She followed him out.
Zhou Chengning: "Juan, Niu Niu wants to eat sweet potatoes."
"It's time to eat, why are you eating sweet potatoes?"
“I didn’t let Niu Niu eat it.”
"Once Niu Niu has eaten his lunch, he won't want to eat sweet potatoes anymore."
The couple talked and soon arrived at the shed.
Xiao Li ate the spicy hot pot and praised it highly.
Xu Xiangjuan was talking to Niu Niu. Niu Niu vaguely understood what his mother meant, but he still wanted to eat sweet potatoes and wanted his mother to hold him.
Xu Xiangjuan picked up Niu Niu and walked out of the shed. "Our Niu Niu has grown up and is quite heavy."
"Isn't Niu Niu able to walk? Juan, I will help Niu Niu walk."
When Niu Niu saw that there were a few sweet potatoes on the stove, he immediately immersed himself in cooking them.
Xu Xiangjuan almost couldn't hold on, and Zhou Chengning took over and spanked her in time.
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