After the “Minor Snow” solar term, the weather grew colder by the day, and the pickled cabbage and sour radishes at Qiao Man’s house were finally ready for the table.
The pickled cabbage was made using Chinese cabbage in the northern style. The emerald-green cabbages were split in half and layered into a clean ceramic vat using only salt and fresh water. After a month, the stalks became as translucent as white jade and the leaves turned a brilliant golden yellow; they were beautiful to look at.
This kind of pickled cabbage, whether stewed with pork or ribs, added to a copper hotpot, or simply served as a refreshing side dish drizzled with hot chili oil and Sichuan peppercorn oil, was indescribably fragrant.
Qiao Man had also pickled several jars of radishes, including some “Beauty Heart” radishes. She made both sweet-and-sour and hot-and-sour varieties. She pickled them in glass jars, and within a few days, both the brine and the radishes had turned a vibrant red.
An’an and Li Shuo were curious the first time they saw them. The two children visited the basement every day to observe, proving more diligent than the stray cats in their neighborhood.
Besides these, Qiao Man also pickled some chili peppers, cabbage, and garlic eggplant… she didn’t make much, just enough for her family to have refreshing side dishes.
When Qiao Man was fishing out the pickled cabbage, Xiong Mei happened to be in the basement. Seeing the jars of bright red sour radishes, she asked Qiao Man, “Can these be used as bun filling too?”
“Yes, sour radish pairs quite well with ground meat. You can also use it to stew old duck or duck palm soup as a hotpot base.”
Several days had passed since the incident at Xiong Mei’s house. Truthfully, Qiao Man hadn’t taken it much to heart. An’an’s final exams were approaching, and she had to prepare a “letter to the child” for the parent-teacher meeting. Between running her stall and designing the storefront, she didn’t even have time to buy a decent outfit. She was so busy that “the back of her head was hitting her heels,” leaving her no time to dwell on that day.
On the other hand, Xiong Mei and Cheng Xiangdong had felt extremely embarrassed whenever they saw Qiao Man lately.
When Qiao Man asked Cheng Xiangdong to help order ham through his friends, they had always asked Qi Dongmei to deliver it instead.
It wasn’t until this morning, when Qiao Man knocked on the door of unit 201 and asked Xiong Mei to help her carry some pickled cabbage upstairs—saying she was going to teach her a new bun filling recipe—that Xiong Mei finally felt relieved. She followed Qiao Man down to the basement happily, secretly wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeve behind Qiao Man’s back.
Qiao Man could actually sense the awkwardness from the couple; otherwise, she could have carried those ten or so heads of pickled cabbage herself.
When they arrived at Qiao Man’s house, Qi Dongmei was already waiting. The three of them began wrapping buns together just like before, chatting and discussing the recent progress of their business.
Yesterday, Qiao Man had rendered a basin of lard, so the pork cracklings were ready. She chopped them finely and mixed them with the pickled cabbage. No complex extra spices were needed. At the moment of the first bite, the mellow fragrance of the fat was enveloped by the fermented acidity—it was unexpectedly satisfying and not at all greasy.
Qi Dongmei and Xiong Mei each took one to taste. Qi Dongmei sighed, “So fragrant. Everyone really has their own touch. We all pickle cabbage the same way, and while mine finally didn’t spoil this year, the result turned out bitter.”
Xiong Mei nodded repeatedly. Her old neighbors in the community used to praise her pickled cabbage, and pickled cabbage and pork crackling dumplings were her specialty. But comparing them to Qiao Man’s buns today, her own skills truly couldn’t compete.
As they spoke, Qiao Man brought another steamer of buns to the table. “These are sour radish and fresh meat. I used the hot-and-sour radishes, minced them finely, and rinsed them with water. Once steamed, they aren’t too sour and won’t be bitter.”
Qi Dongmei was actually full, but her hand couldn’t help reaching out again. “People around here rarely make radish-filled buns because we always feel there’s a ‘stinky radish’ smell… Hey, Man-er, I have to say, your sour radish buns don’t just lack that smell, they’re actually quite fragrant!”
“The quality and variety of the radish are important. After fermentation, much of that raw radish smell disappears. An’an doesn’t like the taste of radish either, so I always blanch them before cooking and add a bit of sugar; then she can eat them.”
Xiong Mei took careful mental notes. Qi Dongmei no longer cooked much at home, but she marveled, “An’an really takes after your family; her little tongue is so sharp. And you’ve raised her well. I see her every day so I don’t notice the change, but when I saw my granddaughter measuring An’an’s height the other day, I realized she’s grown quite a bit. Her little arms are thicker than before. By the way, aren’t you going to her parent-teacher meeting tomorrow?”
Qiao Man nodded. “Sister Yuwei made an appointment to meet me in a bit; she has a two-hour break today.”
She didn’t set up her stall today specifically so she could buy a decent outfit for An’an’s meeting.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Qiao Man opened it to see Wang Yuwei. She took off her apron to go change in the bedroom, telling Qi Dongmei and Xiong Mei, “Just close the door when you leave.”
Once Qiao Man entered the room and closed the door, Qi Dongmei and Xiong Mei quickly looked around and beckoned Wang Yuwei over.
Qi Dongmei stuffed a pickled cabbage and pork crackling bun into Wang Yuwei’s hand and pressed her into a chair. “Time is short and the task is heavy; keep it brief!”
Wang Yuwei had smelled the fragrance long ago. Having had no time for breakfast, she was starving. Her mouth watered reflexively at the sight of the buns, but she had been too embarrassed to grab one. Now that one was shoved into her hand, she didn’t stand on ceremony. “It was Auntie Sun.”
She dropped this “bomb” and immediately stuffed the bun into her mouth, taking two large bites and swallowing almost without chewing, which made her thump her chest from choking. Only after two buns were down did she have time to savor them: So delicious! Not settling for the canteen today was the right choice!
Qi Dongmei threw up her hands. “What did I tell you? It was definitely her! That day she tried to pay less for the tea eggs and got caught, I heard her grumbling and cursing all the way home. It must have been her wagging her tongue!”
Seeing Wang Yuwei finish her bun in a few bites, Xiong Mei stuffed a sour radish and fresh meat one into her hand and asked, “Wait, how did Old Sun get involved with Xiao Ling? Even though they live in the same courtyard, Old Sun is an outsider with an accent; Xiao Ling never liked talking to her.”
Wang Yuwei leaned in with her bun. “A daughter of one of Auntie Sun’s mahjong partners lives in Xiao Ling’s neighborhood. I heard Auntie Sun complained a bit while playing mahjong at that partner’s house. That’s not even the worst of it. Xiao Ling told me later that after the rumors spread, people started saying Xiao Qiao had ‘moral character issues.’ The words were truly ugly.”
“That definitely wasn’t Old Sun’s doing.” Although Qi Dongmei looked down on Auntie Sun, she had been neighbors with her for years and knew her character and courage. She might grumble, but she wouldn’t dare fabricate rumors out of thin air.
“I looked into it, and it really came from that mahjong partner. She watches her grandchild at her daughter’s house every day and invites a group over to play mahjong while her daughter and son-in-law are at work.
One day, Auntie Sun brought over a tea egg and a bun. While the partner was distracted by the game, the child ate half of the egg. That kid is allergic to eggs. In the hospital, the child kept crying that he ‘wanted the egg-egg,’ which made the mother suspicious. The grandmother managed to fudge her way out of it.
But her daughter still warned her and installed cameras in the house, so she couldn’t play mahjong at home anymore. She had to use the excuse of taking the kid for a walk to play outside. She blamed all of this on Xiao Qiao’s tea eggs. When someone asked why she was playing cards outside, she exaggerated the story and told everyone she met. Eventually, someone told Xiao Ling.”
Qi Dongmei and Xiong Mei exchanged a look; both saw the same idea in each other’s eyes.
Qi Dongmei gave Wang Yuwei a thumbs up. “As expected of an old criminal investigator, your detection skills are top-notch!”
Wang Yuwei, eating her bun, suddenly sensed something was wrong and turned serious. “You two aren’t allowed to do anything stupid. Picking quarrels and provoking trouble or endangering social security is no joke.”
The “Two Meis” (Qi and Xiong) repeatedly patted their chests in guarantee. “Are we that kind of people? We’ve been influenced and educated in this courtyard for how many years? Don’t we have that much awareness? You go ahead and take Xiao Qiao to buy clothes. Did you lose the competition to Li Shuo’s dad again? Is it your turn to go to the meeting? Fine, fine, we need to study these buns more.”
Just then, Qiao Man came out. Wang Yuwei finished her bun in two bites and was shooed away by the two old ladies.
At the entrance of the community, Wang Yuwei asked Qiao Man, “Did you notice those two old ladies acting a bit weird today?”
They had seen them off as if they were chasing away a plague, their faces covered in wrinkled smiles.
Qiao Man had noticed too, but she assumed Xiong Mei simply hadn’t gotten over the awkwardness from a few days ago. She shook her head and asked Wang Yuwei, “Sister Yuwei, didn’t you say you were busy? Why are you the one going to the meeting again?”
Wang Yuwei gave an embarrassed smile. This time, she and Li Shuo’s father had a dishwashing competition—whoever washed the fastest and cleanest would win, and the winner wouldn’t have to go and “lose face” at the parent-teacher meeting. He washed eight in three minutes; she broke three in one minute. The outcome was obvious.
She quickly changed the subject. “Ah, anyway, Xiao Qiao, I booked a makeup artist. Come to my house later, and we’ll get dolled up before we go.”
She touched her cheek and looked at Qiao Man’s face. Tsk, aside from the slightly heavy dark circles under her eyes, Xiao Qiao didn’t seem to need makeup at all. She had a kind of “natural beauty.” Besides, her eye sockets were deeper than average, so the dark circles almost looked like eyeshadow…
Retracting her envious gaze, she heard Qiao Man ask in surprise, “Why so formal?”
Wang Yuwei’s expression became serious. “Since the start of the semester, I’ve been called in by the teacher seven or eight times. If I hadn’t worn my police uniform once when picking him up, the teacher would have thought there was something wrong with the parents. The kid is already mischievous; if he doesn’t do well on the finals and I show up looking like a slob, the teacher will really think his dad and I have issues. I don’t care about his dad, but at the very least, I need to let the teacher and other parents know that there is a normal person in our family!”
Qiao Man didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She finally understood where Li Shuo’s interesting personality came from.
After Qiao Man and the other left, Qi Dongmei and Xiong Mei didn’t stay idle.
Xiong Mei tried making two types of fillings, one steamer each, and placed them in an insulated box.
Qi Dongmei organized the food ordering cards and grabbed her notebook.
Seeing that Xiong Mei had packed the box, she asked, “Are you ready? I already had Zhao Jianguo move the small table and the camping cart into the tricycle. Let’s tidy ourselves up in a bit—bring those white hats and sleeves from the canteen; it looks cleaner.”
Xiong Mei nodded. Once they were ready, Xiong Mei sat in the tricycle. Just as Qi Dongmei was about to drive off, a voice called out from the second floor.
A moment later, Wang Yuwei’s mother, Li Lanlan, ran down and grabbed Qi Dongmei’s handlebar. “I heard Yuwei asking about Auntie Sun these past two days. Does it have something to do with Xiao Ling? Who are you going to settle scores with? You can’t leave me behind after all these years of being sisters!”
She had missed out on so much because of her sprained ankle—the two people who used to never get along were now inseparable, and they were even in business together!
What shocked her more was how profitable the business was!
She truly regretted being lazy and staying in bed for those extra days; she couldn’t miss out anymore.
Qi Dongmei’s eyes darted around, and she waved her hand decisively. “Get in. Let Xiong Mei tell you what’s going on. When we get to Xinyuan Community, make sure you show off your special talent!”
Xinyuan Community was the neighborhood where Auntie Sun’s rumor-spreading mahjong partner’s daughter lived, and also where Xiong Mei’s daughter, Cheng Ling, lived. As for Li Lanlan’s special talent—in their courtyard, the best gossip wasn’t actually Grandma Zhang; it was Li Lanlan!
Moreover, Li Lanlan looked honest and reliable, and her acting was natural. With her help, a three-percent truth could be played out as a nine-percent reality.
The trio of old ladies set off grandly. Grandma Zhang, who had been watching from her balcony for a while, muttered to herself, “Is this bun business really that good? It’s past mealtime and they’re still delivering.”
Saying this, she took a bun that Qi Dongmei had sent over earlier—a baby bok choy filling. She took a bite and wondered, “What did they put in these buns? How can a vegetarian bun be so delicious when there’s no meat inside… Let me taste another one to study it properly.”
In the name of “studying the buns,” Grandma Zhang ended up eating her husband’s entire dinner.
…
By the time Qi Dongmei and the others reached Xinyuan Community, Li Lanlan already knew the full story and the plan for the day.
She had Qi Dongmei find a discreet place to park and jumped out first. “I’ll wait a few minutes before going in. I’ll pretend I’m going to her house to play mahjong. Don’t you two give me away.”
Once she was hidden, the other two scouted the area before slowly driving into Xinyuan Community.
Xinyuan was an old relocation neighborhood. Like Happy Community, it was mostly populated by elderly people, and the security was practically non-existent.
When they drove in to set up their stall, the guard only lifted an eyelid, raised the gate, and went back to scrolling through short videos.
That’s right—Qi Dongmei and Xiong Mei didn’t just plan to deal with Auntie Sun and that mahjong partner; they also intended to promote their buns.
Time was life to them now. They couldn’t waste an entire afternoon; they planned to “kill two birds with one stone.”
On days with good weather, the elderly grew in clusters like mushrooms on the sunny patches of the community grounds.
Qi Dongmei and Xiong Mei found a high-traffic spot, set up the folding table Qiao Man had used before, and put out a “Free Tasting” sign.
The two of them looked quite professional in their clean white sleeves and hats.
In reality, many elderly people didn’t chat much outside; they just sat in the sun, sometimes staring blankly into space.
Now that there was something fresh and lively to see, the old folks—some fast, some slow—gathered around.
Qi Dongmei handed out small ordering cards and announced with a smile, “Buns are available for tasting, one yuan each. But this is a trial price, a benefit for everyone. Each person can only buy one of each kind, and when they’re gone, they’re gone! If it tastes good, our prices are on the back. We have an ordering number and a WeChat group. If you can’t use it, ask your kids for help; if you trust us, we can help you too!”
Charging money for a “tasting”—even if one yuan was very cheap—meant that few elderly people were willing to pay.
Someone even said, “Tastings in the mall don’t cost money; they’re all free.”
Qi Dongmei didn’t get angry, keeping her pleasant expression. “Supermarkets don’t give you a whole large bun to taste, do they? Besides, ours aren’t like those frozen buns from the supermarket. These were freshly wrapped this afternoon. The pork cracklings inside are freshly fried, and the meat was picked this morning at the market. Even the pickled cabbage and sour radishes are homemade; we only pick the best for the filling. It’s truly honest work. Think about it—outside, a bun or dumpling with who-knows-what kind of meat would cost you two or three yuan, right? We’re really just making a bit of hard-earned money.”
Someone heard they were homemade and was swayed. Besides, at one yuan a bun, how could they be cheated?
“Coincidentally, I’m home alone today, so I won’t cook dinner. Two buns and a bowl of porridge will do.”
“I haven’t had much of an appetite either. These are both sour, right? Good. Give me a pickled cabbage and pork crackling one.”
“Sour radish and meat? Never heard of it. Give me two. Can’t buy two? You guys are so rigid. Then give me one and one pickled cabbage. The thing is, the doctor won’t let me eat fatty meat…”
…
Despite many saying at first they wouldn’t buy, once they saw others buying, they joined in the excitement. You buy one, I buy two; some even tried to use other people’s quotas to buy more.
Not taking advantage of a bargain would be foolish!
Originally, people didn’t care much for a one-yuan bun, but now that people were fighting over quotas, it felt like they had to buy one, or they’d be losing out!
The crowd in front of the stall grew thicker, though not a single person actually tasted them yet. The weather was cold and windy, and no one planned to eat in the wind; they tucked the buns into their bags.
Actually, they didn’t need to taste them. When Xiong Mei opened the insulated box, the fragrance wafted out.
Most were locals of Jiang City. They had eaten flour-based foods all their lives and each had their own specialties. Many were good at making buns themselves, and one whiff told them these were definitely delicious! Not only fragrant, but there was no “off” smell—they were the real deal.
Soon, the box was empty. Those who hadn’t managed to buy any began to regret it, sighing and beating their chests.
Some asked Qi Dongmei for the ordering cards, asking if they would come back for more promotions.
Even the community security guard came over. Hearing the buns were good, he wanted to get in on the bargain!
They hadn’t brought many, as their main goal wasn’t just to sell buns—they had real business to attend to!
At this moment, Qi Dongmei caught the eye of Li Lanlan, who was walking over from a distance. Li Lanlan began to push through the crowd with force, shouting loudly, “Are there any buns left?”
She squeezed to the front, saw the empty box, and became visibly annoyed. “Last time I tried your tea eggs and buns, they were great. I’ve been thinking about them ever since, worrying I wouldn’t find you. I didn’t expect to run into you today at Xinyuan. Are you from the same community as Sun Yuchuan?”
Qi Dongmei nodded. “You recognize us?”
Li Lanlan wore a hat and mask, showing only her eyes. In this weather, many people dressed like that, and since she said she had followed them, it implied she had seen them on the road before.
Li Lanlan slapped her thigh. “Of course! Do you have a card? Quick, give me one. I have something urgent so I have to go.”
This sudden appearance of a regular customer left everyone stunned. They began asking Li Lanlan for details, while some suspected she was a “shill.”
Li Lanlan took the card and prepared to leave, her voice sounding rushed. “Don’t ask. I have to hurry to Sister Men’s house for mahjong; they’re one player short. It’s such a coincidence—the last time I had these buns was while playing mahjong at Sister Men’s. That flavor was incredible.”
“Sister Men” was Auntie Sun’s rumor-mongering mahjong partner.
That surname was quite rare in Jiang City, and there was only one such family in Xinyuan Community.
Someone who knew her approached Li Lanlan. “I remember Xiao Men went out these past two days; she’s not at home.”
Li Lanlan clapped her hands together in frustration. “She went to the mahjong parlor! Look at me forgetting that!”
The neighbors knew she was out, but they didn’t know she was at a mahjong parlor.
Many elderly people began whispering. “She’s pushing a stroller! What kind of place is a mahjong parlor? It’s full of smoke. That child is only a year old; how can he take that?”
“Ai, don’t even mention it. If you ask me, her daughter is too trusting of her mother. I heard from the neighbor upstairs that the sound of mahjong tiles never stops at their house; she doesn’t take care of the kid at all.”
“Right, why isn’t she playing at home this time?”
Someone remembered the rumor. Were the tea eggs and buns in the rumor from this stall? But they remembered Xiao Men saying the owner was a young girl who was “loose”—dropped out of school, raising a kid alone, and supposedly had tattoos of a green dragon and a white tiger…
Someone couldn’t hold back and asked Li Lanlan. Li Lanlan looked confused. “That’s not right… Last time we played, Sister Sun brought the buns and tea eggs. The owner said she couldn’t give a discount or share the recipe. Sister Sun grumbled because she thought it was expensive. Then, while we were playing, we heard the child choking. We rushed over and found the kid had stuffed half of a leftover tea egg into his mouth. That’s why he went to the hospital. The owner is a very nice person; I heard the child belongs to her sister, who passed away. Ai, speaking of which, that’s a long story…”
Today, Xinyuan Community became very quiet. The old men and women who usually sat listlessly in the sun went home early without needing their families to call them.
On their dinner tables, there were not only delicious buns but also various pieces of gossip regarding the Men family.
Orders from Xinyuan Community increased significantly. When Qi Dongmei and Zhao Jianguo delivered buns later, they heard that the woman surnamed Men had been kicked out of the house by her daughter, who wanted to sever their relationship. They heard she was also beaten by her son-in-law and his parents, and the daughter finally discovered she owed a lot of money outside…
Having taken their revenge, for Qi Dongmei and Xiong Mei, these were just satisfying topics for post-meal venting. They didn’t even tell Qiao Man.
The most important thing for them now was the business.
Orders didn’t just come from Xinyuan. Everyone had relatives; to meet the minimum delivery price, each community placed significant orders.
Orders drifted in like snowflakes. They had the space, they had bought the equipment, and they had finally secured all the necessary permits—but they were desperately short-handed.
Li Lanlan suddenly asked Xiong Mei, “Why don’t you ask Xiao Qiao if your Xiao Ling can join? She specially came over with gifts last time to apologize and even spoke up for Xiao Qiao in her neighborhood. Xiao Qiao shouldn’t be angry anymore, right?”
Qiao Man truly wasn’t angry. She looked at the spreadsheets Qi Dongmei had recently learned to make and was astonished. “Why are there so many orders this month?”
Does that mean she could take over that shop space soon?
While Qiao Man was planning for the shop, Sister Dong, who sold porridge and hadn’t been seen for a long time, found her way to the stall.