Chapter 45 The Ice Jelly Finally Sold Out
The sun gradually rose higher.
Cheng Wanwan’s ice jelly stall is open.
A table is placed in front for guests to sit and eat.
There were five bowls on another table, each with a small piece of ice jelly, then poured with brown sugar that had been boiled until black, and then two pieces of hawthorn pulp.
When she first started her business, she went to the market and solicited clients by herself. Attracting customers was not a difficult task for her.
She shouted loudly with a smile on her face.
"Selling ice jelly, refreshing and cool ice jelly!"
"Free samples available, first come, first served!"
Zhao Dashan and Zhao Sanniu followed suit and started shouting.
Thanks to the efforts of the mother and her two sons, someone finally stopped in front of the stall. She was a woman in her thirties or forties.
She stared at the contents at the bottom of the bowl and said hesitantly, "I've never seen this before. It looks weird..."
Cheng Wanwan maintained a businesslike smile. "Hello, sister-in-law. This is ice jelly. It's perfect for hot weather. One bite is so refreshing!"
The woman looked at her with suspicion: "You don't have any ice here, how can you taste something refreshing?"
Cheng Wanwan said with a smile, "You can try it for free. If you don't believe me, sister-in-law, just take a bite. It's free, right?"
Zhao Dashan, with his keen eye, picked up the sample and handed it to the woman, also providing her with a spoon.
In the porcelain bowl reflecting the pink plum blossoms, there is light yellow transparent ice jelly and brown sugar with a sweet aroma. It is worth eating this.
The woman brought the spoon to her lips, and almost as soon as the ice jelly entered her mouth, she felt the coolness.
The coolness spread from my lips and tongue to my throat, then rolled into my abdomen, and the sweat I had worked up that morning on my way to town seemed to vanish in that instant.
She licked the brown sugar water on her lips and asked, "What did you just say this thing was called?"
"This is called ice jelly, two cents for a big bowl." Cheng Wanwan deftly took out an empty bowl. "If you want, I'll give you a bowl. Since you're the first customer, I'll give you two more."
The woman was initially hesitant. Two coins could buy a large steamed bun, enough for a proper meal, so buying this wasn't worthwhile. But when Cheng Wanwan offered to give her two more coins, she became tempted. This stuff was cooling, and it wouldn't be too hot on the way back... It would be great if she could take it back for her child.
The woman asked, "Can I take the bowl with me? I'll bring it to you tomorrow morning."
Cheng Wanwan smiled wryly: "We only have ten bowls, I'm afraid that won't be enough."
In ancient times, productivity was limited, there were no disposable tableware, and it was impossible to take things out. So they just watched helplessly as their first customer was lost.
Zhao Dashan looked disappointed: "This auntie seems to like it, why doesn't she buy it?"
Zhao Sanniu scratched the back of his head and said, "Do you think it's too expensive? Otherwise, mother, can you lower the price to one penny a bowl?"
Cheng Wanwan shook her head, this is not about money.
In ancient times, these women cherished the men and children in their homes even more. When they saw something delicious, they were more willing to bring it back to their children and men.
Something flashed through her mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it.
She said, "Dashan, Sanniu, you two keep calling out to people who want to try the free samples. I'll sit here and think about it."
Zhao Dashan and Zhao Sanniu were afraid that so much ice jelly would hit their hands, so they shouted at the top of their lungs. Sure enough, several more women came over. Many of them wanted to try the jelly, but the only ones willing to pay for it were a woman with a child and a burly middle-aged man.
After a whole morning of work, I only managed to sell two bowls of ice jelly, earning four coins, which just covered the cost of renting the table.
After the morning market closed, the crowds on the street gradually dispersed.
Zhao Dashan returned the table, and Zhao Sanniu squatted on the ground to wash the dishes, occasionally stealing a glance at Cheng Wanwan, who was standing on the side of the street deep in thought.
"Mom, it's okay." Zhao Sanniu comforted her clumsily, "I can go carry heavy bags and earn twenty cents a day to buy meat for you."
Zhao Dashan came back and echoed, "I just heard from the restaurant owner that Mr. Wang in town is hiring workers to build a granary. He pays 22 cents a day and includes a meal. If Sanniu and I go and work, we can earn 50 cents a day. Then Mom won't have to work so hard."
Cheng Wanwan's eyes suddenly lit up.
She finally realized where the problem lay: the target consumer group was wrong, so naturally the products wouldn't sell.
In modern times, the market for these desserts is girls, but in ancient times, women had a low status, and maids were not qualified to buy desserts. Their consumer group should be men who are capable of working, or a favored boy in a family, especially in years of famine when food prices soared and the family's copper coins could not be used recklessly.
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "Dashan Sanniu, pack up your things and let's go to Mr. Wang's house and try our luck."
After staying in the market for more than an hour, she also heard many people talking about it. After the grain of Mr. Wang's family was stolen last time, the Wang family decided to rebuild the granary. They started construction three or five days ago. In order to speed up the progress, they have been recruiting people recently. There should be many strong men there.
The mother and her two children took their belongings to the residence of the wealthy Wang.
The wall behind the house was demolished and rebuilt. Thirty or forty strong men were building the wall under the scorching sun. There was a tank of water outside the yard so they could drink it when they were thirsty. However, the water in the tank had been exposed to the scorching sun for a long time, so drinking it would only quench their thirst but not their heat. A group of men in their twenties and thirties were sweating profusely, and their sweat dripped onto the ground and was instantly dried by the sun.
Cheng Wanwan set up her stall about 20 meters away in the yard. Since there were no tables to borrow, she moved bricks and piled them up. Then she took off Zhao Sanniu's outer coat and laid it on the bricks to make a small table.
"Selling ice jelly, refreshing and cool ice jelly!"
"Free samples available, first come, first served!"
A group of men were working when they suddenly heard someone shouting from the side. Looking over, they saw a woman with two young boys selling things.
These men heard the words "free samples," and a few young men in their early twenties who were nearby came over.
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "Iced jelly is the perfect treat for the hot summer. There are ten free samples available, but they'll be gone if you come too late."
Ten bowls, each containing a piece of ice jelly, a shiny, jelly-like substance that looks incredibly tempting.
Several men picked up the bowls and drank from them. They couldn't taste anything, but the cool feeling went from their lips and tongues to their hearts.
Cheng Wanwan spoke up at the opportune moment: "Two coins a bowl, would you gentlemen like some?"
The man at the front pulled out a few copper coins from his waistband, took out two and threw them over: "Hurry up and fill me a bowl!"
"Okay!"
Cheng Wanwan put the copper coin away.
Zhao Dashan had already ladled out a bowl, and she took it, asking with a smile, "Do you prefer it sweet or sour?"
The man wanted sweet, so Cheng Wanwan added a large spoonful of brown sugar, put a spoon in it, and handed him a bowl of ice jelly.
The man eagerly drank more than half a bowl, exhaling a refreshing breath, and couldn't help but exclaim, "This stuff cools me down! It makes me feel alive again... Auntie, you have to come again tomorrow..."
After selling the first bowl, a second, a third, a fourth bowl quickly followed...
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