vrcanaries Chapter 117 Setting up a stall selling steamed buns and mutton soup
Chapter 117 Setting up a stall selling steamed buns and mutton soup
After listening to Aunt Hu's explanation, Sha Zhu realized that although it wasn't Yu Shui's fault, she was the one who had physically assaulted the woman, sending her to the hospital.
After ascertaining that the situation wasn't serious, he quickly went up to apologize and offered to pay for the medical expenses.
They also have to go with others to the hospital to see the child and buy some nutritional supplements for the child.
The child had just been admitted to the hospital, and the medical bill hadn't been issued yet.
With no other option, Sha Zhu had to ask Brother Li and the neighbors to watch over the rain while he went to the hospital with the child's parents.
Along the way, Sha Zhu learned through inquiries that this was a plan devised by some kids from his neighborhood.
The kids who deliberately went to block Yandaixie Street got into a fight, and the one who ended up in the hospital was from the same school as the kid from Yushui.
Sha Zhu quickly tried to ingratiate himself with his father, who also worked at a steel rolling mill.
Sha Zhu was quite low-key in the kitchen canteen and didn't want to go to the front to serve food to the workers, so not many people in the factory knew him.
"Your name is He Yuzhu, and you work in the cafeteria. You're not the one nicknamed 'Silly Zhu,' the one whose dad ran off with someone, are you?" the uncle asked in surprise.
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry you had to laugh at my family's embarrassing secrets. Please just call me Zhuzi, it's been so long since anyone called me by my nickname."
You brought it up by chance, I almost forgot! Uncle, when you go back to work after the New Year, go to the cafeteria for lunch. Look for me, or look for Zhang Long who's getting the food in front of you.
He's my apprentice, but I haven't officially accepted him as my apprentice yet. Go to the cafeteria and ask him for food.
Having learned from his experience, Sha Zhu went outside and bought some canned fruit and eggs.
They carried the items to the hospital ward to visit the injured child lying in bed.
Looking at the little boy with redness around his eyes and a black eye from being punched in the rain...
Sha Zhu almost burst out laughing. The nurse said it was nothing serious, and that she had applied some medicine around his eyes.
I just scraped my forehead and sprained my ankle when I fell. I'll be fine after a few days of rest.
Sha Zhu paid the medical bills and placed the nutritional supplements on the table next to him.
He then took money out of his pocket and offered it to the child's parents, but they refused to accept it.
Perhaps because of Sha Zhu's good attitude, they were ready to take their own child back home, saying that the child would be fine after lying at home for a couple of days.
After separating from the injured child's parents, Sha Zhu returned to the alley.
After telling the neighbors that the child was alright, the neighbors who had been surrounding Sha Zhu dispersed.
Brother Li also mocked Sha Zhu for raising his sister into a local tyrant.
"Zhu Zi, your sister's name is already on the street office's register. She's only seven years old. Luckily, school is out for the holidays. If this had happened at the school, how would your sister have been able to go to school?" Li Jianguo said sarcastically.
"Sigh, I can't do anything about it. Even though I asked the little girl to come with me to the steel mill, she didn't want to."
"Say something harsh, then cry to me and insist on playing with the neighborhood kids. That's how this happened," Sha Zhu said helplessly.
Just then, the aroma of mutton soup wafted over, and Brother Li sniffed twice.
"Zhu Zi, this is coming from your house! Are you making mutton soup at home? Hurry back and check on things. You've been gone for so long, have you cooked the soup dry?"
"It's okay, I added water when I went out. It can simmer for several hours without any problem. Where's my sister?" Sha Zhu asked.
"After you left, your sister ran home, and later I saw seven or eight other children run into your house."
You'd better go back and check on it, lest you ruin the mutton soup you made. Come on, I'll go with you to see; it smells so good, it must be ready."
When Sha Zhu returned home, the mutton soup in the large iron pot on the stove in the yard was bubbling.
A group of children were gathered around, gasping for breath. Aunt Hu and her daughter-in-law stood by, watching to keep the children away from the pot.
Rainwater, holding a spoon and a large bowl, was eager to try. Silly Pillar sighed, facepalming.
With so many children each having a bowl, that's quite a lot. I was even planning to take the rainwater with me when I set up my stall.
"Rain, what are you doing? Haven't you caused enough trouble already? Look at the mess you've made! I've been to the hospital several times already!"
"I worked for months to earn some wages, and you squandered it all!" Sha Zhu roared at the rain.
Startled, Yu Shui quickly dropped her spoon and bowl and ran behind Da Niu's wife. Aunt Hu hurriedly tried to persuade her to stop.
After being comforted for a while, Sha Zhu pretended to have calmed down and told the children to go to the kitchen and get their own bowls.
Each person received a bowl, and some mutton was added to each bowl. The rest of the contents of the iron pot were then poured into a large iron bucket that had been prepared.
Seeing this, Aunt Hu and Brother Li both asked Sha Zhu what he was doing.
"I'm broke, aren't I? All the money I earn goes to paying for their medical bills and buying them nutritional supplements."
If we don't find a way to make some money, we won't be able to get through the New Year. I'm going out to sell mutton soup later, carrying some rainwater with me.
There were still a dozen or so steamers of large meat buns in the kitchen, which is a staple of my He family's business. We won't invite you all to eat them.
"If I don't sell them all when I get back, I'll invite you to try them." Sha Zhu said with a wry smile.
There are too many children in this courtyard. If Sha Zhu treats them all to a free meal, it won't be enough for all the kids.
Aunt Hu held the mutton soup in her hands and immediately felt its weight. She said apologetically, "You're going to sell this mutton soup too, right? This, this, this..."
Sha Zhu quickly said, "It's okay, the mutton soup is mostly water, made from big bones. The mutton itself isn't worth much. I won't treat everyone to meat buns for now."
Hearing Sha Zhu say this, the adults finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Zhu Zi, your mutton soup is really delicious. I've tried mutton soup from several other places, but none of them taste as good as yours," said Aunt Hu's daughter-in-law, holding a bowl.
Hearing others praise him, Sha Zhu said smugly, "That's right, I got up in the middle of the night and started simmering this mutton soup with big bones."
The longer it simmers, the more fragrant it becomes. Once it's almost done, add some special spices, and the flavor will be absolutely unique.
After everyone finished drinking the mutton soup,
Sha Zhu carried two iron buckets filled with mutton soup and a dozen or so steamer baskets stacked together, filled with large meat buns.
They placed it on the handcart that Sha Zhu had made himself, and then loaded two stoves onto the cart as well.
Just as one person was about to push the car out of the hospital, Aunt Hu and Brother Li quickly came over to help.
“No need, I can manage on my own,” he declined their offer and called out to Yushui, “Yushui, come over here and help me watch the stall. You can sell steamed buns on the side.”
"Brother, I'm not going," Yu Shui said, pouting.
“If you don’t go, we’ll starve! You beat someone up and they ended up in the hospital, do you know how much I had to pay them? If you don’t listen to me, I’m not going to take care of you anymore!”
"Brother, I will never fight with anyone again," the little girl said, showing signs of crying again.
"Hurry up and follow me. I'm telling you, crying won't help. If you don't listen, I'll sell you to a rich family and never care about you again," Sha Zhu threatened Yu Shui with a dark face.
Rainwater had heard this several times and was almost immune to it, but it still reluctantly followed along.
Doesn't Sha Zhu know what she's thinking? She just feels ashamed to go out and sell steamed buns at a stall, and wants to play with the kids.
Ignoring Sha Zhu's advice, Brother Li and Aunt Hu helped him push the wooden cart out of his house.
After chasing away the rain, I locked the door and found a spacious spot at the street corner near the neighborhood office.
They unloaded everything from the cart as they approached other food stalls.
They put the large iron bucket and steamer basket on the stove to keep them warm, and let the rain watch over them. Sha Zhu ran home again, dragged over two small tables and a few stools, and that was it—they were open for business.
Before long, the news had spread throughout the alley that He Daqing and his two children had run away.
The news of selling mutton soup and meat buns near the neighborhood office seemed to be spreading to distant places.
An elderly man selling fried cakes next to Sha Zhu's stall was a local resident who knew Sha Zhu. Seeing that Sha Zhu wasn't busy anymore, he left his stall and came over to greet him.
"Zhu Zi, are you out here selling mutton soup and steamed buns?"
"Yes, it's because my sister is always running around outside and has caused them to lose a lot of money."
If I don't go out and earn some pocket money, I won't be able to get through the New Year.
"Grandpa, would you like to try my mutton soup? It's absolutely authentic." Sha Zhu hurriedly and politely tried to sell his food.