Song Qiao ran out of the shop and looked at the retreating backs of the crowd, who were covering their noses and fleeing, then at Li Lili and Lin Jing.
"Why are they running?"
"...It's too stinky."
"Stinky tofu is supposed to smell bad but taste good. It's supposed to be stinky!"
"But they don't know that," Li Lili said matter-of-factly.
"Don't know?"
Song Qiao said in surprise, "Isn't stinky tofu sold on every street corner across the country? Even if they haven't eaten it, they should have heard of it or seen it!"
Li Lili and Lin Jing exchanged glances.
"Boss, who told you that?" Li Lili asked.
"Isn't it?"
"Of course not."
Lin Jing chimed in, "If I wasn't working for you, I wouldn't have eaten stinky tofu either."
*Slap!*
Song Qiao slapped his forehead and gave a wry smile. "How could I forget that!"
In more than twenty years, stinky tofu would be sold in major cities and even many towns across the country, but not now.
In 1995, there were places where stinky tofu was eaten, such as Changsha and Chengdu, but it definitely didn't include their third-tier city of Beicheng.
Beicheng was in the south, and its cuisine was close to the light flavors of Cantonese food, but they never had a habit of eating stinky tofu.
As for some young people, they knew about stinky tofu, but only from Hong Kong movies. Very few people had actually tasted it.
"It's all over!"
"I completely forgot that most people in this era haven't eaten stinky tofu. I chose this hellish snack to start with!"
"My five thousand yuan is going to go down the drain!"
Song Qiao looked at the pedestrians covering their noses and fleeing outside the shop, feeling helpless. Changing people's prejudice and eating habits towards a food was definitely not an easy task.
Especially since he had to earn thirty thousand yuan within a month...
Time waited for no man!
Li Lili and Lin Jing looked at their crestfallen boss and then at the empty shop, a sense of desolation washing over them.
They felt that today was their first day officially working, and their layoff date might be fast approaching.
They then looked at the already prepared stinky tofu.
*Gulp!*
Lin Jing unconsciously swallowed.
"If you want to eat it, just eat it. We can't sell it anyway."
Song Qiao directly pushed a portion of extra spicy stinky tofu in front of Lin Jing.
"Then... I won't stand on ceremony."
Lin Jing, as if afraid Li Lili would snatch it from her, wolfed it down. The smelly tofu in her mouth tasted like heavenly delicacy.
Her enraptured expression made Song Qiao want to have some himself.
"That's not right!"
Song Qiao said strangely, "Lin Jing, I asked you to try the first portion of stinky tofu the other day, and you were acting like you were being forced to eat poison. Why are you eating so greedily now?"
"It's because I hadn't eaten it before, and the smell of stinky tofu was really unbearable. The other day, I almost threw up just smelling it."
Lin Jing, with a blush, put another piece of stinky tofu into her mouth and said vaguely, "But after eating it a few times, I got addicted to it... It's just a little spicy."
Addicted!
Song Qiao's eyes lit up, and he suddenly felt enlightened, as if he had found the secret to traffic.
That's right!
In later generations, stinky tofu and luosifen became so popular nationwide precisely because their unique flavors made people crave them after just one taste!
If there's no market, then cultivate one.
Three days were enough to make a beauty like Lin Jing devour stinky tofu regardless of her image.
"I'll improve the taste a bit, reduce the spiciness, and it will appeal to the people of Beicheng!"
"I want to see thousands of people in Beicheng queuing up to buy my stinky tofu in three days!"
Song Qiao regained his energy and said cheerfully, "You two watch the shop, I'm going to buy two megaphones and be back soon."
Watching Song Qiao dash off like a gust of wind, Lin Jing and Li Lili exchanged glances, thinking, "The business is bad, has the boss gone crazy?"
...
Thirty minutes later, Song Qiao had a table set up outside the shop, with over a dozen portions of stinky tofu prepared on it.
Li Lili and Lin Jing were wearing maid uniforms, each holding a megaphone and shouting: "Free... free tasting of stinky tofu, no money... not a single cent..."
No money?
This immediately attracted the attention of passersby, who covered their noses and gathered around. Soon, dozens of people had assembled.
People all over the world loved a good bargain. Anything free was always popular.
"Is it really free?"
"Of course, it's free to taste."
"...But it's so stinky."
The person had walked up to the front, but then covered their nose and mouth and hastily retreated.
Li Lili and Lin Jing suddenly felt a bit panicked. They had thought for sure someone would take advantage of the free offer.
Who knew that it was so stinky that no one dared to come near.
They looked to Song Qiao for help, only to find that Song Qiao was not panicked at all. He picked up a megaphone.
"Everyone, listen to me. Stinky tofu isn't unique to us. Changsha and Chengdu have already been trying it, and after I brought stinky tofu to Beicheng, I've also improved the craftsmanship and flavor. It's not that spicy, and it's sweet and delicious with just one bite..."
Hearing Song Qiao's words, everyone started whispering and discussing among themselves.
In 1995, the development of cities varied greatly.
Especially in a third-tier city like Beicheng, it was far behind cities like Changsha and Chengdu. Now, hearing that even those places ate it, they were extremely curious.
But despite their curiosity, no one dared to try.
"He talks a big game, but I'm not daring to eat it."
"Yeah, this thing smells like shit. I suspect he dug out the public toilet on our street..."
"..."
The crowd was buzzing, and seeing that they were about to disperse, Song Qiao finally started to feel uneasy.
If the first shot didn't hit, how could he talk about earning thirty thousand yuan in a month, redeeming the property deed, and living a good life with his wife and children!
But what should he do!
As Song Qiao racked his brain for a solution, his eyes swept over a figure, and his eyes lit up immediately.
...
"Isn't that Zhao Dayi's kid?"
"I heard Zhao Dayi died in a car accident. This kid's mom died a long time ago. Now, look, he has to beg for a living..."
When Song Qiao walked over with a homeless man, everyone clearly recognized him and started murmuring.
Beicheng hadn't developed yet, and people in the neighborhood still knew each other. Especially around the intersection, there were many relocated housing units, and they all used to live in the same village.
"Do you want to eat it?"
Seeing the homeless youth, Little Zhao, staring at the stinky tofu and swallowing, Song Qiao smiled and said, "Don't worry, eat as much as you want. It's all free!"
"Really free?"
The homeless youth, Little Zhao, saw Song Qiao nod, immediately stepped forward, took a disposable cup from Li Lili, and without using chopsticks, grabbed the stinky tofu with his hands and stuffed it into his mouth.
With the first bite, Little Zhao froze.
"How is it?"
"What does it taste like?"
"Is it delicious?"
"Does it really smell bad but taste good?"
"..."
The onlookers around asked him in a flurry of questions.
Little Zhao didn't say anything, just ate a piece or two in quick succession, licked his lips, and grabbed several more pieces into his mouth.
After finishing the portion in his hand, Little Zhao quickly looked at Song Qiao, "Bo-, boss, can I have another free portion?"
"Is it really that good?"
At this moment, the surrounding onlookers could no longer suppress their urge. Someone couldn't help but say, "Give me one too!"
With the first person speaking up, countless others wanted to try.
The crowd suddenly became lively.
"Everyone gets one!"
Song Qiao smiled.
He had done big business before, and he had forgotten that hired hands were indispensable in grassroots businesses.
This was the idea that struck him the moment he saw the homeless youth, Little Zhao.
Although there wasn't enough time to prepare a hired hand, as long as he found someone who would absolutely not refuse, Song Qiao was confident he could conquer him with the taste and turn him into a hired hand!
Thinking of this, he immediately took the megaphone from Lin Jing and shouted, "Everyone gets one! Please line up, everyone gets a share, all for free!"
...
By 5 p.m., all three hundred portions of stinky tofu prepared by the shop had been given away for free.
"Alright, we're not opening tonight. You two go home and rest."
Li Lili and Lin Jing exchanged glances and asked timidly, "Boss, do we still have to work tomorrow?"
Although all the stinky tofu was gone today, it was all given away for free, and they hadn't earned a single cent.
They both thought the shop was going to close down.
"Of course, you have to work."
Song Qiao smiled and said, "We'll continue to give away stinky tofu for free tomorrow, with five hundred portions. You'll be busy."
It's over, and still free!
It seems I'm really not far from being laid off.
...
The next day, the five hundred portions were all given away by 3 p.m.
"Boss, will it be free again tomorrow?"
"Dream on."
Song Qiao smiled and said, "These brats have eaten my free food for two days. Tomorrow is when I'll harvest the leeks."
...
On the morning of the third day, the shop hadn't even opened, but customers who had eaten free meals for two days had already arrived early to queue up.
*Creak!*
As he opened the shop door, Song Qiao picked up the megaphone and shouted, "Dear new and old customers, our shop is having a grand promotional event today, buy one get one free!"
What's going on?
It's not free?