Black Lotus is reborn. Hush! Just lie down and be quiet.

Song Chunlan only understood half of what he said, so she called out, "Hongye, can you translate for me? What did he say?"

"He wants to buy the insoles you embroidered. How many days will it take you to finish it?"

Zhuang Hongye came in, chewing on braised duck feet in her hand. She liked to eat the feet of all animals, but loved duck feet the most.

"A week."

Song Chunlan thought for a moment and replied that she always squeezed time to do it so as not to delay her work.

"Then how much do you plan to sell it for?"

"Is one piece okay? Is it too expensive?"

Song Chunlan asked in a low voice, feeling a little guilty.

She felt that she was becoming more and more like a profiteer.

Zhuang Hongye looked at her deeply and said to Pei Aihua, "Mr. Pei, this pair of insoles has a very ancient history in China, and there is also a beautiful legend about the insoles."

"What legend?"

Pei Aihua suddenly became interested. He liked listening to Chinese legends the most, which were much more interesting than some fairy tales.

Zhuang Hongye calmly made up a love story. There were many such stories in China anyway. She could just copy a little from here and there and fool the foreigners.

"A long time ago, there was a beautiful girl. Her lover was about to go to war to defend the country. The girl stayed up all night and embroidered a pair of insoles. Her eyes bled, and the blood dripped onto the insoles. She embroidered them into flowers, and then pulled out her black hair to embroider the word "peace". The lover wrapped the insoles around his waist and accompanied him through life and death, and even blocked the enemy's sword for him. The lover finally returned safely and stayed with the beautiful girl for the rest of her life, until they grew old together!"

Pei Aihua was fascinated by what he heard and became even more obsessed with the insole. He thought that this insole could block swords and knives. It was both beautiful and practical. He must buy it.

"Mr. Pei, making insoles takes a lot of time. It takes at least half a month to make a pair."

Zhuang Hongye showed an awkward expression. Pei Aihua's heart skipped a beat, thinking that she was unwilling to sell. Then she heard her say, "But you are our VIP. Even if it is troublesome, we have to meet your needs. How about this, a pair of insoles for 20 yuan, what do you think?"

"Is it too cheap?"

Pei Aihua felt relieved. He was planning to spend a lot of money to buy it, but he didn't expect it to be only twenty yuan.

"You are our VIP. You shouldn't be charged. But if a girl gives insoles to a man, it has another meaning. We have to charge a symbolic amount of money."

Zhuang Hongye explained with a smile.

Pei Aihua asked what it meant, and Zhuang Hongye could only say, "A girl will give her lover a pair of insoles before marriage, and if she receives the money, it's just a business deal, and that's not the meaning."

"It turns out to be an engagement token. How interesting."

Pei Aihua suddenly realized that the longer he stayed in China, the more he loved this ancient country. Its profound history was worth spending his lifetime studying.

Zhuang Hongye said to Song Chunlan, "Make him a pair of peony flowers and embroider the words 'peace' on them. They cost 20 yuan a pair."

"Boom"

Song Chunlan, who was cooking, almost made a hole in the pot with her spatula. She looked at Pei Aihua, the victim, and whispered, "Isn't it too expensive? All the women in my hometown can make it. It's not worth the money."

"If all the women in your hometown could do it, I would have asked for two hundred!"

Zhuang Hongye glared. Thanks to Pei Aihua, she now had an excellent project. She could set up a trading company specializing in selling foreign handmade insoles, which would definitely make money.

You don’t need to set up a factory. Just find women in the village and buy from them regularly. It’s almost a no-cost business.

"Boom"

Song Chunlan was startled and almost broke the pot again. She silently chanted "Amitabha", looked at the silly and happy Pei Aihua, and continued to concentrate on cooking.

She didn't understand business matters, so she let Qingqing and Hongye take care of it while she just focused on her work.

As a supreme sucker, Xia Qingqing warmly invited him to dinner. Knowing that he liked cakes, Song Chunlan specially made some chive dumplings and fried spring rolls, half salty and half sweet.

The lunch was very rich, with edamame and taro milk, fried tofu stuffed with meat, braised duck feet, steamed pork with rice flour, beer duck, leek dumplings and spring rolls, plus two vegetarian dishes, filling the table.

Beer duck is a Sichuan dish that Xia Qingqing learned to make after she was released from prison in her previous life. She thought it was delicious, so she taught it to Song Chunlan, and everyone loved it when she made it.

“Delicious, very delicious, all the dishes are delicious…”

Although Pei Aihua is a foreigner, he has a Chinese stomach. He loves every dish on the table, especially the leek dumplings and spring rolls, which he simply can't stop eating.

Xia Qingqing had heard before that foreigners don't eat animal claws, but when Pei Aihua learned that they were duck claws, she still ate them with great relish. It can be seen that it is not that foreigners don't eat claws, but that they have never eaten delicious claws.

"Ms. Song, your hands are simply a miracle from God, so amazing!"

Pei Aihua praised sincerely. After listening to Zhuang Hongye's translation, Song Chunlan blushed with shame, but she was very moved in her heart and even wanted to cry.

She used to work hard every day at home and in Zhang Jianguo's house, and she could cook delicious meals, but no one ever praised her. Everyone thought it was her right to do these things.

Before coming to Xia Qingqing, Song Chunlan also thought so. Her thoughts were shackled by her parents, but after being influenced by them, her mind gradually opened up.

She now feels that she was so stupid and couldn’t stand up on her own. She really deserved to be bullied so badly!

Pei Aihua ate so much that he burped. He also packed up some chive dumplings and spring rolls. He even took some of the grass cakes that Xiaoyu had left over.

Song Chunlan also took out the dragon she had carefully cut, carefully put it in a cloth bag, and let him take it away.

"Heat it up in the microwave and have it for breakfast tomorrow."

Pei Aihua felt a little embarrassed, as if he had been too rude.

But he really couldn't resist eating something so delicious.

He also decided to apply to the headquarters to stay in Shanghai permanently. This place will become his second home.

Xia Qingqing sent Pei Aihua to the entrance of the alley. The alleys in Shanghai were too complicated for foreigners to understand.

"Xiao Xia, do you know any foreigners?"

The old men and women playing mahjong at the entrance of the convenience store asked curiously.

"It's Teacher Xiaoyu's friend, who came to make clothes."

Xia Qingqing gave a casual explanation.

"Xiao Xia's business has expanded across the world, that's amazing!" Uncle Li gave a thumbs up and praised.

"Xiao Yu went to school? No wonder I haven't seen him these days." Uncle Liu likes Xiao Yu, but he hasn't seen him recently and feels empty inside.

"I have a painting teacher."

Xia Qingqing smiled.

"Xiao Yu is good at painting. The paintings on your wall are so beautiful. Xiao Yu will be a great painter in the future!" Uncle Liu praised.

Xia Qingqing smiled slightly. She liked hearing others praise Xiaoyu.

After she left, an old lady, Aunt Wang, murmured quietly: "Painting is not cheap. It's such a waste to let a little idiot learn to paint. Xiao Xia is not smart!"

"I think Xiaoyu is smarter than you. Can you draw? Xiaoyu is a talented person, and you know nothing!" Uncle Li retorted.

"Xiaoyu is quite smart. Based on my more than 30 years of teaching experience, Xiaoyu must be a genius in painting. He just has a serious imbalance in his studies, but it's not a big problem." Uncle Liu said slowly.

Sister Xu also said: "Xiaoyu must be a genius. She can paint so beautifully without learning to paint. She will definitely be able to hold an exhibition in the future and become a great painter."

Everyone was talking and praising Xiaoyu to the sky. Aunt Wang looked embarrassed. In fact, she also liked Xiaoyu very much, but she couldn't stand Xia Qingqing and Shen Qiubai being together, and she felt jealous.

Time passed day by day, and there were still two days before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mr. Ba came to report that Wu Dali had spent all his money and went to Qingchun Road to pick up garbage again.