She asked the woman if she wanted to eat here or take away. She learned that she wanted to eat here, so she wrapped a portion of tofu and a bean cake in oil paper and handed it to her. She picked up a piece of tofu with her chopsticks and bit into it. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a fragrant aroma of oil and burnt food mixed with an unknown aroma. It was very delicious.
Her eyes lit up, and she took another bite. As she chewed, she said, "Mother-in-law, please give me another... two servings of tofu, so I can take them back for my husband and children to try."
After eating for a while, she said again, "Give me three bean cakes too, so I can take them away later!"
"How is it? Is it delicious?" someone asked.
"It's delicious!" the woman said incoherently, her mouth stuffed with bean cakes. "It smells good. I don't know what's in it, but it smells so good!"
"A piece of tofu at other places only costs three cents. Isn't yours a bit too expensive?" said a thin old man.
Jiang Huaixu hurried forward and said, "Grandpa, if you're interested in buying, you can try a piece first. I promise you won't feel you've lost out after eating it. We've just settled down after fleeing all the way, and we've earned our hard-earned money. If we want to run a small business in the future, we'll have to rely on you, the elders and fellow villagers! How could I cheat you all?"
When the man heard this, he smiled and said, "You are quite pleasant to the ear, young lady. Come, let me try it."
Grandma San immediately cooperated and handed over a piece.
The old man was obviously picky. He savored the tofu carefully for a long time before asking, "Are those spices on top of the tofu?"
Jiang Huaixu immediately gave a thumbs up and said, "Grandpa, you have a really powerful tongue. This is my family's secret recipe passed down from generation to generation, and it will never be taught to anyone else!"
The thin old man nodded and said, "It tastes really good. Give me five servings of tofu!"
Third Grandma, Qian Xiuzhu and Du Mei looked at each other, with the same surprise and joy in their eyes, and then they got busy.
The thin old man continued to ask: "Girl, can you sell me this spice?"
"I can sell it," Jiang Huaixu said carefully. "My spices are not cheap. A small bag costs six coins. If you buy more, I can give you a discount. What do you think?"
Jiang Huaixu took out a bag of spices and showed it to the thin old man. After opening it, the thin old man immediately said in disdain, "This is too little."
"Grandpa, look at the spices my mother sprinkled on the tofu. It's not much. These spices are meant to enhance the flavor. Just a pinch of them makes the food delicious. Since this is your first time here, buy ten packets and I'll give you two for free!"
The thin old man waved his hand, and Jiang Huaixu thought he thought it was too expensive and felt a little disappointed. But when he saw many people buying tofu and bean cakes at his stall, and Jiang Boliang, Jiang Wei and Jiang Fu were helping, he became happy again.
"Give me a pound!"
Jiang Huaixu suddenly withdrew her gaze and looked at the thin old man in surprise. Only then did she pay attention to the thin old man's dress.
The man was dressed in indigo cotton clothes and did not wear any precious jewelry. He looked quite ordinary.
She reminded him, "Grandpa, we can't keep these spices for too long..."
"I'll use it in the restaurant's meals. If it sells well, I'll come back to your house to buy more."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaixu immediately said, "Give me 160 coins for one pound of spices and five portions of tofu."
Taking the two taels of silver handed over by the thin old man, Jiang Huaixu counted them while introducing himself: "My last name is Jiang, and my given name is Huaixu. May I know your last name? Which restaurant are you from? If you need more in the future, just ask someone to come to us on this street on the first day, and we will deliver it to you the next day. Is that okay with you?"
The thin old man nodded with satisfaction. "Don't tell me your surname, old man. I live in Fu Man Lou, the restaurant on the corner of the street. If the food is good, I'll ask someone to come back tomorrow."
After counting the money, Jiang Huaixu returned the extra forty coins and methodically opened the spice bag to weigh the spices.
After seeing Mr. Ren off, Jiang Huaixu saw a lot of people standing in front of the stall and hurried over to help.
He threw tofu into the bowl and called out, "Everyone, come and try it! We're opening today for the first time. Buy two servings of tofu, get two free. Buy three bean cakes for five cents! Don't miss this opportunity!"
Upon hearing about the free sample, the person who was originally interested immediately stepped forward to take a piece to try. After tasting it, he licked his lips with satisfaction and said through gritted teeth, "Give me some tofu!"
"I want two servings of tofu and three bean cakes!"
"I want six servings of tofu!"
Someone else saw Jiang Huaixu weighing the spices and pulled him aside to ask, "What kind of powder were you weighing? Can I buy it?"
"If you want to buy, we'll sell it to you. One pack costs six coins. Buy ten packs and we'll give you two packs free. The spices are our secret recipe and can't be found anywhere else. You can add a little to stir-fries or stews to enhance the flavor and freshness. Food lovers shouldn't miss it!"
Some people were eager to buy what Jiang Huaixu said, but were reluctant to do so due to the price. Some people gritted their teeth and said to Jiang Huaixu, "Give me two packs!"
"Since this is your first visit, I'll charge you ten cents. It means perfection. If you like it, just come and take care of me more often!"
Seeing that he had lost two cents and received a lucky word, the man smiled and started to chat, "Is your tofu so delicious because of this?"
"That's why!"
As Jiang Huaixu answered, he was thinking to himself that if the spices were sold, the tofu would lose its competitiveness, so he had to think of a way.
When people nearby heard this, they immediately started buying spices.
Most people bought two, and some people who were not short of money bought ten directly.
After working for more than an hour, the sun was already high in the sky and there were fewer people on the street.
Jiang Huaixu calculated that he had sold more than 100 bags of spices in total, plus the one pound bought by Mr. Ren. As for iron plate tofu, he sold more than 180 pieces and more than 70 bean cakes. Some people also bought tofu directly or tofu with spices, thinking it was a good deal. In one sentence, the sales were very good.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com