After recounting those stories from back then, He Liu still felt lingering fear and patted her chest in alarm.
"After that, all the vendors left and stayed far away. Shanhe's wife, you can't set up a stall here, it's not safe here." Seeing that Su Yun'er didn't reply, she shook Su Yun'er's arm again.
Su Yun'er laughed: "Auntie, tell me, is poverty more terrifying, or is lightning more terrifying?"
"They're all terrifying!"
Su Yun'er covered her mouth and laughed.
In Su Yun'er's opinion, the so-called "water-side evil" lightning was just a coincidence. The old man's death as a result was a tragedy, but there was no need to be afraid that setting up a stall at the dock would bring disaster.
“Auntie, look at these laborers working at the dock. They all rely on the dock for their livelihood every day. That old man also relies on the dock for his livelihood. If there really is a water-related evil spirit, how could only one person suffer?”
"But some people say that it was that mad monk who predicted the 'water-side curse'," He Liu said, looking puzzled.
"Then could I say that the old monk was a jinx, causing a peaceful dock to suffer misfortune?" Su Yun'er shook her head.
"Huh? This...this seems to make sense too." He Liu was stunned.
"Don't worry, Auntie, I've decided. I'll set up my stall here." Su Yun'er took a few steps forward to get a better view of the entire dock, put her hands on her hips, and began to plan where she should set up her stall.
On the way back, He Liu still tried to persuade Su Yun'er not to set up a stall at the dock. Su Yun'er naturally wouldn't give up. Later, He Liu got angry and stormed off. Su Yun'er called her several times but she didn't respond.
Su Yun'er was thinking about how to appease her, but when she opened the courtyard gate the next morning, she was confronted by He Liu, who was about to knock on the door.
"Oh, Auntie?" Su Yun'er was quite surprised, not expecting it.
As soon as He Liu saw Su Yun'er, he immediately put on a stern face: "What's wrong? Can't I come?"
"Come on in, come on in. I was just worried you wouldn't talk to me for days," Su Yun'er said with a smile, pulling him inside.
Seeing that she was carrying a basket, He Liu asked her, "Are you going to buy something?"
"Yes, I need to go to the city to see if we're missing any materials. I'll buy some of what we can, and also some plates and bowls. Since we're selling food at the docks, we definitely need to have all of these ready."
"I knew it. Let's go, I'll go with you."
He Liu still had a bit of a proud and arrogant air about her. Su Yun'er smiled and took her arm, saying with a grin, "Then please lead the way, Auntie."
"Your character," He Liu said with a playful reproach.
With He Liu by her side, shopping was no longer as boring as before. Su Yun'er even rediscovered some of the feeling of shopping with her best friends in her previous life.
Although tofu pudding is the main dish, since there are no other merchants at the dock, Su Yun'er has no choice but to sell staple foods as well.
So Su Yun'er and He Liu went to the grain store first.
The grain store had many large wooden barrels, containing not only rice and flour, but also various beans and other grains.
Su Yun'er looked around the store and finally chose a dish of aged rice and mixed grain noodles.
While aged rice and mixed grain flour may not taste as good as new rice and wheat flour, and they lack aroma, they are cheaper, making them suitable for my large-volume orders. Furthermore, as a small business, my focus is on low prices and affordability; expensive new rice would only increase costs and backfire.
Su Yun'er bought a variety of seasonings, side dishes, and other necessities, but bought less of what she already had in her space so she could secretly take them out to replenish her supplies, saving money wherever possible.
The only things that can't be omitted are the large wooden buckets used to hold the tofu pudding, as well as pots, pans, and other utensils.
Large wooden barrels were easy to find; two medium-sized barrels were enough for the initial use, and more could be added later if business was good and sales were high.
As for pots, pans, and other kitchenware, He Liu knew there was a folk porcelain kiln near Yongning County, and buying directly there would be much cheaper, so Su Yun'er went with her to take a look.
Unexpectedly, we were really lucky. There was a batch of bowls and plates that a restaurant had ordered, but because the patterns were not uniform, they could not be shipped. If we sold them to ordinary people, such a large quantity of bowls and plates would not be sold at all, and many of them would end up being smashed and buried.
The kiln owner was heartbroken, but when he heard that Su Yun'er had come to buy porcelain and didn't mind the bowls and plates with uneven patterns, he immediately and enthusiastically led Su Yun'er to select one bowl and one plate at a time.
Bowls, plates, chopsticks, and spoons are the basic items to be provided for the guests; Su Yun'er also needs to replenish some containers for seasonings and side dishes.
They selected quite a lot, and by the end, the two of them couldn't carry it all. The kiln owner not only helped pack up all the bowls and plates, but also called a helper to hitch up a horse-drawn carriage and deliver Su Yun'er and the pile of bowls and plates to their doorstep.
Back home, Su Yun'er found that the beans she had soaked in advance were ready. Her family had eaten sweet tofu pudding before, but today she wanted to try making savory tofu pudding.
Since it was for their own consumption, the quantity was small, and a large bucket was quickly made. Su Yun'er asked the two children to call Aunt Song and He Liu to come and eat, and to help with the seasoning of her tofu pudding.
After all, they understand the tastes and preferences of people in this era better.
Chop the ready-made pickled mustard greens into small cubes, wash and finely chop the cilantro, and set them aside for later use.
After rinsing the star anise and bay leaves, put them in a pot with soy sauce and bring to a boil. The sauce is now ready.
When you're ready to eat, add all the toppings to the bowl of tofu pudding, then mix it in or eat it directly.
In addition, Su Yun'er also made some chili oil.
There was still some chili powder left, so I added some white sesame seeds, poured hot oil over it, and seasoned it with salt and soy sauce. It was fragrant and spicy, and the aroma alone was enough to make your mouth water.
However, not many people here can eat spicy food or love spicy food, so Su Yun'er doesn't need to make too much chili oil.
It was the first time for both Aunt Song and He Liu to eat tofu pudding. Looking at the bowl of white and tender tofu pudding, they were both very fond of it. Before Su Yun'er could prepare the seasonings, the two of them had already eaten the whole bowl of tofu pudding.
After eating it, He Liu praised it repeatedly: "This tofu pudding not only has a nice name, but it's also smooth and slippery. You can suck it down in one gulp, which is quite fun."
"Yes, that's one of the reasons I chose to sell tofu pudding. The other day at the dock, I saw those laborers wolfing down their meals. Some of them even swallowed hard flatbreads with water, just to finish their food quickly so they could get back to work. The dockworkers do physical labor, and a delicious and filling meal is the most precious thing for them. This tofu pudding can be eaten with rice, steamed buns, flatbreads, or even noodles. If we expand our business, we can add more variety."
Aunt Song nodded in agreement: "You've thought things through very thoroughly. But how can you manage all this stuff by yourself?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com