Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 78 Snack Bar

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "You just focus on your studies, why are you worrying about this? I'm not going to make any money anyway. After my class here is finished, Lao Xia and I will go to his place and set up a class too. We can split the profits, and then we can buy whatever we want!"

Xiao Hong asked, "What kind of class? A chef's class?"

Xiao Wei nodded, and Xiao Hong asked, "Is it feasible? Do we need to invest money?"

Xiao Wei said, "Of course it will work, we're not stupid. We'll invest the money, it won't be much, just ten or twenty thousand yuan will be enough to get things started."

Xiao Hong said, "My goodness, tens of thousands of yuan, you guys have to think this through, make sure you're careful, that's no small amount."

Xiao Wei thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "It's nothing, it's just a matter of how much I earn, I won't lose anything."

Xiao Hong said, "Anyway, you're a bit clueless. I don't understand anything else. Just wash up and go to sleep. Are you going there tomorrow?"

Xiao Wei paused for a moment, then immediately realized what he meant and asked, "You have the day off tomorrow, right?"

Xiao Hong nodded, and Xiao Wei said, "Then I won't go. Let's go to Zhongshan Park for a day. Didn't Lao Xia and the others say it was pretty nice last time?"

Xiaohong said, "I want to visit the Forbidden City. Can we go to the park later?"

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Sure, why not? Let's go to the Forbidden City. You go to sleep first, I'll look through this book and try to take your picture tomorrow."

Xiao Hong glanced at the camera and said, "Can it be that fast? Well, you'll see. I'm going to sleep, I'm sleepy. You should go to sleep early too, there's no rush of a day or two."

Xiao Wei agreed, and Xiao Hong went to wash up while he picked up a beginner's guide to photography and started reading.

Actually, taking photos isn't too difficult if you're just taking normal pictures. Understanding the camera's functions and what those buttons and levers do is enough. Generally, 250 shutter speed is sufficient in good light, and 125 shutter speed is fine in slightly dimmer light. Focusing on an SLR is intuitive; once you see it's clear, you can take the picture. The aperture is locked to the focus length and automatically adjusts as you zoom. Minolta cameras have autofocus, which is the AF function. If you don't need it, you can leave it partially closed.

The motivation for learning lies in interest. By the time Xiaowei felt he had figured something out, it was already 2 a.m. It was the first time in all these years that he had stayed up so late. With a sense of excitement at having mastered something unknown, he washed up and went to bed, looking forward to his performance the next day.

The next morning, Xiao Wei got up early, washed up, and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

I cooked porridge, sliced ​​the steamed buns and fried them in oil, mixed them with some pickled vegetables, and reheated the leftovers from last night. Just as I put them on the table, Xiao Hong came out of the bedroom with her eyes half-closed. Xiao Wei turned his head to look at Xiao Hong and said, "Perfect timing, I was just about to call you. Wash your face and eat."

Xiao Hong walked closer to the table, looked at it, and said with a smile, "It's actually quite presentable. There wasn't enough water in the porridge, so it's a bit dry. You can boil some more water to dilute it. The steamed buns are a bit oily. For your first time, it's acceptable, right? Hehe." She kissed Xiao Wei on the cheek to encourage him and ran to the kitchen to wash up. Back then in Northeast China, people washed up in the kitchen; the bathroom didn't have that function.

After the two finished their meal, Xiaowei slung his large camera bag over his shoulder and went downstairs to the Forbidden City.

After walking a few steps downstairs, I saw Chen Huixia and Maosheng's group of people eating fried dough sticks and drinking wontons in a breakfast shop.

Chen Hui, holding a rolled-up flatbread in his hand, called out as he chewed, "Xiao Wei, Xiao Hong, have you two eaten yet?"

The two walked over. It was a bit chilly in the morning, and steam rose from everyone's mouths and the food on the tables, creating a hazy atmosphere. The leaves on the trees nearby were almost all gone, with only a few hanging on the branches, trembling in the breeze. Further on, everything was shrouded in mist, like something out of a black and white film. Cyclists were wearing gloves and scarves, and the people walking along the roadside no longer had the leisurely feeling of summer.

"Want some? This tofu pudding is delicious," Chen Hui asked.

Xia Maosheng, sitting to one side, said, "These wontons are good too; the dried shrimp are very fresh."

Xiao Wei glanced around and saw that the others were at another table, eating fried dough sticks and drinking soy milk. They broke the golden and crispy fried dough sticks into pieces and soaked them in fresh soy milk, then put them in their mouths with the soup and water. The crispy and sweet taste immediately filled their mouths, making them rich, fragrant and refreshing.

Xiao Hong said to Xiao Wei, "Are you craving it? If you want to eat some, then eat some. I'm not eating anymore, I can't eat anymore."

Xiao Wei rubbed his stomach and said, "I'm a little hungry, but never mind, I'll eat it another day. I just ate. Or maybe we shouldn't cook breakfast anymore, we can just eat it right away. See, this way we have everything we need."

Chen Hui nodded and said, "The breakfast stalls in this area are all run by family members living here. The food is authentic, delicious, and inexpensive, unlike those places outside. There are also pastries and oven-baked flatbreads, Lanzhou pulled noodles, tea eggs in casserole, and other dishes. The selection is quite comprehensive."

Xiao Hong looked around and whispered, "Why don't we eat out? We can't make these things at home, it's too much trouble."

Xiao Wei said, "You can stay home if you want, or come out if you want. Does anyone care? It's not a lot of money. Don't you get a subsidy? That should be enough for food, right?"

Xiao Hong said, "I still want to save money."

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "Okay, you can keep it, I'll give it to you."

Xiao Hong reached out and pinched him, saying, "That's not the same thing."

"Hey, you guys are here early! You're all eating here?" Chen Xiao walked in from outside and greeted Xiao Hong and Xiao Wei.

Chen Hui's expression immediately changed. He threw the gluten pancake into the tofu pudding and stood up: "Chen Xiao, you're here for breakfast too? What would you like to eat? It's on me. Come sit over here."

Chen Xiao asked Xiao Hong, "Aren't you eating?"

Xiao Hong said with a smile, "We ate at home, but the food here is much tastier. I'll come down to eat tomorrow too, so I don't have to bother cooking at home."

Chen Xiao nodded, sat down at the table, and said, "Making them at home is too much trouble, and besides, it doesn't save much money. Making things like fried dough sticks and pastries at home is too much effort. It's better to eat here. Boss, one order of chewy pancakes, please."

Chen Hui sat down, picked up a piece of flatbread with his chopsticks and ate it, asking, "Chen Xiao, do you come over for dinner at this time every day?"

Chen Xiao raised her hand to smooth her hair and said, "Yeah, my family doesn't make breakfast, so I'll go hungry if I don't eat here. Why am I seeing you here for the first time? Do you sleep in every day?"

Chen Hui blushed and retorted, "How could that be? I don't go to work. My mom cooks breakfast in the morning, and I usually eat breakfast at home."

Xiao Wei stood to the side and laughed, saying, "Yeah, he's usually at home. He practices running every morning before he goes to work, and he's really fast."

Several people laughed, and Chen Xiao covered her mouth and giggled, her big eyes looking at Chen Hui, whose face was flushed.

Chen Hui said, "That was just occasionally. From now on, I'll come down to eat every day and treat you every day, okay? See if I'm sleeping in late." He looked at Chen Xiao.

Chen Xiao blushed, spat, and said, "Whether you sleep with me or not is none of my business. Who needs you to treat them every day? Are you trying to show off that you're richer than me?"

Chen Hui said, "Come on, you're a big boss comparing money with a lowly employee like me? That's ridiculous. I'm serious."