Chapter 15: So Delicious It’ll Blow Your Mind!
Liuzi scratched his head sheepishly and waved his hand. “No need, no need. It was nothing—just lending a hand. I got here early this morning and didn’t have anything else to do, so I tidied up a bit. You bought so much stuff yesterday, giving you some firewood is really nothing. These wood shavings catch fire easily too.”
Liuzi’s family were woodworkers, and it was clear the firewood was all offcut scraps. The wood shavings were indeed perfect for kindling.
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony. Lunch is on me,” Wen Yao said sincerely. She was someone who knew how to be grateful—if people treated them genuinely, they would naturally return the favor in kind.
What she said made Liuzi a little embarrassed, feeling as if he was freeloading, though he really did want to try the food.
“Then I won’t be polite either. Uncle Wen, let me help you.”
Wen Yao placed a small stool under a nearby tree and told Datou to sit there and not run off, then joined in to help as well.
By the time Wen Jun returned with the wok, the stove was already lit. The big pot they’d brought from home was sitting over the flame with soup cooking inside.
The soup was complimentary—order a bowl of fried rice and get a bowl of soup. Three eggs, a handful of cabbage, and a splash of oil made for a decent offering.
It was close to noon now, and the foot traffic was picking up. Plenty of people passed by and gave their setup a glance, but most just looked and moved on.
Wen Xiuyi had an apron tied around his waist and a cloth wrapped around his head. Spatula in hand, he stood at the stove, waiting for customers.
But not a single one came.
Liuzi gave an awkward smile. After all, he was the one who said there were plenty of people around here, but now they’d opened shop and hadn’t had a single customer.
“Uncle Wen, maybe it’s just not time yet…”
Wen Xiuyi was unfazed and even comforted him. “It’s fine. First day—this is normal.”
Wen Yao’s eyes twitched slightly, then she said, “Dad, I bet Datou’s hungry. Sixth Brother, you’ve been working all morning too. Why don’t you cook us up a bowl of fried rice?”
“Alrighty.” Wen Xiuyi rolled up his sleeves, and the spatula in his hand sprang to life.
There wasn’t vegetable oil back then, so he added a small spoonful of lard to the pan. The aroma wafted out instantly.
With practiced ease and smooth movements, Wen Xiuyi’s cooking quickly drew curious glances from passersby, many of whom stopped to see what he was doing.
Wen Yao noted their reactions and smirked. That’s how people were—if a familiar spot started selling something new, it would spark curiosity. At that point, all you had to do was show them what you were about, and naturally someone would be willing to try.
When a steaming, fragrant bowl of egg fried rice was finally ready and Wen Xiuyi sprinkled on a handful of chopped scallions, someone even let out a surprised “Oh!”—as if that sprinkle of green was the finishing touch of perfection.
Wen Yao, Wen Jun, Datou, and Liuzi each got a bowl.
Wen Yao dragged over a stool and sat right in front of the stall to eat. While eating, she exaggeratedly praised the food to Datou beside her. “It’s sooo good! Dad’s fried rice is too delicious!”
Datou, however, didn’t have time to respond—he was too busy digging into his food.
Liuzi was even more dramatic. As he ate, he exclaimed, “Uncle Wen, this is too good! Hoo—hot! But so tasty! Way too tasty!”
Compared to them, Wen Jun was far more restrained. He quietly held his bowl and ate, but his speed alone made it clear just how good the food was.
“Boss, what are you selling here?” Finally, their first customer approached. Judging by the look of him, he was likely another street vendor.
Wen Xiuyi wiped his hands on his apron and lifted the cloth covering the ingredients. “Sir, this is what we call fried rice. The rice is freshly steamed over a low flame—never overnight—and all the ingredients are fresh. Would you like to try some?”
Liuzi, spotting the man, didn’t even swallow his mouthful before blurting out, “Brother Liu, it’s really good! You’ve gotta try it!”
Brother Liu licked his lips. He had been out since early morning and was indeed hungry. “How much is it?”
“Vegetable fried rice is ten wen. Egg fried rice is twelve. Add some meat and it’s fifteen. Soup is free.”
The vendor hesitated. “That’s kinda pricey…”
Liuzi piped up again, “Brother Liu, it’s not expensive! Look, it’s real rice, generous portions, and Uncle Wen’s got skills!”
With Liuzi pushing like that and the smell making it impossible to resist, the vendor gritted his teeth. “Alright, I’ll take a bowl of egg fried rice.” He handed over twelve coins.
Wen Xiuyi pointed to a clay jar beside the stove. “Just place the money there. One egg fried rice—please wait a moment.”
This was their first sale, and Wen Xiuyi took it very seriously. He even showed off a bit with some wok-flipping flair, drawing cheers and claps from the small crowd that had gathered.
When the bowl of fried rice was finally handed over, all eyes turned to the vendor as he took the first bite.
He was nervous too, but as soon as the rice hit his tongue, the flavor exploded across his taste buds.
“Delicious!” he mumbled through a mouthful, then immediately lowered his head and dug in.
Wen Xiuyi grinned proudly. He might not be good at everything, but when it came to fried rice, he was a master.
With the first customer now openly enjoying the food, and confirming it was tasty, more people started lining up.
Some frugal ones ordered plain veggie fried rice, others splurged on egg fried rice, and a few wanted to try it with meat.
Word spread fast across the dock—“There’s a new fried rice stall and it’s delicious!”
Wen Yao and Wen Jun were busy wiping tables, collecting bowls, and washing dishes. Even Datou was handed over to Liuzi to watch. Liuzi somehow managed to find a wooden toy for him, and Datou sat happily by a tree playing on his own.
By noon, some curious laborers who had heard the news started arriving in small groups.
By the time the lunch rush ended, their giant tub of rice—fifteen jin’s worth—was completely sold out. Even people who showed up late had to leave disappointed.
The three of them hadn’t expected their first day of business to go so well.
“Sorry, really! First day out, we didn’t prepare enough rice. Tomorrow—tomorrow for sure you’ll get some!” Wen Xiuyi said with a grin that nearly split his face, sending off disappointed customers with apologetic warmth before flipping the sign to “closed” and running back to check their earnings.
“Yao Yao, how’s it look?” Wen Xiuyi stared at the money jar with eyes practically glowing. He didn’t even care that his arms were sore.
The jar was half full of copper coins. Wen Yao didn’t count it, but based on the amount of food they’d prepared—fifteen jin of rice, roughly 100 servings—even at the cheapest price of ten coins per serving, that was already a thousand wen. And plenty of people had ordered egg fried rice and ones with meat.
Wen Yao raised a single finger and said excitedly, “At least this much.”
Right now, she was dying to find a spot to count money.
