nucmednet Chapter 196: Medicinal Food Stall Opens
Chapter 196: Medicinal Food Stall Opens
Before we knew it, the cart arrived at the house.
Cheng Yuntao jumped off the cart like a light bird, her figure nimble and agile.
The midday sun was scorching. The gray donkey pulling the cart was panting with its ears drooping. The servant's neck was sunburned red, and beads of sweat flowed down his chin and hit the coarse cloth collar, leaving dark water marks.
Cheng Yuntao saw this and felt sorry for him: "Brother, please wait a moment."
The guy who was helping to transport the goods thought that she had something to tell him, so he replied with a low "OK" and then stood there waiting obediently.
When Cheng Yuntao came out again, she was holding a coarse earthenware bowl with water droplets still seeping out from the sides. The fragrance of mint and honeysuckle filled the air. She handed the bowl to the waiter and said, "Brother, it's very hot today. You must have worked hard to come all the way here. Have a bowl of cold tea to quench your thirst."
When the waiter heard this, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes. He subconsciously took a step back, rubbing his hands nervously on the corners of his clothes, and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, how can I trouble you, young lady?"
Cheng Yuntao handed over the cold tea again, and said in a sincere and gentle tone: "Brother, please don't be polite. Drink some water before you go. It would be bad if you get heatstroke."
At Cheng Yuntao's repeated insistence, the waiter took the herbal tea, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
After drinking, he wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and handed the bowl back to Cheng Yuntao respectfully with both hands: "Thank you, young lady, you are so kind. I will take my leave first." After that, he turned around and drove away slowly on the donkey.
After the waiter left, Cheng Yuntao stood in the middle of the yard, cupped her hands to her mouth, and called out loudly: "Everyone, come and help, carry these soup bowls in!"
Hearing the noise, the people in the house rushed out, gathered around talking and laughing, and worked together to move the soup bowl into the house.
……
The next morning, Cheng Yuntao got up early and prepared the soups needed for the stall. After confirming that everything was correct, she followed Xu Ranyuan to the market.
Arriving at the market, the morning light gradually began to shine. Xu Ranyuan skillfully set up the consultation table and chairs. His movements were quick and efficient. In a short while, pens, inkstones, medicine boxes and other items were neatly placed on the table.
Cheng Yuntao, Jiang Yu and others were busy setting up a medicinal food stall and arranging the soup bowls neatly.
While Jiang Yu was busy, he looked up at Cheng Yuntao from time to time. Seeing that the sunlight was getting hotter and hotter, he was filled with worry. He quickly found a big umbrella from the pile of debris nearby and set it up steadily above the stall.
The moment the umbrella inflated, the sweltering heat was blocked out. Cheng Yuntao turned her head to look and saw Jiang Yu lowering his eyes to adjust the angle of the umbrella handle with a focused expression.
Although Xu Ranyuan chose to set up his medical stall under a lush tree, the mottled sunlight still filtered through the gaps between the branches and fell on him. He glanced at the large umbrella held up by Jiang Yu, then looked back at himself, occasionally casting a pleading glance at Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu seemed not to notice anything and was busy helping Cheng Yuntao tidy up the stall.
Xu Ranyuan couldn't stand the heat any more. He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and muttered to himself, "This kid only has his sweetheart in his eyes. He has completely forgotten about me, his good brother!"
Perhaps sensing Xu Ranyuan's resentful gaze, Jiang Yu finally stopped what he was doing, glanced at Xu Ranyuan, then dug out an old umbrella from among the sundries, casually tossed it to Xu Ranyuan, and said unhappily, "Here, hold it yourself."
Xu Ranyuan didn't despise it either. He caught the umbrella and opened it swiftly. He fiddled with it happily, muttering, "It's better to have it than not to have it..."
Before long, more and more people came to the market, and the noise was heard one after another. People passing by this new medicinal food stall couldn't help but cast curious glances.
The two children, Shaobing and Cheng Jingzhu, stood in front of the medicinal food stall, like two lively little birds, shouting at the top of their lungs.
Shaobing raised his head and opened his voice: "The market is bustling with people, and the summer heat is lingering in my heart. Don't panic, don't be anxious, look here, our medicinal food is a treasure. It has great nourishing and health-promoting effects. One bowl can make your worries disappear.
The price is reasonable and the quality is good. It’s really authentic when you have a cup of it!”
Not to be outdone, Cheng Jingzhu joined in the chant, "The bustling market is filled with noise, the heat is unbearable and the suffering is unbearable. Fortunately, there is a medicinal meal that can help relieve the heat and fatigue. It will relax your body and mind, and make you proud, and cast away all worries and fatigue. Don't miss it if you meet by chance, and enjoy this meal!"
The two people's voices were clear and pleasant, and they sang in harmony, attracting the attention of passers-by. In just a moment, a large group of people gathered in front of the stall, looking around curiously and whispering to each other.
An elderly man in a coarse linen shirt paced around the stall with his hands behind his back. Looking at the pile of soup bowls, he couldn't help but say, "There are so many soup bowls here. It's quite novel to see them all."
A woman carrying a vegetable basket nearby said, "It's called a medicinal food stall, but can the medicinal food be reliable? Who knows if the herbs in it are good?"
Some people in the crowd echoed this, while others murmured about the price. A young man frowned and speculated, "Anything with medicinal herbs in it must be expensive. Ordinary people like us probably can't afford it."
Everyone was talking at once, their eyes fixed on the stall.
Facing the crowd's discussion, Cheng Yuntao remained calm, cleared her throat, and said, "Dear neighbors, the soup we sell today is winter melon and lotus leaf soup, which contains several herbs such as stir-fried lentils, coix seeds, red beans, umbellate polypore, oriental rhizome, wild yam, and kapok flowers."
"Stir-fried lentils can strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness, and are very helpful for those with weak spleen and stomach and poor appetite; coix seed can promote diuresis and eliminate dampness, strengthen the spleen and stop diarrhea, and can help eliminate dampness in the body; red beans can promote diuresis and reduce swelling, detoxify and discharge pus...
"Finally, this winter melon can cool down and purge heat, and its sweetness benefits the spleen. Lotus leaves can clear away heat and dampness, strengthen the spleen and raise yang. In this scorching summer, drinking a cup of it can not only relieve heat and thirst, but also nourish the body. Why not? What's more, our price is affordable, only ten cents a cup!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone showed surprised expressions. Those who were originally hesitant were now excited, and the atmosphere in front of the stall became more and more lively.
At this moment, a shrill voice suddenly sounded in the crowd, and a middle-aged man in a gray cloth gown was seen with his hands clasped in front of his chest, his head slightly raised, with a hint of disdain and suspicion on his face.
"How dare you eat medicinal food that costs only ten cents? Everyone knows that seeing a doctor and getting medicine are the most expensive things. At this price, how can you get good medicinal materials?" After saying that, he curled his lips slightly, his eyes full of sarcasm.
As he spoke, he took two steps forward, pointed at the soup pot on the stall, and continued in a louder voice, "That little girl is quite eloquent. She just rattled off a bunch of medicinal herbs like pouring beans. All of them cost a lot of money. She even had to spend manpower and firewood to stew the herbs into soup, and then divide it into small portions, and then she only sells it for so little money. What's her profit?"