Song Tan’s Chronicle

Chapter 47: 47. Eldest aunt Song Hongmei

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“Hardware store, yuck!”

Qiao Qiao got into the car angrily.

Song Tan smiled and rubbed his head: "Be good, sister also thinks they are not good, let's try to come less often in the future."

Qiao Qiao touched the QR code on her chest aggrievedly and complained, "He doesn't give me money."

"It's okay. Look how delicious our food is. She will definitely want it again after having it once. Qiao Qiao should work harder and speed up the process next time. We won't sell it to her!"

This was not to coax a child. Song Tan simply felt that for someone like the eldest cousin's wife, even if he specially reserved some food for her, she would probably spread the news to everyone.

"Twenty yuan a pound! If it weren't for taking care of my relatives, I wouldn't be willing to spend this money!"

What's more, looking at the way my uncle and his friends were today, they didn't believe that this vegetable weighed 21 kilograms. If they came back to buy vegetables, they would be embarrassed in front of everyone...

Hmm, why do I feel a little happy when I think about it

Song Tan condemned himself for his unstable mind, but Qiao Qiao smiled and said, "Yes! I won't sell it to her! I won't let her eat it!"

Then he looked at her with his dark eyes: "Going home?"

Song Tan came back to his senses: "When we deliver food to uncle, we also have to deliver food to aunt, right? We have to be even."

Qiao Qiao frowned even more: "Aunt, a little bit is not good."

He turned his head and looked at the small basket of vegetables on the back seat, then became conflicted: "I should give it to my aunt, my aunt is better than the hardware store."

Song Tan's eldest aunt married a city worker in the 1980s as a village girl. In addition to her beauty, her husband also valued her virtuous housekeeping.

She is truly virtuous and she is truly good at managing the household.

The fact that she and her husband, one selling breakfast and the other working, were able to provide their only son with a large flat in the city center shows how capable they are!

However, despite this, the old couple still live in the old unit’s staff housing compound.

The pickup truck was precisely stuck in a small space in the family compound, avoiding the possibility of being ticketed by the traffic police. As soon as Song Tan and Qiao Qiao got out of the car, they heard someone beside them hesitantly ask, "You... are Hongmei's relatives, right?"

Song Tan was stunned, and then saw the aunties who were asking questions - they were probably just coming back from buying vegetables, and were also carrying plastic bags, with onions, garlic, green vegetables, etc. vaguely visible inside.

She nodded: "Yes, my aunt is Song Hongmei. She grew some vegetables in her hometown. I brought my brother to give some to my aunt so that she can have some fresh food."

After saying this, the aunties across the street started laughing: "I remembered you when you were celebrating the New Year - I was wondering whose children they were, how come the siblings are both so good-looking? Later I asked and found out they were Hongmei's relatives!"

The main thing is that there are no secrets in the family compound. Everyone knows that Hongmei has a handsome and silly nephew.

Although Jojo looks like an adult, his eyes are different - most importantly, he has a pink Peppa Pig sticker on his face!

Then he looked at the vegetables in the basket: "Oh, what are these vegetables? They are so fresh... Hongmei is so lucky to have such beautiful nephews and nieces. Girl, do you have a boyfriend?"

Song Tan: …

After two or three rounds of polite words, he finally got rid of this group of overly enthusiastic aunties. When Song Tan walked to the door of the unit, he could still hear the aunties muttering:

"Hongmei's nephew and niece are really good-looking."

"I guess she can make a living. Look, she came to visit her aunt and brought a basket of vegetables..."

"Look at what you're saying. You can afford to be well fed and well clothed, and you won't be poor forever. Hongmei is a bit stingy, but she's still a good person. They're worthy of being a couple..."

Song Tan couldn't help laughing as he walked in the corridor.

It seems that everyone knows her aunt's reputation as a stingy person!

My aunt Song Hongmei had indeed just returned from the vegetable market.

She has a small pancake cart near the staff quarters and has been selling pancakes for 20 years. It cannot be said that she is famous far and wide, but everyone is used to eating it.

Every time I close the cart and tidy up at 10 o'clock, I go to the vegetable market to buy vegetables at 11 o'clock. My time management is so precise!

Most importantly, the market is basically closed at 11 o'clock, and the remaining vegetables are either sold cheaply or not very fresh. During this time, the aunt can sweep the market and bargain for the lowest price!

If she can't cut it down, she won't buy it.

Not picking up rotten vegetable leaves every day was my aunt’s last luxury and dignity.

It’s 11:30 now, some families may have already started cooking, but my aunt’s family definitely won’t.

Song Tan knocked on the door.

My uncle-in-law is still two years away from retirement, and his son is also working. When my aunt opened the door, she was quite surprised:

"Tan Tan? Why are you here? Aren't you at work? Oh, please don't ask for leave, or your salary will be deducted!"

She turned around and called Qiao Qiao: "My eldest nephew has grown more handsome. Come in, let auntie bring you some cookies."

As expected, the eldest aunt took the biscuits - two packs of Want Want snow biscuits, one pack for each sister and brother.

Song Tan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This was truly the greatest sincerity from his aunt!

Qiao Qiao had already started to open the bag skillfully, and said, "Aunt, I'll bring you some food."

When the eldest aunt saw it, she found five bunches of Astragalus in the small basket. She did not dislike it at all, but was very happy:

"Oh my! This dish is really fresh. We have vegetables for lunch, so we don't need to fry them yet! We can have one meal tonight, two meals tomorrow at noon and at night, and two more meals the day after tomorrow - we can save money on vegetables for three days, and I can just cook some extra meat!"

My aunt was overjoyed and quickly made arrangements.

After making the arrangements, I remembered: "Tan Tan, do you guys want to stay at my house for lunch? If you do, I'll stir-fry this vegetable."

Song Tan quickly reassured her aunt: "No, aunt, my mother is still waiting at home. I just want to ask if you know where to buy ducklings? I plan to raise some ducks in my hometown."

Song Hongmei thought for a moment and said, "Yes, there is. Wait, it's not far away. I'll take you there!"

"But you still cook..."

"It's okay, it's not far, I'll take you there! You young people don't bargain when you buy things, I'll negotiate the price for you!"

As he said that, he changed his shoes, hurriedly picked up the keys and prepared to go out.

Song Tan: …

This was really lightning fast, Qiao Qiao hadn't even finished one piece of snow cake yet.

But my aunt didn’t lie, it really wasn’t far away.

After leaving the family compound, turn into the alley, pass through an iron gate that seems to be locked but is actually not, and then go into a small alley, and finally come to a dilapidated and low old courtyard.

My aunt knocked on one of the doors:

"Mr. Zhang, do you have any ducklings left?"

"I won't sell it to wholesalers in front of the school! This is not a pet duck!" the man inside shouted.

My aunt was getting impatient: "When have I ever sold pet ducks? Hurry up, I'm bringing my relatives to buy them, you need to confirm the price for me, don't waste my time by making random offers. I'll have to go home and cook after you buy them..."

The man inside opened the door and said with grievance: "Sister, sometimes I wish you wouldn't buy it."