Zhu Yuanting devised a plan. He took out one tael of silver, found several beggars, and arranged for them to spread the news in the four major areas of the capital.
The news had spread in just a quarter of an hour.
"Yu Zhizhi has gone mad! She's actually set up a stall in front of the Sixth Prince's residence!"
"It is said that Yu Zhizhi sells a kind of snack that smells extremely foul at a street stall."
"Yu Zhizhi is definitely out of her mind. Why would she choose to set up a stall in front of the quiet Sixth Prince's residence instead of going to a lively and bustling place? What is she after?"
"No, I have to go and join in the fun, to see what Yu Zhizhi is really up to."
…………
At this moment, Yu Zhizhi was still dreaming of being a lazy bum and was sleeping soundly.
Unbeknownst to her, two groups of people were attacking her at that moment.
One group came after trying the stinky tofu and being attracted by its unique flavor; the other group came after hearing some rumors.
"Miss, wake up!" Xiao Tao gently nudged Yu Zhizhi, who was fast asleep.
Yu Zhizhi rubbed her sleepy eyes, stretched, and asked, "Did you buy the steamed buns? I'm so hungry."
"I bought it, but you'll have to eat it later. There are already more than a dozen customers buying stinky tofu."
Yu Zhizhi looked in the direction Xiao Tao was pointing and saw a group of people standing in front of her stall, their faces full of anticipation.
She immediately beamed with joy; the free sample tactic really worked.
Yu Zhizhi enthusiastically called out to the diners, "Dear customers, please wait a moment, I will start frying the stinky tofu right away."
Because a larger quantity was being fried this time, the stench was much stronger than before.
At that moment, the people within a hundred meters of the stall all pinched their noses and looked uncomfortable.
If those dozen or so diners hadn't tasted stinky tofu not long ago, they probably wouldn't have dared to buy this freshly made stinky tofu so easily, since its smell was just too pungent.
People who came to join the fun gradually walked over from not far away. The closer they got to the stall, the more they regretted their gossip.
It stinks.
It was pure torture!
Can you eat something that smells so bad?
Zhang Lei, Zhu Yuanting, and Yu Shujin were also among the crowd. After Zhu Yuanting had the beggar spread rumors, he rode his horse to Zhang's residence.
As it happened, Yu Shujin was also there. After learning that Yu Zhizhi had done something stupid again, the three of them rushed over there to see her make a fool of herself.
"Yu Zhizhi, what the hell did you fry? It's all black."
Yu Zhizhi, who was working diligently, looked up at the speaker.
Zhang Lei was looking at her with a sly smile, with two tagalongs behind him: Zhu Yuanting and Yu Shujin.
OK!
You can come and join in the fun, but if you interfere with her business, don't blame her for being impolite.
"Are you blind? Can't you see this is tofu?"
Zhang Lei was retorted by Yu Zhizhi's retort: "Then why is the tofu black and smelly? Are you selling spoiled tofu? Yu Zhizhi, how can you be so heartless!"
"Believe it or not, I'll report you to the authorities and have you arrested. This thing is so awful, even a pig wouldn't eat it, let alone a human."
Yu Zhizhi chuckled, "You think stinky tofu smells bad, but it tastes delicious; as for why tofu is black, I don't need to explain the profound principles to a good-for-nothing like you."
"Besides, how do you know pigs don't like to eat it?"
Zhang Lei could already feel it; at that moment, more than a dozen cold, piercing gazes were fixed on him.
One of the men shouted, "Who are you yelling at? I just tasted it. This stinky tofu may smell bad, but it's not poisonous. I'm still standing here perfectly fine, aren't I?"
Other diners in line chimed in, "Yeah, young man, don't talk nonsense."
"This food smells delicious, better than anything I've ever eaten. Don't block my way."
………
Zhang Lei was left speechless by the rebuttal.
Yu Zhizhi was naturally happy that she didn't have to keep arguing with him. After the stinky tofu was fried, she said to the first customer in line:
"Uncle, would you like it mild, medium, or extra spicy?"
"Mildly spicy".
"Okay!"
Xiao Tao smiled and said to the middle-aged man in front of her, "Uncle, a serving of stinky tofu is 20 coins. Please pay the bill."
This time, Zhang Lei and his two companions didn't even need to say a word; some people in the crowd who were watching the spectacle had already started complaining.
"20 coins a piece? Why doesn't she just rob someone?"
"Yes! That price could buy four large pieces of firm tofu."
"I'd rather use this money to buy a pound of fatty meat. This dark, stinky tofu is vegetarian, after all. How can it compare to meat?"
The uncle was a merchant with plenty of money. 20 coins was nothing to him, so he easily took out 20 coins from his sleeve and handed them to Xiao Tao.
After taking the bamboo tube, his eyes never left the large portion of stinky tofu inside. He couldn't help but lean closer to sniff it and exclaimed in surprise:
"I must say, the smell is really peculiar. At first, it smells pungent, but upon closer inspection, it has a rich and enticing aroma."
It's probably the milky white broth and garlic chili sauce inside that make this stinky tofu smell so enticing.
Finally, he could eat to his heart's content. He put a whole piece of stinky tofu into his mouth and chewed it carefully.
Seeing this, a young man who was watching the commotion called out anxiously, "Uncle, stop eating! At least say something! How does it taste?"
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