Transmigrated into the fat wife of the future prime minister

Chapter 17 Decoration
“That’s easy. There’s a guy named Li Quan in the alley ahead. He has a team of men who do this kind of thing. I’ll go ask him for you later,” Madam He said.

Now, Mrs. He supports any decision Xu Qingmeng makes.

After Xu Qingmeng and Madam He finished packing, it was already past noon, so they went out to shop.

When the butcher saw Xu Qingmeng arrive, he was incredibly hospitable. He had already reserved whole pig offal for her, along with some top-quality pork shoulder. Xu Qingmeng thanked him and, thinking of making dumplings for them that evening, bought even more. Seeing that the pig's blood looked quite fresh, she bought a lot of it as well, along with a few pig ears. The butcher smiled even more broadly.

As the two left after buying their things, Mrs. He muttered to He Xuqingmeng, "This butcher shop owner, I've never seen him so enthusiastic before, he's completely different now."

"The world is full of troubles, all driven by profit. This is a common occurrence. Mother, there's no need to worry too much. Let's just live our own lives well. If my husband passes the imperial examination in the future, I'm afraid such things will become even more frequent."

Madam He smiled and said, "I was just nagging a bit. If that day ever comes, I won't have to worry about it. Yunyi will handle it himself."

The two chatted and laughed along the way, getting to know acquaintances. Mrs. He would introduce them to Xu Qingmeng, who would greet them politely with a smile.

Of course, there were also those who deliberately picked fights or couldn't stand it, but He Shi shrewdly retorted.

Xu Qingmeng didn't care too much, since such things happen wherever there are people. However, she was still very touched by He Shi's attitude towards her.

She stood naturally to the side, cooperating with Madam He. Apart from Xu Qingmeng being a bit chubby, she still managed to portray the image of a newlywed young woman. Besides, who says that chubby people have to be big and burly? Of course, there are also gentle and lovely ones.

When the two got home, it was still early before lunch. Thinking they'd make dumplings for lunch, they first prepared the dough and filling, then soaked the soybeans for tomorrow morning, planning to take a short rest.
After all, I got up too early today and have been working non-stop, so I am quite tired.

When Xu Qingmeng woke up again, it was almost noon. The dough was already kneaded and the filling was already mixed. All she had to do was roll out the wrappers and fill them.

Xu Qingmeng worked quickly and soon wrapped quite a few dumplings. He Shi had also prepared the fire, and they were just waiting for the water to boil before they could cook the dumplings.

A moment later, the two little ones came in, drawn by the aroma.
"Sister-in-law, what are we having for dinner today?" Xiao Yunsheng asked anxiously as soon as she reached the door.

"We're having pure meat dumplings today, do you want some?"

"think."

The two little ones walked into the kitchen and said in unison, their eyes fixed on the dumplings on the cutting board, clearly craving them.

Xu Qingmeng chuckled, "Then you should go wash your hands first. You can eat later, and you can also call your older brother over."

"it is good."

The two little ones responded and ran out to wash their hands without wasting a second.

Watching from the side, Mrs. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "I wonder who these two look like, they're so delicious."

“They’re still young, and that’s the time when they love to eat,” Xu Qingmeng said with a smile as she rolled out the dough.

After the dumplings were cooked, Xu Qingmeng first ladled a bowl for each of the two children.
"Be careful, it's hot. Eat slowly," Xu Qingmeng instructed.

Before Xu Qingmeng could finish speaking, Xiao Yunsheng took a bite.
"Wow, sister-in-law, this is so delicious!"

Mrs. He glared at her from the side, annoyed, "Eat, eat, eat! Look how fat you've gotten."

Yun Sheng stuck out her tongue and then looked at Xu Qingmeng.

Gu Yunyi happened to walk in as well, and his eyes met Xu Qingmeng's. Xu Qingmeng felt even more embarrassed. Madam He realized she might have said something wrong, looked at Xu Qingmeng, and quickly said...

"Qingmeng, don't worry about it, that's not what I meant."

"Mom, it's okay."

Xu Qingmeng smiled, glanced at Gu Yunyi, and awkwardly touched her nose, since the original owner of this body was indeed fat.

Yunmo let out a big burp.

"Sister-in-law, I'm full. The dumplings you made were delicious."

This somewhat eased the awkwardness from before.

In the afternoon, Madam He went to retrieve the flat-topped pot that Xu Qingmeng had ordered. No sooner had Madam He left than a man arrived with several other people.

Although Xu Qingmeng didn't recognize him, she figured it out. He must be the Li Quan that He had mentioned. Judging from his appearance, he should be similar to a modern-day renovation team.

Xu Qingmeng's requirements weren't high, but they were still a bit different from those of this era. Fearing she wouldn't be able to explain them clearly, she took out the blueprints she had drawn in advance.

Then, Li Quan narrowed his eyes and pointed to a spot on the simplified map, asking a question.

“Madam Gu, you want to completely open up the front hall and back kitchen here, and then build a platform here. You want to hollow out the middle of the platform, and put a few stoves next to it. Opening it up will make the shop look bigger, but you can't fit many tables.”

"That's right. Uncle Li is indeed a professional. I just don't know if it can be done?"

Xu Qingmeng nodded approvingly. This Li Quan was indeed very experienced; he could understand the simple drawings Xu Qingmeng had made at a glance.

Xu Qingmeng shook her head. "I plan to leave a wider aisle on the left side of the shop. The tables will also need to be custom-made. I think the size will be slightly smaller. The tables on the right side will be placed against the wall, and another row of tables will be placed in the middle."

Li Quan was somewhat puzzled, but since his employer had made such a request, he pondered for a moment and then said...

"It is possible, but such modifications are quite significant, and the cost will be higher. It may take two more days, probably five or six days."

After listening, Xu Qingmeng nodded, "I understand all of that."

After hearing this, Li Quan said, "We are neighbors, so I won't hold back. The cost of the platform and table, plus the cost of clearing the middle section, materials, and wall construction should all be included in the wages. I need to call six people over, which will cost at least eight taels and five mace of silver. In addition, it also needs to cover their meals for the next few days."

Xu Qingmeng did not respond immediately after hearing this, but pondered for a moment. The price was indeed not low, but the cost of materials was included, so it was still acceptable.

Xu Qingmeng agreed, because if the shop wasn't renovated according to her idea, it wouldn't achieve the effect she wanted even if it reopened.

Uncle Li brought a few people over in the afternoon to familiarize himself with the place. After taking some measurements, he took his men out to contact suppliers for materials. Before leaving, he told Xu Qingmeng that construction could begin tomorrow, and that the meals provided by the Gu family would also start tomorrow.

Xu Qingmeng didn't need to make brine today, so the process in the afternoon was simpler than yesterday. Just then, He Shi brought back a frying pan.

Xu Qingmeng adjusted the flavors, and Madam He said she could handle the rest.

Xu Qingmeng is a person who can't sit still. After being busy for two days, she suddenly found herself with nothing to do, and she was a little unaccustomed to it for a while.

(End of this chapter)