Dreaming of Lion Rock: Recipe in Hand

The next day, when Chunni woke up, there were birds singing and flowers blooming outside the window.

Clusters of bougainvillea bloomed in the wind. On the rain-washed bluestone slabs, Chuchu and Cici were picking up leaves blown down by the wind and rain under the care of the old couple of the Chu family.

"Big." Ci Ci said to her sister seriously.

Chuchu knocked the leaves off Cici's hand, pointed at the leaves in her own hand, raised her head and retorted fiercely: "Big!"

"Hahahaha!" Chunni thought the two little kids were so cute that she couldn't help laughing.

When Mrs. Chu saw her granddaughter wake up, she hurriedly called out, "Hurry up, we're waiting for you to go out for breakfast! After breakfast, let's go for a walk around the area and see if there's a vegetable market. It's not realistic to eat out every day. Let's buy some ingredients and cook it ourselves, which will be more to our liking!"

Chunni didn't know when the things here would be finished. It would be better if she could cook at home, so she nodded in agreement.

Yang Bangming pushed the door open and walked in. After hearing the conversation, he said, "Grandma, I just went out for a walk. Turn left and 200 meters away, there is a small market. This market is small, but it has everything. I took a general look and found that it has a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and meat."

Old Master Chu patted Yang Bangming on the shoulder with satisfaction and praised him: "Young man, you are thoughtful and meticulous in your work, just like your father! Unlike some people, who are tall and strong, but only think about the beginning and not the end when doing things."

Chu Jie, who just went out, always felt like he was being hinted at!

Yang Bangming didn't care about the quarrel between the grandfather and grandson, and changed the subject: "I don't know when I developed this habit. When I arrive in a new place, I always have to figure out the surrounding food, clothing, housing and transportation."

Chunni quickly washed up and went downstairs. She held the twins in her arms and chewed them for a few bites, then pulled the old couple from the Chu family to go out.

"I'm so hungry, so hungry, let's have some breakfast. Grandpa Li, Second Brother Li, Sister Ma, come out quickly, we're going to eat."

The group went to have breakfast together and then went their separate ways.

Chunni and Yang Bangming took Chu Jie and Li Dazhuo to Qianjin's house first, and then went to the department store to sign the contract.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group, young and old, strolled to the beach, because Ma Saozi never believed that there was an invisible sea. She wanted to go and broaden her horizons.

The purchasing director of Yangcheng Department Store is the eldest brother of Xue Shaohong's aunt's cousin's aunt. His surname is Ma, Ma Jianguo. He is about 40 years old, tall and thin, with a beard and eyes like copper bells. When he saw Chunni and her group, he smiled very sincerely. That mouth! It was almost sticking to the back of his ears. He looks serious, but he is very kind when he smiles.

Ma Jianguo enthusiastically led Chunni and her group to his office.

"We are family, so be casual. Just like at home." He picked up the kettle and poured a glass of water for everyone. He also took out some fruit for everyone to eat.

This was the smoothest time Chunni had ever signed a contract.

Before leaving, Ma Jianguo even held up a bag and forced it on Chunni: "Sister, these are some specialties of Guangzhou. They are not worth much. It is fate that we know each other. You must take these specialties away."

Chunni then realized that she had not thought of bringing some Sichuan specialties to Director Ma before coming to the department store! What a mistake. Since she did not give any gifts, it was difficult to accept them, so she refused.

"Sister, to be honest, you are my timely help! I just received the quota for Shangshichun. You came to Yangcheng and helped me a lot! This specialty is a personal gift from me to you. It has nothing to do with the department store and I didn't break the rules! Just accept it with confidence!"

Ma Jianguo's square face was full of seriousness and sincerity, so Chunni simply accepted it.

When I got home, I found that Guangzhou’s specialties include: Maotai, Jiuchongtian, ginseng, and saffron!

Chunni didn't expect Ma Jianguo to be so honest. She thought about the "specialties" she brought and found that they were totally incomparable!

Finally, it was Old Lady Chu who came up with an idea. "This Xiao Ma, he probably bought these specialties for Xue Shaohong's sake. He probably has other motives. Tomorrow, you and Chu Jie take the specialties we brought and two packs of cold rabbit you made yourself and go to his house. If he really needs your help, decide whether to help or not based on the situation. Just don't try to be stubborn."

In the afternoon, Chunni welcomed another unexpected visitor, Sun Ping.

"Brother Sun, I was going to look for you! Come in, come in!"

"Haha, I'm just afraid of delaying your business. You're a busy man." Sun Ping didn't come empty-handed. He had a bag full of milk powder, fruit and biscuits. It was obvious that he knew the situation here with Chunni.

Well, these are Han Xueping's instructions. He is a good man who listens to his wife!

Sun Ping has been dealing in electronic products in Guangzhou for the past two years, from small electronic watches, radios, and tape recorders to large televisions and refrigerators. He started as a peddler walking around the streets, and now has a two-story shop upstairs and downstairs. He is definitely one of the best among the outsiders who are looking for gold in Guangzhou. However, as his business grows bigger, he becomes busier and busier. He has been so busy that he hasn't been home for several months. He doesn't know if his wife misses him or if his fat son has forgotten him.

One of the three greatest joys in life is meeting an old friend in a foreign land. Therefore, Chunni and Sun Ping were very happy to meet each other.

"Brother Sun, please sit down for a moment. I'll be back soon." Chunni took Sun Ping to the living room to sit down, then hurried upstairs.

Knowing that Chu Ci was also here, Chunni probably went to see the little baby. Sun Ping didn't mind Chunni's departure. Anyway, he was here, so there was plenty of time to talk.

Unexpectedly, Chunni just walked around upstairs and came downstairs.

"Brother Sun, you haven't been back to Lion Rock since the New Year, right?"

Thinking of his wife, children and grandmother in his hometown, Sun Ping sighed, "Alas! I can't make money where I was born and raised, and I don't have my family around me where I can make money. This may be the saying in the play that you can't have both loyalty and filial piety!"

This is what people often say: hometown cannot accommodate the body, and foreign land cannot hold the soul. If it is not forced by life, who would be willing to wander around.

"I know you will miss them. Before coming here, I asked Sister Xueping to take the old and the little ones to the city to take pictures. Look, Xiaopang has grown up a lot, right? He can call me daddy now!"

Sun Ping, who was looking downcast, immediately raised his head upon hearing this, took the photo from Chunni's hand, and looked at it carefully, as if he wanted to imprint the three people in his mind.

After Sun Ping calmed down, Chunni talked to him about the supply and marketing cooperative.

"This supply and marketing cooperative is not far from my store manager. You can go there anytime. I have already informed Lao Huang. You can go there and sign the contract."

"Then I'll go tomorrow. Thank you so much, Brother Sun."

Sun Ping smiled heartily and said modestly: "It's just a small favor. I just wanted to give it a try, but I didn't expect that Mr. Huang would agree immediately. Guangzhou is great! Very tolerant! Learn new things quickly and adapt to new things quickly. I guess the reason you were hindered in promoting Shichun in your hometown was because you were influenced by the old ideas of the local people. And you are poor. You are so poor that you can't even open the pot! Where can you find the extra money to buy these?"

These are all facts, Chunni nodded.

"So, take your time, don't be anxious. Think of a solution in these provinces and cities first. Look at Guangzhou, how much it has changed in the past two years! Not to mention Pengcheng, it's no exaggeration to say that it's changing with each passing day. The country is developing rapidly, and the lives of the people will get better and better. By then, let alone Shichun, even if there are several or even dozens of factories like Shichun, the products they produce won't be enough to sell!"

Sun Ping's words warmed Chunni's heart. For her friends' help, Chunni could only keep it in her heart and repay them later. With so many relatives and friends silently supporting her, why shouldn't she move forward courageously?