Huo Xuewen felt that it was really unlikely, and he couldn't control his mother's confidants, so he could only say hello to Ning Shaoyun and take Uncle Fu away personally.
Ning Shaoyun planned to go back to the Huo family with Xia Mian that day. Although she knew that Xia Mian was a person who would not suffer any loss, she did not intend to let the Huo family insult Xia Mian.
Xia Mian opened the bag left by the eunuch with great interest, and saw that in addition to a few boxes of flashy cakes, there was actually a very formal moon-white dress.
Xia Mian couldn't help laughing out loud. This was really the style of the Empress Dowager, handing out formal wear before the audience.
Thinking of Uncle Fu's attire, Xia Mian couldn't help but shudder. I thought that the Huo family wouldn't all be dressed neatly at home.
Ning Shaoyun knocked on the door and came in. Xia Mian couldn't help but look at her, "Sister Ning, you are really amazing. Won't you go crazy if you stay in the Huo family?"
Ning Shaoyun saw the dress and said helplessly, "Actually, the old man was fine at home before, but he has been recuperating outside for the past year and has rarely been home, so the old lady has become more and more paranoid."
Xia Mian thought for a moment and said, "Could it be that the old lady thinks that she is not well-mannered and polite, so the old man doesn't want to go home?"
Ning Shaoyun nodded helplessly. The old man was indeed annoyed by the old lady's messy rules and etiquette.
But he was too lazy to talk to the old lady and just walked away. The old lady just thought that she didn't do well enough, so she became more demanding and unreasonable.
"The Huo family is a wealthy family after all," Xia Mian said, "Didn't anyone tell Mr. Huo about this? He doesn't care about the mess it's made?"
Ning Shaoyun said, "Since you are hiding away, how can you be easily found? Otherwise, if the old lady chases you, what difference will it make if you stay at home?"
"Besides, it's called the Huo residence," Ning Shaoyun shook her head helplessly, "It's better to say that it's the place where the old man lets the old lady play house."
"People in the circle won't come to visit, people with serious business won't go there, and those who are invited by the old lady can't make any waves."
"Mr. Huo doesn't know either?" Xia Mian was surprised.
Ning Shaoyun shook her head. "I don't know. I guess they're afraid that he'll tip them off. Anyway, if there's something important, they'll just call. If Mr. Huo doesn't allow me to ask, Huo Xuewen won't ask either."
Xia Mian was simply amazed at the Huo family's indifference, "Did you know what their family was like before you married them?"
Ning Shaoyun smiled helplessly, "Who would know such things? Grandpa also said that the Huo family has a good family tradition. I grew up watching Grandpa Huo, and Huo Xuewen is also very serious and has no tricks."
Yes, at first glance it does seem like a nice family, but when you actually marry into the family, you will know how it feels only you can.
"Didn't you tell your grandfather or father?" Xia Mian asked in confusion.
Ning Shaoyun smiled bitterly, "They don't understand."
Oh, that's right. For a man, if his son-in-law is not cunning and works hard to make money, Ning Shaoyun would be hypocritical if she complained...
Ning Shaoyun said, "Don't worry about this matter, I will take care of it. The old lady wants to vent her anger on Zhou Qianqian, and it's me she wants to make trouble for. You don't have to get involved for me."
"That won't work." Xia Mian said, "They invited me personally, how can I not go?"
"Isn't it just a rule?" Xia Mian raised his chin towards Ning Shaoyun and said proudly, "After all, I am a person who is familiar with Dream of the Red Chamber. I will have a good discussion with the old lady when the time comes."
Ning Shaoyun's worries were reflected by her words, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing. Well, she was worrying too much. She looked so excited, so she didn't think she would suffer any loss.
"But it won't affect you, right?" Xia Mian just remembered that Ning Shaoyun still had to live in the Huo family.
"No." Ning Shaoyun smiled, "I heard what Aunt Wei said today. I think you are right."
"Hmm?" Xia Mian blinked.
"Women need to do career-related things." Ning Shaoyun said, "In fact, Xiaobai told me some things after giving birth to Chenchen, so I have been painting for so many years, and I am also preparing for it."
"I wanted to discuss it with Huo Xuewen, but there was no suitable opportunity. I really didn't want to embarrass him at that time."
Ning Shaoyun laughed at herself, "The old lady is actually a pitiful person. She always feels that she is not worthy of the old man, so she has been competing with him all her life. As a result, the more she competes, the more the old man dislikes her. The more disliked he is, the more she embarrasses herself and others."
"She knew in her heart that except for the relatives she had brought in, everyone else was laughing at her, so she didn't like to interact with people in that circle, and only liked to entertain those who had something to ask of the Huo family."
It's just like someone who dislikes his daughter-in-law for being too outstanding and wants to find someone who is not as good as himself to show off his sense of superiority.
Of course, those who want something from the Huo family have no choice but to flatter them. Over time, this will become a vicious cycle.
"Mr. Huo has escaped, and Huo Xuewen feels sorry for his mother." Ning Shaoyun said, "Although I know she is wrong, I can't persuade her, so I can only go along with her, and hope that the old lady will listen to my advice when she is in a good mood."
Seeing Xia Mian about to speak, Ning Shaoyun smiled and said, "I know what you want to say. There must be something hateful about pitiful people. She really asked for it. No one can save her."
"When I first married into the Huo family, I was not familiar with them. At that time, I thought that I was the younger generation, so I had to make some concessions. But as I gave in, I felt that I should tolerate her. Being patient for a while can keep things peaceful and reduce trouble. Why not do it?"
"Just like Huo Xuewen, when he couldn't bear Zhou Qianqian, his mother would be sad and make a fuss, but he just endured it. Over time, he got used to it, as if it had become a matter of course."
Ning Shaoyun said, "But that's wrong. People are always pushing for more. One day, she will push you to your limit."
"I always placed my hopes on Huo Xuewen, but later I was endlessly disappointed. I was sad because he was not considerate enough, sad because he was stupid, and angry because he didn't protect me."
"After listening to your scolding today, I realized that he can't even protect himself. He can't even see his own side. How can he protect me, Chenchen?"
"Your words woke me up," Ning Shaoyun said with a smile, "Why should I wait for others to protect me? I am not without hands and feet. If he can do it, so can I. I can protect myself and Chenchen. It is more reliable than asking anyone else for help."
Xia Mian didn't expect that her disturbance today would trigger Ning Shaoyun's inner thoughts. She scratched her head embarrassedly and said, "Sister Ning, what's wrong with you? Is the old lady going to make trouble again?"
Ning Shaoyun smiled calmly, "No, I used to want to live a good life, but now that I can't, I have nothing to worry about. Nothing can restrain me anymore."
Ning Shaoyun is a girl who is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. The only thing that can restrain her is her love for Huo Xuewen.
Now she was planning to break free from this shackle, and she didn't know whether the two of them would end up like in their previous life.
Not long after Ning Shaoyun left, Xia Wenyue came in again, looking worried, "Mianmian, the Huo family doesn't look like a reasonable family, so Second Aunt should go with you that day."
"Don't worry, Second Aunt." Xia Mian said, "That old lady is just a paper tiger."
In order to reassure Xia Wenyue, Xia Mian revealed the old lady's background. He did not say that he was going to go to her house to slap her in the face. He only said, "She is just an old lady. Just go along with her. Otherwise, if she holds a grudge, it will be troublesome in the future."
Second Aunt Xia frowned and thought for a while, "We can tolerate small things, but we can't let her do anything big. If the old lady really holds a grudge, the worst that can happen is that we can just go back to our hometown."
Xia Mian nodded and said, "No, don't we still have Sister Ning and Doctor Ning? The Ning family is much more powerful than the Huo family."
Xia Wenyue sighed, "It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, everyone is the same. There are always people who don't want to live a peaceful life."
She obviously couldn't understand why Mrs. Huo wanted to make trouble for her son and daughter-in-law. They were a family of three, and her grandson Chenchen was smart and cute. What was she thinking
"Whether she's safe or not is none of our business anyway." Xia Mian didn't intend to let Xia Wenyue interfere in this matter. It was more suitable for their family to live a down-to-earth life.
"Have you thought about work? Are you thinking about starting a small business or looking for a job?"
Work is the foundation of their family's foothold here, so Xia Wenyue had already thought about it carefully.
"I think we are doing business." Xia Wenyue said, "It's hard for others to take care of you when they work for you. It's more free to do business on your own."
She always remembered that she was here to help Xia Mian and the others, and must not become a burden to them.
"I went out with Sister Wei this morning and found that there were quite a lot of people selling breakfast." Xia Wenyue said, "Second Aunt's skill in making pancakes is pretty good, so I thought we might as well build an oven and sell pancakes."
"This way I can take care of you both, and I can pick up Xiaofeng and Huizhu from school on time."
"You really think the same as I do." Xia Mian took out a notebook from her bag, "But mine is simpler than yours. This is a recipe I copied from a book. Please read it first."
The summer sleeping notebook records the recipe of Chuan Chuan Xiang, a street snack that has become popular in later generations and has remained popular. It is a good thing that has been tested by the market. It is profitable to put two or three of them in a night market.
Xia Mian loves to eat, and she has two older brothers who also love to eat. There was a time when the three siblings were crazy about chuanchuanxiang.
Unfortunately, after only two meals, my aunt who is a doctor suddenly came to our house, and then everyone was affected.
Take-outs, night markets, restaurants, and the like were all banned, and the three siblings had to eat only vegetables and tofu every day until their faces turned green.
Unable to bear it any longer, Xia Mian had to do it himself.
Fortunately, she has a talent for cooking. In the era of knowledge sharing, many recipes can be found on the Internet. She summarized them, experimented twice, and finally came up with the most suitable one.
Under the supervision of their aunt, the two silly brothers washed the vegetables four or five times and disinfected all kinds of meat and non-vegetarian dishes thoroughly before they could eat the Xia family's skewers with great difficulty.
Well, after my aunt left, they no longer liked the skewers outside and only liked the ones made by Xia Mian.
So, this became the Xia family’s recipe for Chuan Chuan Xiang.
The formula that can be easily found in later generations is limited by transportation and information in this era, and it may not be purchased even with money, so Xia Mian is very confident about this.
Not only is the cost low, but most importantly it saves time and effort.
"The first is the soup. Once the soup is cooked, the dishes can be prepared." Xia Mian carefully explained to Xia Wenyue how to skewer the skewers and what needs to be prepared. "You need to make a four-wheeled cart with two long iron soup troughs. You can put a gas stove underneath. The second is the design. You can discuss the specific size with the blacksmith when the time comes."
"I just passed by. The intersection of our alley is the only way to Yanda High School, kindergarten, and all the elementary schools. The flow of people is very good, and our place does not conflict with any food. You just need to make soup, wash vegetables, and skewer them every day. The children can help you with other things when they are free."
Xia Mian has thought of every aspect for her, what can Xia Wenyue say
She didn't act pretentiously, holding the recipe and said, "This recipe is yours. If you really make it, we'll split the profits 50-50."
Xia Mian did not reject Xia Ergu's idea. She believed that no matter whether she was helping others or accepting help, she must have principles and limits.
If you only rely on personal connections, you will eventually become enemies, and the best outcome is to go your separate ways, without exception.
but…
"Fifty-fifty is too much, twenty-eight will be fine." Seeing that Xia Wenyue was about to say something, Xia Mian said, "Listen to me, I'm not just saying this randomly. Generally, there are rough standards for this kind of match."
"I'll invest in the company with the recipe, but I won't be involved in the business at all. A share of the profits is very appropriate." Xia Mian said, "If this business becomes bigger in the future and there are other models, we'll hire a lawyer to sign the contract then."
After hearing what she said, Xia Wenyue immediately felt relieved. "Okay, let's do it first. After a year, if we have the conditions, we will consult a lawyer and write a formal contract."
Xia Wenyue was a decisive person. After confirming the prescription, she immediately took Huimei and Huilan out to buy things.
After all, she was not like Xia Mian who came from the future and knew clearly that this business could be done. To be on the safe side, she still had to taste the food first to confirm that there was no problem before preparing the tools for setting up the stall.
When Aunt Wei heard about it, she was worried that they were unfamiliar with the place, so she went along.
She is familiar with the area and has more experience. "The seasonings for the recipe cannot be bought in one place. If you succeed in making it in the future, people may learn from you."
So several people had to run to several places to get the seasonings, and some even had to go to Chinese medicine shops.
If you want to make bone soup or something like that, the finished product won’t come out that quickly.
The reason why Xia Mian didn't go along was that she wanted to take Xiao Feng, Chen Chen and Hui Zhu to kindergarten together with Ning Shaoyun.
The house and other things need to be prepared slowly, but kindergarten can be started quickly.
Chenchen is a child who already has two years of kindergarten experience. There is nothing to worry about for him changing to a new environment and making new friends.
Mao Huizhu is one year older than Chenchen. Although they come from a small county town, Xia Wenyue has given the children enough sense of security, knowing that the children will be curious about the unfamiliar environment but will never be afraid.
Xia Wenyue's plan is to let Huizhu and Chenchen study in the senior class together.
Only Xiao Feng is left, and he has to start studying alone from the small class.
When Xia Mian took him out, she suddenly understood the old mother's feelings. The child already had psychological trauma. What if he was bullied and couldn't speak? Would he dare to take the initiative to talk to the teacher? What if he went to the toilet
The new environment finally made him cheerful, but he was traumatized by bullying again. What should he do
Countless uncertainties almost made Xia Mian back out. "It's okay to start a year later. Xiao Feng is actually quite young."
Ning Shaoyun couldn't help wanting to laugh when she saw Xia Mian's worried look. "You have to believe them. Children are not as fragile as you think."
"On Chenchen's first day in kindergarten, I stood at the kindergarten door for almost the entire day."
"How is Chenchen? Did he cry?" Xia Mian felt that it was necessary to learn from him.
Chenchen immediately said vigilantly, "No!"
He raised his head with a straight face and tried hard to cover up his dark history, "Mom, no, all the other kids cried, but I didn't."
Ning Shaoyun smiled but said nothing, and Xia Mian did not expose her, but just said, "Then Xiaofeng will go to kindergarten for the first time, so I'll ask Chenchen to take care of him!"
Chenchen was already prepared, patting his chest and saying, "Don't worry, I will take care of him!"
Xia Mian thought about it and said, "I'll teach you some self-defense techniques when we go back."
Ning Shaoyun burst out laughing, "Be careful or the teacher will call your parents every day in the future."
Xia Mian stroked Xiao Feng's ahoge and said, "Our Xiao Feng is so well behaved, he definitely won't do that, right!"
Xiao Feng happily held Xia Mian's hand and shook it.
Since Ning Shaoyun had already planned to live here permanently, Chenchen's schooling was naturally part of the plan.
The kindergarten is in another alley, right next to Longcheng Street No. 1 Primary School.
There is a huge rainbow and cute little animals painted on the green wall tiles, with the five big words "Longcheng Kindergarten" jumping and hiding among them. Even if children cannot read, they know that this is a kindergarten.
The kindergarten has already started. It is three o'clock in the afternoon and the children are having fun after waking up from their nap.
The children lined up to play on the slide, seesaw, wooden horse and climbing frame, with two older teachers watching them.
Xiao Feng held Xia Mian's hand and looked at him. Hui Zhu had never seen him before. Chenchen went to an aristocratic kindergarten before, and the environment here was a little different. She also looked at him curiously.
A group of children were playing "Eagle Catches Chicken". Xiao Feng was standing nearby. Whenever he saw a chicken about to be caught, he would hug Xia Mian's legs anxiously. Chen Chen would stamp his feet and say, "Bad Eagle!"
Mao Huizhu was eager to make a move, "Sister Mian, can we play with them tomorrow?"
Xia Mian smiled and said, "We have something to do tomorrow so we can't come. Can you come to school by yourself?"
Mao Huizhu hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll go back and ask my mother."
The children's cheerful laughter echoed over the kindergarten, and Xiao Feng couldn't help laughing along with them.
Xia Mian gave up the idea of letting him go to school when he was older. In fact, Ning Shaoyun was right, she should believe him.
After all, in his previous life, despite being in such a situation, he grew up to be such an outstanding person.
Registration for kindergartens is quite fast. In that era, people were not as particular as they are in later generations. As long as there was a vacancy, children like Xiaofeng and Huizhu, who were not local children, could go as long as they paid some tuition fees.
After returning from registration, Xia Mian and Ning Shaoyun took the three carefree little ones to buy school bags and stationery.
In fact, it is mainly Chenchen and Huizhu's needs. The children in the small class just need to play happily.
Xiao Feng didn't understand, but Xia Mian bought everything for him. Seeing that he liked colorful crayons, she also bought a set for him.
Oh, by the way, I also bought three Mizuki warehouses in the end.
Each of the three children carried a small schoolbag and held a water can filled with water.
Mao Huizhu had never played this game before, so she just stared at the trigger and pulled it down. Then Chenchen, who was standing next to her, was suddenly splashed with water in the face and was startled.
Xiao Feng was also confused, not knowing what to do, when Mao Huizhu pulled the trigger again as if she had discovered some new world...
Chenchen was scolded again. He was unbelievable at first, but seeing that Mao Huizhu was in high spirits and wanted to continue, he didn't hesitate at all, "You're finished!" He pointed the wooden cannon at Mao Huizhu and started to spray her.
“Hahahaha…” Mao Huizhu was not to be outdone, and the two children immediately started making noise.
Xiao Feng, who was at a loss just now, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the two children playing happily. He then followed them with his short legs, holding the water cannon and hitting the trees and walls, having a lot of fun.
Ning Shaoyun laughed, "Xiaofeng is not suitable for such an aggressive game."
"Haha, because he is a healing angel!"
Xia Mian looked at the backs of the three children playing lively and she suddenly felt relieved. This would be where they would live.
Now all that’s left is the courtyard house opposite!
After lunch, Ning Shaobai specifically told her that he would help her buy the yard opposite where Zhou Qianqian lived the next day, and she could make as much noise as she wanted.
Of course, the original words were: "Little fairy who respects the elderly and loves the young, don't bully the elderly too harshly tomorrow, after all, you want to buy their house."
Xia Mian clicked her tongue and shook her head. She had such a good comprehension and Ning Shaobai was so mean.