Educating daughters
Qin Yu lowered her head, somewhat unconvinced: "Sister Lingling, there is nothing I can do. Third Aunt is not my biological mother..."
Qin Wenli glanced at the little girl and said, "What does this have to do with your biological mother or stepmother? Can you only get something done if you are forced by your stepmother? I can't find you a stepmother. Let's talk about the facts. I have been observing you for a while and found that you have been giving up halfway in everything you do recently..."
Seeing his father's serious tone, Qin Yu didn't dare to smile: "I know I was wrong, Dad..."
"You said you know you are wrong, so tell me what you did wrong?" Qin Wenli said gently.
"I shouldn't do things according to my temper..."
"It's not that you shouldn't do it. There's nothing wrong with doing something according to your own will. There's nothing wrong with doing what you like. The mistake is that you did it halfway and then gave up. You said a while ago that you wanted to get a doctorate, didn't you?"
Qin Yu nodded. She also heard from Qin Zhu that a relative of his went to the United States to study for a doctorate, which was amazing.
"Dad is very happy. You are very ambitious. But do you know how to get a doctorate? There are five grades in elementary school, and after that there are junior high school, high school, college, graduate school... and finally a doctorate. This is not just one or two years, it takes more than ten or twenty years. Do you think you can get a doctorate if you give up halfway?"
Qin Yu shook his head, a little dumbfounded: Does it take so long? Then she won’t be old by the time she finishes school, right?
"Of course, I didn't ask you to get a doctorate. Even if you don't go to school, you can still do other things, such as setting up a stall. Look at me, your grandmother, and your mother. Can we set up a stall today and not tomorrow? We still have to go to every market. If we give up halfway, how can we afford a TV and a tricycle?"
Qin Yu shook his head.
"Let me give you another example. Your grandfather herds sheep every day. If he wants to give up today, is that possible?"
Qin Yu shook his head. If that happened, the sheep would either starve to death or howl to death in the sheepfold.
"So what do you think, today you can do it if you want to, and go on strike if you don't want to, right?"
Qin Yu shook his head in shame: "Dad, I was wrong..."
Qin Wenli touched her head and said, "Since you know you are wrong, just do it well. People should be responsible for their own choices. Since it is your own choice, don't complain..."
Qin Yu nodded and obediently helped Qin Wenli clean the car.
*
The next day, as soon as the rooster crowed, Yang Xiu was the first to get up.
She first went to the kitchen to check on a few bowls of noodles, all of which were fermented just right, and then rolled up her sleeves to mix the noodles.
After a while, Hu Yufeng also came over. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law each had a basin, and they rubbed the water with grunting and kneading until they were sweating all over.
Emma, it would be nice to have a dough kneading machine... Hu Yufeng thought. Of course there is, but it must be expensive. Forget it, let’s just make it ourselves!
After a while, the old lady also pushed open the door in the dark. Yang Xiu smiled and said, "Grandma, we left late today, why don't you sleep a little longer?"
The old lady's teeth cracked and she said, "I can't sleep, I'll get up and accompany you..."
Hu Yufeng also noticed the gap in the old lady's teeth, and subconsciously considered whether to buy her a pair of dentures or have her teeth fixed. The next moment she couldn't help but shiver. Emma, I didn't feel it when I had no money, but when I earned some money, I found that my home was like a leaky sieve with holes that could never be patched!
*
After breakfast, Qin Wenli laid a straw mat on the truck bed, and several people carried the pots, washbasins, coal, chopping boards, etc. onto the truck one by one.
Then the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law went into the house to get ready, and Qin Wenli started the car.
Everything was ready, and the family gradually went away accompanied by the sound of "thump thump..." cars.
Qin Yu watched the car disappear, thought of his father's words, and took the initiative to help Qin Shengtian block the sheep.
In the sheepfold, Qin Shengtian was holding a little lamb. The big sheep ran away again. Qin Shengtian ran around the sheep cursing.
Then I heard my granddaughter shouting, "Grandpa, I'll block the way behind the shed, you catch the lamb."
He stuck his head out to take a look and saw his grandchildren and the old lady standing at the door of the shed with whips in their hands. He breathed a sigh of relief, opened the sheepfold and let the sheep out.
Then he closed the sheepfold and quickly caught the lambs that could not leave the mountain and locked them up.
"Then I'll go herd sheep? I..." Qin Shengtian hesitated.
"When you're far away, Shushu and I will drive the lambs to the wheat field..."
Qin Yu, who had never herded sheep alone but had seen others herding lambs, quickly responded.
Qin Shengtian glanced at the two of them and said, "Okay, you must wait until I'm far away..." Otherwise, these little brats will come running for their mother again.
Qin Yu nodded.
*
At the Shangguan Town Market.
This is the first market of the new year and there are quite a lot of people coming to the market.
The three of them parked the car at the usual place. Qin Wenli put down his things and drove the tricycle to his stall.
Hu Yufeng looked at the receding figure and couldn't help thinking: It would be great if the tofu stall could be moved here and placed together. This way, Qin Wenli wouldn't have to be tied to the tofu stall, and if there was a big order, he could still find time to deliver the goods.
The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed to her. But when she turned around and looked at the old acquaintances on both sides, she gave up the idea.
The tofu stall is not in a better location than this one, so who would be willing to change it? You can only keep it in mind and watch as you walk.
Auntie Fuxing Gu was the first to come.
It was only about ten days after the Chinese New Year, but the three of them seemed as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time and were very affectionate.
"You said before the New Year that you would set up a stall today, so I said I would come and take a look, and it just so happens that..." Aunt Gu said happily.
"It shows that we have a tacit understanding. Auntie, did you have a good year?"
"Okay, everything is fine, how about you guys?"
"We are fine too. The elderly and children are all healthy..."
"That's good. Good health is the greatest blessing..." Aunt Gu sighed.
"Have you finished eating everything you bought before the New Year?" Hu Yufeng asked curiously.
"Oh, I was just about to tell you that I finished eating a long time ago. My eldest son came back from Inner Mongolia and will leave the day after tomorrow. He said he wanted to bring some for his colleagues to try..."
Hu Yufeng was overjoyed and smiled as she asked, "Then how much does my brother want?"
"He wants ten kilograms..."
"Okay, then I'll fry them and dry them in the air, then put them in a cardboard box and I'll send them to you at three o'clock?" Hu Yufeng thought about it and said.
"How can I ask you to send him here? I'll let him come here by himself."
"Okay..." Hu Yufeng agreed readily.
Aunt Gu talked to the two of them for a while, and when she saw the oil pan heating up, she left on her crutches.
As soon as the store opened, there were big orders. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were not in a hurry. They would sell to people if they had orders, and if no one was around, they would first get Aunt Gu's orders.
Fortunately, the sweet taste can naturally stimulate people's taste buds, and as the smoke spreads, it attracts a group of people.
"'Yufeng Mahua', this is it. This is what I ate at Lao Liu's house the other day..." A man pointed at the sign and said with a smile.
Hu Yufeng also laughed: "Yes, we are the only one in the market called 'Yufeng Mahua'."
"Okay, we finally found the real culprit. Big sister, give me two kilograms..."
You can tell at first glance that he’s a rich man, but he doesn’t even ask how much it costs... Hu Yufeng muttered to herself, but she smiled and introduced the price.
The man really didn't care at all. He just paid the money, picked up his things and left.
People around also heard the price, and those who needed it started buying it one pound at a time.
*
Time flies when you are busy.
Qin Wenli made two plates of tofu today and originally thought that business might not be good. After all, every family makes their own tofu during the Chinese New Year, and it may take half a month to finish it. Who would have thought that before it was put on display, half of the plate was ordered by people from the commune, and the remaining half was also bought by a regular customer who ran a restaurant.
Qin Wenli was instantly surprised.
It turns out that a good start is important, the remaining board was sold out in less than an hour.
He asked Li Dawu to watch over the tricycle and pack up the furniture and carry it to the fried dough twist stall.
Seeing him coming, Hu Yufeng said, "Wenli, go to the old Fang's store and get us a cardboard box."
Lao Fang’s “brother” had also made fried dough twists before, so Hu Yufeng wondered if Lao Fang was going to sell them to others. Unexpectedly, Lao Fang never mentioned it, so Hu Yufeng pretended not to know and kept sending it to him.
Qin Wenli came back quickly, holding two large instant noodle boxes: "My uncle Fang insisted on giving them to me, and even gave me some oil paper to cushion them."
Okay, Hu Yufeng didn't care. She took the box and put the fried dough twists into it.
*
At three o'clock in the afternoon, a man who looked to be in his early forties came over and said with a smile: "You are Comrade Hu, right? My mother ordered ten kilograms of fried dough twist from you. I wonder if it is ready?"
From the way he was dressed and the way he spoke and behaved, Hu Yufeng thought he was a cadre. No wonder the old lady is so leisurely at home, it turns out she has a capable son.
She also smiled in a simple and warm manner: "Okay, okay, I've packed them all in the box for you. I'll weigh them for you right away!"
Qin Wenli weighed himself quickly and found that it weighed more than 11 kilograms. Hu Yufeng smiled and explained: "This box weighs about one pound..."
The middle-aged man said politely, "Okay, I heard my mother say that at home, so I naturally believe you, Comrade Hu."
"How much"
"One catty is one dollar and two cents, a total of twelve dollars..."
The man quickly gave the money and was about to leave. Hu Yufeng handed him a bag weighing about two kilograms and said, "I packed some of each for you, please take it back to me..."
The man refused: "How can this be possible? You open the door to do business, so I will pay you..."
Hu Yufeng smiled and said, "I won't give you any money if you ask for it. To be honest, we have developed a close relationship with Auntie over the past year. This is our token of appreciation. Just think of it as a gift from the younger generation. Just help take it back."
The man had no choice but to go home carrying the box and bag.
*
"Auntie, it's good that you are still here. Do you still have the fried dough twists?" Liu Yuzhu hurried over, panting.
Hu Yufeng nodded: "What else? What's wrong with you? You are sweating profusely..."
"Well, one of my brothers is going back to his hometown, and I asked him to bring some of your fried dough twists back for his old man to taste, but I almost got late because of all the busyness..."
"Sit down and rest for a while... How much do you want?"
"How much do you have left, aunt?" As soon as he opened his mouth, it was indeed the wealthy Yuzhu.
Yang Xiu glanced at the basin and reported: "About ten kilograms..."
"Okay, I'll take them all..."
That was perfect. Hu Yufeng asked him to sit and wait while she and Yang Xiu started bombing.
Ten kilograms of fried dough twists have about forty pieces and are ready in half an hour. Liu Yuzhu paid the money happily and left with a box of fried dough twists.
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