Chapter 6: I’m Here to Sell Marbled Tea Eggs

“Try one! Have I lost my touch?” Cheng Huaien called out as he stepped into Cheng Yuan’s room, holding a pot of freshly made marbled tea eggs.

Cheng Yuan, poring over her textbook, set it aside as the rich aroma hit her. She peeled one open, revealing a delicate, marbled pattern soaked through with savory brine. One bite was all it took—the egg was perfectly seasoned, tender, and warm. The best marbled tea egg she’d ever had.

She devoured it in seconds. “Dad, these are amazing! But… thirty eggs won’t be enough if you want to sell them.”

“Of course not. But these thirty eggs have a more important role to play,” Cheng Huaien said mysteriously. “Yuan Yuan, I’ll pick you up after school tonight.”

“No need, Dad. I’ll walk back with my classmates along the main road,” Cheng Yuan replied, not pressing further. She was still basking in the taste of that tea egg. Her father’s culinary skills were just as incredible as she remembered—no tea egg in her past life had come close.

“You finish at ten tonight, right? I’ll be there,” Cheng Huaien insisted, not leaving room for discussion. He handed her two more eggs. “Give these to your classmates. Let them try.”

Back in the kitchen, Cheng Huaien carefully set aside three eggs for Cheng Yuan. That left him with twenty-seven.

By his calculation, each egg could sell for twenty-five cents. With a cost of around seven cents per egg, he’d be making a profit of eighteen cents each. A hundred eggs would net him eighteen yuan. Multiply that by thirty days, and he could bring in over 500 yuan a month—significantly more than his restaurant wages.

And the best part? Low cost and no boss breathing down his neck.

After dropping Cheng Yuan off at school, he headed straight to the train station. The area was packed with morning commuters. He found a spot next to an older woman selling tea eggs, squatted down, and lifted the lid of his container. Instantly, the rich fragrance wafted into the air.

The woman’s smile faded. “Hey, do you know the rules here?” she snapped, shooting him a look. “We’re both selling tea eggs. Can’t you pick another spot?” She muttered, “A grown man selling tea eggs… what is this world coming to?”

“Sister,” Cheng Huaien said with an easy smile, “how about a little friendly competition? Let’s see who sells out faster.”

“Why would I compete with you?” she huffed, but her eyes stayed on the pot. Just then, a young man approached. The woman immediately perked up, smiling brightly. “Our tea eggs are made with a secret ancestral recipe! Very delicious! Twenty-five cents each. How many would you like?”

“Mine are also twenty-five cents each,” Cheng Huaien interjected.

The young man glanced between them, then bought one egg from each. “I’ll try both and see which tastes better.”

He ate as he walked away. Moments later, he turned back—to buy more from Cheng Huaien.

“Mine are delicious too!” the woman shouted, trying to win him back. But the young man was already disappearing into the crowd.

Fuming, the woman glared at Cheng Huaien. “Have I ever offended you?”

Smiling, he reached into his container. “Why don’t you try one of mine, ma’am? It’s on the house.”

She eyed him warily. “For free?”

“Yes. A gift.”

Reluctantly, she accepted. As she peeled it, she couldn’t help but notice—his egg looked better. The marbling was cleaner, the color richer.

No way it tastes better, she told herself. I’ve been selling tea eggs for a month. If mine weren’t good, I’d be out of business.

She took a bite—and froze.

Before she could say a word, Cheng Huaien said gently, “Madam, I can sell them to you wholesale. Eighteen cents a piece.”

The woman blinked. She had come to sell tea eggs, not buy them.

“I know it sounds like a smaller profit,” Cheng Huaien continued smoothly, “but my eggs sell fast. You won’t need to prep, cook, or get up early. You’ll save time and effort—and still make money.”

His tone was calm, persuasive, and respectful.

The woman hesitated. “What if they don’t sell?”

“You just saw they do,” Cheng Huaien replied with a grin.

A few more customers came by. He stepped aside to let her sell. But she noticed something: customers who bought his eggs came back for more.

Soon, Cheng Huaien’s batch was gone. He quietly helped her sell hers. As the crowd thinned, he turned to her again.

“You’ve seen it yourself. My eggs sell well. Try thirty. No risk—no need to pay upfront. If they sell, we can work together long-term.”

The woman finally sighed. “Alright. Bring thirty tomorrow.”

Cheng Huaien beamed. “Thank you! I’m Cheng Huaien. I’ll be here first thing in the morning.”

Impressed by his honesty and easygoing nature, the woman nodded. She hadn’t expected someone so sincere.

After that, Cheng Huaien didn’t stop. He visited breakfast stalls, corner vendors, and tea sellers—anyone who might need tea eggs. Bit by bit, his list of orders grew.

By the end of the day, he pulled out his little notebook and did the math. Those twenty-seven eggs had brought in advance orders for five hundred and twenty more.

At eighteen cents profit per egg, that was over 41 yuan. Multiply that by thirty days, and he’d be making over 1,200 yuan a month.

More than double his old salary.

Excited and energized, Cheng Huaien went straight to buy more eggs.

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Yixian No. 1 High School.

Cheng Yuan hadn’t set foot on this campus since graduation. As she walked under the tree-lined path, the familiar buildings and voices around her made it feel like stepping into a dream.

Following memory and instinct, she made her way to her old classroom.

Inside, the youthful energy of her classmates hit her like a wave. She stood quietly, watching their faces—faces she hadn’t seen in so long.

Her chest tightened.

“Yuanyuan! Why are you just standing there?”

A short-haired girl threw an arm around her shoulder and tugged her toward a seat.

“Honestly, you’re such a flake! We said we’d play games at the internet café during the holiday, but you totally ghosted us. Where were you?”

Cheng Yuan smiled and let herself be dragged to the back row. She turned and looked at the girl beside her.

“Xiaolin,” she said softly, eyes lighting up. “Bei Xiaolin!”

“What? A few days off and you forgot my name?” Bei Xiaolin flicked her bangs and struck a pose. “Well? How’s the new look?”