After some small talk, Shen Anran went into the kitchen to meet her mother, who had already washed and blanched the meat. She had even blended the ingredients using the second-hand blender they bought from a mechanic's stall. It was old, scratched at the sides, but still very good.
"Mother, thank you," Shen Anran said softly. "Have you eaten?"
"Yes, I have. I'm still full from the morning meal. I can't believe the two kilograms were sold out even before the bankers and court officials went on their lunch break," Liu Meilan said, still sounding surprised. She added with a small smile, "It's really surprising."
Shen Anran smiled too. Today's crowd had taken her by surprise. Many people bought extra to take home. In just a blink of an eye, they had sold one hundred and ten servings within a few hours. When she saw the income in the drawer earlier, she almost couldn't believe her eyes.
"Mm, that's why we need to carefully make this dish. I bought instant noodles so it will be done quickly," she said, her eyes shining slightly as she tried to reassure her mother.
Liu Meilan nodded, but after a moment she hesitated.
"Anran'er… don't be angry at Mommy, okay? I…" She paused, unsure how to continue.
For almost their entire lives, they had lived frugally. They ate like paupers sometimes, barely remembering what good meat tasted like. Whenever Zhao Jianwei went fishing and had a good catch, they ate fish and shrimps. Other than that, most of their money went into buying fields, rice, sometimes wheat. They had saved and scrimped until they owned farmland they could depend on.
Fancy meals like these were rare.
They didn't even own a television, so how would they learn such things?
Shen Anran had always been encouraged by Zheng Shan to buy nice clothes and dress up, especially for Zhao Jianwei. She often bought new outfits to look good for him.
And now… where was he?
Liu Meilan sighed unconsciously.
"Anran," she said finally, holding her daughter's hands and looking into her eyes, "tell Mommy where you learned to prepare all these meals. Even I can't make some of them. It's been a long, long while since we had such good food."
Her voice softened.
"You can tell Mommy. I will keep your secret."
Shen Anran was stunned.
Secret?
"Ah, Mother," she said quickly, almost playfully, "are you saying one cannot have talent?"
How could she tell her mother she wasn't the original Shen Anran? That she was someone who came later, carrying memories that didn't belong to this body?
"Ah, I…" Liu Meilan felt flustered. She didn't mean to undermine her daughter's talent. She just felt… uneasy. Her daughter had changed so much.
"Mother," Shen Anran whined lightly, trying to ease the tension, "there are recipe books nowadays. And cooking shows. I know we don't have a TV, but Shanshan has one. Whenever I visit, I watch those programs. I also bought some recipe books. I'll show you. You can learn too."
It was a half-lie.
Before, Shen Anran had truly believed she and Zhao Jianwei would end up together. Whenever she came to Yuxi County alone, she volunteered to help in kitchens for small tokens. That was how she learned. Sometimes she even got leftovers she couldn't bring home.
She wanted to cook well so people wouldn't look down on her or Zhao Jianwei whenever they visited others or hosted guests — just like in the movies.
So she had bought five or six recipe books and kept them carefully under the iron clothing box her father had given her, planning to use them when they moved to Haicheng.
But that day never came.
"Okay," Liu Meilan nodded slowly. "I'll go keep Lin Wanru company."
Shen Anran nodded and let out a quiet sigh of relief after she left.
Whew.
After a while, the aroma of braised beef filled the small kitchen space. It was rich and comforting, making their mouths water.
Shen Anran also prepared another batch of spicy crispy anchovies for the bankers. She packed them in transparent nylon bags and tied each one with a red string. She set the price at thirty cents each.
Soon, the rice her mother had boiled was ready. It was scooped into a food-retaining flask.
Shen Anran stepped outside, wiped the blackboard clean, and rewrote the menu carefully. Then she sat down beside Lin Wanru and chatted while waiting.
At 2:15, customers began entering the stall.
Some brought new faces with them.
They began serving quickly, and before long, all portions were sold out. The noodles and rice were gone. Those who ordered spicy beef noodles praised the rich broth and ate until they were satisfied. Those who ordered rice enjoyed theirs too. Some chose braised pork, others braised beef.
Everything was cleared.
Soon, Shen Anran had to start apologizing to customers who came late.
"I'm sorry… we've sold out."
Some of them hesitated for a moment, then crossed the narrow road and entered the opposite stall.
That action bit Shen Anran in the heart.
She knew she had just lost money like that.
Next time, she would prepare more.
Business was getting better day by day. Although it had only been almost a week, they had already saved thirty-five yuan in personal savings and forty yuan toward the loan.
She felt deeply grateful.
Opening this food stall had truly been the right decision.