621. Mother’s Business
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“Stinky, stinky tofu!”
“Got some stinky tofu…”
The bustling evening crowd on the pedestrian street was thick, with little stands packed with customers, but the stinky tofu stall had a pitiful handful of patrons.
The class teacher had brought over a little stool and was perched on the side of a clothing stall, absorbed in her phone, though occasionally glancing sidelong.
Through the dense crowd, one could sporadically spot the stinky tofu stall across the street, along with the slightly slimmer woman behind it than she used to be.
Not too long ago, Lin Nan’s great-grandmother had passed away, leaving her mother deeply sorrowful, neglecting her meals and tea for a week, which resulted in losing several pounds.
Her waist, which had previously been a bit puffy, now showed a hint of curve, and added to her recovering spirit, she actually looked unexpectedly more youthful and attractive.
There weren’t many customers for the clothing stall, but clothes were a hugely profitable industry. If a clueless girl who didn’t haggle came along, it could mean a bonanza.
Moreover, the clothing supplier was one of his students, so the wholesale price was likely cheaper than most online sellers, meaning even if the clothes were priced to match online shops, he still had a profit.
Thus, for the class teacher, the number of customers didn’t really matter; it all hinged on how many good sales he could secure.
But as for Lin Nan’s mother, stinky tofu was all about volume.
To attract customers, her prices were a little lower than the surrounding stalls, with a profit margin of only a couple of bucks. She aimed for a low-profit, high-volume approach but found that while the profit was indeed thin, the sales didn’t pick up.
After a whole half hour with no one showing interest, her mother finally couldn’t hold back and called out somewhat awkwardly.
“Stinky… stinky tofu, does anyone want some stinky tofu?”
“Make it a big one!”
Her mother turned around to see Lin Nan and Chen Yao grinning like children on a field trip.
“What are you two doing back here? Is grandpa okay?” Her mother deftly tossed a pile of tofu into the frying pan.
“All good! Look, we’re about to leave and grandpa’s all smiles!” Lin Nan peeked into the pan.
Her mother’s stall setup was impressively complete, really giving off the vibe of a seasoned vendor. The real question was whether she had made enough money to cover the cost of this setup.
With her daughter and future son-in-law nearby, her mother started flipping the tofu, launching into a rant about her recent experiences running the stall.
Given that this was a hub for street vendors, the city management wouldn’t bother to chase them away; they just collected a sanitation fee. But with her business being lukewarm, if things didn’t pick up, she might just pack it in. A good business would be worth celebrating, but being stuck in the middle was the worst.
And since her stinky tofu was cheaper than others, she had been confronted and berated by a few rival stall owners nearby. Thankfully, Lin Nan’s class teacher had stepped in to defend her.
The tofu was soon fried to perfection. After sprinkling on some seasonings, she piled them into a paper box and handed it to Lin Nan, her spirits a bit deflated.
Due to her eagerness to make money, she hadn’t spent much time with her father since the great-grandmother’s funeral, and even during these days with Lin Nan, she hadn’t really connected much. Yet she still hadn’t turned a profit.
Taking the stinky tofu her mother handed over, Lin Nan took a bite and found it acceptable, generously praising, “Mom, this is really good!”
With that, she shoved a piece into Chen Yao’s hands, looking all serious, “You try, Chen Yao, it’s really nice.”
“Really?” Chen Yao was a bit taken aback. Usually, anything Lin Nan handed him flavor-wise wasn’t exactly top-notch; otherwise, he wouldn’t be getting it.
Carefully taking a bite and looking up at her mother’s expectant gaze, Chen Yao gave a thumbs-up, “Not bad!”
It truly was decent, but it all depended on who you compared it to.
Her mother beamed, and Lin Nan promptly pulled out the cash from her pocket to offer to her mother, “Mom, this is the money grandma gave you.”
Staying at Chen Yao’s house, she could get whatever she wanted. The leftover cash on her card was sufficient for outings, and her grandma’s money didn’t really hold much value for Lin Nan anymore—it was better off in her mom’s hands.
Her mother instinctively started to refuse, but Chen Yao quickly shifted the topic, “My mom wants you to come over for dinner in a couple of days.”
“Hmm?”
“She wants to discuss the renovations for our wedding house; that place was finally delivered not long ago,” Chen Yao mumbled, “But I think just me and Lin Nan should go; we both study design. This is something we can handle.”
Everyone knows that parents’ taste in design can be downright cringe-worthy. While they might not know much about design, they at least had some sense of aesthetics.
As soon as the subject of the wedding house came up, Lin Nan’s mother brightened up, taking charge enthusiastically, “You’re still young, so leave it to me! I guarantee you’ll be living in comfort!”
But comfort…?
Lin Nan and Chen Yao exchanged glances, a not-so-good premonition settling in.
Please don’t let it be a riot of colors with a gaudy, bright red feature wall.
Lin Nan’s smile began to look forced. “Mom, you don’t need to put so much thought into it; it’s a few months down the line. Right now, we’re just discussing designs.”
“I get it. No worries, it’s all on me!” Her mother was particularly excited, “Chen Yao’s parents are busy managing the hotel; I’ll be there to supervise and make sure they don’t cut corners!”
Do you really understand, though?
Their idea of “design” probably involved pointing at the house and just winging it based on verbal descriptions.
And while Chen Yao and Lin Nan had studied CAD at school, only the basics, it would just take a little online searching and they could whip up a 3D model of the house design in no time.
Feeling increasingly uneasy.
Just then, a group of customers showed up, immediately ordering ten portions of stinky tofu, making Lin Nan’s mother spring into action. Seeing this, Lin Nan and Chen Yao decided to take their leave and continue shopping.
Upon reflection, it seemed that everyone around them was getting their lives in order.
Lin Nan considered her friends.
After graduating, she figured she would get her marriage certificate with Chen Yao, and the wedding would depend on circumstances. Meanwhile, her mother was dating the class teacher; Tu Junhui and Liu Xinyi were probably still dancing around each other in the confusing phase of attraction, unclear if something would blossom over the summer.
But considering Tu Junhui’s peculiar dating standards, that seemed unlikely.
Xiong Da was happily wallowing in his collection of figurines—good for him.
Her grandfather was gradually emerging from the shadow of great-grandma’s passing, her cousin had found a job, and even the often exasperating Cola had found a companion in Lemon.
Suddenly, Chen Yao seized Lin Nan’s wrist with a cheerful grin, pulling her toward a nearby women’s clothing store. “Let’s buy you an outfit!”
“I don’t need anything!”
“But you only wear those few outfits,” Chen Yao insisted, tugging her along.
Perhaps it was a remnant of her past male self, but Lin Nan didn’t share an inclination for stuffing her wardrobe with clothes. She usually rotated between two or three outfits, making it seem like she was as broke as a joke when buying something for her future wife.
Lin Nan couldn’t match Chen Yao’s strength and feared what might happen to him if she used magic against him, so she just stumbled along, permitting him to drag her into the store.
