IHOEAYSTTTIW Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Warm Food Turns into Cold Silver

Chapter 5: Warm Food Turns into Cold Silver

To go to the market, one had to leave early.

The pure and foolish Lin University student was already unwilling to get up early for his 8 AM classes, let alone wake up at 5 AM to go to the market.

To ensure the freshness of the ingredients, Lin Yan made the braised food after getting up. Adding in the time to pack up and travel, by the time he arrived in Town, most of the market-goers had already dispersed, and the seller’s market had become a buyer’s market.

The Town’s stalls were just those few, and who sold what and where was fixed. Every radish had its hole. Lin Yan, the radish who didn’t know to seize opportunities on his first visit, didn’t have a hole. But Lin Yan found a good spot.

The square in front of Master Zhang’s mansion was large and spacious, and the bluestone pavement was as flat as could be. The two large trees in front of the gate could provide shade in the summer and block the wind in the winter. Lin Yan couldn’t understand why such a good area was empty. Following the principle of “first come, first served,” since he found it first, the land was his.

Lin Dazhuang, who came with Lin Yan, always felt something was strange about this place. The way people around him looked at him made him feel uncomfortable. The 1.9-meter-tall strong man was as restrained as a maiden who hadn’t left her chamber. He scratched the back of his head and asked in a muffled voice, “Should I just park the car here? What about the master of this mansion…”

“It’s fine,” Lin Yan patted his chest to guarantee. “I’ll watch the car for you. By the time you’re done, I should have sold almost everything here. Then I’ll have to trouble you to take me back.”

Lin Dazhuang, who had eaten two pounds of chicken feet, deeply believed in Lin Yan’s words. He chuckled naively, “Okay, then I’ll go buy things first. Be careful yourself.”

“Alright.” Lin Yan propped up the car, set out the small pot, and prepared to call out his wares.

As soon as Lin Dazhuang left, the old man selling pears next door looked around and waved to Lin Yan.

“This child is quite handsome, why is he so silly?” The old man muttered, pointing to the grand plaque in front of Lin Yan, “Young man, is this your first time here? You can’t set up a stall and hawk goods here. Hurry up and leave before anyone comes.”

Lin Yan raised his eyebrows, looking around curiously, “Are there even city management officials in this era?”

“Officials? Where aren’t there officials?” The old man sighed, lowering his voice even more, “Do you see those two words? ‘Zhang Residence’. This is Master Zhang’s residence. Master Zhang hates noise the most. Besides… this kind of public display is best left to your man.”

Being mistaken for a Ge’er again, Lin Yan was speechless. He began to consider whether to buy some Rouge to cover it up. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with this mole, but people kept talking about it in his ear every day, inevitably annoying him. He was too lazy to argue.

Lin Yan cupped his fist at the old man, “I won’t talk to you anymore, I’m going to sell chicken feet.”

“Sell what?” The old man poked his ear, only feeling that he was really getting old, and he couldn’t hear the Ge’er clearly.

“Braised chicken feet.” Lin Yan amplified his voice, gesticulating with his hands.

“Braised what?”

“Braised chick…” Lin Yan quickly flashed through that classic dialogue in his mind.

What Marsh Plum?

What East Plum?

Marsh What?

Lin Yan decided to cut to the chase, “Alright, Grandpa, you rest.”

Lin Yan returned to his stall, warming the braised chicken feet while calling out his wares.

The braising liquid in the small pot boiled, and the aroma drifted far away with the wind, attracting many fish who wanted to eat meat.

Unfortunately, the bait only smelled good, and the ingredients weren’t that great. The place where the bait was dropped was also wrong, as there lived a big, man-eating fish that swallowed not only the bait but also the person.

Lin Yan shouted until his voice was hoarse, but he didn’t wait for the first person to try it. He was discouraged for two minutes, then regained his vitality.

If the mountain won’t come to me, I can go to the mountain.

Lin Yan scooped out two chicken feet from the pot, cut them into small pieces, and placed them on a plate.

“Come, come, come, freshly made chicken feet, free samples, try before you buy.” Lin Yan carried the plate and approached the surrounding crowd. The bolder fish were already eager to try.

“Uncle, would you like to try…” Lin Yan only said half a sentence when the crowd around him scattered like birds and beasts.

What happened?

Lin Yan looked at the things on the plate, tilting his head in confusion.

An uncle who had taken a knuckle of chicken feet raised his chin at Lin Yan, signaling him to look back. When Lin Yan turned around, he saw two rows of yellow teeth and a thin, monkey-like man grinning at him.

The people behind Lin Yan whispered.

“Where did Zhang Monkey jump out from? I didn’t even see him.”

“He must have come with his master. Isn’t the Zhang Residence’s sedan chair over there?”

“Then this young man…”

Lin Yan didn’t continue listening to the rest. He had already captured the information he wanted.

Lin Yan gave the skinny monkey in front of him a brilliant smile, handing the plate in his hand to the man, “Steward Zhang, would you like to try the newly made chicken feet?”

“Can this thing be eaten?” Steward Zhang was stunned by Lin Yan’s smile. He picked up a toothpick with a look of disgust, picked up a chicken foot from the plate, and threw it into his mouth.

The taste of the braising liquid spread on his tongue. The unremarkable chicken feet were Q, refreshing, and chewy. Steward Zhang raised his eyebrows, quickly replacing them with a disdainful expression, “Just so-so.”

Steward Zhang said it wasn’t anything special, but his hands didn’t stop. One after another, he ate all the chicken feet on the plate.

Lin Yan saw through the phenomenon to the essence, and his smile became more heartfelt. “Steward Zhang, why not buy some to take back for Master Zhang to try?”

Steward Zhang licked his lips, still wanting more. He nodded arrogantly, watching Lin Yan scoop out a few chicken feet from the small pot. He took out five taels of Silver from his pocket and tapped them on the table. “Give me more… forget it, I’ll take it all.”

“Okay.” Lin Yan happily packed things up, thoughtfully adding more soup.

Steward Zhang hopped and skipped back to take credit for the chicken feet. Lin Yan happily packed up to go home.

“I told you to chase people away, is this how you chase them away? If those peddlers get a taste of success, wouldn’t the front of my mansion become a farmer’s market?” Master Zhang’s scolding could be heard from afar. Lin Yan sped up his packing, preparing to slip away. The people who had scattered just now were each doing their own thing but subtly moved closer.

“The young one knows that you, Master, have high taste, and wouldn’t dare use those dirty things to offend your eyes, but the chicken feet really taste good. Please have pity on me and give me the honor of trying some.”

“Bring it here. If it’s not good, then you can get lost.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

The surrounding people watched Steward Zhang hand the things inside, holding their breaths.

The sedan chair was quiet for a long time. Steward Zhang was so nervous that he was about to bite his nails off when he heard Master Zhang’s muffled voice, “Acceptable.”

Steward Zhang was pardoned as if he had been granted amnesty and put on that flattering smile again.

Acceptable sounded like a low evaluation, but Master Zhang was always picky about these things. “Acceptable” from his mouth meant extremely good.

The surrounding onlookers’ thoughts became active, turning their attention from the Zhang family’s sedan chair to Lin Yan, waiting for a chance to rush up and see if they could buy some remaining food or braising liquid.

“You go…” Master Zhang called Steward Zhang in and mumbled a few words. Steward Zhang came out of the sedan chair and ran up to Lin Yan with a “thump, thump, thump.”

“Young man, please stop.” Steward Zhang barely calmed his breath, took out a Bank Note from his pocket, and stuffed it into Lin Yan’s hand. “Our Master said that he’ll buy the recipe for your chicken feet for fifty taels.”

The cost of all the things Lin Yan brought today was one tael. The normal profit from selling them wouldn’t even be three taels. Adding the round-trip fare and various miscellaneous expenses, his revenue was about one and a half taels.

The average annual income of ordinary people in Great Zhou was about thirty taels. Fifty taels was definitely a huge sum of money.

“This fifty taels…”

Lin Yan wanted to decline, but Steward Zhang thought he felt it wasn’t enough, so he added, “Young man, don’t think it’s too little. Our Master also said that if you sell anything else in the future, send some to the Zhang Residence first. If our Master likes it, he’ll just buy it all.”

Lin Yan pretended to be reluctant, but his heart was blooming with joy. He whispered the recipe in Steward Zhang’s ear while Steward Zhang took out paper and pen, scribbling furiously.

The surrounding onlookers’ eyes turned as red as rabbits. As soon as Master Zhang’s sedan chair entered the Zhang Residence, they rushed forward.

If there was no food, they bought the braising liquid. When the braising liquid was sold out, some set their sights on the casserole. Some even thought that it was because the charcoal Lin Yan used was good, and quietly broke off two pieces while no one was paying attention.

The warm food turned into cold Silver.

Congratulations, congratulations.

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