On the weekend, Song Xia prepared breakfast for Xia Ru and made a pot of soup before heading home. There were also dumplings and steamed buns she had made the day before in the refrigerator, so there was no need to worry about Xia Ru not being able to eat anything else.
Although reluctant, Xia Ru couldn't selfishly deprive Song Xia of her vacation, so she packed some fruit for Song Xia to take with her: "Sister Song, it's okay. Ever since I started eating your cooking, I haven't had any morning sickness. Today, Xiao Cheng and I can enjoy some time alone together. If all else fails, I can have him cook me some dumplings."
"Then I'll come earlier tomorrow."
Song Xia's mindset was different this time when she went home, because she had money in her hands. Perhaps she had heard Director Chen mention it, so Xia Ru gave her this month's salary and the reward for preparing meals for Xiao Cheng's company's annual meeting in advance. With this 40,000 yuan, she could first buy some new clothes for her parents and Tingting, and then have her father quit his job as a security guard.
“Why would I quit? It’s not tiring at all. I’m doing a great job. This job was arranged for me by Old Li because of his connections. If I just leave like this, wouldn’t I be letting Old Li down?” Song Shunguo refused to quit and even criticized her, “You spend money recklessly as soon as you have it. Why can’t we wear our clothes and shoes? Besides, you can earn so much this month, but what about in the future?”
“I will earn more in the future, Dad, Mom, Tingting. I’ve already thought it through. After I finish these two months and receive the company’s compensation and Qin Zhenwu’s inheritance, I plan to rent a house nearby and open a restaurant.”
"Why not save the money properly? Isn't it good as it is now? You can find a housekeeping job outside and work there. You won't have to work so hard, and you won't have to worry about losing money."
Song Xia smiled slightly. She knew that her parents' mindset was still the same as before, prioritizing conservatism. They were afraid that she would be overworked and that the money she had worked so hard to earn would go down the drain. But while being conservative was certainly not a bad thing, it couldn't provide the life she wanted for Tingting!
"Dad, Mom, you'll understand why I opened this restaurant once you try my cooking. Dad, the reason I asked you to quit your job is so you can help me oversee the renovations."
"Even if I'm at work, I won't miss keeping an eye on things for you." The two elders knew that their daughter's decisions were hard to change. That was how it was when she got married before, and now it's just a business, a restaurant. Even if their daughter couldn't handle it, they could help out. If they couldn't handle the big wok, they could sell noodles or something.
"Have you decided where to open it?"
"I've roughly decided on the location, but I haven't found a shop yet. The main problem is that even if I find one, I don't have the money to rent it right now, so I'll wait until after these two months to finish this job."
"Then I'll wait until you finish these two months before deciding whether to resign." Song Shunguo was worried that his daughter was unreliable; what if she changed her mind after two months?
Song Xia smiled slightly, knowing that her credibility had been too low in the past, but she would gradually improve it for her family.
"Tingting, is there anything you'd like to eat? Mom will make it for you in a bit."
Tingting hesitated for a moment before saying, "Anything is fine, I'm not picky about food."
"There must be some preference, right?"
Under Song Xia's eager gaze, Ye Tingting shifted her gaze and finally said, "I like to eat chicken and shrimp."
"In terms of flavor? Stewed, braised, spicy, or stir-fried?"
"Just make the home-style flavors," Hua Ling said, rescuing her granddaughter from her embarrassment. "You're not going to stop making it just this once; you can make all the different flavors in the future, right?"
Song Xia clapped her hands, her eyes filled with guilt: "That's true, I misunderstood. But Tingting, there's something else I'd like to ask for your opinion on."
"Just say what you have to say," Hua Ling said again. "Why are we being so polite as family?"
Seeing her daughter look at her again, Song Xia said cautiously, "Last time I saw traces of calligraphy and painting on your desk. Do you like these things? How about I sign you up for a calligraphy or traditional Chinese painting class? Or we can sign you up for both at the same time."
Ye Tingting was taken aback. Her mother had actually noticed? She drew it so small, how did her mother know about her hobby?
Hua Ling and Song Shunguo also looked over. Upon seeing their granddaughter's expression, they knew that their daughter was not talking nonsense. They felt a pang of heartache. Their granddaughter must be afraid of spending money, so she never told them.
He glanced at Song Xia and snorted, "That's a rare good decision. But many calligraphy and painting classes on the market nowadays teach routines. Don't let the wrong class ruin Tingting's talent."
"I don't have any talent at all." Ye Tingting quickly waved her hand and said in a soft voice, "These extracurricular classes vary greatly in quality and are expensive. Don't waste your money."
Song Xia held her hand and looked at her firmly: "As long as you like it, it's not a waste of money. As for the quality, we can look at a few more places before choosing."
Ye Tingting opened her mouth slightly, and only after sensing Song Xia's determination did she slowly nod.
Song Xia breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid that her daughter would be too insistent and refuse to go. She knew her daughter's talent. In her previous life, she was able to earn money online by taking pictures without attending any training and even became somewhat famous. It was clear that her talent was not low. This time, she was determined to give her daughter enough resources to take this path.
"Let's finish dinner early and then go check out the training classes nearby. Don't rush to make a decision. Make sure you choose one that has real skills and that you like."
After saying that, she went to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients. There were some dried scallops, codonopsis, and wood ear mushrooms in the cupboard that she had brought back last time. She took them out to soak and soak them, and then cooked them together with the chicken soup later.
Then she started chopping the filling, which she could use to make dumplings or steamed buns later. She could freeze it in the refrigerator so that Tingting could easily heat it up and eat it when she got up early for school or when her dad got home from his night shift, saving her mom from having to get up so early too.
“You didn’t know how to do these things before.” After watching for a while, Hua Ling’s eyes stung a little, then she turned her back to her. “We’re out of salt at home, I’ll go buy some.”
Song Xia didn't explain, but simply asked for more chopped green onions to be brought back. Then she started kneading and fermenting the dough, completing the process quickly and cleanly.
Everyone in the family knows how to make dumplings and steamed buns, but none of them are as fast as Song Xia. The dumplings she makes are all the same size and very delicate, like they were copied.
Once the dumplings are wrapped, they can be frozen directly, while the steamed buns need to be steamed before freezing. By the time the steamed buns are ready, her chicken soup will be almost done, so she can use the pot to cook other dishes.
"Have some steamed buns to fill your stomachs first, the other dishes will be ready soon."
Looking at the steaming hot, small and exquisite meat buns, Ye Tingting finally couldn't resist picking one up and taking a bite. Because it was too hot, she couldn't taste the flavor in the first bite. It wasn't until it cooled down a little that she stared in amazement.
Are the steamed buns my mom made really that delicious? Or is it just her own overactive imagination?
It wasn't until her grandparents tasted it and said it was delicious that she realized it wasn't just her imagination; her mother's cooking really was exceptionally delicious. She happily thought that after two months, she might be able to eat her mother's cooking every day.
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