Siheyuan: Being a fisherman in 1962

Everyone shook their heads, indicating that they were not interested.

Sha Zhu felt disappointed, but he did not give up. He said loudly, "I am the successor of Tan's cuisine. My cooking skills are absolutely first-rate. Don't you really want to try it?"

However, his words did not arouse anyone's interest.

Instead, someone mocked, "Tan's cuisine? So what? We won't fall for that!"

Hearing this, he still held back his tears and stood silently in front of the stall.

The breakfast stall owner quickly sold out and left, leaving behind a mess and Shazhu standing alone on the empty street.

The noisy sound seemed to still echo in his ears, but it had turned into an invisible mockery that pierced his heart.

The sun shone obliquely, but it could not dispel the haze in his heart.

An old man walked by, looked at his stall curiously, and asked with concern: "Shazhu, how is your business?"

Sha Zhu forced a smile and said casually, "Very good, sir. Would you like to try it when you are free?"

However, he couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes.

An old man noticed something, but he didn't investigate further. He just shook his head and left with a sigh.

After a while, the third uncle also passed by here. He looked at Sha Zhu's braised food stall and asked in surprise: "Sha Zhu, why are you selling braised food now?"

Sha Zhu was stunned for a moment, then replied: "Try a new way."

The third uncle asked again: "How much do you sell this braised food?"

Sha Zhu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately was unwilling to reveal it and dealt with it vaguely.

The third uncle wanted to taste the food before buying, and had an argument with Sha Zhu, accusing him of improper business practices.

Sha Zhu almost got violent with the Third Uncle. Seeing this, the Third Uncle didn't ask any more questions and turned away.

When he left, Sha Zhu felt angry and thought he brought bad luck.

Time passed by little by little, but Sha Zhu's stall was still deserted.

He began to doubt his decision and wondered if he had really chosen the wrong path.

However, whenever he thought of Qin Huairu's words of encouragement, a spirit of not giving up surged in his heart.

As long as you keep going, you will succeed one day.

Not long after the third uncle left, Sha Zhu's stall became lively again.

I saw a well-dressed and imposing man walking over, followed by several followers, looking like a wealthy man.

When Sha Zhu saw this, he was delighted and immediately went up to greet him warmly.

However, the man just glanced at the braised food on the stall and frowned.

"Is this what you call braised food?" the man said disdainfully.

"Yes, sir. I make all these marinated dishes by myself. I guarantee the taste is authentic."

"I don't think so. Your stall is set up here, and there's not even a single person in sight. How can you say it's authentic?"

"Sir, it's okay if you don't buy it, but please don't insult my craftsmanship."

"I think you are a liar, trying to cheat people out of money with this braised food. Let me tell you, I am not that easy to fool."

"Why do you say that? My skills are honed through practice, and not just anyone can compare to me."

"Okay, since you said so, I'll try your stew. If it doesn't taste good, don't blame me for being rude."

Sha Zhu was delighted and quickly handed over the braised food.

However, the man frowned after just taking a bite.

"Is this what you call authentic braised food? It's simply hard to swallow." The man said, and threw the braised food on the ground.

Sha Zhu was stunned, looking at the braised food on the ground, feeling a sense of loss.

This time it was a real failure.

Just then, He Yushui suddenly appeared in front of his stall.

Looking at Sha Zhu, his eyes were filled with disappointment and anger.

"How can you set up a stall here to sell braised food? You should have higher aspirations." He Yushui said.

These words were like a cold arrow, piercing his heart.

"Yushui, I just want to make a living. Setting up a stall is one way." Shazhu whispered.

"Make a living? How can your skills in cooking Tan's cuisine be buried in these streets and alleys?" He Yushui was indignant.

Sha Zhu looked up at the sky, trying to calm his inner turmoil.

My skills are indeed extraordinary, but in this realistic society, how many people can truly appreciate its value?

He Yushui stressed that Sha Zhu’s cooking skills should have a better development platform rather than setting up a street stall.

However, Sha Zhu insisted that setting up a stall was a legitimate way to make a living, and he had an argument with He Yu Shui, who eventually left in disappointment.

After a moment, Sha Zhu sighed alone, hoping in his heart that his sister could understand his helplessness.

The sunlight was dappled in front of Sha Zhu's braised food stall, but it could not hide the fatigue in the corners of his eyes.

The braised food trembled slightly in the autumn wind, as if it was sighing.

At this moment, Qin Jingru and Lou Xiaoe arrived unexpectedly, breaking the moment of tranquility.

Qin Jingru was sharp-eyed and noticed the moisture in Sha Zhu's eyes at once. She asked softly, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"No, it's just the sand that blinded me." Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu rubbed his eyes and smiled.

Lou Xiao'e's eyes were sharp. She glanced at the stewed food on the stall, then looked at Sha Zhu's slightly haggard face, and had some guesses in her mind. "How come these stewed dishes haven't been sold all morning?"

"Yeah, my stewed food doesn't seem to be popular with everyone."

"It's hard to start a business, you need to be patient. Back then, my stall also had a hard time getting started. But as long as you stick with it, one day, your braised dishes will be recognized by everyone."

After hearing this, Sha Zhu nodded to express his gratitude.

Qin Jingru had a sharp eye and saw through Sha Zhu's predicament at a glance.

She pointed at the stewed food on the stall and said softly, "This stewed food should be sold in the afternoon. People like to eat something light in the morning. Although your stewed food is good, it is a bit greasy, so it is naturally not popular."

Hearing this, Sha Zhu was shocked and wondered why he hadn't thought of this.

He looked up at Qin Jingru, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes.

He is not alone, he has these people around him to support him.

At lunch time, Sha Zhu took out a steamed bun from his bag and started eating it with the unsold braised dishes.

Qin Jingru saw this scene and asked in surprise, "You're just going to eat this?"

"What's the big deal? As long as it can fill my stomach."

Qin Jingru and Lou Xiaoe's insoles were sold out quickly, which made Sha Zhu feel even more frustrated.

The autumn wind gradually rose, taking away the summer heat, but it could not take away the anxiety in Sha Zhu's heart.

He sat on a mat, his eyelids heavy and he felt sleepy.

The fatigue from last night's insomnia mixed with the laziness of the afternoon autumn sun made him yawn unconsciously.

Just then, Qin Jingru and Lou Xiaoe packed up their stall and prepared to go home.

They looked at Sha Zhu's tired figure and couldn't help feeling a trace of pity in their hearts.

"You're working so hard but still seeing no results. Why not try a different approach?" Qin Jingru suggested softly.

"What else can I do? I can only sit back and wait."

Lou Xiao'e frowned, as if thinking about something.

"Have you ever thought that maybe your braised dishes are not unpopular, but lack the right timing?"

"Timing? How can we grasp this?"