abnabooks Chapter 311: Making Clothes
Chapter 311: Making Clothes
As soon as Zhang Lei and Ye Shuqin arrived at the front yard, they saw Ye Shuqin's parents and grandparents walk into the courtyard at No. 90.
Zhang Lei quickly stepped forward to greet them, "Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, why are you here so early? Have you had breakfast yet?"
Ye Shuqin's father, Ye Shouhe, said, "We've already eaten. Jianjun bought us breakfast this morning. It's so convenient in the city."
Zhang Lei smiled and said, "That's good." He then welcomed the four elderly people into the courtyard.
Ye Shuqi and Ye Shuhua, who had already gotten up, were overjoyed to see their parents and grandparents and immediately surrounded them.
Zhang Lei looked at Ye Shuqin beside him: "Shuqin, where's Xueru? Is she up yet?"
Ye Shuqin replied, "Xue Ru got up a long time ago and has already had breakfast. She's in her room right now."
Zhang Lei said in a low voice, "Take care of Mom, Dad, and Grandpa and Grandma first. I'm going to talk to Xue Ru about something."
Ye Shuqin nodded: "Okay."
Zhang Lei quickly arrived at Chen Xueru's room. Chen Xueru, who was packing her things, was startled and looked at him: "Honey, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Zhang Lei said, "Xueru, Shuqin's parents and grandparents just arrived. I was thinking of going to your shop today and asking the staff to make some clothes for the four elderly people."
Chen Xueru laughed: "Hey, I thought it was something big. You don't need to tell me, this is what I should do."
Zhang Lei smiled and said, "Then thank you to my wife, Xue Ru."
Chen Xueru looked at him affectionately: "Honey, you didn't come all this way just for this, did you?"
Zhang Lei said with a smile, "Of course it's not just about this. You're familiar with the Zhengyangmen area, so we can take the elderly around the neighborhood together."
Chen Xueru nodded: "Alright, honey, don't worry, leave this to me."
The two quickly discussed arranging an itinerary for the elderly Ye family and making clothes for them.
Just then, a lively sound came from the courtyard. Zhang Lei looked and saw that his three brothers-in-law, three sisters-in-law, and Ye Shuqin's seven nephews and nieces had all arrived.
Zhang Lei was somewhat surprised and pulled Ye Shuqin aside to ask, "Shuqin, why didn't Big Brother and the others go to work? And why didn't Mingyu and the others go to school?"
Ye Shuqin explained with a smile, "Honey, Mom, Dad, and Grandpa and Grandma came, and everyone was happy, so they all took leave. I thought I'd just go along with them."
Zhang Lei thought for a moment and smiled, "That's fine too. Let's go out together today and take Grandpa, Grandma, and Mom and Dad to stroll around Beijing and see the sights. By the way, our first stop is Xue Ru's silk shop. I just told her I'd make clothes for some of the elderly people, and it seems there are a lot of people, so we'll have to make a few more sets."
Ye Shuqin was somewhat surprised: "Honey, is this appropriate? There are too many people. Xue Ru's place is a business."
Zhang Lei shook his head: "There's nothing inappropriate about it. I've already talked to Xue Ru. Today, you'll be in charge of taking the elderly and everyone else around. You won't be eating lunch at home; you'll be eating out. I'll arrange everything."
Ye Shuqin wanted to say something more, but Zhang Lei gave her a reassuring look: "Alright, stop worrying about it, we're all family."
After everyone had finished breakfast, Zhang Lei left Aunt Ya to take care of Yu Li, who was still resting. Aunt Ya made a special gesture to reassure Zhang Lei that she would take good care of Yu Li.
Afterwards, the group headed towards Chen Xueru's silk shop, chatting and laughing along the way. Zhang Lei would occasionally tell some interesting stories, creating a very lively atmosphere.
Upon arriving at the silk shop, Chen Xueru saw so many people and asked the shop assistant to write down the sizes of everyone in the Ye family. She then selected two suitable outfits for the four elderly people.
Seeing that Chen Xueru looked troubled, Zhang Lei quietly pulled her to the backyard.
Chen Xueru asked in a sweet voice, "Honey, what's wrong?"
Zhang Lei said with a smile, "Xueru, I'll cover the cost of these clothes today. Not only for the elderly, but also for the other sisters in the family, so that everyone doesn't feel cheated."
After saying that, he quietly took out five large yellow croakers from his personal space: "Wife, take these five large yellow croakers first, we'll use them to buy more goods."
Chen Xueru quickly declined, "Honey, what are you doing? We're husband and wife. This shop belongs to both of us. Shuqin and the others have been so good to me. What's a few clothes for the family? Why do I need to spend money?"
Zhang Lei explained, "I know it's my own store. I'm not trying to charge you. These are for your working capital to replenish your inventory. With so many people, even two items per person isn't a small amount, and the store has its costs too. My money is your money, so don't be polite with me."
Chen Xueru then smiled and accepted it: "Honey, if that's what you say, then I won't stand on ceremony."
On the other side, Ye Shuqin was getting anxious when she saw Zhang Lei and Chen Xueru hadn't come out for a while. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the two return from the backyard and went up to ask, "Honey, where did you go?"
Zhang Lei casually laughed and said, "There were too many people in front, so I went to the back to rest for a bit and have a drink of water."
Ye Shuqin then looked at Chen Xueru: "Xueru, thank you for your hard work today. You've taken all these clothes, so please charge whatever price you're owed."
Chen Xueru smiled and said, "Shuqin, you're being too polite. We're all family. The head of the household has already made arrangements with me, so you don't need to worry about the money."
Ye Shuqin looked at Zhang Lei, who gave her an OK sign. Ye Shuqin didn't ask any more questions and chose to believe him.
By the time everyone had chosen their clothes and taken their measurements, it was already noon.
Zhang Lei took everyone to Fengzeyuan Restaurant for a meal, as a way of welcoming the four elderly people.
The four elders and the rest of the Ye family felt somewhat reserved upon seeing such a grand restaurant. Grandfather Ye Zhenshan spoke up, "Zhang Lei, let's just find a small restaurant to eat at. Earning money isn't easy, don't waste it on places like this."
Zhang Lei reassured him, "Grandpa, it's alright. We don't eat here every day. Everyone's happy today, so let's try something new. Don't worry, this restaurant looks upscale, but the prices are actually very reasonable."
He then led the elderly people into the restaurant. Because there were too many people, they had to put a few tables together in the lobby.
Soon, a sumptuous meal was served. Everyone looked at the exquisite dishes and was momentarily at a loss as to where to begin.
Zhang Lei gestured to Ye Shuqin and Lou Xiao'e to invite everyone to start eating, while he excused himself to go to the restroom and found the restaurant manager.
The manager asked, "Sir, what can I do for you?"
Zhang Lei asked, "I'd like to ask, how much does it cost for these three tables in total?"
The manager calculated: "About one hundred and fifty yuan."
Zhang Lei said, "Manager, I'll pay now, but if anyone asks later, just say it's fifty yuan for three tables. The elderly people from my hometown are used to being frugal, and they'll definitely feel the pinch if they know the real price. Please help me tell a white lie."
The manager was initially hesitant, but after Zhang Lei explained the situation clearly and wrote down the details and pressed his fingerprint as required, the manager finally agreed to help cover it up.