Falling into the mortal world

Mr. and Mrs. Lan unloaded the tofu from the donkey cart, basket by basket. Once everything was ready, they waited to set off firecrackers and unveil the red silk.

As more and more people gathered outside, Lan Qingqing, seeing that it was almost time, asked her father to light firecrackers. The crackling sound of the firecrackers attracted the curiosity of many passersby.

They all stopped to see what was being sold.

Lan Qingqing pulled the rope under the red silk, and the red silk attached to the plaque fell down.

The words "Lan's Tofu Shop" immediately caught everyone's eye.

Someone curiously stepped forward and asked: "Girl, what is this tofu?"

Lan Qingqing pulled back the cloth covering the tofu and took out a tasting plate from the side, which contained fried, boiled, and cold tofu. Each small piece of tofu was skewered with a bamboo stick, just so customers could sample it.

The woman asked, "How much is this?" Lan Qingqing replied, "Seven coins a pound." Upon hearing that it was seven coins a pound, the woman thought it was too expensive. Pork was only 15 coins a pound, and with a little more, she could buy some meat to eat.

"You can try it first before deciding whether to buy it or not." Lan Qingqing smiled and handed over the sample plate.

Everyone was curious about the taste of the tofu, and when they heard that it was free to try, the women and old ladies all stepped forward and took a piece.

Some people weren't satisfied with just one piece, so they went to get more. No matter the time, there will always be people who are greedy for small gains.

Lan Qingqing wasn't angry when she saw this. Today was a joyous day, so why should she get angry with those women?

Lan Xiaoya noticed that one of the women had already eaten four or five pieces, and she couldn't stand it. She gave Lan Qingqing a resentful look. If they kept eating like this, they wouldn't be able to sell their tofu anymore.

The tofu samples were all eaten up in no time, and Lan's father felt a pang of heartache, as so many samples had been consumed in such a short time.

Lan Qingqing stood in the crowd and said, "I'm sorry everyone, we're out of tofu for today's tasting. Today is our shop's first day of business. We'll have a three-day special offer."

Anyone who buys tofu within these three days will receive half a pound free with every pound purchased. Starting today.

When the women who loved to take advantage of small gains heard that they could buy one pound and get half a pound free, they all rushed forward to buy. Seeing this, Lan's mother finally felt relieved after being worried for several days.

Lan's father, whose legs were weak, was there collecting money, while Lan's mother was cutting tofu. Lan Xiaotian was in charge of maintaining order, and Lan Xiaoya was helping to pack the tofu. Lan Qingqing and Feng Cai were also cutting and weighing tofu. Lan Xiaoyu was playing nearby.

This scene was witnessed by a young man around the corner.

This person was sent by the Ming King to keep an eye on Lan Qingqing. The Hu family had previously provided information to the Ming King's men, which was why they made a fortune. Lan Qingqing wanted peace and quiet, but no one wanted to keep her quiet.

In no time, the dozen or so baskets of tofu were sold out.

Lan Qingqing apologized to everyone, saying, "I'm sorry everyone, we've sold out of tofu for today. If you want to buy some, you'll have to come back tomorrow."

Those who didn't manage to buy tofu went home feeling a bit disappointed.

Lan's mother said with some annoyance: "If we had known, we should have done more."

Lan Qingqing comforted her mother, saying: "The rarer something is, the more people covet it."

Lan's mother said, "Let's make more tomorrow." Lan Qingqing nodded repeatedly. Indeed, they made too little today, and it was all sold out in half an hour.

Mr. Lan closed the shop door and poured the copper coins he had earned onto the table. Lan Qingqing counted them and found that there were a total of 525 coins. One pound of tofu could make three pounds of tofu. Even with promotions, there was still some profit to be made.

"I'll go to the grain shop and buy some more beans. You guys tidy up the shop. Once I've bought them, I'll come pick you up," said Father Lan.

Everyone acknowledged that they understood, and so they all started cleaning. In Lan Qingqing's business philosophy, food stalls must be clean.

Only when the environment is clean will people buy your food.

Lan Qingqing has always loved cleanliness since she was a child. Even after losing her memory, that habit of cleanliness remained. This is why even when the Lan family was so poor that they couldn't afford to eat, they still loved cleanliness.

Lan's mother knew that Lan Qingqing loved cleanliness and didn't like a messy, dirty house. So she kept the house spotless, waiting for her daughter to come home someday.

That evening, the family sat down for dinner, all discussing their future. Lan Qingqing said to her mother, "Mom, once we've earned some money, let's move to town!"

Lan's mother said: "You can go to town then. I'll stay at home. In case your brother comes back one day, he won't be able to find us."

Lan's mother's words instantly froze the atmosphere at the dinner table. Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent. Lan Qingqing knew that her mother was worried about her eldest brother.

She'll look for her older brother later, but not now. Making money is her priority right now.

Lan Qingqing said: Mother, I will go and find my elder brother.

Mother Lan rubbed her reddened eyes and said, "Where can a young girl like you find someone? Don't talk nonsense."

The meal was eaten in a subdued atmosphere. That day, Lan's mother cooked 300 jin of meat. When she arrived in town, there were already many people in front of the shop, most of whom had bought from her the day before.

Most of them were purchasing women from wealthy families. The master of the house tasted something new and interesting that he had never eaten before, so he asked the purchasing woman to buy more. The master of the house was happy and gave the purchasing woman some reward money.

So early in the morning, old women were happily waiting here, afraid that if they arrived late, everything would be sold out.

The dishes on the table were already quite limited, so when these new foods suddenly appeared, everyone rushed to buy them, especially since the prices were not expensive.

Lan Qingqing arranged the tofu and then began weighing and packing it for everyone. These people bought it in quantities of five or ten jin (2.5-3 kg) at a time, and after seeing the old women off, she finished packing.

Lan Qingqing glanced at the remaining tofu; it was still dark and half of it had already been sold.

Some clever young men would buy ten or twenty catties from Lan Qingqing and sell them in the surrounding villages. In those days, everyone would call them peddlers.

There was a promotion going on, so Lan Qingqing didn't give them any discounts.

However, they promised to give them five coins per kilogram after the event.

Having received the promise, the young man shouldered his load and set off. The streets gradually filled with people. Unsurprisingly, the tofu sold out again in half an hour.

Just as they were packing up, a customer came in to order tofu. This customer was Li Laifu, the owner of Wanfu Restaurant.

"Do you still have any tofu?" the visitor asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, we're sold out of tofu. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to buy some," Lan Qingqing said politely.

"Do you deliver your tofu to your door?" the visitor asked again.

Lan Qingqing inquired: "May I ask, sir, where is this goods being delivered? And how much do you need?"

The man said, "I am Li Laifu, the manager of Wanfu Restaurant. Yesterday, a customer told us that your tofu is delicious. So this morning I sent my waiter to buy some."

The taste was indeed delicious, so our restaurant decided to order 20 jin (10 catties) first to see the effect. If it was good, we would increase the quantity. In the end, both parties agreed to purchase at five wen (0.5 kg) per jin, and the promotional price would apply during the promotional period. Manager Li paid 20 wen as a deposit.

Lan Qingqing took out her notebook and wrote down that Manager Li of Wanfu Restaurant had ordered twenty catties of tofu and would also send ten catties as a gift.