Chapter 26: Setting up a stall in the city

Chapter 26: Setting up a stall in the city

"Oh, it's Master Cai here. Of course we know the rules of setting up a stall. We have already inquired about it before we dare to set up the stall."

Qianhuan poked her little head out from beside the iron stove as she spoke. She quickly added a few more pieces of firewood into the stove, then stood up and looked at Young Master Cai.

Young Master Cai suddenly heard a soft, thin, crisp and pleasant sound. He looked towards the stove and suddenly a little head popped out from underneath. He was stunned for a moment.

Qianhuan stood up straight and looked at Young Master Cai. He had thought that the legendary Young Master Cai who collected protection fees should have a thick beard and look ferocious, but he was actually just a handsome boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old. The brothers following behind him were about the same age as him.

"Hey, when I heard this soft and thin voice, I thought it was a girl. Why do you, a grown man, speak in such a sissy way?"

Young Master Cai was holding a dogtail grass in his mouth and teasing Qianhuan. Several brothers behind him also joined in the laughter.

Seeing this, Liu became even more frightened. She couldn't help but secretly feel lucky that her daughter was disguised as a man, otherwise what would she do if she encountered a bully who wanted to kidnap a girl?

Qianhuan thought to herself: Oh no, I was so busy disguising my appearance to look like a man that I forgot that the original owner's voice was so soft, clear and crisp, and it would be easy to give myself away as soon as I opened my mouth. What should I do now?

Young Master Cai looked at the dark and dusty young girl in front of him, and when he saw that she didn't reply for a long time, his face showed some displeasure.

He usually hates men who are too feminine. A man should be more masculine, so that he can be like a real man.

"Master Cai, I came out early to set up the stall. I haven't had breakfast yet. I just spoke a little weakly."

Qianhuan thought quickly and found an excuse to extricate herself from the situation. She spoke in a deliberately hoarse voice.

"Right, now you're talking like a man. I hate sissy men the most, so stop acting like a woman."

"Master Cai is right. This is our gift to you. From now on, when we set up a stall on this street, we will have to trouble you and your brothers to take care of us."

Qianhuan replied in a hoarse voice while taking out two copper coins from her bosom and handed them over respectfully.

She thought to herself: I'm lucky that Mr. Cai reminded me today that I have to be careful with my words when I dress up as a man in the future. I should try to lower my voice and speak in a hoarse voice so as not to be exposed.

"Okay, okay." Young Master Cai took the copper coin and put it in his arms, responding nonchalantly.

"What are you cooking in this pot? It's black. Can you eat it?"

As Mr. Cai asked, he grabbed a handful of cooked sand from the pot. He looked at it carefully and prepared to put it in his mouth and take a bite.

"No, no, Master Cai, you can't eat this."

Qianhuan quickly stopped Mr. Cai. How could she put the sand and gravel into her mouth? If she took a bite, her teeth would be broken.

When Master Cai heard her anxious cry, he stopped putting sand into her mouth.

"Master Cai, this is our family's secret black stone, which is used to fry chestnuts. My stall sells sugar-fried chestnuts. When the chestnuts are fried, you can come over and try them." Qianhuan hurriedly explained.

"Oh, so it's the secret black stone. This sugar-fried chestnut of yours is the first time I've heard of it. Okay, when you fry the chestnuts, I'll come over to taste them."

Master Cai threw the handful of black stones in his hand back into the iron pot, turned around and went to the front to inspect the stalls and collect fees. Several of his younger brothers followed closely behind him.

"Mom, you don't have to be afraid. This man is the one who collects protection fees for the stalls. He's called Little Master Cai. When we set up a stall here in the future, we just need to pay him 2 cents a day as a stall fee." Qianhuan comforted Liu with concern.

"Qianhuan, how do you know that man, and how do you know his name is Master Cai?" Liu came back to her senses and asked her daughter with a puzzled look on her face.

"Mother, I don't know him either. I only knew him because he introduced himself just now. I heard old people in the village who came to the city talk about him before. Please hurry up and stir-fry the sand."

Qianhuan was afraid that Liu would ask her in detail. She couldn't say that she had already gone to the county town alone to inquire, so she could only laugh it off and try to divert Liu's attention.

"Oh, mother knows." Liu was successfully fooled, and she hurriedly started to stir-fry.

When the sand reached the right temperature, Qianhuan poured all ten kilograms of chestnuts into the pot.

Liu continued to stir-fry with a long-handled spatula. The chestnuts and sand mixed together, making a "swishing" sound. This sound was more tempting than any shouting.

After frying for another ten minutes, the sweet aroma of chestnuts gradually wafted out.

The auntie who was selling fruits and vegetables on the right side of her stall was the first to be unable to sit still when she smelled the strong aroma of chestnuts.

She got up and ran to Qianhuan's stall, and watched with relish as Liu continued to stir-fry sand and chestnuts in the pot around the iron boiler.

The uncle selling masks on the left couldn't help but come over.

The woman selling fruits and vegetables looked about ten years older than Liu. She couldn't help but ask Liu, "Sister, I recognize the chestnuts in your pot, but what are these small black particles? How come the fried chestnuts are so fragrant?"

"Aunt, this is our family's secret black stone. The chestnuts fried with this are fragrant and sweet. When they are cooked and out of the pan, I will give you a few for free to try." Qianhuan knew that Liu was not good at socializing, so she came over immediately to deal with the vendor.

"Okay, thank you first. Your chestnuts smell good and look tempting. They are really tempting."

The auntie selling fruits and vegetables was very happy to hear the promise of eating a few for free, and she also took the opportunity to praise Qianhuan's sugar-roasted chestnuts.

With the last sprinkle of syrup into the pot, the ten pounds of chestnuts can be served immediately.

The aroma of roasted chestnuts became stronger and stronger, and the streets were filled with a pleasant sweet smell. Even the wood smoke from under her iron stove seemed to smell fragrant.

Gradually, more and more passers-by gathered in front of Qianhuan's stall to watch the fun.

Most people smelled the fragrance of chestnuts and followed the scent.

Some people were attracted by the "sizzling" sound of roasted chestnuts and stopped in their tracks.

When they got closer, they found that the fragrance and sound came from the stall selling chestnuts.

Everyone was very curious, what on earth were those black particles used to stir-fry chestnuts in the pot? They had never seen them before.

A passerby couldn't help but ask: "What are those black particles in your chestnuts? How do you sell chestnuts?"

"Uncle, we put secret black stone in the chestnuts. The chestnuts fried with this are fragrant, sweet and soft. I guarantee you will want to eat more. My fried chestnuts are 10 cents per pound." Qianhuan introduced seriously.

"How could it be so expensive? Raw chestnuts can be bought for 2 cents per pound in the county town, but you're charging cents. I might as well buy some raw chestnuts and fry them at home."

The uncle who asked the question couldn't help but frown. He had originally walked over following the aroma, intending to buy some to try, but who knew that these chestnuts were so expensive.

"Yes, yes, it's too expensive." The crowd watching the excitement around nodded in agreement.

When Liu saw this situation, she became anxious and said that 10 cents for the chestnuts was too high, but her daughter refused to listen.

If I had listened to myself and sold it for only five cents, I guess the current situation wouldn't be here.

"Uncle, you don't know that my chestnuts are called sugar-fried chestnuts. Not only are they fried with a secret black stone, but I also put a lot of sugar in them. You all know how much a pound of sugar costs." Qianhua explained.

When everyone heard this, they suddenly realized that such a precious thing as sugar was added into it, no wonder it was sold at such a high price.

"Even if you put sugar in it, it shouldn't be so expensive at ten cents a pound. If you sell it for five cents a pound, I'll buy a pound and try it."

The uncle was still bargaining. As he smelled the aroma, his appetite was aroused. He really wanted to buy it and eat it, but he thought it was too expensive.

"Yes, yes, it's five cents a pound. Let's buy some to try."

When someone took the lead in bargaining, everyone was naturally happy and followed suit, asking Qianhuan to lower the price.

"I'm sorry, the price cannot be reduced by a penny. The taste of my sugar-roasted chestnuts is not something you can make at home. Uncle, if you really think it's too expensive, you can buy raw chestnuts and fry them at home. When we do business, we believe in willingness, and I can't force you to sell it. Don't you think this makes sense?" Qianhuan was not in a hurry when she saw that everyone else was complaining about the high price.

"Selling sugar-fried chestnuts, selling sugar-fried chestnuts, the sweet and soft sugar-fried chestnuts will be out of the pot soon..."

Qianhuan saw that the chestnuts were about to be taken out of the pot and immediately started shouting.

"Dear fellow villagers, elders, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, please don't miss it if you pass by. Sugar-roasted chestnuts at ten cents a pound are a small snack for adults, the elderly, and children to chew. They nourish the stomach and strengthen the spleen... For ten cents, you won't suffer a loss or be cheated. I guarantee you will want to buy more and eat more... Fragrant, sweet, and sticky sugar-roasted chestnuts..."

As expected of a big internet celebrity who has done live streaming to sell goods in modern times, he has great eloquence and he was able to describe the price, taste, and functions in one go.

Qianhua picked out a few chestnuts with a spatula while calling out, "Auntie, our pot of chestnuts is already cooked. These are free for you to try."

The lady at the vegetable stall immediately took it and thanked her. She peeled the chestnut and put it in her mouth. "Oh my god, this is so delicious. It's really fragrant, sweet and sticky."

Seeing this, the onlookers couldn't help but start swallowing their saliva.

Qianhuan gave a few more to the uncle who was selling masks, and the uncle kept praising them for being delicious.

Qianhuan peeled dozens of chestnuts, cut them in half with a knife, and then pierced the chestnut flesh with thin bamboo sticks.

"Come on, come on, try it for free. If it tastes good, you can buy it home. If it doesn't taste good, it's free for you to try it."

Qianhuan gradually distributed the chestnuts for tasting to the onlookers.

After trying it, everyone praised it highly, saying, "This sugar-roasted chestnut is so fragrant and delicious."

A young man couldn't help himself and said, "Give me two kilograms of chestnuts."

"Okay, I'll weigh you right away."

Qianhuan and Liu quickly picked out the chestnuts from the pot, weighed them, and wrapped them in oil paper.

The young man paid 20 cents, opened the oil paper package, quickly picked up a popcorn, peeled it and tasted it. He didn't even enjoy the half popcorn he had just eaten.

"It smells so good, it's really delicious." The young master couldn't help but peel the second and third ones...

Seeing that he was eating with gusto, people started to buy from him one after another, and soon all 10 kilograms of chestnuts were sold out.