Song Tan's Notes

At Old Song's house, Seventh Uncle was preparing to make piping hot noodles that would make you sweat, so he was taking his time.

Qiaoqiao was excitedly describing to Wulan how they picked water chestnuts by the river, and then said regretfully, "Chen Chi didn't finish writing his new words today, so we can't play together."

Ulan didn't care: "He can pick water chestnuts every day, there's no need for him to join in the fun."

Then, upon hearing Qiaoqiao mention that everyone had even picked a whole basketful of water chestnut stalks, Wulan's expression went blank for a moment:
"A whole basket?"

Wasn't that the big basket that Grandpa Tan Tan was carrying? That kind of big basket, filled with those wet water chestnut stalks, must weigh at least 80 pounds, right?
Ulan thought for a while but couldn't figure it out, so she asked, "Are they planning to dry what they can't finish eating? This stuff..."

Well, the reason why many rural delicacies seem edible is because people didn't have enough to eat for many years.

So they would put anything that wasn't poisonous and wouldn't kill them into their mouths.

But once food becomes plentiful, the difference in taste becomes apparent.

For example, this water chestnut stem.

Sweet potato stalks are still available at the market, but I haven't seen any water chestnut stalks for sale. They're preserved in similar ways.

If something isn't popular, besides transportation issues, it's definitely because it doesn't taste that good!

It's all about enjoying the freshness, whether it's pickled or dried, this...

After peeling, washing, and drying these water chestnut stems, there will probably still be 70 jin (35 catties) left to stir-fry. One pot won't be enough to cook them all...

If I had known that everyone would eat so uncontrollably, devouring every single dish, I should have built the stove like a pigsty in the first place. People would have to stand on the platform with a shovel to cook.

Ulan imagined it for a moment, then shook her head and clicked her tongue: "Tantan, next time you should send Boss Chang some good stuff. That chef really put in a lot of effort. Tell him to give him a bonus."

"Before he leaves, pack him some leftover tea leaves or white fungus pieces."

"By the way, should we get him another pack of black fungus?"

“We’ll take care of everything.” Song Tan nodded while scrolling through her phone. “If we’re generous, people will be eager to help next time we need something. We’ll definitely get our share.”

If Master Chai and Xiao Zhou knew about these benefits, they would probably have doubled their strength in lifting the ladle.

Just then, Lu Chuan arrived.

He was holding a large white porcelain bowl wrapped in plastic wrap, filled with tender, white water chestnut rice, as white as broad beans.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated who it was for, it was obvious who it was for. Ulan felt sorry for him: "Tan Tan and the other two go to the riverbank every day and bring back a handful. Keep some for yourself, and leave some for your mother too."

“My mom doesn’t want it.” Lu Chuan told the truth: “She specially washed a basketful and put it aside, saying that she would eat it with her while watching TV at night.”

Speaking of binge-watching TV series, Ulan also exclaimed, "She told me last time that TV series was really good, oh my, that woman is so infuriating..."

Song Tan immediately covered her ears: "I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it!"

Qiaoqiao covered her ears too: "I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it!"

Ulan: ...

Fine, she won't listen then. She'll eat later and go to the guesthouse; the two of them can read and discuss it together! What do young kids know? Qiaoqiao is reading about some PhD student, and Tantan says she'll read ebooks…

Lu Chuan hesitated for a moment: "Then... what's the TV series about? Tell me about it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the siblings' eyes widened in surprise. Ulan, now in high spirits, began gesturing wildly as she told him a story: "My family doesn't love me, my husband has wronged me, my best friend lied to me, and everyone at my company bullies me, but I'm a kind person. Let's make dumplings together..."

Lu Chuan:......

Screenwriters, like authors, are in it for the money, so what kind of content they write isn't shameful. But this screenwriter…

It's not easy.

Song Tan sighed, "See, they won't listen no matter what I say..."

Lu Chuan had no choice but to push the bowl aside: "Eat some water chestnut rice to cool down."

Qiaoqiao asked curiously, "Brother, they picked three big baskets of water chestnuts. Will they be able to finish them all tonight?"

"How many?" Ulan was also shocked. "Still those big baskets? Three baskets?"

Qiao Qiao nodded.

The family sat there, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Song Sancheng hesitated: "By the time we finish cleaning up, it will be evening. If we deliver it to our relatives, we'll have to wake them up. Besides, if we can't finish it tonight, it won't be fresh tomorrow, so it's not appropriate..."

Song Tan sighed, "They seemed to be having a lot of fun, but I forgot to mention..."

She was secretly watching the fish at the bottom of the river and didn't notice for a moment. After thinking about it, she simply asked Qiaoqiao, "Why don't you ask Chen Chi if he's finished his homework? If he has, take him to set up a stall tonight."

"Our city's night market street is thriving now."

Qiao Qiao blinked and said, "Are you taking care of the kids? He Tuoluo has been much more obedient lately."

Song Tan: ...This reminded her of Xiao Shi, who was still working in the sunflower field.

"We'll take them as long as they're willing to go! But they need to be accompanied by a parent, otherwise we can't keep an eye on them."

I'd definitely like to go, but I don't know if the kids have the energy to keep up with the schedule, since they don't usually stay up late.

After a moment's thought, Lu Chuan decided to stop thinking about it.

Let's leave these problems to the child's parents. They can send a car to accompany them, and if they can't hold on any longer, they can drive back. He should just stay and help Tan Tan sell water chestnuts.

Ulan frowned: "That barbecue is all seasoning, what's so good about it? Why is it so popular now?"

Song Tan thought for a moment: "What about a skewer of pork belly, grilled over a fire until it sizzles and drips with oil, sprinkled with chili powder and cumin, and salt... Mom, do you think it would taste good?"

Ulan: ...

Yes, it really is quite delicious!

Grilled lamb kidneys and grilled butter should be pretty much the same, right?
She waved her hand: "You guys go have fun. It'll probably be hard to sell everything. Just have some barbecue there for a late-night snack."

Upon hearing this, Song Tan suddenly became interested: "Let me ask Master Jiang if he would like to go to the night market with us for barbecue?"

Everyone was eating while they worked, it was so much fun!
Then take the meat from home over there, roast it and the aroma will travel for miles, and those who come to buy water chestnuts will want to eat it but won't be able to...

She said solemnly, "I'm so bad!"

Lu Chuan paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Let's take the meat out to thaw now, or we won't have enough time."

The two exchanged a glance, and sure enough, they were of the same kind of wickedness.

It's that thing used for grilling skewers...

She picked up her phone: "I asked Lao Zhao to help me find a new one at the market. When we're done using it, we can put it on the pickup truck and bring it back. We can have a barbecue tonight."

Oh dear, why didn't I think of that sooner? Summer is the perfect time to eat this!

Vegetable vendor Lao Zhao: ...

No, you're asking me to make this for you so late at night? I sell vegetables, not barbecue!
Song Tan quickly promised, "I'm thinking of going to sell water chestnuts tonight, and I'll ask the chef at home to come over and grill some meat. I'll treat you to a meal... Will you be able to buy any?"

There was no reply, only rustling sounds on the phone.

"Old Zhao?" Song Tan asked again.

"I'm all dressed. I'll go to the market to buy you some things now. Don't worry, I've prepared everything for you: charcoal, fire, sterilization equipment, and skewers—do you need a knife? And a cutting board?"

"Would you like some seasoning?"

"You all stay home and prepare first, don't rush. I've bought the things and cleaned them up. We're eating alone, so we need to be particular!"

Okay!

With that, Song Tan even called out to Zhang Yanping and Lu Jing, "Come with Xin Jun!"

Okay!

As soon as Uncle Qi's stir-fried noodles were ready, everyone hurriedly endured the scalding heat and ate a bowl. Then, the whole group set off to eat.

Seventh Uncle: ...These young people, why didn't you say so earlier! He prepared this stir-fried noodle dish for two or three bowls per person.

Qiaoqiao quickly offered a suggestion: "We don't need to cook breakfast tomorrow. We can just heat up this noodle dish and eat it."

Although it may not look presentable, with a big, messy pot of noodles, the heated noodles, with the broth and starch blending together, are incredibly flavorful.

Seventh Uncle laughed and scolded, "You've got quite a appetite—alright, that's settled then."

"Qiaoqiao, don't burn yourself when you're grilling meat tonight..."

He's too old; his stomach isn't as strong as a young person's, so he won't join in the fun. Qiao Qiao nodded emphatically: He's never had night market barbecue before! He's so excited now.

At the guesthouse, the chef booked for tonight wasn't Chef Chai, but the younger Xiao Zhou.

He was more than willing to do the job: "Can I eat while I'm grilling?"

"Of course you can!"

Everyone exclaimed in unison, "What chef wouldn't taste it? Eat as much as you want!"

okay!

Master Zhou roused himself, patted his stomach where he had only managed a small bowl of food the night before, and decided to eat his fill tonight!
Oh my! Barbecue! Barbecue!!!

Master Chai was still on the phone in the back: "Xiao Zhou, remember to mix the seasoning I gave you and try it out first! Use that amount of chili peppers, more is better than less, remember that!"

……

Several cars from the family set off, and even Song Sancheng caught up with this trend, now heading towards the city in a grand procession.

Aunt Zhang Hong, who was preparing to grind tofu, came out of the yard and saw a row of cars rushing past. She wondered what had happened!
Meanwhile, Dr. Guo, who had also eaten stir-fried noodles at Lao Song's house, said at the clinic entrance, "Stop for a moment, I need to get something."

Putting aside everything else, her all-purpose hawthorn pills are definitely a must-have!

Fortunately, Song Tan's pickup truck still had some vegetables that a group of people had urgently picked from the mountain—a mix of meat and vegetables, so he should be able to go to the toilet tomorrow, right?
While everyone was looking forward to the meal in the car, they were also annoyed: "It was too rushed, the food wasn't even prepared!"

The fact that dozens of them were having barbecue together is equivalent to the amount served at a small barbecue stall.

Master Zhou, on the other hand, looked completely bewildered: "We've picked the vegetables, picked the peppers, scooped out a whole bucket of fish from the river, and also prepared lotus root, beef and mutton, pork belly, and rice cakes for tomorrow..."

I brought everything I could from home that I could barbecue with, how much more thoughtful could you be?
Looking at this group of young people whose minds were only on eating, he thought to himself, "They are so ungrateful!"

Unlike him, he'd be perfectly content with a fatty roasted pork belly tonight! Then, suddenly remembering something, he quickly pulled out his phone to send a message:
"Boss Song, we're in such a rush, we haven't even cleaned the vegetables yet... We need running water!"

Song Tan also held up her phone: "Yes, yes!"

She didn't know if it was possible or not, but she decided to leave it to Old Zhao. At worst, she could just buy another basket of water chestnuts after they finished eating!

Old Zhao truly lives up to his reputation as a seasoned businessman who has been operating in the riverside market for over 20 years.

Although I don't have much contact with barbecue stalls, as long as I make a phone call and ask those old friends, I can always find relatives through twists and turns.

Late at night, they actually set up a barbecue setup, picked a spot on the night market street but weren't satisfied, so they went and knocked on the door of a shop on the first floor.

That was a hardware store, what was it called again? Dafang Hardware Store.

With such a generous name, things will be easier to discuss from here on out!

He pulled out two packs of cigarettes: "Hey bro, my friend's planning a barbecue party here tonight and wants to get a water pipe installed at your place—"

"Is a 200 yuan red envelope okay?"

The other person seemed like a proper, honest guy. He glanced at the cigarette but didn't take it: "This is a commercial water and electricity company..."

That's what I said.

Old Zhao thought to himself, if this weren't commercial water and electricity, would he have taken out these few hundred yuan?

It doesn't matter how much money it is, the main thing is that Song Tan might need it in the future, so let's be generous in advance to avoid any mishaps.

But to my surprise, he was generous, and the other person was quite ungrateful—if they disagree, they disagree!
He smiled and said, "Then I'm sorry to bother you."

He glanced at the phone number on the roller shutter door of the plumbing shop across the street: "Brother, it's about this..."

Song Dafang: ...

No, he didn't say he disagreed! That's a pack of premium cigarettes!

But before I could say anything, the people from the shops across the street were already running happily over from the residential area:

"Look, buddy, you're being so polite by using just a little water..."

Men, there's nothing a couple of packs of cigarettes can't solve. If there has to be one, which one will do?

It's late at night, and I won't sleep anyway, so why not earn two or three hundred yuan here for free?
The plumbing shop owner didn't leave either; he readily took the soft water pipe from Old Zhao's hand and even offered to help:

"Here you go, I'll take it for you. This is what I do, I'm a professional. If any of your relatives or friends need anything, come to my shop, I'll give you the cost price!"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhao looked up at his storefront again: "My nephew's parents are renovating their house. If you really give me the cost price, I'll have him come and take a look tomorrow."

Hey! A customer just fell from the sky!

The plumbing shop owner didn't say anything, but quickly pulled out another power strip: "Here, I'll connect you to a light! It'll be super bright! I'll hang this power strip so it won't get wet on the floor."

Then he asked, "I still have mosquito coils in my shop, I'll get you two trays..."

Old Zhao grinned from ear to ear: "We don't need mosquito coils, we've brought our own. But do you have a restroom in your shop? Would it be convenient for us to use it?"

Of course you can use the restroom! We're a business, people don't do anything, and no one would refuse if they came up to use the restroom!

He just thought this brother was generous!

With a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes leading the way, two middle-aged men of similar age exchanged a few enthusiastic words, practically ready to swear brotherhood. Song Dafang, sitting opposite them, glanced at them and thought to himself, "Giving so generously, who knows how they'll waste the water and electricity later!"
snort!
He'd rather not earn the money than clean up this mess.

That being said, the roller shutter door just wouldn't come down tonight.

……

Song Tan had no idea about Lao Zhao's arrangements, and seeing him posting videos of himself arranging various accessories, she was deeply moved.
"As expected of my old buddy at the vegetable stall, he's reliable!"

If the father is reliable, then the daughter, Zhao Fangyuan, is also reliable.

Wow, no wonder everyone likes making friends; making friends is so useful!
Zhang Yanping was a little puzzled: "How did Qingniu Street become a barbecue street? Isn't that area all old residential areas?"

Even he, a local, didn't know, so Xin Jun knew even less.

Fortunately, although he lives in the countryside, he still has friends in the city. He randomly picked a fisherman to consult, and the fisherman immediately gave him an answer:

"That old resettlement area ahead, Wanhua Community, wasn't it being demolished? As it went on, the real estate market collapsed... and it ended up rotting there."

The city leadership can't just stand by and watch this huge area of ​​the old city become ruins!
It's okay in the new district, or even in a remote corner, but the old city already has a high population density, so this is really not good!
After several rounds of renovations, a large flat area was created – a place where parking and barbecue carts can be placed. In short, after several planning steps, it has been taking shape since April and is already quite large.

It connects to several other old residential areas, but since there are no particularly high-end businesses or shopping malls there, they are all closed and dark by eight or nine o'clock at night, so it doesn't really affect anything.

On the contrary, shops that are closer to each other can take the opportunity to attract more customers...

In short, everyone was happy.

This also conveniently suited Song Tan and the others.

Old Zhao also asked them, "Did you bring a lot of water chestnuts? If so, I'll just announce it in my group chat, and everyone will come to buy. What's the price? Did you bring a scale?"

Song Tan: ...

To my shame, although we came to the city to sell water chestnuts, we were so engrossed in the barbecue that no one noticed them.

What to call it...

Without blinking, she said, "We don't sell them by weight, three for one yuan."

These tiny, tender water chestnuts are a treat for tonight.

"I didn't bring many, so there's no need to call anyone. I'll just sell them as they come."

Old Zhao: ……

It's a good thing you don't set up a stall. If we didn't do this kind of business every day, we would have been influenced by it for a long time. Even Old Zhao doesn't weigh vegetables anymore.

Looking at my grocery shopping group chat, I hesitated before finally announcing: "Tonight at 10:30 PM, at the barbecue stall in front of Wanfang Plumbing Store on Qingniu Street, we'll be selling premium water chestnuts."

Limited quantities available, buy now while supplies last.

Good heavens! Any dish at Old Zhao's restaurant with the word "premium" in it is guaranteed to be incredibly delicious, no matter how expensive it is. The night owls, still awake, perked up, grabbed their slippers and car keys, and rushed out the door!

Electric scooters and four-wheeled vehicles sprang into action. As for other details, we'll ask along the way! If we really can't buy any more, we're already on Qingniu Street, so we'll just grab a bite at a barbecue stall...

Overall, it's a good deal!

It wasn't until then that a customer, a bit slow to react, asked in the group chat: "Why are you selling water chestnuts in the middle of the night? We need to eat them right away, otherwise they won't be fresh tomorrow?"

Old Zhao thought to himself, "Three for one yuan, wouldn't they be filling baskets and baskets to take home after eating them? How can they wait until they're not fresh?"
He urged, "I don't know if it's fresh or not, the vendors haven't arrived yet. Anyway, everyone who wants to buy should hurry." (End of Chapter)