After delivering the salted duck eggs, he muttered a few more complaints. He said he had once wanted to sell salted duck eggs himself, but Liu Youli had told him that people in the prefectural city did not like them, that they were something only country folk ate.
Lu Yang, holding the bowl: “……”
He really did have rotten luck—every person he ran into seemed incapable of speaking properly.
Lu Liu’s breakfast stall sold salted duck eggs. He opened his mouth to say so, but held back.
After He Fulang went home, Lu Liu dragged a stool over and sat down beside Lu Yang.
“Brother, should I buy salted duck eggs from him?”
Shun Ge’er also put down his book. Like a child, he climbed onto the bamboo couch, scooped up one little one in each arm, and helped them sit up to play. Curious, he looked toward Lu Yang and chimed in with a question.
Lu Yang asked them what they thought.
Lu Liu considered for a moment. “We could buy them, right? I mostly purchase eggs now and make fewer myself. I do not know whether customers are used to the way I prepare salted duck eggs.”
Shun Ge’er also said they could buy them. “He is too pitiful. We are neighbors anyway, and we would not need many eggs.”
Lu Yang promptly awarded them the titles of “Great Philanthropist” and “Little Philanthropist.”
The Great Philanthropist was Shun Ge’er. Lu Yang said, “You are impressive. Just because you feel sorry for him, you want to buy from him?”
The Little Philanthropist was Lu Liu. Lu Yang said, “You are not bad. At least you know to consider the customers’ tastes.”
Lu Yang continued, “Business is business. Personal feelings are personal feelings. If you want to be kind, there are many ways to do it. The one thing you should not do is turn business into charity. If you ruin the business, then we will all become pitiful together.”
It was not easy to speak freely in the alley; voices had to be kept low.
Lu Yang picked up the plate and shot them a look. Lu Liu and Shun Ge’er each carried a child and followed him back inside to continue the discussion.
Once indoors, Lu Yang explained how many factors had to be considered when choosing a supplier.
Their stall was small; they only sold a dozen or so salted duck eggs a day. How many were they planning to buy? At what price would they sell them?
He Fulang was pitiful, yes—but he clearly had trouble clinging to him. If Liu Youli came to cause a scene, or stirred up conflict at home and disturbed the peace of the household, they all lived in the same alley. How would they conduct themselves? How would they respond?
Then there was taste and supply. The salted duck eggs had just been delivered. They had not even tasted them, yet out of sympathy they were already thinking of buying. What kind of business practice was that?
Even if they wanted to buy, could He Fulang supply them? He was from a village under Ning County, not raising ducks in the prefectural city. How far was that journey? For such a long distance, was it worth traveling just to purchase a few duck eggs?
Lu Liu and Shun Ge’er listened with faces full of shame, heads lowered as they accepted the reprimand.
Lu Yang said, “If you want to lend him a hand, then boil the salted duck eggs and taste them. There are six in this bowl. Tomorrow morning, cut half of them and let customers sample them. See what they say. If we like them and the customers like them, then when you chat with him in the future, you can ask about the salted duck eggs. How many are there? How are they delivered? How often? Is it troublesome? What price do they sell for outside? You need to ask all of that.”
“You might ask why we do not need samples for the salted duck eggs bought in the city. That is because when you buy there, those goods have already been selected by customers’ tastes,” Lu Yang added.
Lu Liu raised his hand to ask, “What if it is not convenient for him to deliver? What then?”
Then they would have to think of another solution.
Goods had two directions: selling finished products directly, or processing raw ingredients.
Lu Yang said, “If he cannot supply goods, then see whether his skill in making salted duck eggs is good. Invite him to help you make them.”
Shun Ge’er muttered, “He is a bit simple. It would be easy to coax him. I do not think he even cares that much about salted duck eggs. If I praise his eggs and say I want to learn, he would definitely teach me.”
Lu Yang grabbed his book, rolled it up, and smacked the back of his hand.
“Who taught you to be so dishonest? In business, making money is fine. Cheating people is not.”
Shun Ge’er protested, “That skill is worthless in the mountain stronghold. Everyone teaches each other.”
Lu Yang struck him twice more. “You approach things with the intention to cheat, chasing after someone’s skill, and then you say it is worthless. Acting like that and still talking back? I think you have had an easy life for too long and started looking down on people.”
Lu Liu glanced at his brother, then at Shun Ge’er, and hurried to mediate. He blocked Lu Yang with one hand while urging Shun Ge’er to apologize quickly.
Shun Ge’er apologized fast, and Lu Yang had not truly intended to do anything harsh.
Setting down the book, Lu Yang said, “Write a reflection. I want to see whether you truly understand your mistake. If there are characters you cannot write, ask your elder brother and sister-in-law to teach you.”
Shun Ge’er burst into tears.
Lu Yang wiped his eyes. “There is no need to cry. We have not even eaten the duck eggs yet. Whether this business will happen at all is uncertain. But remember your goal. In the future, you will encounter many dishes. In an inn or restaurant, you need great chefs and good dishes to keep customers. If you replaced salted duck eggs with those dishes—would you act the same way?”
Lu Yang took his hand, then Lu Liu’s, stacking their palms together. “There are many ways to do business. When you go out on your own and become head stewards or bosses, dealing with others, you will learn many things from them. Those experiences each have their strengths and weaknesses and suit different situations. But when you choose how to handle something, you must touch your conscience. A person can be clever and calculating, but must not lose benevolence.”
Lu Liu said he understood. “Brother, do not be angry. Shun Ge’er is still young. He just left the stronghold and has hardly met anyone besides us. He treats He Fulang like a neighbor and thinks the same way he used to. He has not made the mental turn yet. I will talk to him. He will not do this again.”
Shun Ge’er also called out, “Brother Yang,” and looked as though he might cry again.
Lu Yang was not truly angry. But this matter had to be handled seriously, so they would not treat it lightly and only learn their lesson after suffering a loss.
Glancing at the sky outside the window, Lu Yang said, “All right. You two look after the children. When you have time, taste the salted duck eggs. I need to go pick up Xie Yan from school.”
It was still early; leaving now made it look as if he were storming off in anger.
Shun Ge’er stamped his foot and clutched Lu Liu’s arm, at a loss. “Sister-in-law, what do we do?”
Seeing he was about to cry again, Lu Liu quickly brought him to the table, laid out paper, and ground the ink. “Are you regretting it? Good. While the feeling is still fresh, write quickly. When you are done, take it to him. Once he sees you truly know you were wrong, he will not be angry.”
Shun Ge’er blinked blankly as Lu Liu shoved the brush into his hand.
“……”
Everything had happened so quickly that his mind was still foggy. How had it suddenly turned into writing a reflection?
Oh. Salted duck eggs. What did salted duck eggs taste like?
He asked Lu Liu. Lu Liu paused. “Then write after you eat?”
Shun Ge’er wiped his eyes. “Forget it. I will write first.”
He did not even want to eat salted duck eggs anymore.
Meanwhile, Lu Yang returned home, set down the peanuts, put on a straw hat, told his mother, and headed out.
He first went to the street and bought some liangfen. After returning home, he fried the peanuts, sliced a cucumber, and poured everything into a soup basin, tossing it together with the liangfen.
He wanted extra seasoning and had specifically asked the vendor to add two more spoonfuls of chili. After mixing it well, he tasted it. Excellent!
He had not taken the peanuts from the stall; those were boiled and then dried, not as fragrant and crisp as freshly fried peanuts.
After mixing the whole batch, Lu Yang filled two bowls separately, packed the rest into a food box, and went out again—to pick up Xie Yan from the prefectural academy. Passing He Fulang’s door, he knocked and gave him a bowl of liangfen.
Six salted duck eggs, at the usual price, would cost twenty-four copper coins.
The man had a great deal of bitterness and talked endlessly, but he was sincere at heart.
Lu Yang would not let him suffer a loss, so he gave him a bowl of liangfen in return.
He Fulang refused at first, but Lu Yang said, “If your husband does not eat at home, then hurry and eat it yourself. Bring the bowl back to my house later. My mother is home.”
Liu Youli hardly ever ate at home; He Fulang usually just made do by himself.
Looking at the bowl of liangfen, he swallowed and accepted it.
He asked, “Are you going to pick up your husband?”
Lu Yang nodded. “Yes. He has a few close classmates at the prefectural academy. I think this liangfen tastes good, so I am bringing a bowl for them to try as well.”
