379 Ouyang sells tea eggs
The train rumbled and arrived in Qing County on time at twelve o'clock.
After not being back for more than half a year, Gao Qinghe discovered that the county railway station had undergone tremendous changes.
Not only has the platform area been expanded, but there are also many small stalls selling food.
There are people coming and going, it’s very lively.
Many people come back from other places for the festival. When they smell the aroma wafting from the stalls, their stomachs can't help but growl.
When I asked about the price, I found it was quite affordable. I couldn't resist the temptation and bought a hot meal.
Gao Qinghe had breakfast early in the morning and only drank a few sips of water in the car in order to avoid going to the toilet.
The aroma of food came from all directions, making Gao Qinghe so greedy that he couldn't help swallowing his saliva.
Jiang Qiyue, who was held in his mother's arms, grabbed his mother's collar and said:
"Mom, I want to eat that!"
Gao Qinghe looked in the direction of his daughter's little finger.
A stove, a big pot, and a small stall selling tea eggs.
The boss was enthusiastically selling his wares and greeting passers-by.
The tea eggs from the south were a new thing. Gao Qinghe had never seen them in Qing County before.
Jiang Qiyue had never seen it in the provincial capital. She just thought it smelled good, and she liked eating eggs, so she chose the black egg at first sight.
Gao Qinghe called out to Jiang Baohai and her mother-in-law who were walking in front with things in their hands.
"Lao Jiang, Mom, wait a minute. I'll take Yueyue to buy some tea eggs. Let's fill our stomachs first."
Jiang Baohai pointed to the pillar next to him, arranged for his mother to watch the luggage there, and followed over with a smile.
"I'll go with you."
Qi Lianxin hurriedly instructed, "Don't buy too much. Your second aunt is already waiting for us at home with dinner!"
The couple said they understood.
But Qi Lianxin didn't feel reassured.
The closer they got, the stronger the unique aroma of the tea eggs became. Jiang Qiyue had never eaten this before, and his eyes lit up with anticipation.
Urge mom and dad to buy it quickly.
Patting his belly, he said, "I'm so hungry, I'm almost starving."
Gao Qinghe covered his daughter's mouth and glared at her: "Don't talk nonsense."
Jiang Qiyue gave his mother a guilt-ridden smile and shook his head to indicate that he would not tell her anything.
The rare items attracted many tourists, and the small stall was crowded with people.
Jiang Baohai finally squeezed to the front, lowered his head and took out the money while saying:
"Boss, please give me four tea eggs."
I looked up and handed over the money, and was stunned for a moment when I saw the boss reaching out to take it.
Ouyang Yan smiled brightly and stretched out her hand to take the money handed by the customer, but when she looked up and saw a familiar face, her smile froze.
But she was stunned for only a second, and then she took the money with a smile as usual, took out an oil paper bag, counted the tea eggs one by one, put them in, and handed it to the customer.
“Thank you for your patronage, it was delicious and I will come again next time!”
Ouyang Yan smiled at Jiang Baohai, then turned around and continued to pack tea eggs for the next customer.
Gao Qinghe stood outside the crowd and witnessed the whole process. His surprised expression was exactly the same as Jiang Baohai's when he walked out.
The couple looked at each other and opened their mouths, but before they could express their feelings, they were interrupted by their daughter's anxious voice.
"I want it, I want it, Mommy, peel it."
Jiang Qiyue handed the tea egg to his mother expectantly, tilted his head back with his eyes wide open, waiting to eat.
Gao Qinghe's heart softened and he shook his head at Jiang Baohai, having to satisfy his daughter's mouth first.
Qi Lianxin saw the family of three coming back with tea eggs and urged them to leave.
Unexpectedly, the couple just stood there, not moving.
Jiang Qiyue held the peeled tea egg and ate it in big mouthfuls, not wanting to move.
After eating one, he pointed to his mouth and said, "Grandma, Shui Shui."
Qi Lianxin opened the kettle and handed it to her with a distressed look on her face, seeing how hungry the child was.
After drinking water, Jiang Qiyue wanted to eat another one.
Gao Qinghe stuffed the half-bitten food into his daughter's hand. The little one didn't dislike it at all and took a big bite.
Jiang Baohai fed the one he had just peeled but had not yet put into his mouth to his wife.
Gao Qinghe was not polite at all. He finished the meal in two or three bites, and his hungry stomach felt much better instantly.
"It's delicious. I'll eat it again next time." Jiang Qiyue said happily.
One and a half eggs were enough to fill her little stomach.
I found my parents standing still, and I thought they were waiting for me. I took my father's hand and my mother's hand and said, "Let's go."
Huh?
Why aren’t Mom and Dad moving and are still looking at the stall selling tea eggs?
Aren’t mom and dad full yet?
......
The train station is only busy when trains arrive.
After the train left, there was no one on the platform.
The vendors had memorized the timetable early on, calculated the time, and went back to replenish their goods at the appointed time.
Ouyang Yan sells tea eggs. Eggs are small in size, so she cooks a large pot in advance every day and prepares a separate basket of raw eggs, which she can carry on a shoulder pole.
Come at six o'clock every morning and leave when everything is sold out.
Sometimes there are so many people that we can close the stall at three in the afternoon.
Sometimes there are few people and the tickets are not sold out until the last train at 10 pm that stops in Qing County for ten minutes.
Life was difficult at the beginning. She was alone and couldn't find anyone to help her watch the stall when she wanted to go to the toilet.
I couldn't hold it in any longer, so I asked someone next to me to help me watch for a while.
As a result, he hurried to the toilet and came back within two minutes, and the entire locked cash box was stolen by a pickpocket.
Fortunately, there was only change in the box, and she had all the money with her, so the loss was not much.
The most hateful are those who take things without paying.
Sometimes there are too many people and she can’t handle it all by herself, so someone steals things secretly.
One or two tea eggs are not worth much money, and there is no point in finding a patrolman.
But as the money in the money box increased, Ouyang Yan comforted herself and thought that she was doing good deeds.
Her tea eggs are the only ones available in the train station.
During the Chinese New Year, her cousin who married in the south came back to celebrate the New Year and taught her this dish. No one in the southwest knows how to make it.
Many people are jealous of her business, and many of them are shameless enough to ask about it openly.
She refused to say anything, so these people were secretly making trouble for her.
There are even more shameless ones who come to help her with a smile on their faces for the first two days, and on the third day they put a stove next to her and start selling tea eggs.
Moreover, the price they sell is one cent lower than hers, and they tell customers everywhere that hers is a pirated version and theirs is the authentic taste.
At that moment, Ouyang Yan found that she was not very angry, and even felt like laughing.
It turns out that there are so many evil ideas in human nature that she has developed antibodies.
However, when it comes to food, even if the recipe is the same, the taste will be very different if the people who prepare it are different.
The guests' mouths will make the choice.
If she can't control malicious competition, can't she also hold her own customers' stomachs?
Time and an increasing number of repeat customers have proven that the tea eggs she makes are the most authentic.
Piracy can't last more than five days before it's gone in disgrace.
Over time, Ouyang Yan also developed a thick skin and a sharp tongue.
Now she is considered an old employee at the train station, and newcomers have to respect her.
But after the lunch break, there were still more than twenty tea eggs left in the pot, and Ouyang Yan felt a little disappointed.
She thought that since many people would come back today, she could close the stall early after selling out at noon and go back to be with her mother and daughter.
Ouyang Yan took a deep breath, pounded her shoulders, took out a rag and wiped the lid of the pot, comforting herself in her heart that if she just held on a little longer, everything would be fine today.
A figure is approaching.
Ouyang Yan's business intuition told her that this person was most likely coming for her tea eggs.
She looked up in surprise and called out skillfully: "Fragrant tea eggs..."
When he saw the person coming, his throat suddenly got stuck.
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