Chapter 46 Braised Food You'd Queue For
After settling on a location for her stall, Song Xinran began preparing to sell braised food on market mornings.
We can't prepare too much food, since it's our first time selling it and we'll only be selling it for one morning. If we don't sell it all, it will be a waste.
She still sets up her stall to sell oden in the afternoon and evening as usual. This is her regular job, and she can't let it interfere with her work. Selling braised food is a way for her to earn extra money.
Song Xinran told Chen Jingfang about it: "I'll have to trouble you to be busy for those two days and help me clean out the ingredients so we can sell them together. I'll pay you double for that day."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jingfang shook her head repeatedly and refused: "No, no! The work I do here is already very easy. I feel uneasy even if I only get 600 yuan a month. If I do more now, I'll feel better. Besides, what kind of heavy work is this? Let's not talk about wages!"
Chen Jingfang was speaking from the heart. Ever since Tian Hong came to the stall and openly tried to take her job, she felt resentful and uneasy. She knew that this job was well-paid, easy, and close to home, and it was a rare find.
People aren't stupid. Although Song Xinran said she wouldn't fire her, she couldn't keep taking advantage of others. She should do as much as she could.
Now that she knows Song Xinran is going to town to sell braised food on market day, she is very happy and tells her family about it when she gets home.
The mother-in-law praised, "Your boss is ambitious. I heard she's already making a lot of money, and she still wants to explore new things. That shows she's hardworking, and hardworking people are never bad!"
Chen Jingfang smiled broadly: "Xinran was the most diligent one at the glass factory, and she's also a great cook, so she'll definitely be good at selling braised food!"
"Jingfang, the braised food you brought back the other day was made by your boss, right? It really is!" The mother-in-law gave a thumbs up.
Upon hearing a certain keyword, the child smiled happily, revealing his not-yet-fully-grown teeth: "Meat, delicious, I want to eat!"
They can't even speak clearly yet, but they already know how to eat well.
Chen Jingfang's husband, Fan Yongping, said, "Why doesn't your boss sell braised pig's head meat? Why does he only sell these things for children?"
Chen Jingfang scolded, "What do you mean 'for children'? I brought those braised chicken wings back, and you ate them quite happily yourself, didn't you?"
Fan Yongping said, "That's because it's free and tastes good. If I were to buy it, I definitely wouldn't buy these braised chicken feet. I would buy a pound of pig's head meat, which would be more convenient as it can be both flavorful and a dish. Even if the kids want to eat it, I would only buy one or two to appease them."
"In my opinion, you should persuade your boss; she's your friend," Fan Yongping said earnestly and kindly. "You brought back some braised pig's head a few days ago; the taste is almost identical to braised chicken wings. Selling that will definitely be a good business!"
"Besides, there are so many stalls selling braised meat in Lingde Town, and they've been doing it for so many years. They mainly sell pig's head meat with a little bit of chicken feet, which means they've been proven by the market. Only this kind of business can survive."
Hearing this, Chen Jingfang felt a little uneasy, but she still said, "You don't understand the market. Xinran used to run a stall. Where in town did you see oden vendors before? She did, and her business was booming!"
Fan Yongping said, "That's because it's a new thing, and nobody has heard of it before. People buy it to try it out, and it's cheap too. An egg only costs 50 cents."
Chen Jingfang became increasingly flustered as she listened to these words. Fan Yongping added, "You and your boss are friends. At times like this, only true friends can tell the truth. You're doing this for her own good."
Chen Jingfang got a little annoyed when she heard the last half of the sentence: "She knows it herself, she's already decided to sell braised food and you're still pouring cold water on her, you're such a spoilsport!"
"How am I being a spoilsport? I'm just saying this at home! I'm only speaking from the heart because your boss treats you well. I wouldn't even bother mentioning other people's situations!"
The mother-in-law quickly said, "What are you arguing about at home? Jingfang's boss has made money, but he can afford to lose it. People have to figure things out step by step on their own. Jingfang, don't listen to him!"
Chen Jingfang nodded, but she was still a little uneasy when she went to sleep that night. She said to Fan Yongping, "There's a market this Saturday. Come and buy some things, just to show your support. You know how good Xinran is to me."
"I know." Fan Yongping's voice still carried a hint of frustration at not being understood. "Go to sleep early."
The next day, Chen Jingfang asked Song Xinran, "Xinran, how much food are you preparing for selling braised dishes on Saturday?"
Song Xinran said, "A little over a hundred yuan is enough. It's my first time setting up a stall, so I'm preparing a small amount of ingredients."
Chen Jingfang thought to herself, "That's quite a lot." She still advised, "We've just started selling braised food, and the customers aren't familiar with us yet. Besides, there are several established shops in the market..."
Song Xinran laughed and said, "If it's any less, we won't make any profit. We have to factor in labor and gas costs. I've calculated it, and about a hundred yuan worth of ingredients is about right."
Chen Jingfang stopped trying to persuade her. Although she felt that Song Xinran's approach was somewhat risky, she knew better than to be the one to spoil the fun.
A little over a hundred yuan is Song Xinran's daily profit; she can afford to lose it!
On Friday, Lin Hexiang came to see Song Xinran and said she would take her to meet Aunt Fang, who runs a noodle shop at the entrance of the vegetable market. She would set up a stall to sell braised food at Aunt Fang's door on market days.
Song Xinran said, "Thank you, sister-in-law. How many people are in Sister Fang's family? I'd like to buy something to visit her."
Lin Hexiang complained, "You don't need to buy anything. As soon as I mentioned it to Sister Fang, she immediately agreed. She said she was hoping there would be a stall at the entrance to make it more lively. Don't even mention the stall fee, it would hurt our relationship! Sister Fang is a nice person. She always gives me some of the vegetables she sends from her hometown."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Thank you so much, sister-in-law, for finding such a kind shop owner for me."
Despite Lin Hexiang's words, Song Xinran did not arrive empty-handed.
Everyone speaks nicely, but when you ask for help, if you don't give them anything in return, they might not say anything to your face, but they'll gossip behind your back, and you can forget about getting help from them again next time.
Fang's family of three lived in town. The man wanted to smoke, so Song Xinran brought a few pounds of apples and a pack of cigarettes.
She even specifically chose the best quality apples, which cost three yuan per pound, and a pack of cigarettes cost ten yuan, which was considered quite decent.
Fang's wife was rather thin and of medium height. As soon as she saw Lin Hexiang, she greeted her with a smile. Her prominent cheekbones made her eyes appear slightly sunken. "Hexiang, I've been waiting for you at home for a long time. This must be the Xinran you were talking about!"
Her voice was a little shrill, which was even more noticeable when she laughed.
Song Xinran handed over the items and said with a smile, "Sister Fang, I'll have to trouble you with this tomorrow."
"No trouble at all!" Sister Fang took the things, glanced inside, and declined, "You said you were coming, why did you bring anything? It's a waste of money. I've been friends with He Xiang for so long, bringing her things would make us feel distant."
Lin Hexiang chuckled and said, "That's what I told Xinran too, but she always went to buy them behind my back."
Song Xinran: "It's nothing valuable, but these apples look pretty good, so I thought I'd let Sister Fang try some too."
Sister Fang's smile widened: "No wonder He Xiang said that her sister is a great cook, has a lovely voice, and is a shrewd businesswoman!"
"Our noodle shop has a great location, right next to the market. On market days, a lot of people come to eat noodles. When someone comes, I'll help you promote it!"
Song Xinran: "Thank you, Sister-in-law Fang."
"You'll have to come early that day. Our shop is mostly frequented by people having breakfast, and it gets busiest around 8 a.m.
As she spoke, Sister Fang showed them the entrance and suggested that Song Xinran set up her stall on the small open space in front of her door: "Don't set up your stall on the main street, it gets very crowded when there are a lot of people!"
Lin Hexiang was very satisfied with what she saw and said to Song Xinran, "Your sister-in-law Fang is very thoughtful. Your business will definitely be good when you open tomorrow!"
Sister Fang smiled broadly: "Of course, He Xiang, your restaurant is thriving, so your apprentices must be quite good too."
Lin Hexiang quickly said, "She's not an apprentice at all. Xinran's skills are much better than Lei Hong's. Everyone who has eaten her food wants more! If we're talking about apprentices, Lei Hong is the real apprentice!"
Song Xinran was a little embarrassed by the praise: "Sister Xiang, you flatter me too much!"
That's how social interactions are—large-scale business flattery sessions. When Song Xinran left, she felt her face was sore from smiling so much.
However, that Aunt Fang was a bit too enthusiastic, even suggesting that she set up her stall in front of the shop. Her stall wasn't small, and it would definitely block half of the door. Song Xinran decided that she would set up her stall on the street tomorrow. Since others were making things convenient for her, she couldn't bother them.
As soon as Song Xinran left, Sister Fang's husband came downstairs: "Is this the one you were talking about who wanted to set up a stall in front of our door?"
Walking to the table, he saw a bag of apples and a pack of cigarettes inside. A hint of joy appeared on the man's face: "It's Yuxi again. This vendor at the stall has some sense."
But Sister Fang said, "A girl this young probably can't be very good at cooking."
The man paused for a moment: "Didn't you say he was Lei Hong's apprentice? He's skilled, so his apprentices must be just as good."
"He's not an apprentice, he's just a friend," Sister Fang said irritably.
The man tore open the cigarette pack, took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. As he pulled out a lighter from his pocket, he said, "What if your skills aren't good and you leave it in front of our shop, affecting our business?"
"What can we do?" said Sister Fang. "He Xiang has already spoken, I can't just refuse. We'll see how things go."
The man nodded and exhaled a puff of smoke: "These ten-yuan packs of cigarettes taste different. Looks like you're not short of money."
"If you're not short of money, why are you setting up a stall? You must be just messing around," Fang's wife muttered.
*
Since you've decided to set up a stall to sell braised food, you need to prepare everything. Ingredients are one aspect, but attracting customers is another.
Chen Jingfang said, "It was our first time there, and the customers weren't familiar with the place, so we prepared a plate with some braised food for them to try for free. If they thought it tasted good, they would definitely come and buy it."
Song Xinran shook her head: "No need for free tasting."
When they set up their stalls at the market, their customers were mostly adults, and many of them were rural people who came to town to buy things. If they were to offer samples, one bowl wouldn't be enough to go around. If people arrived late, there wouldn't be any samples left, and they might even be unhappy about it.
"Then how do they know our food is delicious?" Chen Jingfang asked, puzzled. She felt that the biggest advantage of their braised food was its good taste, and one could only know the taste by tasting it.
Song Xinran chuckled: "Who said you have to eat it to know if it tastes good? When you go out to eat, are you going to try every single restaurant?"
"Definitely not." Chen Jingfang rarely eats on the street, but if she does, it's either because someone recommends it or because she's hungry and finds a place with lots of people to eat at.
Song Xinran comforted her, "Don't worry, just come early tomorrow."
Chen Jingfang left with a heavy heart, while Song Xinran went to Huang Yun's house. She remembered that when she came to town to look for a house, she unexpectedly ran into Huang Yun, and they were chatting in a teahouse.
When Huang Yun learned that she wanted to open a braised food stall, she was very supportive: "With your cooking skills, you're born to make money. Market days are the busiest, and you can sell several times more meat than on ordinary days!"
Song Xinran smiled a little embarrassedly: "Sister Yun, I'm also a little worried. This is my first time setting up a stall at the market, and it's also my first time selling braised food. What if I can't sell it?"
Huang Yun patted her shoulder and said confidently, "Don't worry, I know best about selling meat. Everyone still has money in their pockets. The most expensive ribs always sell out first, and those who come early get to choose their meat first."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Sister Yun, what you said puts my mind at ease. You've been in town for so many years and know a lot of people. Do you think you could ask a few of your friends to help me out tomorrow? I'll pay them the bill then."
"Of course!" Huang Yun readily agreed. "We're all friends, it's only right that I support you."
But Huang Yun changed the subject, her expression becoming somewhat serious: "It's just Xinran..."
Song Xinran asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
“You’re just too polite. You always bring up money, and you always feel obligated to return anything someone gives you. It’s just a small favor, something to do when everyone’s bored and it helps pass the time,” Huang Yun said.
Song Xinran chuckled to herself, thinking that she must have been used to it in her past life. When many new stores opened, she would pay people to queue up and create a lively scene.
"Sister Yun, I'm not being polite at all. I just need to find someone to help me out."
Huang Yun said, "Leave this to me!"
With everything ready, Song Xinran and Chen Jingfang set up their stall at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning.
Song Yu was worried and followed behind the adults. He usually got up around this time to go to school, but he got up half an hour earlier today. He was still a little sleepy, so he rubbed his eyes and obediently held onto the stroller.
The oden cart is multi-functional; a stainless steel plate on top transforms it into a braised food stall, while the storage rack below holds the ingredients.
There were already a few scattered people in the town, all carrying baskets on their backs to the market. Some had more vegetables they couldn't finish eating, so they brought them to sell in town at extremely cheap prices.
The two of them pushed the cart for about ten minutes before arriving at the market. Chen Jingfang looked up and asked, "Which shop is it in front of?"
Song Xinran pointed to a spot not far away: "Third Sister's Noodle Shop."
As she got closer, Chen Jingfang saw the shop clearly and was somewhat surprised: "Where are these placed? There are vegetables at the entrance."
Two large woven bags of vegetables were prominently displayed on the small open space in front of the noodle shop, the very spot where Sister Fang had asked Song Xinran to set up her stall yesterday.
Song Xinran glanced at it, had a guess in her mind, and simply said, "Just stop on the side of the street."
Chen Jingfang didn't come yesterday, so I don't know what they talked about in detail. Seeing that other vendors also just sat down on the side of the street, I said, "This is a good location. People going to the market have to pass by here."
The two of them laid out the braised meat together. Chen Jingfang originally wanted to take it all out to create a grand atmosphere, but Song Xinran stopped her: "Just take out a small portion to display, and put the rest in the car. We can take it out when someone buys it. It's cleaner that way."
Chen Jingfang thought about it and realized it made sense. When she took it, she looked around at the people and said, half to comfort herself and half to console herself, "It's still early. It's normal that there aren't many people around. Usually, it's not until after eight o'clock that people start to come out."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "As far as I know, several stalls on this street haven't opened for business yet."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a customer came to a cookie stall across the street. After some haggling with the owner, the customer paid, put the cookies in his basket, and walked into the market.
Song Xinran paused for a moment, but didn't seem to mind: "The cookies are selling well, so it's normal to open early. Look, the tofu vendor next door is still waiting."
The next moment, a customer came to the tofu stall. Since it was cheap, they didn't haggle and just bought a piece and left.
Song Xinran continued, "It must be an old establishment with regular customers."
Chen Jingfang quickly tugged at her hand, anxiously saying, "Xinran, don't say anything! If you do, they'll sell us off, and we'll be laughing at them!"
Song Xinran was both amused and exasperated: "How can you be so superstitious?"
Chen Jingfang said seriously, "This isn't superstition; sometimes things really are like that."
Chen Jingfang was quite unsettled. As the sky gradually brightened and more people began to gather on the street, while other stalls had already sold two or three items, no one was coming to their stall.
Is it a location issue?
Just then, a "whoosh" sound came from behind, as the noodle shop opened its doors to start business.
As soon as Sister Fang saw Song Xinran, she said, "Xinran, you're here so early! How's business? My location is pretty good, you must have sold quite a bit!"
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Thanks to Sister Fang, with this blessed land, business is bound to be good."
Who doesn't want to hear auspicious words early in the morning? Sister Fang couldn't stop smiling, her cheekbones becoming even more prominent: "My house is in a good location. It cost a lot of money to buy the shop back then!"
His gaze shifted and landed on the vegetables in the small open space by the door, and he exclaimed, "Hey! This vegetable stall delivered its goods so early today!"
"Xinran, look, I originally asked you to put it here, but someone took it beforehand. Do you want me to move the car over again? It will be a hassle for you to do it yourselves."
Song Xinran's smile remained unchanged: "No need, Sister Fang. I'm fine here. It wouldn't be good for me to block your shop door at the entrance."
Sister Fang looked embarrassed and said, "What do you mean by blocking? Just go wherever you're used to! I'm not going to talk to you anymore, I need to boil the water, someone's coming over for noodles soon."
Before Song Xinran could exchange more than a few words with Sister Fang, Sister Fang brought in two large woven bags from the doorway, clearing a space for them.
Chen Jingfang finally understood, glanced back at Sister Fang, pursed her lips, and said nothing.
At 7:30, the streets were even more crowded. Two men entered the noodle shop and called out, "Boss, make a three-ounce bowl of beef noodles."
Sister-in-law Fang replied, "Okay!"
The boiler started up, and the two men were talking: "What are they selling at the entrance?"
Another person replied, "It looks like some kind of braised food. I glanced at it when I came in."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jingfang quickly turned around and introduced, "We sell braised food, including braised chicken feet and chicken wings. Would you two gentlemen like to take a look? Our braised food and noodles are the best."
"Don't you have pig ears?" someone asked.
Chen Jingfang said embarrassedly, "We didn't do it."
"Never mind then, noodles and pig's ears are what make it taste good."
Chen Jingfang's heart sank a little, and she muttered under her breath, "Chicken wings and dough are the best."
Song Xinran handed her a chicken wing, her tone relatively relaxed: "Don't think about it, just eat some yourself."
She gave another one to Song Yu, who was sitting on a bench observing the people on the street. Song Yu took it with both hands and said in a childish voice, "I like Mom's chicken wings, they're delicious!"
Chen Jingfang took a bite and wondered why Song Xinran didn't seem to be in a hurry at all. However, the deliciousness of the chicken wings and Song Xinran's calmness calmed Chen Jingfang down a lot.
"Hey, how much are your chicken wings?" A voice suddenly came from behind.
Song Xinran turned her head and saw that it was the two people who had just said they wouldn't buy noodles. She introduced them: "Chicken wing tips are one mao each, braised duck wings and chicken legs are one yuan each, and the rest are five mao each."
The man glanced at it and thought the braised food looked pretty good: "You guys are eating so deliciously, give me two chicken drumsticks."
Song Yu mustered up her courage and said, "Uncle, the chicken leg is delicious."
The man chuckled, "I only bought it to try because I heard this kid say it was delicious inside."
Song Xinran packed it up and handed it to the man.
Chen Jingfang was overjoyed, her low voice filled with delight: "We're finally open! It's really great to be located right in front of a noodle shop!"
"Xiao Yu is the best! He's our lucky star!"
Song Yu blushed slightly: "I'm telling the truth, chicken legs are the best, Yuanyuan likes them the most."
The two people in the noodle shop bought two chicken legs, one in each hand. When the noodles came, they ate a bite of noodles first and then a bite of chicken leg.
They are regulars at Sanmei Noodle Shop. Although they feel that the meat sauce is sometimes too much and sometimes too little, the taste is still pretty good. They eat a bowl every time they come to the street.
The first bite of beef noodles was amazing. The noodles were perfectly cooked, the flavor was spicy and refreshing, and the chili oil was fragrant. It was definitely much better than what I make at home.
Another bite of braised chicken leg...
The two were immediately taken aback. They chewed for a moment, and their mouths were instantly filled with the aroma of braised meat. It was salty, fragrant, and rich, with a slightly sweet aftertaste. The chicken skin was very soft and tender, and even the chicken leg meat, which is usually difficult to flavor, was incredibly spicy.
Logically speaking, the braised chicken leg should have a stronger flavor than the beef noodle soup, since the mild braised flavor can't withstand the pungent spiciness.
But the moment they took a bite of the braised chicken leg, the aroma of the braising completely overwhelmed the fragrance of the noodles, making them want to have another bite right away.
The two of them took another bite of the braised chicken leg without prior arrangement.
"This braised food tastes great."
"Yes, I've never had this flavor before in town."
He finished the chicken leg quickly, sucking up all the meat even from the bone, but he had only taken one bite of the beef noodles.
I originally planned to buy braised chicken legs to make beef noodles, but now I don't know which is the main dish and which is the side dish.
But you can't just throw away noodles if you don't eat them; a bowl costs three and a half yuan.
The two men finished the noodles, but unlike usual, they didn't drink half a bowl of soup.
After leaving the noodle shop, the two of them coincidentally bought another braised chicken leg.
Chen Jingfang was overjoyed and said in a low voice, "Look at these two people, they just bought some and now they're buying some again. That's what repeat customers are for, proving that our products are good!"
"It's just...not many people come." She was a little worried. Their products were good, but not many people came to buy them. Occasionally, a few people would come to look, ask the price, shake their heads, and leave.
Song Xinran comforted her, "Don't worry, it's not eight o'clock yet, most people haven't arrived yet."
Chen Jingfang thought to herself, how could people come all at once? Normally, when there are few people, there is little business, and when there are many people, there is much business.
She glanced out onto the street, wondering why her husband hadn't arrived yet. She had made it clear last night that he should come and take care of the business today.
Less than two minutes later, a man arrived and asked directly, "Boss, how much is this?"
Chen Jingfang was delighted and quickly introduced, "These are 50 cents each, and these are 1 dollar each. Buy more to take home and eat."
She did not introduce her husband to Song Xinran, and they had never had the chance to meet before, so Song Xinran did not know him.
Chen Jingfang thought that Fan Yongping should buy more so that Song Xinran would have even less left and wouldn't know that it was her family who bought it.
Fan Yongping glanced at her and said in agreement, "Then give me ten duck feet, ten chicken feet, ten duck wings, and ten chicken legs."
Chen Jingfang quickly packed it up: "30 in total!"
Fan Yongping promptly paid the money, took the goods, and left.
Chen Jingfang's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and she said to Song Xinran, "Look, our business is doing well!"
Song Xinran was a little suspicious. Generally speaking, no one would buy so many things at once, and if they did, they would definitely try to bargain for a discount or get something free.
This person came and bought it right away, he was incredibly decisive.
In particular, Chen Jingfang's words were not quite right, and she even asked people to buy more to take home and eat.
"Jingfang," Song Xinran said, "do you know that person from earlier?"
Chen Jingfang was startled, wondering how Song Xinran could be so perceptive.
She shook her head: "I don't know him."
He just thought to himself, Song Xinran comes into contact with so many people every day while running her stall, she can't possibly remember someone who has bought from her even once.
Song Xinran still felt something was off, so she didn't say anything.
Chen Jingfang breathed a sigh of relief, looked up, and wanted to find something to do, such as greeting the guests. Suddenly, she saw a group of middle-aged women walking towards them from not far away. They were walking quickly and discussing something.
She wondered where this group of people had gone, and they seemed quite imposing. Then she saw that they had all gathered around the braised food stall!
"Is this the braised food stall?" one of the older women asked in a loud voice.
Upon hearing this, Chen Jingfang felt a chill run down her spine. Could it be that they've come to cause trouble?
Another older woman replied, "Yes, that's right. My daughter-in-law bought some things and said they were delicious, so she specifically asked me to come out and buy more to take back!"
Chen Jingfang breathed a sigh of relief; it turned out they had come to buy something.
However... today was their first time setting up their stall, and only two men, her husband and I, came to buy noodles. No one else bought any!
Completely ignoring Chen Jingfang's doubts, the group of elderly women began to chatter amongst themselves: "Oh my, you know what, it smells so good! I'll buy more! Boss, give me ten chicken feet!"
"Boss, I want ten chicken wings! What brings you to this stall today? I've been looking for you for ages!"
"Boss, how do you make this braised food? It smells so good it's making people dizzy! My grandson ate some and said he wanted more!"
...
The older women even started arguing as they talked: "I was here first, let me buy first, there's not much of this, don't buy it all!"
"Line up! Stand in line! Don't let anyone cut in!"
A group of six or seven middle-aged women immediately lined up, and the place suddenly became lively. It only took less than a minute or two for the place to go from being deserted to bustling with activity.
Chen Jingfang was stunned by what she saw. Her first thought was whether these old ladies had mistaken the stall for something else.
This is their first time setting up a stall, and these older women are talking as if they are an old brand that moved here from somewhere else.
She didn't know whether to explain or just go with the flow, so she could only look to Song Xinran for help.
Song Xinran's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. She recognized a few of them; the moment she saw them, she knew they were invited by Huang Yun to patronize her business and help her liven things up.
But isn't this a bit too much...?
One of the older women shouted loudly, "Boss, pack it up for me! My grandson is waiting at home for it. If it weren't for the fact that your food tastes so good, I wouldn't bother coming all this way!"
After saying that, he winked at Song Xinran, as if afraid she wouldn't know.
Song Xinran quickly joined in the conversation, packing the food while smiling and saying, "Auntie, my braised food is freshly made, the freshest kind. Your grandson has a good palate!"
"I can tell your braised food is fresh and clean just by tasting it; no one can compare to its flavor!"
They seemed to be chatting casually, but they were talking very loudly. There were quite a few people passing by, and soon someone came over and asked, "What are you selling? Does it really taste that good?"
People tend to follow the crowd. Seeing that there were many people here, they all came over to see what was going on, and then they heard a group of old ladies praising it exaggeratedly.
However, it was clear that few people in the town had ever used this method before, and everyone believed it wholeheartedly. People lined up on the spot to buy it.
The old lady immediately said, "These are braised chicken wings, the taste is absolutely amazing. My grandson is such a picky eater, but he specifically asked for food from this place."
As soon as the woman in front finished speaking, the woman behind her chimed in: "What's that person doing up front? If you want to buy, you should line up!"
The person asking the question originally just wanted to take a look, but when they heard that there was a queue, which is common in town, they immediately became agitated.
Then an older woman shouted, "Don't cut in line! What am I going to eat if you all buy it? There's not much left!"
Upon looking at the items, the person asking the question saw that there weren't many left. He immediately became anxious, feeling that he would miss out on a good deal if he didn't buy anything, so he quickly joined the back of the line.
Before long, the line had grown to about ten people.
The newcomers were quite surprised when they saw it and hurriedly went up to see what the queue was for. Everyone knew that what everyone was scrambling for was something good.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be braised food, specifically braised chicken feet or something similar.
"I heard this place has good food, so I'll buy more to take back to pick up the kids."
"With so many people queuing up, it can't be wrong!"
Upon hearing this, passersby assumed that anything praised by everyone must be good, and seeing that there wasn't much left, they feared missing out and immediately joined the queue.
Chen Jingfang's mind was buzzing, and her hands were mechanically packing. What was going on? There wasn't a single person here just ten minutes ago, so how did a long line form now?
Song Xinran didn't stop either, chatting with customers while collecting and paying money.
"Boss, do you have enough stock to sell?"
Song Xinran said, "That's enough, that's enough. I still have some in my car, but I didn't take it out to avoid getting it dirty. But there's not much left, all of you in line can buy some now!"
"Boss, how do you make this braised food? It smells so good!"
Song Xinran smiled and said, "It's a family heirloom. Don't let my young age fool you, I learned it from my mother when I was little, and it's been passed down for generations in my family."
"Oh, so this is a long-established brand! No wonder there are so many people!"
Song Xinran said, "It's all thanks to my regular customers. Everyone who has tried my braised chicken feet comes back to buy them again!"
She described it vividly: "People from Yongyan City who have tried it all say they want more, and some even take a special trip to buy it! They bought five or six jin to take home and eat! They said they can't find this taste in the city."
Wow! Boss, your business is huge!
Song Xinran humbly replied, "It's all thanks to everyone's support."
Song Xinran blushed a little as she rambled on about these random things. She remembered eating at a tourist attraction in her past life. She sat in a restaurant that boasted about being an old establishment for many years. The owner even bragged to the customers that people from XX country didn't want to leave after eating there and ended up living in the nearby neighborhood so they could eat at his restaurant every day.
This sounds exaggerated, but some people believe it anyway, and the shop is doing very well.
Song Xinran thought that she was also quite down-to-earth and didn't say anything about foreigners not wanting to leave after eating her braised food. She only used the people of Yongyan City as an example.
Clearly, her approach was very popular in Lingde Town, and the queues grew longer and longer. People who initially planned to buy a few chicken feet to try ended up buying several yuan's worth under the influence of this atmosphere.
Chen Jingfang took the braised food from the cart twice, but found it a bit troublesome, so she leaned close to Song Xinran's ear and said, "Let's bring it up together, so that everyone won't be in such a hurry."
Song Xinran said, "The point is to make them anxious, so they don't take too much at once."
Chen Jingfang didn't quite understand, but she still did as Song Xinran said.
However, the shoppers were the most astute. Those in line behind them even asked the customers who had bought the braised food, "How does it taste? There's such a long line, but I haven't tried it yet!"
Song Xinran was not intimidated by these words. She was very confident in the taste of her dishes and said generously, "Customers who have bought them can try some and tell everyone how they taste."
Some people couldn't resist taking a bite after buying it, and immediately took another bite, praising it highly: "Great! It tastes amazing!"
It wasn't just one person who ate like this; they all exclaimed, "This is the first time I've ever had such delicious braised chicken feet!"
"Truly a family heirloom!"
One person might be lying, two people might be acting, but if so many people say it's good, then it must be good!
Some people lingered in the back of the line, while others tried to cut in line, but Song Xinran asked them to go back.
Chen Jingfang felt like she was working on an assembly line in a glass factory while packing, and her mind was almost blank.
How come their business is so good on their first time setting up a stall!
Song Xinran glanced at the few remaining braised dishes, then at the queue, and walked to the very back to say, "Don't bother queuing up, everyone. We're almost sold out of braised dishes."
The people in line immediately asked, "Boss, can we buy some?"
"Yes!" Song Xinran said, "There's still a little bit left, which should be enough for everyone to buy. I don't want the customers who come later to waste their time queuing up and not being able to buy anything."
Her words were so considerate that everyone was happy to hear them.
The customers in line said, "Boss, you need to make more so we can keep up with demand!"
Song Xinran said, "This family-inherited craft can only be made by myself. My energy is limited, so I'm just glad that everyone likes it."
"Boss, are you coming to Mingchang again?"
Mingchang refers to the next market day.
Song Xinran said with a smile, "If you like me, I will definitely come. I will still be here so that you won't have trouble finding me."
The last customer in line came over and saw that there wasn't much left: two duck feet, three chicken legs, two duck necks, three chicken feet, and a small pile of chicken wing tips. He simply said, "Boss, wrap it all up for me, and give me a discount."
Song Xinran was straightforward: "You're lucky to have bought them all. I'll just charge you five yuan and fifty cents, and these chicken wing tips are free!"
The customer beamed, "Great! You're a good businessman, boss. I'll definitely come back to buy from you next time."
"Boss, do you have any pockets? Give me one more so I can try it." With that, the customer reached into the plastic bag, picked up a chicken wing tip, and threw it into his mouth.
Generally speaking, the braised food sold later in the season will lose moisture due to air exposure, and its texture will become hard and dry.
But these chicken wing tips are completely different. The moment you put them in your mouth, you can tell they're full of gravy, plump skin, and incredibly flavorful meat, just like they were freshly scooped out of the braising pot.
The customers' brows relaxed as they ate, and they repeatedly praised, "Boss, no wonder your business is so good, this stuff is delicious! I'll definitely come back to buy more next time!"
Compared to the previous polite "I'll come again next time," this was much more sincere. They even said, "Boss, you'd better prepare more next time!"
Song Xinran smiled and replied, "Okay!"
*
On the other side, Fan Yongping also boarded the bus home, carrying a large bag of braised food. He had come specifically to buy this stuff on his wife's orders.
Fan Yongping was just thinking that when he went there, there were still so many of those braised food items left, it seemed that not many had been sold, and he was afraid that he would lose money today.
Fan Yongping shook his head. He had already said that only braised pig's head meat sold better in the town, but Chen Jingfang just wouldn't believe him.
Even if her boss's cooking is really good, she can't go against the market.
Anyway, people will know when they stumble. Luckily, the weather is cold now, so these things won't spoil even if we eat them for two or three days. There are many people in their family, so they can finish them and avoid waste.
Fan Yongping waited on the train for more than ten minutes, and then some people who wanted to go home also got on one after another, gradually filling the carriage.
The car started moving, swaying and bumping along. Some people on the car started chatting: "A braised food shop opened at the entrance of the vegetable market, and the business is so good that there are long queues!"
"It turns out it was a braised food stall. I saw a lot of people buying it as I walked by. Why is there a queue? Braised food is sold everywhere."
Fan Yongping thought to himself, "That's how it is. There are braised food shops everywhere." But when he went to the vegetable market, he didn't see any newly opened braised food shops with long queues.
"That place is different. It has a recipe passed down for generations. The taste is so good that they can't keep up with demand!"
"I tried some, and I'm not exaggerating, the taste is something that other brands can't match even after several lifetimes."
"You're making it sound so amazing, is it really that delicious?"
Fan Yongping thought so too. Their town wasn't very big, so there wasn't anything that required queuing to buy.
Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Look, isn't this the braised food stall we bought from? Only that stall has braised chicken legs and wings. How does it taste?"
Fan Yongping didn't react for a moment and subconsciously said, "It tastes good."
"Is it really that good?"
Fan Yongping didn't even need to answer; someone else said it for him: "Only people's opinions matter. If it weren't delicious, why would there be a long queue? There wouldn't be any left for those who wanted to buy it!"
The topic was being discussed animatedly on the bus when someone suddenly patted Fan Yongping on the shoulder: "Young man, are you sure you can finish all this food? Share some with me, and I'll buy some with you."
Fan Yongping: "Huh?"
He hadn't reacted yet.
Someone else said, "Young man, could you spare me two chicken legs? I need to go home and pick up my child."
Fan Yongping was really dizzy at this point, and emphasized, "I didn't buy it from the store where the queue was."
"There's only one shop in town that sells braised chicken legs and braised duck feet. Did you buy them at the entrance of the market?"
Fan Yongping said, "Yes, but it's really not that company..."
"That's right, there's only this one over there!"
Fan Yongping was about to explain when he heard someone say, "Young man, are you saying you don't want to share these? Look, you bought so much, you can't possibly finish it all!"
Fan Yongping: ...He is not.
Fine, let's just distribute it evenly!
But is that stall with the long queue really owned by Chen Jingfang?
Fan Yongping found this matter quite mysterious.
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