Setting Up Stalls – Chapter 28

There Are Still Two Left

If Sun Miao hadn’t refused to bring extra soup for Hip-hop Mei, then perhaps… her own portion of soup would decrease, more and more people would buy soup, and in the end, she might not even have time to sell it all, leaving none for herself.

Due to this bit of careful calculation, Su Ruixi kept the matter of having soup completely under wraps.

When she returned to the office, her assistant’s gaze followed her, carrying a hint of accusation in those eyes. Su Ruixi maintained her composure and asked, “What is it?”

“President Su, please review these materials quickly, people are waiting downstairs.”

The assistant felt that although Su Ruixi appeared no different from usual, there was something slightly furtive about her. It was just like earlier when she had sneaked away during lunch.

While Su Ruixi got back to work, Sun Miao had nothing to do. At two or three in the afternoon on a workday, not a soul could be seen around her stall. Only people carrying suitcases coming down from the office building, heading to the subway station or waiting for taxis, would stop to inquire.

If they had time to spare, they would buy a beef pancake; however, most would wave it off upon hearing about the ten-minute wait.

Sun Miao understood these people.

They were rushing to catch trains or planes, heading home.

The day after tomorrow would be May Day [五一節 | wǔ yī jié | International Workers’ Day holiday], and taking leave early to head home today was understandable. Back when she was studying, whenever long holidays approached, the back of the classroom would be filled with suitcases, everyone eager to rush home as soon as class ended.

Sun Miao didn’t have such feelings, because she was an orphan without a home to return to, and had no such impulses.

Even during holidays, she would just stay in her dormitory lost in thought, and it was the same after she started working and sharing rent with others. Her roommates could return home peacefully, leaving their cats in her care for a few days.

That afternoon, Sun Miao only managed to sell a few pancakes here and there. She was already starting to worry about how she would sell beef pancakes on May Day.

Sun Miao scrolled on her phone for a while, and seeing it was about time, began to cook the pancakes. She planned to prepare some pancakes in advance to sell after work hours. While she couldn’t relate to the eager anticipation of long holidays, she could understand that urgent desire to get home and lie down after work or school.

Working people absolutely don’t want to waste time on the road. Grabbing and running at this time would perfectly suit their needs.

So Sun Miao prepared about two pots worth in advance, twenty pieces, and placed them in plates she had systematically prepared beforehand. Then she took a piece of gauze to cover them. This gauze was the type commonly found in steamer baskets [bamboo steamer], usually placed under items to be steamed, but now used on top to prevent dust.

She started at 4:30, and by the time she finished, it was already 4:50. Sun Miao thought for a moment and added a few more to continue cooking in the pot. She specifically made two non-spicy ones, in case she sold out too many, and if Su Ruixi didn’t eat properly in the evening, what if her stomach condition acted up?

If Su Ruixi didn’t come and didn’t eat the beef pancakes, she would take them back for her own extra meal.

Sun Miao cooked pancakes until 5:00 sharp, putting the two non-spicy ones at the very bottom under the lid. If everything sold out, these two would be reserved for Su Ruixi. If they didn’t sell out, she could make two fresh ones instead.

Sun Miao had planned well, and after finishing the pancakes, she sat down in her chair. She hadn’t even played with her phone for a moment when, at 5:02, the first batch of people getting off work arrived. Sun Miao’s memory was quite good, and she recognized two of them who had bought from her at noon today.

This group was only five or six people, led by the one who had bought a beef pancake at noon to try the taste. She took the lead and asked Sun Miao, “Boss, do you have any ready-made beef pancakes?”

“Yes, both spicy and non-spicy, ten yuan each.”

“Good, give me four, two spicy and two non-spicy.”

Buying so many, she must be taking them home for family, Sun Miao thought fleetingly as she quickly packed them up. That customer moved to the side with her beef pancakes, waiting for her friend to buy some.

Her friend had never eaten beef pancakes before, and thought Sun Miao’s were expensive. At cheaper places, beef-filled ones cost about three yuan each, though those had less filling, hence the lower price. The normal price was five or six yuan each, with slightly more expensive ones at eight yuan.

Only in commercial districts would they sell for around ten yuan, with some even going for twenty.

But in commercial districts, shops had to pay significant monthly rent, so prices naturally rose with the tide [水漲船高 | shuǐ zhǎng chuán gāo | idiom: prices rising with demand]. For a street vendor to sell at such high prices seemed a bit excessive to her. If not for her colleague’s heartfelt recommendation, she probably wouldn’t have bought any.

So she only bought one piece, asking for the spicy version with extra chili sauce.

Most locals in this big city prefer sweet flavors over spicy ones, but this is also a city of migrants, one of the top choices for people seeking opportunities. With people coming from all corners, naturally there were many spicy food lovers, so the spicy versions actually sold better.

Some people, upon hearing Sun Miao say it wasn’t very spicy, even asked for extra chili sauce.

When they smelled the chili sauce, those who were hesitating let down their guard: “Your chili sauce smells really good, what brand is it?”

“I made it myself. If you like it, come back next time.”

Sun Miao finished applying the chili sauce and packed up the beef pancake for the customer.

The next few customers bought much more, with young girls buying several at once, chattering about eating them as late-night snacks. Sun Miao understood – young people were less restrained, didn’t care much about saving money, and had parental support, so they were more financially relaxed.

How nice, Sun Miao thought about herself, being only twenty-five or twenty-six, about the same age as these girls in front of her, but with a much more mature mindset. Plus, she never had parental support, having to rely entirely on herself.

She did feel somewhat envious.

But they were spending money on her beef pancakes, which ultimately helped her, so that was good.

The slightly more than two pots of beef pancakes sold out in no time. While packing pancakes for them, Sun Miao saw the trend and had already started on a third full pot. In a moment, the third batch was ready, but office workers getting off work had already gathered around.

Working people have keen noses [打工人的鼻子都是尖的 | dǎ gōng rén de bí zi dōu shì jiān de | metaphor for workers’ ability to find good deals], quickly sniffing out delicious food, and they came following the aroma, each buying two or three pancakes, clearing out Sun Miao’s stock. Toward the end, Sun Miao couldn’t keep up with production and had to ask later customers to wait.

Some were eager to get home and unwilling to wait, leaving without buying, while others stood at the back of the line, forming a long queue. Even when Sun Miao told customers, “Beef pancakes are ten yuan each, only ten per pot, and it takes ten minutes to make a pot, so there’s quite a wait now,” no one listened, they just wanted to queue.

Typical of young people: “What’s everyone lining up for? Let me see, what tasty treat is this? I want to try too! What pancake costs ten yuan? I must try it!”

This batch of customers stubbornly waited until Sun Miao finished making each one and handed them over before leaving satisfied. This wave basically depleted Sun Miao’s stock. She hadn’t made that many in the afternoon, all told, about ten pots.

She had originally thought she’d made too many and might not be able to sell them all. Adding up morning and noon sales, she’d only sold about ten pots worth, and she never expected that before the 6 PM workers even arrived, she’d be nearly sold out.

Even the two she had hidden for Su Ruixi were spotted by sharp-eyed customers and bought right away.

Sun Miao could only wait until the 5 PM workers left, before the 6 PM workers arrived, to make the last two pots of pancakes, secretly setting aside two pieces.

However, while she was cooking, not all the previous customers had left. Among the customers who had consumed eight pots of her beef pancakes, two stragglers stood nearby eating and chatting. Seeing Sun Miao start making pancakes again, their eyes immediately lit up: “Boss, give me two more pancakes.”

This person was eating one in hand, with a plastic bag hanging from their wrist containing another beef pancake, yet still wanted more.

Sun Miao smiled: “Isn’t two pancakes enough? You might choke eating too many, and eating them plain must be a bit dry, right?”

If she remembered correctly, this customer had initially muttered under their breath when hearing the ten-yuan price: “The preserved vegetable and pork pancakes at the subway station only cost three yuan each, why would beef pancakes cost ten yuan? I want to see why so many people are queuing – surely the owner hasn’t hired people to line up?”

Yet from waiting since 5:30 until now, nearly 6 PM closing time, this customer still wanted to eat!

Most outrageously, when Sun Miao said she was sold out, this sharp-eyed customer spotted the ones hidden for Su Ruixi and immediately protested: “I saw them, there are still two left, sell them to me!”

The customer smiled: “Well, they’re just so delicious. Boss, your ten-yuan beef pancakes are really worth every penny, the beef is so good and the portions are generous. You underestimate me – how can two palm-sized pancakes be enough? I need at least three!”

A freshly made pancake was immediately taken away by the customer.

Sun Miao quickly hid two beef pancakes aside. This time she’d learned her lesson, taking out an extra piece of gauze to separate these two from the others, so even if the customer lifted the gauze, they wouldn’t see these two hidden pancakes.

In the previous wave, she’d made eight pots, though three were prepared in advance, and despite her quick hands, even so, an hour was barely enough time to finish cooking the remaining pancakes. So after this wave of customers left, there were only a few minutes until the 6 PM closing time.

Just as Sun Miao finished this batch, put the next pot on, and safely hid the two pancakes, the next customers arrived.

Needless to say, the first to arrive were definitely the regular customers from morning and noon. The 6 PM workers might be a bit hungrier, but there weren’t many people, so one pot sold out immediately. Customers started waiting for the second pot, and seeing another queue forming, Sun Miao quickly said: “Please don’t line up anymore, there’s only one pot of ten pieces left, nothing else, please come back tomorrow.”

Hearing her words, those planning to queue immediately started shouting: “No way, Boss, you prepared too little, it’s not nearly enough to eat, you must prepare more tomorrow!”

Sun Miao wanted to say: I really had no idea you all could eat so much!

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