“Better to add a special phrase too—that way it’ll stand out. If someone hears your call and even a third of their interest is piqued, they’ll stop and be willing to try. Once people gather in front of your stall, you need to pay attention: if lots are buying, speak less. Don’t overdo it. When dealing with scholars, be more refined.”
“How do I shout less?” Lu Liu asked.
“Sing it out,” Lu Yang said. “What do I mean by singing? For example, if a customer buys a meat pancake, loudly call out, ‘One savory meat pancake, five wen, delicious enough to come again!’ That way, you can announce the price and quantity while also letting passersby know what you’re selling and for how much.”
Lu Yang saw Lu Liu listening attentively, so he continued: “If people gather but few are buying, talk more. Explain how your food is made, what it tastes like, what previous customers said. Observe your audience. Scholars like cleverness, so you can say, ‘After eating, you’ll have energy all day, learn quickly, memorize well, eyes and ears sharp, mind clear.’ Laborers want strength, so say, ‘One bowl keeps you strong all day, full of vigor, makes any work feel easy.’ If you see a well-to-do couple, praise accordingly: for hardworking folks, emphasize strength; for those used to comfort, say drinking your fish soup improves beauty, nourishes the body, makes the skin glow and looks attractive.”
Lu Liu’s eyes sparkled. “Brother, you’re amazing! How come I don’t know how to do this?”
Lu Yang smiled. “Don’t rush to praise me. I’ll ask you: for your pancake and fish soup, what special phrases can you use to boast?”
Lu Liu froze, thinking—how could he praise something so ordinary? These were foods they ate at home all the time. He recalled what Li Feng had said when recommending the pancakes in the county: how crisp the exterior was, how the sauce added savory flavor, how generous and delicious the meat filling was—ten wen per pancake and people always wanted more.
The savory meat pancakes Lu Liu made now were taught by Lu Yang. The filling was stir-fried, not stewed, without juice, following the recipe for meat buns. He made them slightly smaller and priced them lower, since many people sold similar items in the city, and he feared that high prices would scare buyers away.
So, all he needed was to clearly state the type, price, and a few words about why it was tasty.
Lu Yang nodded. “That’s about right. But when shouting, each phrase should be short. Finish one phrase quickly so listeners catch it all.”
Luming Academy was just a single academy; if you talked too long, people would leave before finishing their walk.
Lu Yang stood behind Lu Liu, calling out together: “Pancakes for sale! Delicious savory meat pancakes! Five wen each! Crispy outside, tender inside! Savory and tasty, five wen each!”
A scholar approached from the other side. Lu Yang signaled Lu Liu.
Lu Liu hadn’t yet thought of more phrases but had a good memory and a habit of complimenting. From afar, he waved cheerfully: “Talented scholar! Great scholar! Want fish soup? Boneless fish soup! Five wen a bowl! One bowl gives you energy all day, keeps you vigorous! Unlimited strength for any task! Want one?”
Lu Yang smiled at the front, but at the back he looked puzzled.
Do scholars really need that much strength?
Lu Liu didn’t notice that he mixed up his calls. Fortunately, the scholar he called over didn’t mind. He approached the stall, looked around, and seeing the simple setup, clean bowls, and covered soup basins, said he’d take a bowl of fish soup.
Lu Liu happily served the soup, remembered his brother’s advice, handed it over, collected the money, and loudly repeated, “One bowl of fish soup, five wen!”
The stall needed someone to refill it. Shun’ge immediately stepped out from the corner, glanced over, and seeing the scholar drinking soup, asked for a pancake too.
This was Shun’ge’s first time as a helper—so honest. He paid five wen for a pancake and said nothing more.
Lu Yang winked at him toward the scholar.
Shun’ge understood partly, though not fully. He went over, stood beside the scholar, who drank the soup, and ate the pancake, thoughtfully breaking it in half and offering it: “Do you want some?”
The scholar was stunned.
His gaze fell on the tiny mole between Shun’ge’s eyebrows. He barely tasted the remaining soup, gulped it down, and hurried off.
Lu Liu: “……”
My customer…
Shun’ge froze.
Lu Yang clapped his hands. “Don’t panic, Lu Liu. Keep shouting! Shun’ge, eat slowly, enjoy it.”
Shun’ge nodded, standing there happily munching.
Lu Yang waved to call Li Feng over from afar.
Li Feng, acting as a helper, was greeted by Lu Liu as usual: “Hero! Want a pancake? Savory meat pancake, thin crust, generous filling, five wen each!”
Li Feng was tall, so ideally Xie Yan would have been the helper near the academy, but Xie Yan had to attend early classes and couldn’t come.
Li Feng took a pancake, rolled salted yolk inside, brushed on mushroom sauce, and also took a bowl of fish soup.
They had delayed a bit earlier, so remaining customers needed to be drawn in quickly.
Lu Yang grabbed a pancake, held a bowl of soup, and stood nearby to help.
All three were eating while Lu Liu shouted more enthusiastically: “Great scholar!” “Esteemed scholar!” With two more customers joining, attention focused on them, and passing scholars turned to glance.
With customers gathering, the Li brothers stepped away to wander the street.
Lu Yang stayed behind to help. Some people noticed the resemblance between the two brothers and chatted briefly.
It was Lu Liu’s first day running a stall, with only a small stock: twenty-two bowls of fish soup and thirty pancakes. Since Shun’ge was a novice helper, Lu Liu proactively asked customers whether they wanted sauce or salted eggs with the pancakes, using half of each topping.
The pancakes were small; scholars bought two or three at a time. About ten customers came—just in time, coinciding with the academy’s class schedule to wrap up the stall.
Lu Liu shook his money basket, eyes squinting with delight.
Lu Yang helped pack up.
Classes were in session, so Li Feng and Shun’ge took a longer route home, pushing the cart.
Lu Yang walked behind, with one arm taken on each side.
On the left was his brother, asking, “Brother, did I do well? Was my shouting okay?”
On the right was Shun’ge, asking, “Brother Yang, did I ruin the sales? Can I come again tomorrow?”
Both clung to him, speaking in high-pitched voices.
Lu Yang looked at his brother first: “Good, very good. Keep it up next time.”
He didn’t mention that Lu Liu had mixed up his calls; it was normal for a first day, with nerves and time pressure. With more practice, he’d get it right.
Then he looked at Shun’ge: “No major mistakes. Come again if you want.”
Sales needed attention. Running a stall on this street meant building returning customers. With today’s quantity, Lu Liu didn’t need extra helpers; if Shun’ge came again, it would just be to assist.
Satisfied, both clung to Lu Yang like little birds.
Lu Yang thought, “…Strong and reliable indeed.”
After the morning’s sales, they went home to count the coins.
At Lu Liu’s house, he poured out the coins and began counting.
Just that small pile, counted alone by Lu Liu. He strung them with hemp twine—totaling 275 wen, slightly over two strings.
Next, they calculated costs: eight large fish, ten wen each, totaling eighty wen. Five salted duck eggs, costing twenty wen.
