Gu Panpan smiled broadly. "Sir, this is bingfen. It's cool and refreshing—better than a popsicle for beating the heat."
"There isn't even any ice in this. How could it be more refreshing than a popsicle?"
"We’re offering free samples, sir. Why don’t you try a little first?"
As Gu Panpan spoke, Hou Yong, quick-witted, pushed a bowl of the dessert, drizzled with brown sugar, toward the man.
The middle-aged man took the blue-and-white porcelain bowl. The slightly translucent bingfen, paired with the rich, fragrant sweetness of the brown sugar, looked promising. Since it was free, he figured he had nothing to lose.
He lifted the bowl and gulped down the bingfen. The cooling sensation rolled from his mouth all the way to his stomach, and the sweat that had been soaking his clothes all morning seemed to vanish in an instant.
"Tsk, this stuff is actually pretty interesting."
The man licked his lips, still craving more. "What did you say this was called again?"
"Bingfen. It’s fifty cents a bowl."
Hou Yong quickly produced an empty bowl. "We just opened up, so be our first customer of the day. I’ll add an extra scoop for you—it’s a scorcher out there; you need to cool off."
As he spoke, Hou Yong’s hands never stopped moving. He filled a large bowl and placed it in front of the man. "We have brown sugar, raisins, hawthorn bits, and syrup. Which one would you like?"
"Oh... I’ll take the brown sugar, then."
The man hesitated for a moment, looking at the mountain of bingfen in his bowl. He wanted to refuse, but Hou Yong was just too enthusiastic, and besides, the cool treat was genuinely delicious.
...
While Hou Yong washed the bowls, Gu Panpan looked at the small denomination bill in her palm, her heart overflowing with joy. This was their first profit, and it held special significance.
She carefully folded the bill and tucked it into her inner pocket. She had already decided in her heart that when they were better off, she would definitely put this money in a frame.
After about two hours, the market was beginning to clear out. Despite a promising start, the overall sales were not ideal; they had only sold ten bowls of bingfen in total, and that was even with Hou Yong pushing the product with all his might.
"It’s okay, Brother Yong. This is already pretty good—we made five yuan."
Seeing Hou Yong frowning in thought, Gu Panpan stepped forward to offer a gentle word of comfort.
Was five yuan a lot?
It was. For this era, making five yuan in a single morning was certainly not a small amount. But it fell far short of Hou Yong’s expectations. He felt that something was wrong, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Oh, don't be discouraged, Brother Yong. I heard that the construction site on the south side of town is hiring. They pay three yuan a day. I’ll go apply later and try to help share the burden, okay?"
"Hiring?"
Hou Yong’s eyes lit up. He finally realized where the problem lay.
His target consumer base was wrong, so the product naturally wouldn't sell well. This street consisted mostly of local residents, and since it was a workday, the only people out shopping were the elderly. These elders had lived through the most difficult times and were reluctant to spend money on food or clothing, saving everything for their children and grandchildren. Asking them to spend fifty cents on a bowl of bingfen was essentially impossible.
In fact, two elderly people had asked earlier if they could take the bowls home for their grandchildren and return them later, but Hou Yong had politely declined. It wasn't that he was afraid they wouldn't return the bowls, but they simply didn't have enough bowls to spare; if he let them all go, he wouldn't be able to stay in business.
"Let’s go, Pan'er. Let's head over to the south side of town."
Hou Yong packed up the stall efficiently, loaded most of the supplies into his basket, and led Gu Panpan toward the south side.
The south side was a municipal redevelopment pilot zone. Word had it that a state-run factory was moving there, so the old town area was being renovated for dormitories and family housing. Because the project was on a tight schedule and involved investors from Hong Kong, the wages were significantly higher.
Hundreds of workers were toiling under the scorching sun at the construction site. In the center stood two large water vats with three dippers beside them for anyone who was thirsty.
The midday sun was fierce, and the water in the vats had turned lukewarm. It quenched their thirst but did nothing to cool them down. Many of the workers were shirtless, but they couldn't stop the sweat from pouring off them; drops hit the ground and were instantly evaporated by the sun. Yet, because the pay was so good, they all gritted their teeth and kept at it.
Hou Yong set up his stall in the shade of a large tree about fifty meters from the site. There were no tables to rent, so he simply set up on a large gray brick, spreading his own sweat-stained undershirt over it to serve as a makeshift tabletop.
"Bingfen for sale! The ultimate summer cooler—if it isn't delicious, you don't pay! Free samples, first come, first served!"
Hou Yong raised his voice again. The workers had been too hot to speak, all silently burying their heads in their work, but the sudden shout drew every eye toward them.
The workers didn't catch much, but they heard the word "free." Those nearby immediately crowded around.
"Hey buddy, what's this free sample you’ve got?"
"It's bingfen, made especially for cooling down in the summer. It works better than a popsicle. Eight free samples, first come, first served."
Eight bowls were lined up neatly on the stone, each containing a block of crystal-clear jelly topped with raisins and crushed hawthorn. It was appetizing just to look at.
The first few workers didn't even ask what it was; they just picked up the bowls and downed them.
They couldn't quite describe the exact taste, but the cooling sensation traveled from their mouths to their stomachs, and the heat from a morning of hard labor faded significantly.
The eight who had tasted it smacked their lips, still wanting more, while the others who had crowded around grew curious about what this "bingfen" actually was.
The herd mentality had existed since time immemorial, and soon, all the workers were gathered around.
"Gentlemen, the bingfen is fifty cents a bowl. Would you like one?"
Gu Panpan spoke up at the right moment, her tone tinged with a bit of shy uncertainty.
The worker who had just tasted the bingfen glanced at Gu Panpan, pulled a small bill from his pocket, and thought about tossing it on the table, but decided to hand it to her directly instead.
"I’ll take one! Hurry up, give me a bowl. This stuff is way better than a popsicle."
"Oh? Um, okay!"
Perhaps surprised by how easily the deal was made, Gu Panpan hesitated for a split second before her face lit up with a smile. She immediately started scooping the bingfen, while Hou Yong added from the side, "Sir, would you like brown sugar or hawthorn?"
"Hawthorn. It’s hot enough to kill you today; I need something to sharpen my appetite."
Gu Panpan filled a bowl, sprinkled it with hawthorn bits, and handed it over. The man didn't even use a spoon; he drank half the bowl in one breath. "Refreshing! This stuff really beats the heat. You guys should all try some."
With the endorsement from the others, the rest of the workers began to reach for their money.