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Although they made an extra pot today, it sold out even faster than yesterday.
It only took an hour and a half for all three pots of spicy soup to be sold out.
Some people who didn’t get to try it looked disappointed.
Yan Fang smiled and said, “Sorry, we’re all sold out today. Please come back tomorrow.”
The crowd then dispersed with disappointment.
Ye Caiping was cleaning up the table when a slightly chubby middle-aged man walked over and placed his empty bowl in front of her.
“Thank you for your patronage.”
“Hey, aren’t you the young lady who sold ginseng?” the chubby man said.
Ye Caiping recognized him as well. He was the shopkeeper from Ping’an Hall who bought her ginseng last time. “Yes, it’s me.”
“This spicy soup is really delicious. Did you put Sichuan peppercorns and pepper in it?” shopkeeper Fang asked.
Yan Fang and her sisters Jin’er and Cin’er stopped their actions of collecting bowls, their faces slightly changing.
Ye Caiping, however, calmly nodded. “Yes, the ‘hu’ character in ‘hu la tang’ refers to pepper.”
“Oh, you’re really ingenious, young lady, knowing how to use medicinal herbs in food. I’ll come back tomorrow for more.”
“Okay, thank you.”
After Fang shopkeeper left, Yan Fang and her sisters nervously gathered around her.
Yan Fang whispered, “Caiping, did he…did he figure out our secret recipe?”
Although she didn’t know what pepper and Sichuan peppercorns were.
Ye Caiping didn’t answer directly, “What did Big Sister-in-law put in the stir-fried cabbage last night, did Mother taste it?”
Yan Fang was taken aback, and Ye Huan’er quickly answered, “She put pork cracklings in it!”
“What else? Tell me everything that was put in.”
“Well…first you have to put in cabbage and cracklings, then…salt, lard, and soy sauce.”
Ye Jin’er added, “I also tasted sourness, she put in some vinegar.”
Ye Caiping nodded and looked at Yan Fang, “See, isn’t it obvious? Everyone has a sense of taste, they can probably tell what’s been put in. It’s the same with my spicy soup.”
“But…we don’t understand what those medicinal powders are…” Yan Fang frowned.
Ye Caiping smiled, “That’s because you’re not a doctor, Mother. Even ordinary people who don’t recognize herbs, those shopkeepers, clerks, doctors, and herbalists from the medicine shops, they can guess roughly after just one taste.”
“Then…won’t the secret of the spicy soup be leaked?”
Yan Fang was very nervous, even Ye Jin’er and her sisters were apprehensive.
Ye Caiping said, “They can guess most of it, especially the pepper and Sichuan peppercorns, those flavors are obvious, you can tell after one taste. As for the other dozen or so spices, even those with a very good sense of taste wouldn’t be able to guess them all.”
“Besides, even if they guessed them all, what about the proportions? That’s not something you can easily taste out. And everyone has different tastes, even if it’s just stir-fried cabbage, different people will make it with different flavors.”
“Some will be hard to eat, some will be delicious. So, don’t worry.”
The three of them, Yan Fang, Ye Jin’er, and Ye Huan’er, breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.
Yan Fang laughed, “I’m getting old and confused.”
“Hey, what are you talking about?” At this time, the plump aunt from next door walked over with a smile, holding a plate of meat buns in her hand, “Here, have some buns.”
Ye Jin’er and Ye Huan’er were stunned, looking at her suspiciously.
They knew very well how hostile the plump aunt had been towards them these past two days. Now she was actually giving them buns to eat?
The plump aunt’s husband smiled and stepped forward, “We really have to thank you today, our steamed buns and fried dough sticks sold out in an hour! Before, we had to sell them until noon, and we might not even sell out.”
Ye Caiping laughed, “Spicy soup and fried dough sticks are always a perfect match! Of course, steamed buns and meat buns are not bad either.”
The plump aunt’s husband suddenly remembered what Ye Caiping had said yesterday. At that time, Ye Caiping had said that their business would get better and better in a few days.
He had thought it was just a polite remark, but unexpectedly, just the next day, their business got better!
It was all thanks to the spicy soup!
“Little sister, don’t blame my wife, she was being unreasonable yesterday. This is an apology gift and a thank you gift, please forgive her.”
The plump aunt was also a straightforward person, her temper came quickly and went quickly.
When she was angry, she would hate the other person to death. When she needed to thank someone, she could kick away her previous resentment and sincerely thank them.
Ye Caiping accepted the buns, “Okay, thank you.”
The plump aunt and her husband waved their hands and turned back to their stall.
They still had more than half a pot of their rice porridge left, wondering if they could sell it all before noon.
Ye Caiping divided the meat buns among Yan Fang and the others.
Yan Fang licked her lips and laughed, “We had some yesterday, we don’t need them today. I’ll take them home for Yong’er and the others.”
Although Ye Jin’er and Ye Huan’er really wanted to eat them, remembering that their Grandpa Ye and the others hadn’t eaten yet, they put the buns back on the plate.
Ye Jin’er said, “My cousins haven’t had any yet, let’s save them for them.”
Ye Caiping smiled, “No need, you guys eat! I’ll just buy a few more later, so everyone at home can have some. We finished early today, Bajin is still in town, let’s have him take us home early.”
“Okay!”
“You guys stay here to clean up, I’ll go buy things and find him.”
After saying this, Ye Caiping left with her backpack.
The town was at its busiest. Ye Caiping bought 20 meat buns, 10 steamed buns, 14 pieces of osmanthus candy, and 5 catties of cured meat in the street.
After thinking for a moment, she went to a pottery shop and bought a large earthenware pot. Only then did she go to find Ye Bajin.
In the empty space where the ox-cart was parked, Ye Bajin was leaning against the cart, dozing off. Seeing Ye Caiping, he was a little surprised:
“Sister Caiping, why are you here? Did something happen at the stall?”
“No. We finished selling the spicy soup early, let’s go home now!”
Ye Bajin looked at the sky and the long shadows not far away. It was past mid-morning (around 10 am), it was still early.
Yesterday, he had taken the villagers back home around noon before returning to pick up Ye Caiping. Now, they could stagger their times.
“Alright, let’s go now!”
……
At the Old Ye Family.
As soon as Ye Daquan saw the ox-cart slowly drive in, he excitedly rushed over to help unload the items.
“Oh my, where did the buns come from?” Ye Daquan suddenly exclaimed as he noticed a basket full of large white buns and steamed buns.
“This is today’s lunch,” Ye Caiping smiled, setting down a large earthenware pot.
Inside was a pot full of rice porridge, which Ye Caiping had bought from the plump aunt’s place on her way back.
Thinking that the buns might not be enough for lunch, she also bought some steamed buns and decided to bring back a pot of porridge to serve as their meal.