Liu Tong and his apprentice both turned their gazes to Lu Qiqi, waiting for her to come up with a brilliant idea.
Lu Qiqi had thought about it before: when it comes to food, the first thing is taste, and the second is price.
As for the taste, Lu Qiqi was willing to guarantee that none of their competitors could compare to theirs! The reason was simple: they were the first to try something new, while their competitors were just imitating them, and it would take them some time to surpass them.
Furthermore, with such a low price, the profit margin is squeezed, and the ingredients used are definitely not as plentiful as theirs, so the taste naturally can't compare.
People trying spicy noodles for the first time will definitely be attracted by the low price. However, since they haven't set up their stalls for so many days, they are at a disadvantage because of that.
Lu Qiqi thought for a moment and said, "Zhuzi, go and buy me drawing paper, brushes, and paints, cinnabar, orpiment, azurite, and ink. Dunzi, go and find me a wooden board, about the size of a sheet of Xuan paper."
"Spicy noodles, five coins a bowl, delicious and cheap, come in and have a taste."
Liu Tong was furious when he saw several more people sitting down to eat noodles across from him. To make matters worse, Lu Qiqi was still painting that damn picture. He said, "Qiqi, what time is it? You still have the mind to paint? We haven't even opened for business yet!"
Lu Qiqi gave the money to Zhu Zi, who didn't say anything, but took the money and ran to buy the things Lu Qiqi had asked for.
Lu Qiqi withdrew her gaze from the pillar and the stool running away and looked back at Liu Tongdao. "There's no use in being anxious. Even if you shout yourself hoarse, you can't compete with the other places. Their prices are cheaper, and they run away as soon as they ask about our prices. Save your energy for when you have your turn to shout."
Liu Tong had no idea what Lu Qiqi was up to. He said, "How about I make them a bowl of noodles? Maybe, like last time, the customers will come because the ingredients are so plentiful?"
Liu Tong thought it was a good idea and immediately started making noodles. Lu Qiqi didn't stop him and let him go and promote the noodles himself.
Liu Tong made a bowl of fragrant and spicy noodles, which indeed attracted several people to come over.
A tall, thin man asked, "Five coins a bowl, and so much meat?"
Liu Tong laughed heartily, "I use plenty of ingredients, two coins a bowl, young brother, would you like to try some..."
Before Liu could finish speaking, the tall, thin man turned and went to one of the shops across the street. The shop owner across the street saw that the man had come from Fatty's Spicy Noodles stall, raised his chin arrogantly at them, gave them a disdainful look, and then tiptoed to greet the customer.
Before Liu Tong could even get angry, a slightly overweight man joined the tall, thin man in a group that had come over to surround him.
The slightly overweight man spoke up, "Hey Fatty, you're not doing business fairly. Other people charge five coins for a bowl, but you're charging two coins. Why don't you just rob someone? With that big belly, you're making money off of dishonest means, aren't you?"
Just as a fight was about to break out, Lu Qiqi tugged at Liu Tong's sleeve and said to the slightly chubby man, "Young man, if you think the spicy noodles across the street are cheap at five coins a bowl, don't belittle our noodle stall with its generous ingredients and authentic taste."
If you prefer low prices, just go for it; there's no need to be rude to us here.
The slightly overweight man's face flushed with anger. He felt a little embarrassed that a woman had openly told him he couldn't afford to eat well and was eating cheap food instead. He said, "Give me a bowl. I want to see how delicious your food is."
Liu Tong thought Lu Qiqi was using reverse psychology and was about to agree when he heard Lu Qiqi's clear voice, "No, we don't sell our noodles to people with foul mouths. Please leave."
When the slightly overweight man heard Lu Qiqi insult him so rudely, and with Liu Tong, a big fat man, standing next to him, he knew he couldn't win. His face turned red and then green. He flicked his sleeves and left.
After the slightly overweight man left, Liu Tong asked Lu Qiqi in confusion, "Qiqi, why didn't you sell it to him? There's no need to let money slip by just to get revenge for me."
Lu Qiqi found a stool and sat down, saying, "He's already angry. Even if he pays for the noodles, he'll find all sorts of reasons to nitpick. We don't need to ruin our reputation just to sell this one bowl of noodles."
Liu Tong realized that Lu Qiqi was right and said, "I thought you were using reverse psychology. If I could sell the noodles, I wouldn't care about him cursing me. I didn't expect you never intended to sell them to him at all."
When Liu Tong thought of the slightly chubby man's embarrassed expression and his angry outburst, the embarrassment of being insulted instantly vanished, thanks in large part to Seventh Sister's protection.
But looking at his spicy noodle stall, which had no customers, he began to feel worried again. Were they going to go home empty-handed today?
Just as Liu Tong was feeling distressed, Dunzi returned carrying a wooden plank, and Zhuzi also bought all the materials that Lu Qiqi had instructed him to, and put the items on the table as soon as he entered the stall.
Lu Qiqi spread out the Xuan paper and casually picked up four pebbles to use as paperweights.
Lu Qiqi glanced at the paint. Fortunately, the paints were sold as finished products, so she didn't need to grind them herself. Using the simple tools, Lu Qiqi added a few drops of water and started painting.
Lu Qiqi draws simple sketches. First, she outlines the general lines, then uses paint to depict the desired picture, and finally, she fills in the colors.
Liu Tong and his two apprentices, all with their dark heads, stared intently at Lu Qiqi's hand holding the pen. Before long, a lifelike picture of spicy noodles came into view.
The three of them, master and apprentice, all praised the painting in their hearts; it was truly exceptional.
In a large bowl, the noodles are perfectly separated, and the bright red chili peppers are piled high. On top of that, glistening shredded meat is layered and coated with chili oil, making it look incredibly appetizing.
Lu Qiqi put down her pen, her work complete. She was quite satisfied with her drawing skills. Before even arriving here, she had worked part-time as an illustrator; a simple bowl of noodles was no challenge for her.
Lu Qiqi said, "Tidy up the things on the table."
Then, Lu Qiqi turned around, picked out a noodle with her chopsticks, crushed it, and used it as glue to stick the drawing paper onto the wooden board.
Lu Qiqi picked up the wooden board and walked out of the stall. She took a deep breath and began to shout enthusiastically, "Come and take a look! Delicious spicy noodles, two coins a bowl. If the noodles don't match, draw a picture and you won't get a penny!"
Don't miss out! Fat Brother Spicy Noodles operates with integrity, treating everyone fairly, young and old.
Seeing Lu Qiqi's enthusiastic promotion, Liu Tong also started to shout, "Everyone come and see, Fatty Brother's Spicy Noodles, generous ingredients, authentic taste!"
Pictures are the easiest way to attract attention. Some people eat a five-cent bowl because it's cheap, while others are willing to spend money on a more expensive bowl with more ingredients.
A young couple approached Lu Qiqi and asked, "Is this really the same as the picture? If not, are you sure you won't charge us a penny?"
Lu Qiqi's eyes sparkled as she smiled and said, "I'm honest with everyone, young and old."
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