The business of the rolled pancake stall was indeed affected. Yuan Zhao had to reduce the amount of batter he made, but he increased the portion of fried meat slices instead. On the surface, business looked about the same as before, though there were still differences.
Later, Yuan Zhao even had little beggars go buy the other stall’s rolled pancakes to try them. The taste was nothing compared to theirs—but they were cheap.
People liked cheap things, and that couldn’t be helped.
Shi Wu Xiang did not want to see him feeling down, so he began thinking about street foods from another world that could be made with Yuan Zhao’s current tools. But thinking alone was not as good as actually trying them.
Yuan Zhao’s stone griddle could be used like an iron griddle, which meant they could make many things.
Iron griddle tofu, iron griddle eggs, iron griddle grilled meat, golden potato cakes… anything, meat or vegetables, could be turned into something new on his stone pan.
But they still had to consider actual ingredients, so Shi Wu Xiang suggested starting with iron griddle tofu.
“Tofu has to be bought, and it’s expensive!” Yuan Zhao trusted Shi Wu Xiang, but tofu was not commonly sold. It was expensive, and ordinary families only ate it during festivals.
“Then we’ll buy a small amount first to test it. If it sells well, we can negotiate with the tofu seller later,” Shi Wu Xiang said. He felt this business idea could work, though by then, it might no longer be something ordinary people could easily afford.
After all, one jin of tofu cost five wen, and one jin could only make a few pieces of iron griddle tofu—not much at all. Ordinary families would rather just buy tofu directly.
However, as long as someone was willing to pay, the food had value.
Yuan Zhao could only follow his advice and braved the cold wind to buy two jin of tofu from another village. Fortunately, the weather was cold enough that it would keep overnight.
Madam Shi Zhang took Shi family siblings out to set up the stall, while Yuan Zhao impatiently stayed home to practice cooking in his kitchen pot. Although it was less ideal, as long as he could recreate the taste, it was enough.
“Add your sauce,” Shi Wu Xiang said.
Yuan Zhao’s sauce was very delicious. When the tofu was slowly stewed with it, the spicy flavor and meat aroma would seep in, giving the tofu a meat-like fragrance.
Yuan Zhao followed instructions carefully, not daring to stir too aggressively. He added water in small amounts several times. When finished, he adjusted the chili powder as needed before serving it out.
“It’s not very spicy,” Shi Wu Xiang said. “Let Yuan Wen try it.”
Yuan Wen was already drooling, his eyes bright as he stared at the bowl. After one bite of the sauced tofu, he chewed carefully. The tofu was so soft it melted almost immediately in his mouth.
“Brother, I want more,” he said, smacking his lips. He hadn’t even fully tasted it yet!
Yuan Zhao simply handed him the entire bowl. “Don’t eat too much chili.”
Yuan Wen obediently nodded and sat by the stove holding the bowl, eating quietly. It didn’t even taste like tofu anymore—it tasted like fragrant meat. So delicious!
Shi Wu Xiang said, “The flavor is good, but don’t cook away all the tofu taste. People who like tofu are there for that flavor, and some people come for your chili sauce. Make sure to ask customers what they prefer.”
“Alright!” Yuan Zhao instantly regained his energy. As long as they kept creating new foods, silver would keep flowing into their pockets.
When Madam Shi Zhang and the others returned, Yuan Zhao also made a few more rolled pancakes, carefully adjusting different flavors. Tofu had a unique taste—when made mildly, even with meat sauce, its original flavor would still stand out.
The new snack received unanimous praise, and Yuan Zhao became even more motivated.
The next morning.
Yuan Zhao packed everything up and prepared to leave. The ox cart was full, leaving barely any space for others to sit. They squeezed in as usual and arrived at the town.
With so many items, Shi Wu Xiang helped carry the stove and ingredients down. This time, they were not going to leave things at the Fragrant Fragrance Restaurant. Some items could not be placed on the ground, and the cart was already full.
Their setup was quite large, and even the nearby steamed bun vendor joked with them.
“What new thing are you making this time?”
“You’ll see soon. I’ll let you taste it when it’s done,” Yuan Zhao replied immediately.
After so long at the market, all the nearby vendors had become familiar. They sometimes even helped watch each other’s stalls. Yuan Zhao never quibbled over small things like that.
The fried meat slices sold quickly as always. Soon, Yuan Zhao brought out the tofu.
“New food! Stone griddle tofu! Five wen for two pieces, made with meat sauce! As usual—free samples!”
He first made a fresh piece, then used a small wooden spatula to cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces so customers could pick them up with bamboo skewers for tasting. All of this had been taught by Shi Wu Xiang.
The silky tofu melted the moment it entered the mouth, dissolving like water sliding down the throat. Yet it was paired with a savory, spicy meat sauce. The two combined gave the sensation of eating both meat and tofu at the same time—so delicious it was beyond words.
“Delicious! Your spicy sauce is really something I never get tired of! Though it’d be even better if it were a little sweeter—I like sweeter flavors!”
“You trying to ruin the whole pot with a single fly in the ointment? Go home and mix sugar into it yourself. We like spicy food, haha!”
“Boss Yuan, give me two pieces quickly! It’s hot, spicy, and warms me right up after eating! Hurry, hurry—make mine first, my wife is waiting at home!”
“You’ve been single for over twenty years—stop pretending you’ve got a wife waiting! Don’t listen to him, make mine first, I’m more urgent!”
This was what always happened whenever a new food was released. They argued loudly and randomly, but never actually fought. They were already familiar with each other from eating together all the time, and if someone missed out on a new dish, they would even make a point of telling them later.
A portion of Yuan Zhao’s good business came from their word-of-mouth promotion.
Yuan Zhao first made a serving for the steamed bun vendor nearby, then smilingly prepared the rest for the others. He specifically asked each customer about their preference—whether they wanted it mildly spicy or fully cooked. After being asked enough times, the customers behind them started to speak up on their own before he even asked, which saved him a great deal of effort.
He hadn’t brought much tofu, and it sold out very quickly.
“You need to make more next time! I never get to eat it fresh and hot. The fried meat slices too—every time I come, they’re already gone!”
“What are you complaining about? You should come earlier and queue up! They set up early—you don’t line up, you’re just left watching the wind blow!”
“You’re talking like you didn’t eat and don’t feel pain! Fine, fine—give me two egg pancakes!”
While cooking, Yuan Zhao repeatedly apologized. “Sorry, sorry. This is a newly thought-up snack, and I was afraid it might not suit everyone’s taste and wouldn’t sell, so I only made a little. Tomorrow I’ll prepare more.”
“It’s delicious! Boss Yuan’s craftsmanship is solid. This snack must also be something your scholar husband came up with, right? Madam Zhang really has a good son!”
The customers were familiar with them, and everyone got a compliment out of it. Even Yuan Wen, who was collecting money, received plenty of praise.
Although he knew the rolled pancake business had been affected, Yuan Zhao still brought some batter. He remembered the little beggars. Rather than letting it go to waste, it was better to feed them.
He spread out many pancake skins as usual, brushed them with sauce, and went to the alley where the beggars often gathered.
As soon as Yuan Zhao arrived, he was immediately noticed. A pair of eyes after another stared at him—some fearful, some wary, some surprised.
“Boss Yuan, it’s Boss Yuan!” a familiar little beggar ran up excitedly. “Boss Yuan, are you here to see us?”
Yuan Zhao nodded. “I had some leftover batter, so I made a few small pancakes for you. From now on, at this time, you should send someone to pick them up instead. I won’t always have time to come personally.”
“…Thank you, Boss Yuan.”
They accepted the rolled pancakes with red eyes, speaking polite and mature words far beyond their age, bowing repeatedly in gratitude as they watched him leave.
“Big Brother, Boss Yuan is so kind—he even gives us leftover pancakes!” a small child said happily, pushing his exposed toes back into his worn shoes while holding the warm, fragrant pancake like it was the New Year.
The older child looked at the pancake in his hands and said quietly after thinking for a moment, “It’s not leftovers.”
It was Boss Yuan’s kindness—made especially for them.
After finishing the stall in the street, Yuan Zhao went to the academy area. There were only egg pancakes left, so there was no need for all three of them to go. He had Madam Shi Zhang take Yuan Wen to Fragrant Fragrance Restaurant first, while he would join them later.
Unexpectedly, the scholars were still crowded in front of the stall as usual, eager to buy rolled pancakes.
Yuan Zhao blinked. “These past few days business hasn’t been good, and I didn’t bring much batter… The fried meat slices and stone griddle tofu are already sold out. Only egg pancakes are left…”
He smiled awkwardly. He truly hadn’t expected this. Based on the past few days, he thought only Cheng Du and a few familiar scholars would come for egg pancakes.
“Just make it as usual tomorrow! We really can’t stand it anymore. The academy’s rolled pancakes are terrible—these past few days they’ve gotten even worse. The pancakes are cold and hard, and the sauce tastes awful.”
“Not only that… people from other classes even got diarrhea after eating them. They didn’t sleep the whole night!”
“The taste is so bad, but we kept eating them for some reason. Now we’ve been getting sick for days. We really can’t take it anymore, so we stopped eating them.”
Yuan Zhao hadn’t expected them to suffer so much and quickly agreed to prepare as usual again. He also used the remaining batter to make rolled pancakes for them, though there wasn’t enough, so they had to share one between two people.
Even the egg pancakes sold out completely, which had never happened before.
The scholars also remembered his promise about stone griddle tofu and urged him to make more. If he couldn’t, they insisted he save some for them quietly.
Yuan Zhao smiled and agreed. Good business meant good mood.
Humming softly, he pushed his cart toward Fragrant Fragrance Restaurant, but halfway there, he was stopped.
“Do you need something?” Yuan Zhao looked at the two men blocking the alley, both wearing bamboo hats. He cautiously stepped back. “Everything on my stall is sold out. If you want food, I can have it prepared for you tomorrow.”
“We want to buy your sauce,” one of them said.
Yuan Zhao relaxed slightly. At least it wasn’t violence.
“It’s really sold out. We only bring a fixed amount each day. You can check for yourselves.” He smiled and stepped aside.
The two men scanned the stall and immediately saw the empty jars.
“Bring more tomorrow. We’ll be waiting here.”
“How much do you want?” Yuan Zhao asked enthusiastically, as if delighted at the prospect of business.
“Fifty jin.”
Yuan Zhao didn’t argue or explain that they didn’t even have that much at home. He still smiled brightly, as if he had already seen the money in his hands.
The two men left without leaving a deposit.
Only then did Yuan Zhao finally relax. He memorized their posture and figure, then hurriedly pushed the cart toward Fragrant Fragrance Restaurant.
He ran so hard in the cold that he was drenched in sweat. When he reached the back courtyard, Shi Wu Xiang was already waiting.
“Ah Xiang!”
“Why are you running like that? You’ll catch a cold if you sweat and then get hit by cold wind,” Shi Wu Xiang said as he wiped his sweat with a cloth. “Go home and drink ginger soup later. Your hands are freezing.”
Yuan Zhao quickly explained everything.
On the road, two men wearing bamboo hats had tried to buy fifty jin of his sauce without even leaving a deposit.
Shi Wu Xiang frowned. “Did you see their faces clearly?”
“No. One was tall and thin, the other short and fat. The tall thin one limped a little. The short fat one smelled greasy, and their clothes were oily… that’s all I saw.” Yuan Zhao frowned. “They didn’t even pay a deposit and wanted me to meet them in some alley. Do I look that stupid?”
As a young unmarried man, if he were seen alone in an alley with two men, forget selling goods—his reputation would be ruined.
“My brother is the smartest!” Yuan Wen said while holding a hot sweet potato.
“Sweet potatoes are being sold in town now? They must be expensive. Are they sweet?” Yuan Zhao asked.
Sweet potatoes had not had good harvests in recent years, so they were rare and valuable.
Yuan Wen immediately broke off a piece and handed it to him. “Sweet. Brother, eat too.”
Yuan Zhao didn’t refuse. He took a bite. It was soft, sweet, and fragrant.
As expected, the best sweet potatoes came from those who still insisted on growing them.
“I’ll buy two more later and bring them home for A Yueran and Ranran,” Yuan Zhao said.
“Whatever you want,” Shi Wu Xiang replied, patting his shoulder. “Let’s head home while the sun is still out. It’ll get colder after sunset.”
Yuan Zhao finished the sweet potato in a few bites, packed everything up, and drove the ox cart home.
Then, suddenly, he remembered something he had forgotten.
“Mother, you go ahead with the cart. I just remembered I have something to buy.”
He ran off immediately.