Lin'an Mansion, Huaishui Wharf.
The autumn morning brings a bit of chill to the bone, with a thin layer of frost remaining on the fiery red maple leaves. The slightly bleak autumn scenery still cannot resist the lively scene on the shore.
"Come to work!"
As the merchant ship docked, the foreman waiting at the dock shouted, and a dozen men in period costumes lined up to follow.
Huaishui Wharf is located in the central and northern part of the Yan Dynasty and is an important hub connecting the capital and various state capitals.
There was an endless stream of people coming and going in this huge place, including wealthy merchants who were saying goodbye to their families on merchant ships, vendors selling on both sides, and beggars begging along the street.
A street witnesses all kinds of things in the world.
A little girl with dull blond hair appeared in the corner pushing a wooden cart and skillfully lit firewood under a round iron sheet.
Brush the iron sheet with oil, put the prepared dough on it, and soon a burst of refreshing fragrance will rise.
"Scallion pancakes, delicious scallion pancakes! Try them first before you buy them, this is the only one!"
After the noodles are heated, the layers explode, and both sides are fried to a golden brown. The freshly picked green onions tingle when they encounter the lard, exuding a unique fragrance.
Who can resist this fragrance?
Ancient people had not fully grasped the beauty of ingredients when it came to eating. People on the dock had never smelled such an overbearing aroma. They all couldn't help but take a deep breath and began to salivate in their mouths.
It smells good, looks good, and I want to eat it!
"Girl, do you really want to try this pancake first before buying it?"
"Of course, doing business is based on integrity."
The first scallion pancake was cut into equal pieces by her, with a few toothpicks placed next to it.
The visitor understood instantly, secretly sighed at her fastidiousness, picked up a piece of dough with a toothpick and put it into his mouth.
"Fresh and crispy, with a hint of salty taste, so delicious!"
As expected, the guest's eyes lit up instantly.
"How can you sell this scallion pancake if it deserves to be called the only one of its kind?"
"Three cents for one piece and five cents for two pieces. How much do you want, my guest?"
The man was silent for a moment, seeming to be weighing whether he should satisfy his craving for a one-cent steamed bun or a three-cent scallion pancake.
Unfortunately, he was ultimately defeated by his appetite.
"I'm just spending money today, give me two!"
"Okay, I'll put it up in oil paper for you!"
The little girl's smile became more real, and the dimples on her cheeks were looming.
Everything is difficult at the beginning, but with the first person who dares to try, those who wait and see will feel that it is expensive.
"Give me two, too. They taste amazing!"
"okay!"
Cheng Xi looks to be fifteen or sixteen years old. Although he is young, he can't help but be sweet, and he is well versed in the rules of marketing.
It only costs five cents to bring back to the baby and parents to try it out, and they can earn it back tomorrow, making the customers who come to buy scallion pancakes smile.
Even a day laborer who only earned twenty copper coins a day couldn't help but spend his money to buy two for his family, and he was happy after spending the money.
The stall was extremely busy, and within a short while there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.
By the time the third merchant ship docked at Huaishui Wharf, all the 100 scallion pancakes prepared in the morning were sold out.
People who were coming and going at the pier were heartbroken when they saw the customers who had bought it had their mouths full of oil.
"This, this is gone?"
He hasn't tasted it yet!
"No, I'm sorry. I came in a hurry today and prepared so much."
The man didn't give up, "Girl, will you come back tomorrow?"
"Come on, I'll prepare more tomorrow and make sure you have enough to eat!"
The owner of the car neatly returned a set of utensils to its place, pushed it and quickly disappeared on the main street of the dock under the regretful eyes of everyone.
***
The streets in the state capital are paved with bluestone, and the buildings on both sides are mostly made of blue bricks and black tiles, with a unique gray tone in the antique style.
A person and a car turned into a narrow alley and slowed down as if feeling something.
Sure enough, a few timid men soon walked out of the other end of the alley, walking towards the car with a clear purpose.
The leader looked at her wildly with his eyes rolling, for fear that others would not know that they were hooligans.
"Little lady, you took the initiative to hand over the money, and you asked us brothers to search for it ourselves?"
There was a burst of laughter from behind, and Hong Guoguo's expression looked evil.
The young lady smiled, her slightly immature face showing a profound meaning that was inconsistent with her age.
"That's such a hassle. Why don't I help you buy whatever you need and deliver it to your home?"
"......ha?"
The leading robber had never heard such an answer before, and was extremely surprised.
To their surprise, Cheng Xi pulled out a round wooden stick about one meter long. The upper part was thicker and the lower part was thin and smooth until it shone faintly. Some kind of symbol was vaguely engraved on the stick body.
"She looks so ugly, but she is pretty when she thinks about it."
She had only been setting up a stall for one day and was being targeted because she was being treated like a weakling by herself.
Find a fight.
The wooden stick did not make the other party feel threatened, but instead aroused their anger, and they rolled up their sleeves and came over.
"Bah, I don't know how to appreciate it!"
Cheng Xi advanced instead of retreating, and faced him directly with a grin.
"boom!"
"ah--"
This body was already extremely powerful, and when it hit the opponent with a stick, it knocked him unconscious and almost sent him away.
The more Cheng Xi used it, the easier it became. With one stick, he could knock down several robbers with one stroke of the stick, making a lot of wailing sounds.
"Be patient, I've only used it to play ball before."
She explained nonchalantly, raised her chin like an uncle, and stood in the alley looking at the people spread out on the ground.
"Now, do you still want to grab it?"
In the past, there were always people on TV knocking people, cars, and glass with baseball bats. Now she felt the joy!
"No, no, let's not grab it. The heroine is taking our lives. Let's get out of here!"
Only then did a few people realize that they had offended the wrong person, and they got up from the ground with hands and feet and planned to run away.
"Who told you to get out?"
Obviously, we encountered tougher problems this time.
Cheng Xi clicked his tongue in disgust and put the baseball bat on his shoulder.
"Hand over your valuables."
