Chapter 36: Huilong Rice Ball

Chapter 36: Huilong Rice Ball

"What flavors are there?" Since her parents had both eaten at this stall, Yan Xiuwen felt she had to at least take a couple of symbolic bites in front of her daughter, even if she was pretty disdainful inside.

"Egg and ham, pork chop, and shrimp. Those are the three rice ball flavors. Mom, don't think there are few options; they taste awesome."

Yan Xiuwen picked up an egg and ham seaweed rice ball to try. She wanted to see if the egg inside was really the free-range kind they mentioned.

Just as she was about to put the rice ball in her mouth, Min Junru stopped her. "Mom, wait. It's even better with the sauce."

"I'm telling you, Grandpa and Grandma even mix this sauce with rice at home. It's so fragrant."

Min Junru opened a small container of sauce and used a brush she had bought just for this to evenly coat the surface of the rice ball. Ten seconds later, she looked at the sauced rice ball with satisfaction. "Alright, try it now."

Min Juntao sat on the sofa opposite them, watching this scene with eyes full of disdain. He thought to himself, what's so great about a rice ball? Even the ones from big brands like Yixin Rice Ball were just so-so. Could a rice ball from a small town really be that heavenly? He was waiting for his mother to spit it out.

However, reality was the opposite of his imagination. Yan Xiuwen took several bites without stopping. Min Juntao grew a bit anxious. "Mom, didn't you just mention gutter oil? Why are you eating so much?"

"Your grandma's right. It really is free-range eggs. The rice ball tastes really good with this sauce," Yan Xiuwen said with a gentle smile to her daughter before turning to her son. "This oil is pure peanut oil. Juntao, you should try some too."

Min Juntao turned his head away proudly. "I don't want it!"

"Fine, don't have it then. Hmph!" Min Junru took all the food out of the bags and arranged it on the coffee table. She had bought 4 cups of freshly squeezed Qiong Peach Juice, 3 of each type of rice ball, and 15 skewers of each type of meatball. She had already had one cup of the juice in the car. Now, with the egg and ham seaweed rice ball in her mother's hand, she divided the rest equally.

"Dad isn't home; I'll bring some for him next time I'm back. I bought these for the three of us, but brother doesn't want any..." Her father was away on a business trip this weekend, so there were only three people at home: her, her mother, and her brother. Her plan was for each person to have one cup of freshly squeezed Qiong Peach Juice, three rice balls of different flavors, 5 shrimp balls, and 5 fish balls.

Min Junru glanced at her brother mischievously. "Mom, since brother doesn't want his share, let's split his portion too. This shrimp seaweed rice ball is a secret recipe; you can have it. I'll take the pork chop one. You can have this juice too; I can drink it at school every day. And these meatballs, let's split them evenly."

"Mom, let me tell you, Xuehe Rice Ball is truly the ceiling of the rice ball world, and the meatball world too! Really, delicious and not expensive! The shrimp flavor is the best. Mom, you have to try it later."

Because the egg and ham seaweed rice ball tasted good, Yan Xiuwen became interested in the food her daughter had brought back. She watched her daughter divide the food with a smile. She felt a warm glow at the thought that her daughter, studying in town, remembered to bring home delicious food for her to try.

After dividing everything, Min Junru sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, eating one meatball after another and sipping Qiong Peach Juice, with a look of pure enjoyment.

"Wow, so comfortable~" Min Junru even gave Min Juntao a smug look.

Yan Xiuwen put a straw into her cup and took a sip. The sweet, not-too-cloying Qiong Peach juice changed what she thought good juice could be. She had really underestimated the town's street stalls.

Yan Xiuwen beckoned to her son. "Juntao, come here."

Seeing that her son wouldn't come over, she directly took a new cup of freshly squeezed Qiong Peach Juice, inserted a straw, walked over to him, and said, "Open your mouth."

Although Min Juntao was being stubborn, when his mother offered the juice, he obediently opened his mouth and took a sip. That one sip made him reach out and grab the cup himself.

He looked at Min Junru in surprise, then also took a skewer of meatballs from the table and started eating with relish.

This combination was indeed good.

Yan Xiuwen put down her own cup of Qiong Peach Juice; she would drink the remaining half after lunch. She said to the children, "Don't eat too much. Dinner time is almost here. Save some room."

The siblings said in unison, "We know."

Yan Xiuwen picked up the fresh shrimp and raw meatballs her daughter had brought back and went into the kitchen.

Min Junru teased, "Oh? Didn't you say you weren't going to eat?"

Min Juntao picked up another skewer of meatballs, glanced at her, and said, "That was then, this is now. Besides, only a fool wouldn't eat delicious food. Give me back my share."

Min Junru's eyes darted around. "Beg me for it."

"Hmph! Stingy!" With that, Min Juntao suddenly lunged from the sofa towards the coffee table, quickly grabbed four rice balls, and ran up the stairs. "I'm not begging you!"

"Min Juntao! You took one too many! Give mine back!"

"No, I won't! Just buy more when you go to school! Stingy!"

Min Juntao dashed back to his room, closed and locked the door in one smooth motion. No matter how much Min Junru made a fuss outside, he remained unmoved, which made her so mad that she went to the kitchen to complain to her mother.

Yan Xiuwen only comforted her with words. The two of them had always been like this—today you snatch this from me, tomorrow I snatch that from you, and they'd make up soon after. As long as it wasn't harmful, she wouldn't get involved; they could resolve it themselves.

After the rice balls, juice, and that night's dinner, Yan Xiuwen and Min Juntao's perception of street stall food was completely changed. They just regretted that the Xuehe stall was only open in town on weekdays. But this didn't stump Yan Xiuwen. In the days that followed, she went to the Xuehe Rice Ball stall once a week, stocking up on a week's worth of supplies each time.

*

On Monday, when Jiang Yingxue drove her tricycle to the school gate to set up her stall, she found her usual spot already occupied.

She looked up and saw a sign prominently displayed on the tricycle's body: Huilong Rice Ball.

This stall also sold rice balls. A blackboard hung on the cart, listing some items that overlapped with Xuehe Rice Ball's offerings.

Besides shrimp seaweed rice balls, pork chop seaweed rice balls, and egg and ham seaweed rice balls, Huilong Rice Ball also had chicken fillet seaweed rice balls, pork floss seaweed rice balls, and salted duck egg seaweed rice balls. Not only were Huilong Rice Ball's varieties more abundant, but their prices were also cheaper. Shrimp, chicken fillet, and pork chop were 8 yuan each; the others were 5 yuan each. For drinks, they had peach juice, watermelon juice, and mango juice, all 10 yuan per cup.

Occupying the spot and competing for business—it was clear that this Huilong Rice Ball was targeting Xuehe Rice Ball. But she didn't care. That's how business is. When they see you doing well, others want a piece of the pie. Moreover, this land was public; whoever arrived first could set up.

Jiang Yingxue's gaze fell on the shops on either side of the school gate. Should she get a fixed storefront?

Although she had earned some money selling rice balls during this time, it was far from enough to buy land and build a house in town. It seemed she needed to make some food that could sell for its true worth.

Pulling her thoughts back, Jiang Yingxue observed the empty spaces around the street. Three seconds later, she directly parked next to the Huilong Rice Ball stall, right under the shade of a tree.

If they wanted to compete, then bring it on.