Chapter 14 Taking the initiative to help with the account
Doudou didn't have a change of clothes, so Grandma Fang came forward to help buy a set of old clothes that were outgrown by other people's children.
In this era, there are new bosses, old second bosses, and poor third bosses. It is not easy to buy other people's used clothes.
Fortunately, Grandma Fang knew the town very well. She knew exactly which family had fewer children and whose children were only a few years older than Doudou.
The old clothes bought from such a house will not be in disrepair, but they will also be patched.
After packing Doudou, Lin Mai took Doudou and Grandpa Fang to choose leeks together.
Grandma Fang is mixing the noodles.
After selecting and washing the leeks, Grandma Fang also kneaded the noodles, and Lin Mai started rolling out the dumpling wrappers.
When she started the snack business in her previous life, there were no machine-rolled dumpling wrappers for sale, so she had to rely on hand-rolling, so she developed the skill of rolling dumpling wrappers quickly and well.
Although I rolled out dumpling wrappers in my previous life, not northern dumpling wrappers, northern dumpling wrappers are better than boiled dumpling wrappers.
Doudou and Grandpa Fang and Grandma Fang make dumplings together.
Doudou didn't know how to make bags, so the two old men taught her how to make bags. The grandfather and grandson were talking and laughing, and the atmosphere was very warm.
Half an hour later, the dumplings were wrapped, and Lin Mai began to lay the dumplings, asking Doudou to help light the fire.
Grandma Fang said angrily: "You are so young Doudou, how can you make a fire? Let your Grandpa Fang do it!"
Doudou said hurriedly: "I can make a fire."
As he spoke, he ran to the stove with his short legs and sat down. He struck a match and started a fire in a decent manner.
Although Lin Mai has never raised a child, he also knows that children cannot be pampered, otherwise he will suffer in the future.
The other grandma smiled and said: "Look, Doudou can make a fire, so let her do it."
Grandma Fang hesitated and left the kitchen.
After a while, the dumplings were cooked and each person had a big bowl.
Doudou insisted on serving the dumplings by herself. Grandma Fang was afraid that she would get burned, so she protected her like an old hen and kept scolding her for being too pushy.
Lin Mai didn't think she was trying to be brave, but she just couldn't wait to eat the dumplings.
Grandpa Fang peeled the garlic, took a bite of the dumplings and took a bite of the garlic. He looked pleased with himself and asked Lin Mai if he wanted a clove.
Lin Mai shook her head like a rattle. She only used garlic as a condiment and never ate it raw.
Although Hu Province is considered northern in the eyes of Guangdong people, their living habits are southern, and they are not used to eating raw garlic.
Grandma Fang gave Grandpa Fang an angry look: "You can eat what you like, why would you give it to Maizi?"
Then he explained to Lin Mai: "Your grandfather has stayed in the capital for decades and has become a northerner. He loves garlic and pasta."
Lin Mai smiled and asked, "Has grandpa ever tasted Jingcheng's noodles with bean paste and roast duck?"
Grandpa Fang laughed and said, "I've eaten it, I've eaten it all, but I really can't get used to drinking soybean juice. The taste makes me dizzy."
Then he smacked his lips again and said with endless aftertaste: "The roast duck in Beijing is so fragrant, and every time you eat it, it's oily."
Lin Mai smiled and said: "I have never tasted authentic Beijing roast duck. I must go to Beijing to try it in the future."
Doudou raised his little head and asked: "Is the roast duck delicious with dumplings?"
Grandpa Fang touched her little head lovingly: "Of course the dumplings are delicious!"
Doudou's eyes widened in surprise: "That's so delicious. I think dumplings are the most delicious in the world." After that, he immersed himself in eating again.
After hearing what she said, Lin Mai couldn't help but feel sad when he saw the happy look on her face while eating dumplings.
After eating the dumplings, Doudou fell asleep.
In the past two days, she hadn't eaten or drank well. She was thinking about her mother, and she hadn't slept well either.
Now that I have eaten and drank enough and am in a safe environment, I naturally want to sleep.
Lin Mai put her to bed, and the little one fell asleep as soon as she touched the pillow.
Lin Mai walked to the main room to chat with Grandpa Fang and Grandma Fang.
Only then did Grandma Fang and the couple ask about Doudou's origins, and Lin Mai told them the truth.
Grandpa Fang said: "If that's the case, then add Doudou's household registration in your household registration book as soon as possible.
She is already over three years old and will go to elementary school in a few years. Without a household registration book, it will be difficult for her to even go to elementary school."
In this era, family planning was very strictly controlled, so it was not easy for an adopted child to register as a household registration. They were afraid that some families with too many children would take advantage of this loophole and give their extra children to relatives for adoption.
Lin Mai planned to wait until the business started and he got to know people before finding a way to register Doudou.
Since Grandpa Fang had already asked this question, she told him her plan.
Grandpa Fang waved his hand: "You don't have to wait so long. Just give me your household registration book. I will find someone tomorrow and I can get it done for you in a week at most."
Lin Mai didn't think much, took out the household registration book and handed it to Grandpa Fang, and took out six yuan from his pocket and gave it to Grandpa Fang.
Grandpa Fang asked in confusion: "Why do you give me money?"
"Grandpa helped me run Doudou's household registration. I have to build relationships. This money will be used by grandpa to build relationships."
Grandma Fang pushed back the money in Lin Mai's hand: "Your grandpa is on business, there is no need to deal with it."
Lin Mai thought that several of his children were working in the provincial capital and might have a wide network of contacts. There was really no need to worry about establishing a household registration for Doudou, but they would definitely owe favors.
Since Grandma and Grandpa Fang refused to accept her money, she would not give it to her and would repay her with gifts during the holidays.
Besides, she didn’t have much money and she still had to get goods.
Everyone chatted for a while about Lin Mai's business today.
When I heard Lin Mai say that she rented Grandma Pang's pot and bought her firewood, she had to pay one yuan for half a day, which felt very uneconomical.
Grandma Fang said: "Our family has many pots and scales. If you bring our pots and scales, you don't have to rent someone else's. One dollar a day is such a loss!"
Lin Mai thought for a while and said: "I'll bring the scale, forget about the pot. I'm setting up a stall in front of someone else's door. Even if I don't use Grandma Pang's pot, I still have to pay for it. It's just like paying the rent."
When she first went to Jiangcheng to set up a stall in her previous life, there were always local snakes who wanted to bully her. If she didn't want to be bullied, she had to pay protection money.
There were also security and law enforcement teams to drive us away, so it was a difficult start.
Later, she waited until she earned money, rented a shop, and obtained a business license. Only then did she get rid of those gangsters, and the public security law enforcement team stopped driving them away.
Although it costs one yuan for half a day to rent Grandma Pang's iron pot and stove and buy her firewood, she is from Hankou, and she sets up a stall in front of her house, so the local snakes dare not provoke her easily.
Local snakes love to bully others.
As for the public security law enforcement team - as long as there are not many vendors and no one reports them, generally speaking, they will not evict or confiscate things.
Even if the law enforcement team comes, just close the stall and hide in Grandma Pang’s house and you’ll be fine. Wait until the law enforcement team leaves before continuing to set up the stall.
Renting in front of Grandma Pang's house can save you a lot of trouble, and the rent of one yuan is very cost-effective.
Grandma Fang then gave up and said, "You just have to concentrate on selling chestnuts every day, and leave the chestnut collecting work to your Grandpa Fang."
He has nothing to do when he is at home. He can help you gather chestnuts and stretch his old bones."
It rarely snows in Lake Province in winter, and even when it snows, it doesn't fall heavily or last long, and the snow melts quickly when it falls on the ground.
Grandpa Fang helped to buy chestnuts without stepping on the snow and falling, so Lin Mai agreed: "Okay, I will give grandpa one yuan a day as hard work."
Grandma Fang said unhappily: "We are here to help you, not to work for you. I will be angry if you ask for money again!"
Lin Mai hurriedly said: "Okay, okay, don't mention it, don't mention it."
What I was thinking about was that after the Chinese New Year, I would buy a new piece of clothing for each of the two old people, and I would cut kilograms of meat back and eat it every once in a while, so as to repay the favor.