Chapter 51.1 Tanhua at Qujiang District
The Double Third Festival was an auspicious day, suitable for both spring outings and setting up stalls.
Shen Shaoguang, along with Yu San, A’Yuan, and A’Chang, had prepared finished and semi-finished products in advance. They hired two mule carts, ready to seize the opportunity and make a fortune at Qujiang District.
While A’Yuan and Yu San hadn't experienced such a venture before, and A’Chang was entirely new to it, they were aware of Miss Shen's previous success in running a savory crepe stall. Little did they know that she could effortlessly ‘transform a tavern into a stall’ at any given time.
Shen Shaoguang proudly recounted her success from the previous year's Dragon Boat Festival stall. "The large jars of ice-cold sour plum beverage were all bought by people from the imperial army. Nobody else could get any, even if they wanted to. After the festival, the military officer who purchased the sweet and tart plum beverage returned, so I decided to simply sell him the recipe."
The three of them were once again surprised by this unconventional business approach. Recipes can actually also be sold?
"How much did you sell it for?" A’Chang inquired.
Shen Shaoguang kept her audience in suspense, "Guess."
"Five taels," guessed A’Chang.
A’Yuan, familiar with helping Shen Shaoguang settle accounts, thought five taels wasn't enough for their Miss to elicit such pride. "Ten taels."
Yu San, engrossed in his work, remained silent.
"Twenty taels," revealed Shen Shaoguang with a smile.
A’Chang widened his eyes in astonishment. A recipe for sour plum could be exchanged for several slaves like him.
A’Yuan, expressing her simple enthusiasm, clapped her hands. She then continued to expand, "If our recipes for Sharpened Mutton Jade and other meat dishes were sold..."
A’Chang chuckled and remarked, "That can’t be done! If someone buys all our recipes and opens a tavern, they would become our competitors." Shen Shaoguang later shared the incident involving Incoming Cloud Tavern with Yu San and A’Chang to ensure they were informed.
No longer able to stand the nonsense, Yu San commented, "The real challenge is finding someone foolish enough to pay twenty taels for a beverage recipe."
Shen Shaoguang: "..." Alright, you've made your points.
A’Yuan concluded, "Our Miss is truly amazing!"
Shen Shaoguang smiled. It’s still the little girl who was the most considerate.
In the blink of an eye, Double Third Festival had arrived. Standing at the spot where her stall was set up last year, Shen Shaoguang felt a rush of emotions. She watched A’Chang lighting the stove, Yu San kneading glutinous rice balls, and A’Yuan fetching water to clean the table. Last year, she had been alone, managing a single table, doing everything by herself, and was happy to have a profit of a couple thousand taels. Look at them now… will it be even better in the future? Surely.
Due to the outdoor setting, their options were limited. They focused on preparing various floral cakes, including sweet pea pudding, aiwowo rice cake, green glutinous rice balls, red bean paste bread, snowy pudding, etc. They brought the fillings, dough, and molds to freshly make them on-site, preventing the pastries' delicate skin from tearing or getting crushed during transportation.
For customers with specific preferences, the pastries could be placed in hard paper boxes, while those less particular could opt for paper bags or skewer insertions.
Tea and beverages were kept simple. Given the season, cold beverages were unavailable, and instead, they offered jasmine tea and hawthorn with wolfberry beverage. All of the ingredients for these drinks were sourced from medicinal stores, with discernible notes of Dangshen and Mongolian Milk Vetch. Additionally, for those seeking something more substantial, they introduced a sweet soup option—Glutinous Rice Balls in Sweet Rice Wine.
The small team of four individuals set up their stall, strategically positioning numerous sizable boxes containing the vibrant floral cakes in the most prominent section. This arrangement ensured that pedestrians passing by could easily catch sight of the display.
Certain individuals even recalled Shen Shaoguang, saying, "Miss, you were the behind those superb glutinous rice zongzi!" Spotting familiar aiwowo, their joy heightened, "I haven't encountered any better bean fillings since!"
The people next to them were curious and asked what was so special about this bean paste?
The original customer, as it turned out, was a curious individual with a penchant for culinary research. They shared, "I had specifically consulted a friend well-versed in food and beverages about this bean paste. This filling is known as 'Lin Sha Huo,' signifying meticulous craftsmanship, rich flavor, and an appealing appearance; sweet yet not cloying. What she has crafted here truly lives up to these descriptors."
This guest was quite knowledgeable. It was rumored that during the Tianbao Era, Lady Guoguo was renowned for crafting the finest 'Lin Sha Huo' pastries.
Although the delicacies from Lady Guoguo’s Residence are no longer accessible, the ready-made aiwoworice cakes by Qujiang River are still available. Intrigued by the historical allusion, everyone naturally wanted to sample this pastry associated with the romance of the Tang Dynasty.
As the conversation unfolded, someone inquired if Shen Shaoguang ran a dessert shop elsewhere.
Capitalizing on the opportunity, Shen Shaoguang subtly promoted her establishment, Shen Indelible Tavern in Chongxian Lane. She smiled and apologized, "While we do offer flower cakes regularly, it's not as extensive as this. On the other hand, we specialize in frequent preparation of dishes like Cornelian Meat, Jadeite Rounds, and other chicken, duck, and fish delicacies that pair well with wine and rice."
The allure of names like ‘Cornelian’ and ‘Jadeite’ proved enchanting. Customers, initially interested in flower cakes, left not disappointed but intrigued. Many expressed their intent to visit Shen Indelible Tavern in Chongxian Lane to savor the promised delights of meat and rounds.
Observing this, Yu San looked at Shen Shaoguang with a hint of doubt. Shen Shaoguang, with an innocent demeanor, inwardly mused, ‘They truly aren't paid promoters. This is the magic of repeat customers.���
A’Yuan couldn't help but praise inwardly, thinking, 'See? See? Didn’t I say before that our Miss can attract countless guests just by talking?'
As the bustling crowd gradually thinned out after a surge of heavy traffic, the four had a moment to rest and chat.
A’Yuan looked around and asked, "Miss, will the Tanhua pass by us?"
Shen Shaoguang really didn't have a definitive answer. "If you go to Apricot Garden for a stroll, you might see the Tanhua Envoy. It's not very busy right now anyways, so why not?" Then she suggested to Yu San and A’Chang, "When A Yuan comes back, you can take turns going for a stroll. This way, our trip to Qujiang district on Double Third Festival feels a bit more worthwhile."
However, A’Yuan shook her head, "Every time we go out to play, Miss is left behind, alone. This time, you should go!"
Shen Shaoguang chuckled. I've outgrown the age of chasing stars. Saving up for last-class tickets to idol concerts, that's a chapter of the past. No longer am I 'rejuvenated, my fiery zeal display[1].'
Yu San suggested to A’Chang, "You should accompany her."
Shen Shaoguang arched an eyebrow. Yu San remained silent, focused on filling the flattened green dough, wrapping it, and pressing it into the mold. The outcome was a green glutinous rice ball imprinted with the word ‘福 (luck).’
A’Chang grinned, removing his apron and protective sleeves. "I'll join you, Miss."
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Footnote:
[1]'rejuvenated, my fiery zeal display' - quoted from a poem titled 'A Riverside Town' by Su Shi. Read the whole poem here- https://www.en84.com/dianji/ci/201004/00001838.html
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Foods:
green glutinous rice balls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sPKVPM6Sio