Chapter 48 I Want to Be Your Best Friend
"Don't crowd around here, there are still so many children in the class!" Teacher An said loudly.
Song Yu glanced gratefully at Teacher An and, mimicking Teacher An's childish tone, advised, "I don't have enough beef to go around, everyone go find someone else."
To his surprise, his words only fueled the already surging crowd, who shouted, "Song Yu, switch with me first! Otherwise, there won't be any left!"
"Song Yu, have you forgotten that we went to the restroom together? Let's switch!"
"Song Yu, I even watered your flowers before!"
"Song Yu, I picked up the eraser for you! Please, let's share!"
...
After the first person tried to win over Song Yu by threatening him with their past relationship, a second, third, and fourth person quickly followed.
Song Yu was stunned. He was clearly a child who did things on his own, so how come the other children had done so many things for him without him even realizing it?
He looked at Teacher An for help, his eyes wet, like some kind of furry little animal that couldn't speak but could only seek help.
Teacher An felt her heart soften. She strode forward and stopped the crazy children, saying sternly, "Go back!"
Although everyone really wanted to eat Song Yu's snacks, they obediently returned to their seats with their own snacks, looking rather sullen.
Teacher An stood at the front, her tone very serious: "Our food sharing session is for the whole class to share together, not just with one classmate. You've all participated in sharing sessions before and you know the rules, so why are you all disobeying today?"
A student whispered from below, "Because Song Yu is here! Song Yu's food is so delicious!"
Teacher An gave them a sharp look and said sternly, "What were you saying down there? Stand up and speak loudly!"
The younger children didn't understand the reprimanding meaning of Teacher An's words, and stood up a little nervously. Sure enough, they said in a very loud voice, "Because the meat that Song Yu brought is delicious, I want to share it with him!"
Upon hearing this, Yuanyuan felt a jolt and looked over in disbelief.
What happened? She didn't tell this child, so how did he know?
The next second, the children in the classroom started chattering like birds again: "Yes, yes, it's delicious."
"Eating people will make them fly!"
"It was made by Song Yu's mother; you can't buy it anywhere else."
Yuan Yuan felt like her head was about to explode. How did everyone find out?!
Teacher An also felt her heart was about to explode, but she still managed to say in a kind voice, "All the children brought their favorite food, and it must be very delicious. Let's put our food on the table first, walk around the table, and see what everyone brought."
Teacher An's idea was very good. She believed that the students flocked to Song Yu's side out of curiosity and to follow the trend. Once they saw what everyone brought, they would start exchanging and sharing their favorite foods.
Teacher Ke An discovered that the reality was different from what she had expected. Every student would pause for two or three seconds before reaching Song Yu's position, slowing their pace, their eyes glowing green, and constantly swallowing saliva, as if they hadn't eaten in ages.
Teacher An sighed, thinking that if the parents of these students saw this, they would definitely think that the kindergarten was mistreating the children.
Is it really that delicious? I can't resist just looking at it!
Teacher An thinks the children in Class 1 are acting like drama queens.
Unconvinced, she walked over to Song Yu's seat and saw two boxes of food. One box was full of braised beef, neatly arranged, each slice even, with a natural reddish-brown color, and translucent tendons embedded in the slices. Experienced people know that these tendons are the most delicious—they're incredibly soft, chewy, and full of collagen.
The other box contained half beef slices and half beef jerky. Before you even looked at it, the first thing you smelled was the aroma. Pepper and cumin combined to create a spicy fragrance, and the aroma of roasted beef mingled with it, weaving together an incredibly tempting food aroma.
Even an adult like Teacher An would want to try it, let alone these young children who have little self-control.
When no one was looking, Teacher An swallowed hard and said seriously, "Yes, everyone, please maintain order and be civilized children."
"You absolutely mustn't touch it!" Teacher An suddenly raised her voice, startling a child who was trying to steal the beef, causing him to pull his hand back.
After reading it once, Teacher An felt it was time to start, and asked everyone to begin sharing in an orderly and polite manner.
The children in Class 1 were quite well-behaved; they exchanged themselves in an orderly and polite manner, all walking up to Song Yu and then lining up.
They found that Song Yu's food was the best after trying it all, and decided to share it with him.
When Ms. An saw this, she felt her blood pressure rise, but then she told herself to let it go. It's normal for everyone to like delicious food, and as a teacher, she couldn't force her students to exchange for food they didn't like.
She had just looked through them and also felt that Song Yu's snacks must be the most delicious; people tend to have similar opinions when it comes to appreciating food.
Song Yu was as busy as a little bee collecting honey in spring. Whenever a child asked him if he could share, he would nod and say, "Yes, yes."
When giving out your own snacks and accepting snacks from others, you should also say thank you to each other.
He felt his mouth was dry and had no chance to taste the other children's snacks.
Yuanyuan ran the fastest. She's a clever child. Knowing she couldn't enjoy it all by herself, she became the first in line. This was thanks to her advantageous location; as the saying goes, "being near the water tower, one gets the moon first."
She only exchanged a piece of meat and a piece of dried meat, because Song Yu said there were many other students behind them and one person couldn't eat too much.
Yuanyuan puffed out her cheeks and told herself that it was good enough to be able to eat.
She carefully put the meat into her mouth, a happy expression on her face.
Ah, braised pork is so delicious!
Ah, the beef smells so good.
Ah, if only she were Aunt Song's child too.
Hmm, that doesn't seem good... because her parents are also very good. If she becomes Aunt Song's child, her parents will have no children left, which is so pitiful.
In order not to make her parents so pitiful, Yuanyuan decided that she should not leave.
It would be great if Aunt Song could stay at their house.
She must be the happiest child in the world to be able to eat such delicious beef every day. Right now, the happiest child is Song Yu.
Yuanyuan wanted to discuss with Song Yu whether they could take turns being the happy child.
It wasn't just Yuanyuan who had this thought; all the children in the class who ate beef had the same idea.
"Ahhh! It's so delicious! Song Yu's food is so good!"
Song Yu pursed her lips and smiled shyly, a hint of pride in her voice: "My mom made it herself."
"Song Yu, do you need any more children? Can I come?" a little boy asked eagerly.
Song Yu's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly shook her head: "We don't need any more children, my family doesn't need any more."
"Song Yu, would you like to have another older sister? I can be your older sister."
Song Yu quickly added, "I don't want another older sister. I'm enough for the family."
"Song Yu, can I be your good friend and come to your house to play?"
This time, without Song Yu needing to answer, Yuan Yuan, Zhang Xiaoda, and the other three stood up together and said in unison, their voices incredibly loud: "Song Yu doesn't lack good friends!"
There are so many good friends that there aren't enough to go around.
The rejected child slowly savored the beef, looking dejected: "But beef jerky is really delicious."
"When will Teacher An hold her next food sharing session?"
Teacher An also felt a pang of disappointment: "Next semester."
Watching the children eat with relish, Teacher An also felt a pang of envy, especially since they were all exaggerating, praising the beef as something unparalleled, and eating it with expressions of pure bliss.
Teacher An thought wistfully, "Teachers should also participate in the food sharing session..."
Song Yu's two boxes of beef were quickly finished, and in their place came a whole bunch of other snacks, such as cookies, jelly, bread... some were homemade by his parents, and some were bought from stores.
Song Yu packed these things into his schoolbag, took the lunchbox, and walked up to Teacher An.
Teacher An was feeling a little heartbroken when she heard a child's innocent voice call out, "Teacher An."
She lowered her head: "What's wrong, Song Yu?"
Song Yu smiled shyly, held up the lunchbox, and said in a childish voice, "This is for Teacher An. Today is a food sharing session, Teacher An has worked hard."
Teacher An's heart melted instantly. Looking at the two slices of beef and two pieces of jerky left in the lunchbox, her voice was filled with surprise and disbelief: "Did Song Yu specially save this for me?"
Song Yu hummed in agreement, her eyes round and bright: "I want to give it to Teacher An."
Teacher An felt as if her heart had been struck, melting completely: "Thank you, Song Yu, I like it very much."
She picked it up, ate a slice of beef, and was immediately moved to tears.
Not only was the beef delicious, but Song Yu was also so considerate. How wonderful it would be if she had a child like Song Yu!
Song Yu brought two boxes of beef, which was quite a lot, but because everyone wanted some, it wasn't enough. The children who didn't get any had teary eyes and asked Song Yu to share with them next time.
Fang Xiaohao happily skipped back to his seat, holding a piece of beef and a piece of jerky in his hand, chewing them with great relish.
Luckily, he was quick-witted and fast-handed, and was able to exchange for delicious food.
La la la, the child sang happily in his heart, "Delicious, so delicious, Song Yu's food is so delicious."
But why didn't Wu Yaoxuan move? He sat in his seat, cosplaying as a wooden figure, and didn't seem too happy.
Fang Xiaohao's eyes lit up, and he handed a slice of meat to Wu Yaoxuan: "Here you go, I want to try your spicy strips."
Wu Yaoxuan said with a stiff face, "No, it doesn't taste good!"
Fang Xiaohao was shocked. How could anyone say that beef doesn't taste good!
He didn't believe it and stuffed it directly into Wu Yaoxuan's mouth, not believing that he would still say those words after eating it!
As expected, Wu Yaoxuan has a weak will. Once he tastes something, he can't resist eating it and devours it fiercely.
Fang Xiaohao said smugly, "How is it? It's delicious, isn't it? I finally managed to snag it. I want to eat your food, hehe."
Wu Yaoxuan's mouth was full of satisfaction, but his heart was filled with a bitter, astringent, and suffocating feeling. So many children wanted to play with Song Yu, but he had no chance...
He didn't know what was urging him, but without saying a word, he rushed up to Song Yu, raising his voice as much as he could: "It's not tasty..."
But because she felt guilty for lying, her voice was fragile, like glass: "It doesn't taste good at all!"
After saying that, Wu Yaoxuan felt a little embarrassed, turned around and rushed out of the classroom, heading straight for the toilet.
Song Yu frowned, looking unhappy. How could Wu Yaoxuan say that his mother's cooking wasn't good? It was clearly delicious!
He got angry and decided he wouldn't hang out with Wu Yaoxuan anymore.
On the other side, Fang Xiaohao was eating while wondering, "Wu Yaoxuan went to the toilet, so can I eat his food?"
Surely he can, he even traded precious beef for it.
Fang Xiaohao happily convinced himself, took a bag of Wu Yaoxuan's spicy strips, tore it open, and began to eat it with relish.
Food sharing sessions are so great! I wish we could have them every day.
*
When Song Yu got home, she told Song Xinran about it. The little boy said angrily, "Mom, I'm not talking to Wu Yaoxuan anymore! He actually said that Mom's beef was bad, what nonsense!"
Song Xinran poked his chubby cheeks, suppressing a laugh: "Everyone has different tastes, maybe Wu Yaoxuan doesn't like it."
"No, that's not true!" Song Yu exclaimed excitedly. "Everyone likes it! The kids in my class like it, and Teacher An likes it too!"
"If he's just talking nonsense, then I won't like him anymore!" Song Yu was really unhappy.
Song Xinran ruffled his hair. Song Yu had always been a relatively stable child. Although he would cry, he rarely got angry. Today, he was angry because he was protecting her.
Song Xinran felt a warm glow in her heart, like being roasted by a small stove: "Then Xiao Yu doesn't like him, right? Don't be angry. If the classmates like him, Mom will make more next time."
Song Yu nodded: "Give it to the other students, but not to Wu Yaoxuan."
He's very petty.
Song Xinran chuckled and said, "Okay."
Song Yu thought for a moment and said, "If he apologizes to me and says he was lying, then I'll forgive him... I'll give him a little something."
After all, we're all classmates in Class 1.
Song Yu brought back a backpack full of snacks, unzipped it, and waved her little hand: "These are for my mom. They were all exchanged with my friends."
He casually took out a piece of osmanthus cake, peeled off the paper, and held it to Song Xinran's lips: "Mom, eat this."
Osmanthus cake has a smooth and creamy texture, a refreshing sweetness that is not cloying, and a rich osmanthus fragrance.
Song Xinran smiled and said, "It's delicious, thank you, Xiao Yu. Didn't you eat any yourself, Xiao Yu?"
Song Yu happily swung her legs: "I said I would bring it back for Mom."
Song Xinran said, "Then let's eat together now."
Song Yu smiled, her eyes crinkling, and nodded.
There were so many things! He had never eaten so many snacks before, all kinds of them, things he had never even seen before.
While eating, he suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "Mom, Xiaoda, Xiaolang, Zhou Xue, and Yuanyuan said they want to come over to play after school tomorrow, is that okay?"
Song Xinran said, "Of course, they are very welcome to come."
She figured that Song Yu and his friends must have been craving snacks, which was why they came right after the food sharing event. So she decided to prepare some snacks for tomorrow, since she still had some left over from yesterday's meal.
The next day, Song Yu told his friends the good news. The four children were overjoyed and immediately spread the news.
Zhang Xiaoda said excitedly, "I'm going to visit Song Yu's house after school today. Song Yu is treating me to meat."
Zhang Xiaolang tugged at him, exasperated: "Keep your voice down, or everyone will want to go!"
Zhang Xiaoda's eyes darted around, and he quickly covered his mouth: "I was wrong, I was wrong, I'm not going to Song Yu's house today, I'm going tomorrow."
Zhang Xiaolang felt utterly hopeless, thinking to himself, "Why is my brother so stupid? Don't talk about this anymore!"
Zhang Xiaoda pinched his index finger and thumb together and ran them across his mouth, pretending to put on a zipper. His eyes darted around nervously.
Zhou Xue said, "It's okay. They don't know where Song Yu lives. We'll go quietly without them knowing."
Yuanyuan said smugly, "Anyone who dares to follow me will be beaten back. My fists are not to be trifled with."
She shook her little fist and used a line from a TV drama to show how awesome she was.
But as soon as Zhang Xiaoda let it slip, the news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every class.
Most of the students got to eat beef at yesterday's food sharing session, but unfortunately there was too little. Just one or two slices of beef and one or two pieces of beef jerky were enough to give them a taste before they were gone, and it was impossible to buy any more.
We can't get enough to eat! We just can't get enough!
The kindergarten students all come from relatively well-off families. The adults try their best to satisfy the children's cravings for food. They have never experienced anything like this before, and they are left wanting more, feeling restless and anxious.
Many children went home and told their parents that they wanted to eat Song Yu's snacks, but the parents couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't very well ask the students' parents to make them for them.
The children in Class 1 already considered the beef that Song Yu brought to be the most delicious thing. When they heard that Zhang Xiaoda and the others could go to Song Yu's house to eat their fill, their mouths watered.
Zhang Xiaoda can go, but they can't, because they're not Song Yu's good friends. Does that mean if they become Song Yu's good friends, they can eat there every day?
The children were very clever and immediately put their ideas into action.
Song Yu was completely bewildered, not knowing what was wrong with him today. As soon as get out of class ended, many classmates came to invite him to go to the toilet.
Song Yu was frightened and quickly shook his head: "I don't want to go to the toilet."
"Do you want some water? Let's go get some together." She said, and then reached for the thermos on Song Yu's table.
Song Yu quickly grabbed it and held it tightly in his arms, his voice tense and a little confused: "I don't want to get water, I have water in my kettle."
"Come play games with us, let's jump rope together." The child encouraged him, and even reached out to pull Song Yu up.
Under this onslaught, Song Yu appeared weak, helpless, and pitiful: "I, I won't jump rope, I promised Yuanyuan I'd play Eagle Catches Chickens."
"Let's play together, I'll be the eagle!" The child wasn't picky at all.
Song Yu said, "But, but there are already eagles."
"Then let's be chicks!"
Song Yu frowned slightly, looking a little troubled: "But, but we don't need so many chicks..."
"Song Yu!"
"Song Yu!"
The children became even more determined after being rejected, and they all shouted excitedly.
Song Yu hugged his small water bottle tightly, looking at his classmates who were surrounding him. He couldn't find a way out, and the overload of information conveyed by the sounds made him a little scared.
He stood up and said, "I... I need to go out. Please make way."
But the children wouldn't allow it, and even asked, "Where are you going? I'll go with you."
Song Yu's eyes reddened: "I, I don't... Waaah..."
"What are you doing?!" A loud, clear voice rang out, and Wu Yaoxuan charged forward like a madman, yelling, "Ahhh! Get out of the way!"
He had a fearsome reputation in the class, practically invincible in fights. His classmates recognized his voice immediately and scattered like birds, shouting:
"Run! Wu Yaoxuan is going to hit someone!"
Wu Yaoxuan snorted softly, and saw Song Yu look up at him with red eyes.
He was startled, a little flustered: "Why are you crying? I didn't scare you."
He was trying to scare the students.
Song Yu hugged her small water bottle tightly and whispered, "Thank you."
Wu Yaoxuan was stunned. Song Yu thanked him...
He rarely heard his classmates say this, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond. But before he could answer, Song Yu ran away.
The classroom is too dangerous; he wants to go out and find his friends.
When Yuanyuan, who was outside getting water, heard about his ordeal, she was immediately filled with righteous indignation. She took Song Yu and rushed to the teacher's office, where she told Teacher An everything.
Teacher An was also very angry and went back to the classroom to give the students who were making a ruckus a good scolding.
"I know you want to be friends with Song Yu, but that's not how friendship works. It's about asking your friends what they need and like, not imposing your own preferences on them. Do you want friends who surround you and prevent you from going out to play?"
The students all shook their heads.
Teacher An also praised Wu Yaoxuan, saying that he was helpful.
Wu Yaoxuan was extremely surprised to hear this; he never thought he would be praised by Teacher An for helping his classmate.
It must have been Song Yu who told Teacher An. He glanced at Song Yu secretly and thought smugly, "Now Song Yu knows the benefits of being friends with me."
Wu Yaoxuan waited for Song Yu to come to him after class. He wasn't friends with Song Yu just for the beef jerky; he had plenty of delicious food at home too.
He watched intently from afar as Song Yu and Yuan Yuan happily played and frolicked, then the two of them ran out of the classroom hand in hand...
I'm so angry!
Song Yu didn't take the matter to heart at the moment, even though he was very grateful to Wu Yaoxuan for helping him.
But he will never forget that Wu Yaoxuan said yesterday that his mother's beef was not good. He will never forget that!
*
After school in the afternoon, Song Yu took his friends home. When they got home, they found that his mother was there too. The aroma of braised meat slowly wafted out, tempting the children so much that they stared at the kitchen without blinking.
Song Yu put down her schoolbag and ran inside, extremely surprised: "Why is Mom home? Isn't Mom selling oden today?"
Song Xinran said, "Aunt Chen is selling things, and Xiao Yu's friends are coming to visit, so of course Mom has to treat them well."
Song Xinran braised the beef she had braised last time again, saying it would taste even better hot. She also grilled the beef jerky again, making it firmer and more fragrant than the first time.
"Aunt Song is so kind!" Yuanyuan was deeply moved.
Zhang Xiaoda was also extremely hungry, staring at the plate of braised beef and saying, "Aunt Song is the best mother in the world!"
Zhang Xiaolang secretly pinched his arm. If his mother heard this, Zhang Xiaoda would be dead!
Unfortunately, Zhang Xiaoda's mind was completely focused on the braised beef, and he didn't notice his brother's "eager" reminder at all.
Zhou Xue presented an apple to Song Xinran, and the little girl smiled and said, "Aunt Song, this is an apple I brought. Here, have it."
The other three children were stunned. Why hadn't Zhou Xue told them they had to bring gifts? They had come empty-handed and hungry.
Zhou Xue said, "My grandma knew I was coming to Song Yu's house to play, so she packed it in my schoolbag."
Song Xinran took it: "Thank you, Xiaoxue. Auntie will cut it for you to eat later."
Zhou Xue hummed in agreement and smiled happily.
Zhang Xiaoda immediately said, "Aunt Song, I'll bring you something next time too!"
Yuanyuan retorted, "I brought the cookies my mom made!"
Zhang Xiaoda followed closely behind: "I'll bring the milk from home!"
Yuanyuan: "I'm wearing my mom's gold necklace!"
Zhang Xiaoda immediately raised his hand: "My mom has one too, my mom has a jade bracelet!"
Song Xinran was both amused and exasperated. Sure enough, kids don't know their own strength when they're competing. If she had actually brought them along, their mothers would probably have called the police.
She said softly, "You don't need to bring anything. You are Song Yu's good friends. Auntie is very happy to have you come to my house."
"You must be hungry after a long day of school, come and have something to eat."
As Song Xinran spoke, she brought out the sliced braised beef from the kitchen. The aroma of the braised beef wafted into the air, making one's mouth water.
The children clapped and shouted excitedly, "Aunt Song! Aunt Song!"
Their enthusiasm, excitement, and loud voices made Song Xinran feel a little embarrassed. The kids created an atmosphere as if she were some big star making her entrance.
The plate was placed on the table, and Zhang Xiaoda quickly picked up the first slice of braised beef, put it in his mouth and chewed it. It tasted a hundred times better than yesterday's!
The beef, after being braised again, has an even richer flavor. To avoid making it too salty, Song Xinran only used a small amount of the original braising liquid and added some light broth. This makes the flavor richer without increasing the salt content.
The hot braised beef shank is incredibly flavorful, especially the tendons. Each bite is like a jelly, bursting with collagen and leaving you feeling completely satisfied.
Zhang Xiaoda, who loves to express himself, said while eating, "Aunt Song is amazing! The braised pork she makes is the best I've ever eaten!"
Zhang Xiaolang is too lazy to care about him now; the food is too delicious, and he only wishes he had two mouths.
"Aunt Song, let me be your child. I will take care of you when I grow up!"
After being ignored for a short while, Zhang Xiaoda started spouting nonsense, which frightened Zhang Xiaolang, who quickly pulled him back, saying, "You have a family."
Zhang Xiaoda said, "We have two kids. Xiao Lang can be the one who stays with us all the time, and I take turns. I can have two homes and two moms, hehe."
Zhang Xiaolang said, "Be careful, or your mom will beat you until you're crying and have snot running down your face!"
Zhang Xiaoda looked at Song Xinran with crystal-clear eyes: "Aunt Song, can I come and stay at your house?"
Song Xinran was both amused and exasperated, thinking that with Zhang Xiaoda at home, there would definitely be a lot of fun. Before she could say anything, Song Yu stood up anxiously, shaking his head frantically: "No, no! My family is enough with me!"
Zhang Xiaoda said, "From now on, we can be like brothers."
At this moment, Zhang Xiaolang quietly conceived the idea of killing his brother.
Song Yu shook his head and firmly refused: "No, I don't want my own brother."
Before Zhang Xiaoda could say anything more, Zhang Xiaolang covered his mouth and said, "If you say anything more, you won't get to eat!"
Zhang Xiaoda grunted several times before Zhang Xiaolang finally let him go. Zhang Xiaoda snorted, turned his head back to continue eating, and didn't forget to confess, "Aunt Song, I like you the most."
Zhang Xiaolang thought viciously, "When I get home, I'll tell my mother everything Xiaoda said and make her teach him a lesson!"
This is a classic case of "if you don't discipline someone for three days, they'll climb onto the roof and tear off the tiles."
After seeing his friends off, Song Yu hugged Song Xinran's arm, his voice muffled: "I won't bring Xiaoda to play at home anymore."
Song Xinran asked, "What's wrong?"
"He actually tried to steal my mom from me!" Song Yu exclaimed, her eyes wide. "He clearly has a mom, yet he still tried to take her from me!"
Song Xinran chuckled: "Xiao Yu, Xiao Da was just too excited to say that. If it were a change, he definitely wouldn't want to. In this world, only one's own mother is the best."
Song Yu said sullenly, "Alright then, I'll bring him here to play again in the future."
Song Xinran was right, which is why Zhang Xiaoda was viciously complained about as soon as he got home.
Zhang Xiaoda covered his bottom, crying and wailing, "I was wrong, Mom! I only want one mom! Waaaaah!"
*
A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was market day again. It happened to be a weekend, and Song Xinran and Chen Jingfang set up their stall early in the morning.
Song Yu trailed behind like a little tail, wearing a hat, a scarf, and gloves, hopping and skipping along as he quietly called out, "Selling braised food!"
Chen Jingfang was both pleased and envious. If her child could grow up to be like Song Yu, she would be laughing in her sleep.
They set off very early, when there were only a few people scattered on the street. When they arrived at a familiar spot, they stopped their car, took out their goods one by one, and after selling braised food a few times, they had become quite experienced.
This time, there was nothing placed in the small open space in front of the noodle shop, but Song Xinran didn't occupy the space in front of the shop either; she just set it up on the side of the street.
They had just taken their things out when the door behind them opened with a whoosh, and Aunt Fang came out, greeting them, "Sisters, you're here so early!"
Song Xinran smiled and said, "When doing business, you naturally have to start early."
Aunt Fang walked over to their cart, peering inside as she said, "I only knew you sold braised food, but I didn't know it was braised snacks. You have a great idea. Everyone in our town sells braised pig's head meat, and you're the only one selling braised snacks."
"It smells so good, no wonder so many people buy it. How do you make it, girl? Teach me too, my family loves braised food."
Since everything was so clear, how could Song Xinran pretend not to understand? She took out a bag and said, "Sister Fang, I'll pack a few for you to try when you get home."
Sister Fang immediately beamed and said, "No need, no need, don't give me the ones you're selling for money."
Despite saying that, when Song Xinran handed it over, she accepted it with great enthusiasm: "Sister, you're too kind! Have you eaten yet? Come to my noodle shop and I'll cook you a bowl of noodles."
Song Xinran said, "Sister Fang, there's no need to trouble yourself. We'll eat at home first and then come over."
Aunt Fang said, "Okay, then I'll go back now and get ready to open the door."
She carried the bag of braised food and returned to the noodle shop with a cheerful expression.
Chen Jingfang frowned and lowered her voice: "How can there be people like this? They even come to our door asking for food."
Song Xinran said, "Give me something to keep things quiet. Stop talking, we have guests."
The customer went straight to the braised food stall and said, "I've been looking up at it from upstairs for a while now. I'm so glad you're open for business. Boss, give me ten chicken feet and ten duck necks. I'll be your first customer, so can you give me a discount?"
Song Xinran said, "Judging from your words, you must be a regular customer. You know we're a small business, so this is already the best price we can offer. But since you're our first customer, I'll give you a few chicken wing tips for free!"
She spoke with a tone that started modestly and then became enthusiastic, which made the customer smile broadly: "Great, your chicken wing tips are delicious too."
After opening, the customers never stopped coming in.
Their braised food stall hasn't been open for long, but it has already made a name for itself. It's the first braised food in town that people line up to buy, and if you arrive late, you can't even get any.
As the crowd on the street grew, a queue soon formed. Business was good today for good reason, and Song Xinran didn't invite anyone else to patronize the store.
Song Yu was handing out bags when a voice suddenly rang out beside him: "Song Yu!"
The child's voice was clear and bright. Song Yu turned around and saw that it was Zhu Guo, a classmate.
Song Yu smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said, "Good morning, Zhu Guo."
Zhu Guo, holding her mother's hand, asked curiously, "Song Yu, what are you doing here?"
Song Yu said, "My mom and I are here to set up a stall to sell braised food!"
Zhu Guo's eyes widened immediately: "Does your mother sell the braised food she makes?"
Song Yu nodded: "Yes, I will."
Zhu Guo immediately turned her head and said excitedly, "Mom, I want to eat! I want to eat the braised food that Song Yu's mom makes, Mom, please buy it for me!"
Mother Zhu looked at Song Yu and asked gently, "You're Song Yu?"
Song Yu nodded and obediently called out, "Auntie."
Zhu's mother smiled: "Zhu Guo broke your flowerpot last time, thank you for forgiving him."
Song Yu said in a childish voice, "Zhu Guo has apologized to me and given me a new flowerpot."
"Mom, I want to eat!" Zhu Guo's mind was completely focused on the braised food. Seeing that her mother didn't take out any money, she urged anxiously, "What if we buy it all later!"
Zhu's mother usually doesn't buy these things for her children. She doesn't know how the braised food from street vendors is made, and it's safer to go to a proper shop if she wants to eat it. However, the person selling the braised food is Zhu Guo's classmate, Song Yu, with whom she had a minor conflict before. Zhu's mother trusts her classmate's parents more, so she agreed: "Okay, don't worry, Mom will buy it for you."
Fortunately, there weren't many people in line today, and Zhu's mother only waited for two minutes before it was her turn. Zhu Guo was extremely excited. Oh my god, it was braised meat made by Song Yu's mother!
He hasn't been able to eat it since the food sharing event.
According to Zhang Xiaoda, they went to Song Yu's house and ate a lot until they were full.
Zhu Guo listened with great envy, swallowing his saliva repeatedly. He was so happy that such a great opportunity had finally come his way!
"Mommy, I want it all!"
Mrs. Zhu was shocked, thinking her child had gone crazy. How could he possibly finish so much? She smiled and said, "Give me two of each, the child likes them."
Zhu Guo stood on tiptoe to look: "Ah, don't you have braised beef or beef jerky?"
Song Yu said, "No, but the braised chicken legs are also very delicious. I only ate one today."
Upon hearing Song Yu's words, Zhu Guo immediately shouted, "Chicken leg! I want a chicken leg!"
Mrs. Zhu smiled and said, "Then let's add two more chicken drumsticks."
Song Yu: "The chicken wings are delicious too! The skin is soft and the meat inside is tender. I can eat two in one go!"
Zhu Guo excitedly shook her mother's hand: "Mom, I want chicken wings, lots of chicken wings!"
Song Yu: "The duck feet are especially delicious, and Yuanyuan likes them very much too."
Zhu Guo: ! Is this the delicious food Yuanyuan and the others ate at Song Yu's house?!
"Mommy, I want it all!"
Zhu's mother: ...
I really wanted to hit the child, but with so many people around, I decided against it.
"Let's have five of each."
Song Xinran almost laughed when she heard Song Yu's words. He was only three and a half years old and already so good at business. She packed the things and handed them to Zhu Mama: "Welcome to come again next time."
Zhu's mother left with Zhu Guo, and Zhu Guo excitedly jumped up, shouting, "Mommy, I want to eat! I want to eat now!"
Mrs. Zhu raised her hand: "Would you like a slap or not?"
Zhu Guo chickened out: "I'd rather eat meat than be slapped."
Zhu's mother said, "Eat it when we get home!"
Zhu Guo perked up again: "I'm going to eat lots of food when I get home!"
He couldn't wait to share the news with his good friend: it was braised meat made by Song Yu's mother, and this time he could buy it with money!
Song Xinran has sold braised food several times, and business has been good every time. She has increased the amount of ingredients, but she can still sell out in two or three hours.
A customer arrived late and, upon learning that today's portions were sold out, sighed, "Boss, you should make more!"
Song Xinran said, "Please understand, my abilities are really limited on my own. There are many other braised meat stalls in the market, you can go and take a look if you want to eat some."
The customer was puzzled: "I've been buying things for so long, and this is the first time I've heard of someone being recommended to a fellow shopkeeper."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "As long as you can buy something, that's fine. We set up stalls to serve our customers."
The customer laughed and said, "The owner is very generous! But I think your food tastes better than other places, so I'll buy from you next time."
After speaking, the guest looked around and walked behind Song Xinran to the noodle shop to eat a bowl of noodles.
Across the street, at Lao Ma's Wonton Shop, the owner and his wife stood at the entrance, both frowning. The owner spoke, his tone indignant: "The noodle shop across the street is doing too well!"
They used to be inferior to them, but now they've surpassed them by several times.
Both restaurants serve the same type of food, but with different signs. Sanmei Noodle Shop is known for its beef noodles, but it also sells rice noodles, wontons, and other similar items.
Lao Ma Chaoshou is a restaurant that sells wontons, but also noodles and rice noodles.
The two restaurants are located diagonally opposite each other, and there is a subtle sense of comparison between them. In the past, Lao Ma Chaoshou's business was slightly better. The taste of the two restaurants is similar, but Lao Ma Chaoshou's wontons are a bit larger.
If they lose the competition, the wonton shop will only feel a little embarrassed, but it's nothing serious. The problem is that business is bad now.
We still have a lot of regular customers, but the number of new customers has plummeted, resulting in a significant drop in revenue.
The new customers are mainly people who come to the market. These people go to whichever shop is doing well. Recently, Sanmei Noodle Shop has been the most popular, so naturally everyone is attracted to it.
The proprietress said, "Her family is lucky. They have a braised food stall in front of their house. You see, every time there's a market day, there's always a line of people buying from that stall."
The boss said, "Why don't we have such good luck?"
The proprietress was displeased: "You think I didn't inquire? The braised meat stall and the noodle shop know each other? Or maybe the noodle shop specifically hired the braised meat stall to attract customers? They really got lucky!"
The owner was delighted: "Then you should inquire further and see if we can let the braised meat stall set up shop here! We even have a parasol at home, we can give it to the braised meat stall to use! It'll be great for shelter from the wind and rain!"
The proprietress said, "With their business so good, do you think they'd care about this little bit you're giving them?"
The boss said, "Then what should we do?"
The proprietress thought for a moment and said, "I'll go and inquire again."
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