On the first day of setting up the stall, Xu Dalong was the only one there. Zhou Chen was not at ease with him, as there were some things that Xu Dalong still needed to learn from him.
It just so happened to be the weekend, and school was on holiday. The two of them pushed their little cart to the busiest commercial center in the county.
This area has the highest foot traffic and is the most welcoming to street vendors.
Many vendors gather here.
They sell all sorts of things, like socks, short-sleeved shirts, slippers, and more.
On the contrary, there were relatively few mobile food stalls. Zhou Chen had come to scout the area beforehand and knew that there were seven or eight stalls selling street food, but none selling stinky tofu.
This is good news.
After all, without competition from peers, there's no chance of stealing business or getting into conflicts with others.
Stinky tofu is relatively common in big cities, but in county-level areas in 2005 it was quite rare. Many people had never even heard of it, let alone eaten it.
"Oh, Brother Zhou, you've arrived."
Upon seeing Zhou Chen and Xu Dalong pushing their cart, a middle-aged man selling cold noodles greeted them with a smile.
As for why the other party was so enthusiastic
Of course, it's because Zhou Chen came to buy liangfen (cold mung bean jelly) for three consecutive days and offered cigarettes every time he came, which is an inseparable relationship.
To succeed in the stinky tofu business, he did more than just prepare various raw materials. He also made special preparations beforehand, getting acquainted with vendors, building relationships, and understanding the market.
"Brother Zhang, good afternoon! We'll be neighbors from now on."
Zhou Chen immediately responded with a smile.
He knew that the middle-aged man selling jelly was named Zhang Dafu, and that he had been setting up his stall there for seven or eight years, making him one of the most senior vendors.
The reason I maintained a good relationship with Zhang Dafu was precisely because of this.
"Brother Zhang, I'll have Da Long make you some stinky tofu to try later."
"I'm so sorry, you haven't even opened for business yet, this is not possible."
"Brother Zhang, you're being too polite. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even know how to set up a stall."
"Haha... Okay, thanks."
While talking to Zhang Dafu, Xu Dalong had already begun to skillfully pour oil into the pan, taking the first step of heating the oil.
Zhou Chen didn't handle anything himself; he left everything to Xu Dalong, since Xu Dalong would ultimately be the one running the stall.
Before long, Xu Dalong had finished making the first batch of stinky tofu.
Once the soul-stirring sauce was poured on, a smell that was both pungent and fragrant instantly spread, attracting the attention of many passersby.
But most people kept their distance, feeling that the smell was too strong.
Zhou Chen gave the first serving of stinky tofu to Zhang Dafu. Just like the other passersby who overreacted, Zhang Dafu looked at the stinky tofu in his hand and his lips twitched.
"Brother Zhou, this stinky tofu is too smelly."
Zhang Dafu genuinely found it hard to muster the courage to take a bite. He wondered if this stuff could even be sold. It smelled so bad, how could it possibly taste good?
Zhou Chen wasn't surprised by this. He knew that many people couldn't accept stinky tofu at first, feeling that the smell was too strong. Even Xu Dalong was completely bewildered when he first smelled stinky tofu.
But Zhou Chen is confident that almost 90% of people will fall in love with the taste of stinky tofu after taking their first bite.
"Brother Zhang, actually, it's really not bad."
Zhou Chen smiled and encouraged him.
Although Zhang Dafu didn't quite believe it, Zhou Chen was the first to give it to him, and there were many other vendors across the street watching, so he was essentially being pressured into it, and it was really hard not to eat it.
then,
Zhang Dafu had no choice but to steel himself, put on an expression as if he were going to his execution, pick up a small piece with a toothpick, frown, and put it in his mouth.
At first, Zhang Dafu only wanted to swallow it immediately, after all, the taste was truly indescribable.
But in the next second, his expression suddenly changed.
From a frown to surprise, and then her eyes lit up.
This stinky tofu is actually quite delicious! It's fragrant and stinky at the same time.
Without asking, seeing Zhang Dafu stuff another piece of stinky tofu into his stomach, Zhou Chen knew that Zhang Dafu was amazed and had fallen in love with the taste of stinky tofu.
"It's delicious, it's really delicious!"
"Brother Zhou, your stinky tofu is really good."
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Dafu finished a whole box of stinky tofu, his lips still smeared with chili oil. He smacked his lips with satisfaction, praising Zhou Chen and giving him a thumbs up.
"Boss, is this really delicious?"
Before Zhou Chen could speak, a passerby suddenly asked, expressing curiosity and doubt about the taste of stinky tofu. "It smells so bad, how can it taste good?"
"I swear to God, this stinky tofu is really delicious. May I be struck by lightning if I'm lying."
Zhang Dafu immediately said, even uttering harsh words like "may he be struck by lightning."
Upon hearing this, the passerby paused for a moment, then turned to Zhou Chen and said, "Boss, how much is your stinky tofu? Give me a serving."
"Three yuan a serving, seven yuan in a box."
Zhou Chen said with a smile, "I didn't expect that sending a box of Zhang Dafu products would be such a good advertisement for him."
"Okay, one order, please."
The passerby immediately handed over three yuan.
Zhou Chen looked at Xu Dalong and said, "Dalong, make one for this customer. Today is our first time setting up a stall, so we'll give the customer three yuan, making it ten yuan in total."
Xu Dalong nodded, immediately picked up ten small pieces of tofu, and put them into the oil pan.
In no time at all, the stinky tofu was ready.
Because the smell was so strong, more and more passersby gathered around, but none of them dared to try it. They were all watching the customer who dared to be the first to eat the crab.
Zhang Dafu, standing nearby, remarked that stinky tofu was absolutely delicious.
But the passersby only thought Zhang Dafu was a shill, helping Zhou Chen out. They still wanted to hear this brave young man's answer about whether stinky tofu was good or not.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the passerby ate the first piece of stinky tofu.
"tasty."
After the passerby ate it, he looked surprised and couldn't help but exclaim that it was delicious.
Following the same steps as Zhang Dafu, they quickly devoured the remaining pieces of stinky tofu, revealing a look of unfinished enjoyment.
"Bro, you're not a shill too, are you?"
"Yeah, it really is that delicious. This stuff smells awful, how can it taste good?"
"I'd rather die than be a shill for someone else."
When questioned, the passerby, like Zhang Dafu, immediately gave the strongest response.
You dare say I'm a shill if I say someone's whole family dies?
Such a vicious oath was made, so the skeptical passersby could no longer doubt it. After all, there was no need to make such a harsh statement for a three-yuan snack.
This only proves one thing: this smelly snack might actually taste pretty good.
"Boss, give me one."
"Boss, I'll have one to try too."
Suddenly, those who had previously been skeptical decided to try it for themselves.
Zhou Chen never expected the opening to go so smoothly; it was truly an unexpected delight.
...
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