Chapter 185: The Most Delicious Cake
Bai Ruozhu diced the tofu and directly threw it into the soup pot. As soon as she lifted the lid, a robust aroma wafted out. Fusa drew in a deep breath and asked curiously, "What are you stewing? Why does it smell so good?"
Bai Ruozhu smiled and said, "It’s just Bone Soup. The secret is that it’s been simmering for a long time." Seeing Fusa’s mouth watering, she added, "Once the tofu is boiled, I’ll give you a bowl to taste."
Fusa blushed, wondering if she appeared too greedy. She quickly shook her head, "No, no, I can’t accept any more things from you."
"It’s no issue, just a bowl of soup. It’s not worth a fortune." Bai Ruozhu smiled.
Fusa didn’t argue further with Bai Ruozhu. She turned to see her husband squatting and gnawing at the pancake. His eating manner was quite unattractive, which made her glare at him, was it really that tasty? It made them look greedily.
She took a bite of the pancake and, huh, it indeed tasted different. Not only did it smell good, but it also tasted even better.
She couldn’t resist devouring the pancake as well. Well, the image of their family was already tainted. It was the Bai family’s fault for making such delicious food.
By this time, the Market was starting to fill with people. Bai Ruozhu hung a small banner on top of the cart, with the design specifically requested by her father for the cart.
So the banner hung above the cart, boldly reading the words "Hand Grabbed Pancake".
The words were written by Bai Zepei, strong and vigorous, yet revealing a touch of scholarly elegance. It instantly gave people a sense of class.
Bai Ruozhu handed her child to her mother and started hawking, "Hot and aromatic Hand Grabbed Pancakes! Don’t miss out if you’re passing by! Buy a pancake, and get a complimentary bowl of Bone Soup. Limited quantity, first come first serve!"
The whole family was dumbfounded, staring at Bai Ruozhu incredulously. Where did she learn those hawking words? It seemed quite effective, however, was this the same shy and gentle Bai Ruozhu they knew?
Bai Zehao naturally felt that it was a last resort. His heart ached, and he tugged at Bai Ruozhu’s arm, saying, "Elder brother will hawk like you. If it’s not good, you can guide me."
Bai Ruozhu understood her elder brother felt sorry for her. She wanted to say that she was very comfortable and actually enjoying it. But she accepted the good intentions of her family and smiled, "Then I’ll leave it to you, brother."
However, Bai Zehao discovered that hawking wasn’t as easy as it seemed. When he tried to imitate Bai Ruozhu’s lines, it sounded like a cat’s meow. His voice was softer than his sister’s. Despite this, his face had turned red.
It’s not that he felt embarrassed. There was nothing humiliating about earning money through hard work and legitimate business. But he had never hawked in public before, and the script spun by Bai Ruozhu had made him feel somewhat shy.
Bai Ruozhu covered her mouth and chuckled softly. She, of course, knew the awkwardness of her elder brother’s first time hawking. Fortunately, despite his flush, Bai Zehao’s voice grew louder with each call, quickly turning into a suitable hawker.
Soon, a tall, burly man asked, "What is a Hand Grabbed Pancake? How is it sold? Is the Bone Soup truly free?" He kept sniffing, clearly attracted by the aroma.
Bai Ruozhu burst into laughter, the saying "Good wine needs no bush" came to mind.
"This is the Hand Grabbed Pancake. Choose your preferred flavors. A Plain pancake is five money, if you add an egg it’s an extra three, meat an extra ten, the vegetables inside are free." Bai Ruozhu pointed at the ingredients placed on the cart to clearly display the options. Since the business just started, she didn’t prepare too many fillings, so she kept it simple.
The burly man’s eyes lit up on seeing the half-cooked meat. Even though he eventually said, "I’ll try one with an egg first, That’s eight-money, right?"
Bai Ruozhu nodded, "Great calculation, sir. I’ll prepare a hot one for you."
Pleased to be praised, the burly man reminded her, "And my soup?"
"Coming right up!" Bai Ruozhu checked the tofu in the pot. It was well-cooked. She ladled a small bowl full of soup, placing it in a small bowl. She specially scraped off a bit of meat from the bone in the soup and put it in as well.
The burly man took another deep sniff and exclaimed, "Oh, this soup smells fantastic. It surely took a lot of effort, didn’t it?"
"Sir, you are quite the food connoisseur. You could tell just from the smell. We started simmering this soup before daybreak. Please take your time to savor it, but be careful, it’s hot." Bai Ruozhu flattered him once more.
The man thought that the title ’food connoisseur’ sounded pretty good. So he proudly took the soup spoon and started blowing on the soup. Then, he discovered a piece of meat in the soup and his eyes lit up. He thought the pancake was definitely worth the eight money as it even came with meat!
He quickly scooped up the meat and put it in his mouth, almost bursting into tears from the heat. He could only hold the meat in his mouth and blow, even though he’d been warned to be careful with the hot soup. Hence, his face turned red, but it didn’t affect his good mood.
Bai Ruozhu noticed that he had burned his mouth. Seeing her brother about to ask, she quickly gestured him not to interfere. Bai Zehao was a little confused, and went over to ask privately.
"The guy must be embarrassed. And you see how he’s acting. Clearly, he’s in pain but also happy. Why ask?" Bai Ruozhu nudged her elder brother with her elbow, "Hurry up and continue hawking."
Bai Zehao sneaked a peek at their first customer. He pondered over what Bai Ruozhu referred to as "pain and pleasure", thinking where his younger sister learned such outlandish expressions. But they were quite apt.
Bai Ruozhu’s Hand Grabbed Pancake was quickly prepared. She asked her father to deliver it to the burly man. This time, he blew on the pancake for a good while before taking a bite. After one bite, he flashed a thumbs-up at Bai Ruozhu and loudly exclaimed, "This pancake is delicious!"
He had a loud voice and his comment attracted the attention of passing people. Immediately, two other people approached to inquire about the Hand Grabbed Pancake, and one ordered a Plain Pancake, and the other ordered one with an egg.
Bai Ruozhu busied herself gracefully, preparing both pancakes at the same time and finished quickly.
The first burly man finished eating his pancake in a few bites, appearing as if he hadn’t had enough. After thinking for a bit, he said, "Shopkeeper, give me another one with an egg!" He then jovially told two other customers, "You made the right choice. This is the best pancake I’ve ever eaten."
Bai Ruozhu stifled a laugh. It was good that there were not many professional actors around at the time, otherwise, people would have suspected this guy as a shill.