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Chapter 40: 商量
(Talk Over)
After sending the troublesome Wang Cui Hua and Zhao Cheng away, Zhong Ziqi glanced at Zhao Zheng’an: “Dealing with them is more tiring than doing business.”
Zhao Zheng’an smiled bitterly, “I didn’t know they were like this either.I’m sorry, for letting you look at the jokes.”
“You do not do anything wrong. They’ll definitely come back in the future, so go deal with them. I won’t be the bad guy anymore.” Zhong Ziqi said.
“Hn. Don’t worry I’ll deal with it.” Zhao Zheng’an said with assurance. He couldn’t always let his wife deal with his parents. It was too humiliating.
“Okay, enough about that, where’s the beancurd jelly? I’m going to make ‘tofu pudding’. After this, I have to go to Zhao Amu’s house when it’s done.” Zhong Ziqi stretched his back. He had to get up early every day,as busy as a bee, his body was really unable to endure it.
“It’s in the kitchen. You should rest more! I’ll go with you tomorrow.” Zhao Zheng’an was a bit distressed, how could he not see the tiredness under his eyes.
“No need! You’re not well yet!” Zhao Zheng’an’s headache was worrying him enough, as he had to suffer from it every now and then.Besides, there was no harm in nursing his body a bit longer.
“How long has it been?You think I’m a porcelain doll? I’ve been well for a long time. This matter is settled, your objection is ineffective. ” Zhao Zheng’an made up his mind once and for all, no matter how much Zhong Ziqi was dissatisfied and protested, he would not change it.
“How can you do this? You’re too authoritarian and domineering!” Zhong Ziqi glared at him in discontent.
Zhao Zheng’an said in soft tone to appease him  “I’ll just give you a few days to rest, look at how hard you’ve been working, my heart aches.”
After hearing that, Zhong Ziqi said in his heart, okay, okay, if you want to go, just go, why are you talking about this? It’s embarrassing!
Zhong Ziqi’s ears were a little red as he walked into the kitchen.
As usual, Zhong Ziqi instructed Zhao Zheng’an to start the fire. He used a spoon to make thin slices of the bean curd jelly he had bought and put them into a pot to heat up and boil.
In the courtyard, there was some sound of chickens and dogs jumping so Zhong Ziqi shouted, “Da Hei! Xiao Hei!”
Soon two little black dogs with wagging tails came running over. They were fed well every day.They grew quickly and were now twice as big as they had been when they first arrived. Zhong Ziqi gritted his teeth and said, “Why do you guys tease them (the chicks) every day? I’m still hoping they’ll grow up and lay eggs soon!”
Zhao Zheng’an laughed, “They don’t understand even if you talk to them. They still think you want to play with them.”
As a matter of fact, Da Hei and Xiao Hei had watery eyes as they looked at Zhong Ziqi with their tails wagging around excitedly.
Zhong Ziqi was speechless: “Our chicks are scared by the two of them. The chicks don’t even grow anymore.”
“It’s okay! The chicks will be fine once they get used to it.”
Zhong Ziqi’s face was black line, this one was even more unreliable.
“Get up and go play! Look at you two, I become angry.” Zhong Ziqi used his foot to move the two clingy dogs to the other side.
He lifted open the pot as the jellied tofu was almost ready. Zhong Ziqi dried the jellied tofu, put them into a large bowl with the soy milk, poured into it the right amount of soy sauce, sesame oil, minced onion, chilli oil and a small amount of vinegar then the bean curd jelly were made.
Zhong Ziqi tasted it first, and well — it was not bad, ‘a long time since we last met’ taste.
“You taste it.” Zhong Ziqi looked at Zhao Zheng’an expectantly.
“So simple?!”
Zhao Zheng’an took the spoon. Half believing, half doubting as he tasted it.The smooth and tender tofu, with the aroma of sesame oil and a hint of thickness bundle together with all kinds of flavors. It was indeed delicious.
Zhao Zheng’an nodded his head: “Not bad, quite delicious! Where did you learn to make it? I’ve never heard of this way of making before.”
Zhong Ziqi’s hands paused for a moment. “Eat your own. What’s with this many questions? Knowing too much will …” Zhong Ziqi said while making a slicing gesture with his hand by his neck threateningly.
[slit one’s throat gesture]
Zhao Zheng’an was amused (thought he was funny): “Fine, fine,fine! I won’t ask. Who doesn’t have a little secret, right?”
Zhong Ziqi looked at him suspiciously and said in his heart, “Did he see (realized) something? But — I won’t tell him even if he did.
“By the way, have you talked to Huang Amu and the others about this?” Zhao Zheng’an asked.
“I did mention it to Huang Amu’s side today. They looked quite touched and said they would think about it.”
“There should be no problem. Huang Amu’s family is just an ordinary family. They won’t miss the opportunity to make money.”
Zhong Ziqi nodded: “En.That’s what I thought too. Well, if you think this is a good idea, then let’s let Zhao Amu’s family do this, right?”
“Okay, you can make another bowl and bring it to Zhao Amu’s house. Let them try it! Just ask their opinion, if they are willing to make it, let them contact the rest. You should not show up too much.” Zhao Zheng’an said.
“Okay, listen to you.” Zhong Ziqi nodded. As a big tree attracts the wind so it was better to keep a low profile if they could.
After making another bowl of beancurd jelly, Zhong Ziqi went up to Zhao Amu’s house.
Zhao Amu scolded him a little for bringing something over. Zhong Ziqi at first did not explain the purpose of his coming, just let them taste.
“Mmm … delicious!” Zhao Ning was the first who eagerly took a bite then he nodded his head wildly.
Ziqi’s cooking was always so delicious.
After that was Zhao Amu and Zhao Zheng.  Zhao Bao Gen didn’t go out to do any more work because the autumn harvest was coming soon. He was also at home. He tasted the food and nodded his head.
Only then did Zhong Ziqi narrate it to them once. Zhao Bao Gen was the first to object: “No, you mustn’t. Qi Ge’er, it’s not easy for you to do business, how can you give us the recipe?”
“That’s right, with this recipe, you could sell it for quite a lot of money when you get it to the restaurant.” Zhao Amu also said in disbelief. His two sons were now receiving more than ‘twenty wen’ a day from Zhong Ziqi.That was a lot of income for their family. This, in their opinion, was quite enough.
“Amu, Uncle Bao Gen, you have helped me so much since we split up the family. I think of you guys as a family. Since we’re one family, we don’t talk like we’re two families. Zheng’an and I have already discussed it, so you don’t have to feel any burden.It’s just a simple recipe. Moreover, we don’t have the manpower to do it now. So why don’t you do it?” Zhong Ziqi said sincerely.
“This …” Zhao Amu and Zhao Bao Gen looked at each other. They are indeed very impressed. They have long seen, Zhong Ziqi’s innate skill in business is very high. Doing one business after another is always popular so listening to him is just right. However, to let them take other people’s recipe to earn money for nothing, they feel very guilty.
Zhao Sheng and Zhao Ning did not say a word at the side, they couldn’t make a decision on this matter.
“Don’t hesitate anymore or I’ll give it to someone else.” Zhong Ziqi said jokingly.
Zhao Amu gritted his teeth, “Okay, I’ll take it, but we’re embarrassed to take something from you for nothing like this. From now on while these two kids are helping you work, you don’t have to pay the salary anymore. Otherwise, we can’t take it.”
“E … well, then I will trouble Brother Sheng and Xiao Ning to work for me for nothing.” Zhong Ziqi said with a smile.
When the matter was settled, Zhong Ziqi explained the steps of making the jellied tofu to Zhao Amu once again: “How much to put in, you can try it first and decide for yourself. For the tofu, Amu can go and discuss it with the village tofu workshop. I won’t get involved either.”
Zhao Amu nodded, calculating the plan in his heart.
“Then I’ll be off, Amu.”
“Well, please come to visit again if you have time.”  Zhao Amu sent Zhong Ziqi out of the door.
Back inside, Zhao Bao Gen said in a muffled voice, “Are you really going to do it?”
Zhao Amu nodded: “Of course. I’ve already agreed to do it. I think it’s right to listen to Qi Ge’er. You can see that his business is so ‘hot’. This child has a good eye. Since he already gave the recipe to us, we’ll do it.”
Zhao Bao Gen didn’t say anything else. He always listened to him on these trivial matters.
“Father, go to Wang Cai’s house and buy some tofu back. By the way, leak some information to them.” Zhao Amu was anxious to experiment with the results. If he did a good job then he would be out to open the stall with Zhong Ziqi as soon as possible.
“Okay, I’m on my way.”
Zhao Sheng and Zhao Ning looked at each other. It looked like they would have their hands full in the future.