Little child, little child, don't be greedy, after the Laba Festival comes the New Year.
This morning, Aunt Zhang cooked an exceptionally thick Laba porridge, which, when paired with a stew of pork belly made from her own preserved vegetables, tasted absolutely amazing.
Today, Liu Zi is going to the city. The heavy snow a few days ago disrupted transportation, but buses have only just resumed service in the last two days.
It was too cold, and no matter how many layers Liu Zi wore, it was no use. So she simply left her motorcycle at her parents' house and took the bus between the city and Songzhuang.
Although the bus was drafty at this time, it had to be said that it was much warmer than a motorcycle when everyone was crammed together.
A few days ago, the house near the overpass was finally settled. Liu Daqiang helped find someone to divide the house into two units.
They also increased the building area, allowing each family to add two side rooms in the backyard.
Song Yan was quite restrained at the time, but on the way back, she screamed repeatedly.
Liu Zi covered her ears and watched her stomp her feet, feeling very happy inside.
Given the significant financial pressure, Liu Zi plans to ask Foreman Wang to finish decorating the first floor first.
I heard that a temple fair will be held in Tianqiao on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Although the location is relatively remote, there will still be quite a few tourists visiting.
Liu Zi has made her plans. She intends to open a hot and cold beverage shop in another store, and will also sell spicy skewers and oden.
She felt that if the milk tea and fruit drink shops of later generations were brought out now, they could disrupt the entire market.
Taro balls, taro paste, tapioca pearls, coconut jelly, red beans...
There are so many variations; as long as the ingredients are of high quality, there's no need to worry about a lack of customers.
When Liu Zi arrived at the location, Foreman Wang was already waiting there.
He was watching the construction work next door.
"Uncle Wang, you're here!" Liu Zi greeted him.
Foreman Wang turned around somewhat awkwardly.
"Liu Zi, why did you call me over in such a hurry? Is there something you need?"
"Uncle Wang, let's talk about this later. First, take a look at this house. You're an expert; you have a better eye for house structures than we do."
"Although this house is a bit old, I've looked around and it's been well preserved. It should be fine for another few decades," Foreman Wang said honestly.
"Then I'll have to trouble you with this, Uncle Wang. We can put the courtyard house business on hold for now. If possible, I hope we can open before the New Year. After all, we're doing this year to make some money."
"But I see that there are already people working on your side! It's easy for conflicts to arise if two construction teams work together." Foreman Wang subtly refused.
"Uncle Wang, you've mistaken me for someone else. It's my fault too; I didn't open the door for you when I arrived." Liu Zi snapped out of her daze and immediately pulled out the keys from her bag, opening the other two doors.
"Uncle, the family next door is also a good friend of mine. We agreed that they would do the partition wall upstairs, and I would do it."
"Oh, I see!" Foreman Wang rubbed the back of his head a little embarrassedly. He thought Liu Zi was rushing to finish the job and had hired two construction teams to do the work.
Liu Zi took out a simple drawing she had made from her bag.
"Uncle, I'd like you to partition off this area on the first floor, dividing it in two. The middle section will only have a quarter of the space of the main dining area. I plan to open a small food stall here, so please make sure the ventilation is done properly."
Foreman Wang also took out his notebook, which he always carried with him, and started writing and drawing on it with a pencil.
"The drainage here isn't very good; there's only a sewer on the west side. You might need to redo the excavation and layout here."
Foreman Wang looked up and asked, "Is there no water supply or drainage installed on the second floor?"
He didn't see a single pipe.
"You're right, that's exactly what I need to trouble you with. I'll probably be living here with my child for the next few years, and if the water supply and drainage aren't convenient, it will be a huge hassle."
Foreman Wang frowned. This job is going to be tough!
He drew and drew in his notebook, and finally said, "Leave this to me, don't worry."
"Thank you, Uncle Wang," Liu Zi said with a smile.
"Uncle Wang, you'll need to help me expand the side room by about 25 square meters, and also rebuild the staircase connecting to the second floor."
"Do you have the approval?"
"Yes, I can build half of the backyard. I want to build a gate for cars to enter and exit, and then build a side room for resting." Liu Zi gestured the locations.
Foreman Wang took out a ruler and measured: "If we're building a garage, the side room probably won't be much bigger."
Liu Zi nodded knowingly. There are gains and losses in everything!
Knowing that Liu Zi had given a short construction period, after accepting the 20,000 yuan deposit, Foreman Wang hurriedly went back with the keys.
With the year drawing to a close, all sorts of ingredients are in short supply, so he has to hurry up and find them so as not to delay Liu Zi's business.
After seeing the person off, Liu Zi hurried to a coffee shop near Anhe Bridge.
Zhang Shaohan from Taiwan and her agent were already waiting here.
Both sides were very polite during the meeting, especially Zhang Shaohan's side. It is said that the number of people trying to contact Liu Zi is now enough to circle around Beijing.
Unexpectedly, when they called, Liu Zi immediately agreed to meet.
"Hello Ms. Liu, as you probably know, we've come to ask for a song." The agent was a straightforward person and got straight to the point without much preamble.
"I did guess that." Liu Zi nodded.
"However, I don't have many songs on hand, and I'm not sure if they suit Ms. Zhang's style."
Liu Zi felt she could play another song for Zhang Shaohan. From what she knew, Zhang Shaohan was currently being exploited by her mother and was eager to help her younger siblings escape from that woman. She didn't mind giving her a hand.
But she needs to take some time to reflect afterward, so she won't release any new songs.
"I trust Ms. Liu, what you give me must be the best," Zhang Shaohan suddenly said, her small face full of determination.
Looking at her, Liu Zi thought to herself that only someone with such clear goals and unwavering determination could overcome the obstacles of her family of origin and ultimately lead her younger siblings to the pinnacle of life.
"good!"
Liu Zi nodded, said nothing more, and took out the completed "Prophecy" from her bag.
"This is for you. I hope you can break free from the shackles of life and achieve ultimate success."
Zhang Shaohan paused for a moment before taking the sheet music and immediately began humming it.
It was a bit bumpy at first, but it got smoother and smoother, and finally it exploded at the climax.
"The beginning of this piece resembles rap, simple yet rhythmic, while the climax possesses a powerful and penetrating force; this contrast is captivating."
"Your post-production on 'Hidden Wings' was perfect, and I think you'll do a great job with 'Prophecy' as well."
Zhang Shaohan looked down at the lyrics of "Prophecy" and suddenly felt that the song was made for her.
Each word pierced her heart, expressing all her struggles and resentment, and tears involuntarily welled up in her eyes.
Seeing that Zhang Shaohan was speechless, her agent simply patted her on the shoulder to comfort her before thanking Liu Zi.
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