034, stall
034, stall
"Hurry up." Xu Yue Niang had been busy all morning and had not had breakfast yet. She was hungry and could not help but urge him.
"Don't worry, just drink some soup first, it will be ready soon." Boss Lu took a big bowl and poured half a bowl of soup for his wife.
Xu Yueniang was thirsty, so she took the bowl of soup and took a sip. She took a pancake and tore it in half, eating half herself and giving the other half to her husband.
The meat in their pot was cooking, and soon the aroma of meat wafted out. People passing by on the street couldn't help but stop in their tracks. An old customer came over and asked Boss Lu, "Old Lu, are you having something new to eat? Why does it smell so good?"
"Oh, no, no, a friend brought me a bowl of meat." Boss Lu could smell the aroma of the meat himself, realizing for the first time that meat could be so fragrant. However, he couldn't bear to give it to anyone else, as the woman next to him was still waiting for her meal.
The old customer saw that Boss Lu was reluctant to let him have a taste, so he smiled and pointed at Boss Lu, then paid for two pancakes and left.
After the customers left, Xu Yue Niang asked her husband to quickly pour the meat in the pot into a bowl. Then the couple took a bite of the sesame bun and a bite of meat. After they finished one sesame bun, they had finished the whole bowl of meat.
When Xu Yueniang stretched out her chopsticks to pick up an empty piece, she glared at her husband. How could he eat it all? Why didn't he leave a piece for her?
"Haha, it's so delicious." Boss Lu smiled a little embarrassedly when his wife glared at him.
What else could her dear husband do? Just eat it! Xu Yueniang had no choice but to let go of her dear husband who had snatched the last piece of meat.
***
When Liu Sanniang finished shopping and returned to the pancake shop to get a basket and bowl, she was stopped by Xu Yueniang, who praised the meat she brought and asked her how the meat was cooked and why it tasted so good.
Liu Sanniang smiled and asked, "Yue Niang, what do you think about us starting this braised meat business?"
"Oh? Really? That's great! From now on, we can have your braised meat anytime we want." Xu Yuiniang agreed immediately after hearing Liu Sanniang's proposal to start a braised meat business. She had just taken a few bites of the meat, and she still felt unsatisfied... Such delicious meat, just one time wouldn't be enough. She would definitely want to eat it several times!
Being able to buy delicious food at any time is definitely better than having to rack your brains and think of ways to ask others to cook for you when you want to eat a bite of delicious food, right?
Seeing Xu Yueniang so supportive, Liu Sanniang smiled with her handkerchief covering her mouth, and said to Xu Yueniang, "I've discussed with Xiaoqi's father and decided to temporarily stop running the small stall. We're not very good at making the things he made, so it was Xiaoqi who reminded us to open a food stall first. I can do all the work myself, and I don't have to wait for Xiaoqi's father to get better before I can start doing business and make money."
"Xiao Qi's father is in such a bad condition, and he still needs to take medicine. His injuries will take a month to heal, and everything at home costs money. I have no income in this city, and I am very worried. If I could make money, I could help Xiao Qi's father share some of the burden and pressure."
After saying this, a hint of sadness appeared on Liu Sanniang's face. However, this sadness quickly disappeared. She looked at Xu Yueniang and Boss Lu with a feigned strength, a smile on her lips.
Seeing Liu Sanniang's forced smile, Xu Yueniang, also a woman, could understand her better. She stopped trying to comfort her and simply asked, "Where are you planning to set up your stall?"
"Let's go on this street. There are more people shopping here in the morning, so business will probably be better." Liu Sanniang was not familiar with other places in Kyoto Prefecture. The only place she was familiar with was South Street.
Xu Yue Niang glanced at her husband, and after the two exchanged glances, she said to Liu San Niang, "The place here in front of our store is nice. Why don't you set up your stall here in front of our store in the future? Tables, chairs and other things can also be placed in our yard." She knew that in the food business, there would be a lot of pots, pans, and other utensils, and they would be heavy.
It was a long way from South Street to the courtyard where Liu Sanniang rented her place. Her husband was still bedridden, so Liu Sanniang had to do the heavy lifting alone. A woman's strength was no match for a man's. If her husband couldn't help, Liu Sanniang would have to do everything with a half-grown child. It was incredibly tiring.
"This... If we set up a food stall in front of your door, I'm afraid it will affect the business of your store." Liu Sanniang said with a little hesitation on her face.
"No, there are so many food stalls on this street, so a small stall like yours won't make a difference. Maybe if you set up your stall in front of our door, our business will get better." Xu Yue Niang was generous and didn't mind Liu San Niang setting up the food stall in front of their store.
Boss Lu, who had been standing nearby and listening, also spoke to Liu Sanniang, "That spot at the entrance of the alley is quite large, and it's close to the side gate of our yard. You can set up your stall there, and when you're done, move your belongings into our backyard. This way, you won't have to run back and forth so far."
"We make pancakes in our shop every morning, and I get up very early every day to knead the dough. If you come early and the door is not open, just come to the front and knock on the door. I will open the door for you when I hear the sound." Lu Qingfeng learned from his wife where the Lu family of three had moved to live, so he also knew that it was a bit far from Tongshu Street to South Street.
It would be fine if they were just walking, but carrying so many belongings and pushing the cart all the way out would be difficult for a woman and a child. For them, it was just a convenience for others; but for Liu Sanniang and her son, it saved them the hardship of pushing the cart on the road every day.
Liu Sanniang glanced at Xu Yueniang, and when she saw Xu Yueniang smiling and nodding at her, she smiled and said "hmm".
Seeing that she was holding many bowls in her hands, Xu Yue Niang asked her to put the things in their yard.
Liu Sanniang thought she would have to bring the things back home. Xu Yueniang's yard happened to have a well, so she took the things to the backyard of the bakery and put them away. Then she went to a shop on the street to buy other things and asked the shop assistant to bring them to the bakery. She washed them here, put them in the yard to drain and dry, and they would be ready for the bakery tomorrow.
She was busy from morning to afternoon, running back and forth several times before she finally prepared everything she needed for tomorrow.
When she returned to the bakery for the last time, there were already fewer people on the street.
"I have to go home first. The chimney is still being repaired. I don't know if it's finished. I have to go home and check." After saying goodbye to Boss Lu and Xu Yue Niang, Liu Sanniang was ready to leave. She was worried about her children at home and her husband lying in bed. She would not feel at ease if she didn't go back to see those two people.
"Hey, wait, take your food basket and bowl back with you as well." Xu Yueniang stopped them and handed a basket to Liu Sanniang. "I've put a few sesame cakes in it. Take it back and eat with Qilang and the others."
"No, no..." Upon hearing this, Liu Sanniang was about to take out the sesame cake and return it to Xu Yueniang.
"Stop pushing it around and take it back quickly. These are leftovers from today's sale. Old Lu and I can't finish them all." Xu Yueniang held Liu Sanniang's hand and told her to leave quickly.
Liu Sanniang, who was driven away, was not angry at all, but had a look of helplessness on her face.
They stayed at the Lu family's for a few days. She knew who Boss Lu and Xu Yue Niang were, and knew that Xu Yue Niang would get angry if she pushed her again. So she had no choice but to accept the things Xu Yue Niang gave her, thanked them both, and then picked up the basket and the things she bought and went back home.
At this time, many vendors on the street had already closed their stalls, and there were fewer pedestrians walking on the street.
The sun has moved to the west, and most of the day has passed.
***
“Knock knock knock—”
When Lu Mingfei heard a knock on the door at home, he ran out with his short legs and asked, "Who's knocking?"
"Qillang, it's mother. Please open the door for her." Liu Sanniang couldn't help laughing when she heard the child's baby voice asking her.
"Mother, you're back!" Lu Mingfei's voice revealed a hint of joy. He stood on tiptoe at the back, took down the latch, and opened the door. Seeing that his mother had brought back a lot of things, he came forward to help, "Mother, let me help you."
"Why did you take so long today?" Because he saw that his mother didn't buy too much. Didn't she say she was buying things for tomorrow's stall? Why was it only so little?
"I bought a lot of things today. I went to your Aunt Yue Niang to get the food basket, and I mentioned to her and your Uncle Lu that we were going to start a food business. They asked me to take the stall supplies to their yard, and set up the stall at the entrance of their alley in the future, so that we don't have to move so many things every day. I took a lot of the things I bought to their place, and washed them in their yard and put them aside for tomorrow." As Liu Sanniang walked in with the things in her hand, she told the child that Xu Yue Niang and Boss Lu asked her to set up a stall at the entrance of the alley next to the pancake shop.
After hearing this, Lu Mingfei finally understood why his mother had been out for such a long time and only came back with a few things. It turned out that the things she bought had been left at someone else's house.
The mother and son returned home. This time he left the door half-closed, but not completely closed.
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