Translator: Flying Lines

  The fat shopkeeper tentatively picked up a piece of cold jelly with a spoon and put it in his mouth. However, at that moment his face suddenly changed. As if the dark clouds were blown away at once, revealing the warm sunshine, the fat shopkeeper took two more sips, and later he simply lifted the bowl and drank it with one sip.

  “Sister, what is your cold jelly made of? Why is it so delicious?” The fat shopkeeper asked, smacking his lips.

  Li Hongmei said proudly, “This was not made by me; it was my daughter-in-law who did it. She makes everything very delicious. What with? With talent!”


  Ye Xiaoxian said, “Shopkeeper, if you think it’s delicious, you could have another bowl. Only two pennies a bowl, and two bowls for four pennies.”


  “Hurry up, another bowl.” The fat shopkeeper quickly passed the empty bowl to Ye Xiaoxian.

  There were many stalls near Ye Xiaoxian. When everyone saw the fat shopkeeper eating two bowls of cold jelly, they came over and asked.

  “How about the cold jelly?”


  “How did it compare to that in front of the bridge?”


  “Shopkeeper Qiao, you have already drunk two bowls, could it be that you want more?”
……

  The fat shopkeeper couldn’t help but laugh. “What I say doesn’t matter, you have to come and try it yourself.”


  There is no shortage of crabs in the world, but it’s lacking in someone who dares to try them first.

  After the fat shopkeeper had tried it first, the people around the stall quickly asked Ye Xiaoxian to give them a bowl of the cold jelly.

  Some of the people sold cloth shoes, some sold rain gear and some were fortune tellers……

  Li Hongmei and Ye Xiaoxian were suddenly busy. They had to serve cold jelly, collect money and wash dishes. People liked to join in the fun. At first no one was buying it, so nobody else came to buy it. Now that there were more people buying it, everyone else followed suit.

  In addition, Ye Xiaoxian’s cold jelly was really delicious. Each bowl was full of sugar. The cold jelly itself was sweet and after adding sugar it tasted even sweeter. Some people were like the fat shopkeeper, they ate one bowl after another. By midday there was only half of her cold jelly left……

  By the afternoon, Ye Xiaoxian’s stall was again deserted. This was the hottest part of the day when even cats and dogs slouched in the corners. There were no pedestrians on the street and the stall keepers hid in the shade of trees.

  Ye Xiaoxian and Li Hongmei also covered up the remaining cold jelly and carried it under a tree.

  Even in the shade it was really hot. Ye Xiaoxian felt that her clothes were soaked.

  She bought two pancakes at a nearby stall and enjoyed the cool with Li Hongmei while eating the pancakes in the tree’s shade. When she was thirsty, she drank cold jelly to relieve the heat.

  After 2pm the sun had gone west and the street was full of people again. The stall keepers once again set up their stalls. Ye Xiaoxian and Li Hongmei also returned to selling their cold jelly.

  “Little ye, look, Baoshan is here too.” Li Hongmei pointed excitedly to not far away.

  Ye Xiaoxian also saw him.

  At the corner of the street the tall Xiao Baoshan walked down the middle of the road and there were a few men beside him. They came over to Ye Xiaoxian, talking and laughing.

  Xiao Baoshan, who was laughing among the crowd, stood out. Ye Xiaoxian looked at him and then couldn’t help but blush.

  “Baoshan, have you finished your work over there?” Li Hongmei Asked.

  “It’s time to rest. I brought a few brothers here to eat a bowl of cold jelly.” Xiao Baoshan had already come over to Ye Xiaoxian, and he exhorted her, “Be sure to prepare enough bowls for everyone.”


  Ye Xiaoxian greeted quickly.

  But after her initial enthusiasm, she thought, ‘Would these people that Baoshan brought here jump the bill?

  When she had been a chef before, she had seen a lot of men who pretended to be wealthy. They were so poor but still treated others to meals. Wouldn’t Xiao Baoshan do the same?

  But Ye Xiaoxian then thought to herself, “What’s the big deal? It’s only several bowls of cold jelly and these are Baoshan’s colleagues. If they get along well, Baoshan’s career will go more smoothly.”