Across the Market

Chapter 27

Shen's house is right next door to Zhu's house, Zhu Fu walked out of his house, and it was only three or five steps away.

Shen Yuzhu had already gotten up, and in the yard, she and Aunt Shen poured the soybeans that had been soaked overnight into the stone mill. The two were about to grind the mill when someone knocked on the door outside.

"It's so early, who is it?" Aunt Shen wiped her hands on the corner of her clothes, a light flashed in her eyes, "Could it be that your brother came home early, Yuzhu, go and open the door."

Shen Yuzhu curled her lips and said, "It can't be my brother. It's so early and the gate of the city isn't open, how could my brother go home at this time." She thought for a while and smiled, "It's Sister Fu, we were together in Zhuhai the night before yesterday. When eating at my aunt's house, she promised to accompany me to sell tofu today." While talking, she already went to open the door.

When Aunt Shen saw that she was indeed the second daughter of the old Zhu’s family next door, her smile deepened, and she greeted her and said, “It’s so early in the morning, and the Yuzhu tofu hasn’t been ground yet. It's gone, your mother will feel distressed."

Zhu Fu wrapped himself up like a bear, and replied with a smile: "Don't let my mother know."

Shen Yuzhu pushed her: "You really came early, and I'm just about to get up. I just poured the soaked soybeans into the stone mill with my mother. It's still early."

Zhu Fu sniffed and said, "It's okay, I'll grind the mill with you, and let the aunt go into the house to rest."

Shen Yuzhu happily hugged Xiong Afu, then pushed Aunt Shen into the house with all her strength, and told her not to go out to help her again.

While helping to grind the mill, Zhu Fu inquired: "Yuzhu, which restaurant's business is not doing well here? It's best to have a larger scale and have stronger competitors."

Shen Yuzhu glanced at Zhu Fu and said: "Jingbin Building, when Yingkelai was not opened before, the business of Jingbinlou was very prosperous. But since Yingkelai opened this spring, the business of Jingbinlou has plummeted. I heard from an aunt who helped wash the dishes inside that Jingbin Building’s business is not as good as one-tenth of what it used to be, and all the guests are taken away by the welcoming guests.”

"Well, let's start from Jingbin Building." Zhu Fu already had an idea in his mind, not only to help Shen Yuzhu sell all the tofu, but also to find a job for himself.

Pushing the stone mill, Shen Yuzhu raised her eyes to see Zhu Fu smiling, and she also smiled and said, "The business is not good, so you are so happy?" Suddenly sighed again, and the brows furrowed deeply, "Hey, He also said that no matter how bad their business is, they can still support the whole family, and I can't wait to see it."

Seeing that he had a goal, Zhu Fu worked harder and pushed the stone mill hard.

"Yuzhu, don't worry, I will let you sell out all the tofu today."

"Really?" Shen Yuzhu didn't believe it. "The little daughter-in-law of the Xu family claims to be a bean curd beauty, and many people buy it. I have been screaming for several days, and even the old regular customers have left."

Zhu Fu shook his head and said, "Selling out your looks can only be proud for a while. We have craftsmanship, so what are we afraid of! No matter how beautiful Xu Xiaoniang is, she is already someone else's daughter-in-law. She can see it but can't eat it. It's just a taste for a while, and it won't succeed. Whatever the weather, she can play tricks, and we can play tricks too, more beautifully than her."

After the soybeans are ground into soy milk, the bean dregs are filtered out, boiled in water, and then salted to make fresh and tender tofu.

Take out a part, squeeze out the water, and it becomes dried tofu. Pack it separately and cover it with gauze. The preparations for selling tofu are all done.

It just happened to be dawn, Shen Yuzhu mixed two bowls of tofu flower with green onion, pickled vegetables, and ate one bowl with Zhu Fu, and then called into the room: "Mother, I left some tofu flower, you stay Eat one portion later, send the rest to Aunt Zhu's house next door, Sister Fu and I went to sell tofu."

"Have you eaten?" Aunt Shen came out in response, holding a sieve of dried red peppers in her arms.

"We ate." Shen Yuzhu bent down and hung the rope on the cart around her neck, and then pushed the cart away, while Zhu Fu followed to help push the cart.

In the early dawn, there is a thin layer of snow on the road, but it has been trampled into black mud by the early risers, and the wheels of the cart pass by, very wet and slippery.

The market was already bustling with activity, and the steamed buns and deep-fried dough sticks sellers on both sides of the trail were also shouting, and the air was full of the fragrant steamed stuffed buns.

When Shen Yuzhu pushed the cart past the door of the Xu family's tofu shop, the young daughter-in-law of the Xu family deliberately let go of her voice and shouted: "Next time, you have to come earlier, so you can buy fresher tofu, but ah, even if It’s okay if you come late, no matter how stale my tofu is, it’s better than setting up a stall with a cart.”

"What are you proud of!" Shen Yuzhu snorted, and didn't intend to go forward, so she parked the scooter on the side of the street nearby, right next to the Jingbin Building.

"Hey hey!!! How is this stall set up?" A young man came out of the Jingbin building, with a white cloth scarf on his shoulders, waiting for Shen Yuzhu with a fierce look on his face.

Zhu Fu raised his eyes, looked at it, and said with a smile, "Stop here to attract business for your Jingbin building."

(End of this chapter)