Chapter 91

Chapter 91

Lin Chunyan smiled and nodded, "At the beginning, no one knew about it. We specifically set aside a place for the idlers to buy food, so naturally, fewer people came. But as more people found out, they all started lining up there."

As soon as the fish-flavored shredded pork was served, and upon hearing that a full portion cost only ten wen and a half portion five wen, many who hadn't bought cold dishes earlier decided to order the fish-flavored shredded pork.

This was genuine meat, and it looked incredibly delicious. Some even went to the side to get a large bowl of white rice to go with it, eating until oil dripped from their mouths.

At the stall in front of Mrs. Song and Mr. Song's door, people came and went. Some came to watch the excitement, while others sat there because there was no room inside.

To avoid affecting Mr. Song's business, most people would order a pot of coarse tea. In just half a day, Mr. Song had already collected dozens of wen.

His eyes were smiling, and as he sniffed the enticing aroma in the air, watching the hustle and bustle of the people inside, he seemed to see their Juan'er.

If they were still here, their family would probably feel the same way running this shop.

After finishing the last trip, the Boatman secured the boat and hurried towards the dock. He knew that the shop was opening today, with some kind of gambling game, and many new dishes were being introduced.

It would be a loss not to eat there on such a day.

He quickened his pace and soon saw a few familiar faces, who were slightly surprised to see the Boatman as well.

They had just seen each other on the boat.

These people had specifically come from Qixia Town to eat. After Zhang Xiaojiu started selling goods there and built a good relationship with Hu Zi's elder brother Da Niu, they were never bullied again.

Not only that, but since Da Niu and his friends had eaten Lin Chunyan's cooking, everything else tasted bland in comparison. Every time Zhang Xiaojiu brought goods, they would spend a few copper coins to buy some.

Last time, Zhang Xiaojiu mentioned that the shop was opening today. After discussing it among themselves, Da Niu and his friends decided to come and eat.

Although the Boatman didn't know why they came to White Cloud Town, he could see from the direction they were heading that it was clearly towards the Lin family's shop.

The Boatman quickened his pace even more.

Da Niu and his friends were puzzled but followed suit, though they couldn't keep up with the Boatman at first.

It was strange; when rowing the boat, the Boatman seemed a bit weak, but now it seemed he had saved all his energy to rush for food.

The Boatman ran faster and faster, wondering why Da Niu and his friends were running as if there was something he didn't know.

Thinking of this, the Boatman sped up even more.

Mr. Song was wiping the tables when a gust of wind seemed to blow in a few people.

The Boatman was panting as he pointed at Da Niu and his friends, speaking angrily, "Why are you competing with an old man like me? You even ran faster!"

Da Niu wasn't in better shape, as he held his knee, calming his racing heart before saying, "Who knew you'd suddenly start running! I thought they were limiting the number of people here."

Both groups looked inside the shop and saw that it was full. Even if they weren't limiting numbers, they wouldn't be able to eat for a while.

At this moment, Mr. Song smiled and came over, inviting them into the shed to sit. He asked if they wanted some cold dishes.

Since they had to wait, Da Niu was the first to ask for cold dishes.

Mrs. Song went inside the shop and soon brought out a plate of cold bamboo shoots and preserved eggs.

"This is today's new dish, guests can try it first. When there's a spot inside, I'll help you move there," she said.

The Boatman thought the cold dishes were the same as before, which he was used to, but he didn't expect even the cold dishes to have new varieties.

He saw Da Niu eating happily and the Boatman swallowed hard before saying, "Mrs. Song, get me one of those as well."

Mrs. Song nodded. By this time, Da Niu and his group finally had the chance to lift their heads. Da Niu gave a thumbs up and said, "This young wife from the Lin family is truly skilled. I wonder what these eggs are made of to taste so delicious?"

The Boatman responded absentmindedly. His eyes had already drifted to the small door on the east wall of the shop.

There was a long queue in front of it too. Most people were carrying food boxes, and the transactions were happening quickly.

Spotting Wang Xianhan, the Boatman called out to him, "What's all this?"

Wang Xianhan opened the food box and showed him. "This is the takeout. If you don't want to dine in, just queue up there. The food is pre-cooked, so it's faster."

He used to deliver food with just a food box, but now he carried a pole, allowing him to deliver to several places at once.

It was more tiring, but he earned much more than before.

A few impatient people, hearing this, went to the takeout counter. In no time, they received two bowls of food.

There was the much-talked-about fish-flavored shredded pork and braised pig trotters.

"This takeout window is really convenient!"

Seeing this, the Boatman thought that maybe some people would still need to run boats later. He borrowed two bowls from Mrs. Song, got a portion of the fish-flavored shredded pork, and placed the preserved eggs in the bowl.

As he headed towards the dock, the aroma attracted many people. The Boatman, feeling proud, slowed his pace, unlike when he came in a hurry.

Yu Laotou, who was also a Boatman, said, "When I saw you tie up the boat and run off, I thought you were in a hurry to pee. Who knew you were buying food!"

The Boatman showed Yu Laotou what he had brought back. "This is cheap. Two big bowls cost only ten wen."

The preserved eggs, though they looked dark and unappealing, had a strange and wonderful fragrance. The fish-flavored shredded pork, glistening with red oil, was incredibly appetizing.

Yu Laotou swallowed hard. "Ten wen is a lot. Usually, a bowl of noodles costs only four or five wen, and you'd be full."

The Boatman shook his head, too busy eating to explain.

Four or five wen for a bowl of noodles was good, but how could it compare to this fish-flavored shredded pork?

And those preserved eggs, though they looked plain, had a strange and wonderful taste. Truly odd and marvelous.

Finally, it was Da Niu's turn to go in. He saw Da Zhuang and Hu Zi eating voraciously. Seated beside them, Sun Anyuan was no less impressive, with several plates of dishes almost finished.

Da Niu had eaten a plate of cold dishes outside, which had slightly filled his stomach. Otherwise, he would have pounced like a hungry tiger.

Seeing Hu Zi grinning foolishly, Da Niu felt a surge of anger and almost slapped him.

Hu Zi hadn't noticed Da Niu's displeasure and cheerfully called out, "Big brother, what brings you here? Are you here to see me?"

Da Niu humphed. "What's there to see in you? I'm here for the young wife from the Lin family."

Realizing his words could be misinterpreted, he quickly corrected himself. "I'm here to eat."

Hu Zi nodded and recommended, "You must try the fish-flavored shredded pork and the braised pig trotters. And the cold mixed tofu…."

Beside him, Da Zhuang pointed to the preserved eggs. "I think these eggs are delicious too. I heard from Zhao Liu that there will be preserved egg and lean pork porridge tomorrow morning. I'll come early."

Listening, Da Niu quickly went to exchange his ticket.

Tutor Duan felt overwhelmed, his hands busy. He had never seen so many copper coins passing through his hands, exchanging for the tickets he wrote.

"This brave fellow, you've landed on the slot that gives you a 50% discount, so you only need to pay half price to eat here."

The big man who won the prize laughed heartily and quickly went inside to pick what he wanted to eat.

Da Niu also hurried over, giving the wheel a hard spin, while his companions watched nervously from the side.

Tutor Duan, however, remained calm and composed, even saying, "Just now someone landed on the slot that gives a free meal, so everything is free!"

This atmosphere made Da Niu even more nervous. After what seemed like an eternity, the wheel finally stopped. Tutor Duan looked and laughed, "20% off, store-wide 20% off!"

Da Niu didn't understand and asked a few more times, "What does 20% off mean? How much can I save?"

Tutor Duan patiently explained to them, "For example, if fish-flavored shredded pork costs ten wen per serving, with a 20% discount, it's eight wen."

Hearing this, Da Niu was pleased, "That's a whole two wen saved."

"Will you really be open tomorrow morning?" Before Tutor Duan could even sit down, someone else came over to ask.

He simply nodded, "Open in the morning, and we close when it's time in the evening. But there's no delivery in the morning."

With the shop open, Lin Chunyan naturally extended her outdoor stall hours to provide three meals a day.

As Tutor Duan spoke, he regretted not changing into more presentable clothes in the morning as his wife had suggested.

Though he was just a bookkeeper, from morning till now, everyone who saw him had to ask what the characters on the wheel meant, which gave him a certain sense of pride.

When he returned home in the evening, he also brought some food for his wife and daughter. Now that he could earn money, it wouldn't do to let them work so hard anymore.

"Sorry, it's all sold out. If you want to eat, come back in the evening."

Both Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong had arms that were too tired to lift, having been scooping dishes non-stop with barely a moment's rest.

At first, Lin Taohong had been a bit reluctant to have Mrs. Zhang help, but now she was grateful to have her around.

They looked at each other and both felt they deserved a raise.

The several plates of food kept warm in the warming tray were sold out within just a few hours, not even leaving a drop of soup behind.

With more dishes to be added tomorrow, even more people were likely to come.

Hu Daqiang and Zhao Liu weren't faring much better. Their throats were almost hoarse from shouting for the past few hours.

Zhao Liu, who used to be a bit timid, after talking to so many people, wasn't nervous anymore.

Lin Chunyan closed the gate, and they were ready to eat and rest. To avoid disappointing them tomorrow, she said in advance, "Today there were so many people because of the discount. Tomorrow will be different."

Hearing this, not many showed signs of sadness. Everyone was exhausted today and thought fewer people tomorrow would be a good chance to rest.

At this point, Tutor Duan also walked over from behind the counter. He had just organized the income, and the abacus beads almost sparked from how fast he moved them.

He wondered just how many people had come.

After a brief moment of reflection, Tutor Duan couldn't care less anymore, as he was tempted by all the delicious food in front of him and, like the others, took a lot of dishes with his chopsticks.

Lin Chunyan had already eaten a bowl of fish-flavored shredded pork over rice in the back kitchen, but she was still hungry. Cooking was indeed a physically demanding job. If it were when she first came to this world and had gone hungry for several days, she probably wouldn't even be able to lift the spatula, let alone cook.

Both Mrs. Song and Mr. Song were also invited to the table. At first, they declined, but eventually, they stopped being polite about it.

Lin Chunyan also brought out some canned oranges, pouring some for everyone, treating it as a drink.

Zhao Liu and Hu Daqiang were already starting to salivate. These dishes had been tantalizing them for a while, and Lin Chunyan had even let them taste some earlier. But just the smell alone was enough to make their stomachs growl again.

Lin Chunyan didn’t waste any more words. After everyone clinked their glasses, they dove straight into the meal.

There was also fragrant rice and big white steamed buns on the side. Everyone could help themselves to whatever they wanted.

Hu Daqiang and Zhao Liu, who had big appetites, didn’t dare to eat more after finishing one bowl, but Lin Chunyan noticed and urged them to sit back down.

"Don’t be restrained. We’re family from now on. You have to eat your fill, or you won’t have the energy for work later."

Hu Daqiang and Zhao Liu exchanged glances, and both chuckled. They couldn’t have hoped for a better employer than Lin Chunyan.

Not only did she pay them, but she also made such delicious food, and to top it off, there was plenty to go around.

Lin Chunyan had estimated their appetites and cooked extra. Seeing the abundance of food, everyone ate their fill without holding back.

Mr. Song and Mrs. Song watched the lively scene of people eating at the table, feeling quite emotional, and joined in the quiet eating.

"I see the fish-flavored shredded pork is quite popular. We’ll have to make more tomorrow."

"Alright," Lin Chunyan agreed promptly.

Old Lady Wang was also enjoying the fish-flavored shredded pork on rice. She had an extra bowl of rice and even took some hawthorn candies after the meal to aid digestion.

Young Master Wang, Rongjie, and Qing'er had eaten a lot as well. They had never had such delicious dishes before and ended up overeating, feeling uncomfortably full, and walked around the room to ease their discomfort.

Qing'er, thinking of something, asked about Wanniang, "I wonder where Wanniang is now. Has she reached the prefectural city?"

Old Lady Wang chuckled, "She arrived long ago. The prefectural city isn’t that far from here. You’re so young, you’ve forgotten that you also came from the prefectural city."

Qing'er looked slightly embarrassed and, going over to Old Lady Wang, started acting coquettish, "Grandmother, you’re making fun of me. I was so young then, how could I remember everything?"

Rongjie listened to these words with a hint of sadness in her eyes but didn’t know who to talk to about it.

Young Master Wang was fully focused on Old Lady Wang. The two were incredibly close, and he had long been dissatisfied, thinking that his mother from the prefectural city had neglected them.

Qing'er was on the same side as Rongjie, but she was too young to be of much help.

She needed to return to the prefectural city.

Once everyone had returned to their rooms, Old Lady Wang’s expression turned serious as she asked the old woman beside her, "Has the deed been done?"

The old woman nodded, "It was done a while ago, and no one will find out."

Old Lady Wang nodded in satisfaction, thinking that the fish-flavored shredded pork was particularly delicious, and decided to have some more for dinner, "See if there are any new dishes to try."

At her age now, as long as she ate and drank well, her blood flowed smoothly.

That evening, they returned to the village much later than usual. Wang Yingniang had been anxiously waiting and hurried over to ask as soon as they returned, "How was business today?"

They were all too tired to speak, except for Lin Chunyan, who still had some energy and said with a smile, "It was fantastic. We had way more people than when we were selling noodles."

But she was still making noodles. Some people came specifically for the bowl of noodles she made.

Wang Yingniang breathed a sigh of relief, "I was worried all day today, but then I thought, with our skills, there’s nothing to worry about."

Lin Chunyan chuckled a few times, and Wang Yingniang helped them bring over some foot-washing water, "Get some rest early. We need to sell breakfast early tomorrow."

Lin Chunyan yawned leisurely, washed up, and then went to bed.

The next morning, as soon as it was light, she opened her eyes and headed to the back hill with her basket on her back.

As she passed by Liu Niangzi's house, she heard the door creak open, and saw Wei Roujie and Liu Niangzi coming out of the house with baskets on their backs.

They had just moved into the newly built house and couldn't wait to leave the sight of Old Man Peng's face behind.

To ward off evil spirits for him, their already meager savings were completely drained. Even Peng Pingan had many complaints and didn't want to deal with Old Man Peng's affairs anymore.

"I heard from your mother that you were planning to bring some ducklings home to raise. Did you get any?"

Lin Chunyan joined them on the way up the hill. "Where did we find the time? My second aunt said she would help look for some, but I reckon they haven't found the right ones yet."

Liu Niangzi, aware that they had changed shops, looked at them with some envy. "How's business there?"

"Not bad, but it's just hard-earned money."

Chatting and laughing, they reached the top of the hill, where Lin Chunyan put down her basket and began digging for wild vegetables.

Wei Roujie, who loved to joke around, came over to Lin Chunyan and asked about the different ways to cook the vegetables. "And those sour bamboo shoots, I wonder how they're made to taste so good."

Remembering that Wei Roujie loved bamboo shoots the most, Lin Chunyan said, "It's not difficult. When you go back, just follow this method."

Wei Roujie, seeing that Lin Chunyan had shared the information so freely, felt a little embarrassed. "Don't worry, we'll only make it for ourselves and won't share it with others."

Most of these people were simple and honest, and even if they received some benefits, they still felt uneasy inside.

Wei Roujie, although a bit worldly, never made others feel uncomfortable because of it.

"It's nothing. You can just eat it yourselves."

Lin Chunyan also mentioned that they were planning to keep a dog at home. "When Pingan goes out to work, it's just the two of us at home, and we always feel uneasy."

"Luckily, we're all close by. There's always someone at our house, so just call us if you need anything."

Seeing that Lin Chunyan had picked a lot of mugwort, Wei Roujie, knowing that the Qingming Festival was approaching, asked if she was going to make green dumplings.

Lin Chunyan nodded. "We can't light a fire on that day, so we have to prepare some in advance."

"Then we'll pick some to take back too."

"This mugwort can be used for foot baths or regular baths. If you have a rash on your body, washing with it a few times will make it better."

Although the mugwort was still fresh and not as potent as it would be by the Dragon Boat Festival, it was only used for the skin of the green dumplings, so the fresh ones were just right.

When she returned, she removed the stems from the mugwort, washed it clean, blanched it in a pot, and then ground it into juice with a stone mill.

At this point, Lin Taohong and Mrs. Zhang had just gotten up. Seeing that Wang Yingniang was already busy making tofu in the kitchen, and Lin Chunyan was making green dumplings, the two exchanged a glance and saw the mutual disdain in each other's eyes.

Lin Taohong felt that her love for sleeping was because of Mrs. Zhang, blaming her for not letting her sleep less.

If Mrs. Zhang knew what Lin Taohong was thinking, she would probably jump up and scold her.

In this way, Lin Taohong continued yawning after getting up and shuffled over to help Lin Chunyan.

"Are we making green dumplings so early?"

Lin Chunyan nodded. "Yesterday, I saw that there were already wheat cakes for sale in town. I thought we should make the green dumplings earlier so that anyone who wants some can take them from us early."

Hearing about the wheat cakes, Lin Taohong's eyes lit up. "Why didn't I see them? Later, when I go to town, I'll definitely buy some to eat."

The barley cakes are made from barley and almonds. After they are crushed, they are cooked together into porridge, and then cut into small pieces once they have set.

You can also drizzle malt sugar syrup on top, which makes them taste even better.

Lin Taohong used to love eating barley cakes, but back then she couldn’t bear to spend the coins to buy them. Things are different now, though. She has money in her hands, and this time she’s determined to eat her fill.

Since they had decided to rent the shop instead of buying it, Lin Chunyan didn’t accept any money from Wang Yingniang and Lin Taohong, telling them to keep it themselves.

Holding that money, Lin Taohong began to plan what jewelry she could buy next.

“Big sis, don’t you think I can’t see so many people now without having something in my hair?” she said, kneading the dough while talking to Lin Chunyan.

Lin Chunyan found it amusing and took several glances at her head. “You’ve already got several flowers pinned to your head. How is that bare?”

“I’m talking about hairpins. Except for a few wooden ones, I don’t even have a silver one.”

“Then when we have some rest, we’ll take you out to buy some.”

Mrs. Zhang pouted and said that Lin Taohong was lazy and gluttonous, always thinking about how to spend her money.

“Can’t keep any money in hand, it just slips right through like a draft.”

Lin Taohong ignored her. Seeing that Lin Chunyan had already prepared the fillings, including sweet ones like red bean paste and black sesame, as well as savory ones like salted egg yolk, she helped roll them into round balls.

Knowing they would be able to eat soon, they worked with a bit more energy.

After steaming, these green dumplings looked green and lush, exuding the fresh fragrance of mugwort.

Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Chunyan said to Wang Yingniang and Second Aunt Lin, and took a few green dumplings in her hand, planning to eat them as she walked.

Taking a bite, the aroma of mugwort became even more intense. She was eating the red bean paste one, the red and green colors together particularly striking and beautiful.

At the shop entrance, there were already quite a few people waiting, occasionally stretching their necks and standing on tiptoes to look down the road.

Some, growing impatient, asked Mr. Song, “When is that young Miss Lin going to come?”

Mr. Song chuckled and pointed at the sun. “What time do you think it is? How could she be here so early?”

“Oh dear, my stomach has been growling for a while now, just waiting to eat the century eggs and lean pork porridge and fried dough sticks this morning.”