CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 199: MUNG BEAN PASTE

"This... this..." Aunt Ge hesitated for a while but eventually agreed to Lin Xiang’s proposal.

Lin Xiang was right; as the weather got hotter, fewer people went to the market, and only a few pancakes were sold each day.

She wasn’t even mentioning how tough it was under the scorching sun. The heat made things spoil quickly, leading to waste and higher costs, naturally reducing profits.

Seeing that Ge Yuanyi had finished the college entrance exams and would soon be enrolling, she needed to save some money for Ge Yuanyi.

"I’ve already prepared the sour plum soup, herbal tea, and mung bean soup for today. You can come with us this afternoon and just focus on selling them. Tomorrow morning, I’ll teach you how to make them."

"Alright, sure!"

At five in the afternoon, Lin Xiang, Mrs. Lin, and Aunt Ge set off together to open the stall.

Before leaving, she reminded Ge Yuanyi, "I’ve made dinner, eat together with your brother when it’s time, and try not to go out without reason."

"Lock the front door, don’t open it for anyone, I have the key."

"Mom, got it. You can go without worrying, don’t worry about the house."

Once arrived at the Welfare District, Aunt Ge arranged the wooden barrels containing the drinks and then started setting up the barbecue stall with Mrs. Lin and Lin Xiang.

The factory typically finishes work at five, so after dinner time, people usually go out for a walk around six o’clock.

By the time Lin Xiang and the others arrived, it wasn’t six yet, and the air still carried the lingering heat.

There were no customers yet, but Lin Xiang wasn’t anxious, sitting and preparing the materials.

After finishing her tasks, Aunt Ge scooped a bowl of herbal tea and handed it to her, "You’ve worked up a sweat, have a sip to soothe your throat."

Lin Xiang shook her head, "I’ll pass, otherwise it wouldn’t be convenient."

Aunt Ge hesitated for a while before realizing what Lin Xiang meant, then stopped insisting and went over to help Mrs. Lin skewer the ingredients.

The skewers they used were made by Fifth Uncle, who cut the wood himself from the back mountain. Since they were hard to clean off the grease, they were disposable.

Luckily, there were plenty of skewers, so they could manage.

By six o’clock, the sun was setting, and the temperature was less intense. More people started coming out for a walk, and Lin Xiang welcomed her first customer.

"Give me thirty skewers and a grilled fish today," the customer rubbed his empty belly, "I skipped lunch just to come here with an empty stomach for the skewers."

"That’s great! I’ll pick a fish with fewer bones and more meat for you, I promise it’ll be so fragrant that you’ll want more after the first bite."

The customer, feeling at home, found a spot and shouted to Lin Xiang, "By the way, don’t make the skewers too spicy today, my son will be eating them too."

"Got it!"

Not long after, Lin Xiang served the first round of vegetarian skewers.

A seven or eight-year-old boy eagerly picked up a skewer and put it in his mouth. The freshly grilled skewer was still hot, making him gasp for air.

"Dad, it’s delicious but a bit spicy, my mouth feels numb."

Lin Xiang, hearing this, quickly said, "I might not have controlled the chili well; I’ll make another batch with less chili for you."

Just as Lin Xiang was about to take the plate, the little boy covered it, not letting her take it away, "I want to eat this, without chili it’s not tasty."

"Let it be," the customer said, "Do you have something to drink, could you pour me a cold one?"

Lin Xiang turned to Aunt Ge and scooped a bowl of sour plum soup.

The bowls used for the sour plum soup were brought from home by Aunt Ge.

"This is a drink sold by the aunt at the next stall, called sour plum soup. I’ll give you a bowl to try."

The boy, indeed spiced up by the meal, gulped the drink in one go, finishing half the big bowl of sour plum soup quickly.

After drinking, he licked his lips contentedly, "This is really good, Dad, you should try it too."

The customer took a sip and then asked Lin Xiang after putting down the bowl, "How much is it for a bowl?"

"Two cents per bowl. Besides sour plum soup, we also have herbal tea and mung bean soup, as well as mung bean paste."

The green beans used to make mung bean soup, mixed with a little sugar and honey after cooling down, make a refreshing bowl of mung bean paste, perfect for the scorching heat.

Persuaded by Lin Xiang’s sales pitch, the customer ordered another bowl of herbal tea and a bowl of mung bean soup, while Aunt Ge added a complimentary bowl of mung bean paste.

"Nice and tasty!" The little boy rubbed his round belly, "Dad, I haven’t felt this satisfied in a long time. Can we come back tomorrow?"

The customer glanced at the boy with their matching round bellies, "I suspect you don’t eat well deliberately."

Unable to finish a bowl of rice all day, yet able to eat half of twenty grilled skewers and almost two pounds of grilled fish alone.

Doesn’t really seem like he has a bad appetite.

The boy pouted, somewhat aggrieved, "Grandma’s cooking isn’t tasty; no salt, no oil, completely flavorless."

So when he took the first bite of the barbecue, he was amazed.

Even though his lips and tongue were numb from the spiciness, he was reluctant to stop.

The customer gently patted the boy’s head, "When I was your age, being able to fill my stomach was luxury enough. I’d be grateful just to have something to eat, never mind if it tasted good. Kids these days really don’t appreciate their blessings."

Busy grilling, Lin Xiang heard this and couldn’t help but smile.

This sentiment is timeless and universal, applying to all eras and cities.

After a busy evening, before it hit nine, everything but some spicy shrimp was sold out by Lin Xiang — the dishes and fish prepared that day were all gone.

The shrimp, priced at one cent each, weren’t as popular.

And Aunt Ge’s drink stall had little left of three types of drinks, with some mung bean paste remaining.

Since none of these could be kept overnight, the spicy shrimp and mung bean paste were sold as a bundle.

"Spicy shrimp are one cent each, mung bean paste is three cents per bowl. Buy ten shrimps or more, and you’ll get a complimentary bowl of mung bean paste."

Many people love a small bargain, plus the spicy shrimp, though less popular compared to skewers and grilled fish, certainly didn’t lack flavor when paired with a free bowl of mung bean paste — it was quite enticing.

Just after nine, all ingredients were sold out, and Lin Xiang, Mrs. Lin, and Aunt Ge packed up to head home.

Ge Yuanyi had prepared bathing water in different rooms, and after the three quickly rinsed off, Aunt Ge called Lin Xiang into the central room.

On the table in the central room was a pile of money.