Buy a house with 30,000 yuan and live in a small town

Just as Xu Qingsong planned, the two of them slept in again.

He got up at around nine o'clock, washed up, packed up, and drove out. Xu Qingsong first took Liu Wangxue to have an authentic Beijing breakfast, and then went straight to the furniture store to choose a bathtub.

The master bedroom bathroom was large to begin with, and Xu Qingsong had reserved enough space for a bathtub during the renovation. He also had a good budget, so he let Liu Wangxue choose according to her preferences. He had only one request: a double one.

Liu Wangxue discussed with him and chose the freestanding type, which is easier to install. He also chose a retro style according to the overall decoration style of the room, which is very romantic.

The brand's service was thoughtful and prompt. They said they could deliver the product to our door for installation in the afternoon, so we didn't stay outside for long and went back after lunch.

The weather had been gloomy since she got up in the morning. Liu Wangxue lay on the sofa with her head resting on Xu Qingsong's thighs, looking at the weather forecast on her phone: "It's said that there will be snow tonight, is it really going to snow?"

Xu Qingsong held the phone in one hand to reply to the message, and used the other hand to smooth her hair. The silky feeling made him love it: "It's just right to download it. Liang Xi'an just sent it to me. Look."

He turned the phone towards Liu Wangxue and let her look at the photos.

Liu Wangxue looked up and found that the picture was of peach blossoms. She asked in surprise, "Are the peach blossoms blooming?"

Xu Qingsong continued to reply to Liang Xi'an's message with one hand, saying: "Well, there is a peach forest in his hot spring resort, which is not very big. The weather has warmed up recently, and the peach blossoms have bloomed one after another. If it really snows tonight, we can go there tomorrow to see the peach blossom snow."

"Wow!" Liu Wangxue turned over, hugged Xu Qingsong's waist, and looked up at him, "It's so romantic just thinking about it!"

"Yes," Xu Qingsong put his hand on her neck and pinched her earlobe, "Then I really have to pray to God to let this snow fall."

Beautiful scenery should be enjoyed with the one you love. Liu Wangxue held his hand and said, "Then I will pray with you. Today is your birthday. Your wish will surely come true."

Xu Qingsong seemed to suddenly remember: "Yes, it's my birthday, and you haven't given me a gift yet."

"Don't worry, wait until evening." Liu Wangxue patted him.

Xu Qingsong deliberately asked: "Are you really going to give yourself to me?"

Liu Wangxue sincerely advised him: "Actually, you can think of something else."

Before Xu Qingsong could ask more questions, his cell phone rang. It was the technician coming with the bathtub to install it, so he went out to answer it.

After the bathtub was installed, it was almost time, so the two changed their clothes and went out. They were going to Mengji, which was Xu Qingsong’s grandfather’s home.

In fact, under normal circumstances, except for the full moon banquets and coming-of-age ceremonies of the younger generation and the birthday celebrations of the elders, ordinary birthdays are celebrated by everyone at home. Relatives just send blessings or gifts to each other, and there is no need to make such a big fuss and get everyone together.

But this time Xu Qingsong's birthday was a little different, because he brought Liu Wangxue back to meet his family. After everyone knew about it, they unanimously decided to get together at Mengji, and first meet the people from their own family and the outside family for a simple meal, and then go to Mengji on the birthday to meet the people from the master's uncle's family.

When Xu Qingsong showed Liu Wangxue the photos, he introduced her to the other three disciples of Master Meng besides Junior Uncle Xie Zhuoyi - Junior Uncle Xie Zhuoyi and his family had already been met when they went to the city's hot spring resort on New Year's Day.

However, the introduction was not very detailed when they were looking at the photos. The main purpose was to let Liu Wangxue recognize the people roughly first. So now on the way to Mengji, Xu Qingsong told Liu Wangxue in detail.

Mr. Meng's eldest apprentice is Qing Qimin, the eldest son of Qingji. Qing Qimin has a talent for cooking since he was a child. His grandfather taught him the characters with the recipes of his own sauces. When Qing Qimin was fourteen years old, he could make the sauces almost as well as his grandfather. But Qing Qimin didn't like to do these things. He learned them purely out of curiosity and competitiveness. When he found that he had learned enough, he told his family that he wanted to go out to learn from a master.

Qing Qimin is the eldest son in the family and the most capable of inheriting the family business among the younger generation. Naturally, the adults in the family are unwilling to let him do what he wants. However, Qing Qimin has been very opinionated since he was a child, and his grandfather dotes on him, so he doesn't need to make a fuss. His grandfather compromised, but he also had requirements. It is impossible to travel far away, and he can only worship the master next door.

The master at the door refers to the Meng family.

The Meng and Qing families were old friends, and they had served in the palace together more than a hundred years ago, so it was natural for Qing Qimin to worship Xu Qingsong's grandfather, Mr. Meng, as his master. If it were based on normal seniority, Qing Qimin would have to call Mr. Meng "uncle", but since he was learning skills and had performed a formal apprenticeship ceremony, he changed his name to "Master".

Mr. Meng had also been "drooling over" Qing Qimin at the time, and often lamented why the Meng family had not produced a younger generation like Qing Qimin who was both talented and willing to learn? He had a daughter and a son, Meng Wanqing and Meng Duanyang, neither of whom liked to go into the kitchen. The former was determined to study law to uphold justice in the world, while the latter was fascinated by art and wanted to become a master painter.

——Later, Mr. Meng commented on his daughter and son, saying: "The one who wanted to uphold justice in the world didn't even become a lawyer, but became a poor teacher. The one who wanted to become a master painter is not even as good as a teacher, but became a middleman who resells art." He also made a disdainful expression.

This is all a story for later. Back in the beginning, Mr. Meng didn't like to force his children. After several fruitless talks, he just let them do as they pleased, because he felt that unless someone was sincere at the stove, they wouldn't be able to cook anything delicious.

There was no hope for the next generation of children, but the family craftsmanship of the Meng family had to be passed down, so Mr. Meng wanted to take in an apprentice. When Qing Qimin's grandfather asked, he agreed without hesitation. Qing Qimin became Mr. Meng's first apprentice.

After Qing Qimin became a disciple, he lived and ate at the Meng family. At that time, he lived in the east wing with Meng Duanyang. When he finished his studies and graduated, he was only in his early twenties. After a few years, his family asked him to go back and inherit the family business, but he was unwilling. He felt that he preferred to stay at Mengji.

Qing Qimin's father finally came directly to the Meng family to ask for the child, and said to the then old man Meng: "Is it because I gave birth to a son for your Meng family?"

Mr. Meng was calm and composed: "Brother, I have to make this clear to you. Children are independent individuals after they are born. We, as elders, must respect their rights, including the right to choose. But don't worry, Qi Min is responsible. He will take up the burden of Qingji when it is time. We can't force him."

Xu Qingsong said to Liu Wangxue, "I heard that Grandpa Qing was unable to take Master Uncle away, and he almost got sick from anger when he returned."

"Is it so serious?" Liu Wangxue was surprised and asked, "Doesn't Master Uncle have brothers and sisters?"

"I was pretending." Xu Qingsong smiled and explained, "That uncle and aunt weren't very capable of handling the situation. Anyway, they weren't the candidates that Grandpa Qing was satisfied with. Later, Master Uncle was forced into a corner. Guess what idea he came up with?"

"What's the idea?" Liu Wangxue asked, and then thought of her great aunt Jiang Lin whom she met at Qingji on Saturday. She exuded the aura of a career-oriented woman from head to toe, "Could it be that he wants to marry a capable wife to help him share the burden?"

"Right answer!" If Xu Qingsong hadn't had both hands on the steering wheel, he would definitely give her a thumbs up.

Qing Qimin had already known Jiang Lin, the youngest daughter of the Jiang family, and was just beginning to develop feelings for her. He was forced by his family to immediately launch an offensive. He thought, the Jiang family was also in the catering business, and Jiang Lin studied catering management and graduated from a prestigious foreign university. If she married him, it would be no problem for her to manage a mere Qingji.

Liu Wangxue couldn't help but have some gossipy thoughts: "Is my aunt going to be married off to my master as a tool? Will she agree?"

"Yes," Xu Qingsong nodded, "Actually, my aunt doesn't have a very good relationship with my family."

Jiang Lin has two older brothers. She was born because her family mistakenly thought she was a son. When she was born, she was found to be a daughter. Her parents and grandparents didn’t like her. Her mother also hated her because she had a heavy bleeding during childbirth and injured her body, which made her unable to get pregnant again. She had no shortage of food and clothing since she was a child, but she had almost never experienced the word "family love".

Jiang Lin is a very strong-willed person who wants to do everything to the best of her ability. However, even though she is more capable and skillful than the other two, the family business will not give her a penny.

When Qing Qimin was pursuing Jiang Lin, he also told her clearly: "I like you very much, but this love is also mixed with a little impurity, because I want to hand over Qingji to you to manage after we get married. What do you think?"

Jiang Lin agreed after a little thought. She had a very good impression of Qing Qimin. In addition, she felt that "true feelings + interest binding" was a more solid relationship model.

Qing Qimin's father obviously did not agree with letting his daughter-in-law manage the family business. In his opinion, no matter how good the relationship with his wife is, she is still an outsider.

However, Qing Qimin and Jiang Lin joined forces, and no one knew how they talked to their elders, but the power was transferred smoothly, and Qing Qimin continued to stay at Mengji with ease.

Mr. Meng accepted his second apprentice two years after Qing Qimin became his apprentice. His name was Rong Weixiang, and he was an orphan, two years older than Qing Qimin.

Xu Qingsong said: "I heard from my grandma that the year Master Uncle became my apprentice, Second Master Uncle had just started working at Mengji and was working as a handyman in the kitchen. Sometimes when Master Dunzi was too busy, he would ask Second Master Uncle to help cut vegetables and serve the side dishes. Second Master Uncle was also a very talented person. After just a short time of contact, his knife skills were better than those of the young master who had practiced for one or two years, and that caught my grandpa's eye." Grandpa Meng took in apprentices for his own family business. It was impossible for him to accept someone as his apprentice as soon as he caught his eye. Anyway, he was still young at that time, so he spent two full years investigating Rong Weixiang in all aspects. Finally, when he was almost satisfied, he asked Rong Weixiang if he was willing to become his apprentice.

Rong Weixiang looked very honest, sometimes a little dumb, but in fact he was honest and dumb. In the past two years, no matter how dumb the people around him were, they could see that Mr. Meng wanted to take him in as his apprentice, and many things he was asked to do were tests for him, but he himself didn't realize it at all, and he didn't believe it when others told him.

Rong Weixiang was stunned by this question from Mr. Meng. Mr. Meng waited for a long time, but he didn't agree. He thought he didn't want to, so he asked him to go back and think about it and give him an answer the next day.

Rong Weixiang's brain didn't react, but his body was very obedient. When he heard Master Meng asking him to go back, he responded and walked out. When he reached the outer courtyard, passed the moon gate, and stood in front of the screen wall, he finally reacted. Then he hurriedly ran back, knelt down in front of Master Meng, kowtowed three times, called him "Master", and then said he was willing.

Mr. Meng was startled by him, then happily accepted the greeting and chose an auspicious day to formally hold the ceremony.

Hearing about Rong Weixiang, Liu Wangxue thought of Richard again. It had been more than a month since the Spring Festival, and she didn't know when he would get good news after spending so much money to ask someone to find his family. So she asked Xu Qingsong, "Did your second uncle look for his family later?"

Xu Qingsong also heard from his grandmother: "I have looked for it. Not long after my grandfather accepted the second uncle as his apprentice, he asked someone to help him look for it. It took about three or four years before we got the news."

Rong Weixiang was not from Beijing. He said his hometown was in Harbin because he came from an orphanage in Harbin. Mr. Meng followed this clue and asked someone to investigate. It took a lot of effort, but he finally found it. However, Rong Weixiang's biological parents had moved to the south at that time, and Rong Weixiang was abandoned by them.

Rong Weixiang was born at home with jaundice, which was a bit serious. The ignorant couple thought that the child had some strange disease that would cost a lot of money to treat after raising him for a few days, so they threw him away in the dead of night. After throwing him away, the couple was afraid and hurriedly packed up their bags and ran away.

Fortunately, it was summer, and the temperature was not very low even at night. At dawn, Rong Weixiang was picked up by a passerby who was returning home from the night shift. The passerby took the child directly to the police station. In those days, transportation and communication were not well developed, and the couple were not originally from Harbin. Where could they find the child in such a vast sea of ​​people? In desperation, the police sent Rong Weixiang in his cradle to an orphanage.

Xu Qingsong said: "My grandmother said that my second uncle originally thought that he was lost or abducted... Alas, after knowing the whole story, my second uncle no longer wanted to recognize me as his relative. He said that once a teacher, always a father. He only recognized my grandfather as his 'teacher' and 'father'."

Rong Weixiang's marriage was also arranged by Old Lady Meng. He was a simple-minded man, but a little dull, and didn't know how to chase girls. Old Lady Meng said, "If we wait for him to chase girls on his own, you will have to watch him remain a bachelor for the rest of his life!" So she arranged a blind date for him.

Old Lady Meng asked someone to find a matchmaker, and she spent a long time carefully selecting. She felt that Rong Weixiang was not a philanderer, so she had to find a partner for him who was simple, family-oriented, and good at managing life. Old Lady Meng didn't care about the woman's financial conditions, because Rong Weixiang had a high salary and didn't spend money recklessly. And she, his master's wife, and his master would never treat him badly. As long as the woman had good character, life would definitely get better and better.

After choosing and choosing, Mrs. Meng was not satisfied with any of them. Finally, she fell in love with a female elementary school teacher introduced by a friend of a friend. She was a college graduate from a normal school, from a well-off family, with good character and personality, and about the same age as Rong Weixiang.

Mrs. Meng thought it was a good match, but she was worried that the girl would not like Rong Weixiang. Finally, she decided to ask the girl first, regardless of whether she liked him or not. If she was willing to meet him, she would talk about it after that.

Unexpectedly, they would really get together after meeting each other. After so many years of marriage, although the two of them lived a dull life, they were loving and warm.

Xu Qingsong said: "My third uncle's family is different. There is always chaos all year round."

Liu Wangxue asked with a smile: "Is it like my aunt and uncle-in-law?"

Xu Qingsong also laughed: "No, Third Uncle and Third Aunt have two modes of getting along, just like split personality."

Mr. Meng’s third apprentice, Zhai Shaoyun, is one year younger than Qing Qimin. He started as a disciple in the third year after Rong Weixiang became his apprentice.

Zhai Shaoyun is from Chunshi. His family runs a supermarket chain. He is the youngest son in the family and was also raised in pampered conditions. He suddenly wanted to learn cooking and came to learn from the master.

Mr. Meng knew at a glance that he came from a wealthy family, but he was not sure whether he was really determined to learn or if he was just having a flash in the pan. In addition, learning to cook requires not only the ability to endure hardships, but also a certain amount of talent.

Over the years, many people came to Mr. Meng to become his apprentice, but he rejected them all. However, he unexpectedly found Zhai Shaoyun, who had no basic skills, to be a good match for him. So he told Zhai Shaoyun directly and asked him to consider it himself: "After considering it, if you think you are good enough, you can go to Meng's to be an apprentice for two years. After that, I will decide whether to accept you as my apprentice."

Zhai Shaoyun went and gradually grew from a novice who would always cut his fingers and see blood when cutting vegetables to someone who could cut rennet tofu into shreds with his eyes closed. He used to be afraid to even catch fish from a water tank, but later on, he could perfectly debone any fish in his hands.

Xu Qingsong heard this from his grandmother: "My grandmother said that Third Uncle's talent was actually not as good as that of the First and Second Uncles. Even the last Junior Uncle was better than him. However, he was stubborn and made up for his lack of talent with hard work. In the end, he was recognized by my grandfather."

Liu Wangxue praised: "Your Third Uncle is really amazing. He suddenly wanted to learn how to cook, and he didn't give up after experiencing it himself. It can be seen that it is not just a sudden whim, but true love."

"That wasn't the case at the beginning—" Xu Qingsong laughed, "My third uncle told me quietly that he wanted to give up after less than a week as an apprentice."

"what?"

Xu Qingsong continued, "Third Uncle said he wanted to learn how to cook, firstly because he didn't want to go to school, and secondly because he saw a chef on TV shaking the wok handle and making the fire jump up high, which looked really cool, so he rushed over to become his apprentice. When my grandfather asked him to think about it himself, he thought, it's just cutting vegetables with a knife, how difficult can it be?"

It turned out to be really difficult. In the first few days, Zhai Shaoyun's hands were covered with wounds one after another, new wounds covering old wounds. Not only was he injured, but he also delayed the progress of the kitchen. He was really frustrated. He wanted to give up, but he thought of the promise he made in front of Mr. Meng and his family. He felt that it would be very embarrassing if he left in disgrace, so he gritted his teeth and persisted.

Once he persisted and saw progress, Zhai Shaoyun really discovered the fun of it. With the guidance of Qing Qimin and Rong Weixiang, he no longer had the intention of quitting.

It was also Mrs. Meng who arranged Zhai Shaoyun's marriage. Xu Qingsong said, "My grandmother told me that the first meeting between Third Uncle and Third Aunt was very unhappy. But no one in the family knew what the unpleasantness was. Even after they got married, my grandmother asked them again, but they kept their mouths shut."

Mrs. Meng thought that the blind date between the two had failed, so she planned to ask someone to help her find other girls. Just when she was about to introduce the next one to Zhai Shaoyun, he suddenly said that the two were already together and were dating.

Mrs. Meng couldn't get any information out of her, thinking that there was probably some misunderstanding when they first met, and the two of them had already talked it out. Let's talk, she was quite optimistic about this girl.

However, not long after, the two announced their breakup, and after a while, they got back together. From then on, they started a pattern of breaking up and getting back together over and over again, until they got married.

Old Mrs. Meng still doesn't understand how these two people walked into marriage hand in hand. Every time, just when she thought that these two people were going to break up completely, they reconcile, and just when she thought that these two people should be together well, they quarrel and break up.

Xu Qingsong wanted to laugh when he thought of Mrs. Meng's expression, and imitated her tone: "My grandma was very helpless. She said, this is probably a pair of happy enemies?"

No matter how much they quarreled, they just couldn't break up. Liu Wangxue found it very interesting and wanted to explore more, so she asked: "What are the two modes of their relationship after marriage?" Why are they so divided?
Xu Qingsong said: "I don't know the specific reason, but sometimes when I see them, I feel that they have a very good relationship and are inseparable, and sometimes when I see them, it's the complete opposite."

What impressed Xu Qingsong the most was the Spring Festival of his senior year in high school. His little game won a prize at that time, and the whole family gathered for dinner on New Year's Eve to celebrate for him. During the conversation, they talked about the impact of games on teenagers: "It was a positive and friendly discussion at first, but when it came to the third uncle and aunt, it somehow turned into a debate. Neither of them could convince the other, and they almost quarreled."

The elders have become accustomed to this kind of thing from them, and their advice is half-hearted, as if they are just going through the motions. They just say that it’s New Year’s Day, so why be so serious? It’s just a casual chat, and it’s such a happy thing for a child to win a prize, so don’t make the child feel sad.

Xu Qingsong thought that if he was not involved in this incident, the family might not even bother to speak.

Xu Qingsong still finds it magical now: "You know, they both blushed and got angry at that time, and then they switched in a second and sat together lovingly, holding fruits and feeding each other..." He took a breath and shuddered as he spoke.

Liu Wangxue: "Is it true?"

Xu Qingsong said: "It's all true! I even secretly asked my sister - the daughter of my third uncle - and my sister rolled her eyes at me and said four words, 'split personality'."

Liu Wangxue didn't know whether to find that scene funny or embarrassing. She asked, "So, what kind of mode will your Third Uncle and Third Aunt be in later? Loving couple mode or enemy mode?"

Xu Qingsong thought deeply about it. There was no way to predict this. They were both random. "I think it should be the loving mode. After all, you came today. It's the first time we met, so we should be more normal."

Liu Wangxue: "Then, do you hope so?" (End of this chapter)