Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 448: Knocking on the second pockmark

In the small private room, Xu Qing and Chen Xiufang sat opposite each other. The copper pot placed between them was slowly steaming.

Because the private room was on the second floor, the noise on the first floor did not affect the conversation between Xu Qing and Chen Xiufang.

Of course, Xu Qing could hear the laughter in other private rooms on the second floor amid the noise.

But the door to the private room was closed, which was a lot of isolation.

Chen Xiufang stood upright across the copper pot, blinked at Xu Qing, and said with a smile:
"Sister, I want you to come to the department store to help me. Are you interested?"

Xu Qing was stunned, smoking a cigarette and looking at Chen Xiufang, a little surprised.

Because Chen Xiufang's words surprised him so much.

"Sister Xiufang, do you want me to go to the department store to help you?"

Chen Xiufang nodded, took off her woolen coat, revealing the red sweater she was wearing underneath, placed her hands flat on the table in front of her, and looked straight at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing didn't answer in a hurry. On the way here, he thought that Chen Xiufang would never just come to him to reminisce about old times.

But she didn't expect that she wanted to go to work in a department store.

Looking back at Chen Xiufang, Xu Qing smiled and said:

"Sister Xiufang, I'm afraid this won't happen. Our grain station cannot live without people."

After Xu Qing finished speaking, he added: "In addition, I built a warehouse in the suburbs. In August, I went to the countryside to harvest some wheat and corn, and bought machines for the warehouse. I still have a lot of work waiting for me in the warehouse."

Chen Xiufang said oh, disappointment flashed in her eyes, and her heart sank slightly. Then she said something good, then raised her finger and pointed at the copper pot and said:

"We, brother and sister, were chatting while eating."

Xu Qing was not restrained, picked up the chopsticks, picked up the cooked mutton in the dipping bowl, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Anyway, I'm here, Chen Xiufang is treating me, and it's lunch time, so I can't starve myself.

People are like iron rice or steel, and they eat what they have to eat. Xu Qing doesn't want to talk to her outside.

Even though they are acquaintances, wouldn't it seem too alienating to see each other outside?

And you can have a free meal of boiled mutton, so how can you not have a good time?

Chen Xiufang also grabbed the chopsticks, picked up the raw mutton slices, and started to rinse them in the copper pot.

She didn't mention anything about her wanting Xu Qing to help her.

Xu Qing's previous words clearly told her that he would never go to the department store to help her.

And Xu Qing really didn’t have that idea.

The director of his fifth factory was not the right one, so he chose to open his own grain station and do business after it was re-opened.

How can I go to a department store?

It's just that Chen Xiufang was not in Sijiu City in the past few years.

It is not clear that Xu Qing once served as the director of the fifth factory of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

Otherwise, she would never ask Xu Qing to go to the department store today.

After all, if Xu Qing went to a department store, she wouldn't be able to help him get a position higher than that of a branch factory director.

She just relied on her family connections to become a first-floor supervisor.

How much energy can a position the size of a sesame seed have?

What's more, even if she gave up her seat for Xu Qing to sit.

Xu Qing may not accept it either.

Chen Xiufang still knows something about Xu Qing.

We once studied in the same university. Although we were in different grades, we were in the same major, and we had some social contacts in many things at school.

She knew more or less about Xu Qing's abilities and character.

Chen Xiufang had considered Xu Qing's refusal to agree last night.

Therefore, after she heard Xu Qing declined her.

I'm disappointed, but I don't think it's anything unexpected.

In fact, even if Chen Xiufang gave up her position, Xu Qing would not like it.

During his time at the Fifth Factory, he was in charge of thousands of people.

And Chen Xiufang only manages dozens of salespersons at the moment.

Compared with the time when Xu Qing was the factory director, the gap is not that big.

Xu Qing was naturally not interested in Chen Xiufang's ideas at all.

The snow on the street is getting heavier.

Xu Qing was sitting in Dong Laishun's private room, eating hot boiled mutton, but he didn't feel cold at all.

After a while, he ate most of a pound of mutton by himself. Chen Xiufang called the waiter and ordered another two pounds.

While waiting, Xu Qing was enjoying the meat pie and fried sesame tofu in mutton fat.

Dong Laishun's hot-boiled mutton is a specialty, and the meatloaf is not bad either. Although the fried sesame tofu in mutton oil is not as famous as the fried lamb tail, it is still a specialty dish.

Chen Xiufang didn't eat. She crossed her hands and held her chin. She stared at the increasingly capable and mature Xu Qing with her beautiful eyes. She didn't know what she was thinking.

Xu Qing immersed himself in the rice and chewed the meatloaf, which was crispy on the outside and soft with mutton stew inside. He signaled to Chen Xiufang to eat more.

He can't eat it alone.

Chen Xiufang suddenly smiled foolishly, "Xiao Qing, if only I had met you earlier."

The heat from the copper pot was still rising, filling the private room.

Xu Qing didn't answer. How could he not understand what Chen Xiufang meant.

It is normal for teenagers of seventeen or eighteen years old not to understand.

But Xu Qing has the memory of later generations, and before marrying Jinghong, he heard similar words from Hui Lihua.

After swallowing the meatloaf in his mouth, Xu Qing put down his chopsticks, wiped the oil stains on his hands with the towel the waiter had given him earlier, and said with a smile:

"Sister Xiufang, we didn't drink, why are you drunk?"

Chen Xiufang smiled and said nothing.

However, the strange look in Xu Qing's eyes did not diminish.

After the waiter brought the two kilograms of freshly cut mutton, Chen Xiufang picked up a piece with chopsticks, rinsed it and said:

"Xiao Qing, what did your wife do before? You never told me about it during college."

Xu Qing was also rinsing the meat with his chopsticks, and he made a sound and said:
"My daughter-in-law used to work in a cultural troupe and was a pillar of their troupe. She just changed her job this year. Originally, the troupe kept her. No, I opened a grain station, but she didn't choose to obey the troupe's arrangements. She followed me after she changed her job. Let’s take care of the grain station business together.”

Chen Xiufang hummed and said with a smile:
"No wonder I saw your wife last time. She looked beautiful and had a unique temperament. She is from the art troupe. No wonder."

Xu Qing smiled proudly, put the cooked mutton in the dipping bowl and said:

"Sister Xiufang, don't talk about me, tell me about you. I've never seen your lover do anything."

Chen Xiufang sighed: "We broke up long ago.

After I graduated that year, I went to work as a reporter in other places. He refused to agree to it. He looked for connections everywhere and insisted on letting me stay in Sijiu City. However, the state arranged for me to work in other places. As you know in the past few years, the changes are not over. We college students take it very seriously.

How could I stay in Sijiu City because of his selfishness?

As a result, we lived separately. When I came back during the Chinese New Year last year, I heard from my mother that he had found a sweetheart outside my back and arranged a job. I was so angry that I left him on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month.

I fulfill them.

Anyway, I don't have much affection for him, so it would be better if we divorced.

It saves him from sneaking up on me and my parents all day long. "

When Xu Qing heard this, he was shocked, put down his chopsticks, and said comfortingly:

"Sister Xiufang, that's because he doesn't have that blessing. Just because of your looks, he will find someone every minute. There are so many people who like you!"

Chen Xiufang shook her head slightly, "Forget it, let's not mention those bad things. I haven't thought about looking for him again for the time being. Let's talk about it later. I feel good being alone now. I have food and drink, and I don't have to worry about anything."

The mutton soup in the copper pot was still gurgling.

Xu Qing nodded and continued the conversation as Chen Xiufang talked about what happened during college.

Neither of them mentioned the incident just now.

But Chen Xiufang secretly glanced at Xu Qing from time to time.

More than an hour later, Xu Qing came out of the noisy Dong Laishun with a bulging belly.

He almost ate three kilograms of mutton by himself.

Chen Xiufang didn't eat much, but she tasted a meat pie and said the taste was still very authentic.

It's exactly the same as what she ate when she was a child.

Xu Qing saw that Chen Xiufang liked to eat, so he helped order two more, and then told the waiter to pack four more and prepare to take them back to the grain station later so that his wife, sister, and Er Mazi could also try them.

Standing at the gate of Donglaishun, Xu Qing held four meat patties wrapped in kraft paper in his hand. After greeting Chen Xiufang in the snow, he waved goodbye and turned back to the grain station.The snow is heavier today than yesterday, and the snowflakes are as thick as goose feathers, falling hard and fast.

When Xu Qing returned to the grain station, he was already covered with a layer of food.

Standing at the door of his own grain station, Xu Qing stamped the snow on his feet and said to his sister who was coming out:

"Xiaoya, come on, put the meatloaf in front of the stove and heat it up. It's delicious."

After Xu Qing left, Xu Xiaoya, Er Mazi, and San Huzi's wife, Meijuan, had been helping their eldest brother and comforting their sister-in-law Jinghong.

When Ma Jinghong saw Xu Qing coming back with meat pie, she rolled her eyes, snorted, and her anger finally subsided.

Er Mazi held the feather duster and walked out of the grain station. While dusting Xu Qing's body, he held the flue in his mouth:

"Qingzi, it's okay. Remember to bring us meat pies when you come back. My good words to Jinghong were not in vain."

Xu Qing patted the snow on his hat and said, "Brother Mazi, I know that you, Sister Wang, Meijuan, and my sister will definitely help me. This meat pie is just for you."

Er Mazi grinned happily and saw that the snow on Xu Qing's back was gone. He put away the feather duster, pulled Xu Qing and stood outside the grain station, and asked secretly:

"Qingzi, tell me, brother, are you really nothing like that Chen Xiufang?"

Xu Qing looked serious, "Brother Mazi, do you think my wife is as beautiful as Chen Xiufang?"

Er Mazi said without hesitation: "There must be."

"That's over."

After Xu Qing finished speaking, he stepped into the grain station.

Er Mazi looked at Xu Qing's back, stretched out his hand to scratch his hair, and thought to himself:
"That's right. With a wife as beautiful as Jinghong, how could Qingzi have anything to do with Chen Xiufang outside?"

But thinking that Chen Xiufang was pretty good-looking, Er Mazi couldn't help frowning and secretly sighed:

"Why is it that such a good thing is not my turn? It would be great if Chen Xiufang could treat me to dinner and have something to do with me."

Er Mazi didn't care whether his wife Chen Xiaojuan was jealous or not.

When he married Chen Xiaojuan, it was because of helplessness.

If it weren't for Chen Xiaojuan's family, they would have fought with him to death.

Er Mazi never thought about getting married to Chen Xiaojuan.

It's a pity that under the circumstances back then, he had no choice but to marry Chen Xiaojuan.

At this time, Er Mazi thought back and still felt grudged in his heart.

But he and Chen Xiaojuan are married and now have children.

Even if you want to change, there is nothing you can do.

After taking the last puff of his cigarette, Er Mazi threw the cigarette butt on the ground. Seeing the snowflakes flying in the sky, he quickly returned to the grain station.

At this moment, in the grain station, Xu Xiaoya had already heated the slightly cold meatloaf and Sanhuzi's wife in front of the stove.

Xu Qing sat on a chair, rubbing his frozen hands together and warming himself around the stove.

Ma Jinghong stood in front of the counter and felt a little distressed when she saw her man's cold-red hands, but she didn't say anything.

Her anger subsided, but she did not forgive Xu Qing.

After a while, Xu Qing's body warmed up and the meatloaf was heated up. Er Mazi grabbed a meatloaf and touched Xu Qing with his elbow while eating.

"Qingzi, then Chen Xiufang invited you to dinner, what did you say?"

Xu Qing took the hot tea that his sister poured for him, held the tea cup in his hand and said:
"Nothing, just asking me if I want to go to work in a department store."

Er Mazi chewed the meat pie and muttered: "Then Chen Xiufang is really true. I can answer this question for you if you dare."

Xu Qing was happy, looked at Er Mazi and said:

"Brother Mazi, do you think I will agree?"

Er Mazi shook his head, crossed his legs, and grinned:
"I definitely won't agree. You don't even want to be the director of the fifth factory. You gave it to your brother Patriot and the department store. Why don't you ask me to be their big leader? Are you tempted?"

Xu Qing smiled and said nothing, feeling that Er Mazi understood him quite well.

Xu Xiaoya stood aside, bent down and fed some of the meat scraps in the meat pie to the four cats who meowed when they smelled the meat. She straightened up, combed her hair with her hands and said:

"Brother, Brother Mazi is right. The business at our grain station is not bad. Why should we go to work in a department store?"

Sanhuzi's wife and Meijuan ate their meat pie in silence, without anyone interrupting.

For both of them, being able to work in a department store was a dream they had last year.

In these days, once you enter a department store, you will have an iron job.

How could they not be happy?

That is to say, this year, Xu Qing invited them to come to the grain station, and the salary was not low.

Sanhuzi's wife and Meijuan finally stopped thinking about it.

When Xu Qing refused to say anything, Er Mazi said that Xu Qing wanted to go, at least to become a big leader.

The two of them couldn't help but feel shocked.

My shopkeeper is awesome!
They have no chance to become ordinary salespersons, but the shopkeeper doesn't even bother to go.

Listening to the chat between Xu Qing, Er Mazi, and Xiao Ya, San Huzi's wife couldn't help but ask.

"The shopkeeper, Chen Xiufang, wants you to work in the department store. What kind of job can she give you?"

Xu Qing waved his hand, "I don't know. I didn't plan to go, so I didn't ask."

Ma Jinghong stood in front of the counter, taking a small bite of the meat pie. After listening for a long time, she still didn't want to talk to her man.

I think Dong Laishun's meat patties are quite delicious.

Er Mazi, who was sitting next to Xu Qing, said:

"Qingzi, you're wrong. If you don't want to go, you might as well ask if you can go."

Xu Qing suddenly frowned, stared at Er Mazi and said:

"What's the matter, Brother Mazi, brother, have I treated you badly these past few months?"

Er Mazi's head was shaking like a rattle, and he chuckled:

"Qingzi, buddy, I want to go there."

Er Mazi lowered his voice, tilted his head, and whispered into Xu Qing's ear.

Xu Qing frowned again as he listened.

Seeing this, Xu Xiaoya, Sanhuzi's wife and Meijuan guessed that Ermazi must have said nothing serious, so they all walked to Jinghong's side in disgust.

Er Mazi pinched the meat pie and whispered, then winked and said: "Qingzi, please help me ask, just in case."

"It's not just in case!" Xu Qing raised his hand to stop: "Brother Mazi, you are just thinking too much."

Er Mazi took a bite of the meat pie and said, "Maybe you want me?"

Xu Qing was speechless, "Brother Mazi, you are not well educated. If you had the skills of Xu Damao, maybe Chen Xiufang would agree.

But besides, Chen Xiufang wants people to go to work and do their business, so how can she allow you to do whatever you want? Aren't you afraid that if something happens to you and your wife finds out, she will break your legs? "

Er Mazi pouted and said, "Am I the one she's afraid of?"

Xu Qing was completely speechless, took out a cigarette, held it in his hand, thought for a while, gave Er Mazi a look, and the two walked out of the grain station.

Xu Qing exhaled, turned to look at Er Mazi and said:
"Brother Mazi, I would like to advise you, don't think about what you have and what you don't have before you have a good life. Xu Damao was flirting around in the factory, and you don't know what happened to him.

What will happen to Xu Damao without you?The position at that time was not low. Do I need to say more about the result? "

Er Mazi remained silent.

For the first time, Xu Qing felt a little disgusted by Er Mazi.

Even though Er Mazi had that kind of idea, for a normal man, there is nothing wrong with it.

He can understand too.

However, Xu Qing never expected that Er Mazi would become like this.

Smoking a cigarette and looking at the silent falling snow, Xu Qing said after a long time:
"Brother Mazi, if you feel that I can't help you, you can find another job, and I will never stop you.

You asked me to help you tell Chen Xiufang that as long as you go to work down-to-earth, I can do it too.

But if you are full of tricks and want to do something stupid, I'm sorry, I can't help you! "

Er Mazi hurriedly added: "Qingzi, I'm just joking, it's nonsense, why do you take it seriously?"

At first, Xu Qingqi thought Er Mazi was joking and didn't care. As a man, it's okay to say naughty things.

But Er Mazi still insisted, this was going too far.

It won’t work without banging and banging.

"Brother Mazi, it's best this way."

After Xu Qing finished speaking, he turned around and went back to the grain station alone, leaving Er Mazi alone and silent.

(End of this chapter)