The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 72 Initial Probe from the Competitor
"May I try some?"

A young man wearing a gray shirt and a hat came to the stall and asked Tong Huaqiong a question.

"A tasting is free, so come on, pick whichever piece you want to try." Tong Huaqiong handed a toothpick to the young man.

"They're quite particular."

This widow is quite hygienic.

The young man forked a piece of pastry he had never seen before; it had a flaky crust and a purple filling.

Then he put it in his mouth and chewed it. When his lips and teeth touched the pastry, the young man's eyes lit up instantly.

This is so delicious!

No wonder Su Shi Yuan has lost a lot of customers these past few days; it's no wonder.

This morning, an old colleague from Su Shi Yuan said dismissively that many customers patronize Tao Hua Dessert Shop because, firstly, the pastries are cheap, and secondly, the mother and daughter are attractive and rely on their looks to lure customers.

He had a discerning eye for the latter. This mother and daughter were widows, and although they were quite pretty, they already had grandchildren. Who could she possibly seduce? The daughter's name, Peach Blossom, was suggestive, but she was too fat; she could kill two people with one punch.

How can this mother and daughter sell pastries using their looks?

Therefore, he believes that many regular customers have switched to Taohua Desserts because the pastries are inexpensive. Inexpensive pastries must use inexpensive ingredients, and judging from the alluring aroma in the air, who knows what spices they use?

Therefore, there was a sense of disdain before the taste test.

After eating there, his opinion completely changed. He had seen the world at Su Shi Yuan and could tell the quality of the ingredients just by tasting them.

Clearly, the ingredients used in this peach blossom dessert are of high quality.

"What are these pastries made of? They're delicious!"

The young man tried to fork another piece, but Tong Huaqiong stopped him.

"This is a new pastry from our Peach Blossom Dessert Shop. The main ingredient is taro paste, and it's called Taro Pastry Pastry. Because it's expensive, the sample quantity is limited. If you want to try it, you'll have to buy it," Tong Huaqiong said to the young man.

"Taro paste pastry?" the young man asked curiously.

"How about a few?"

Tong Huaqiong smiled. Taro was a rare commodity in this era. Its cultivation had not yet expanded to the north. It was generally given as tribute to the royal family and nobility, and ordinary people in the north rarely had the opportunity to eat it.

This taro paste was naturally created by Tong Huaqiong using her spatial abilities.

In her previous life, taro paste was widely used in pastries, which was a few years before she transmigrated. It was very popular because of its rich and delicate taste, and many people couldn't resist it, thus becoming taro paste enthusiasts.

She believed that in this era of relative scarcity, anyone who ate taro paste pastry might not only turn into a taro paste head, but also into a taro paste body.

In this era, like butter cookies, she is a pioneer.

She is very confident in her taro pastry. Although it is not as popular as chestnut pastry and mung bean pastry because of its high price, she believes that discerning people will buy it after tasting it.

"Four pieces, please."

The young man wanted to buy more, but the shopkeeper gave him a limited budget, telling him to buy one or two of each item.

Buying four is already too much.

The shopkeeper said that they were buying it to study the recipe, not to fill their stomachs.

"Give me two of each of these: butter cookies, chestnut pastries, coconut pastries, jujube cakes, mung bean cakes, and Sachima."

The young man ordered two of each of the popular peach blossom desserts.

"Okay! Here you go." Gu Taohua wrapped up the pastries, tied them with a string, and handed them to the young man.

“Five hundred coins in total,” Tong Huaqiong said.

The young man handed the money to Tong Huaqiong, picked up the pastries, and turned to leave.

"Your Su Shi Yuan bought my pastries to study the recipes, right?" Tong Huaqiong suddenly said as the young man turned around.

exposed!
The young man's face was slightly flushed; he had even changed his clothes and put on a hat.

There were several employees at Su Shi Yuan, and he had been behind the counter the whole time. How did this widow recognize him? Tong Huaqiong could naturally recognize him. Although he was behind the counter, his eyes kept glancing at Peach Blossom Desserts.

If Tong Huaqiong weren't an older widow, she would have thought this young man had taken a liking to her.

“Next time you come to buy, just come openly and I’ll sell to you the same way. Doing business in town, I consider anyone who comes to my door a customer, and the staff at Su Shi Yuan are no exception,” Tong Huaqiong said.

She spoke with confidence, because even if she bought the ingredients from Su Shi Yuan and studied them, the taste of the replicas would be lacking due to the shortage of ingredients.

Even if it's just money from Su Shi Yuan, she still makes money; she earns it every time customers come to her shop.

The young man was surprised that Tong Huaqiong recognized him. Embarrassed, he pulled his hat down to cover his eyes and fled with the pastries in his arms.

Despite being recognized, he still went around the steamed bun shop next door and went through the back door.

Tong Huaqiong wanted to laugh; this was blatant self-deception.

"Shopkeeper, I've bought them." Hong Xiaoxi handed the pastries to Shopkeeper Feng, not daring to tell Tong Huaqiong that she had recognized him.

Manager Feng placed the pastries on the table, intending to have the shop's chefs study them carefully tonight.

He underestimated the widow of Qinghe Bay; she actually had some skills.

In just two days, Peach Blossom Desserts became a hit throughout the town. Moreover, he heard from other customers that morning that the desserts for the birthday banquet of Master Huang's mother were ordered from Peach Blossom Desserts.

In the past, Huang Yuanwai would order pastries from Su Shi Yuan for his birthday banquets and holiday feasts.

Well, what a clever widow Tong! She quietly snatched away Master Huang, her biggest client.

"Shopkeeper, is there anything else you need me to do?" Hong Xiaoxi asked timidly, noticing the shopkeeper's displeasure.

"No, you can go ahead and get busy," Manager Feng said.

Hong Xiaoxi changed her clothes, took off her hat, and went behind the counter to attract customers.

Tong Huaqiong looked towards Su Shi Yuan and gave Hong Xiaoxi a V sign, which startled Hong Xiaoxi so much that she almost dropped the pastries in her hand.

That widow is really something!

"Peach blossom desserts, come and have a taste, take a look!" Tong Huaqiong smiled warmly, her voice growing louder.

Tong Huaqiong was quite excited to be noticed by Su Shi Yuan.

What does this mean? It means that it has been regarded as a competitor to the number one pastry in Yanguan Town.

What you fear most in business isn't the lack of competitors watching you; what you fear most is being ignored by them, ultimately leading to your silent downfall.

If she wins the battle against Su Shi Yuan, she can gain a foothold in Yan Guan Town, open a pastry shop to compete with Su Shi Yuan, and it's not impossible for her to replace Su Shi Yuan.

In just half an afternoon, all the pastries at Peach Blossom Dessert Shop were sold out.

Tong Huaqiong and her daughter Gu Taohua happily counted their money and discussed buying two roast chickens as an extra meal.

Manager Feng stood in front of the window on the second floor of the Su Shi Yuan restaurant, opened the window and looked at Tong Huaqiong.

The Peach Blossom Dessert sign hadn't been taken down yet, and it was so dazzling in the sunlight that it hurt Manager Feng's eyes.

He worked at Su Shi Yuan for ten years, helping his boss monopolize the pastry industry in Yan Guan Town. During this time, other pastry shops did operate, but he took them all away.

He receives a considerable amount of dividends every year and lives a very comfortable life thanks to the Crispy Food Garden.

He absolutely would not allow Peach Blossom Desserts to grow bigger and stronger. According to his methods, Peach Blossom Desserts should be kicked out of Yanguan Town and become a short-lived loser.

"Just a widow."

Manager Feng slammed the window shut.

He still didn't take Tong Huaqiong seriously, thinking that there was no need to put in any effort to prepare the peach blossom desserts.

It only takes a flick of the finger.

Let this widow be smug for a few days. In a few days, peach blossom desserts will disappear from Yanguan Town.

(End of this chapter)