The aroma of congee had just begun to fill the air the next day when the shop opened its doors and saw that quite a few people were already waiting outside.

Xiao Bing quickly carried the porridge bucket outside, and the people outside formed a queue on their own.

Looking at the customers outside, I wondered how long they had been waiting. Only poor people are willing to get up so early for a bite to eat. They all seemed timid, afraid the shop wouldn't offer free food.

Xiao Bing said to the woman first in line, "Which of the four types of porridge would you like?" The selection is most complete when the store first opens. The further back you go, the fewer varieties you get.

Xiao Bing noticed that she looked unfamiliar and wasn't a customer from yesterday, so she patiently explained to her what kinds of porridge there were.

The woman said, "I want pumpkin porridge."

Xiao Bing skillfully filled her bowl to the brim. She also gave her a side dish. It goes best with porridge, and it's not too greasy to eat with it.

The older woman thanked him repeatedly after receiving the porridge. Behind her were three children, the oldest only six years old and the youngest only three. They were all very thin and frail.

Xiao Bing was worried that the youngest child wouldn't be able to hold it steady, so she helped her carry it to the table inside the house.

Even children can get a bowl of porridge.

When the woman sat down with her children, she said gently, "Eat quickly."

"Mom, you eat too." The children all wanted different flavors, so they could try each other's.

Not just any kind of porridge, but everything tasted delicious and glutinous. As soon as the porridge distribution started, more and more people began to arrive.

The woman took a bite of the porridge and felt the solid grains filling her stomach; it warmed her and almost brought tears to her eyes. She had come to stay with relatives after her husband's death, but they had been turned away. For the past few days, they had had to negotiate with the young beggars to stay in a dilapidated temple.

It wasn't safe for a woman with a child to come to a dilapidated temple. She had been starving for days. With her last bit of money, she bought cornbread, crumbled it, and soaked it in water for the children. They ate sporadically, sometimes one meal a day, sometimes not. Now, eating this simple porridge, she felt a strange mix of emotions.

"Mother, why are you crying? Eat this." The eldest son, who hadn't even finished eating himself, gave her the remaining half bowl of porridge.

The woman said, "Mother will definitely be able to support you." They knew that eating only one bowl of porridge a day wouldn't kill them, and their hope for life was rekindled.

Everyone enjoyed the sweet and delicious porridge, and their mood improved.

Just then, an auntie sat down at their table and noticed that although the woman's clothes were worn, they were still clean. The children's clothes were also patched. The auntie said, "Do you want to find some work?" Then she said that the Zhang family needed a laundry woman, ten coins a day, one meal, and a place to stay.

The conditions were too low; laundry is exhausting work. Anyone with a bit of skill wouldn't want to do it. But for this woman, it was a great opportunity!

But the woman was very wary when she was out and about, and said to her, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

The aunt laughed heartily: "I live in the alley right next door, people call me Old Liu. I missed the porridge distribution yesterday, so I came early today. It's just that all the other places are full, so it's fate that I met you. To tell you the truth, the person in charge of Zhang's place is a relative of mine. He said he'd give us fifty coins for introducing someone to him. It's not much money, but it's a win-win situation for both sides."

The woman said, "Then, I'll go."

Aunt Liu said, "Wait until I finish my drink." She had just arrived and liked to mix pickled vegetables into her porridge, finding it both salty and sweet. Although she could make the same flavor at home, she couldn't bear to waste firewood, and one bowl was just the right amount for a woman like her.

However, the sweet porridge and side dishes were quite delicious. Although her stomach was full, she still felt a little unsatisfied. Aunt Liu wanted to have another bowl of vegetable porridge. But the woman and child opposite her were waiting for her, and she didn't want to keep them waiting too long, especially since more and more people were getting porridge.

If you want to drink porridge, you have to get up early. After finishing your meal, wipe your mouth and take your wife and children over.

The steward of Zhang's household was a little annoyed that she had too many children, and she repeatedly assured him that the children were all well-behaved and wouldn't cause trouble. But the steward still didn't believe her. Finally, she said fiercely, "I'll take sixty coins out of my three hundred coins a month to treat you to drinks."

Aunt Liu also spoke up for her, saying, "Winter is just around the corner, where are we going to find a laundry worker? Let her give it a try first."

It's unclear what words touched the steward's heart. He said, "Who cares about your sixty coins? You don't need to give them to me. Keep them to buy cotton-padded clothes for the children. But keep an eye on the children; they can't wander around the yard. And they're not allowed to go to the front yard. If they offend the master and the concubines, I'll slap them until their faces are raw."

The woman, with her child, kowtowed to the person in charge. They were then assigned a small side room. Although the conditions weren't great, it was much better than the dilapidated temple. And they heard that their working hours weren't long; they could eat porridge in the morning, and lunch was provided. Dinner wasn't provided, but at least they had two meals a day, which was better than before.

Aunt Liu was an old acquaintance of the person in charge, and he introduced her to the person, who then received the money.

Aunt Liu thanked him happily. Then she said to the manager, "If there's another good thing like this next time, just let me know."

The person in charge said, "What, do you have connections?"

Aunt Liu said, "I just discovered it today." Most of the people who go to the porridge distribution area early in the morning don't have much money; there must be some looking for work.

The person in charge said, "Alright, I'll let you know next time I need someone."

Aunt Liu left happily, taking fifty coins, hoping to have another bowl of porridge to cheer herself up. But she hadn't even reached the alley yet. The line was almost endless, and she figured she'd have to wait ages, so she gave up. Back home, she saw an old neighbor she used to know and asked, "Why are you still here? Did you go get some porridge?"

"No, we don't need that kind of money." The speaker was Aunt Liu's neighbor.

Aunt Liu said, "This time it's different. The first bowl is free, and each subsequent bowl costs one coin. It's so fragrant. It's cooked thoroughly in a big pot, much better than the mushy porridge we make at home. Even Old Xu went to queue up. That porridge is worth the money."

Old Xu was one of the wealthier families in the area, and he even had two farmhands. Upon hearing this, the man said, "I feel bad about that. Let's go together tomorrow, so we can keep each other company."

"Okay, but we have to go early so we don't have to wait in line," Aunt Liu said.

Then I went home and told everyone I met about eating the free porridge. Not only was the porridge delicious, but even their side dishes were amazing, so crisp and refreshing. I bought some celery and scallions that day, but I don't know if I used the wrong seasoning, it just wasn't as good as theirs. I made about fifty coins, and I plan to eat several more plates tomorrow.

...

He Zifeng and the others didn't go back to the village yesterday; they slept at their house in the county. They've been busy all day, and seeing the endless queue outside, he soaked another bag of mixed grains and brown rice.

The cook from the yamen came to collect some porridge, and he filled his food box to take away. He also packed a jar of pickled vegetables for her. Yesterday, Chef Zhang had improved their pickled vegetables again, boiling a pot of seasoning broth, letting it cool, and then using it to soak the vegetables. They tasted sour, spicy, and crunchy. Even he thought they were delicious.

Thanks to Chef Zhang, the side dishes sold out incredibly fast today. Chef Zhang's youngest son is good at this job; he divided the side dishes from the jar into small plates. Later, Xiao Chen or Qiu Yu will take them outside for easy access or sale.

He withdrew fifty coins from Xiao Chen, the accountant, intending to buy a few more old pumpkins at the morning market. Pumpkins can stay in the cellar for dozens of days without spoiling. Pumpkin porridge has almost become their shop's signature dish, so he'd stock up if he found any suitable ones.