The next day.
Before the sky was even bright, Gu Lin woke up from his sleep. Looking at the pitch-black night outside his window, he couldn’t help but sigh that he was now waking up even earlier than he used to when he was studying.
After washing up and finishing breakfast, Gu Lin went to the woodshed, opened the wooden lid of a large earthen jar, and took out several baskets of vegetables from inside.
Some of these vegetables were given by Sister-in-law Zhao, and others he had picked himself from the vegetable plot in his courtyard.
Ever since returning from the county town, Gu Lin had figured out what business he wanted to start.
Other businesses either required demanding craftsmanship or demanded too much capital investment upfront. Given Gu Lin’s current situation, neither of those types of business suited him. But selling food was different from other businesses. Since ancient times, the idea that “food is the people’s heaven” was deeply ingrained in people’s bones; as long as people had a little silver in their pockets, they would end up spending it on food. Moreover, the most important point, and the one Gu Lin valued the most, was that compared to other businesses, selling food required low investment while yielding real, visible returns.
After careful deliberation, Gu Lin chose cold dishes as the food to sell.
He had noticed that all the food stalls in the county town sold the same old things; although they seemed varied, none of them offered cold dishes. Compared to other foods from Gu Lin’s memories, cold dishes were simpler to prepare. Furthermore, it was currently May, and the weather was hot. If the cold dishes were made well, there would be no shortage of business.
After washing the vegetables, Gu Lin placed them on a wooden table to the side, cutting some into strips and others into slices. Once all the vegetables were prepped, he poured them into a pot. Taking advantage of the time while the vegetables were blanching, Gu Lin did not stay idle; he took out several bamboo tubes and portioned out the sauce needed for mixing the cold dishes into each tube.
Once the vegetables were cooked, Gu Lin portioned them into fifty bamboo tubes. Next, he heated oil in the pot and added the Sichuan peppercorns he had bought at a high price to fry them until fragrant. This was the secret to making delicious cold dishes. Timing it carefully to avoid burning the peppercorns, Gu Lin lifted the iron wok and poured the hot oil into an earthen jar he had prepared in advance.
After getting everything ready, Gu Lin packed the items into a large bamboo basket, then squatted down to hoist it onto his back. Because the basket was extremely heavy, he staggered a few steps upon standing up.
Once he steadied himself, Gu Lin stepped out of the woodshed. He looked at the pitch-black courtyard, which was now lit up with a faint glow, and saw Zheng Hao standing right in the middle of it.
Gu Lin thought for a moment and asked, “I am going to the county town to sell food. Do you want to come along?”
In Gu Lin’s eyes, Zheng Hao was simply too young. Coupled with the fact that the boy had always suffered from his father’s neglect and the original owner’s abuse, even though Gu Lin knew that Zheng Hao would kill the original owner in the original book, after spending two days together, he still could not help but feel a tender pity for him.
“I will go,” Zheng Hao said.
Just like the day before when they reached the village entrance, Uncle Zhang’s ox cart was already occupied by several people.
Seeing Gu Lin approaching with a bamboo basket on his back, no one questioned him. It was extremely common for farming folk to carry home-grown vegetables to sell in the county town. At their feet sat large and small bamboo baskets as well, filled to the brim with vegetables to sell.
Seeing Zheng Hao follow Gu Lin out for two consecutive days, a married woman could not help but tease, “Young Zheng, I have not caught sight of you these past few days. Did you stop going to play with Uncle’s Gouzi?”
Gu Lin originally thought that given Zheng Hao’s personality, he would not answer, but unexpectedly, although the boy kept a cold and stern face, he answered the woman with relative patience.
Zheng Hao replied, “It has been a bit inconvenient lately. I will go find Gouzi again in a few days.”
“Then you had better hurry up. I keep seeing Gouzi and the others talking about you every day.”
Hearing this, Gu Lin looked somewhat strangely at the boy beside him. He had thought that, given the boy’s precocious mindset, he would disdain playing with children his own age. But from the implication of the woman’s words, not only did Zheng Hao play with other kids, but he also seemed to be the leader among them.
Feeling an inexplicable contrast, the corners of Gu Lin’s lips curved into a smile.
Noticing Gu Lin’s strange look, Zheng Hao turned his head and shot him a fierce glare.
Gu Lin smiled slightly at him, then calmly withdrew his gaze.
Zheng Hao frowned, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Why was Gu Lin smiling at him for no reason?
Upon reaching the county town, Gu Lin did not set up a stall along the street like the others from the village. Instead, he went to the busiest street and rented a stall space from the street manager for the morning for ten copper coins.
The street manager handed him a wooden plaque and said, “If anyone comes to inspect, just show them this plaque.”
Gu Lin thanked him, took the plaque, and walked with Zheng Hao toward the assigned spot the manager had pointed out.
Perhaps because they arrived relatively early, Gu Lin’s stall was not at the back but located right in the middle of the street. He took out the bamboo tubes and various utensils from his bamboo basket and arranged them neatly in order.
Looking at the bustling crowd passing by, Gu Lin turned to look at Zheng Hao beside him. Remembering that the boy had followed him all the way to the county town without even eating breakfast, he said, “I will mix a portion of cold dishes for you to line your stomach.”
Zheng Hao did not speak, but in his mind, he recalled what Gu Lin had said yesterday. Finally, he nodded.
Seeing this, Gu Lin opened a bamboo tube, poured the vegetables inside into a large bowl in front of him, and then successively added rendered lard, chopped wild pepper, finely minced garlic, and sauce, finishing with a drizzle of vinegar. Using wooden chopsticks and a spoon, he quickly mixed everything together. Once evenly blended, Gu Lin poured the cold dishes back into the original bamboo tube and placed it in front of Zheng Hao. “Taste it and see how it is.”
Meeting Gu Lin’s gentle, smiling expression, Zheng Hao took the bamboo tube, picked up a piece of cucumber covered in wild pepper, and began to eat.
Suddenly, his chewing motion paused. The crisp, sweet freshness of the cucumber and the sour, spicy seasoning blended together in his mouth, a flavor he had never tasted before. He did not know how to describe it, only feeling that the cold dishes in the bamboo tube brought a refreshing coolness amid the scorching summer heat.
He continued by picking up a piece of eggplant and putting it into his mouth. The tender, soft eggplant flesh had absorbed the rich sauce, seeming to melt right upon the tip of his tongue. It was sour, spicy, fragrant, and oily, tasting almost like meat, yet possessing a refreshing crispness that real meat lacked.
“How is it? Is it delicious?”
Gu Lin pressed for an answer. Although he had confidence in his culinary skills, he had never cooked for anyone else before, and deep down he could not help feeling anxious, afraid that others would not like what he made.
Despite his aversion to Gu Lin, Zheng Hao had to admit that the food the other made tasted good. Just as he was about to give a response, a customer arrived at the stall.
“Boss, what are you selling here? It smells so good!” A medium-height, slightly plump middle-aged man walked over and asked.
From the moment he stepped onto this street, Chen Wu had caught a strong, overpowering fragrance. The various distinct food stalls he usually smelled had been completely suppressed by this aroma. Chen Wu’s mouth watered, and following the direction from which the scent drifted, he found this little stall right in front of him.
Seeing that the person standing behind the stall was a young and beautiful ge’er, Chen Wu was somewhat surprised; food this fragrant had actually been made by the young ge’er before him.
Gu Lin had no idea what the man was thinking. Seeing his first customer arrive at the stall, he took it very seriously. “This little stall sells cold dishes, seasoned and tossed with a secret blend of spices. They taste sour, spicy, and appetizing, and the prices are affordable with no deception to young or old.”
Hearing that such a tiny food stall was even connected to secret spices, Chen Wu became even more curious.
Especially when he saw the child behind the stall eating cold dishes that continuously exuded an enticing aroma, Chen Wu could not hold back anymore. He said to the ge’er in front of him, “Quick, mix a portion of cold dishes for me.”
“Alright.”
Successfully landing his first transaction, Gu Lin happily opened a bamboo tube and, under the man’s watchful gaze, repeated the exact same actions he had just done for Zheng Hao. Once evenly mixed, Gu Lin poured the cold dishes into a bamboo tube and handed it to the customer along with a bamboo skewer.
Chen Wu took the lead by piercing a piece of lotus root slice. When it came to food, especially novel food, Chen Wu always liked to first appreciate it visually before tasting it. Looking at the lotus root slice on the skewer, he saw that its originally pale white body was stained with a light red tint. Even before tasting it, the sour and spicy aroma rushed straight into his nose, immensely tempting.
Chen Wu swallowed hard and eagerly took a bite.
Instantly, his eyes widened slightly. The sour and spicy combination of wild pepper and vinegar erupted in his mouth, but it was not just the flavor of the seasoning; on his tongue, beneath the overpowering sourness and spice, lay the fresh sweetness of the lotus root slice. Yet, if it were only to this point, Chen Wu would not have been so dazed. Once the sour, spicy, and sweet flavors faded from his oral cavity, a subtle, numbing, rich fragrance lingered long on the tip of his tongue without dissipating.
The bamboo tube was the size of a palm and the width of an index finger, and the cold dishes packed inside were solid and substantial, completely enough for one person to eat. Yet very quickly, Chen Wu finished the entire tube of cold dishes. Still unsatisfied, he said to Gu Lin, “Boss, mix another five tubes of cold dishes for me.”
When he first watched the man eat the cold dishes, Gu Lin had been holding his breath, terrified that the other would not get used to the taste. But seeing the man’s expression and reaction after eating, Gu Lin’s uneasy heart slowly settled down.
Sure enough, the moment the man finished the cold dishes, without even offering a verbal critique, he immediately bought five more tubes, making it abundantly clear just how satisfied he was with the cold dishes.
His inner joy mounting, Gu Lin deftly and swiftly began mixing the cold dishes. Because he kept his head down, he did not notice that the crowd gathering near his stall was growing larger and larger.
By the time he finished mixing the cold dishes and looked up, seeing a crowd of people suddenly surrounding him and nearly boxing him in, a look of shock and bewilderment crossed Gu Lin’s face.
Gu Lin did not know when these people had gathered around, but Zheng Hao did.
Even before Chen Wu started eating the cold dishes, the people on the street had already been drawn in. To put it simply, the aroma of the cold dishes was so enticing that when people faced the usually fragrant steamed buns and sesame flatbreads, they found them utterly tasteless.
They followed the aroma closer. At first, restrained by the fact that they had never seen this small stall before, they did not dare to try it lightly. But when seeing Chen Wu, a well-known foodie in the county town, buy a portion of cold dishes and eat it, first showing a look of shock, then eating at an increasingly rapid speed, until finishing with an expression of sheer satisfaction and immediately buying several more tubes of cold dishes, everyone instantly realized that this little stall had the real deal.
One after another, they could no longer hold back and called out:
“Ge’er, I want a portion of cold dishes!”
“Little ge’er, I want a portion too!”
“Don’t push, you guys! I want three portions!”
Business suddenly exploded. Gu Lin’s emotions were intensely thrilled, but with so many people buying cold dishes, he inevitably became a bit flustered. “Everyone, do not rush, wait a moment, come one by one!”
Gu Lin first gave the completed cold dishes to Chen Wu, collected the money, and swiftly prepared the next person’s order.
Zheng Hao appeared by his side at some point, helping to open the bamboo tubes and pack the mixed cold dishes. Gu Lin felt a pleasant surprise, but the customers in front of him did not allow him to get distracted. He muttered a quick thanks and continued busily working.
Just like that, Gu Lin continuously mixed dishes and collected money until only the last two bamboo tubes remained. He shouted loudly, “There are only the last two portions of cold dishes left, those behind do not bother waiting in line.”
Gu Lin quickly prepared the final two portions and handed them to two different customers.
Seeing this, the customers waiting in line behind them cried out with deep disappointment, “Why did it sell out so fast? It has not even been the length of an incense stick.”
“Ge’er, are you coming back tomorrow?”
Those who had not managed to get any cold dishes asked, unwilling to give up.
Gu Lin had not expected today’s business to be so good, which was why he had only prepared fifty portions of cold dishes. Now seeing how readily everyone accepted the cold dishes, he quickly said, “Do not worry, everyone, I will definitely come tomorrow. Today I prepared too few cold dishes, so tomorrow I will prepare more.”