Chapter 238 - 238 East Market
238 East Market
Su Fengchen was introverted, so he typically did not talk much. These days, he would set up his stall to sell his grilled chicken and roast duck, so naturally, he had to talk to his customers.
However, it was always the customers who asked him questions. He simply answered them and never initiated a conversation. He usually wore a faint smile and was shy but no longer had a melancholy look.
Moreover, after Su Binglan fixed his hand, there was no trauma. His fingers had ultimately returned to normal. If Su Fengchen wanted to resume his studies, he could start attending the academy again.
However, that was no longer what he wanted. He only wished to earn money with his business and live a simple life.
After experiencing many things, he no longer considered taking the imperial exams for achievements and fame. He was satisfied with his current life.
Su Binglan worked in the shop for a while and then went for a walk. She planned to buy some more noodles before going home since the family had used them all.
While shopping, she passed by Drunken Cloud and saw that business was still booming. During this time, she was busy making mooncakes and could not personally deliver goods to Drunken Cloud. Still, she told Su Wenzhe to help deliver mooncakes to Drunken Cloud whenever he went to town.
She heard the liveliness inside Drunken Cloud and smiled faintly.
The weather had become colder during autumn, especially after the rain more than half a month ago. Everyone knew the autumn rain would bring about cold weather.
Nonetheless, Teng He town was lively because the Mooncake Festival was near. One could see many people walking and shopping around the streets.
Everyone would gather in twos and threes whenever they shopped. Of course, they mostly talked about the new delicacies in town.
“Hurry up. We need to get some duck vermicelli and dumplings. There won’t be any left if we’re late.
“Did the shopkeeper arrive with the goods?”
“They typically arrive now. Come on, quickly.”
A few townsfolk carried their baskets and hurried in one direction. Su Binglan became curious and went over to look. After turning the corner, she saw the townsfolk entering another small street.
The small street was on the eastern side of the town, also where others would set up their stalls. Previously, Su Binglan had also set up her candied chestnuts and tofu stall on that small street.
She could see two long lines near where she last set up her stall. One line was in front of her uncle’s stall, and the other was the Liu family’s stall.
Many customers surrounded the stalls, asking about the price of the dishes, while the vendors would shout their replies. The voices rose and fell, making the scene seem very lively. It was similar to a modern town market.
Su Fengchen had been there for a while, so he almost ran out of grilled chicken and roast duck.
“Shopkeeper, I preordered three roast ducks yesterday. Do you still remember?”
Su Fengchen nodded, saying, “Yes, I remember everyone’s orders.”
He took the three roast ducks he had wrapped in advance and gave them to the middle-aged woman as he spoke. The woman looked at the roast ducks and smiled. “Your memory is perfect, shopkeeper. You can remember everyone’s orders.”
“Of course I can.” Su Fengchen smiled.
Afterward, a few more people bought some grilled chickens while the others bought roast ducks. Su Fengchen quickly sold all his food.
He heaved a sigh of relief, put away the money he earned, and packed his boxes. Then he placed everything on his trolley to push it home when he saw his niece.
Su Fengchen’s eyes lit up. “Binglan? Is that you?”
Su Binglan walked over smilingly. “Hello, Uncle Fengchen. It seems like your business is booming.” She was happy for her uncle.
Su Fengchen said embarrassedly, “This is all thanks to you, Binglan. I know how good grilled chicken and roast duck taste. Everyone enjoys them, but I never expected these dishes to be so popular.
“Some people even come to my house to order them in advance, so I’ve been pretty busy lately.”
Despite being busy, Su Fengchen was in a good mood as he experienced the feeling of truly living his life. In the past, he felt lost, empty, and discouraged. However, he no longer felt that way as he was full of life and enthusiasm.
He thought that he had finally found his calling. He knew he could live a good life if he worked hard. It made him feel at ease. Moreover, earning money and giving it to his mother felt gratifying.
In times gone by, he had to ask his parents for money when he attended a private school. He felt guilty all along. Now that he could earn money, he would repay his parents, which made him feel good.
Su Binglan knew about the high demand for her uncle’s chicken and duck dishes and that her grandparents had started staying up all night working.
Meanwhile, her uncle started buying the villagers’ chickens and ducks. Even Zhizhi had become a good worker for them as she was smart and a quick learner.
Initially, Old Master Su, Old Madam Su, and Su Fengchen did not want Zhizhi to help them. However, Zhizhi clung to Su Fengchen day in and day out. She would copy whatever he did.
After a while, she started helping Su Fengchen cook his dishes. Indeed, having one more pair of hands was helpful. After some thought, Su Binglan said, “Uncle Fengchen, you can hire someone to help with your business, you know?”
“B-But, I don’t feel comfortable doing that.” After all, the villagers grew accustomed to a self-sufficient lifestyle. They could not bear to spend money hiring someone.
“Also, I won’t know if the people we hire would want to steal our recipe.” The grilled chicken and roast duck were something his niece had taught them, so Su Fengchen could not let others know the family’s secrets.
Su Binglan helped her uncle put his boxes onto the cart, saying, “So, that’s what you’re concerned about. We can hire people with good characteristics and a better reputation from our village and have them sign an agreement.
“We won’t teach them how to make the dishes. After all, you only need workers to help clean and prep the ducks and chickens while you handle the more important things. Then you won’t have to worry about the workers stealing the recipe.
“Moreover, having your workers sign an agreement will be a sort of guarantee. We’re all from the same village, so if the workers do something against the agreement, they won’t be able to live in the village anymore.”
That was the benefit of living in a tight-knit village. In less than a day, the villagers would know whenever anyone did anything terrible. If one corrupted their morals, the villagers would condemn them. The offender’s family would also feel shame and regret.
After listening to his niece’s explanation, Su Fengchen finally understood what he could do. “Am I stupid, or do you always have a solution to everything, Binglan? I shall discuss this matter with your grandmother soon.”
Su Binglan said, “No, you’re smart because you’re concerned about others stealing what I taught you, so you avoided implementing these methods.”
After all, she was the one who taught Su Fengchen how to make grilled chicken and roast ducks. Su Fengchen always feared others would steal his niece’s recipes and that he would bring shame to himself. Therefore, he felt uneasy about hiring workers.
“You’re always so clear-minded, Binglan. No one can hide anything from you,” said Su Fengchen.
After the uncle and niece talked for a while, Su Fengchen pushed his cart home, and Su Binglan walked to the other side.
Liu Chengwen and his family had set up their stall in a remote corner. Even so, their business was famous.
A big pot of water was in front of Liu Chengwen, and under that pot was a fire to boil the water. He put the vermicelli into the boiling water and scooped it into a bowl when it was ready.
Immediately after, Feng Sisi helped by pouring the duck blood soup into the bowl of vermicelli.
There was also a steamer full of soup dumplings in front of Mrs. Liu.