Chapter 39. Fifty or sixty years old is the age for adventure!
"Boss Sheng, why haven't you set up your stall these past few days? I can't sleep well at night without your wontons."
Why are you all alone? Where's your grandma?
"Is there something wrong at home that prevented you from setting up your stall? Has the problem been resolved? Do you need any help? Will you continue selling your wontons?"
"..."
A large group of regular customers surrounded Sheng An, asking her why she hadn't set up her stall. They seemed very anxious, as if they were afraid that Sheng An would stop selling wontons.
"I had some family matters to attend to the past two days, which is why I was unable to set up my stall. I will resume business as usual for the next period of time. I will inform everyone in advance if I am not working, so as not to keep you waiting."
Sheng An briefly explained the reason, without mentioning that Grandma Sheng had been pushed and injured, so as not to be asked about it again.
The guests were all smiles after getting the answer they wanted. They helped unload the items from the cart and urged Sheng An to cook the wontons quickly, as they couldn't wait any longer.
After a month of good food and drink, Sheng An has gained a lot of strength and can push the stroller with ease, no longer needing Xu Jinnian's help.
With two fewer people helping today, Sheng An was inevitably a bit flustered.
Fortunately, most of them were regulars and didn't rush them. They even helped clear away the bowls and chopsticks, fearing that Sheng An might make a mistake in his busy schedule and they wouldn't be able to eat the wontons they were looking forward to.
A regular customer finished the last sip of soup, put down his bowl contentedly, took out eight coins and placed them in a box next to the large stove, then gave Sheng An, who was busy and sweating profusely, a thumbs-up:
"Boss Sheng, it has to be your cooking skills. No one else can make it taste like this!"
These words quickly resonated with the other guests, who all praised them:
"That's right, Boss Sheng's skills are unparalleled; they're unique in the entire Qingzhou City!"
Sheng An had heard similar praises many times, so he wasn't complacent about it. Instead, he gave his regular customers a heads-up: "It's hard to say how long the wonton business will last. Since everyone likes it, I'll prepare extra every day."
Some quick-witted people immediately guessed that Sheng An had other plans, and asked anxiously, "Madam Sheng, these wontons are selling very well, and supporting the family is not a problem. Don't you plan to continue doing this for a long time?"
Sheng An nodded: "Setting up a stall early every morning is too tiring. I prefer cooking."
The guests looked at each other in bewilderment, and the wontons in their bowls suddenly didn't smell so good anymore.
However, Mr. Sheng said he prefers cooking. Could it be that he is planning to open a small restaurant?
That seems like a good idea. Maybe Madam Sheng's cooking is even more delicious than wontons?
With a fixed shop location, Madam Sheng couldn't just quit, and they could enjoy her cooking anytime.
While the group thought this to themselves, they all deftly pulled out their money.
"Madam Sheng, two more large bowls, I'll take them home to eat, and bring the bowls over tomorrow morning."
"Me too, me too."
"Me too, me too! I've only eaten here three times, so please let me have some."
"..."
The noise in front of the stalls grew even louder, with people vying to have their food cooked first by Sheng An, fearing that others would get theirs before they could.
However, the quantity of wontons is limited, and if they pack them up like this, the customers who have been queuing for half a day simply won't be able to buy any.
Sheng An refused to take the food away and told them to bring their families over to eat the next morning.
After seeing off this group of customers, there weren't many wontons left, and they were all sold out in less than half an hour.
Hefting the heavy money bag in his hand, Sheng An decided to give it to his grandmother to count as soon as he got home.
With so many copper coins, the old man could finally stay and recuperate in peace.
Sheng An was right. The moment she received the money bag, Grandma Sheng's previous worries vanished, and she happily poured the copper coins into the box.
Hearing the clanging sounds, the old lady's smile widened: "You can't stop setting up a stall, or you'll lose hundreds of coins."
Grandpa Sheng was seeing so many copper coins for the first time, and he stared at his granddaughter with his mouth agape in astonishment: "An'an, did you earn all of this this morning?"
Sheng An shook his head: "Sir, the profit from this morning has to be deducted from the cost."
Grandpa Sheng's hands trembled as he fiddled with the machine a couple of times, his voice also trembling slightly: "Even after deducting the cost, we can still make quite a bit of money."
Although he had heard from his wife and granddaughter that selling wontons was profitable, he never imagined it would be this profitable.
This is much better than him working hard all year round and barely earning a few copper coins.
No wonder my husband, a frugal person, would rather spend money to hire someone to farm the land than stay in the city to help his granddaughter.
If it were him, he would have chosen to do the same.
Overwhelmed by the shock, Grandpa Sheng didn't even have time to count the money with his wife. He looked at his granddaughter with anticipation and said, "An'an, teach Grandpa how to make wontons. Once Grandpa has learned, I'll set up a stall too."
The old man, who had farmed all his life, decided to switch to a relatively easier path after realizing that selling wontons would be more profitable.
So what if half your neck is buried in the ground? As long as you can still walk, move, and breathe, your fifties or sixties are the prime of your life!
"Sir, are you serious?"
Sheng An looked at his grandfather in surprise, never expecting that the old man, at his age, would have the idea of starting a business.
"Do you think I'd joke with you?"
Grandpa Sheng was a little unhappy and patted his strong arm: "Selling wontons is easier than farming. As long as you teach me, I will give you all the money I earn in the future."
Sheng An was both amused and exasperated: "Sir, it's not about money. I'm planning to let you and Grandma stay in the city. I'll earn money to support you and let you rest."
Grandpa Sheng waved his hand: "Your grandpa can still move, why are you resting?"
Grandma Sheng stopped counting the money, not quite agreeing with her husband's plan: "We're both setting up stalls in the city, what about our farmland? As the old saying goes, food is the most important thing for people. I won't feel at ease if we don't farm anymore."
Grandpa Sheng sighed, "We've farmed all our lives, but we haven't made much of a name for ourselves. We even raised An'an to be skinny and frail until she married Jin Nian and started gaining some weight. Look at Jin Nian and his father, they didn't farm either, and they're doing just fine, aren't they?"
If a famine really occurs, what good will it do for them to farm in the countryside? Will they be able to save the crops they grow?
It's better to earn more money so that you can buy more expensive grain and survive a few more days.
Even if things go badly, it's better to take the money and go elsewhere to make a living than to starve to death on a few acres of barren land.
Grandma Sheng was persuaded, and so she also expressed to Sheng An that she wanted to learn how to make wontons.
She knows how to make wontons, but she hasn't deliberately learned the tricks of preparing the filling, kneading the dough, and rolling out the wrappers, so she naturally needs to learn them properly.
Seeing that the two elders had made up their minds, Sheng An thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to hand over the wonton business to them, so he nodded in agreement: "Okay."
Setting up a street stall is tiring, but it's much easier than farming.
The two elderly people have been busy all their lives, and it would probably be difficult for them to adapt to suddenly having free time. Selling wontons is a good option.
Once the location of her small restaurant is finalized, she'll find a small shop nearby for her parents.
This way, they're protected from the wind and rain, which allows the two elderly people to find their own value, which is great.
With his granddaughter's permission, Grandpa Sheng was overjoyed and chatted with Grandma Sheng about the wonderful days ahead after their business succeeded.
Xu Chenglin soon learned about this as well, and was immediately tempted. He approached Sheng An and asked to learn together.
Since falling ill, Xu Chenglin has lost his original job.
At his age, it's hard to find another job. He doesn't want to stay at home and be supported by his daughter-in-law. Doing some small business to earn some money is the most suitable option.
"Okay, from now on you'll get up earlier, and I'll teach you as I make wontons."
Whether herding one sheep or a flock, it's all the same. Sheng An accepted his third older "apprentice" without any burden.
The three elderly people don't have any culinary magic touch, but Sheng An is confident that he can train them. Even if the wontons don't taste as good as his, surpassing Yun Ji's won't be a problem.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com