Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 190 Celebration

After sitting for a while, their hands recovered, and Xiaowei and Xia Maosheng got up to cook. Chen Hui helped, while Chen Xiao leaned against the kitchen door frame, chatting and watching.

Rinse the rice and put it in the pot. Soak the seafood in water to thaw. Xia Maosheng removes the fins, head, and innards from the ribbonfish and cuts it into sections. Xiao Wei dices cucumber and carrot, slices cucumber into diamond shapes, cuts some green pepper into strips and some into cubes, and minces scallions, ginger, and garlic. Chen Hui squats to the side picking chives and cilantro.

"This birthday cake looks pretty simple to make, do you really need to learn how to make it?" Chen Hui said without looking up as he worked with the chives.

Chen Xiao scoffed and said, "You think everything is simple, but you can't do anything."

Xia Maosheng wiped his face with his arm and said, "It's not that simple. You didn't see it? There's a whole bunch of machinery and equipment, and dozens of small tools. They're very skilled at it, but it looks simple to you."

Xiao Wei said, "It's not difficult to do, but the preparation is difficult. It's like cooking. When you're finally putting the food in the pan, it looks so quick, you just flip it a few times and it's done."

Chen Hui said, "That's true. I was thinking of making it at home myself. Chen Xiao would definitely like to eat this stuff; she must have lacked sugar in her past life."

Chen Xiao happily kicked Chen Hui in the butt.

Xiao Wei said, "It's not impossible. I saw some small household appliances the other day, and they also have small ovens. It's possible. It's just a matter of ingredients, and it's not difficult to learn."

Chen Hui asked, "How do you know everything? Did you learn it?"

Xiao Wei put the chopped scallions into a small bowl, shook his head and said, "No, where would I learn that now? I just think about it from looking at those machines. Eggs, noodles, and definitely sugar, how to add it? How much? When to add it? That's about it. I don't know about the butter. Lao Xia, do you think butter is just bought and used? It doesn't need any further processing, right?"

Xia Maosheng plated the cut ribbonfish and said, "I don't understand, this is the first time I've ever seen this thing." He got up and took the dirty water to the toilet to pour it out.

Xiao Wei said, "There's no rush. We can learn from the new year when classes start. Xiao Hui can also go and learn from the new class. With a mentor, how could he not learn? I think this shop should be opened. Look at all the people gathered here today. Even though it costs tens of yuan, no one complains about the price. It's only once a year for a birthday celebration, so this business will definitely be successful."

Chen Hui said, "Who will do the work if you open a shop? You'll have to do it yourself? It must be hard to find a good cook, right?"

Chen Xiao kicked Chen Hui's butt again and said, "How can you be so stupid? We've started a class, so what are the students for?"

Chen Hui turned to look at Chen Xiao and said, "All you do is pinch and kick me all day long. Are you trying to turn the world upside down? If you push me too far, I'll beat you up, you believe me? All you do is call me stupid or dumb. You've cursed my originally smart brain to become slow."

All four of them laughed. Xiao Wei said, "Yeah, beat her up. What are you doing all day, always pinching us? Do you think we're your punching bag?"

As soon as the door opened, Xiaohong came in carrying a bag, her big eyes wide as she looked over. "Just started cooking? What were you guys up to this afternoon?" She changed her shoes, put her bag on the chair, and walked over. Her eyes immediately fell on the birthday cake on the table. She leaned over to look at it and asked, "Whose birthday is it? Hehe, I haven't had one yet. My classmate got one for their birthday, how smug. Huh? Why does it say 'Wishing you prosperity'? Shouldn't it say 'Happy Birthday'? The handwriting is quite nice though. What did you all do?"

Reaching the kitchen doorway, Xia Maosheng put an arm around Chen Xiao and peered inside. He squeezed into the kitchen, carrying a basin, and scrubbed it with dish soap in the sink. "If you don't scrub the basin used for cleaning the fish right away, it'll be stinking to death tomorrow," he said.

Chen Xiao said, "How could it not be good if it was written by your son Xiaowei?"

Xiao Hong looked at Xiao Wei and asked, "Xiao Wei wrote this? How come you wrote it?"

Chen Xiao said, "There was a cake stall in the market. I happened to see it when I went to buy vegetables today. The handwriting was so ugly. I told him it was ugly, but he disagreed. So I nudged your Xiaowei to go up and write some. And that one, it was so impressive, it completely stunned the cake maker and the onlookers."

Xiao Hong asked, "So you bought a cake? You're really not celebrating your birthday?"

Chen Xiao said, "I'm not celebrating my birthday, I'm just having a little celebration."

Xiao Hong asked, "What are you celebrating? Are you celebrating your family opening a restaurant?"

Chen Xiao said, "No, it's to celebrate your family's prosperity. Didn't you see it says 'Wishing you good fortune' on it?"

Xiao Hong looked at Xiao Wei: "My house? What's wrong with my house? Are you celebrating opening a restaurant?"

Xiao Wei laughed, and Chen Hui said, "Celebrating your family's great fortune today."

Xiao Hong was confused and asked, "What kind of fortune did you make? Xiao Wei, what did you do this time?"

Chen Xiao said, "We ate at Donglaishun today, right? He brought a plastic plate, remember?"

Xiao Hong nodded: "Oh, what's wrong?"

Chen Xiao said, "That dish, your Xiaowei made 54,000 yuan this afternoon, just by making a few phone calls. Isn't that amazing? I'm so jealous. Hmm~~, he made that money too easily. Why didn't my Xiaohui have that kind of brain?" She twisted her body and pressed herself against Xiao Hong, humming as she did so.

Chen Hui said, "We'll definitely earn more than this once our restaurant opens, don't worry, honey."

Xiao Wei said, "It's all just luck. Nobody expected it. Besides, we haven't even made any money yet."

Xiao Hong stared wide-eyed and asked, "Is Xiao Xiao telling the truth?"

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Okay, we'll sign the contract tomorrow."

Xiao Hong couldn't help but laugh, and clasped her hands together in front of her chest as if in prayer, saying, "I want to buy pretty clothes, and I also want to buy shoes."

Chen Xiao grabbed Xiao Hong's arm and shook it, shouting, "I want some too! I want to buy clothes too! I want to buy a bag too!"

Xiao Wei was delighted and nodded, saying, "Okay, let's buy them all. We'll go shopping in Zhongjie tomorrow afternoon."

Xia Maosheng laughed heartily, while Chen Hui glared at Chen Xiao with a dark face and said, "Who are you asking for it from? Are you mistaken?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's okay, buy them all. You and Lao Xia should buy some too. I also want to change my clothes. Wearing the military uniform all the time isn't a good thing."

Xia Maosheng laughed and said, "Me too? Okay, I won't stand on ceremony with you. There's a piece of clothing I've had my eye on for a long time, but I haven't had the money to buy it."

Chen Hui's attention was immediately diverted: "What clothes? Do they look good?"

Xia Maosheng put away the washed basin, washed and dried the scissors, checked the time, turned around to light the fire, and took a large ladle to sit on the stove. At that time, the stove did not have a ignition device; an electronic lighter was needed separately. It had a handle and a long, curved rod that produced a flame when struck, and it used AA batteries.

Xiao Wei finished chopping, plated and put the food in bowls, cleaned the cutting board, wiped the knife clean, and gently chopped on the board upright to prevent rust. Regularly cleaning tools, cutting boards, and stovetops is a habit a chef must cultivate.

While heating the pot, Xia Maosheng said, "A coat, the kind with a suspender, it's so stylish, I've liked it for a long time." A suspender is a coat with two pieces of leather on the back that are sewn together and fastened to the back, it's both warm and good-looking.

(End of this chapter)