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As they walked further, they came across stalls selling “liangpi” (cold skin noodles), pan-fried buns, and tofu pudding.
Traditionally, tofu pudding was considered a breakfast dish. However, in this rural area, even those who were relatively well-off were hesitant to buy breakfast regularly. Thus, during events like these, they would indulge in breakfast items that people in town or the county typically enjoyed on a regular basis.
This is why the stalls selling pan-fried buns and tofu pudding were especially crowded.
Long benches and tables were arranged in a “口” shape, with vendors cooking on large stoves. As the lid was lifted from the steaming pot of pan-fried buns, releasing a tantalizing aroma, people around couldn’t help but be drawn in. Without much hesitation, they found a spot, sat down, and enjoyed a bowl of tofu pudding along with a plate of pan-fried buns.
Seeing this, Song Jingyun’s eyes lit up with longing as he pulled Jiang Mixia to find a place to sit.
Approaching midday, having snacked on various small items, Jiang Mixia was now craving a proper meal. She decided to skip lunch and opted for a bowl of tofu pudding to drink.
Song Jingyun ordered two plates of steamed buns and a bowl of tofu pudding.
Prices at the rural event were lower compared to those in town and the county. A plate of pan-fried buns only cost four coins, so for both Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun, the total bill came to just twelve coins.
The tofu pudding was garnished with sesame seeds and a touch of chili oil, offering a rich and savory flavor. The pan-fried buns were generously filled with meat and had a crispy exterior and tender interior, making them delicious and fragrant.
Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun thoroughly enjoyed their meal.
An elderly man nearby, likely in his sixties with gray hair and beard, finished his last pan-fried bun and drank his bowl of tofu pudding clean. After letting out a satisfied burp, he wiped his mouth contentedly.
“Bill,” the old man called out to the vendor.
His voice was so loud that even Song Jingyun, who was far away, couldn’t help but rub his ears.
“On it.” The vendor, a short, chubby middle-aged man with squinted eyes named Zhang Dabao, wiped his hands on his apron and glanced at the elderly man’s empty dishes. “One plate of buns, one bowl of tofu pudding, a total of six coins.”
“How much?” The old man instinctively cupped his hand near his ear and leaned in closer towards Zhang Dabao.
Seeing that the elderly man was hard of hearing, Zhang Dabao raised his voice and shouted, “Six coins!”
“Nine coins?” the old man asked.
Zhang Dabao hesitated for a moment, then nodded, “Yes.”
The elderly man began counting the coins from his money pouch, “One, two, three…”
“Six, seven…”
Suddenly, someone reached out and stopped the elderly man, using their thumb and pinky finger to gesture the number “six” and shouted to the elderly man, “It’s six coins!”
It seemed that there were indeed good people in this world. Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun, who had initially intended to intervene, were surprised to see someone else act before them. They exchanged a glance and then turned to look at the scene.
To their surprise, the person stopping the elderly man was none other than Sun Ergou, whom they had encountered earlier.
“Wife, isn’t Sun Ergou that troublemaker? Why is he…” Song Jingyun expressed his confusion.
“Let’s observe for now,” Jiang Mixia replied, also puzzled.
Sun Ergou had a reputation for bullying children, often snatching money or food from them, and even stealing apples, persimmons, or eggs…
His reputation was quite negative, almost akin to a modern-day troublemaker.
For someone like Sun Ergou to help the elderly man was indeed perplexing at that moment.
“Oh, I see.” The hard of hearing elderly man understood and handed the money to Zhang Dabao. “Here you go.”
He didn’t forget to add, “You, taking advantage of my poor hearing to try to overcharge me? I won’t argue with you in front of all these people, but I won’t be eating here again in the future!”
With that, he left in a huff.
The elderly man, with his loud voice and back turned, had made quite a scene. Many of the diners overheard his words, leading to whispers and discussions among them.
Zhang Dabao’s face darkened at the situation.
Those who set up stalls at the event did business across various villages, and the connections between these villages were intricate. Word spread fast, and with this incident, it was likely that by the next joint event, the villagers would know about it.
Fuming with anger, Zhang Dabao directed his frustration towards Sun Ergou. “You troublemaker, get lost and stop interfering with my business!”
With many people around, Sun Ergou didn’t notice Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun in the corner. He glared at Zhang Dabao and muttered, “Heartless scoundrel.”
Seeing Sun Ergou talk back, Zhang Dabao grew even more furious. He grabbed a large wooden spoon from the nearby tofu pudding and chased after Sun Ergou, who quickly ran off.
After running a few steps, Sun Ergou bumped into Sun Zhuzi coming towards him.
“There you are,” Sun Zhuzi straightened up. “I’ve been looking for you. Come on, I’ll take you to see my cousin.”
With that, he pulled Sun Ergou towards the nearby pan-fried bun stall, where Zhang Dabao was shouting, “Cousin!”
“Oh, it’s Zhuzi.” Zhang Dabao, upon seeing Sun Zhuzi, promptly handed him two buns. “Here, have a couple of buns.”
“Thanks, Cousin.” Sun Zhuzi took them with a grin. “Cousin, my friend and I came together, and these two buns won’t be enough. Can we get two more?”
With a total of four buns, Sun Ergou was almost satisfied.
“Sure,” Zhang Dabao agreed readily.
Given Sun Zhuzi’s family’s reputation in Zhangjiazhuang, and the favors Zhang Dabao often needed from them, he was particularly courteous towards Sun Zhuzi.
Just a few buns could easily please a child, and when they shared the story with an adult, that person would remember the kindness. This subtle gesture often had a more significant impact than overt attempts at flattery.
Considering himself a people person, Zhang Dabao was astute in such matters. However, as he saw the friend accompanying Sun Zhuzi, who had recently caused him embarrassment, he stopped himself from saying “Eat slowly” midway through his sentence.
His expression turned extremely unpleasant.
He felt the urge to throw the buns at Sun Ergou’s face, but upon seeing Sun Zhuzi standing nearby, he clenched his teeth and lowered his hand.
Despite holding back, the frustration he felt had nowhere to go…
Zhang Dabao’s face contorted, and he resisted the impulse to act out towards Sun Ergou.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Dabao placed the plate of buns on an empty table and warmly gestured to Sun Ergou, “Come, sit here and have your meal. I’ll scoop you a bowl of tofu pudding.”
“Thanks, Cousin,” Sun Zhuzi expressed gratitude and quickly seated Sun Ergou. “Let me tell you, my cousin is a really good person. You eat first, and if it’s not enough, I’ll ask my cousin for more.”
Sun Ergou remained silent.