“Great, my master enjoys trying novel delicacies.”
The young lady showed keen interest. As the one responsible for purchasing snacks and treats for her household, she hadn’t encountered anything new in quite some time.
Coming across two novel items at once recently, she was determined to try both.
Xiao Ying personally prepared a portion of cold mixed potatoes for her, offering a taste after preparation.
The young lady sampled a piece and found the flavor excellent—completely different from the Potato and Egg Pancake, and even better than the cold dishes at home. Her eyes lit up once more.
“This is good too. Give me five portions of this as well.”
“Certainly.”
Xiao Ying nodded, recognizing a major customer—ten portions sold in one go.
She poured the prepared portion into a lotus leaf, and Chen Xingyun naturally took over to wrap it.
Chen Xinghai stood nearby handling payments: “Today is our first day vending. The first portion for the first five customers is only four coins each.”
“You’ve purchased five portions of Potato and Egg Pancake and five portions of Tiancan Potatoes, totaling…”
He struggled with the calculation and looked to Xiao Ying for help.
Xiao Ying replied casually, “That’s forty-eight coins. The first portions of both Potato and Egg Pancake and Tiancan Potatoes are four coins each.”
“Right, forty-eight coins.”
Chen Xinghai immediately agreed, surprised at his mother’s calculation skills—no abacus needed.
The young lady mentally calculated as well, then counted out forty-eight coins from her purse, thinking how inexpensive it was.
She had just spent over two hundred coins on a box of pastries at Zhenbao Zhai.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ying prepared the remaining four portions of Tiancan Potatoes, each wrapped in separate lotus leaves.
Chen Xingyun packaged them one by one, enthusiastically handing them over: “If you enjoy them, please come again!”
The young lady smiled and nodded before leaving satisfied.
“Is it really that delicious? Let me try.”
A man in his early twenties curiously picked up a piece of Potato and Egg Pancake. Having watched for a while, he was quite tempted.
With the first purchase made, more onlookers gathered—over a dozen people had assembled by now.
“Hmm, the flavor is truly remarkable—savory and soft, unlike anything I’ve tasted before.”
The man offered generous praise after one bite, immediately ordering two portions plus one serving of Tiancan Potatoes.
Seeing him won over so quickly, the crowd grew even more curious—was the food really that good?
The portions were substantial, and at five coins each, quite affordable. Soon, many were eager to try.
Consequently, nearly everyone who sampled ended up buying—at least one portion, with some purchasing three or four of both snacks.
Most took their orders to go, with only a few eating on the spot.
All four family members were constantly busy. Chen Xingyun couldn’t handle the wrapping alone, so Chen Xingyue joined in.
Xiao Ying was the busiest—preparing Tiancan Potatoes while helping Chen Xinghai with calculations, resolving to teach them arithmetic after returning home.
Despite preparing two hundred portions, they sold out in less than two hours—much easier than anticipated.
Some who came specifically for the snacks arrived too late, expressing disappointment.
“Madam, will you be back to sell the day after tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Please prepare more then—I haven’t even tried them yet.”
Xiao Ying smiled and began packing up.
She never expected that in just one morning, the two snacks had already spread by word of mouth to many people, even reaching bustling restaurants like Manxiang Yuan.
Manxiang Yuan was one of the two largest and most luxurious restaurants in town, where a single dish cost at least thirty to forty coins. Only those with substantial means could afford to dine there.
During the lunch hour, a customer who had bought Potato and Egg Pancake and Tiancan Potatoes asked the waiter for two empty plates, intending to share them with his guests.
Out of curiosity, the waiter inquired and learned that the snacks were purchased from an elderly woman outside.
At first, no one paid much attention, but after the other guests at the table tasted the snacks, they couldn’t stop praising them, claiming they were even more delicious than the dishes at Manxiang Yuan. This immediately displeased the restaurant manager.
Seeing his disbelief, the customer laughingly invited him to try the snacks. Skeptical yet curious, the manager took a bite of each and was instantly stunned.
How could such exquisite flavors exist in the world?
This thing called potato was truly marvelous—why had he never heard of it before?
“Esteemed guest, may I ask where you bought these?”
With decades of experience in the restaurant business, the manager instantly sensed a golden opportunity. If he could bring these two items into his restaurant, they would surely become bestsellers!
What do restaurants fear most? A lack of innovation.
Manxiang Yuan hadn’t introduced any new dishes in a long time. If this continued, they risked falling behind their rival, Wei Xian Ju.
So, he was captivated.
The customer laughed heartily, “It’s from a stall set up by a young woman. Today was her first day in business. This one is called Potato and Egg Pancake, and this is Tiancan Potatoes. They were selling like hotcakes!”
The manager immediately decided to go purchase them himself, but the customer informed him that the woman had already sold out and left. He was bitterly disappointed.
Fortunately, she would return the day after tomorrow. He resolved to go early in the morning to ensure no one else got there first.
He wasn’t the only one amazed by these two snacks—the town magistrate’s family was among those equally impressed.
When the two snacks were served at dinner that evening, everyone except Madam Li Mengzhi looked on with curiosity.
“Madam, what are these?”
Magistrate Liu Cong gazed puzzledly at the two plates of unfamiliar delicacies.
Li Mengzhi smiled and replied, “Cai’er bought these new treats today. This one is called Potato and Egg Pancake, and this is Tiancan Potatoes, a cold tossed dish. Both are exceptionally tasty.”
The Potato and Egg Pancake had been cut into small pieces, filling a large plate.
Only two portions of Tiancan Potatoes were served, with the rest saved for later.
“Master, please try some.”
She placed a small piece of Potato and Egg Pancake into Liu Cong’s bowl. The others watched intently, not daring to move their chopsticks—even the youngest, Liu Zhao.
Liu Cong took a bite out of curiosity and found himself unable to stop. He devoured three pieces in succession and still wanted more.
“Excellent, truly excellent, Madam. This Potato and Egg Pancake is delicious.”
Liu Cong praised heartily, beaming with delight. It had been a long time since he’d tasted something so novel and delightful.
“Everyone, dig in. Try some.”
Seeing his reaction, the others could no longer restrain themselves and eagerly picked up pieces of the Potato and Egg Pancake to taste. Soon, they too were hooked.
In no time, the entire family polished off the large plate of Potato and Egg Pancake, all marveling at its flavor.
“Delicious, absolutely delicious.”
Liu Zhao ate like a starving refugee, wolfing down large mouthfuls and even sneaking two pieces into his sleeve when no one was looking.
“It really is good.”
The eldest son, Liu Xuan, was much more reserved, offering a faint smile and a nod.
Liu Xuan, twenty-two years old, was already married with children. He was one of the few scholars in town and served as a teacher at the academy.
Then the family sampled the Tiancan Potatoes, which offered a completely different flavor but were equally delicious, so much so that Liu Cong ended up eating half a bowl more rice.
“Madam, where did you buy these? How come I’ve never heard of them before?”
Liu Cong clearly wanted more and had also recognized the value of this item.
He owned a restaurant himself—Wei Xian Ju, which rivaled Manxiang Yuan in reputation.
If he could get his hands on this to sell at Wei Xian Ju, business would undoubtedly reach new heights.