TL:FallenMoon

In the daily diet of the people in Huaxia, many individuals have the habit of sprinkling some scallions on their dishes or soup after cooking.

However, the presence of scallions is not essential and doesn’t significantly affect the taste of the dish.

Therefore, there aren’t many dish names directly related to scallions, and among them, the options suitable for making snacks are even fewer.

Today, Yu Bai is going to make a snack related to scallions – scallion pancakes.

There are many ways to make scallion pancakes, but the most common method Yu Bai has encountered in his two lifetimes working at food stalls is to place scallions in the pancake dough and fry it in scallion-infused oil until both sides turn golden brown, or even slightly crispy.

During the frying process, the aroma of scallion oil permeates the streets and alleys, and when you take a bite of the slightly thick scallion pancake, it brings a sense of satisfaction to the diners.

As Yu Bai fries scallion pancakes in the kitchen, Xing Xing, who was waiting in the living room, can barely contain their mouthwatering salivation.

It’s simply because the fragrance of scallion oil and the scallion pancakes is incredibly tempting.

When Yu Bai opens the kitchen door, Xing Xing eagerly rushed to his side, following him like a tail, waiting for Yu Bai to place the scallion pancakes on the coffee table.

Yu Bai made two plates of scallion pancakes, four on each plate.

There is a slight difference between the two plates of scallion pancakes.

One plate contains only scallions on pancakes, while the other plate has a small amount of minced meat added by Yu Bai.

In his previous life, Yu Bai never attempted to add minced meat to the pancakes. While making scallion pancakes in the kitchen earlier, he suddenly felt the desire to make some changes, as he had a habit of experimenting with the cooking process while preparing delicious food.

So, Yu Bai added minced meat to the scallion pancakes.

Yu Bai smiled and said, “Xing Xing, quickly taste both pancakes and tell me which one tastes better.”

Since the freshly fried scallion pancakes were a bit hot, Yu Bai asked Xing Xing to wait for a while before eating them.

Yu Bai and the street vendors use the same technique to fry the scallion pancakes. They wait until the pancakes are golden brown on both sides before considering them fully cooked.

However, with decades of culinary experience from his past life, Yu Bai possesses a precise level of heat control that many street vendors can never achieve.

Xing Xing took a regular version of the scallion pancake.

When he took the first bite of the scallion pancake, there was a crisp and pleasant sound as his teeth met the pancake.

“Crunch!” Xing Xing took the first bite of the pancake.

Being a young child with a small mouth, he could only bite into the outermost part of the scallion pancake, which had been fried to perfection.

The crispy and fragrant pancake, infused with the aroma of scallion oil, filled Xing Xing’s mouth.

Whether in times of scarcity or in the present era of abundance, fried foods always have a special place in people’s hearts. The happiness they bring is incomparable to other foods.

For young children who have limited control over their bodies, once they have tasted fried food, they usually can’t resist having a second or third bite—especially when lunch or dinner is approaching, as that is when they are most hungry and eager to indulge in delicious treats.

Xing Xing was no exception.

The fact that the outer edges of the crispy scallion pancake had already been consumed did not diminish his expectations for the rest of the pancake. On the contrary, this bite quickly fulfilled Xing Xing’s expectations.

Then, Xing Xing took the second bite of the scallion pancake.

Only a small portion of the pancake remained tender, as the outer edges had already been fried to crispy.

So when Xing Xing took the second bite, the tender and fragrant part of the pancake, soaked in the oil and scallion aroma, revealed itself.

A delicious and well-made scallion pancake should be crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly savory while minimizing greasiness.

For Yu Bai, this requirement was effortless.

The scallion pancakes he made were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—the crispy exterior complemented the soft texture of the inner pancake, making it irresistible.

Xing Xing barely resisted the temptation to take a second regular scallion pancake. Instead, his small hand reached for the other plate with scallion pancakes containing minced meat.

Slightly different from the regular version, the scallion pancakes with minced meat carried the additional aroma of savory meat.

Whenever Xing Xing chewed on a bite of the pancake mixed with minced meat, the combination of flavors provided a stronger sense of satisfaction.

While Xing Xing could finish a regular scallion pancake in four or five bites, when he ate the scallion pancake with minced meat, he would chew it a dozen times or more, savoring every last bit of the minced meat until it lost its taste, before reluctantly swallowing the bite.

“How is it?” Yu Bai was also quite anxious.

He didn’t know which one tasted better between the scallion pancake he made on a whim or the common ones found in the streets.

Xing Xing swallowed the last bite of the pancake and pondered for a moment.

Xing Xing seriously said, “The one with meat is fragrant! But the one without meat is also very delicious… If I have to choose between these two pancakes… I think both of them are very delicious! I can’t decide which one is better!”

Both of these pancakes were so difficult to choose from. Yu Bai was also curious and picked up the regular scallion pancake and the one with meat, eating them in sequence.

After finishing both pancakes, Yu Bai understood that Xing Xing was right.

Both of these scallion pancakes were delicious. The pure vegetarian scallion pancake and the one with a bit of meat offered completely different textures, providing Yu Bai’s taste buds with distinct flavor experiences.

Those who prefer a vegetarian diet might enjoy the pure vegetarian scallion pancake, while meat lovers might prefer the one with meat…

Unable to determine a clear winner between the two types of scallion pancakes, Yu Bai decided to include both of them in his stall plan.

After a brief cost calculation, Yu Bai decided to price the pure vegetarian scallion pancake at eight yuan each and the one with meat at ten yuan each.

After deducting the costs, he could earn around six or seven yuan from selling each pancake.

With the decision to make scallion pancakes, Yu Bai quickly purchased outdoor cooking equipment for making scallion pancakes through a local delivery service on the shopping app.

Everything was ready, only the east wind was lacking ^[1]although Yu Bai has made all the necessary preparations for his scallion pancake business, he is still waiting for that final essential factor or opportunity to propel him towards success .

According to the previously announced locations for street vending by the city’s urban planning and management bureau, Yu Bai chose a location near a business office area as his first choice.

There were many young white-collar workers in that area, and tomorrow was a workday.

Yu Bai thought that when the white-collar workers took their lunch breaks or looked for afternoon tea snacks or dinner options, they would definitely come across his scallion pancake stall.

As long as people came, Yu Bai had great confidence that he could attract customers with the aroma of his homemade scallion pancakes.

At night, Yu Bai hugged Xing Xing and entered the sweet realm of dreams once again.

In his dream, Yu Bai sold all the scallion pancakes, earning back his investment in a single day. Before long, he became rich and prosperous by selling scallion pancakes, attracting the attention of many media outlets. Yu Bai swiftly established his own scallion pancake empire in China…

Because it was a beautiful dream, Yu Bai wanted the faint scent of milk to accompany him in his dreams.

At the end of the dream, he and his little one each took a bite of a newly released cotton candy ice cream from a dessert shop.

Yu Bai opened his mouth and took a bite of the ice cream.

With that bite…

Yu Bai’s upper teeth collided with his lower teeth, causing a strong impact that almost made his teeth shatter.

Yu Bai woke up completely.

“Dad, are you awake?”

Yu Bai turned his head, and Xing Xing was lying next to him.

Xing Xing’s little head rested on his chest, with both little hands pressed under Xing Xing’s chin.

Xing Xing looked at Yu Bai’s grimacing face, and his round, grape-like eyes couldn’t help but show a hint of concern.

“Dad, what happened to your teeth? Does it hurt?”

Yu Bai, unable to bear the toothache, nodded reluctantly.

Xing Xing immediately leaned closer to Yu Bai.

“Your toothache will be okay! Xing Xing will blow away the pain!”

While comforting Yu Bai in a childish voice, Xing Xing pouted and blew air toward Yu Bai’s mouth.

Xing Xing’s little hand gently patted Yu Bai’s mouth.

“Dad, does it still hurt now?”

With the care and love from his child, Yu Bai suddenly felt the pain in his teeth ease a lot.

Yu Bai: “It doesn’t hurt anymore, it doesn’t hurt anymore. Thank you for helping, Xing Xing!”

Xing Xing smiled with his eyes narrowed: “You’re welcome, you’re welcome! It’s what Xing Xing should do! But, but… why would Dad’s teeth hurt?”

“Well… it’s a long story,” Yu Bai coughed lightly with a bit of embarrassment, “I had a dream earlier where I was eating cotton candy ice cream with Xing Xing. When I opened my mouth to bite into the ice cream, my upper and lower teeth collided. I woke up and realized it was just a dream…”

“I see…”

Whether it was Yu Bai’s imagination or not, he always felt like Xing Xing’s round eyes were flickering, as if there was something Xing Xing was hiding from him.

Yu Bai thought again, perhaps he had misunderstood.

How could Xing Xing, such a cute and well-behaved child, hide something from him?

After Yu Bai alleviated the pain in his teeth a little, he got up.

“Okay. Xing Xing, go to the bathroom and wash up by yourself. After you finish, wait obediently in the living room for Dad to make breakfast, understood?”

Xing Xing: “Understood!”

After getting out of bed, Yu Bai stretched lazily. The toothache hadn’t completely subsided, so he rubbed his chin with his hand.

Seeing Yu Bai rubbing his chin, Xing Xing immediately quickened his pace to the bathroom.

Inside the bathroom.

While brushing his teeth, Xing Xing was thinking.

If he hadn’t quickly pulled back his little hand just now, Dad’s teeth would have bitten it!

So… Dad’s toothache is also related to Xing Xing.

But he blew away the pain for Dad, and Dad’s teeth didn’t hurt as much anymore.

This should be like what they said in the cartoons a couple of days ago, making up for one’s mistakes!

He has made up for the mistake, so this matter is perfectly resolved! It has nothing to do with him!

——

Yu Bai started his business, but he encountered a great setback.

He fried the scallion pancakes fragrantly, surpassing the average level he achieved in the pastry field in his past life. Even if Yu Bai put these two scallion pancakes in a five-star hotel, they would be highly sought after by customers who had tasted scallion pancakes before.

But…

He had no customers!!!

Yu Bai woke up later than usual in the morning, so when he arrived at the stall location, it was already noon.

Yu Bai thought that it was the perfect time for office workers in the nearby office buildings to go out for lunch.

However… Yu Bai encountered very few white-collar workers at the stall location.

With the recent “layoff wave,” “work exhaustion,” and “returning to hometown” trends, the large number of white-collar workers who stayed in office buildings had diminished.

Coupled with the impact of the food delivery industry, many white-collar workers chose to order food for lunch and afternoon tea.

The pricing of Yu Bai’s scallion pancakes was not expensive but not cheap either.

As a result, Yu Bai stood at the stall for the whole afternoon and only sold five scallion pancakes — all of them were plain ones.

At this rate, it seemed impossible for him to recover his investment by selling scallion pancakes alone.

“Dad, when are we going home?” Xing Xing, sitting on a small stool nearby, asked.

Yu Bai smiled bitterly, “Let’s wait a little longer.”

He planned to wait until evening, and if no one bought the scallion pancakes after the evening rush hour, he would give up on the idea of running a stall altogether.

“Xing Xing, if you’re tired, let Dad know,” Yu Bai said.

Yu Bai brought two small stools in total, so if Xing Xing got tired, he could lie down on the makeshift bed formed by these two small stools.

Xing Xing shook his head.

“I’m not tired, I’m not tired! Dad, you sit here and rest for a while! Dad has been standing for so long, Dad must be tired!”

After Yu Bai sat for a while, he assembled the two small stools into a makeshift bed and let Xing Xing lie down and take a short nap.

In front, there was a mobile snack stall blocking the wind for Xing Xing. Xing Xing, dressed warmly, lay on the small stool without feeling uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Yu Bai continued to stand in front of the stall, selling scallion pancakes.

Soon, the evening rush hour arrived.

Shortly after 5 o’clock, many fashionably dressed office workers emerged from various office buildings, carrying their bags and heading towards the station.

It was at this time that Yu Bai started frying the scallion pancakes.

This time period was a golden opportunity for Yu Bai to attract customers.

Indeed, many office workers were drawn by the aroma of the scallion pancakes, but even more hurriedly walked past Yu Bai without stopping.

It was as if they were completely oblivious to the enticing smell of the scallion pancakes.

An hour passed, and Yu Bai had only sold five or six pancakes.

Could it be that his scallion pancakes weren’t fragrant enough?

That was impossible. Even the most successful scallion pancake vendors in the world couldn’t match the quality of his pancakes!

Then, what could be the reason?

The evening rush hour came to an end, and Yu Bai’s hope of recovering his investment seemed distant.

He couldn’t help but feel dejected.

Was he really having a string of bad luck lately? Last month, he got into a car accident while going out, couldn’t find a job recently, and now his stall was a complete failure…

Could it be that selling the house was his only option?

Unconsciously, it was already 8 o’clock in the evening, and Yu Bai was ready to close up.

Xing Xing, lying on the small stool, rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned.

At this time, there were fewer vehicles rushing on the street.

Only a few sporadic cars parked by the roadside.

Xing Xing could sense that Yu Bai’s business didn’t seem to be going well, and Yu Bai was filled with frustration.

Xing Xing furrowed his brow in distress.

What could he do to make Dad happy?

If he could make many, many customers buy all of Dad’s scallion pancakes, Dad would surely be happy, right?

But he didn’t have the ability to conjure up many, many customers to buy Dad’s scallion pancakes!

What should I do?

Just then, a slim and tall gentleman in a suit, who looked refined, approached Yu Bai’s stall.

The gentleman smiled at Yu Bai and said, “Can I have two scallion pancakes?”

“Of course,” Yu Bai replied. “Do you want the vegetarian scallion pancakes or the ones with minced meat?”

The gentleman seemed surprised that there were two flavors of scallion pancakes. After a moment’s pause, he answered, “Well… give me two of each flavor then.”

“Alright, that will be a total of 36 yuan.”

Yu Bai fried the scallion pancakes while the gentleman watched him.

“You haven’t earned much today, have you, from a whole day of selling?” the gentleman asked.

Yu Bai:…

The gentleman appeared refined, but why did he have to pinpoint Yu Bai’s shortcomings in his words?

Yu Bai’s smile faded slightly. “It’s about right.”

“Sorry, I tend to speak my mind too quickly,” the gentleman said. “But have you ever considered that if you sell your scallion pancakes in a different location, the sales volume might increase several times over?”

Yu Bai paused and squinted his eyes. “What do you mean?”

The gentleman explained, “Your scallion pancakes are priced on the higher side. Although the young working class is the main target market, they bear the responsibility of supporting their families. Therefore, the number of white-collar workers willing to spend on snacks is limited. With the relatively high price of your scallion pancakes, many white-collar workers may hesitate to make a purchase.”

“Furthermore, those who have the financial means and don’t consider eight or ten yuan per scallion pancake as expensive are mostly white-collar workers in management positions or above. They have the financial freedom to spend their wages as they wish and are even less interested in scallion pancakes sold by street vendors near their offices.”

Yu Bai interjected, “But in my impression, white-collar workers in office buildings usually buy snacks for afternoon tea…”

The gentleman smiled and replied, “The snacks they buy, for the most part, are trendy bubble tea or cakes from popular shops. When they buy snacks for afternoon tea, the taste and price of the snacks are not important to them because it’s just an excuse for socializing or taking a break. Who would hastily buy a scallion pancake downstairs during their break time?”

Yu Bai paused.

Yu Bai used to work in the technical department of a company, busy solving various software problems every day. He never paid close attention to the daily lives of other white-collar workers around him.

Therefore, Yu Bai mistakenly believed that he could find business opportunities around the office buildings, but he didn’t expect to fall into a pit instead.

“Then where do you think it’s easier to sell scallion pancakes?” Yu Bai asked.

Although the gentleman had given a long explanation, Yu Bai didn’t take his words lightly and remained cautious.

He thought to himself that if the gentleman’s suggestion made sense, he could give it a try. If the gentleman’s suggestion turned out to be a scam to deceive him out of his money, well, sorry to say, he had no money. The gentleman couldn’t scam him out of a single cent.

“Well…” The gentleman hesitated for a moment. “Personally, I think residential areas or places with many children and students might be suitable for setting up a snack stall.”

As the gentleman was speaking, his phone rang.

Coincidentally, Yu Bai had just finished frying and packaging the four scallion pancakes.

Yu Bai’s phone rang, and he said, “WeChat payment, 40 yuan.”

The gentleman hurriedly said, “Consider the change as a gift.”

After nodding and bidding farewell to Yu Bai, the gentleman turned and left. He walked to the black car parked by the roadside and quickly got inside before the car started.

Inside the car.

“Boss, I bought the scallion pancakes. Would you like to try them?”

Author’s note:

Years later, the glasses-wearing gentleman, who had become an investment legend, slowly blew a smoke ring under the gaze of the crowd.

“The turning point of my life began on that night many years ago when I bought four scallion pancakes from the boss’ lady…”

TL’s note:

I changed the green onion to scallion.