"Huh, what's this 'flavored snail'? It smells delicious!" A woman carrying a vegetable basket wrinkled her nose and peered into a large basin. Upon seeing the snails inside, she exclaimed in surprise, "These are all river snails that are meant for chickens and ducks!"
The crowd of people who had been surrounding the area took a step back.
"How can this muddy, fishy stuff be made into food? That won't do."
"I thought it was something good, but it turns out it's something for animals to eat. If a person ate it, I'm afraid they'd be in big trouble."
"How can someone so young have such a dark heart? This is no way to make money..."
As the onlookers' words grew increasingly heated, Su Erhu frowned and was about to argue with them when Su Hua chuckled and tugged at his sleeve. Then, she casually took a handful of snails from the wooden basin and began to slurp them on the spot.
Her movements were so slow that one could clearly see the plump snail meat inside, coated in broth.
"Hiss—" Su Hua slurped up some broth from the snail's mouth. "Tsk tsk tsk, snails in March are better than fat geese. These snails smell so good, and the white, tender snail meat... One bite and I'd be completely captivated. Fish and mutton are nothing compared to this..."
Su Hua was seen eating them one after another, muttering to herself.
She is chubby and has a very comical appearance.
Add to that the rich aroma of the flavorful snails.
This made the people who were pointing and commenting start drooling.
“This chubby girl has eaten more than a dozen, and she looks perfectly fine, even enjoying them.”
"Yes, the snail is full of plump, bright red snail meat, and even the shell is clean. Maybe it really is edible."
"What kind of chicken or duck food is this? It's not like only chickens and ducks can eat it. It looks delicious, I want to buy some to try. Young lady, how much are these snails from your stall?"
Su Hua was truly addicted to slurping snails, and when business was about to come in, she almost choked on her own slurping.
"These flavored snails are five for one coin." Su Erhu took over with a smile, waving his hand, "Today is the first day of my Su Family Flavored Snails opening. The first ten customers will each receive two snails free, first come, first served."
This is the method they decided on to sell snails along the way.
These snails from my own farm are incredibly delicious; one bite is enough to make you crave more, and two are simply irresistible.
Sending two of them would be just the right amount to whet anyone's appetite.
"What? Five of these tiny snails cost a penny? That's too expensive."
Those who were eager to try earlier became hesitant.
You should know that an egg only costs two coins.
These things, which you can easily find in the river, are being sold for five for one coin—it's practically robbery!
Many people, however, lined up in front of the Su siblings' stall as soon as they heard the snail vendors behind them.
"Young man, quick, give me a couple to try..."
"Me too, I want two!"
"Alright!" Su Erhu replied with a smile, wrapped the two snails in a large leaf, and handed them over one by one. "Five snails for one coin sounds expensive, but our snails are loaded with seasonings, all of which are more expensive than meat. Five snails for one coin is just a hard-earned profit."
"Delicious! This price is reasonable!" The first man slurped until his lips were red. "It's spicy and refreshing! The snail meat is also very fresh! Young man, give me five copper coins' worth of snails, I'll take them back for my child to try."
"Okay, I'll pack it for you right away." Su Erhu was slightly taken aback.
He originally thought that it would take a lot of effort to get people to accept this flavor of snails.
To my surprise, this business came in after my younger sister ate about ten of them.
Five copper coins equaled twenty-five snails. The man took the snails, which were wrapped up tightly, and hurried home, afraid that they would get cold and lose their aroma.
This reminded Su Hua that snails are fishy, and once they get cold, the fishy smell comes out. When she got home, she would have to ask her family to make a small stove with charcoal to keep it burning on the ground so that they could sell for a longer time.
As soon as the business opened, those who had just tasted the food began to buy it one or two coins at a time.
After the crowd dispersed, the bowl of snails was more than half empty. Su Erhu and his sister, one wrapped the snails and the other collected the coins. For the first time, they experienced what it felt like to count coins until their hands were sore, which made the stall owner next to them very envious.
The woman who spoke first glanced around, then licked her lips and leaned close to Su Erhu, saying with a smile, "Young man, the sun is almost setting. You probably won't be able to sell all of these snails in your wooden basin. How about we sell them cheaply? Ten snails for one coin. I'll buy more from you."
"I'm afraid that won't work." Su Erhu raised his eyes and politely declined. "The guests just now were paying ten coins for one coin. If they knew, they would probably beat me up with their shoes."
"You young man, you're too inflexible," the woman said, her voice lowering even further. "It's a simple cash transaction; as long as you don't say anything and I don't say anything, how would anyone know? Isn't that the way it is?"
“Auntie’s words are true, but before I came, my mother counted the number of snails. If I go home, the coins won’t match, and I’ll probably have to eat bamboo shoots with meat.” Su Erhu looked at the woman’s unpleasant expression and scooped up a spoonful of soup with a smile: “If Auntie wants to buy some, how about I give you a spoonful of snail soup? The ingredients in it are all precious, and it even has a meaty flavor. It’s perfect for stir-frying vegetables or mixing with noodles. What do you say?”
On the oxcart, Hua'er and he agreed that the price of five snails for one coin could not be lowered, and even if they were not sold, they could not be given away to guests.
After all, the Su family is looking to build a long-term business.
If I send it today, wouldn't I offend someone if I don't send it tomorrow?
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