Xia Mei was stunned for a moment, a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes, and she lifted the corner of her skirt and walked in slowly.

The room was a little dark, and the lattice windows were covered with window paper, so there was only a faint amount of light.

The old man on the bed breathed faintly, his chest rose and fell slightly, and occasionally there was a snoring sound stuck in his throat.

Xia Mei suddenly remembered that when she was ten years old, she had been taking her grandmother with her, and she was like this, lying there and never getting up.

Since then, she has never met a more important person in her life, and this feeling of being forced to dig a hole in her heart makes people feel helpless and just want to cry.

Walking cautiously, the old man's cloudy eyes looked at the roof blankly, and after a while, he remembered the person next to him, turned his head, and saw Xia Mei with tears on his face, and struggled to squeeze out a smile.

Xia Mei's tears flowed even more fiercely.

The old village chief raised his hand tremblingly, Xia Mei held it in his hand, and looked at him without blinking.

The village chief's eyes seem to contain the vicissitudes of life, and they seem to be the vast sky outside, which is bottomless, complex and warm.

"Tang Bao ......"

"Village Chief! Call me Xia Mei! ”

A trace of love crossed the old village chief's eyes, and he spoke again with difficulty: "Xia Mei...... I'm glad you came to see me. ”

Xia Mei burst into tears, "I'm sorry...... I'm sorry...... I should have come to see your ...... sooner"

The old village chief raised his hand and slowly touched the top of Xia Mei's hair, with tolerance and relief in his eyes, which made Xia Mei even more sad.

"Good boy, I know you are a kind-hearted person, otherwise the people in this village would have starved to death a few months earlier."

"The people in the village are not bad by nature, and there are a few boys who are disobedient. Just bear a little more, and don't go to your heart. ”

Xia Mei kept shaking her head, crying almost without holding her voice, biting her lip tightly, and quietly holding the skinny hand of the old village chief in her hand.

The old village chief paused for a moment, his eyes confused and clear, and it took time to remember what he was going to say.

Xia Mei kept kneeling beside the bed. Patiently waited for the old village chief to come to his senses.

Intermittent. The words are incoherent, and it probably means that whoever in the village has a good human nature, if they can use it in the future. These people can be considered.

Xia Mei's heart was even more sour, it turned out that the old village chief had always known that he was unwilling. Know that you won't settle for now.

After a pause, the village chief continued, "Xia Mei...... I won't say anything more. Back then, your mother was confused, ruined your marriage, and made you suffer so much. ”

"That kid from the Wu family, I think it's a good one. There will definitely be something to do in the future, and you, as a daughter's family, will definitely do your best to support it. Don't stand in the way. ”

Xia Mei just listened to his words at the moment and nodded vigorously. The exact meaning of this is not well understood.

"Most of the people in this village owe you a lot, I know it's a bit difficult, but, Xia Mei, my heart for this village **** all my life, in the future, I can't collapse!"

Xia Mei raised her head suddenly, looking at the light of the old man's prayer, "Good boy, promise me that in the future, if you have the ability, you will pull everyone along, okay?" ”

“……”

There was a bitter taste in her mouth, and Xia Mei didn't know what to say at the moment.

Most of the people in the village are just close to themselves for the sake of profit, so naturally they have no emotions to talk about, to put it bluntly, a woman who shows her face outside, even if you are capable, everyone will not think highly of you.

Xia Mei has always been a person who does things according to her own heart, and she has no extra thoughts about the people in the village, but now, the village chief asks her to help them...... How can I help myself?

Pursing her lips, Xia Mei sighed faintly.

"Don't worry, village chief, Xia Mei will definitely do her best."

How could she refuse?!

In front of me, the village chief who is dying......

Hearing her words, the old village chief finally showed a smile, as if he had exhausted his strength, and coughed violently, Xia Mei hurriedly stepped forward to calm down, and finally got better, the old village chief was already tired.

Waving her hand slightly, signaling that Xia Mei could go out, Xia Mei's eyes began to turn red again, and she took a few careful glances at the old village chief, and finally gritted her teeth and turned around and walked to the door.

"Good girl, live a good life, you will be blessed."

Xia Mei lowered her head, tried to hold back her tears in front of the door, and stood still for a moment before opening the door and saying to her family members who were waiting anxiously outside: "Go in." ”

Standing in the yard, before he got out of the backyard, there was a loud cry from the house: "Dad! Father! Daddy, wake up! Then the crowd wept bitterly, and the whole sky was gloomy with a sad atmosphere.

A cool breeze blew, and the last yellow leaf on the big tree in the yard finally fell to the ground in this cold airflow.

Xia Mei was alone, standing in place and crying silently.

Finally packed up the love, Xia Mei walked to the next room and saw that the two children didn't know when they fell asleep, Niuniu was holding Tang Bao's arm, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes.

With a soft heart, he took the quilt next to him and gently covered her, then quietly picked up Tang Bao and retreated silently.

Carrying Tang Bao home and returning to the Wu family's courtyard, Wu Song just came back, and was stunned when he saw Xia Mei's red and swollen eyes crying, and immediately came over and asked eagerly: "Lady, what's wrong with you?" What happened? Who bullied you? ”

Xia Mei glanced at him, didn't answer, walked into the house and placed Tang Bao first, and when she came out, Wu Song immediately greeted her, pulling her to look over and over, and her tone was very worried and eager: "Lady, what's wrong with you?" Why are you crying? What happened? ”

Xia Meiqing lowered again, buried her head in Wu Song's chest sadly, and replied sullenly: "The village chief is an old man...... Went to ......"

Wu Song was stunned for a moment, and Xia Mei in his arms obviously felt his muscles stiffen.

"Lady...... You say, the village chief...... Passed away?! ”

Xia Mei raised her head distressed and sad, and stroked the face of the gray man above, and the other party's starry eyes were full of disbelief and mourning.

"Husband, this will ...... It's too late, so don't go over and disturb the village chief's funeral arrangements......"

Wu Songzheng's foot stopped in the air again, and he retracted his foot helplessly for a while.

The Adam's apple slides hard twice. Wu Song whispered in a somewhat obscure voice: "Village Chief...... It was good to me and my parents. When I came back, some people looked at the scar on my face, fearing that something would happen to me and wanted to drive me away. ”

"It was the village chief who left me."

Xia Mei's eyes were slightly red, and she rushed over and hugged the sad man tightly, "I know." I know. The village chief and I have entrusted it, and my husband doesn't have to worry. When the time comes, when the village chief enters the soil, we will follow Songsong. He's an old man...... Will understand. ”

Wu Song took a deep breath and lowered his head to take Xia Mei into his arms.

"I hope so."

The funeral of the old village chief was held three days later, and the funeral of the ancients was very important. First of all, the clothes on the deceased are very particular. It is called a shroud, with seven tops and nine bottoms, and the styles are different. All of them need to be made manually and quickly.

Because the old village chief fell ill before, the shroud was prepared early by several daughters-in-law, after the old village chief left. So his son cleansed himself and put on a shroud. Put it in the coffin.

After crying in the mourning hall today, the coffin will be covered, and tomorrow morning, the villagers will blow mourning music to send the old village chief into the soil for peace.

Although the village chief died of illness, he was eighty years old after all, which was considered a happy funeral, so the villagers also tried to avoid some unlucky words and participated in the funeral of the village chief.

Wu Song and Xia Mei both brought enough yellow paper firecrackers, and there will be someone to welcome them at the funeral, and after they come, they will play music and set off firecrackers, and the cannons of their husband and wife rang for a while.

The husband and wife walked in, Xia Mei knelt down half a step behind Wu Hao, the old village chief's mourning hall was set up very carefully, this coffin had been covered, and the remains could not be seen.

The two of them respectfully kowtowed three times, and burned the yellow paper they were carrying little by little, Wu Song didn't say a word throughout the whole process, just stared at the old village chief's coffin for a moment, and only got up after a long time, and saluted the filial son and filial daughter who were standing aside and wearing filial piety clothes, and then pulled Xia Mei out.

After the mourning hall is the funeral banquet, if the wedding banquet is a test of the wealth of the family, then the funeral banquet is a test of the family's filial piety, the people here will be extremely important to the future, if there is a little bit wrong, then they will be poked in the back.

However, several children of the village chief's family are filial, and there are many children, so this funeral banquet is extremely high-end.

The person who made this banquet was specially made for red and white ceremonial banquets, because this banquet was standardized and exquisite, Xia Mei was a restaurant chef, but he couldn't make a cameo appearance in this profession.

Wu Song pulled Xia Mei into the table, and the table happened to be the Lu family couple next door, Lu Funian and Su Shi gestured to Wu Song and his wife, and sat down next to each other.

The atmosphere on the table was a little heavy, after all, Xia Mei and Wu Song were not in a good mood, and the Su family was not good to disturb Xia Mei at the moment, and at a glance, she knew that her feelings were low, so she didn't step forward to speak.

There were some guests sitting on the table slowly, and it didn't take long for the banquet to open, the atmosphere was slightly lively, everyone ate and drank at the table, and they didn't stay longer, no one got drunk and made trouble, in general, the funeral ended quickly, and it was also very smooth.

The old village chief's contribution to the village all his life is remembered by everyone, this person is gone, if he is ignorant and makes some trouble in the future, not to mention the children and relatives of the Li family, I am afraid that the whole village will not be able to forgive him.

In everyone's hearts, they all remember the village chief and his old man's good ......

After finishing the old village chief's funeral, Xia Mei was sad for two days, and was attracted by the opening of the restaurant, and had no time to care about it.

Come to think of it, the old village chief called the second uncle in at that time, so he explained this matter.

With a sigh, Xia Mei put this matter behind her, because she was too busy at the moment, the restaurant reopened, cleaned, and made a simple activity or something, giving everyone a new feeling and a new vitality.

To put it simply, it is lively and lively, and there is a lot to look forward to.

Soon, within a few days, the business of Tianfu Restaurant began to operate in full production, and Xia Mei was idle and began to think about opening a branch before.

Before opening the branch, Xia Mei first went to Han Bo, brought the account book, and spent about two days to check the account.

Three points of the profit of the ice cube was attributed to the restaurant, and seven points of profit was exchanged for food and daily expenses, so the loss of the restaurant later was actually counted in the profit of the ice cube and did not have any impact on the previous profit.

In this way, at least two more branches can be opened, and the two more prosperous cities are Xia Mei's goals.

However, before preparing to realize this plan, it is necessary for Xia Mei to write to Qin Zhihan to report that no matter what, Tianfu is always his family's industry.

Seven or eight days later, Qin Zhihan's reply was sent back, followed by a few people.

"In Xia Qin Yi, I have seen Mrs. Xia."

A man in his forties, neatly dressed and generous, led three people to meet Xia Mei.

Xia Mei frowned slightly, a little didn't understand where these people came from, but she still saluted first and welcomed people into the restaurant.

At this moment, after the meal, there was no one in the restaurant, Xia Mei took a few people to sit in the hall, Wen Xi looked at the eyes and served tea, and returned to the kitchen, while Wen Hao and Liu Quan were waiting on the side.

That Qin Yi, with an elegant posture, seems to be a person who knows tea very well, and the other two men and one woman, both seventeen or eighteen years old, can barely be called delicate, and the etiquette is also speechless, it seems that he should not be an ordinary person.

Her brows couldn't help frowning deeper, and Xia Mei spoke first to break the silence, "I don't know how many of you, what do you have to do in Tianfu?" ”

Qin Yi put down the teacup and chuckled at Xia Mei: "Mrs. Xia, don't worry, we were sent by Gongzi Qin to be Madame's helpers." ”

Xia Mei was stunned for a moment, Qin Yi took out Qin Zhihan's reply letter from his arms, "Madam, just take a look." ”

Xia Meihu opened the envelope suspiciously, it was indeed Qin Zhihan's handwriting, and the letter said that he agreed to open a branch, and these people were specially looking for talents in this area outside, and they could be used with confidence.

Qin Yi is a shopkeeper, those two young men, one is called Fu Wen, the other is called Fu Wu, they are all capable subordinates, as for the little girl, he personally found someone to serve Xia Mei personally, she is clever, and she is to let Xia Mei be careful in everything.

After reading the letter, Xia Mei's frowning brows couldn't help but not loosen, but wrinkled even tighter.

This Qin Zhihan is really going to make his own decisions!

Who wants him to find someone outside?! Those men are fine, what does this maid-like woman look like, she is not a noble person, what do you want this person to do?!

I couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied in my heart, and there was a chill on my face.

Putting away the letter, Xia Mei looked at the few people in front of her, and said coldly: "I already know what Shopkeeper Qin means, but I don't plan to hire you, you should go back and forth!" ”

As she spoke, Xia Mei was about to stand up and leave, but Qin Yi immediately stood up and called, "Madam......"

"Mrs. Xia!"

“…… Mrs. Xia, slowly, several of us are Qin Gongzi heard that Mrs. Xia is going to open a store, and specially came to help you, I think Mrs. Xia, you also know that we will not betray you, since Mrs. Xia needs manpower, why don't you leave us? ”

Xia Mei turned around and glared at Qin Yi suddenly, and asked in a cold voice, "How can I believe that you won't betray me?!" (To be continued.) )