The food street wasn’t very long; it was shaped like a megaphone, with the wide end facing the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment and the other end facing the school.
Everyone liked to crowd around the school entrance to set up their stalls, all thinking that children’s money was easy to make. Even though one could see a new batch of stalls every short while, people still rushed in one after another to set up snacks here.
Qiao Man did the opposite, continuing to set up her stall on the side of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment.
Most of those walking through here were workers who needed to start their early shifts. Their only requirements for breakfast were large portions that were filling and cheap. Most stalls at this end sold things like large flatbreads or baked buns stuffed with vegetables. These vendors didn’t just earn money from this side; when the rush here ended, they would push their carts toward the school. However, by that time, there would be no good spots left.
At six in the morning, workers walked over from the residential complexes in groups of two or three, carrying their hard hats and discussing the “soul soup” (inspirational quotes) they had scrolled through the night before.
Now that it was November, although the ground hadn’t frozen yet, many construction sites had suspended work. The number of workers coming out to buy breakfast in the morning was significantly lower than last month.
They had their familiar stalls, where they would ask for a baked bun stuffed with vegetables: vinegar-glazed potato shreds, stir-fried cabbage, soy sauce vermicelli, shredded chicken with carrots… five yuan for three types of filling, stuffed as tightly as possible into a palm-sized bun.
For those who wanted to treat themselves a bit better, they would add two pieces of dark-colored braised pork and a marinated egg. It didn’t look pretty, but it was heavy on oil and salt—perfect for those doing manual labor. Most importantly, it was cheap!
Consequently, the stalls around Qiao Man were instantly swarmed with people. Even the Porridge Sister had made a sale, while the area in front of Qiao Man’s food cart remained desolate.
The sister knocked on the door of the food cart and asked, “I thought you weren’t coming out anymore. I didn’t expect you to be even earlier than before.”
Qiao Man stepped out and saw another unfamiliar woman, only then hearing the Porridge Sister introduce her: “Her surname is Zhou. The two of us used to work together; we were colleagues. Since I’m quitting this porridge stall, she’s planning to buy my cart and take over the business. Oh, her husband sells fried skewers at the other end of this food street.”
She then introduced Qiao Man to Sister Zhou. Sister Zhou was all smiles, her eyes crinkling with wrinkles at the corners as she showered Qiao Man with praise: “Little Qiao is so beautiful. You look quite young; do you have a boyfriend? I heard you’re raising a child by yourself—that’s so hard. I have a nephew…”
Before she could finish, the Porridge Sister desperately pulled her away. Seeing Qiao Man’s face turn cold, she signaled frantically with her eyes for her to shut up.
Sister Zhou curled her lip. Recalling the daily revenue the Porridge Sister had mentioned overhearing, she suppressed the urge to continue talking.
If it weren’t for the chance to make some money off this young woman, she wouldn’t have come over to put on a smiling face! Why put on airs here? Who was she trying to impress? She was a divorcee with a kid; was it forbidden to talk about it?
Sister Zhou tucked her hands into her sleeves and took a half-step back, watching them coldly.
Qiao Man glanced at Sister Zhou and understood the Porridge Sister’s intent in bringing her over to say hello. It seemed she wanted to help this Sister Zhou by letting her continue the partnership.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the Porridge Sister asked her, “People don’t eat these things at this time. Why don’t you go sell near the primary school?”
Qiao Man stomped her feet against the cold. “There’s a shop selling soup dumplings at the head of that side too. I won’t steal his business; no one has it easy.”
The Porridge Sister nodded. “True.”
She knew Qiao Man’s skill. Setting aside how delicious those buns were, after the first time she took them home, she realized her daughter wasn’t a picky eater—she just hadn’t encountered good food yet.
Even her own family eventually started ordering Qiao Man’s buns. Although they weren’t wrapped by Qiao Man herself later on and the taste wasn’t quite as stunning, they were still much better than the buns on the market.
Not to mention, Qiao Man had given her a few small tips for simmering porridge, and the porridge had become much more delicious and thick than before, without even needing to add alkaline powder. Even the soy milk was more fragrant and concentrated.
The Porridge Sister knew this and had mentioned it to Sister Zhou, but Sister Zhou hadn’t taken it seriously.
Being in the catering and snack business, they all understood the “tricks”—good meat isn’t used for stuffing. If the meat isn’t good and has a smell, you just have to use a lot of spices. Moreover, it’s even more convenient now; a drop of “One-Drop Fragrance” in the dish can make it smell fragrant for two miles.
Her former colleague was good in every way and a real nice person, but although she was grateful to this young woman, we’re honest business people too. Once the market is established, are we worried about not being able to sell?
There was no need to be so subservient in catering to this young woman.
Sister Zhou looked askance at Qiao Man, her lip curled the whole time. Thinking Qiao Man couldn’t see, she gave her a roll of the eyes.
She didn’t expect that Qiao Man, coming from the apocalypse, had excellent eyesight. Even though Sister Zhou was hiding in the shadows, she saw it clearly.
The corners of Qiao Man’s mouth curled up. Listening to the Porridge Sister talk about future cooperation, she didn’t bite and steered the conversation away.
If it weren’t out of respect for the Porridge Sister, she would have cursed her out directly.
The Porridge Sister was also tactful and gave a sigh. In any case, she had tried her best to help; if it didn’t work out, so be it.
She pulled Qiao Man forward a bit and whispered, “The big sister is sorry. She wasn’t like this before… Sigh, I owe you another big favor. If there’s ever anything you need from me, just ask, don’t be polite. If nothing else, I’ve been setting up a stall here for many years; I know everyone here.”
Qiao Man actually did have an idea. She shook her head with a smile: “It’s fine. By the way, the landlord of the place that sells beef noodles in the food street—are you familiar with him?”
The sister was taken aback. “Familiar? His father was my old man’s master. The old gentleman was a Level 7 benchworker—very impressive. Their family has a good character too. Why?”
The Porridge Sister was puzzled, thinking that the landlord was nearly forty. Although he was still single, the match was too poor; even if Qiao Man were an unmarried girl, she wouldn’t think much of him…
Qiao Man smiled. “I heard the beef noodle place is quitting after the New Year. I want to rent it.”
The Porridge Sister was stunned for a moment, then slapped her thigh. “Leave this to me, you can rest assured.”
Qiao Man returned to her cart. Sister Zhou leaned over: “What were you doing just now, slapping your chest and your thigh? Were you making a guarantee to someone for my sake? Let me tell you, I’m not…”
“It has nothing to do with you. If you’re not going to cooperate with her, just sell your porridge well,” the Porridge Sister’s tone was no longer as warm as before.
Hearing this, Sister Zhou immediately got upset: “She’s not cooperating? Based on what! Without porridge to pair with them, can she even sell her buns!”
The Porridge Sister heard this and slammed her ladle down. “Zhou Fenglan, how did you become like this? Think about it carefully. She only came up with those ‘sets’ to help me sell porridge. Do you think with her skills and business sense, she couldn’t do it on her own!”
The Porridge Sister was a good-natured person who rarely lost her temper. Being yelled at to her face, Zhou Fenglan actually felt a bit scared.
She muttered and shifted the topic: “Calm down. I’m just angry at her for not knowing what’s good for her. Look at her, a young woman raising a child alone—it’s so hard. I kindly introduced a match to her, and she wasn’t even grateful.”
The Porridge Sister’s face also turned cold: “Your nephew doesn’t even have a formal job; he’s still a ‘NEET’ at home. You have the nerve to introduce him?”
“So what!” Mentioning her nephew, Zhou Fenglan’s voice rose an octave. “My nephew is a legitimate university graduate! I remember you said she only graduated from high school! My nephew is more than a match for her!”
“I said that even though she only has a high school diploma, Little Qiao is smart and capable, has great cooking skills, and knows how to do business! So what if he’s a university graduate? Do you think it’s still like the old days? There are university graduates everywhere now!”
The Porridge Sister wasn’t stupid either. She spoke very loudly, for fear that Qiao Man would misunderstand.
Qiao Man didn’t really take Zhou Fenglan to heart. This kind of person was clearly driven by profit; as long as you didn’t let her have her way and cut off her dreamed-of path to wealth, it would be more painful than killing her.
Having struggled for so many years in the apocalypse, she didn’t need to lift a finger to deal with an opponent like this.
And so, the Porridge Sister helped her deal with Zhou Fenglan.
Afterward, the two parted on bad terms. Zhou Fenglan went back on her word and refused to buy the sister’s cart. The sister’s face was grim as she remained silent, watching Zhou Fenglan leave. she started to say something but ultimately kept her mouth shut.
When Qiao Man went down to find her, the sister was still quietly wiping away tears.
Few people did breakfast business now; most people couldn’t handle the hardship, especially selling porridge. You had to start simmering early in the morning and carry things up and down.
Qiao Man comforted her with a few words and, after a thought, said: “Hold on for a few more days. Maybe before the New Year, I can help you find someone to buy this cart.”
“Really?!” The Porridge Sister hurriedly wiped her face. Hearing Qiao Man say that if all else failed she would buy it herself, she held Qiao Man’s hand and said, “You don’t have to do this for me. At worst, I’ll just sell it to a second-hand dealer; it’s just a matter of losing a thousand or two yuan.”
Qiao Man put the sister’s mind at ease and got onto her cart.
Her cart was different from the sister’s simple heating one; her cart had a cabin. With doors and windows for protection, a hot furnace, and a hot stove, the rising steam made it much better.
For ease of movement, Qiao Man didn’t wrap herself in a military overcoat like the sister, but she covered her head and face again.
The first steamer of soup dumplings was ready. To suit the local taste, Qiao Man made yeast-leavened soup dumplings with fresh meat filling—six to a steamer, delicate and beautiful.
Steam rushed up, water droplets condensed on the boards of the cabin, and even the glass was tightly covered in white mist.
With a “shua” sound, Qiao Man pulled open the cart window—
Instantly, the fragrance of the soup dumplings that had been gathered inside the cabin drifted out. The surrounding area was filled with the rich aroma of meat and fats, along with a thick scent of flour.
Those nearby put down their breakfast and sniffed… So fragrant!
This did the trick. People nearby followed the scent to find her, and even those who didn’t come over poked their heads out—whoa, it’s actually fresh-wrapped soup dumplings!
On this chilly late autumn morning, people’s ears were red and noses were cold, their faces stiff. Their breath could escape from their masks and cover their eyelashes with a layer of frost.
At this time, standing in front of a steaming stove, watching the steam from the dumplings rush upward and smelling the meat fragrance, was simply a form of happiness; one’s whole being became active.
Only… everyone ran over excitedly to take a look, but as soon as they saw the price, they hesitated.
One steamer of soup dumplings only had six pieces, yet it was being sold for fifteen yuan, while that shop over there only charged eight.
Although everyone knew in their hearts that the meat in that shop wasn’t good meat, this was nearly double the price. Would anyone really buy this?
Many people nearby had also heard the argument between the Porridge Sister and Zhou Fenglan just now and knew it wasn’t easy for this young boss raising a child, but she couldn’t ask for an outrageous price!
No matter how delicious these buns were, how fragrant could they be? Are they made of dragon meat?
Watching her coworkers return and complain, some even mocking Qiao Man for being young and lacking social experience, or saying things like women just aren’t capable, Jin Laidi gripped her hard hat tightly. Looking at the two-yuan flatbread stuffed with potato shreds in her hand, she bit her lip and stepped toward Qiao Man’s food cart.
Her daughter was attending university in Jiang City, and she loved soup dumplings the most.
The last time she had eaten soup dumplings was back in her hometown. She had been beaten by her husband, took her daughter back to her parents’ home, and was kicked out again. The village party secretary saw how pitiful she was and treated her and the child to a meal of soup dumplings.
Fifteen yuan was her food budget for a whole day, but Jin Laidi thought of the happiness she and her daughter shared that time and steeled her heart.
Besides, the fragrance of these buns was truly enticing. Although she hadn’t lived a very good life, she could tell that this fragrance probably didn’t have any additives; it was just like the fragrance from New Year’s when she was a child!
Jin Laidi’s steps were much lighter. she was going to ask a coworker to help request leave; she was going to take a bus to the west of the city to bring soup dumplings to her daughter, Hu Jiao.
At the same time, Gao Dong pushed up his glasses and pulled Jiang Feng in through the entrance near the primary school: “You’re really stingy. Besides, food stalls aren’t clean; won’t you invite me to eat in a shop?”