As soon as the contractor stepped out of the door of the People's Barber Shop, Tang Qing shouted "stop", which frightened his fat body forward, staggered down the steps, and fell to the street.
"Master Jiu, Jiu, Jiujin, you, you, what else do you have to do?"
Although the contractor was sitting on the ground, he did not forget to turn around and ask Tang Qing.
"Let's talk when we get up!"
Tang Qing, Li Li and Tang Qing's mother and mother-in-law brought Xiaomei and Xiaoqiang to the street.
"Oh, okay."
The foreman did not sit on the ground and stood up quickly.
"Your eldest cousin has just come back. As an eldest cousin, why don't you express your gratitude?"
Tang Qing walked to the contractor and tried to slow down his tone to prevent the contractor from being frightened by him again. After all, he was on the street now, so he had to give him some face.
"Big cousin? I don't have a big cousin?"
The big fat head of the contractor looked around, confused.
"Is your aunt's daughter your cousin?"
Tang Qing reminded the contractor.
"Oh, little cousin, you have grown so tall. You are really a woman. She is becoming more and more beautiful. When you grow up, you will be like my aunt, who beats Diao Chan like Xishi, who conquered the country and the city, and is stunning in the world!"
The contractor is indeed a person who lives in the business world. He can be a dog or a king. He is also a good talker and can be extremely disgusting when flattering.
"Don't just talk, show us something real!"
Tang Qing led everyone to Lao Zhang’s tofu and steamed bun shop, where Da Mao Niang’s funeral meal was eaten.
"Eldest cousin, eldest cousin will take you and Brother Xiaoqiang to eat KDJ, okay?"
The foreman bent down to please Xiaomei.
"No! Mom said, KDJ is junk food, you can't eat it!"
"Yes, kdj is junk food, you can't eat it, and we don't want to eat it either!"
Xiaomei and Xiaoqiang answered loudly.
"Hey, hey, hey, you call me brother Xiaoqiang, what do you call me? You don't want to flatter others. What kd***dj, why don't you give out a red envelope for real? Anyway, you will never leave the red envelope!"
Tang Qing couldn't help but scold the foreman.
"Yes, yes, red envelope, red envelope, come, big cousin, big red envelope, little powerful red envelope."
The foreman opened his briefcase, wrapped two red envelopes and handed them to Xiaomei and Xiaoqiang.
"Mom said, don't accept other people's money easily."
"Yes, my mother also said that if someone gives you money without knowing it, it must be with bad intentions. You must not take it!"
Xiaomei and Xiaoqiang shook their heads and refused to accept the two red envelopes from the contractor.
"Okay, you have the guts, Auntie Shanghai gives you thumbs up, you two kids!"
Auntie from Shanghai came over and pulled Xiaomei and Xiaoqiang over affectionately.
"This, that..."
The foreman stood there, looking embarrassed.
"I don't want this or that. I was just joking. Since you are here, you should go and worship in front of Da Mao Niang's spirit. We were more or less neighbors in the past."
Tang Qing came to the rescue for the contractor.
"Yes, yes, where are your neighbors? I'll go over and pay my respects first."
The contractor turned around and walked over to Da Mao's house.
"Master Jiujin, are these vegetables okay for tonight?"
Fatty Sun pointed at the eight dishes on the table and asked Tang Qing.
Tang Qing took a quick look and saw that among the eight dishes, stewed tofu was the main dish, which was a must for a funeral. There were three plates of meat dishes, one plate of braised pork, one plate of braised fish, and one plate of brine shrimp. The others were all daily vegetables and tender peanuts.
As a side dish with wine, glutinous rice and lotus root are used as sweets, green vegetables are boiled with fried tofu, and wild rice stir-fried with pickles are used as side dishes.
"Very good, have the meals for the three tables over there been delivered?"
Tang Qing was very satisfied that the funeral had to be held, but there was no need to make a fuss about it.
"Send it over. Mr. Zai Jiaoba and Master Wang and the other workers are eating over there."
Fatty Sun wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Master Sun, thank you for your hard work. Please sit down and eat."
Tang Qing admired Fatty Sun very much. Not only was he a good cook, he was also very kind, enthusiastic, and righteous. When the Shanghai aunt and the butcher got into a car accident, she took the initiative to cook and deliver meals to the hospital every day without charging a penny.
"Okay, okay."
Fatty Sun took off his scarf and sat down to eat with Pig Butcher and Bao.
"Xiaomei, Xiaoqiang, why don't you go sit down and eat?"
Tang Qing saw two children looking around in the kitchen outside, so he went over and shouted.
"Godmother, I want to eat tofu and steamed buns."
"Mom, didn't you promise me to eat tofu and steamed buns at night? You can't go back on what you promised. You must keep your word."
"Well, my godmother promised me to eat as many cages as I want at night."
"Sister Xiaomei, don't worry, my mother is a master of Jiujin, so she must keep her word!"
The two children stood there chatting endlessly, and Tang Qing was in trouble. The old Zhang Tofu and Steamed Buns shop didn't make tofu and steamed buns at night, so where could he get the tofu and steamed buns? At that time, he was just trying to coax Xiaomei.
He casually said that he would eat tofu and steamed buns tonight so that she could eat enough.
"Don't worry, little guests, the tofu and steamed buns will be ready soon."
When Lao Zhang came out, Tang Qing breathed a sigh of relief and led Xiao Me and Xiao Qiang in to sit down and eat.
In mid-August, Shancheng is still unbearably hot at noon, but it starts to get cooler in the morning and evening.
After dinner, Tang Qing and Li Li went for a walk on the embankment together, with Xiaoqiang and Xiaomei following behind.
"Did you go to the institute this afternoon?"
"Um."
"Are you okay?"
"Who do you mean?"
"Of course I am referring to you. Something must be wrong with Li Zhen and Li Ya."
"There shouldn't be a big problem with Li Ya. Police Xiao Wang said that judging from the current investigation, Li Ya has just participated in an illegal pyramid scheme and was deceived by Li Zhen."
"I also don't think Li Ya's problem is big. She is much simpler than you."
"Am I complicated?"
"You are amazing!"
"Come on, my dad asked me to thank you on his behalf."
"Ah? Master Li gave you a dream? I've been dreaming about him these days."
"It's not my father, it's my father."
"Abba, daddy, is there anything different?"
"Abba is Mr. Li, and dad is my biological father."
"Your biological father? Have you really found your biological father? Is he Li Zhen's father? Is he living in a northern metropolis now? Were you with him not long ago? Is he a good person or not?
Bad guy? Why did he bully Aunt Li? Are you and Li Ya really twin sisters? Is Li Zhen also the child of Aunt Li? Why did he abandon Aunt Li and you..."
"Tang Qing, don't be anxious, listen to me slowly."
"You know? I have been struggling with these questions these days. I want to ask you but I am embarrassed and dare not ask you."
"Is there something that your Master Jiu Jin is too embarrassed to ask?"
"Are you Li Zapo from Yancheng?"
"I am now the filial daughter of Li in Yancheng."
"Hey, hey, if my master Jiujin hadn't stopped you in time, you might be Li Bufa now."
"So, my father asked me to convey his gratitude to you. Thank you for always helping me. Thank you for saving Li Ya in time. Thank you for stopping Li Zhen from sliding into the abyss of crime again!"
"No, no, no, don't be busy thanking me first. You should answer my questions first."
"You asked so many questions in one breath, but I can't answer them all in one breath."
"Then you can answer one sentence at a time, right?"
"How about this? Let's send Xiaomei and Xiaoqiang back first, and then the two of us will have a long conversation all night long. I promise to answer all your questions without mentioning any of them."
"Okay, okay, that's good. Anyway, we have to keep a vigil for the big hairy lady tonight, so we can just know and talk about everything."
"Are you sure I will know everything and tell you everything?"
"Sure, who are you? Who am I?"
"Hey, you feel pretty good about yourself."
"Of course, what people need is self-confidence, otherwise you will achieve nothing."
"Tang Qing, I really admire your confidence."
"Li Li, your confidence is what I admire most."
"Now I have no self-confidence at all. All I have is helplessness in life and fear of fate."
"Li Li, are you still Yancheng Li Zapo? Show your confidence, you will always be Yancheng Li Zapo."
"Master Jiujin will always be Master Jiujin, and Li Zapo in Yancheng will no longer exist!"
"Stop being sentimental, Xiaomei, Xiaoqiang, let's go back!"
Tang Qing greeted the two children and returned to Da Mao's house. She would have a long talk with Li Li tonight.