Chapter 36: A Flying Start

The next morning, as the sky began to pale with the first light of dawn, the Wen family was already up.

Mrs. Lin and Wen Lan efficiently smashed the cucumbers, while all other ingredients were either blanched or sliced as needed. The vegetables and seasonings were meticulously sorted into small ceramic pots, filling four large wicker baskets.

Old Man Fu was punctual, arriving right on time with his ox cart. Seeing the baskets on the ground, he hurried to help load them, and they set off under the dim morning light.

"Grandpa Fu, this is for you," Wen Ye said, handing him an egg.

"No, no, keep it for yourselves! I already had breakfast before I left," Old Man Fu said, shaking his head repeatedly. He had already been paid for the ride, and he refused to take anything else. "Little Ye, what kind of business are you planning to do in town?"

Seeing his refusal, Wen Ye didn't insist. "Just selling some small side dishes to see if we can make a little money. We should be back after lunch. If there are few people returning to the village then, we'll just join them. If it’s crowded, I’ll have to trouble you to make another trip for us."

"Of course," he agreed.

As the group chatted, they soon arrived at the small town. Upon reaching their chosen spot, the wonton seller was already setting up. Wen Ye and her family quickly occupied the space right next to it.

They unfolded a long table and laid out nine ceramic pots containing noodles, cucumbers, wood ear mushrooms, lotus root slices, lettuce stalks, bean curd sheets, bean sprouts, and shredded carrots. Large bowls were filled with cilantro, scallions, minced garlic, minced ginger, and spicy chili peppers, alongside salt, vinegar, soy sauce, lard, chili oil, sesame oil, and Sichuan peppercorn powder.

The table was completely covered. They hung a sign in front: "Wen Family Cold Tossed Dishes."

By the time everything was arranged, the sun had fully risen, and the streets were filling with pedestrians. Mrs. Lin, Wen Lan, and Wen Yuan stood by the table, looking nervous and anxious, worried that nothing would sell.

"What are you selling?" passersby headed toward the wonton stall glanced at Wen Ye's booth, finding it quite novel. Who would ever sell pre-sliced vegetables like this?

"Ma'am, we're selling cold tossed dishes," Wen Ye said with a smile.

"What is that? Never heard of it," the woman replied, shaking her head before sitting down at the wonton stall.

Mrs. Lin and the others felt deflated, but Wen Ye remained unfazed. "It's alright, this is expected. Once it gets busier, we can call out to the crowd."

As the street grew more crowded and lively, curious people would glance at the strange stall, but no one asked questions.

"Come and take a look! Fragrant, sour, and spicy cold dishes! Taste before you buy—if it's not delicious, it's free!" Wen Ye called out at the top of her lungs.

Those who were already curious gathered around. "What is this? What does 'cold tossed' mean?"

"Ma'am, just try it and you'll know. Samples are free," Wen Ye said, producing a small bowl she had already prepared.

It contained all nine vegetables, glistening with red chili oil. As soon as it was brought close, the fragrant, spicy, and tangy aroma wafted up, instantly whetting everyone's appetite.

"I'll try it, then. It's free, anyway," the woman said, picking up a small bamboo skewer and eating a piece of cucumber. Her eyes lit up immediately. "Delicious! So refreshing! It's been so hot lately that I haven't had any appetite, but this sour and spicy flavor is just right. How do you sell this?"

"A small bowl is 3 coins, a large bowl is 5 coins, and you can choose any combination of vegetables. The cold tossed noodles are a bit more: 8 coins for a small bowl, 13 for a large."

The woman was straightforward. "Give me a 3-coin bowl of the vegetable mix to start, with a bit of everything."

"Coming right up! Please have a seat, ma'am, I'll mix it for you."

Wen Ye skillfully tossed the vegetables into a bowl, added cilantro, scallions, shredded carrots, and a variety of seasonings, mixing them thoroughly. She placed the fragrant dish in front of the woman. "Enjoy, ma'am."

The woman sat at a small table nearby, her eyes widening with every bite. "Sss, so sour and spicy—refreshing! Absolutely perfect!"

The surrounding crowd, watching her, became eager. "What is this cold dish? It looks quite good."

"It smells delicious, too."

"3 coins a bowl? Isn't that too expensive?" an old woman frowned. "There’s not even a piece of meat here—just some plain cucumbers and bean sprouts. For 3 coins, I could buy over a pound of vegetables myself. Why would I pay for this little bowl?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd began to hesitate.

Wen Ye maintained a professional smile. "You only see the cucumbers. Why not consider the oil and salt? The lard is rendered from high-quality fat, which costs 25 coins a pound. Besides that, there's sesame oil, which costs 70 coins a pound. Everything here costs money."

The old woman was silenced. The surrounding crowd nodded in agreement. "When you put it that way, it's not actually expensive. Besides, it's only a few coins; it's worth a try."

The old woman scoffed and walked away. Just then, the first customer finished her bowl and called out excitedly to Wen Ye, "Give me a bowl of the cold tossed noodles! Make it extra spicy! This is my breakfast—it's much better than wontons."

The owner of the neighboring wonton stall turned sour.

"A small bowl of cold tossed noodles is 8 coins," Wen Ye reminded her.

"I know! Even a plain bowl of noodles costs that much anyway!"

Mrs. Lin had already begun mixing the noodles. Seeing the woman eating with such gusto, the crowd grew restless.

"Give me a 5-coin bowl of vegetables, too."

"I want one as well. No cilantro for me."

"Add more chili!"

Mrs. Lin and Wen Lan were thrilled and began working quickly. Soon, all three tables were filled, and those who couldn't find a seat stood nearby to eat. Seeing the crowd, more people assumed the food must be excellent and gathered around. The stall became the center of attention.

"Girl, this cold toss is amazing," the first customer said with a grin, handing over 11 coins. "I want to buy some to take home. How do you calculate that?"

"You can buy it by the pound. The vegetable mix is 8 coins a pound, and the cold noodles are 20 coins a pound."

Everyone knew that grain and flour were expensive, and the cost of the sesame oil was well-known, so no one argued with the price of the noodles.

"Fine," the woman nodded. "I'm going home to get a bowl."

By then, the 100 pounds of vegetables and noodles Wen Ye had prepared—which she expected to last until noon—had sold out in just three hours.

"Oh no, it's sold out? I could smell how good it was, but I didn't get a chance to eat any," several people lamented.

"Don't worry, everyone! We'll be back tomorrow, so please come by then! And if you want to buy a larger portion to take home, remember to bring your own bowl," Wen Ye said.

"Will do!" The customers agreed with smiles before heading off.

"Whew!" Mrs. Lin and the others were exhausted.

"I never imagined the business would be this good," Wen Lan said, still buzzing with excitement.

"Let's pack up quickly, buy more supplies, and head home to prepare for tomorrow," Mrs. Lin added.