100 Returning With a Full Load
Mr. Wang was curious and puzzled. He knew what chestnuts were, but not tofu. ‘Is that food or an ingredient for cooking? Why didn’t Miss Binglan tell me about it or sell some to me?’
However, Mr. Wang was not too concerned about it. He knew Miss Binglan had already helped Drunken Cloud tremendously by selling two of her recipes to them.
Still, he thought of asking Miss Binglan about it later. Perhaps they could make another deal. Of course, he felt the price of the tofu recipe should be higher than the previous two. Mr. Wang knew Miss Binglan would be an excellent connection to the Drunken Cloud.
Mr. Wang approached the townsfolk lining up in front of Drunken Cloud and appeared before a lady. He asked, “Ma’am, may I know what the candied chestnuts and tofu are?”
Mr. Wang could manage Drunken Cloud well, so he naturally knew how to handle things independently.
The lady noticed Drunken Cloud’s manager was polite, so she replied smilingly, “The candied chestnuts have a sugar coating around them. Miss Binglan made them sweet and fragrant. They are delicious indeed.
“However, I’m not sure how Miss Binglan made her tofu. She said it’s an exclusive and secret recipe. The tofu is white, and it was soft and tasty when I took a bite.
“Miss Binglan suggested that I add some to a fish dish, so I made some last night, which was incredibly delicious. I also added some to some soup,” as the lady spoke, she became even hungrier.”
The lady had gone to line up in the morning market to buy tofu from Su Binglan and planned to make tofu dishes in the afternoon and evening, but she came across Drunken Cloud and decided to try their sour and spicy potato pancakes. Afterward, she would go home and make a tofu dish in the evening.
The lady’s words also aroused the surrounding townsfolks’ appetites.
“Miss Binglan’s tofu is indeed exquisite. I mixed it with some wild vegetables, and they tasted amazing.”
“Yeah, I made soup and added some tofu. My family drank it all and didn’t leave a single drop!”
Mr. Wang listened to the townsfolk on the sidelines and was surprised by what he heard. “Where did you buy the tofu, ma’am?”
The lady pointed toward the east and replied, “At the morning and night markets, sir.”
Mr. Wang nodded. “Thank you, ma’am.”
Then he entered the restaurant with doubt. He wondered why Miss Binglan did not tell him about the tofu and made a deal with him.
Still, since Su Binglan had set up a stall selling tofu, Mr. Wang thought of sending someone over to buy some so he could add them to some of Drunken Cloud’s dishes.
The lady was shocked and in a daze for a long while when Mr. Wang said thank you. The surrounding townsfolk were also flattered that a person like Mr. Wang would say thank you to them.
“The manager of Drunken Cloud is a nice person, after all.”
“Yeah, he’s not like the staff in Zhu’s Guests who look down on others.”
“That’s all the more reason to come to Drunken Cloud for a meal from now on. They have been around for many years, yet they still maintain their reputation.”
“You’re right.”
…
Whenever ordinary people like them approached Zhu’s Guests, the waiter would look down on them and chase them away, saying they should not block the entrance.
After all, the townsfolk were humans, so who would feel good after getting shooed like dogs? Nonetheless, they could not afford such expensive dishes from Zhu’s guests and could only leave.
On the other hand, Drunken Cloud was different because anyone could enter and order whatever they liked. The staff at Drunken Cloud would not care about what others wore or if they had status.
Still, the townsfolk were willing to return to Drunken Cloud because of their discounted sour and spicy potato pancakes at eight coins per plate.
…
Meanwhile, Su Binglan busied herself when she got home. In the afternoon, she brought her family to the back of the mountain to collect more soybeans, chilies, and chestnuts.
The Su family returned home with full loads of ingredients. Su Binglan even thought of buying the mountain.
However, when the Su family arrived at the village, they saw the villagers’ concerned expressions.
Some even sighed. “When will it rain again?”
“Yeah, it hasn’t rained in months. The river and our crops are about to dry up.”