"I'm really sorry, little brother!"
Da Zhuang found the representative of the partner company he had dined with again. Upon hearing what Da Zhuang said, the representative slapped his forehead, "We really didn't handle this properly." The representative was actually quite happy to have a place to look for the taste of home when he missed home in the future. He didn't expect there to be another problem.
"I'll call and ask right away! Don't worry!"
The person in charge then turned around with a darkened expression and made a call to the manager.
"Hello? Manager Liu?" The manager's voice sounded very obsequious.
"Little Liu, I have a question for you. What is going on with that western suburb project? Didn't I hand it over to you?" Manager Liu's voice didn't sound as emotionless and scary as his expression.
The manager couldn't see Manager Liu's impending storm expression. "Oh, that's what happened. Manager Liu, I checked it out. Li Zhuang's team is just a small workshop. Handing such a big western suburb project to them is too risky. Longteng Company is a big company with good credentials..." I thought..."
"You thought it was time for me to step down and for you to take over as boss of my company?"
"Manager Liu?" Even someone as silly as the manager could tell something was wrong.
"I've looked over Li Zhuang's company qualifications in every aspect, they look pretty good. And the previous projects his team has done are extremely outstanding," said Manager Liu heavily. "Do you have any dissatisfaction with my judgment?"
"I didn't... I was thinking for the good of our company..." The manager's panicked voice came through.
"That's enough, stop talking," Manager Liu was increasingly annoyed by the manager's words, "Go to the HR department to process the paperwork, you can go be a manager at Longteng."
"Manager Liu!"
Manager Liu hung up before the manager could finish speaking.
"I'm really sorry, little brother," Manager Liu rarely couldn't maintain face.
He had sworn to Da Zhuang that he would give him the project and even drank wine with him as brothers. But in the end, someone under him got in the way.
This really is...
Li Zhuang was a little depressed, knowing that there was probably no turning back on this matter. He forced a smile, "Okay... Thank you, Manager Liu..."
He staggered away dispiritedly, wondering how he would explain this to his brothers...
"Don't go, little brother," Perhaps it was because Da Zhuang looked too dejected that Manager Liu couldn't help calling him back.
It seemed he had made some kind of decision, "I have another project..."
Li Zhuang couldn't help but brighten his eyes again.
Manager Liu walked briskly back to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out a neatly kept file and handed it to Da Zhuang, "Take a look at this one."
"See if you can do it?"
Da Zhuang wiped the sweat from his palms and took it. His eyes widened in surprise.
It was a "Government Building Repair Agreement."
"I just closed this deal not too long ago," Manager Liu looked very solemn, "I'm also a small company, this contract is also very important to me, so it has to be done well."
Li Zhuang carefully looked over the areas to be renovated and the timeline. "I can do it."
"We can get it done during this period," he said, quickly screening suitable building materials in his mind.
Manager Liu paused for a moment, "Brother, can you give me a plan? It doesn't have to be too formal, just make clear what needs to be clear so I know you have it figured out."
"No problem." Da Zhuang readily agreed, "Tomorrow at the same time, in the little shop waiting for you to come, okay?"
"Okay!" Manager Liu happily agreed as well.
When Da Zhuang got home, he dove right into the room without coming out even at dinnertime.
Gong Sister-in-law brought in a full bowl of dishes and rice for him.
When she came out she was laughing. "He's writing some kind of plan in the room. He can barely recognize all the words and has to look stuff up in the dictionary."
"It's good too," Ding Sha also laughed. "Da Zhuang brother just told me he still needs to treat Manager Liu tomorrow. Let me prepare some things."
"Having prospects is always better than nothing."
After dinner, Ding Sha was in the room researching the method of making palace cakes. Gong Sister-in-law knocked and came in.
"Sha Sha, busy?"
"No, just casually looking, pondering," Ding Sha let her in. "What's up, Gong Sister-in-law?"
"Nothing... just, Da Zhuang's meals and treating of guests these days, just deduct it directly from my salary later..." Gong Sister-in-law was a little embarrassed.
Not only is she freeloading here, but also treating guests here, it feels quite awkward.
"No need for that" Ding Sha shook her head. "It's just a meal, why would we need money for that?"
"What do you mean no need, no money spent on what?" Gong Sister-in-law looks gentle but is actually quite stubborn.
Ding Sha said a bunch of things but still couldn't convince her and had to promise her request, secretly planning to deduct only a token amount to save face.
The next day, Ding Sha got up and first went to see Little Ping An, who had just woken up and was babbling who knows what language. She kissed his cute little face and played with him for a while before going into the kitchen to check the ingredients for the day.
She planned to make braised duck with wood ear mushroom and salted egg steamed meat cake, and finishing off with choy sum in oyster sauce.
A piece of lean meat was cut into pieces and then chopped into minced meat, then mixed evenly with soy sauce, oil, salt, and starch before being spread flat on a plate. Two salted egg yolks were then placed on the surface before steaming.
The salted egg steamed meat cake is a dish that the elderly in Guangdong like quite a bit, probably because it's more traditional? Ding Sha remembered Manager Liu ate very happily that day, using his chopsticks most on Guangdong traditional cuisine. She figured he would like this salted egg steamed meat cake.
Sure enough, when Manager Liu saw these dishes, his eyes lit up. "Salted egg steamed meat cake?!"
He couldn't wait to take a bite. "So delicious!!"
As he ate, he said a few sentences in Cantonese. Probably due to living away for a long time, it sounded somewhat unauthentic. But he ate very happily.
By the end, only an empty table full of plates remained. Manager Liu lamented, "I haven't had the taste of home for a long time..."
"After drifting away for so many years, my household registration also changed, my accent changed too. Sometimes I really don't know if I'm still Cantonese..."
He recalled playing on the streetside as a child, ultimately sighing deeply.
As he was leaving, Ding Sha brought Manager Liu a packed takeaway box. Manager Liu was taken aback for a moment.
"Brought you a little snack," Ding Sha said with a smile.
Manager Liu took it and couldn't help but open it on the ride back to the company.
A box of neatly arranged steamed rice cakes sat inside.
Manager Liu didn't know what to say for a moment.
He actually didn't like eating steamed rice cakes.
His family used to sell steamed rice cakes when he was little, so no matter if he was hungry or had a craving, the only thing he could eat was always steamed rice cakes. Once he ate so many he threw up. Since then he thought he'd never eat steamed rice cakes again his whole life.
It wasn't until he left home that he no longer ate steamed rice cakes that tasted that way.
Manager Liu quietly looked for a while, then took one and put it in his mouth.
The taste was still the same - the taste he had desperately wanted to escape from every day and night as a child. But this time when he ate it tasted very good and fragrant too.
Perhaps he was homesick.
Manager Liu wiped his face.
