"Then give us a pound of fried dough sticks, and a serving of tofu pudding for each of us," Lu Zhixia said.
"Alright, three bowls of tofu pudding and a pound of freshly pressed fried dough sticks, coming right away!"
The proprietress shouted and turned to serve the tofu pudding.
Zhuang Ran glanced over and saw people carrying bowls of food to buy breakfast to take home. The business looked really good. In the blink of an eye, the proprietress had collected several cents.
After hearing Sister Xia's methods for making money, she also felt that making money through business was better.
"Sister Xia, how much do you think it would cost to set up a stall like that?"
Lu Zhixia said, "These tables, chairs, benches, pots and pans cost less than 200 yuan. Buying them secondhand would be cheaper."
Zhuang Ran started doing the math in her head. If she could earn 15 yuan a month, she could save up that amount of money in a year.
I'll be able to start a small business then, and the thought of it makes me really happy.
"Sister Xia, when I have money, I want to open a food stall too."
Lu Zhixia saw the ambition in the girl's eyes; someone like that was bound to succeed sooner or later.
"If you really want to start a snack business, you can come to my place and I can teach you how to make it."
"I'll remember that. Give me your address when you're settled, and I'll send you a telegram!"
"Okay, let me write down the address for you."
A steaming bowl of tofu pudding was placed on the table, interrupting the conversation.
The bowls are large and filled with plenty of tofu pudding. The broth is a vibrant color, and the bowls are garnished with chopped green onions and cilantro, along with some shrimp. Each bowl comes with a spoon.
The fried dough sticks were freshly fried and still steaming hot, making them look very appetizing.
"This is really good cooking! The last time I had fried dough sticks was years ago!" Zhuang Ran said, breaking a fried dough stick in half with his hands and then soaking it in the tofu pudding.
"It will definitely taste better this way."
The proprietress said enthusiastically, "Young lady, you have a good palate. Our fried dough sticks taste good whether eaten dry or soaked. The chili oil on the table is a bit spicy because it was fried yesterday."
"Then I definitely have to try it." Zhuang Ran opened the bottle, scooped a spoonful into the tofu pudding, stirred it with the spoon, took a bite, and found it so delicious that she closed her eyes.
"It's delicious!"
The proprietress was amused by her appearance, and after laughing, she said...
"You're an interesting child; the way you eat makes my mouth water."
Lu Zhixia took a sip of tofu pudding and immediately knew the recipe for the broth. So she asked the proprietress, "Your broth isn't usually made with bones, is it? It's not ordinary pork bones, but beef bones, and you also put chicken carcasses in it, and added a few medicinal herbs."
The proprietress carefully sized up the girl in front of her. She looked unfamiliar and was definitely a first-time customer, but she accurately stated the secret recipe for the soup. This person was no ordinary person, so she quickly leaned closer and said...
"Girl, you just need to know this, don't shout it out loud, this is my secret recipe!"
"Then I'll try the fried dough sticks." Lu Zhixia broke off a piece and put it in her mouth. It was very soft and not greasy. "Did they add eggs?"
"You know so much!" The proprietress gave a thumbs up. "You're the first person who can tell what I put in here."
Lu Zhixia thought the proprietress was quite cheerful and wanted to chat a bit more, but when she saw that a customer had arrived, the proprietress went to take care of the customer.
Gu Lingxiao, "You could tell just by taking a sip of the soup?"
Lu Zhixia laughed, "It's not really. It's just that after drinking the soup, I felt that the soup was unusual. Then I tasted it carefully and combined it with my usual cooking experience to guess a thing or two."
"Sister Xia, you're amazing!" Zhuang Ran exclaimed with admiration. She wanted to learn from Sister Xia and become an extraordinary person herself.
After finishing with those tables of customers, the proprietress took a stool and sat down next to them.
"Now that you've figured out what I put in here, what do you think needs improvement?"
Lu Zhixia thought for a moment and said, "You can reduce the amount of herbs in this soup. Otherwise, it tastes very good when you drink it, but it will taste slightly bitter at the end. That's because you put in too many herbs."
"Really? How much should I reduce?" the proprietress asked humbly, as this small stall was the result of her family's hard work.
She cherishes the opinions of every customer, especially this young woman in front of her, who is knowledgeable and can give her guidance.
Lu Zhixia thought for a moment and said, "Reduce the amount by two qian from the current amount. As for the dough for the fried dough sticks, you can add three spoonfuls of sugar to it. That will make the fried dough sticks taste even better."
After hearing what the girl said, the proprietress felt as if she had found a kindred spirit.
"You're right, I'll do as you say tomorrow."
Lu Zhixia: "Calculate how much breakfast cost."
"Asking you for money is an insult to me. From now on, you can eat here for free!" the proprietress said, patting her chest. "I dare to treat you to breakfast for the rest of my life!"
Lu Zhixia smiled and said, "Then you'll treat me to this meal. I'll still have to pay next time I come, otherwise I'll feel embarrassed to come."
These words warmed the landlady's heart.
"Your accent doesn't sound like someone from around here."
Lu Zhixia wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. "Yes, I'm not from around here. I'm here on business. You can come over for breakfast tomorrow, and then I'll head back."
The proprietress felt it was a pity after hearing this, saying that such people are rare and hard to find, and so she said regretfully...
"I was hoping you could give me more feedback in the future."
Lu Zhixia smiled, "Life is unpredictable, we'll meet again someday."
The proprietress said, "What a wonderful phrase, 'May we meet again someday.' I love it."
They chatted for a while longer until the proprietress's husband came over and told them it was time to pack up and leave.
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