Zhao Daniu came early every day to claim a good spot, arriving more than half an hour before Jiang Ran. Normally, she could sell six or seven sugar cakes in that extra half hour, but today she had only sold three.
She knew that no food item was sold by just one vendor, but now that her own cakes weren’t selling, she felt miserable from head to toe.
Zhao Daniu had only been selling sugar cakes for six days at most, and someone had already copied her. She said to Jiang Ran, “Thank goodness I haven’t seen anyone selling soup noodles or mixed noodles yet.”
Jiang Ran said, “Auntie, don’t panic first.”
Jiang Ran knew how to make sugar cakes too. Compared to that, rice noodles were much harder to make.
The rice batter needed lard, as well as starch extracted from other crops.
Of course, this era didn’t have potatoes, sweet potatoes, or corn yet. Jiang Ran used wheat starch extracted from flour instead.
She washed the gluten out of the flour, then let the water sit and settle. The layer at the bottom was the starch. When she made noodles for Sixth Young Lady before, she had used the wet starch directly. Later, she dried the starch cakes and ground them into powder to use when mixing rice batter.
Adding it made the noodles more springy and less likely to break during cooking.
On top of that, the price board blocked people’s view. The step of squeezing the noodles through the strainer alone was enough to stump many people. Making a decent bowl of noodles was even harder.
Some people steamed the rice batter and then cut it into noodle strips, but the texture came out soft and sticky, and the method wasn’t as simple as squeezing noodles directly.
Sugar cakes were different.
Zhao Daniu cooked them right on the street. Customers could immediately tell they were made from risen dough and filled with brown sugar.
Anyone could go home, experiment a little, and make something similar.
In truth, Zhao Daniu knew that herself. She had learned it from Jiang Ran’s casual suggestion, gone home, experimented, and succeeded. It wasn’t exactly a difficult food to make.
What discouraged her now was the thought that she might end up going back to selling steamed buns again.
As anxious as an ant on a hot pan, she said gloomily, “Copying me is one thing, but they even set up their stall ahead of mine. They’ve stolen all my customers!”
Jiang Ran said, “Then steal them back. Since your home is nearby, why not go back and try replacing the brown sugar filling with something else?”
Zhao Daniu asked, “Replace it with what?”
A hesitant look flashed across Jiang Ran’s face.
If Zhao Daniu couldn’t continue selling, there would be no one to save a stall spot for her in the future. Besides, even now Zhao Daniu was still worried about whether someone had started selling noodles. It was better to solve the immediate problem first.
“For example, black sesame,” Jiang Ran said. “Isn’t it just like making buns? Buns come with all kinds of fillings, and sugar cakes can too. Look, the filling in your sugar cakes has that molten texture. If you make other fillings with the same molten texture and offer more varieties, others won’t be able to catch up no matter how hard they try. After a while, everyone will know you were the first one doing it, and they’ll naturally come buy from you.”
Jiang Ran decided that if she was helping, she might as well help thoroughly.
“Go make a few cakes first. I’ll help sell them while you’re gone. There are plenty of vendors selling the same thing on this street anyway. It’s fine. Hurry home, make something new, and come back quickly.”
At worst, she was only revealing one extra filling recipe. She still had guokui hidden away.
If Zhao Daniu stopped selling entirely, then even if Jiang Ran could store her cart there, nobody would be able to save her a stall spot.
Zhao Daniu was deeply moved, but the stall came first.
Everything else could wait.
She cooked ten sugar cakes.
“I don’t know when I’ll get back. If they don’t all sell, you can eat them.”
Then she grabbed the remaining dough and hurried back home.
Watching Zhao Daniu disappear into the crowd, Jiang Ran took a deep breath.
Every time she finished cooking noodles, she asked customers whether they wanted a sugar cake too. If they did, she’d wrap one up and collect the money. If they didn’t, she wouldn’t push further.
By noon, Jiang Ran had sold sixteen bowls of noodles and six cakes for Zhao Daniu.
Compared to yesterday, Zhao Daniu’s business was worse.
Although the two stalls stood next to each other and could help sell each other’s goods, there were only so many people who wanted sugar cakes. If customers bought from another stall first, they wouldn’t buy here afterward.
Even with a new flavor, the same problem could still happen.
Jiang Ran looked at their two stalls and came up with an idea.
Whether it would work or not, she’d have to try it first.
Zhao Daniu returned just before noon.
She brought black sesame sugar cakes with her.
Making the filling flow like molten sand wasn’t easy. It required sugar and oil. But the result tasted excellent—even more fragrant than plain brown sugar filling. Once cooked, the aroma became even richer.
The moment she finished making them, she rushed back.
Jiang Ran handed over the money from the morning sales.
Eight cakes had been sold in total, earning fifty-six coins.
Zhao Daniu counted out twenty-six coins and handed them to Jiang Ran.
“Take this. You sold them.”
Twenty-six coins was roughly the profit from the cakes.
Jiang Ran didn’t take it.
“Auntie, you made the cakes. I just happened to help sell them.”
Only then did Zhao Daniu put the money away.
She handed Jiang Ran a black sesame sugar cake.
“Try it and see if it’s right. Tell me if it’s the flavor you meant. If it’s not enough, just let me know.”
Jiang Ran broke the cake open.
Dark golden filling flowed out.
She took a breath and smelled sweetness and fragrance.
This version was sweeter than the one Jiang Ran had made before.
Since she rarely ate sugar, she simply found it sweet and delicious.
After eating something sweet, her eyes unconsciously curved into crescents.
“Auntie, this is really good.”
Zhao Daniu smiled.
If it sold well, she felt that a single cake wasn’t enough to repay Jiang Ran.
She quickly took out the dough and sesame filling she had brought back and started wrapping and cooking more cakes.
The aroma of sesame drifted through the air, mixing with countless other smells and forming the unique scent of everyday life on this street.
The entire street was filled with delicious smells.
At noon, laborers finishing work and officials finishing their shifts appeared. Some went home to eat. Many headed to restaurants and taverns along the street.
But plenty chose the affordable food stalls that offered a variety of dishes.
Every customer was welcome.
The street vendors became busy once again.
Jiang Ran cooked soup noodles and mixed noodles. Some customers even ordered extra noodles.
When business was busiest, two or three people waited behind the current customer.
Fortunately, rice noodles were relatively quick to make, and customers were willing to wait.
Today Zhao Daniu even started shouting advertisements.
“Sugar cakes! Black sesame sugar cakes!”
She wished she could tell everyone that she was the original sugar cake seller.
The other sugar cake stall stood ahead of hers, which was one of the things that angered her most.
Copying her was one thing.
But setting up in front of her and stealing her customers too?
Who could tolerate that?
In the past, Zhao Daniu had thought shouting was useless when she saw Jiang Ran doing it.
Now she wished she had several people shouting for her.
The entire noon period passed in a whirlwind of activity.
Only after the crowd thinned did Jiang Ran start washing bowls and pots.
Meanwhile, Zhao Daniu counted several coins and calculated her profits.
Black sesame sugar cakes sold for eight coins each. Sesame was cheaper than sugar, so the profit margin was around half.
After working it all out in her head, she called out, “Xiao Ran.”
Jiang Ran looked up.
Zhao Daniu said, “At noon I sold sixteen sugar cakes. Nine were sesame-filled. Each sold for eight coins. I didn’t calculate the exact costs, but the profit is about half. Take this. You’re the one who told me the recipe.”
Afraid Jiang Ran would refuse, she quickly added,
“If you don’t take it, then you’re looking down on me.”
One coin per cake was roughly twenty percent of the profit.
Zhao Daniu continued, “From now on, I’ll keep count every day. For every sesame cake I sell, I’ll give you one coin.”
Twenty percent wasn’t really much.
After all, each cake only earned about one coin in profit.
But Zhao Daniu couldn’t afford to give more.
Running a stall was hard work, and she still had a whole family to support.
Jiang Ran smiled brightly and accepted the money.
“Then, Auntie, sell a few more cakes and give me a little more.”
Zhao Daniu happily agreed.
After washing the bowls, Jiang Ran even cooked a bowl of soup noodles for her.
The two women had worked hard all morning.
They ate cakes and slurped noodles together.
Neither spoke.
They simply enjoyed the rare moment of comfort and peace.
There weren’t many customers in the afternoon.
Once Jiang Ran sold out, she packed up, bought meat, and headed home.
By the time she returned, it was already evening.
She passed the residence where the young ladies from the Marquis Manor were staying before heading back to Third Branch.
Carrying the meat, she walked with her head down and didn’t run into Madam Lin.
When she got home, Jiang Song and the others weren’t there. They were probably still working in the fields.
It wasn’t until after dark that the three finally returned.
Madam Yun started preparing dinner while Jiang Song and Jiang Chuanli rested for a while.
Jiang Ran said to Jiang Song, “Brother, can you make me a wooden sign? Carve four characters on it: Jiang Family Rice Noodles. Can you do that?”
She wanted a signboard.
Once it was finished, Zhao Daniu could make one for herself too if she liked it.
Jiang Ran had only been here a few days. Although she mostly stayed around Bianhe Street in eastern Bianjing, she had noticed that most shops displayed banners.
A tall pole would be set beside the entrance with a cloth flag hanging from it.
Simple and clear.
For example, a Sichuan restaurant would simply have the words “Sichuan Food” on its banner.
Wine shops hung curtains marked with the character for wine. Some breweries even displayed wine gourds.
Tea houses displayed the character for tea.
The colors and sizes varied, but they were all eye-catching and easy to spot.
Larger restaurants and taverns had actual signboards. Even from far away, customers could tell what the establishment sold.
Street vendors, however, usually had none of these.
After all, they stood right on the roadside. One glance was enough to see what they sold.
A basket of plump steamed buns.
Or steaming bowls of noodles.
Or simply the tempting aromas drifting through the air.
Those were often more effective than banners.
Jiang Ran thought that if Jiang Song made her a sign reading “Jiang Family Rice Noodles,” then she too would have her own signboard.
It wasn’t really to tell customers what she sold.
She only needed them to recognize her stall.
Jiang Family Rice Noodles.
The only one on this entire street.
Jiang Song agreed immediately.
Every time his sister returned from selling food, she handed over twenty coins to the family.
He wasn’t trying to compete with Eldest Branch, but he had once overheard Eldest Aunt mention that a third-class maid only earned half a tael per month.
His little sister alone gave him several hundred coins every month.
There were many things he couldn’t help with, but he would never refuse small tasks like this.
Jiang Ran said, “The fields come first. There’s no rush with this. Brother, when will the planting be finished?”
Yesterday he had said there were still a little over twenty mu left.
What about today?
Jiang Song replied, “Two more days. The day after tomorrow, I’ll go with you.”
Jiang Ran smiled.
“That’s soon.”
Once Jiang Song joined her, they could stay out later.
They could also add more dishes and new varieties.
After dinner, Jiang Ran prepared the chili oil for the next day.
She stored the meat and bones in a cool place and covered them properly.
With nothing else to do, she planned to wash up and sleep.
She also reminded herself that she needed to buy vinegar tomorrow. They were nearly out.
Just as she finished tidying up, she heard a knock at the door.
She went to open it and saw Su Yu, the maid who served Sixth Young Lady.
Su Yu asked, “We didn’t see Miss Jiang today. Will you be at the manor tomorrow?”
The young ladies from the Marquis Manor slept late during their stay.
By the time they woke up, the sun was already high, and Jiang Ran had long since reached the city gates.
Sixth Young Lady had wanted rice noodles again today, but Jiang Ran wasn’t there.
They would return to the city the day after tomorrow.
If she wasn’t here tomorrow either, who knew how long it would be before they could eat them again?
Su Yu said, “Our young lady would like you to prepare some food for tomorrow’s lunch. The payment will be the same as before. Would that be convenient?”
Jiang Ran shook her head.
“To be honest, not really. I have to go out tomorrow. But you can tell your young lady that I’m selling rice noodles on Bianhe Street now. If she wants to eat them, she can buy them there.”