Chapter 199 - 199 Hard Work
199 Hard Work
Madam Liu said, “Our family will remember Binglan’s kindness. Also, Xuerui will become more lively if we bring him with us more often.”
She looked at her grandson, and her heart ached. Su Xuerui was only two years old, yet he was too obedient.
He did not eat delicious foods like lamb skewers in the past, but now, the family could make better food for Su Xuerui.
The family had prepared many lamb skewers, but there have yet to be any customers in sight. Madam Liu took some pastries and broke them into small pieces for her grandson to eat.
Su Binglan had given them those pastries. Previously, she had given them to her third uncle and his family when she went to teach Su Fengzhi how to make lamb skewers.
Su Binglan made the pastries more suitable for children to eat. They were nutritious and could also improve a child’s appetite.
Su Xuerui did not usually eat much, but he enjoyed eating the pastries Su Binglan made when he took a bite. Madam Liu was thrilled when she saw her grandson eating more.
Su Wenchi said, “Big Brother, you have no idea how good Binglan was to us. She taught our father how to make spicy and non-spicy seasonings too.”
Su Wenlin said smilingly, “Are you intentionally making fun of me, Wenchi? I just happened to be away at that time.”
Su Wenchi smirked. “Hmph, it’s your fault for being away for so long.”
Everyone chatted and laughed, and soon, customers started coming. The customers looked at the lamb skewers in Su Fengzhi’s hands and thought they looked very novel. Still, they could all smell how fragrant the barbecued lamb skewers were.
“Sir, are you barbecuing meat?”
“Yes, I’m making lamb skewers. I made them from the sheep I keep myself, so these are as fresh as they come. Are you guys interested in trying some?” Su Fengzhi warmly welcomed the customers.
A few more people came by at that moment. They gathered around to look at what Su Fengzhi was making and thought his cooking method was unique. They had never seen anything like lamb skewers before.
The customers looked closer and discovered that Su Fengzhi used charcoal to barbecue the lamb skewers.
“Sir, are you using charcoal? Isn’t that costly?”
The commoners could not afford charcoal, yet Su Fengzhi and his family used it to barbecue the lamb skewers. Everyone felt their heads ache when they looked at the charcoal. They thought it was a waste.
The weather was getting colder, and the wealthier families would burn charcoal to keep themselves warm. Many looked at the unique lamb skewers and felt pain in their hearts when they saw all the burnt charcoal.
The people of that era were frugal, so they felt uncomfortable seeing others wasting precious supplies like charcoal.
Su Fengzhi chuckled. “We made this charcoal ourselves, so it didn’t cost much. We’re also selling these lamb skewers for one coin each and those for two coins each.”
Anyone could afford those prices, and the customers were always willing to try something new. Moreover, the lamb skewers were fragrant. Since the customers were already there, they might as well try it.
“I’ll have a small lamb skewer, sir.”
“Give me ten lamb skewers, please.”
“I’ll try one too. I’ll buy more if I like these.”
…
Everyone was talking at once, and Su Fengzhi said happily, “The lamb skewers will be ready soon.”
Madam Liu and her daughter-in-law, Lin Tongtong, said in unison, “Someone, take care of Xuerui. I’ll go and help.”
Lin Tongtong said, “Mother-in-law, Xuerui is well-behaved and will sit here quietly. He’ll be okay, so I’ll help too.”
She knew her mother-in-law was a good person. Not only did Madam Liu help take care of Su Xuerui, but she would not allow Lin Tongtong to do any work.
However, Lin Tongtong felt guilty. She was diligent because her parents taught her to work hard and live a good life. Therefore, she could not bear to stay idle while the others worked.
Lin Tongtong looked at the busy family, looked at her son, and started to feel anxious.
Madam Liu said, “Since four of us can work, you should watch Xuerui. He is more important than anything else. Also, we’re in an unfamiliar environment, so you can rest assured if you took care of Xuerui.”
Initially, the family had suggested that Madam Lin stay home to look after Su Xuerui, but she thought she might be able to help if she followed along.
Madam Liu was delighted with her daughter-in-law because she was diligent, respectful, and discerning. She told Lin Tongtong to keep an eye on Su Xuerui and went to help the others.
The four divided and conquered as they sold their lamb kebabs. One would handle the money, while others would host the customers or barbecue the lamb skewers.
“Sir, do you want the spicy or non-spicy seasoning?”
If it were the past, the customers would not understand the difference between the two seasonings, but most had eaten food from Su Binglan’s shops, so they knew what spicy was.
“I would like to be spicy, please!”
“All right, here you go.”
“I-I can’t handle spicy food, sir. I’ll take the non-spicy seasoning, please.”
“Okay, no problem.”
…
Everyone was amazed when they tried the lamb skewers.
“These are delicious! The meat is sizzling and fragrant. They don’t even taste gamey.”
“Mm, I agree. I never liked eating lamb, but I never thought to cook it like this. It’s unique.”
“The spiciness is just right!”
“Give me another five big lamb skewers with spicy seasoning, please!”
“Okay, they will be ready soon.”
“I’ll have ten more small lamb skewers, sir. I’d like the non-spicy seasoning. Thank you!”
…
By noon, many others had smelled the lamb skewers’ fragrance and ran over. Then Su Wenzhe and the rest also pointed their customers to the barbecue stall.
Su Wenzhe even hired some beggars to publicize his third uncle’s stall. It was just like how Su Binglan did last time.
In addition, everyone knew the Su family owned Binglan’s Desserts, Su’s Tofu, and the lamb skewer stall, so they believed the lamb skewers would be delicious. Just like every other dish the Su family served.
The power of advertising was significant as many traveled from east to west to check out Su Fengzhi’s stall.
In a blink of an eye, many surrounded the lamb skewer stall. Su Fengzhi and Su Wenchi could barely keep up with the orders, even if they prepared more lamb skewers in advance.
Madam Liu’s smile grew wider when she saw how many people were around her husband’s stall.
Meanwhile, Su Wenlin helped give the customers their orders. It tested his memory as he needed to remember which customers ordered non-spicy seasonings and which ordered spicy ones. He knew he could not make any mistakes.
Lin Tongtong was also thrilled when she saw more and more customers appearing. More customers meant business was booming, and they could earn more money.
She could not bear to stay idle, but she could neither ignore her son. Therefore, Lin Tongtong thought of a way to tie Su Xuerui to her back so she could help the family.
Carrying Su Xuerui on her back would not affect the family’s workflow. Therefore, Lin Tongtong helped clean up the stall with her son safely tied to her back. She also helped to bring the customers their orders.
They had suffered in the past but could earn money alongside each other now. The family wished to use all their might and worked their hearts out.
The family also wanted to earn as much money as possible, so they motivated themselves to work harder.
Initially, the surrounding area was empty and remote, but it had become lively because of Su Fengzhi’s stall. When noon passed, the family could take a breather as there were fewer customers.
Su Wenlin entertained the customers, so his throat was sore from constantly speaking loudly.
Lin Tongtong did not even drink water before hurriedly bringing some to her husband. Su Wenlin drank a big mouthful of water and panted. “You’ve worked so hard. Is Xuerui okay?”
Lin Tongtong said smilingly, “I didn’t work that hard. Besides, I fed Xuerui earlier, so he fell asleep on my back.”