Chapter 39: Duck Parts Attract Repeat Customers

Chapter 39: Returning Customers for Braised Duck Delights

Lu Xiang was already cultivating a loyal customer base, especially among those who had missed out on previous visits. The moment her stall was set up, they rushed to buy. Her duck necks offered increasing value with quantity—buy five, get one free. Many customers even teamed up on the spot, pooling their money to buy three duck necks for the price of two and a half.

Duck heads and intestines were newer additions, not yet as popular as the duck wings and necks.

Lu Xiang was a shrewd businesswoman. She bought a new small knife from the supply and marketing cooperative. If anyone showed curiosity about the duck intestines, she'd offer a small sample. The intestines were delightfully chewy and incredibly flavorful, so much so that one bite made you crave a drink to complete the experience—truly exquisite.

"How much are the duck intestines?" a customer inquired.

Lu Xiang smiled, "Twenty cents for a small bundle," weighing about fifty grams. Sliced, it was just enough for one person to enjoy as a small dish. For two, it wouldn't suffice.

Duck intestines weren't expensive, but preparing them was quite labor-intensive.

"I'll take a bundle."

Once one person bought, others quickly followed suit.

Nearby stallholders watched, their eyes wide with surprise. Usually, these customers were so thrifty they'd try to stretch a single cent, always haggling. After bargaining, they'd often demand free extras like cilantro or garlic water, determined not to be shortchanged.

Yet now, when buying braised duck, they were remarkably generous. Some bought their portions to take home and enjoy with a drink, while others simply found a quiet corner, squatted down, and began to savor their meal with obvious relish. Watching them eat made the neighboring vendors' mouths water with envy.

The enticing aroma of Lu Xiang's braised duck was unforgettable once tasted.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhaodi was also trying to sell her vegetable buns.

With only five buns in total, the neighboring vendors couldn't help but chuckle. Who would be so stingy as to bring such a meager amount to sell?

She didn't even have proper goods to sell, just a single lunchbox.

Most customers in this area were regulars, and vendors usually didn't need to shout to attract business.

But Lu Zhaodi was loudly hawking her wares, completely uninhibited, specifically targeting Lu Xiang's customers.

As a young woman of seventeen or eighteen, she made people feel too awkward to buy from her.

Lu Zhaodi had left home on an empty stomach, and by now, she was hungry again. The blisters on her feet were throbbing, and the midday sun was scorching. Before long, she felt like she was melting under the heat. Seeing Lu Xiang wearing a straw hat only fueled her frustration. She didn't know where to direct her pent-up anger. Eventually, she stepped aside and began nibbling on one of her own vegetable buns.

Lu Zhaodi was a decent cook of home-style dishes, but these coarse grain vegetable buns were truly unappetizing—dry, hard to swallow, and rough in texture. At home, her grandmother kept a tight watch on everything, so she hadn't even been able to add a bit of oil to the dough.

The aroma of the braised duck in the air made her mouth water. She kept glancing at Lu Xiang, thinking, "We're relatives, after all. Couldn't she offer me a duck neck to munch on?"

If Lu Zhaodi had never tasted braised duck before, she might not have craved it. But since her rebirth, memories of her previous life—where she enjoyed lavish meals with plenty of meat and fish and lived a remarkable life—made her resentful. Now, here she was, munching on vegetable buns in the market, feeling utterly out of balance.

The vegetable bun was so difficult to swallow that Lu Zhaodi had to strain her neck to get the last bite down. The only advantage of coarse grain was that it kept hunger at bay.

Someone with Lu Zhaodi's small appetite could usually eat two steamed buns, but with these vegetable buns, she could manage only one at most.

After she finished eating, two men approached, wanting to buy from her. They looked decent enough, but their eyes held a frivolous gleam, repeatedly lingering on Lu Zhaodi's chest. "How much?" they asked.

"Ten cents each!" she replied. Her price wasn't cheap—the buns were made with wild vegetables, while the auntie next door sold similar ones for only eight cents. But the two men said, "Only four left? We'll take them all." They paid forty cents with an air of extravagance.

They would have liked to show off their generosity at Lu Xiang's stall, but her items were pricey—many customers spent over one or two yuan. These two men, however, were idle and had limited funds, so they targeted Lu Zhaodi instead.

Lu Zhaodi felt utterly disgusted by their stares. She wished she could gouge their eyes out. If she were in a relationship with Li Yucai, she wouldn't even care about forty cents, let alone four or forty yuan.

But for now, she had no choice. If she didn't sell the buns, she wouldn't have money for the return trip. Her feet were already in agony, and she feared the pain of walking back. So, she forced herself to sell to them.

While handing over the buns, one of the men deliberately or accidentally brushed his hand against hers.

The other man stood close to Lu Zhaodi and asked, "Did you make these yourself? Will you be here tomorrow?"

His proximity made her uncomfortable.

Lu Zhaodi said, "I'll be here tomorrow."

In such a public place, these idle ruffians didn't dare to do anything more.

After buying the buns, they left but stopped by Lu Xiang's stall hoping to buy some duck necks. However, Lu Xiang's duck necks were so popular they had already sold out.

Lu Zhaodi watched coldly. In the short time she'd been there, Lu Xiang had already earned over ten yuan. How much profit was she making?

With her goods sold out and the sun beating down relentlessly, Lu Zhaodi didn't linger. She left and paid ten cents for a ride back to the village on an ox cart.

She had thirty cents left, and she had no intention of handing it over at home. What would she do if she had no money while away from home? The thought of her grandmother guarding their finances like a thief made her furious.

Speaking of thieves, an idea occurred to her: her grandmother liked to sew a pocket into her underpants to hide money. She needed to find a way to get her hands on that money. At worst, she could consider it a loan.

Preoccupied with thoughts of money, she no longer had the energy to dwell on Lu Xiang.

Meanwhile, Lu Xiang had sold out of duck necks and duck wings. The dozen or so bundles of duck intestines had also been sold, often as add-ons. Some customers who bought duck necks requested other items instead, and Lu Xiang accommodated them.

For the same price, they could try something different. Now, only duck feet, duck heads, and a few duck wings remained.

Later, Li Yucai and his friends arrived. They had day jobs and could only rush over during their lunch break. They had been worrying the entire way that everything would be sold out.

When they saw Lu Xiang, they breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you have any duck necks?" they asked.

Lu Xiang replied, "No."

"What do you have left?"

She lifted the lid, and the aroma made their mouths water. "We'll take two of each!" they said.

People nearby chimed in, "Two of each won't be enough for anyone."

Li Yucai said, "Give us five duck feet, five duck heads, and all the remaining duck wings. How much will that be?"

Lu Xiang quickly calculated. "Three yuan and thirty cents. Just give me three yuan." She threw in an extra duck head as a bonus.

Before Li Yucai could pay, his friends rushed to cover the cost. "Let me pay," they insisted. They all had money and didn't want him to pay alone.

So, Lu Xiang accepted the money from one of them. After this sale, only a dozen or so duck heads and fewer than ten duck feet remained. Even if they didn't sell out, she could take them back for the Fu family to enjoy—nothing would go to waste.

After buying the duck parts, Li Yucai lingered. He wanted to talk to Lu Xiang.