After transmigrating, he supported his family by working at a garbage dump.

The sunlight climbed onto the eaves, darted down the street, and then jumped back up. It was almost noon, and Xu Zhuzhu's stall had not yet opened for business. Xu Wenjie was shouting his wares on the street, and even Xu An went to help, but the results were not good.

A few people came in early this morning asking what dumplings were.

Zhang He took out the dumplings and showed them to them, and they also tasted them.

Everyone who tried it nodded and said it tasted great, but then they all left without saying they wanted to buy any.

The rice noodle stall next door was bustling with customers, and Grandma Mi was very busy. While Zhang He was happy for them, her heart was pounding with anxiety.

Xu Zhuzhu saw her mother pursing her lips, staring blankly at Xu Wenjie, who was soliciting customers on the street, seemingly lost in thought.

Her mother already lacked confidence, and now she's probably feeling very upset.

"Mother." Xu Zhuzhu took Zhang He's hand.

It took Zhang He a while to come to her senses. She squeezed Xu Zhuzhu's hand and said gently, "Are you hungry? Mother will cook you dumplings."

Xu Zhuzhu gently shook her head, looking at Zhang He with concern. Her mother's hands were icy cold.

They ate two large bowls of porridge in the morning because they were afraid they would get hungry quickly at noon. She wasn't hungry at all, nor was she craving anything.

It seems that dumplings aren't selling well.

"Mother, should we go and ask Granny Mi?"

Several people who came to ask tried it and said it tasted great. In addition, even the plain water boiled in the Meimei pot had a delicious meat broth flavor. After thinking it over, Xu Zhuzhu realized that it wasn't a matter of taste.

She was also afraid that this was just wishful thinking, since everyone has different tastes and Meimei Pot couldn't possibly satisfy everyone.

If someone says it's delicious, they might just be saying nice things to flatter them because they're embarrassed to eat for free.

Grandma Mi has been selling rice noodles in town for so many years, and her constant stream of customers must mean she has some special skills. If we could get her guidance, perhaps we could overcome our current predicament.

Zhang He agreed.

But instead of directly taking a bowl of dumplings to ask for advice, she rolled up her sleeves and went to help Grandma Mi, who was busy running around, with her stall and cleaning up the dishes.

"Oh dear, this is really troublesome for Madam Xu."

Grandma Mi was standing in front of the soup pot, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She felt embarrassed as she looked at Zhang He, who was helping her clear the dishes.

Zhang He laughed and said frankly, "I'm just killing time anyway."

Having run a business for so many years, Granny Mi had seen all sorts of people. She glanced at the Xu family's deserted stall and guessed Zhang He's thoughts pretty accurately.

When he was almost done with his work, he said to the person behind him, "Old man, I'm a little tired. Can you take over?"

Old Man Mi, who was tending the fire, exclaimed and replaced Granny Mi.

Grandma Mi pulled Zhang He back to her stall.

Seeing Xu Zhuzhu standing in front of the pot, blinking her eyes from time to time, her long eyelashes fluttering, looking very cute, Grandma Mi affectionately rubbed her head.

Xu Zhuzhu was lost in thought, resting her chin on her hand and staring at the pleats of the dumpling, counting them one by one. Suddenly, someone patted her head, and the feel and strength were different from her mother's. When she turned around, she saw Grandma Mi and her mother standing behind her.

"Grandma Mi!"

She very tactfully made way for her, and Grandma Mi, seeing her cleverness, praised her again.

……

Grandma Mi got straight to the point. She smelled the dumplings in the basket and looked at the pots and pans. There was no unusual smell. It wasn't impossible for them to spoil in the dead of winter.

"This person is diligent in washing the pots, and they're spotless," Grandma Mi praised, looking at the shiny, beautiful pot.

Zhang He felt embarrassed, as that was how she always looked. Just as she was smiling and not knowing how to respond, Granny Mi said again, "Madam Xu, cook some for me to try."

Upon hearing this, Zhang He didn't hesitate. Whether it was good or bad, Grandma Rice Noodles would know the truth after she tasted it.

Zhang He's dumplings weren't very big, but they were small and delicate. She put ten in the water, and the tiny white dough ingots floated up and down in the boiling water for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Zhang He seized the opportunity and immediately scooped them out, then presented them to Granny Mi.

"This thing looks really clever; it must have taken a lot of thought!"

Zhang He lowered her eyes and smiled shyly.

Grandma Mi looked at the things in the bowl that looked like boiled buns and found them quite novel. She picked one up and put it in her mouth.

As you bite into the dough, the egg and chive filling, saturated with delicious broth, explodes in your mouth, a chaotic rush of flavor to Grandma Mi's palate.

Grandma Mi's eyes lit up, and she nodded as she put one dumpling after another into her mouth.

In the meantime, he also fed one to Xu Zhuzhu and Zhang He. Zhang He shook her head and declined, but Xu Zhuzhu didn't care and ate it.

She chewed intently, her eyes constantly following Grandma Mi. Grandma Mi's gaze shifted from unremarkable to amazed, indicating that there was definitely nothing wrong with the taste of their dumplings.

Sure enough, Grandma Mi finished all the dumplings and even drank several mouthfuls of soup, looking like she wanted more.

Grandma Mi wiped her mouth, smiled and said apologetically, "Look at my greedy mouth, I can't stop eating once I start, it's so delicious."

Seeing someone outside their family enjoying dumplings so much was a rare treat for Zhang He, and some of her frustration was washed away.

"What's the point of this? There's plenty more. If it's not enough, I'll cook more."

As he spoke, he was about to cook some more.

Grandma Mi quickly stopped her, laughing, "That's enough, that's enough, it was just a joke."

Seeing this, Zhang He didn't feel embarrassed and asked directly.

"Grandma Mi, is there something wrong with my dumplings?"

Zhang He tried her best to keep smiling. Although her brows were relaxed, she was still preoccupied and her eyes could not hide her anxiety. Her hands were tightly clasped together.

Xu Zhuzhu took her mother's hand, and Zhang He smiled gently and patted her head.

Xu Wenjie and his son, who were soliciting customers, had become hoarse from shouting, but to no avail. Seeing the commotion here, they withdrew.

"Take a break!"

Zhang He served them a bowl of soup, then stared intently at Granny Mi, her eyes full of anticipation for her answer.

Grandma Mi's smile remained, but she didn't answer her directly. Instead, she looked at the passing crowd.

She tucked her hands into her apron and said meaningfully to Zhang He, "The weather is getting warmer, and more people are coming to town for the market. Look, everyone's in such a hurry..."

Zhang He looked at the crowd and nodded. It was almost noon, but there were more people than in the morning. This was understandable, as villagers from farther away didn't travel that fast and it was normal for them to arrive at noon.

She still didn't quite understand. She looked at Xu Wenjie, who was also thinking with his eyes downcast.

"Is it too expensive?"

Pedestrians hurried by, and those who stopped to eat were not dressed extravagantly, but they were not particularly shabby either, and did not appear to be very poor.

Their prices were two coins for a bowl of ten dumplings, while Granny Mi's rice noodles were five coins a bowl, and the steamed bun stall across the street was two coins for three vegetarian steamed buns.

The price isn't outrageous.

Grandma Mi smiled without saying a word and had Grandpa Mi cook them a bowl of rice noodles. The bowl was as big as a human face and filled to the brim with rice noodles. Apart from a little bit of scallion and two pieces of green vegetables, there were no other side dishes. It cost three coins.

"I've been selling rice noodles for so many years, and no one has ever praised my cooking. But if I ever add too few rice noodles or too little salt to the soup, my customers will complain for ages..."

Grandma Mi pushed the rice noodles in front of Zhang He. Zhang He took a bite and found it to be bland and watery, which made her even more puzzled.

Xu Zhuzhu also took a bite, smacking her lips, and found that it had no taste other than being salty.

Unappetizing.

In that instant, as Grandma Mi's words kept repeating in her mind, something suddenly flashed through her mind, too fast for her to grasp...

Xu Wenjie, who had been silent all along, seemed to have discovered something after hearing what Grandma Mi said. He quickly ran to the steamed bun stall across the street and bought three steamed buns.

The dark yellow oil paper was spread out, and three plump, white buns, each about half the size of Xu Zhuzhu's face, were piled together.

These buns look really big.

Wait, portion size?

Xu Zhuzhu glanced at Grandma Mi's rice noodles again, and had a guess in her mind.

Xu Zhuzhu stood on tiptoe and grabbed Xu Wenjie's arm with both hands. If she wasn't mistaken, the buns were a bit salty. She insisted on eating the buns, and Zhang He divided them in half for her and Xu An.

One bite, and it's salty.

Suddenly she understood everything.

At this moment, Xu Wenjie's gentle voice rang out above her head, "...There aren't many wealthy families in town, and most of those who come to the market are villagers from the surrounding areas. Although their living conditions aren't bad, they all get up early to travel to town for a meal, not because they're looking for something delicious, but simply to have enough to eat..."

"People who are on the road or working need to eat more salt. If I'm not mistaken, these buns are probably a bit salty too."

Xu Wenjie looked down at Xu Zhuzhu and her brother, who were eating steamed buns.

Xu Zhuzhu nodded hurriedly, and Xu An also said excitedly, "Father is right, it is salty."

Xu Wenjie smiled, having received an affirmative answer, and then asked Granny Mi for confirmation.

"Grandma Mi, am I right?"

“That’s right,” Granny Mi nodded with a smile. “Miss Xu put a lot of thought into it. These dumplings are indeed very exquisite and delicious, with thin skins and plenty of filling. However, they’re not very filling. They’re fine as a snack for the New Year’s celebration, but it would be even better if they were made thicker and bigger…”

After listening to her husband and Granny Mi's words, Zhang He suddenly understood, her previous worries vanished, and she thanked them repeatedly.