Chapter 361: The Shop on the East Side
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Binglan was delighted to see everyone home. “Second Brother, bring out the stinky tofu for everyone to eat.”
Su Wenxiu had almost forgotten about it. “Oh, yeah, there’s stinky tofu too.”
He went to the cabinet and removed the stinky tofu from it. Then he said,
“Everyone has two portions each. You can also save it for dinner if you want. Also, don’t judge the stinky tofu by its smell. It’s delicious. You’ll understand once you try it.
“I’ll finish my two portions soon. It’s so good that I want more, but Little Sister said I shouldn’t overeat.”
Su Wenxiu still felt hungry when he gave the remaining portions to everyone else. He had eaten his two servings in the afternoon, but after seeing the others eating their share, he craved more.
He gulped his saliva and had to suppress his cravings. After all, he had to save his appetite for the ramen. He would be unable to eat ramen if his stomach was full.
“This is stinky tofu? It’s delicious!”
“Yeah, it’s tasty.”
Su Wenzhe and Liu Yinyin kept nodding while increasing the speed at which they ate. Of course, the couple remembered to share some with their children.
However, the little ones were still young, so Su Wenzhe and Liu Yinyin could not let them have too much. Instead, the parents only gave their children a small bite each. After all, they wanted their children to have space for the ramen.
Luo Jin’an held the stinky tofu but did not eat it. As Su Binglan scooped out the noodles, she noticed that he had not tried the stinky tofu yet. She walked over and said, “Try it. It’s delicious.”
Luo Jin’an pursed his lips as his expression became tense. His wife looked at him and felt amused. Luo Jin’an held his breath and helplessly looked at his wife.
Su Binglan used a pair of chopsticks to pick up a piece of stinky tofu and brought it to her husband’s mouth, saying, “Go on, try it. It’s delicious.”
She looked at her husband with anticipation, and Luo Jin’an could not resist her gaze. He sighed softly and could only take a bite.
Su Binglan looked at him without blinking. “How is it? Isn’t it delicious?” After tasting the stinky tofu, he said softly, “Hmm, it tastes good.”
“As long as you like them, these two are for you.” Su Binglan went to add some seasoning to the ramen dish after passing Luo Jin’an the stinky tofu.
Meanwhile, Liu Yinyin helped to carry the ramen to the dining table. Just then,
Su Fengmao’s voice echoed from the outside, “I finally finished work, hahaha.”
The whole family could hear his hearty laughter from the courtyard. Su
Wenzhe peeked outside curiously and asked, “Father, why are you so happy?
Su Fengmao was different from this in the past, making Su Wenxiu even more curious. “Did something good happen?”
Su Fengmao was carrying a small jar of wine as he entered the house. “Look, this is the wine a customer gave me.”
He liked to drink but was reluctant to buy wine because it was too expensive. Although his family’s conditions had improved exponentially, he was too embarrassed to ask them to buy him wine.
Therefore, he was thrilled when a customer gifted him a small jar of wine to drink that night.
Su Wenzhe and Su Wenxiu were stunned. “Father, did someone give you wine?”
Shen Qiuhua wiped her hands and took the wine from her husband. “Did someone really give it to you?”
Su Fengmao explained happily, “He’s a businessman from another city who ordered many tofu blocks and skins. He came to pick up the goods today and brought me a small jar of wine.”
“Why didn’t you refuse?” Shen Qiuhua frowned. “Wine is expensive, so how can you ask for wine from others?”
Su Fengmao’s expression suddenly turned serious. “I didn’t ask for it. The customer insisted on giving it to me. He said he wanted to thank us for cooperating and recommending our tofu products.
“His house is in the North. He said they made a lot of money because of our tofu products. He heard I like wine, so he brought some for me. Of course, I didn’t let him leave without thanking him.
“I gave him a few more tofu products and even my portion of stinky tofu. The customer was touched after trying it and even wanted to order stinky tofu from us, but I told him I would discuss it with my family first.”
Shen Qiuhua’s expression changed. “Is his surname Geng, and his name Song? “Yes, that’s him. He lives far away and says his family opened a tofu shop in his hometown. Now that his business is on the right track, he can make money.
He’s quite grateful to us.”
Shen Qiuhua suddenly remembered something and said, “When I was sorting the products with you, I heard him saying that it’s much colder over there than here. It’s already snowing there, so there are many things he can’t plant.”
Su Fengmao became emotional as he and his wife discussed this topic. “I told him he might as well move here, but he said it won’t be that easy. After all, those are his roots, and he has many relatives, so he can’t just move.
“Also, he’s closer to the northern border, which isn’t very safe. Since it’s already so cold there, many people die during winter.”
Su Binglan listened quietly and knew that many did not have enough to eat or wear in this era. The more she thought about it, the heavier her heart became.
“Father, I should make a dish that goes with the wine if you’re going to drink with your friends.”
Su Fengmao’s heart ached for his daughter when he heard her words. He said,
“I can do that, Binglan. You should rest.”
Su Binglan responded, “I won’t tire myself out since I’m just cooking and will be done soon. I can make a sour and spicy potato pancake for you, Father. After all, we can’t be too extravagant or wasteful.”
Su Fengmao also got upset when he heard his customers saying that growing crops in other places was difficult.
Su Binglan said, “We still have to eat, and our health is important, Father. We’ll have the strength to work if we eat well.”
The people of that era did not have entertainment and worked hard for their meals, so Su Binglan wanted to ensure the family had enough food. “I’ll make sour and spicy potato pancakes and spicy chicken.
“Big Brother, help me put some eggs into a bowl so that I can add seasoning. I can make that into a dish too.”
Su Wenzhe quickly stepped forward to help. “All right.”
Su Wenwu returned when Su Binglan finished cooking.
“Third brother, you came back just in time. Let’s have ramen and drink tonight.”
Su Wenwu had returned home early to talk to Su Binglan but felt invigorated when he heard they would drink. “Wine? We bought wine?”
“We didn’t buy wine,” Su Wenxiu explained, “A customer gave it to Father as a gift, but Father didn’t take advantage of the customer and gave him a few more tofu products.”
If Su Fengmao had taken advantage of Geng Song, the family would have a guilty conscience while drinking.
“If that’s the case, I came home at the perfect time.”
“Of course. The food is ready, so let’s eat together.”
“Wenwu, did you come home early tonight because you knew we would drink wine and eat good food?” Su Wenzhe teased his third brother.
“No, I came home early because I have something to tell Little Sister,” Su Wenwu said seriously.
He removed a few pieces of paper from a cloth bag as he continued, “Little Sister, these are the shop lots Lin Zheng told us to look at. They’re at the east end of town, not downtown.
“It’s slightly off the beaten track, but the price is affordable. The shop is big and has two floors, so the monthly rent is only three silver taels..”
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