This was the first customer of the day.
Before this, Jiang Ran had been nervous the entire time. She liked the food, and the Fourth and Sixth Young Ladies of the Marquis’s Manor had liked it too, but she worried that everyone had different tastes. She had already prepared herself for the possibility that nothing would sell and she would have to return home.
Thankfully, she had made her first sale.
Now that she had opened for business, there were other things to worry about. If the first customer said the food wasn’t good, today’s business would probably be ruined.
Jiang Ran thought that if that happened, she would carefully ask for feedback, explain herself, refund half the money, and find ways to improve. Whatever happened, she couldn’t let it affect the customers who came afterward.
The customer who had arrived with the first man didn’t rush to buy anything. Instead, he stood nearby watching the man eat, seemingly waiting to see whether it tasted good before deciding.
The customer stirred the rice noodles with his chopsticks and lifted the bowl to his mouth, slurping along the rim. Soon, half the bowl was gone.
Jiang Ran couldn’t tell whether he was in a hurry or simply thought the noodles were delicious. He didn’t even raise his head while eating.
His eyes stayed fixed on the bowl.
The customer beside him thought that if the noodles tasted bad, he would have frowned after the first bite.
He stopped waiting and said to Jiang Ran, “Give me a bowl of minced pork soup noodles.”
“Coming right up. Please wait a moment.”
The soup base should really have been made with bone broth, but Jiang Ran hadn’t had the time. Instead, she had steeped dried shrimp and dried mushrooms in hot water.
The wooden bucket holding the soup had been wrapped in a quilt. Even after the journey here, the soup was still warm.
Once the noodles were cooked and placed into a bowl, she added a spoonful of minced pork and two ladles of soup.
The bowl was finished.
The customer thought it was a little expensive, but at least there was meat in it. He took his chopsticks and moved aside to eat.
While waiting for his noodles, the first customer had already finished eating.
However, he didn’t say a single word. He simply put down the bowl and left, making it impossible to tell what he thought of the taste.
Jiang Ran truly hoped customers would praise her food and say it was delicious. That would attract more business.
But she couldn’t force anyone to do that.
As long as they didn’t complain, it meant the noodles were good enough.
The woman selling flatbreads nearby stared in shock.
The little girl had actually managed to sell something.
She had barely arrived and had already sold two bowls.
The mixed noodles really did taste good, but making two sales so quickly from such a poor location was enough to make anyone envious.
Jiang Ran didn’t notice the woman’s expression.
Her attention remained fixed on her customers.
The soup noodles had just come out of the pot and were still very hot. Combined with the sour and spicy flavor, the customer took two bites, inhaled sharply, took two more bites, and inhaled sharply again.
Jiang Ran quickly scooped a bowl of noodle-cooking water from the pot and left it to cool.
“Drink some soup later.”
She had always cooked only for herself before. This was her first time doing business.
It felt like crossing a river by feeling for stones beneath the water. She had to figure out how deep the water was and whether there were rocks underfoot through trial and error.
The minced pork had been prepared early that morning.
Since the spicy and sour seasoning had already been mixed in, there was no way to adjust today’s batch.
Tomorrow, she could separate the chili peppers and let customers season the noodles themselves. People who liked spicy food could add more, while those who didn’t could leave it out entirely.
Without looking up, the customer said, “It’s spicy, but it’s satisfying. Young lady, don’t mind me. I’ll keep eating over here.”
Since he had already paid, Jiang Ran wasn’t worried about him leaving without settling the bill.
With someone eating beside the stall, more people stopped to ask questions.
Most of them only asked and then left, like water birds resting briefly on a ship’s mast before spreading their wings and flying away.
Still, Jiang Ran was already satisfied.
Eight copper coins.
She had gotten up early to fry the minced pork, pushed the cart all the way to the capital, found a spot, asked for directions, fetched water, and barely finished setting everything up before making two sales.
Contentment brought happiness.
Things would surely get better from here.
The woman selling flatbreads kept watching her, so Jiang Ran didn’t dare look too pleased.
After the second customer left and no one else came, Jiang Ran took the opportunity to wash the bowls and fetch another bucket of water.
After all this time, the woman selling flatbreads still hadn’t made a single sale.
There were three or four flatbread vendors on the street.
The woman’s location was poor, and the market was only so large. People who wanted flatbreads bought them at the front. By the time they reached the back, they no longer stopped.
The woman felt miserable and said to Jiang Ran, “Your cooking is good. Did someone in your family work as a cook for a wealthy household?”
Jiang Ran’s mind worked quickly.
“No. My parents are honest people. Our family split apart a few days ago, and we didn’t get much. We still have to rent land to farm. My older brother wants to study, so I had to come out and earn money. But how much money can this really make?”
Everything Jiang Ran said was true.
However, the actual situation was somewhat better.
Madam Yun and Jiang Chuanli were honest people, but they listened to Jiang Song. It was true they rented land, but the estate was large, with sixty mu of fields.
Jiang Ran had come alone today, but Jiang Song would help her in the future.
The woman relaxed.
Then she felt sorry for Jiang Ran.
She handed over a flatbread.
“Have you eaten yet? Don’t neglect yourself for your family.”
Jiang Ran froze for a moment before accepting it.
Privately, she wondered whether she had overacted.
Then she said, “Auntie, there are a lot of people selling flatbreads on this street. If you want to earn more money, you could try adding fillings.”
She had already seen plenty of steamed bun sellers.
Even though there were many of them, every seller used different fillings.
The woman kept saying that this area had few customers and that empty stalls were normal, but seeing Jiang Ran make sales had clearly made her anxious.
One sold noodles, while the other sold bread.
There was no competition between them.
Flatbreads were simply fermented dough cakes steamed until cooked. They could be eaten as a staple food.
Jiang Ran’s family had eaten them before.
They were somewhat like mantou, only shaped differently.
They could easily be changed into pan-fried cakes. Whether they were plain, sweet, or stuffed with fillings, they would surely sell better than simple steamed flatbreads.
The woman’s expression twisted with uncertainty.
Her brows knotted together like a rope.
Jiang Ran thought about it.
In the past, she cooked only for herself.
Now she simply treated customers the same way she had once treated herself.
Whenever she wanted to eat something, she would find ways to figure it out.
Now she was doing the same for her customers.
There was nothing shameful about trying to please paying customers.
Just as she was thinking this, the third customer of the day arrived.
This customer loved spicy food.
While eating the soup noodles, he never coughed once. In fact, he felt they weren’t spicy enough.
After finishing, he casually remarked, “It would be even better if it were spicier.”
Jiang Ran smiled.
“Tomorrow I’ll bring chili oil and serve it separately. Come back tomorrow, and I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.”
By noon, Jiang Ran had served seven customers and collected twenty-seven copper coins.
Around midday, business picked up.
Jiang Ran was busy cooking when the woman beside her handed over two more flatbreads.
“Young lady, eat something.”
Jiang Ran said, “How can I accept that?”
The woman replied, “It’s nothing. Flatbread is convenient to eat. Besides, I can’t sell them anyway. Go ahead.”
During the lunch rush, six or seven more customers bought noodles.
Jiang Ran’s earnings doubled again.
Only after noon passed did the crowd around her stall begin to thin.
She had worked nonstop through the entire midday rush.
If she hadn’t eaten a few bites of flatbread, she would have been starving by now.
She looked at the bread in her hand, then glanced at the stall beside her.
An entire morning and noon had passed, and the woman had only sold three flatbreads.
Two of those sales had come from customers eating noodles at Jiang Ran’s stall and buying bread while they were there.
The woman spoke in a flattering tone.
“Young lady, my surname is Zhao. I live in the southern part of the city, quite close to here. Whenever I have free time, I come out to set up a stall. You live outside the city, don’t you? If pushing the cart back and forth is troublesome, you can leave it at my house.”
Auntie Zhao thought Jiang Ran was clever.
She knew how to adapt.
Some customers found the noodles too spicy, while others thought they weren’t spicy enough. Jiang Ran immediately planned to bring chili oil the next day and let people add it themselves.
And thinking about Jiang Ran’s suggestion of turning flatbreads into stuffed or sweet pancakes…
It really sounded possible.
She had spent the entire morning thinking about it.
There were people selling fried pancakes on the street, but those were made from unleavened dough. None of them were selling the kinds Jiang Ran described.
If it truly worked, then Jiang Ran would be her lucky star.
Naturally, she couldn’t accept such help without giving something in return.
She lived in the city and knew more about these things. In the future, she could help save stall spots for Jiang Ran.
If Jiang Ran agreed, then Auntie Zhao would feel comfortable asking further questions.
Jiang Ran had actually been considering something similar.
However, it was their first day meeting, and they weren’t familiar with each other. There was no way she would really leave her cart there yet.
Besides, she planned to add more things to the cart in the future, such as small stools, so customers wouldn’t have to stand while eating.
Still, if they became friends, then once the stall was properly established, she wouldn’t need to push the cart back and forth every day.
Feeling touched, she said, “Thank you, Auntie Zhao. You’re such a kind person. My surname is Jiang, and I live outside the city. The trip back and forth is long, but tomorrow I plan to bring more things with me, so I won’t leave the cart at your house just yet.”
Auntie Zhao laughed.
“No problem, no problem. If you ever want to leave it there, you’re welcome anytime. The cart isn’t very large. It won’t take up much space.”
Then she looked at Jiang Ran again.
“As for those sweet cakes and stuffed cakes you mentioned… don’t worry, young lady. I’ll only sell bread. I definitely won’t steal your business.”
Jiang Ran replied, “You can try making some when you get home. Don’t steam them. Fry them instead. The outside will be crispy while the dough stays soft. If the filling is sweet, it should taste wonderful. Mixing sugar with oil and flour for the filling can also keep costs down.”
In that instant, countless foods flashed through Jiang Ran’s mind.
If fermented dough cakes were spread with a layer of oil in the middle, they could become moon bread, which could be stuffed with all kinds of fried vegetables.
Those only needed steaming.
If fried cakes were filled with meat, they could become guokui. Eggs could be added as well.
Stuffed fermented-dough cakes were delicious too.
There were many possibilities.
But they had only known each other for a day.
She couldn’t simply reveal all her recipes.
Since Auntie Zhao was willing to let her store the cart at her house, Jiang Ran decided to share the sweet cake idea as payment for that favor.
It was only a sweet cake.
Even if they eventually fell out with each other, Jiang Ran wouldn’t lose anything.
Auntie Zhao beamed.
“Good, good, good! Thank you, young lady. Don’t you need to wash your bowls and chopsticks? Go ahead. I’ll watch the stall for you. If customers come, I’ll call you.”
Jiang Ran didn’t want dirty bowls sitting out where customers could see them and lose their appetite.
She squatted nearby and carefully scrubbed them.
After washing them once, she rinsed them twice more, fetched another bucket of water, borrowed Auntie Zhao’s broom, and cleaned the area around her stall.
The city had designated places for garbage disposal, and the marketplace was strictly managed.
Business was average in the afternoon.
She sold only three more bowls.
Seeing that it was getting late, she decided to pack up and leave.
Auntie Zhao asked, “You’re closing already? There are even more people at night…”
The moment the words left her mouth, she remembered.
Jiang Ran lived outside the city.
For a young girl, traveling home alone after dark wasn’t convenient.
Jiang Ran said, “I’m done for today. I need to leave. Auntie Zhao, could you come a little earlier tomorrow and help me save a spot closer to the front? Maybe I’d get more customers there.”
Auntie Zhao nodded.
“Sure. I’ll save one for you too.”
Jiang Ran’s eyes curved into crescents.
Auntie Zhao thought her eyes looked like little moons. The more she got to know the girl, the more likable she became.
She wanted to test whether sweet cakes would sell.
Otherwise, making only a few sales a day was exhausting.
After making their arrangement, Jiang Ran packed up her things and pushed the cart home.
Passing a meat stall, she bought one jin of pork and two bones.
Pork was expensive—sixty copper coins per jin.
Minced pork looked plentiful once cooked, but a bowl of noodles only cost five copper coins. No one could expect to eat enough meat to feel full from noodles alone.
Most of the meat would be saved for tomorrow’s stall.
The remainder would be eaten by the family.
Jiang Ran asked the butcher to separate the portions.
She would return tomorrow.
The minced pork still needed to be prepared, and the bones would be used to make broth.
As for the family’s share, a few small slices of meat would be enough for everyone to taste.
Even though the family hadn’t directly helped with her business, the rice noodles had been made from the family’s rice, and both the cart and the wok belonged to the family as well.
She pushed the cart out of the city and headed home along the same road.
The sky was still bright.
There weren’t many people on the road.
She walked for a while, rested for a while, drank the leftover noodle broth whenever she felt thirsty, and avoided drinking raw water. When she got hungry, she ate the food Jiang Song had packed for her along with the unfinished flatbread.
She was exhausted.
Her arms felt as though they were filled with lead, aching terribly.
Her throat was dry from shouting all morning.
Yet the money pouch tucked against her chest jingled continuously.
The sound was delightful.
When she was about two li from home, she spotted Jiang Song.
Jiang Ran stopped immediately.
She couldn’t push the cart another step.
“Brother!”
Jiang Song ran over.
Seeing that his sister was safe and unharmed, he finally relaxed.
“You’re finally back.”
The sun had already set.
Jiang Ran said, “I came back early because I was worried it would get too late. But it’s still not dark yet. Tomorrow I can stay a little longer.”
Jiang Song shook his head.
“No. Any later won’t do.”
“It will! Maybe I’ll sell a couple more bowls. Brother, I sold them! Today I sold more than twenty bowls!”
Fourteen bowls of mixed noodles and eight bowls of soup noodles.
A total of eighty-two copper coins.
After buying meat, she still had twenty-two copper coins left.
Jiang Ran said, “I bought meat for tomorrow. Cut off a little for dinner tonight and let Mother cook it. You’ve all worked hard. Brother, this money… you can take it. For your studies!”
The moment she said those words, her heart ached terribly.
If Jiang Song actually accepted it, she would only have enough capital to sell two bowls tomorrow.
How could Jiang Song possibly take her money?
His little sister had spent the entire day outside. Her hair was messy, and she looked exhausted.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tao from the fourth branch hadn’t stepped outside once all day because she thought the sun was too harsh.
If he were more capable, his sister wouldn’t have to work so hard.
Jiang Song said, “I don’t want it. Keep it yourself. And when we get home, don’t tell anyone you made money. Understand?”
Jiang Ran blinked.
“Huh?”