Blissful Days After Widowhood

Gu Yin tried her best to restore Mrs. Wang’s image, but Lao Liutou didn’t believe her.

If the mother-in-law just scolded her, it would be forgivable. But when she said that she would force her daughter-in-law to remarry an old man, how could she be as good as the little daughter-in-law said?

Lao Liutou sighed and shook his head, “No wonder your mother-in-law dares to bully you like that, your temper…”

While talking, more people came up to the pier one after another and the two of them stopped talking.

When there were many people, the first to come were the guests who could not eat wontons the day before.

They also thought the same as Lao Liutou. When they came, they first asked Gu Yin if she was embarrassed by her mother-in-law.

Gu Yin answered the same thing while making wontons.

The guests tacitly understood, and their thoughts were exactly the same as Lao Liutou.

Later, a few guests who remembered the previous day’s excitement came over and walked around, and everyone was drooling when they smelled the scent of wontons.

But they were just drooling. For most people, a bowl of wontons for four cents was fine to try every once in a while, but it was still unaffordable to eat every day.

At that time, Mrs. Wang lifted the lids of the steamer and the porridge bucket, and shouted loudly, “The freshly boiled vegetable porridge, a big bowl for a cent! The new big steamed buns, meat for two, and vegetables for one cent!!” She was up all night the day before, and her throat was hoarse. Now after taking a rest, her voice could be described as clear.

Other people’s buns with plain stuffing on the pier were generally for less. Gu Yin’s price was still a bit more expensive than others, but many people knew that her craftsmanship was superb, so it was no surprise.

And the price of the vegetable porridge was similar to other people’s, even though they thought the buns were expensive, they were willing to choose to try her vegetable porridge.

The number of guests gradually increased. Mrs. Wang was quick in her hands and feet. She used wooden chopsticks to clamp the buns, and put them on the oiled paper and handed them to customers. She also came with a small bowl of steaming thick porridge soup. In the whole process, she did not let it touch her hands.

Who wanted to see their food handed out from hands with plaster on their fingernails? But there was no such a thing.

Mrs. Wang not only cleaned up properly, but also did not touch food with her hands during the whole process of selling food, so it was hard not to make people feel good. The guests who keow what happened a day before couldn’t help but slander: This mother-in-law has a vicious temperament, but she is good at doing business.

But after they tasted the food, they didn’t have time to think so much.

Needless to say, the buns were delicious, the small half bowl of porridge soup that was given was thick and greasy, salty and delicious, and fragrant. After a bowl, the people felt so comfortable.

If people who didn’t feel full after eating buns tasted this porridge soup, they couldn’t help but pay another penny to buy a bowl of porridge to eat.

The guests felt their stomachs and sighed with contentment. They couldn’t help turning their heads to praise Gu Yin and said, “Little lady, this bun is really good, and the porridge soup is delicious too!”

“Yeah! This bun is also made of solid ingredients. I have a big appetite. Usually, I can eat only four or five buns. The little lady’s bun is big, and with this porridge soup, it is not only comfortable to eat, but it didn’t cost more than usual!”

Because of these compliments, Gu Yin’s porridge and steamed buns became popular for a while.

However, in the end, the stalls were located in a biased position and the customer flow was small. Most of the people who came were people who had seen the lively scene the day before.

After half the morning, nearly twenty bowls out of the thirty bowls of the porridge prepared by Gu Yin had been sold. Half of the two flavors of buns were left, and the porridge was almost bottomed out. 

Gu Yin made a calculation in her heart, the money she earned was no less than the day before, and her heart became more settled.

But Mrs. Wang was still impatient, and regardless of whether they make money or not, how could the farmers see food being wasted?

Although it was autumn, the sun was still very majestic, and the food made in the morning would go bad in the afternoon.

“Mother, don’t worry.” Gu Yin tugged at her sleeve, “We can have these for lunch.”

“Our family can’t finish eating all this stuff. Why don’t we sell it cheaply in the afternoon?”

Gu Yin immediately shook her head, “The food will not be fresh in the afternoon, we can eat it by ourselves, if we let people eat it, we will lose more than we gain. And we can’t make much money on this thing, we only earn hard money. If we sell it cheaply to others, people will feel that we have set a price that is a little more expensive than others. Besides, if they all know that we will sell at a low price in the afternoon, and the news spreads all over the place, then they will all be waiting for the afternoon to buy it.”

“You’re right. It would be great if we could act again.” Mrs. Wang said sullenly, “Tell me, if I went to grab a fritter from Old Liu’s stall, would he make trouble with me?”

“Mother!” Gu Yin was helpless.

“Hey, I know, I’m just saying.”

Gu Yin stroked her back soothingly.

She had only been there for two days and had heard people say that the stalls on the pier were all looked after by the yamen, and the yamen was very close to that place. If anyone picked up quarrels or provoked troubles and reported them, they would be arrested within a quarter of an hour. As Xiao Erhei, who introduced them to the house before, said that the head of the yamen was unselfish, and the county magistrate respected him a lot.

They acted out conflicts within the family, and they didn’t make too much trouble. They just said a few words and didn’t do anything, so it didn’t make a big fuss.

Suddenly someone sat down at the low table in their stall, slapped it hard, and said viciously, “Aren’t you going to serve a bowl of wontons to me, the young master?!”

Gu Yin was stunned, while Mrs. Wang’s whole body trembled slightly in excitement.