Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Just as I put the buns in the steamer into the winnowing basket and covered them with a clean, snow-white dust-proof cloth, a guest leading a chestnut horse came over with the clatter of its horse's hooves, smelling the aroma of the meat buns.

He sniffed the aroma of the meat and pointed at the cloth in an accent that was clearly that of a northerner, saying, "What is this food? It smells so good."

Shen Yu quickly lifted the cloth and replied with a smile: "Hello, sir. These are freshly steamed big steamed buns with juicy meat filling. They are delicious, big and cheap. Nine cents each, two are enough to fill you up. Would you like to try them?"

The guest nodded: "Two first!"

Shen Yu picked up the bamboo tongs that had been placed beside the winnowing basket and picked up two large steaming meat buns. Yu Cheng next to him cleverly handed over a dry lotus leaf. Shen Yu took it, wrapped it in the lotus leaf, and handed it to the guest, reminding him, "Sir, there is soup in the meat buns. They are just out of the pot and are still hot. Please be careful when eating. Don't burn yourself and don't stain your clothes."

The guest nodded and took it, handing over eighteen large coins. Shen Yu did not take it with his hands, but pointed to a wooden box on the shelf next to the winnowing basket, indicating that he could put the coins in it.

The customer was a little surprised, but nodded with satisfaction. He threw the money into the wooden box and did not leave. Instead, he stood in front of the stall, holding the lotus leaf bag, carefully broke a hole in the bun, blew on it, and then took a small bite to test the temperature before eating.

It seemed that he had eaten this kind of stuffed food with soup before and was very skilled at it. At first, because the buns were hot, he ate slowly, but later when they cooled down a bit, he finished two buns as big as fists in no time.

He savored it with an intoxicated look on his face, then took out his purse, took out a small string of coins, and said to Shen Yu: "This string of coins is ninety coins. Make me ten meat buns and I'll take them on the road. These buns taste great, even better than the soft lamb-stuffed baked buns I've had in the north. The dough is soft and the filling is fragrant, and there's soup. The taste is smooth and fragrant. This is the first time I've eaten them since leaving the north."

Shen Yu was happy and surprised. He didn't expect that the first customer would be so accepting.

Li watched from the side and her face turned red with excitement. She quickly pulled Yucheng aside and stood beside the winnowing basket to help Shen Yu pack the bags.

A lotus leaf can hold at most five large buns, so Shen Yu deliberately packed one more, making two large buns in total, eleven buns in total. She tied the lotus leaf buns with reeds and handed them to the customer with both hands: "Two bags, a total of eleven, buy ten and get one free, I'll give you one more, thank you for your patronage, take it."

This time it was the customer's turn to be surprised. He was used to seeing food vendors fighting over even a big coin, but it was rare to see someone as generous and business-savvy as this young girl.

Not only are they kind and pleasant to talk to, they are also very particular about cleanliness and don't even take money with their hands.

He happily took the buns and said to the customers standing beside him with a hearty smile: "Don't just stand there and watch me eat. The meat buns here are delicious, fragrant and filling. The price is also cheap and reasonable. They taste just as good as the soft lamb buns. If you want to eat some, hurry up and buy them. If you're late, you won't be able to grab them."

After saying that, he put two large bags of dumplings in the saddle bag on the horse's back and led the horse towards the city gate with the sound of "clattering hooves".

There were already a few diners who came to the market to buy breakfast standing nearby, and they wanted to buy some to try after smelling the food.

When I looked at the price, I felt that it was more expensive than Hu Bing, but I was also afraid that it would not taste good and I would waste money. So when I saw someone buy it first, I stood by the customer and started eating from him. I was eagerly waiting to see how he enjoyed the meal. I was already drooling at the aroma.

Seeing that he was enjoying the food, he bought a dozen more buns to take away. It was obvious that the buns were very delicious. When he shouted, everyone reacted and bought three or five buns. In a blink of an eye, more than half of the two baskets of big meat buns were sold.

Shen Yu stood beside the winnowing basket, packing food for the diners, calculating the time in his mind.

When the time came, Li was asked to take the steamed vegetable and mushroom buns and red bean paste and candied date buns out of the pot. The steaming basket of buns gave off an enticing aroma.

In summer, the sun rises earlier, and it is already light at this time. More people are gathered in front of the market, not only guests rushing to leave the city, but also shop owners who get up early and come here to have breakfast.

Those who come to look for food at this time are all in no hurry. They walk slowly around the entrance of the market, thinking about what to eat. Those with sharp noses first smell the fragrance of buns next to the porridge stall, and then take a look. They see that a new food stall has been opened on the open space next to the porridge stall this morning. The fire in the stove is burning brightly, and the steamers are stacked high on top, emitting steam and exuding a meaty aroma that they have never smelled before.

A young girl wearing a clean blue cloth dress, a scarf of the same color wrapped around her head and a white apron tied around her waist was standing in front of a large winnowing basket, using bamboo clips to pick up buns for people.

The bun stall was not big. Because the fillings were different, the steaming time was also different. The meat-filled buns had not been steamed yet, and the customers waiting to buy meat buns lined up patiently and spontaneously. Shen Yu was responsible for introducing the various bun fillings, and Li was responsible for using lotus leaves to pack the buns for the customers.

Li was a little flustered at first, and what she was most worried about was that the guests would take advantage of the chaos and pay less money.

Shen Yu did not allow her to catch the silver and money with her hands, and asked the customer to throw it into the wooden box herself. She muttered to herself that if one or two coins were missing, it would not be noticeable.

After selling a few orders, I found that this method is actually quite good. After all, not every customer buys two large bags at a time.

Some people wanted to try the flavor first and bought one or two, while others had a big appetite and bought three or five. They all gave a few, or ten or twenty silver coins, and it was embarrassing to give less in front of so many people.

It saves the effort of counting money and makes the transaction appear fair. If there is more money in the cash box, later customers will think that the food at this food stall must be delicious, otherwise there would not be so much money in the cash box.

Li stared secretly for a long time before she felt relieved and focused on packing meals for the diners.

Shen Yu asked the guests to put the silver and money into the wooden box themselves, but she didn't think too much about it. It was simply her mysophobia that was acting up.

Shen Yu is a person who has a bit of a mysophobia. Every time he handles cash with his hands, he wants to find a place to wash his hands, otherwise he feels uncomfortable all over.

Later, mobile payment came into being. Just swipe the phone and the money is paid, and the occasions for paying with cash have become much less common.

Since Shen Yu tasted the sweetness of mobile payment without touching cash, he rarely uses his wallet. He is happy that he no longer has to find a place to wash his hands after touching money.

Here, she thought that the coins were also touched by countless people. How could she use her hands to knead bread and buns after receiving the silver coins? Did she have to wash her hands all the time? There was not enough water for her to waste, which was very inconvenient.

After a compromise, I came up with this idea. Unexpectedly, when the customers in line saw the pile of silver in the box, they began to discuss in a low voice: "The buns here smell good and must taste better. It has only been a short while and the box is already thick with silver. I must buy two more to bring back for my wife to try."

The customer in the back got anxious when he heard this: "Hey, you better leave two for me. I've been waiting for a long time to buy two candied red bean paste and candied dates for my granddaughter."

Shen Yu smiled and comforted him: "Uncle, don't worry, the red bean paste and candied dates stuffed dumplings will be ready soon. There are 20 dumplings in a basket. Your little granddaughter will definitely be able to eat them this morning."

When the anxious customer heard so many in one cage, he realized that he was too anxious and touched his nose to cover up. The customers in the queue looked at his embarrassed look and smiled kindly.