045 – Qin Mian’s Counterattack
Du Shi stood by Lei Daqiang’s side with schadenfreude in her eyes and shot a glance at the eavesdropping Fang Hongliu and Zhou Cuihua. She pulled down Lei Daqiang’s sleeve and hypocritically advised him: “Old man, if there is something, talk it over.”
“He can’t even manage his own wife, how can I talk it over with him?” Lei Daqiang jumped to his feet and pointed to Lei Tie’s nose. “What’s the use of you, this son?! Your wife dared to say disrespectful words to me, and that was unfilial! You tell me, how to justify him?”
Fang Hongliu and Zhou Cuihua looked at each other, staying there without any intention of leaving as their hands assumed a feigned manner of rubbing their laundry.
Qin Mian’s expression changed. He went to Lei Tie’s side and stood still. He hesitated for a moment before quietly held the man’s hand.Lei Tie hadn’t carried any expectation for Lei Daqiang for a long time, he said indifferently: “My wife and I already know that you don’t welcome us. Since the last time we built the house, my wife has not been to your house. I also want to ask how my wife provoked you.”
“You!” Lei Daqiang was so angry that he became very red and contemptible: “Bastard rebels against me! Last time, he called you an asshole on the mountain, so I scolded him and he actually said it was none of my business. Was that what someone’s wife should say?”
“Ha! Funny.” Qin Mian didn’t want to put up with the old man anymore; he blocked Lei Tie with his arm and refused to let him speak. He raised his voice as he said: “It happens that Sister Zhou and Sister Fang are also here, they can bear witnesses. Now that you mentioned it, I’ll talk about it. Your son had gone hunting for three days and he had not been seen. I asked you to find some people to go with me to find him. However, as a father, you acted as though you didn’t hear me as you only cared about your face as an elder and didn’t care about the safety of your son. That is case number one. No matter what, you could say it in private, but you humiliated your own child in front of two outsiders. That is case number two. You are ‘heartless’! If a father is heartless, why should you ask the son to be filial? Even if these cases are brought to the feudal authority, there is no excuse for you!”
Report to the feudal authority? Du Shi was scared, her pupils contracted and her neck shrank after.
“You, you… rebel, rebel…” Lei Daqiang’s fingers trembled with face red as if it was about to burn.
Qin Mian held his head up and chest out as he stealthily took aim at Lei Tie.
Lei Tie seized Qin Mian’s shoulder and dully said: “We still have something to do. Please excuse us.”The two people no longer paid attention to Lei Daqiang and Du Shi, continued to pick up pebbles as if nothing had happened.
“You, you guys wait for me, I’ll find someone to judge who is right! Humph!” Lei Daqiang was furious. He left a sentence that appeared severe, but weak inside as he walked away flipping his sleeve.
Du Shi quickly followed up. When she thought of Qin Mian’s words just now, she felt uneasy.
Qin Mian frowned. He must taught Lei Daqiang and Du Shi a lesson, otherwise, if they did this a few more times, could he and Lei Tie be at peace? When he caught sight of Fang Hongliu and Zhou Cuihua make faces at each other and murmur in low voices in excitement, he thought of a plan. He walked over quickly.
“These two sisters.”
“What, what’s the matter?” Recalling of the shiny kitchen knife in her memory, Fang Hongliu shivered and her laundry almost drifted away with the current.
Zhou Cuihua smiled dryly and didn’t dare to make a sound.
Qin Mian took out a money pouch from his sleeve pocket and smilingly said: “No need to be nervous, sisters. I already forgot about the last time. We’re all from the same village, some bumps are inevitable. Don’t you all think so?”
“Yes, yes, little brother is right.” Zhou Cuihua and Fang Hongliu nodded repeatedly while glancing at Lei Tie, who was still picking up pebbles. It appeared that he coddled Qin Mian very much.
Qin Mian said with a smile: “As long as you two do me a little favor, I can give 100 Wen each. How about it? Of course, it’s not murder and arson.”
Zhou Cuihua’s and Fang Hongliu’s eyes brightened.
Zhou Cuihua testily asked: “What is it?”
Qin Mian crouched down beside the two women and lowered his voice. The smiling expression on his face was wicked and his bright eyes twinkled with excitement.
Lei Tie saw clearly, shook his head slightly, picked up two pebbles and threw them into the basket.
Over there, Zhou Cuihua and Fang Hongliu didn’t wash their laundries but stood up with excited eyes.
“Little brother rest assured. We’ll make sure it’s done.” Zhou Cuihua vowed in all sincerity and seriousness.
Fang Hongliu picked up the laundry into the basket and said in a hurry: “Count on us. We’ll do it right now.”
Qin Mian generously gave the two women a total of 40 Wen. “This money is a deposit. After you have done it, I’ll pay the rest.”
“No problem.”
Zhou Cuihua and Fang Hongliu carried their laundry baskets and walked quickly with their small feet. They soon enter the village.
Qin Mian insidiously laughed, and then a small pebble hit him lightly in the chest.
“Come and help.”
“Coming.” Qin Mian walked over as he smiled happily.
“What did you say?” Lei Tie asked.
Qin Mian squatted down beside him and sneakily laughed, “Secret.”
Lei Tie actually heard all about it. He just liked to see the boy’s complacent look and very much liked how the boy cared about him.
The two people made round trips several times until they picked up a sufficient number of pebbles. The pebbled path ran from the courtyard gate to the house door and connected with the bathroom door. Lei Tie hammered the pebbles hard which embedded them into the ground. They were solid enough and looked both scenic and stylish.
It was noon when it was done.
“Hot pot for lunch?” Qin Mian sought Lei Tie’s opinion, “There is no bamboo sticks for hot spicy soup.”
“En.”
“When you go to the garden to pick vegetables, pick some of every kind of vegetables. While you are at it—” Qin Mian smiled, “Pay attention to whether there is any astir in the village.”
Lei Tie nodded and went out with a basket.
Qin Mian went to the kitchen to make hot pot seasoning. Most people could see the basic materials of the hot pot base in the modern hot pot shop. The reason why Qin Mian ground tangerine peels and Sichuan pepper into powder was to make it difficult to recognize. There were 18 ingredients in his hot pot base, including hot pepper, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, tangerine peel, star anise, cassia bark, etc. Some of them were not used as seasoning by people in this world, but used as medicinal materials or spices. This was also the main reason why the food in those restaurants was not so good. It was only because Qin Mian was blessed to travel through the time and space that he could pick up such a big bargain.
This seasoning could be used not only for cooking hot pot, but also for stir-fry.
As soon as Lei Tie entered the door, his nostrils were assailed with spicy aroma and his Adam’s apple rolled involuntarily.
“You’re back.” Qin Mian unscrupulously instructed him, “Wash the vegetables together. We have to dig a well in the yard. It’s too troublesome to carry water from outside all the time and that’s inconvenient to wash vegetables.”
Lei Tie’s eyes swept over the brilliant red soup on the charcoal stove before he moved a wood block to the kitchen, sat face to face with Qin Mian, took the peeler and peeled the potatoes, “I’ll find people after lunch.”
“Is there any astir in the village?” This was what Qin Mian most concerned about.
Lei Tie raised his eyelids to look at him, “En, I saw many people talking together on the road, but I didn’t hear what they were saying.”
Qin Mian decided to wait for news from Fang Hongliu and Zhou Cuihua. He discovered two wet lotus roots in the vegetable basket. “Where did these lotus roots come from?”
“From Brother Zhang.”
Qin Mian got up to wash the vegetables and got a shiver from the cold water, “Brother Zhang is really good. We need a lot of bamboo sticks to sell hot spicy soup. If Brother Zhang is willing, how about asking him to make bamboo sticks? It can be done at home and it’s easy.”
“He certainly is willing.” Lei Tie also got up, “You trim the vegetables and I’ll wash them.”
“Sure, you do it.” Qin Mian was glad, “Anyway, your skin is thicker than mine.”
Lei Tie silently let Qin Mian take advantage of him.
With a clear division of labor, they quickly put the processed ingredients on the table, including lotus root slices, spinaches, pork balls, potato slices, mushrooms and tofus. Because of the short time, these were the only kinds they prepared and the chopped pheasant was cooked in advance. At this time, it was already well-cooked and the aroma was mouth-watering.
Unfortunately, there was no vermicelli, which was Qin Mian’s current regret. However, he would be able to make it later.
“Let’s eat.”
They picked up chopsticks and ate while dipping.
“How? Isn’t it good?” Qin Mian took a bite of the pheasant’s meat. It was soft and delicious. He squinted contentedly. “There is a vegetable market in the town, so it’ll be convenient to buy vegetables. When the shop is officially opened, there will be more varieties.”
Lei Tie picked up a piece of pheasant’s meat and seeing that it was drumstick’s meat, he put it into Qin Mian’s bowl, “Hire a person to wash dishes.”
“Of course.” Qin Mian said, “You’re in charge of food preparation, I’m in charge of collecting money and then hired a waiter to be in charge of washing dishes. That is the arrangement for the time being. If the business is good enough, more people will be hired.”
Speaking up to this point, his butt moved uneasily on the stool as he whispered, “I don’t want people from the old house to intervene in the business of the shop, so I don’t want to ask any of them to join. Do you have any opinion?”
Lei Tie didn’t show an unhappy look, only asked: “Why?”
Qin Mian explained: “In my opinion, the most taboo in business is the involvement of relatives, which is inconvenient for management. In case of any contradiction, it will affect the relationship. Third brother, fourth brother, fifth brother and little sister are all good. Later, it is better to give them an idea of making money and let them do it by themselves, rather than let them interfere in our shop.”
Lei Tie gave him a gentle look. “Follow you.”
Only then Qin Mian was smiling again and picked up the colander to scoop out two meatballs for the man.
When Zhou Cuihua and Fang Hongliu entered the gate and smelled the spicy aroma, they secretly drooled.
“Oh, you are having meal.”
“You two are here.” Qin Mian got up to meet them.
Zhou Cuihua hastily said: “You sit down and continue to eat.”
Qin Mian saw their looks and knew that it was done. He invited them to sit down and sent Lei Tie away with an excuse first. “Brother Tie, go and get some meatballs.” What he asked Zhou Cuihua and Fang Hongliu to do was aimed at Lei Daqiang and Du Shi. Even if Lei Tie knew what it was, he couldn’t let Zhou Cuihua and Fang Hongliu know that Lei Tie knew it. Otherwise, it would be harmful to Lei Tie’ reputation when it was spread out.
Lei Tie obediently entered the kitchen.
Translator’s side note: Hi! Just to let you know, the first week of the month, I usually take a break, so there might or might not be updates (depends on my laziness or sometime it is the bad weather). But anyway, thank you for the comments/supports!!!!
