Upon hearing about this good deal, diners gathered around to take a look and discovered that there were actually four kinds of free porridge. Each one was fragrant, with plenty of plump grains, unlike the thin, watery porridge served in other sheds; this one was very thick.
Xiao Bing said, "We have two kinds of sweet porridge, one kind of savory porridge, and millet porridge here."
The closer the diners got, the stronger the aroma of the food became. One diner swallowed hard and said, "I'll have a bowl of this sweet porridge." The people in the county really liked sweet flavors and rarely ate them, so it was surprising that the free porridge here even had sugar in it.
There were also small dishes of pickled vegetables on the side, made of celery roots, celery leaves, and a little bit of shredded scallion. The first dish was free, and the small dish was enough for about seven or eight bites. You could buy more for one more penny.
He took a bowl of porridge and a small dish of side dishes, and not only was he given porridge, but he could also eat inside the shop.
The porridge was still piping hot, and the impatient customer quickly blew on it before taking a sip. It was sweet and sticky, with golden pumpkin pieces mixed with the grains, making it very fragrant. A few bites and they felt refreshed.
After finishing a bowl, I still felt a little unsatisfied.
But wanting to test if it was really free, he hesitated and said to the waiter, "Am I leaving?" as if he still couldn't believe such a stroke of good luck.
The waiter said, "Come back when you're done eating!" That's how it is here; those who don't have money can fill their stomachs, and those who have money can satisfy their cravings.
Not only did he not receive any money, he didn't even get a disdainful look, which he found quite strange.
Seeing this, the customer was no longer in a hurry to leave and asked, "Are you going to keep giving out porridge for several days? Do you sell other things in the morning?"
The waiter said, "The owner said he'll be providing porridge for at least six months. In the morning, there's only porridge and side dishes. At noon, there are stir-fries and rice dishes. In the evening, there are also drinks and braised meat." He added, "The prices aren't expensive."
The customer's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he said, "If I eat it today, can I still eat it for free tomorrow morning?"
The waiter replied, "Of course."
The customer was relieved. There were four kinds of porridge in total, and he had only tried one. There were still several he hadn't tasted yet. The restaurant had just opened, and there weren't many people yet. He planned to go back and tell his family that he wanted to take advantage of the low customer traffic while it was still relatively empty.
About fifteen minutes later, it suddenly became lively.
Everyone, regardless of their social status, could have a bowl of porridge for free. The shop didn't offer any dry food, and the porridge was so delicious that customers with large appetites would often have several bowls and order a couple of side dishes. A meal cost about five copper coins.
The area quickly became crowded. However, their porridge was only available for dine-in, not for takeout. After a while, they saw a little beggar. He was dressed in tattered clothes, holding a broken bowl, and hesitated to approach. After a while, he finally mustered up the courage to go up and said, "I want a bowl of vegetable porridge."
Xiao Bing and Qiu Yu were outside, and Qiu Yu brought him a bowl of vegetable porridge. He was too dirty to go inside. He sat in the corner, not caring about the heat, and slurped down the porridge. A strange feeling of fullness filled his stomach, which felt quite comforting. He wanted to remember this place and come back tomorrow.
The porridge distribution was a lively affair, attracting residents from the neighborhood. Some impatient individuals craned their necks in long lines, afraid that they wouldn't get any by the time it was their turn. They had received the news late; others had already eaten their fill twice!
But no one dared to cause trouble, knowing that this was a shop run by government officials. Anyone who dared to cause trouble here was asking for trouble.
Just as everyone saw the porridge gradually decreasing, almost to the point of scraping the bottom of the bucket, He Zifeng brought out another bucket of pumpkin porridge and poured it directly into the bamboo tube.
He Zifeng looked and saw that the long queue at the entrance seemed endless. The first floor was almost full, and now they could even go up to the second floor.
Qiu Yu said, "There are no more bowls." He Zifeng said, "I'll go get some." He then went to the kitchen, where Aunt Zhang and his mother, Fang Shi, were washing dishes. He picked up a stack of washed bowls and took them out. Just as he left, the waiter, Xiao Bao, collected another stack of bowls waiting to be washed. Even their accountant, Xiao Chen, had to come out to greet customers and wipe tables.
Mr. Zhang's three sons also helped out, keeping everyone extremely busy.
Seeing how fragrant and delicious their porridge was, everyone asked when they would start selling it.
He Zifeng said, "We'll stop selling at 3:45 PM. Keep an eye on the time."
"What about lunchtime?" One group of guests after another asked the same question, and everyone patiently explained it to them.
He Zifeng took several stacks of the washed dishes and temporarily placed them on a altar, then went to Master Zhang's side and asked, "Are you tired?"
Master Zhang wiped his sweat and said, "It's alright." He hadn't left the stove since morning. At first, there were four kinds of porridge, but later he could only serve two kinds: vegetable porridge and pumpkin porridge.
He Zifeng started soaking the rice again. He said to Chef Zhang, "There are quite a few people outside, so I guess we'll have to cook two more big pots."
Master Zhang said, "Okay." You need to stir the porridge constantly while cooking, otherwise it will easily burn at the bottom.
He Zifeng's shop, though large, isn't in a great location. But today it was bustling with activity. Not only were there neighbors, but also people who had heard about it at the morning market and made a special trip. Several of them were regular customers who had come when He Zifeng and his team were selling braised food. Upon seeing that they had opened their shop, they were immediately delighted, saying, "I'll come back for lunch!"
He Zifeng said, "Thank you for your support."
Upon hearing this, the people around also secretly decided to try it.
We'd been busy all morning, and we'd used up both large bags of rice. By the time we saw off the last customer, everyone was a little tired.
The accountant calculated that, excluding deliveries, the income from selling porridge and side dishes that morning was five hundred coins. This was better than they had expected.
There was plenty of porridge, but in the end, we ran out of side dishes. These side dishes were simply salted to draw out the water, and they were the simplest things to eat. Moreover, celery roots and leaves weren't exactly high-quality ingredients, so I was surprised that they were so popular.
After the diners had all left, He Zifeng had already set aside four buckets of porridge in a food box, which he then took directly to his brothers at the yamen gate.
People in the government office love to drink, but they don't really like to eat breakfast. He Zifeng's porridge was very timely.
He Zifeng said, "Our family makes four different flavors of porridge. You can choose whichever you like." The yamen (government office) also has its own bowls and chopsticks.
Everyone laughed and said, "Thank you, Brother He."
"I'm so hungry." This thing is strange; I'm not hungry when I don't smell anything, but once I smell it, I get unbearably hungry.
Everyone ate it and found it was indeed very delicious. One person said, "Brother He, you're too kind. Such good ingredients, used for porridge." In the past, wealthy merchants also liked to use this method to win people's hearts during festivals; their porridge was much more perfunctory.
It's nowhere near as sweet and delicious as the ones here.
He Zifeng said, "Perfect, let everyone share in the joy." He had both been promoted and received a windfall. He wasn't stingy when it came to such things.
The constables were having a great time eating outside, saying that after they finished their porridge, they would probably be thinking about it again.
He Zifeng laughed and said, "How about this, I'll take care of everyone's porridge from now on. I'll have the cook from the yamen pick it up in the morning."
Upon hearing this, everyone praised him, saying, "Brother He is so generous."
"That's great!"
They were enjoying their porridge outside when Officer Zhu came out shortly after. Hearing that He Zifeng was distributing porridge, he said, "Good." He then also had a bowl. He ate some flatbread and his appetite returned; he hadn't eaten breakfast much before, but now he liked it. Hearing that He Zifeng had asked the cook to fetch some, he told the constables, "Tell the cook to save me a bowl."
Zhu, the head constable, had many friends in the county government, and he was constantly being invited to drinking parties and meals. He had tasted all sorts of delicious food, but this simple bowl of porridge and side dishes was truly the most addictive.
After delivering the goods, He Zifeng had nothing else to do. Now that he didn't need to patrol the streets, he could just find a place to stay for a day.
Today was He Zifeng's first time opening the shop, and he was worried that they would be too busy, so he decided to go back as soon as he saw that there was nothing else to do.
By lunchtime, the place was almost full, both upstairs and downstairs. Many customers had eaten their porridge that morning and, feeling a bit guilty, decided to try it since they didn't want to cook at home for lunch. The people sitting next to them were mostly from ordinary families, and the prices were reasonable. Twelve coins got you a meal with rice and two dishes, all prepared in advance, with six options to choose from. The rice was genuine brown rice, but it was fresh grain and soaked, so it wasn't hard and had a pleasant aroma when chewed.
You can also order by yourself. A bowl of brown rice costs two coins. A vegetarian stir-fry costs ten coins, and one plate is enough for one person. A meat stir-fry costs twenty coins, and egg drop soup is free.
The menus are all written on the wall.
Everyone realized that eating ready-made meals was more cost-effective; they could order and eat immediately without waiting, and the portions were generous. Especially Chef Zhang's stir-fried eggplant with soy sauce. One bite with brown rice was enough to make you want another.
Some people order food in a very extravagant manner.
He Zifeng sincerely wanted to distribute porridge, but unexpectedly became famous.
Even at midday, the fire in the kitchen never stopped.
Qiu Yu stared at the other stove, where several large pots of rice were being steamed, and it was almost not enough.
They eat and leave as quickly as they want; as soon as one table is cleared, another one sits down.
The accountant's hands were trembling a little as he wrote the accounts. The others were even busier than usual. After finishing their work at noon, they closed the shop and rested for a while. Everyone took a nap, and He Zifeng took Qiu Yu and Fang Shi to his newly bought mansion to sleep.
It probably won't be as popular tonight.
Qiu Yu is a restless person, so keeping him busy actually makes him happy. He said, "I did the math, and I actually made money." And this is only the first day!
Many people come here specifically to eat; if they didn't know better, they'd think it was a long-established restaurant.
He Zifeng said, "It's because our little Yu'er has a kind heart. Go to sleep, you're exhausted."
Qiu Yu pulled He Zifeng by the collar, and although she was a little embarrassed, she insisted, "Let's go together."
After listening, He Zifeng kissed Qiu Yu and said, "Okay, I'll sleep with you."
In the evening, they sold some food and drinks, thinking there wouldn't be many customers. But Qiu Yu even made his specialty, braised pork. And that made it a hit! The braised pork paired with the wine was so delicious, the more they drank, the more they wanted, and they couldn't stop eating.
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