abcnovels
Chapter 350
Chapter 350
Chapter 350 - You Did It on Purpose Right?
However, the government policy eventually changed.
They designated several specific areas for setting up stalls, and this place included the old market.
?Previously, the market had vendors selling vegetables and clothes.
But the vegetable sellers moved to a dedicated vegetable market, and the clothes vendors went to the mall.
?Now, only the food sellers remained, making it one of Eastsea's renowned snack streets, bustling from dawn till late at night.
When Su Ming arrived, the breakfast vendors were just packing up, leaving behind those selling snacks.
?Su Ming wheeled his cart into an open spot.
?”New around here, young man?” asked the friendly uncle selling fried chicken next to him.
?”Yeah,” Su Ming replied, his first time setting up a stall and still a bit awkward.
?”What are you selling, young man?” the uncle inquired, now free of customers. He lit a cigarette and strolled over to chat with Su Ming.
The locals here earned their living through hard work.
In quieter moments, they would gather to shoot the breeze, finding solace in each other's company.
?”Stinky tofu,” Su Ming answered honestly, with a grin.
“Let me tell you, young man, selling stinky tofu isn't easy these days!” the uncle said, pulling out a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket and munching on them as he smoked.
?”Not many people are into stinky tofu now. It's tough for someone as young as you to start a stall. I've been around, so let me give you a couple of tips to save you from taking the long way around.”
“Believe me, young man, I've been selling on this street for over 20 years. I know what sells and what doesn't.”
?”These days, stinky tofu isn't a hot item. The crowd for it is dwindling. Some trendy foods might sell well for a time, but that's just a phase. Once it passes, they don't sell anymore.”
“You should be selling kebabs and barbecue; that's where the steady business is.”
“Do you want to learn from me? I can show you the ropes on managing the grill and mixing the spices. Tuition would be 2000 yuan. It's a fair price. What do you think?”
As the uncle spoke, he made his way over to Su Ming.
He noticed Su Ming squatting down, busily at work, and couldn't resist squatting down alongside him.
?Then, with a smile, the uncle asked him, “Don't you want to try something else? I find selling stinky tofu quite satisfying.”
Su Ming cheerfully declined the suggestion.
The uncle rolled his eyes in response, “You young folks really should listen to your elders, or you might learn the hard way. My little stall here sells fried skewers, and I clear a net profit of at least 500 yuan a day. That's over 10,000 yuan a month. Isn't that good? With stinky tofu, you'd be lucky to make 100 yuan in a day.”
He sighed as he spoke.
?”Uncle, might you want to step back a bit?” Su Ming asked, just as he was about to open up the stinky tofu, glancing at the uncle after a sudden thought.
?”Why?” the uncle asked, taken aback. “What's the matter, young man? You think I'm going to steal from you? You're quite alert.”
?”No,” Su Ming shook his head.
“Then what is it?” the uncle inquired, blinking in curiosity.
?”The stinky tofu is particularly pungent,” Su Ming explained.
?The uncle burst into laughter upon hearing this. “Young man, I thought it was something serious. I've been running a stall for years and have come across nearly ten different stinky tofu vendors. Each has its unique stench, and I've smelled them all. Do you think your tofu can knock me out? You underestimate me!”
?”Alright then,” Su Ming said, seeing the uncle's self-assured demeanor.
?He nodded silently, thinking to himself, “You can't say I didn't warn you.”
?”It was your choice to stay,” Su Ming said, hands in his pockets.
?He then opened his pockets, and it seemed as if he could hear the scent bursting forth.
The uncle's face immediately transformed from nonchalance to shock.
?He wasn't the only one stunned.
All the nearby snack vendors were equally frozen in disbelief.
?They all thought to themselves, “What on earth is that smell?”
“It's incredibly foul.”
“My goodness.”
The uncle leaped up, covering his nose and backing away rapidly: “Young man, are you selling stinky tofu or a gas bomb?”
The uncle's comment served as a wake-up call to everyone.
This group was on the hunt for the origin of the aroma.
Upon hearing the uncle's remark, all eyes turned to Su Ming.
Vendors were selling everything from melon seeds to chunks of candy.
?Some hawked pancakes and kebabs, while others offered wontons and deep-fried dough sticks.
There was even a stall selling rice noodles.
The rice noodle vendor had never anticipated this.
They mused, “I've been selling rice noodles for years.”
“Sure, rice noodles have a foul odor, but I suffer from rhinitis.”
“After all these years, I haven't caught a whiff of anything.”
“Yet, it took a stinky tofu vendor to shatter my obliviousness!”
“My rhinitis is gone.”
“This stench is unbearable.”
“This odor…”
“It penetrates the soul, leaving a lasting impression.”
“Who is tapping at my window?”
“Who brought you to my side?”
“It's the stinky tofu!”
Ordinary stinky tofu carries a mild stink that can be torturous for some.
Those who dislike it might grimace but bear it.
But for stinky tofu aficionados, they flock to it eagerly.
However, Su Ming's stinky tofu was on a whole other level of stench, rivaling that of a biochemical weapon.
It was unbearably foul.
The stench was eye-watering.
So potent that it made bystanders weep and their complexions turn sallow.
Everyone wondered, “Who can tell me how this stinky tofu is made?”
“How did this young man manage to make stinky tofu this repulsive?”
The man next to him grabbed a stack of tissues to cover his nose and mouth.
He gazed at Su Ming with a look of agony.
“Listen, young man, we've never met before, right? You didn't have to go this far with me, did you?”
The uncle's eyes spasmed.
“I haven't done anything to you.”
Su Ming blinked innocently.
He thought, “Do they really need to be so dramatic? Is the stinky tofu that bad?”
“I personally find the aroma of this stinky tofu quite pleasant.”
A passerby thought to himself, “You've got some nerve.”
“Don't forget the excitement you felt when you first began harvesting.”
“If it weren't for the points you earn from selling this stuff, it would probably have been reclaimed by the System by now.”
“Does this stinky tofu actually smell good to you?”
“Definitely not.”
“What's that delightful scent?”
“It's the points.”
The middle-aged man was nearly in tears.
He thought to himself, “And you claim you haven't done anything to me?”
“What more do you plan to do to me?”
“After you set up your stall.”
“Didn't you notice?”
“Morning foot traffic is usually light, not many people around.”
“Now the street is almost deserted.”
“If it weren't for the vendors sticking by their stands…”
“They would've scattered long ago, you know?”
“My skewer business was actually doing quite well.”
“I sell chicken racks and fried chicken drumsticks.”
“The customers really enjoy them.”
“But then you set up your stinky tofu next to me.”
“Now I can't help but think my chicken tastes like stinky tofu.”
“That's correct.”
“I initially quoted you 2,000 yuan, which was a bit steep.”
“How about 1,500 yuan?”
“I'm offering you a 500 yuan discount.”
“Please, I'm begging you to leave quickly.”
“Your stinky tofu truly embodies that phrase.”
“Wherever it goes, nothing else can thrive!”
Su Ming smiled at the man's expression.
“Uncle, give it a try. It might smell off-putting, but it tastes even more pungent. No, I mean, it tastes even better!”
Su Ming cheerfully took out a few pieces of stinky tofu and placed them in a small box.
He skewered them with two bamboo sticks and topped them with a sprinkle of cilantro.
Then, he offered it to the man.