Chapter 30: Miao Chu Chapter 30: Suggestion

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

But this time Wang Geng was truly overthinking.

He returned to the study room, only to discover that He Qi's shadow was nowhere to be seen.

Because he felt truly uneasy in his heart, Wang Geng simply set a food box in the front hall and called everyone to come taste.

It was precisely the gap between two lessons; even though no one in the Imperial Academy lacked for this one bite of food, hearing him tell the morning's events and knowing this was to make amends to He Qi, they were all willing to come over and join the bustle.

Very quickly, someone offered an evaluation.

"The skin is thick."

"The flavor isn't good enough either."

"Done for. Could it be the time spent delivering it was too long? I'm eating this skin and it feels not right."

Someone who had just returned didn't know the full story; hearing these foods were brought back by Wang Geng, and seeing everyone picking and choosing, he really couldn't bear to watch, stepped forward to taste one, and even cheered him on: "Isn't the steamed bun just this flavor? What more do you want? Free food and drink, and you're still picking?"

However, upon learning this was Wang Geng eating He Qi's things and now specially bringing them to make reverse amends, this person immediately changed his face and said: "That won't do. This stuff can't enter Xiao Qi's eyes."

And he told Wang Geng: "I'll teach you a trick. Out there in Food Alley there's a stall vendor hanging a 'Song Ji' signboard, selling mung bean paste glutinous rice every morning. That stall owner newly put out a few kinds of shao mai today, similar to the steamed buns but the skin is much thinner, and the flavor is extremely good. You send two servants to queue up early early tomorrow, buy more back, and Xiao Qi definitely won't blame you again — this morning it was still me who told him, and then he ran off to buy it."

This person finished speaking, then looked up, only to see Wang Geng's gaze toward him had changed, looking at him strangely as if gritting his teeth.

The next day, the sky had just turned dimly bright when Song Miao set up her stall.

No matter how much messy business was outside, Food Alley was still lively and bustling as ever.

Today she specially came a bit earlier, thinking not to let those students wait empty-handed for too long.

Sure enough, upon arriving at the place, only a sparse few people were standing at her usual stall position, not many.

But before Song Miao could even breathe a sigh of relief, just as she walked near, she saw a long row of things laid out on the ground.

There were clay pots, food boxes, bamboo baskets, bamboo baskets, even wooden boxes, rattan baskets, and so on — anything that could hold things, large and small, arranged in a winding line; though not blocking the road, it was truly eye-catching.

Seeing her cart, someone already familiarly shouted — "Song Xiaoniangzi is here!"

In a moment, with a hu-la-la sound, from behind the wall side, corners, and who knows where else, a crowd of people instantly surged out; also those who had just squeezed out from the Taixue rear gate and Nan Lu Academy wall corner, seeing the scene here, hurriedly broke into a frantic run, rushing over in a hurry.

Very quickly, beside the vessels lined on the ground, almost every one had an owner.

Song Miao watched, tongue-tied.

So it turns out these things can also be used to help queue, and the queue is quite orderly.

But those coming later didn't have it so easy; they couldn't help but squeeze forward.

Shoulder to shoulder, heel to toe, someone shouted: "Slow down! Don't squeeze, don't squeeze into people! If you make a commotion and the Instructor finds out it'll be trouble!"

— One look and you can tell this is a Nan Lu Academy student.

With so many people, Song Miao once again didn't even have time to hang the signboard before she started selling.

She quickly noticed today's customers were buying quantities much more than usual, and by quite a lot.

The glutinous rice was bought almost five or eight portions per person; the shao mai was also twenty or thirty at a go.

Even the pork rib clear soup and chenpi mung bean drink had people wanting ten portions at once.

Like this, the goods she prepared simply couldn't hold out for long.

The students queuing behind also quickly noticed this trend and couldn't help but loudly complain.

"What kind of people are these! One buys this much, you'll buy it all up, what do we eat!"

"Exactly! Exactly! Could they be scalpers?"

"Clearly they've read the sages' books, how can they do such a thing that sweeps away all refinement!"

The one currently paying money indeed bought a lot; for a moment he shrank his head and tail, not daring to say a single sentence.

However, when it came to the next one, they similarly bought no less.

This person had a bigger temper; being scolded, he didn't hold back, turned back and replied: "I'm not not paying money! Everyone relies on ability to rise early, relies on ability to queue. If you were at the front, you could buy out Song Xiaoniangzi's stall in one breath, I guarantee I won't say a word of nonsense!"

These words naturally were like pouring oil on fire.

"What kind of words are these! How do I see you not like a student?"

"Where are you from?"

Being asked like this, this person's tone softened considerably, and he said: "Student or not student, I'm buying for students to eat, what's wrong with that? Could it be that non-students can't buy food?"

Seeing the back getting increasingly uproarious, Song Miao naturally couldn't turn a blind eye; she hurriedly sped up her hands, and also asked everyone to each yield three parts.

But this ultimately only treats the symptoms, not the root.

If it were an ordinary stall vendor, most wouldn't mind one person buying multiple portions; after all, it's all the same price, selling faster even saves some effort.

But Song Miao was not the same.

She chose this position to do business; making money was of course important, but it wasn't solely for money. She more hoped to quickly establish a reputation among the students of the Taixue and Nan Lu Academy, so that the majority would have a good impression.

This impression, of course, could not be ruined because of some trivial details.

Taking advantage of a gap, she flipped that signboard over, wrote on the back with charcoal ash the words "Three portions per person, please do not buy more," hung it up, and then told the customers queuing behind, only saying that starting tomorrow all foods on sale would be limited to three portions each per person, subsequent changes would depend on circumstances, please everyone go back and help pass the word to other classmates, so as not to run here in vain tomorrow.

Song Miao's such approach, regardless of whether it ultimately works, the attitude is placed right here.

The students aren't fools either; naturally they can see her sincerity, and couldn't help but praise a sentence that the Song Stall Owner conducts himself righteously, and there were even those clapping and cheering in the back.

Song Miao felt slightly embarrassed, but also a hard-to-describe sense of satisfaction.

No matter what the original purpose was, her own made things being recognized by so many people, how could she possibly not be happy.

Especially the many customers buying food in the back, while ordering and paying, still didn't forget to praise her.

Some said that pork rib clear soup drinks warm the stomach without being greasy; some liked the newly launched shao mai — among which green onion mutton filling was most popular, green onion pork filling second; the vegetarian shao mai's followers were few, but their voices were very loud, their declarations of love especially many, showing that those who like it especially like it; though the variety isn't fully mainstream, relying on that small cluster of supporters, it won't be left out in the cold.

There were also those who insisted on the Glutinous Rice, saying outright they had to eat it every day and would panic if they went a day without it, and still others devoted to the Chenpi Mung Bean Drink, begging her not to discontinue it, preferably making it every day.

But regardless of the guests' tastes and preferences, almost every single one kept urging her to make more next time, saying the current portions were too little; arrive even slightly late and you couldn't buy any.

By the time everything sold out and all items were cleared, while she was packing up the Stall, many guests, just like the Previous Day, still refused to leave, merely lingering around her chatting idly.

Seeing Song Miao busy from start to finish, working very hard, one person asked: "Song Xiaoniangzi, is there no one at home who can help lend a hand? With so many things, how can one person manage it all?"