Ah Da and the others, carrying bamboo baskets, scattered in different directions.
Once the food was cooked and fried, the guests gathered around.
"I want ten ears of corn."
"I want five servings of fried potatoes."
"I'd like two servings of boiled peanuts."
"..."
The guests jostled each other, some even falling down, and some even started fighting.
The men of the Qiao family were surprised; they hadn't expected business to be this good. No wonder they sold eleven taels yesterday.
Clang, clang, clatter—one copper coin after another was tossed into the bamboo basket, making a very pleasant sound.
The men were all excited and incredibly motivated to work.
Xiao Meng shouted loudly.
"Please line up in order of arrival. We have plenty of manpower, so it will be your turn soon. Don't push or shove. It's not worth risking medical expenses for a bite to eat."
Everyone laughed, and the tense atmosphere that had been building up from the scramble to buy things eased considerably.
When they had a spare moment, the men sampled the food. The food they brought back yesterday had gone cold, and it tasted much better when it was hot.
Not to mention the guests' love for it, they absolutely adore it.
Qiao Lian'er noticed that some people liked to order a plate of fried peanuts and sit at the table to eat them. Today, she brought an extra table, and there were several people eating fried peanuts at both tables.
Some people even brought alcohol, and they ate and drank while enjoying themselves.
Peanuts are the perfect accompaniment to alcohol, and their potential as a drinking companion was already unleashed on the second day.
A brilliant idea flashed in Qiao Lian'er's mind.
This is yet another way to make a living.
She filled a dish with peanuts and put it in a bamboo basket before heading to the main street.
The main street is lined with teahouses and taverns. People with status and spare money like to come here to eat, drink, and enjoy tea. However, there isn't much business early in the morning.
Qiao Lian'er observed for a while and found that the manager of a large restaurant looked kind, so she went inside.
The shopkeeper was reconciling accounts with the accountant without looking up. When he noticed something, he looked up and saw a little girl standing in front of the counter, who was not even as tall as the counter.
"Little girl, what brings you here—?" The innkeeper didn't think they were here to eat, because people who came to such a grand restaurant usually came in groups of three or five.
"Uncle, I have something here that's really delicious and goes perfectly with alcohol. Would you like to try it?"
Qiao Lian'er took the plate out of the bamboo basket and placed it on the counter.
The innkeeper understood immediately; they were there to promote their dishes, and if the hotel liked them, they would buy the recipes or ingredients.
The things in the plate, each one red, about the size of a fingertip, like large red beans but not as long, look like they've just been simply stir-fried and then coated with salt. It's not like they're selling a recipe; I've never seen this before, so it must be selling ingredients.
Almost every month, people come to sell their dishes, so the shopkeeper is used to it. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece, and put it in his mouth.
Chewing it, it was both fragrant and crispy, and a look of amazement appeared on the owner's face.
He couldn't help but think that since these things were so small and could be eaten one by one, the rhythm of drinking could be adjusted, and guests would stay in the restaurant longer. As the time spent in the restaurant increased, more of the other dishes could be sold.
"It tastes good, but I've never seen it before. Little girl, where did you get it from?"
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