Chapter 137: Stealing the Master Openly

Cheng Weiyao personally demonstrated how to eat soup dumplings. Even though she had been a little clever and included the recipe for eating soup dumplings in her slogan, talking about it on paper and actually doing it are different after all.

"Just wait..."

The dumplings, with their thin skin and generous filling, resemble small lanterns when lifted with chopsticks, and chrysanthemums when lowered. The so-called "opening the window" refers to gently nibbling a small bite before slowly sipping the soup.

The meat was tender and smooth, the soup was rich and mellow, and it was oily but not greasy... Cheng Weiyao couldn't help but nodded slightly, the taste was indeed similar to what she had imagined.

Zhou Yao watched Cheng Weiyao eat one, and the little glutton in his stomach was aroused. Then he picked up the chopsticks and imitated her.

"It's just a bun, why are you so picky..."

Zhou Yao's face wrinkled slightly. Although the soup dumplings in front of him were fragrant, they were small in size and priced similarly to normal dumplings. They were also difficult to eat. If they were not a delicacy, he would have decided not to buy them again.

When the aunt heard this, she looked at the soup dumplings on the plate nervously. In addition to the meat filling, the outer skin of the dumplings also affected the taste.

She was not worried about Cheng Weiyao's meat filling, but was worried that the dough she kneaded and the dough she rolled would hinder the performance of the soup dumplings.

"Grandma, you should have some confidence in your craftsmanship. The buns produced by our stall are really good."

Cheng Weiyao gently patted her aunt's hand to comfort her. If Zhou Yao didn't like it, it only meant that different people have different tastes. But as a qualified soup dumpling, she had already made the soup rich and oily.

It wasn't just Auntie and Cheng Weiyao who were staring at Zhou Yao. The diners around were all waiting to hear their opinions. The young master of the Zhou family had been raised in wealth in Qingshi Town since he was a child. If he could nod his head, he must be the best among the buns.

"Mom, pay me some silver and I'll give you another basket."

The soup dumplings sold by Cheng Weiyao had soft and chewy skin and juicy meat filling. Zhou Yao fell in love with them after just one bite and waved his little hand to indicate that he would pay for them.

The aunt breathed a sigh of relief, and her uneasy heart finally settled down. She felt that she was being useful in her old age and had not caused any trouble to the family.

"Okay, eat it, it will be ready soon."

Cheng Weiyao nodded with a smile. A good start, a good omen!

As expected, with Zhou Yao's picky little mouth's approval, a line soon formed next to the soup dumpling stall, but the tables, chairs and benches that Cheng Weiyao brought were limited after all.

"Madam, can we take it out? You don't have enough tables and chairs. How about I take it home?"

"Madam, you're not going fast enough. Can you add another steamer tomorrow? These soup dumplings are so small and exquisite. I can finish several steamers by myself..."

The diners who were waiting patiently in line stretched their necks, envious of the diners who had already sat down, and did not forget to make a few jokes, saying that the stall’s business was booming.

Cheng Weiyao and her aunt were busy with their business. They steamed just enough dumplings for two plates per table, but the size of the soup dumplings was really small.

It’s okay for kids like Zhou Yao, but for adults, one tray is definitely not enough.

Hearing the diners' words, Cheng Weiyao smiled as she opened a new basket of soup dumplings.

"It's better for people to wait for the soup dumplings than for the soup dumplings to wait for people. The skin of our freshly steamed soup dumplings is soft. Once it's exposed to the wind and left for a little while longer, like if you take it home as you suggested, the skin will become hard and the taste will be greatly reduced. If you then accuse me of cheating our customers, wouldn't that be unfair?"

After Cheng Wei Yao's explanation, the diners nodded as if they understood, while the other bun vendors took her words to heart and realized another meaning: the buns cannot be taken away to prevent others from stealing their skills.

But Cheng Weiyao's inspiration truly stems from the taste of soup dumplings, and she's not afraid of imitating their mastery. Soup dumplings are only steamed and sold fresh because they're juicy and fragrant when fresh out of the oven. If they're left for too long, the oil soaks into the dough, making them look unattractive and tough, and the broth is reduced, losing the unique flavor of the soup dumplings.

"Madam, please give me a basket of soup dumplings."

A somewhat familiar male voice was heard, and the diners around seemed to become much quieter all of a sudden. Cheng Weiyao noticed the change in the atmosphere and glanced sideways.

The man was wearing a coarse cloth and his hands were stained with flour. There was a big word "bao" written on his clothes. Otherwise, we would have thought that his voice sounded familiar. This was the original baozi vendor on Chengxi Street.

Cheng Weiyao had heard this man shouting many times when she was selling roujiamo and tea eggs on the street.

"Are you planning to steal the stall owner's skills openly? Would the stall owner's wife agree? The original buns are good, but the soup dumplings are definitely better. My business has been taken away, so I'm here to learn from them..."

"You're stupid! This is clearly either picking a fight or stealing someone's skills. If you were the stall owner's wife, would you sell it to him?"

The diners were talking about it, their gossipy eyes lingering over the bun vendor and Cheng Weiyao.

However, Cheng Weiyao only thought for a second before giving everyone a surprising answer: "Of course, as long as you pay, you are a customer. But it's stall opening time now, is it okay for your stall to be empty?"

"You don't need to worry about my business, just give me a basket!"

The bun vendor's face flushed slightly. Did Cheng Weiyao's words sound sarcastic? His bun stall was doing pretty well, but after the soup dumplings incident, it became completely deserted.

In fact, the bun vendor really misunderstood Cheng Wei Yao. She quite admired the bun vendor's spirit of inquiry, which showed that he pursued craftsmanship and was serious about buns.

It is commendable to be willing to learn from others, but it depends on the individual as to how much of the secret can be learned after eating his own soup dumplings.

After all, soup dumplings are one of my sources of income. It is impossible for me to teach others everything I know without any relationship with them. As a senior, I am willing to give you a few words of advice out of appreciation.

The soup dumplings came out of the steamer very quickly. As soon as the lid was opened, ten round, white and tender soup dumplings were quickly placed on a plate and served to the dumpling vendor.

"Be careful of the heat."

After serving the soup dumplings, the aunt gave some instructions and went to take care of other customers. Although she did not quite agree with Cheng Weiyao's generosity in selling soup dumplings to her competitors, she still respected Cheng Weiyao's idea.

The soup dumplings were right in front of me, and the aroma was so tempting that it made me drool. The dumpling vendor put on a stern face and began to learn the skills seriously.

Look first and then taste. I have been making buns for so many years, I dare not say that I can learn to make them exactly, but at least 70% or 80%?