Mahua Opens
Mahua is best fried freshly, with a crispy outer layer and soft inner layer. You can’t stop eating it once you have it.
So Qin Wenli spent the past two days preparing all the necessary utensils for setting up the stall.
Just after nine o'clock, a tricycle "bengbenben" stopped in front of his house.
Qin Wenzheng parked the car and called out loudly, "Second Aunt, Wenli, are you done packing?"
Qin Wenli hurriedly pulled his eldest brother into the house: "Eat first, you've worked hard today, big brother, have a bite before we go."
Qin Wenzhen didn't hesitate and picked up the bowl to eat.
After dinner, Qin Wenli and Qin Wenzhen carried their own stove and put it on first, then the iron pot, the chopping board for making twisted dough sticks, a large pot of oil, and two large bowls of tightly packed noodles.
Finally, the three of them got on the tricycle and it roared off.
Several people grabbed a good spot, put their things in place one by one, and then Qin Wenzhen said goodbye and went home.
Hu Yufeng was a little excited and nervous. She took a few deep breaths and said to Yang Xiu, "You rub it while I light the fire. Let's start!"
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law divided the work and cooperated with each other. Soon, ripples appeared in the oil pan and the fried dough twists were placed on the chopping board.
Hu Yufeng put one twist in the pot first and watched it float up and down in the pot. Soon it became fluffy and she quickly turned it over.
After a short while, a brown-red fried dough stick with a sweet aroma was ready.
Hu Yufeng quickly scooped it up and placed it on a rack to drain the oil, then methodically stirred the fried dough twists in the pot.
A dozen or so fried dough twists were piled up on the plate like a pyramid.
Passersby took a deep sniff from time to time, but no one came to ask about it.
Yang Xiu was obviously anxious and at a loss.
Hu Yufeng understood that nowadays, when buying anything, you have to look at familiar faces. It was the first time for her to sell the hemp flowers, and they were different from the big hemp flowers on the market, so it was normal that no one bought them.
She thought about it, took a twist of dough, broke it into pieces, and put it on a clean plate.
"Mahua, hemp flower, sweet, soft and rich in ingredients."
Hu Yufeng suddenly shouted.
"Don't miss it if you pass by. Both the elderly and children love to eat this honey hemp flower..."
Sure enough, a white-haired old lady passing by was attracted.
"Auntie, come and try some of my big hemp twists. I guarantee that after you eat one, you will want another one." Hu Yufeng enthusiastically stuffed a piece into the old lady's hand.
"Can I still eat it if I don't buy it?" The old lady obviously hesitated.
Hu Yufeng smiled and said, "Why can't I eat it? This is for tasting. Why don't we be fair and transparent in everything we do? Try it first and see if it tastes good."
The old lady subconsciously opened her mouth and took a bite of the fried dough twist and chewed it.
After eating half of the fried dough twist, the old lady clapped her hands and said, "Your fried dough twist is really new. Why haven't I seen you before at the market?"
"Today is the first day that we are together as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and we have met you, our destined person. Don't you think this is a coincidence? Auntie, how do you like the food?"
It tastes sweet. My teeth are not good and I can't chew the crispy ones. This one is easier to digest. I thought so in my heart, but the old lady said, "It's okay."
When Hu Yufeng saw the old lady's expression, she was obviously satisfied with her own fried dough twist, but she acted calm. After all, she was an old lady, so who wouldn't know the rules? She was bargaining!
"Aiya, ma'am, I'm not exaggerating about this fried dough twist, it's the only one in Shangguan Town. Look at the color, there are so many precious things in it. For example, there are several kinds of sugar added, isn't it much sweeter than the ones we usually buy?"
The old lady nodded subconsciously: "It tastes sweet."
"That's right!" Hu Yufeng said exaggeratedly. Seeing a few more people gathered around, Hu Yufeng continued:
"This fried dough twist tastes softer than the ones I usually buy. To be honest, even though I have lost all my teeth, I can still chew it!"
People around also crowded over, taking pieces from each other, and in a few seconds it was all gone.
"It tastes good, how do you sell it?" someone asked.
"40 cents a stick, three for one dollar."
The man frowned: "This is too expensive!"
"Hey young man, look at the ingredients and the portion. This is much fatter than our 20-cent ones. You look like a family man. Listen to your aunt. If you buy this, I guarantee that both the elderly and children at home will praise it."
The young man smiled broadly: "Okay, give me one... Never mind, three."
The young man handed over a dollar, and Hu Yufeng put it in the cash box. Then she picked up three cigarettes with chopsticks and put them in a bag and handed them over.
With the young man taking the lead, business was booming with everyone buying three.
"Hey, give me a discount so I can eat better and bring a few old sisters over..." the aunt who came first struggled.
"My dear, it is fate that we met. So, dear, three sticks for one dollar. I will give you the half for tasting. If you order more, I will lose money."
"Okay, then give me one dollar." Seeing that she had taken advantage, the old lady decided to stop while she was ahead.
The pyramid was shrinking rapidly, and Yang Xiu's obsessive-compulsive disorder attacked. He was full of energy and rubbed his hands together. Soon, the pyramid was piled into a point again.
During this time, someone came to approach me and said, "Give me one to try."
Hu Yufeng quickly collected the money and put it into her bag.
But the man didn't leave: "Big sister, your fried dough twist doesn't look like the craftsmanship here?"
Hu Yufeng smiled and said, "It was handed down from my ancestors. It's just enough to make a living."
Yang Xiu pricked up her ears and listened to her mother-in-law's serious response.
The man laughed and said, "Oh, no wonder it looks unusual, it looks like there are eggs in it?"
Hu Yufeng's expression did not change and she still kept smiling: "Come back if you like it."
When the man found out nothing, he turned around and left in anger.
Hu Yufeng saw Yang Xiu looking at her with an embarrassed look and gave her a look.
Yang Xiu turned around and continued to make the twisted dough.
After the two large bowls of noodles were sold out, Yang Xiu quickly came over and suppressed her excitement and asked her mother-in-law: "Mom, how much did we sell today?"
Hu Yufeng had counted the money several times and couldn't help but lower her voice and said, "28 yuan in total."
Yang Xiu's eyes lit up, he looked around and quickly put away the joy on his face.
Well, she was very nervous today, afraid that two bowls of noodles would fall on her hands. Now she can finally rest assured.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law packed up the stall with a full sense of accomplishment.
"Let's buy something for the children?" said Hu Yufeng.
Yang Xiu did not refuse this time.
The two of them waited for Qin Wenli to come over and tell him to watch over them, then turned around and went shopping.
Qin Wenli looked at the backs of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and there was a hint of intimacy in their lightness.
"Mom, I saw the man who was buying fried dough twists." Yang Xiu suddenly touched her mother-in-law's arm.
"He's sitting at the fried dough twist stand in front." Upon hearing this, Hu Yufeng saw the man who came to inquire about her.
"We all sell fried dough twists. If he buys ours, he must want to learn how to make it." Yang Xiu was worried. "Isn't he going to learn our craft?"
"Okay, don't think too far ahead. It's okay to really learn it. Look at the noodles sold at the market, they are all similar. It just depends on their own skills. We just need to do our best."
Yang Xiu listened thoughtfully.
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