"It's Xiaocao, right? Auntie is right, right?" When Auntie saw Xiaocao siblings, she greeted them warmly with a loving smile on her face.
"Auntie," Xiao Shitou bluffed impatiently, "Auntie, my second sister made delicious meat dishes and they want to sell them on the pier. The meat dishes made by my second sister are delicious. Cousin, would you like to try it?"
The eldest aunt shook her head again and again, and said, "Your dishes are sold for money, so we won't taste them. However, the price of meat dishes must not be low, right? Maybe it's not easy to sell..."
"I'm going to chat while talking! Standing here will affect my business!!" Behind them was a simple shed selling hot noodle soup, with two or three dilapidated tables inside. The speaker was a woman with slender feet, thin eyebrows and eyes, and high cheekbones.
"Ma'am, I'm selling side dishes, which doesn't conflict with your business, can you..." Xiaocao thought that if she was willing to spend money on noodles, she would definitely not be stingy to buy a piece of stewed vegetables for a taste.
"No, no! Go away quickly, and delay my business, can you afford it?" The woman with high cheekbones squinted at them with disdain in the way she looked at a beggar.
The eldest aunt pulled Xiaocao who was about to say something, and said in a low voice: "Let's go, this woman is notoriously difficult. You can go to Uncle Liu's stall, his family also sells noodles."
Just as I was talking, the dock workers came off work, and came here in a dark mass.
Seeing this, the eldest aunt hurriedly said to the siblings: "Now is the opportunity to sell food, hurry up and solicit business. Will you know, do you want the help of the eldest aunt?"
Xiaocao shook her head and refused, "Auntie, go and do your work first. Before you came, Dad taught us how to attract guests."
After the eldest aunt left, the siblings came to the stall of a kind-hearted old man and asked politely, "Grandpa, can we sell some side dishes next to your stand?"
The old man was exactly what my aunt called Uncle Liu, and he was a very talkative old man. He felt sorry for the siblings who came out to make a living at a young age, and readily agreed.
The siblings stood still beside the stall, looked at each other with a smile, Xiaoshi immediately shouted at the top of his voice, "One penny for meat dishes, only one penny for meat dishes! Uncles with dry food, buy a portion of meat dishes and try it." Come on. No food, no money!"
"What? There are meat and vegetable vendors? Only one penny per serving?"
"Aren't you stupid? Meat is so expensive now. If you sell it for a penny, why don't you break it off?"
"One penny worth of meat and vegetables, I'm afraid it's not enough to fit between the teeth... Forget it, let's buy some pickles."
…
Although the cries of the small stones attracted the attention of many dock workers, many waited and watched, but none of them paid for it.
Xiao Shitou was anxious, looked at his sister, and said, "Sister, what should I do? Why don't they buy such delicious meat dishes?"
Xiaocao had expected this situation. For new things, people still need a process of acceptance. She thought for a while, opened the basket, opened a greased paper bag, borrowed Grandpa Liu's noodle-cutting knife, cut the chicken offal into small pieces, came to an uncle who was eating noodle soup, and said with a smile: "Uncle, try our noodles." The meat and vegetables are free. If they don’t taste good, you have nothing to lose, right?”
The uncle hesitated for a moment, and was about to reach out to take a piece of chicken gizzard she handed over, but was stopped by his companion: "Don't! Old Zhao, who knows if she is a liar? If you eat it, she will rely on you." What should I do if I ask you to give me money?"
Hearing this, the uncle withdrew his outstretched hand. Little Stone stared anxiously.
Yu Xiaocao was not in a hurry, and said with a smile on her face: "Uncle, look at the small size of our sister and brother, it is not enough for you to hold it with one finger. Uncle, how can I deceive you?"
Old Zhao rubbed his chin, thinking about it was right. If the meat and vegetables she mentioned are not to my liking, she has nothing to do if she doesn't pay. The copper plate is in his purse, how can the two little ones snatch it away
He took the bamboo stick in Xiaocao's hand, skewered a piece of chicken liver, put it in his mouth and chewed it carefully. The dense and mellow taste of the chicken liver melted lightly in his mouth, causing his eyes to burst into scorching light.
"Good! Good!! It's so delicious!! One penny, right? Give me one!" Old Hao took out a copper coin from his pocket without any hesitation.
His companion shook his head and said, "It's so delicious, is a penny enough to fill the gap between your teeth? Old Hao, you've been fooled!"
Xiao Shitou gave him a hard look, and said, "My father said, you must be honest when doing business. It's our first time doing business, so of course we won't ruin our reputation."
Xiaocao took out a pack of stewed vegetables from the basket and said with a smile: "Yes, yes! In the future, we will continue to introduce new varieties of meat dishes for a penny, and we will never ruin the signboard by ourselves. Uncle Zhao, your stewed vegetables... "
The rich aroma still lingered in his mouth, and Lao Zhan couldn't wait to open the oiled paper bag, and found that besides the stewed vegetables he had just tasted, there were other things in it, which amounted to half a bowl. After tasting, he found that although the textures were different, they tasted the same delicious.
"It's called stewed vegetables? I haven't heard of it yet! It's good, delicious and affordable!! Give me another pack, and I'll take it back for my mother-in-law and children to try!" Lao Zhao mixed the stewed chicken offal with noodle soup, glowing thick The noodle soup with strong bean flavor has also become much more delicious.
"Okay!" Xiaocao took the copper plate, took another bag of stewed chicken offal, and spooned a few pieces of stewed chicken blood from the jar, put them in Lao Zhao's bowl, and said, "This blood tofu is too tender. , if you put it in a paper bag, it will all be crushed. I'd better add it to the noodles for you!"
"Wow! It's really worth the money!" Old Hao felt that he had earned it.
Others saw that Lao Zhao was full of praise while eating, and the money was not much, so they also paid for a piece to have a taste. Some are sandwiched in the cakes I brought, some are put in the vegetable soup I bought, and some are eaten with hot steamed buns...
Many people ate well and bought another copy to take home. You know, the cheapest meat on the market costs more than ten yuan a catty, and you can eat two slices for a penny at most. The meat and vegetables sold by this little girl taste better than those made at home, but the point is that they are plentiful and affordable!
After a while, Xiaocao sold more than forty copies. The cost of the seasoning came back, Xiaocao was so happy that he had teeth and eyes, and surrounded by a few dock workers who came late and were afraid of missing it.
"What are you talking about over there? Who is causing trouble, don't blame me to kick him out!" The foreman ordered some special dishes in the only shed selling stir-fried vegetables, and poured wine for the steward of this batch of goods graciously.
"Boss, I'll go and have a look!" There are always a few errands around the foreman. He ran towards the place surrounded by the crowd.
"Liu Guanshi, the conditions here are too simple. There is a small market a little further away, and there is a restaurant there that tastes good, or..." The foreman looked at the dishes in front of him, and he felt shabby, afraid that the hospitality would not be good. This big client will not look for him if he has business.
Guanshi Liu shook his head, and said, "This batch of goods is urgently rushed in Beijing. When you can't eat after dinner, let's load the goods into the car first."
"Okay, okay! Don't worry, Guanshi Liu, I promise to install it for you before the end of time!" The foreman raised his glass and toasted Guanshi Liu. This is the steward of Liu's family, a well-known wealthy businessman in Beijing. If you accompany him, the business of Liu's family will not be taken away by his rival every month.
"Boss, no one is making trouble. It's a little girl who is selling meat and vegetables for a penny! Brothers agreed, and I bought a copy too. You and Guanshi Liu will try it." Buying a filial piety to the boss and serving the boss well, how can I get less benefits from him in the future
"What kind of meat can you buy for a penny? What kind of meat is this? Is it edible?" The foreman said, he tasted it himself, huh? The taste is really not bad, "Liu Guanshi, this meat dish is delicious, even better than that restaurant in the market. Would you like to try it?"
As the steward of a big merchant's family, Steward Liu has never eaten any kind of food, but when he picked up a piece of chicken gizzard and took it into the mouth, the expression on his face immediately softened. He has traveled all over the country for half his life, but he really has never eaten such delicious food.
Guanshi Liu asked casually: "This tastes neither like pork, nor beef or sheep. It tastes like chicken, but my old Liu has never seen the cooking method. Not bad, not bad! The taste is also smooth. "
The foreman saw that Guanshi Liu had eaten several bites in a row, and he looked like he couldn't stop, so he hurriedly said to the runner: "Second son, it's rare that Guanshi Liu likes it. Go! Buy two more."
Liu Guanshi did not stop him, with a satisfied smile on his face. The foreman was secretly happy—this big client was finally settled!
"Boss! The meat and vegetables for a penny are all sold out... However, I brought the little girl who sells vegetables. There is still some blood tofu in her basket. Do you want it?" came back.
"Blood tofu? Is it the dark brown lumps inside? It's called 'blood tofu'. It's even tenderer than tofu, but it tastes much better than tofu!" Steward Liu gently picked up a piece of marinated chicken blood and put it on the Taste it with relish.
Seeing that Guanshi Liu liked it, the foreman turned to Xiaocao and said, "I'll pay for all the blood tofu in your jar. I'll give you ten cents, is that enough?"
Xiaocao shook her head with a smile, and said, "Uncle Foreman, I can't ask for so much! The blood tofu is at most like a bowl, and you can give me two cents!"
Guanshi Liu glanced at it and said, "I didn't expect such a cheap thing to taste so delicious. What is this blood tofu made of?"
Xiaocao thought for a while, and said, "Can the uncle in charge usually accept some uncommon food?"
Manager Liu laughed, and said, "I manage a big business. Why haven't I eaten it all over the world? In southern Guangdong, I even ate rats and poisonous snakes! They often sound scary, but they taste really good. Tell me, little one." Girl, I can't scare the old man!"