Chapter 40 Harvesting the Crops

"We sell our own goods, and imitation is inevitable," Wen Ye said.

"Second Sister is right, their food definitely doesn't taste as good as ours," Wen Yuan added.

Before long, the business grew brisk.

Because they were the original vendors, they had many regular customers. However, some people couldn't wait and went to buy from the other stalls instead.

As soon as those people took a bite, they shook their heads. "Not much to speak of, nowhere near as delicious as the first stall."

"It lacks the aroma of the first one."

"These vegetables are even limp."

"Doesn't even taste as good as the ones I mixed myself at home yesterday."

"Why isn't there any color at all?" a customer at a neighboring wonton stall said to the owner. "Your cold-dressed vegetables look so pale and unappetizing. Put in more soy sauce!"

The wonton stall owner frowned and had no choice but to add more.

The moment the customer took a bite, he spat it out with a disgusted exclamation. "It's salty to death!"

"You're the one who asked for more soy sauce," the wonton stall owner retorted.

An argument broke out at the wonton stall, which only ended when the owner waived the customer's bill.

From this, the competitors deduced that Wen Ye's family must have diluted their soy sauce with water, which provided color without making it too salty. Consequently, those other cold dish stalls quietly added a bowl of cooled boiled water to their soy sauce.

Yet, customers still shook their heads after eating. Although the dishes looked similar, for some reason, they simply lacked that alluring aroma.

Seeing the reaction of those rival stalls, Lady Lin and Third Wen finally let out a sigh of relief. Indeed, their family's soy sauce was even brewed with medicinal herbs! Naturally, it was different.

Only then did the couple set their minds at ease and diligently serve their customers.

The three rival stalls still had some impact; whereas Wen Ye's family had sold out within an hour yesterday, today it took an hour and a half, wrapping up only at noon.

Nevertheless, as long as the business remained viable, Lady Lin and Third Wen were already well satisfied.

......

Over the next few days, the Wen family prepared three hundred catty of vegetables every day, and all of it sold out completely.

Initially, many people went to those three rival stalls to try something new, but gradually, everyone realized those three lacked flavor and didn't taste good at all.

The wonton stall had already given up on selling cold dishes and reverted to selling only wontons.

Of the other two, one had left, while the second stubbornly persisted.

After all, making cold-dressed dishes was plain for all to see; anyone knew how to blanch vegetables and add vinegar and chili oil. Unless it was exceptionally delicious, who would be willing to spend hard-earned money on a few bowls of plain greens?

Besides those three, several new cold dish stalls had popped up on South Street and North Street, two of which were run by people from Wen Ye's village.

However, after operating for a few days, they one by one closed down because they couldn't make sales and ended up losing money.

Thus, many people came to realize that the Wen family's cold dishes were not as simple as they appeared; there was a secret recipe involved.

No one knew what ingredients they used, but the dishes were exceptionally fragrant and tasted remarkably good. It was something others simply could not imitate.

Today was yet another day of packing up early.

Seeing that it wasn't even noon yet, Third Wen couldn't help sighing, "There are still many people who haven't gotten a chance to eat yet! If we sold through the afternoon as well, we could make even more money."

Wen Ye replied, "We need to prepare tomorrow's ingredients in the afternoon! Besides, the crops in the fields also need tending, so how could we possibly have the time? Moreover, everyone comes out for the early morning market, and there aren't many people left in town by the afternoon."

"That's true."

Looking at the sky and the disappointed figures of customers leaving empty-handed because the cold dishes had sold out, Third Wen felt a deep sense of regret and anxiety, wishing he had grown a few extra pairs of hands to sell more goods.

After packing up their stall, Wen Ye, Third Wen, Lady Lin, and Wen Yuan each strapped a bamboo basket to their backs and walked to the spot where the ox cart waited.

Old Man Fu was harnessing the ox, and four fellow villagers were already waiting there.

Wen Ye called out, "Grandpa Fu, are there any empty spots today?"

Usually, Wen Ye and her family waited until past noon, and Old Man Fu would make a special trip just to pick them up. Today, however, since they had run out of vegetables early and didn't need to purchase supplies while feeling utterly exhausted, they decided to head home ahead of time.

"Yes, yes, I'm only carrying these four people today," Old Man Fu smiled and said.

Wen Ye and the others quickly climbed aboard, and the ox cart rumbled forward slowly.

The villagers sharing the cart looked at the empty bowls and basins packed inside their baskets, their eyes filled with envy.

"Doshi, you must have made a huge fortune again today!" Auntie Zhang from the same village smiled and said. "I saw those customers coming in endless streams; you must be making a hundred or two copper coins a day at least."

Third Wen and Lady Lin grew tense. A hundred or two copper coins? Make it one or two silver taels!

Wen Ye smiled. Good business was plain for everyone to see, and there was no point in trying to deny it. "It's all thanks to everyone's support. Going forward, we'll also be purchasing vegetables. If any of you uncles and aunts have produce at home, you can bring them over to our place."

The people on the cart instantly grew excited, and the slightly sour atmosphere from moments ago dissipated a bit. "I have plenty of vegetables at home."

"Me too, me too. I've planted several ridges of bok choy."

"Auntie Zhang, we only take crisp vegetables, so we don't need bok choy. We only want cucumbers, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, carrots, black fungus, chili peppers, garlic, cilantro..."

Wen Ye listed the required vegetables one by one.

The villagers on the cart began chattering animatedly.

Auntie Zhang asked, "What about the prices?"

"Cucumbers, bamboo shoots, and carrots are all one and a half cash per catty, or three cash for two catties. Chili peppers are two cash per catty..."

As Wen Ye announced the prices one by one, the expressions of the villagers varied.

Auntie Zhang frowned. "Just the other days, I carried a basket of cucumbers to the county town to sell, and I sold them for two cash a catty! Why are your prices even cheaper than selling them outside?"

Wen Ye asked, "Well, Auntie Zhang, did you manage to sell that entire basket of cucumbers?"

Auntie Zhang frowned and naturally had to admit she hadn't.

She had spent a whole day selling only half a basket, and it took her two and a half days to finally sell the rest. Because they were no longer fresh, she had to lower the price to one cash per catty.

Calculated that way, three cash for two catties of cucumbers wasn't a loss at all, and it even saved her travel time and cart fare.

Furthermore, with abundant rainfall this year, everyone had a good harvest, and vegetables were naturally cheap. Many people watched their crops rot in the fields because they couldn't sell them.

The other three villagers also realized this and nodded repeatedly.

"Count me in then," Auntie Zhang said immediately.

Wen Ye smiled and nodded. "Alright, alright. But let's set the ugly terms first: our cold dishes rely entirely on freshness. I only want vegetables harvested on the same day, and they must be tender and juicy, otherwise I won't accept them."

"Fine, fine," Auntie Zhang nodded repeatedly.

"We're all fellow villagers and kin; if anyone gets shortchanged, it won't be you, girl Ye. I'll send the vegetables over to your house later today."

"Me too, me too."

"Wait," Wen Ye smiled and said. "Dear uncles and aunts, we can't take in that much all at once. Let's go one family at a time, buying day by day. For example, today we'll buy Auntie Zhang's thirty catties of cucumbers and thirty catties of bamboo shoots, along with Uncle Gouzi's garlic. Tomorrow we'll buy Uncle Datou's cucumbers... Bought on the same day, harvested on the same day."

"After we have lunch shortly, I'll go with you uncles and aunts to take a look at your fields, note down which family has what produce, and then have you send them over in an orderly daily rotation."

The people on the cart beamed with smiles, listening to her. "Just how old is girl Ye, and how is she so well-spoken?"

Auntie Zhang smiled. "Look at this little mouth of hers, chattering away and managing everything so properly."

Sitting beside her, Third Wen and Lady Lin felt a mixture of gratification and guilt.

Ever since the family separated, girl Ye had been the pillar holding up the entire household. If not for her, they would still be living on chaff and wild herbs—how could they ever have dreamed of such a good life?

Lady Lin's eyes reddened slightly as she gently pulled Wen Ye into her arms.

For the sake of her daughter, she had to work even harder!