**Chapter 98: Tofu Pudding Goes Viral! So Delicious!**
1522 Words
Finally, their first sale!
For the very first bowl of tofu pudding sold that day, Jiang Tingyun was generous — a hefty portion, piled high with toppings like seaweed and dried shrimp until it formed a small mountain.
Guo Bing took the bowl carefully, scooped up a small spoonful, and put it in his mouth.
That one bite blew him away.
The texture of this tofu pudding was incredible — so smooth that it slid down his throat before he even noticed.
And the soybean flavor was rich and full, filling his mouth with fragrance. With the dried shrimp, scallions, and pickled mustard root, all kinds of flavors collided on his tongue — fragrant from the tip of his tongue all the way to his back molars.
But the absolute highlight was the boss‘s sauce. It was incredibly savory — the words “salty, fragrant, fresh, and spicy” couldn’t fully capture it. It blended perfectly with the tofu pudding, and the taste was even better than the one he remembered from his childhood.
“Boss, this tofu pudding is absolutely delicious.”
Guo Bing finished a bowl in no time, slurping it down.
Still unsatisfied, he quickly asked, “Can I get this to go? I want to take a few bowls home!”
“Of course!” Jiang Tingyun grinned and started packing. See? Business was picking up.
Two young women passing by were also drawn in by the commotion at the tofu pudding stall.
“Hey, this is a tofu pudding stall! Let‘s get some — it’s been so long!”
Without a second thought about the shabby tricycle setup, they immediately gathered around, chattering excitedly.
“Boss, you have sweet tofu pudding too!” One of them, wearing a scarf with a panda pattern, exclaimed excitedly.
She was from another province, working here. She‘d loved sweet tofu pudding since she was a child, but ever since moving here, all the stalls sold savory or spicy versions. This was the first time she’d seen a sweet tofu pudding stall.
Jiang Tingyun nodded quickly. “Yes, we have two sweet flavors — osmanthus honey, and brown sugar with honey red beans.”
The panda-scarf girl immediately said, “Brown sugar! I‘ve been craving that flavor for ages!”
“I’ll take savory,” the other girl said. She was local and had never tried sweet tofu pudding. She hesitated for a moment, then played it safe with savory.
Hehe — two more orders.
As the stall slowly got busier, Jin Feifan and Zhu Lili jumped up to help add toppings and handle payments, working together seamlessly.
Tofu pudding was quick to prepare. The panda-scarf girl paid and soon received a large bowl of brown sugar tofu pudding.
The moment she got it, she was won over by its appearance.
The tofu pudding was layered in snow-white, tender folds, looking smooth, fresh, and incredibly tempting.
Topped with thick, dark brown sugar syrup — rich and concentrated — and dotted with honey red beans that had been cooked until soft and almost sandy.
The strong bean aroma mixed with the sweet fragrance of brown sugar and red beans. Even before it reached her mouth, it had already sweetened her heart.
When the tofu pudding finally entered her mouth, she was surprised to find that this ordinary tricycle stall‘s offering was this delicious.
The brown sugar looked thick, but the flavor was light and refreshing. The honey red beans were shiny and translucent — one gentle press and they completely broke down into sweet bean paste, melting on the tongue along with the tender tofu pudding as it slid down her throat. Sweet, fragrant, and not at all cloying.
“This is way too good!”
The two girls — one eating sweet, one eating savory — praised it in unison.
“Boss, I want another bowl! Give me the osmanthus honey one this time!”
The other girl looked at her friend in surprise. “Wait, didn‘t we say we were going to try every stall at the night market? This is only the first one, and you’re already on your second bowl?”
The panda-scarf girl savored the taste of the tofu pudding with a blissful expression.
“But it‘s just so delicious. I don’t care if I can‘t eat anything else — I have to try every flavor!”
Though they were small and thin, their voices carried. Their excited chatter made the tofu pudding stall look like the hottest spot around.
“Young ladies, is this tofu pudding really that good?” An elderly woman carrying a full bag of incense leaned in.
“Yes, yes! It’s really good! Ma‘am, you have to try it.”
“Alright then, Boss. I‘ll have a bowl of savory tofu pudding.”
“Oh, me too. I’ll have the osmanthus one.”
The tofu pudding stall quickly attracted several customers. They got their bowls and, instead of wandering off, stood around the stall eating. Compliments rang out one after another.
“Oh my, this tofu pudding has such an amazing texture!”
“Eating a warm bowl of tofu pudding in winter — this is true happiness!”
“You look familiar, Boss. Are you from Qionghua Restaurant? No wonder it tastes this good!”
“So rich and fragrant. Boss, you‘ve got serious skills. Even better than the master who’s been making tofu pudding at the alley entrance for decades.”
“How did you make this osmanthus honey? It‘s incredibly fragrant. And the quality is outstanding! Hey, Boss, are you selling this honey? Just sell the honey to me!”
Gradually, more and more people came to buy tofu pudding. A line actually formed at Jiang Tingyun’s stall.
Once the line appeared, it created a snowball effect — attracting even more people. The Qionghua crew was busier than ever.
In comparison, the teppanyaki squid stall next door looked utterly deserted.
Xie Defa‘s face was ashen. He grilled his squid with barely concealed resentment, unable to stop cursing under his breath. “Damn it. That shabby stall must have hired fake customers.”
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The two large buckets of tofu pudding didn’t even last until the New Year‘s Eve bell rang. They were almost sold out.
Jiang Tingyun’s prices weren‘t particularly cheap, but perhaps because it was New Year’s Eve and everyone had red envelopes burning holes in their pockets, no one complained about the cost.
As midnight approached, the bell tolls from Phoenix Temple grew more frequent.
The snack night market suddenly emptied out by more than half. Visitors rushed to the temple, hoping to be the first to burn incense and pray for good fortune in the new year.
Seeing that there was no one left, Jiang Tingyun suggested, “Xiao Jin, Xiao Zhu, do you want to go check out Phoenix Temple? From the main hall platform, you can see the whole temple. And I heard the government is setting off fireworks after midnight — the view is great from there. Go have fun.”
Jin Feifan and Zhu Lili were tempted, but they felt bad leaving Jiang Tingyun alone. They tried to drag her along.
“Boss, come with us! There’s only a little tofu pudding left — keep it for our late-night snack.”
“I‘m not going. After the incense burning, people will come back,” Jiang Tingyun shook her head. “Besides, too many people give me a headache. You two go ahead.”
Seeing that they couldn’t persuade her, they finally left.
“Boss, we‘ll just watch the fireworks and come right back!”
Jiang Tingyun wasn’t interested in crowds. Now that most customers had gone to the temple, she found a small stool and sat down to play on her phone.
The cold wind kept blowing against her back. Even with her good physical condition, she felt a chill.
Before she left, Uncle Liu had insisted her down jacket was too thin and made her wear one of his thick cotton coats. The coat looked heavy — who knew how many years he‘d owned it or how many times he’d washed it. Wearing it was like wearing a block of iron — not warm at all.
She really should have known better than to listen to Uncle Liu.
Just as she was shivering in the wind, she suddenly felt her back warm up.
Turning around, she saw that Pei Jingmo had returned. He was standing right behind her, blocking the cold wind.
Jiang Tingyun smiled slyly. “Xiao Pei, you‘re back so soon? How did things go?”
Pei Jingmo frowned, looking annoyed. “Couldn’t find any mice. Had to improvise. Annoying. Defa Home Cooking got off easy this time.”
Jiang Tingyun wasn‘t too bothered.
“It’s fine. We don‘t need to lower ourselves to trash like that.”
- Writer
