Chapter 11 Sold Out. Su Zhihan had been waiting for this, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "This..."
Su Zhihan had been waiting for this, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Esteemed customer, our dried bean curd costs three coins a bag. Today is the first time we've come out to sell this dried bean curd, so if you buy two bags, there's a special discount, only five coins!"
The price isn't exactly cheap, but it's not expensive either.
If you say it's cheap, the price of a bag of braised tofu could buy a whole block of tofu, a vegetable bun, or half an ounce of candied dates; but if you say it's expensive, what snacks like braised chicken intestines, braised whelks, roasted pig ears, or fried quail are not more expensive than it?
The diner hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Give me one bag, no! Give me two bags!"
Jiang Zhenniang beamed and quickly packed the food up, then handed it over, saying, "Thank you for your patronage! Please take this. If you enjoy it and are satisfied, please come again next time!"
The customer, as if he had found a treasure, took the dried tofu and went to buy it. After this customer ordered two packs, many more were sold in succession, and the business was indeed quite good.
Jiang Zhenniang, who had been worried that the price was too high, finally breathed a sigh of relief and her calls for sale became even more crisp and loud.
It sold well, but it wasn't the kind of thing Su Zhihan had imagined—one bite and everyone was blown away, then it was all snapped up.
Some people tasted it and thought it was good, so they quickly bought a bag to try. Others shook their heads and scoffed when they heard the price: "How dare you charge such a price for a tofu snack? The dried tofu sold up ahead costs one coin a bag, and it has more than this!"
"It tastes good, but it's not worth the price."
"You can buy a whole block of tofu for three coins!"
As complaints from passersby continued to rise, even customers who had initially intended to buy began to hesitate. At that price, they could buy two meat buns or five fried dough sticks, but this was only ten pieces of dried tofu, which was indeed a bit expensive.
Jiang Zhenniang's smile froze as she watched the customers who had surrounded her turn and leave, her palms sweating. She glanced at the bamboo basket that hadn't sold many packages, gritted her teeth, and said, "Then—"
Su Zhihan spoke first, saying loudly, "Gentlemen, it is true that our dried tofu is made from tofu, but the braising sauce is not ordinary. It is made with the best spices, and we are very generous with the ingredients. Moreover, we have to stay by the side and stew it for a whole morning to get this flavor."
Then, she picked up a bag of dried bean curd, tore open the bamboo paper bag, and showed it to all the customers gathered around: "Gentlemen and ladies, look at this! What a beautiful color and what a fragrant aroma! Most importantly, it's the only one sold in the entire capital by my family!"
Hearing Su Zhihan say this, several people hesitated again.
Just as they were hesitating, a middle-aged man dressed in a silk blue robe stepped forward. He stroked his beard and laughed, "You little girl, you're young, but you're quite the smooth talker. I'd like to taste what kind of fine spices you used in your dried tofu."
Su Zhihan looked up and sized up the middle-aged man who had spoken. He had neat eyebrows and beard, wore a silk robe, a brand-new turban on his head, and a pair of clean black boots. They were of ordinary style but were spotless.
At that time, black boots were a symbol of status and wealth, usually worn only by nobles, officials, and even scholars with official titles, and they were quite expensive. Although the black boots worn by the middle-aged man had a simple pattern and style, they were probably worth four or five strings of cash, suggesting that he was a wealthy man.
"What brings you here today, Mr. Sun?"
"It's been a long time since I've seen you, Mr. Sun. How are you doing?"
"Greetings, Mr. Sun. Thank you for your help with the matter last time. I was wondering if you're free today? I'd like to invite you for a drink!"
Before Su Zhihan and Jiang Zhenniang could reply, the onlookers began greeting Master Sun. Some, unable to squeeze into the crowd, turned to Su Zhihan and said earnestly, "Young lady, it's not too late for you to change your mind now. Our Master Sun is a man of the world, a regular at some of the city's top restaurants."
Su Zhihan followed his words with a hint of surprise on her face. Although she didn't know who this official was, she was certain that he was a 'celebrity'.
Most of the people gathered here thought the prices of restaurants and teahouses were too high. A casual drink for two people in an ordinary tavern would cost about fifty or sixty coins, while a slightly better one would cost a hundred coins.
The prices at those famous restaurants had no upper limit; spending one or two strings of cash, or even five or six strings, was commonplace. It's safe to say that those who could afford to dine in such places were certainly not short of money!
"A regular customer at the restaurant?"
"Of course! Master Sun works for the government," the man who had spoken up said with a smile, as if showing off, and went on to say a lot about Master Sun.
This Mr. Sun was actually a minor official in the capital's government office. Although there's a saying that you could hit a seventh-rank official by randomly throwing a brick in the capital, proper officials were too busy with their duties for ordinary people to have any dealings with.
Clerks, on the other hand, were recruited or selected by the government to assist officials. They not only had frequent contact with lower-level officials, but also interacted with ordinary people far more often than the former.
Sun Guanren was one of them. And his job happened to be recording interrogation documents and drafting routine case documents, which were things that ordinary people could easily come into contact with.
The local people might not know the prefect's name or who the six officials in charge of the census were, but they all knew the name of Master Sun.
"That's right, that's right!"
"I even saw Mr. Sun being invited to Mr. Wang's house yesterday."
"This is nothing. The owner of Li's Pickles invited Master Sun to watch a play in the theater. He said he had invited the popular Li family girl to perform!" The diner recounted in a leisurely manner, his words filled with admiration, while also revealing the longing of ordinary people like him for officials.
"How much would that cost?"
"It would cost at least thirty or forty... no! Fifty or sixty strings of cash, wouldn't it?"
"hiss--"
"Tsk tsk tsk, if I could see this even once in my life, I would die without regrets!" The diner sighed, then remembered his business. He looked at the thin and small Su Zhihan and gave her one last reminder: "Young lady, did your mother teach you that kind of talk? Quickly persuade your mother, Master Sun is not someone you can fool."
Su Zhihan shook her head and smiled, "We didn't lie, we really did it!"
Seeing that his persuasion was in vain, the man could only sigh in pity. He didn't try to persuade him further, but instead moved away to avoid getting involved.
Su Zhihan was truly confident. She picked up a piece of dried tofu with a toothpick and offered it to him with both hands: "Master Sun, would you like to try some?"
Sun Guanren glanced at her, took out a money pouch from his small bag, counted out three copper coins and placed them in Su Zhihan's hand: "I won't take advantage of you, I'll just buy a pack from you directly."
"Master Sun, you're too kind." Su Zhihan was not worried at all when she saw that he was unwilling to take the samples and preferred to buy them herself. In fact, she was secretly glad.
Such people are either highly vigilant and cautious, unwilling to leave any evidence, or they value their reputation and status, looking down on petty gains. Whether it's the former or the latter, they are currently in a favorable position regarding the situation facing the mother and daughter.
Su Zhihan put away the toothpick, wiped her hands, picked up a bag of braised tofu and offered it to him, saying warmly, "Master Sun, please try it. My family's tofu is really different from others. The taste is excellent!"
Sun Guanren reached out and took a bag of dried bean curd. He sniffed it. Su Zhihan didn't know that Sun Guanren had come over because he had seen passersby eating this stuff. The braising sauce was strong and smelled domineering. It was also something new and unfamiliar to her.
He rarely bought cheap street food, not because he didn't like it, but mainly because he didn't want to eat like ordinary people on the go, feeling it was beneath his dignity.
Mr. Sun originally intended to go home and then have someone come and buy it, but after hearing Su Zhihan say that it was made with top-quality spices, he became interested and chimed in.
Now, with a bag of braised tofu in his palm, and smelling the sweet and salty aroma, Mr. Sun's cravings were completely awakened: "This smells really good..."
Mr. Sun opened the paper bag and carefully examined the food inside. Then he picked up a toothpick, poked a piece of braised tofu, and, seeing its glossy, amber-colored sheen, a slight smile appeared on his lips: "You said you used honey? It doesn't look like it to me; it looks more like rock candy?"
Su Zhihan gave a thumbs up and praised generously: "Master Sun is really amazing! Our family used both honey and rock sugar."
Even if only a tiny bit was used, it still counts as being used.
Nowadays, maltose is cheap, honey is next, and rock sugar is the most expensive.
To create a more layered flavor in her braised tofu, Su Zhihan used all three ingredients, and also put a lot of effort into the spices. Although it may not be as delicious as later recipes, it is by no means inferior to other braised dishes on the market.
Most importantly, rock sugar is currently produced in low quantities and is quite precious, even being given as a respectable gift when visiting relatives and friends during festivals.
Besides—Su Zhihan smiled slyly, even a tiny bit is still a bit, she wasn't lying, was she? Foods with rock sugar are rare and high-end dishes and pastries, selling them at this price is already cheap.
Sure enough, the expressions of those around them changed slightly upon hearing this, and the person who had bought and eaten most of the bag stared wide-eyed: "Why didn't you say so earlier, young lady..."
If it contains rock sugar, what does it matter if it's a little more expensive? Su Zhihan felt embarrassed and twirled a strand of hair between her fingers: "My mother said that not much is used, so it's not appropriate to use rock sugar as a gimmick."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned for a moment: "So that's how it is!"
Some people sighed, "The old lady is too kind-hearted. How could she keep it a secret like this? Look, we're all starting to misunderstand!"
Nowadays, it's common for inferior materials to be passed off as superior ones, and for superior materials to be touted as coming from the south, all in order to increase the price tenfold or twentyfold.
The lady in front of me was not mentioned because she used too few good ingredients; that's really too little.
Su Zhihan stood tall and proud, her eyes brimming with pride, clearly delighted to be praised. Then, she tilted her head back, looking at Mr. Sun with eyes full of admiration: "I didn't expect Mr. Sun to be so amazing! He recognized me with just one glance!"
"Yes, yes, Mr. Sun is amazing."
"As expected of Master Sun, he could discern the mystery just by looking at it." The surrounding people, having regained their senses, changed the subject and praised him repeatedly.
"I just ate several pieces and didn't even realize that it was made with rock sugar." Even several diners who kept taking samples shamelessly came up to him, trying to curry favor.
"Ordinary restaurants and taverns are reluctant to use it, but in large restaurants and wealthy households, rock sugar is just the most common condiment. I was fortunate enough to have the honor of trying it and broadening my horizons."
Before Su Zhihan could even say anything, the surrounding people showered Sun Guanren with flattery, making him beam with delight and smile. As he answered the questions from the people around him, he put the dried tofu he was holding into his mouth.
It smells delicious, and it tastes even better.
Mr. Sun narrowed his eyes, chewed slowly, and the sweet, salty, braised, and bean aromas wafted up. It was clearly tofu, but it tasted as wonderful as meat.
"This taste—it's really good! It's quite similar to the braised fake meat I had at Wu's Restaurant last time." Mr. Sun was already in a good mood, and the dried tofu was indeed unexpectedly delicious, so he was even more generous with his praise.
After the words were spoken, there was a moment of silence.
You should know that the Wu Family Restaurant that Master Sun mentioned is a very famous restaurant in the capital. On ordinary days, a meal there costs at least three to five strings of cash, and during festivals, the price more than doubles. Ordinary people can only order a couple of dishes to taste, and they can't even dream of having a full meal.
Then, Su Zhihan was instantly surrounded by a commotion, with countless people rushing forward, waving their hands and shouting, "Young lady, I want a pack!"
"I want two packs!"
"I want two packs too!"
Su Zhihan and Jiang Zhenniang were immediately surrounded by people. Without the two of them having to solicit anyone, the braised tofu in the bamboo basket disappeared at a visible speed.
Judging from the time, the two had only been out for a little over fifteen minutes!
Su Zhihan and Jiang Zhenniang carried their empty bamboo baskets, smiling as they walked back briskly, whispering about their plans for tomorrow: "Tomorrow morning, I'll go out to buy tofu, and you can stay home and prepare the braising ingredients."
"good."
"We need to prepare more tofu, you mean double the amount... is that feasible?"
"No problem."
"How much do you think we made today?"
"I estimate there are over a hundred copper coins."
"Oh dear... does that mean we can earn a month's salary in just two days?" Jiang Zhenniang calculated the money she would earn, feeling full of energy, and wishing she could go back to the mansion, cook another pot of food, and sell it again.
The next day, the mother and daughter went to the riverbank to sell dried bean curd again. Customers who hadn't had enough the day before or who had heard about it from others flocked to the market, and the sales were even faster than the day before.
The same applies to the third and fourth days.
After four consecutive days of good business, the mother and daughter's money increased at a visible rate.
Jiang Zhenniang calculated the money and, on her way back, she went to the cloth shop and bought half a bolt of silk cloth, two bolts of cotton cloth, and a bundle of silk thread.
Immediately afterwards, she pulled Su Zhihan toward the butcher shop, intending to buy some meat for a treat: "Hmm... we had chestnut braised chicken yesterday, shall we buy pork belly today? Mother wants to eat braised pork!"
Su Zhihan weighed her purse and thought it was worth buying some. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Why don't we buy two more taro and two more eggplants? We can make a taro and pork stew, and another eggplant and diced pork stew. We can also blanch the flatbread and use it to mix with the flatbread."
Just listening to it made Jiang Zhenniang's mouth water.
The mother and daughter quickened their pace and soon arrived at the butcher shop. Su Zhihan stepped inside, looked around, and saw that the butcher shop sold a wide variety of meats, including not only the common pork, but also rabbit, mutton, venison, and deer meat.
Pork was cheap, at thirty coins per catty, while rabbit meat was sold by the piece, at one hundred coins per rabbit, and many people bought it.
As for the latter, their prices are increasingly higher. Mutton ranges from 40 to 90 coins per catty depending on the cut, while venison costs 100 coins per catty. As for deer meat, which is considered a wild game, the price skyrockets to 600 coins per catty, and it is still in short supply.
In the short time that Su Zhihan and Jiang Zhenniang came in, four or five servants came to make reservations.
Jiang Zhenniang followed her daughter's gaze and happened to see the price of venison, and gasped in shock. She had originally wanted to buy pork, but now she changed her mind: "Han'er, how about we cut some mutton to try today? Last time I heard your sister-in-law Guihua say that the sauerkraut from Granny Li's house on the back street is used to stew mutton, and it tastes really good."
"Huh? Didn't we just agree to buy pork belly?" Su Zhihan replied instinctively, "We don't have much money yet, let's save up for a few more days before buying mutton!"
"Oh, that's true." Jiang Zhenniang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly turned to point to the hanging pork belly: "How about that big piece?"
Su Zhihan felt something was off, but before she could think about it, Jiang Zhenniang's words diverted her attention. She carefully selected her favorite piece of pork belly and also picked out a piece of pork shoulder.
"How about we buy another bunch of celery?"
Why buy celery?
"Hey, weren't you going to make celery stir-fried with pork slices?"
"No, that's not true." Su Zhihan shook her head. She was tired of the breakfasts at the manor, and she was also tired of the tiger-skin eggs. She thought that now that she had earned some money, it was time to upgrade her breakfasts.
This sandwich meat is pork foreleg meat, half fat and half lean, with a tender texture and a chewy feel. It's an excellent choice to slice it for stir-fries or chop it up and mix it into meatballs.
Su Zhihan walked back lightly, ignoring Jiang Zhenniang's repeated questioning, "Alright, alright, my mother, hurry inside—"
...
Wang's wife sat on a stool by the door, folding bean sprouts in her hand. Her gaze seemed to be on her son who was holding a toy, but in reality, it was all on Jiang Zhenniang and Su Zhihan who were passing by.
Only after the two passed by did Wang's wife raise her eyes to observe carefully. Soon her gaze fell on the bamboo basket that Jiang Zhenniang was carrying—it contained two large pieces of pork, as well as fried lotus root cakes sold in the back market.
For the servants of the Marquis's mansion, the fried meat patties sold in the market behind the gate were nothing special, and pork was even less so. The masters preferred to use mutton, venison, and beef, or fish and shrimp, and even chicken, duck, and goose were used much more often than pork.
Because the household used large quantities, even the first and second-class maids and servants often got to taste it. They also liked to have people buy it from outside to show off their wealth and status.
But for the Jiang family, this was really strange. They were always frugal, eating meat only once every two weeks, and even then, they would only buy some scraps.
On several occasions, Granny Wang would make a special trip to the market to buy some good food, which she would use to boast and at the same time make fun of the poor and stingy Jiang Zhenniang.
Yesterday, Wang's wife saw Jiang Zhenniang bring a chicken back with her own eyes, and that evening she stewed chicken with chestnuts. The aroma made Wang Dabao cry and make a fuss, and in the end she had to go to the market and spend three coins to buy a bag of roasted chestnuts to finally calm him down.
Wang's wife could smell the delicious aroma wafting from the Jiang family's house every day, and she had long suspected that Jiang Zhenniang and her daughter were out selling food to supplement their income.
But she couldn't understand what kind of food a country bumpkin like Jiang Zhenniang could possibly sell. Wang's wife forgot to pick bean sprouts and muttered to herself, "Strange, strange."
"Mother, Mother!"
Wang Dabao smelled the faint fragrance in the air, reached out and tugged at his wife's sleeve: "I want to eat fried lotus root cakes!"
"You want to eat whatever you see, but where would we get so much money?" Wang's wife didn't work at the mansion, so the family finances were all in Wang's wife's hands. She had very little savings, so she didn't have any spare money to buy snacks for her son.
"I want to eat, I want to eat, I want to eat!"
"If you keep making noise, I'll spank you!" Wang's wife threatened, then, seeing Wang Dabao pouting as if about to unleash his ultimate move, she rolled her eyes and nudged her son's back: "Your mother doesn't have any money, how can I buy it for you? Go ask your grandma, she loves you the most, she'll definitely take you to buy it!"
Wang Dabao got up and rushed into the house.
Wang's wife, carrying a basin of bean sprouts, followed them into the house. She placed the bean sprouts beside the stove and then took out a handful of ferns to wash outside.
She sat by the door, washing ferns in her hands, her eyes constantly glancing at Granny Wang's house, her ears perked up to listen to her son's commotion, hoping that Granny Wang would take Wang Dabao out to buy food, so that she could also find some money.
Before long, Wang's wife noticed that her son's crying had subsided. She calculated the time, picked up the basin, and went back into the house. Just as she put it down, she heard Wang's mother calling her.
Wang's wife entered the house expectantly and obsequiously, only to be scolded again and end up receiving just five copper coins—exactly the amount needed for three fried lotus root cakes.
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