Chapter 58: A Bad Start

"Still, ten cash each? Isn't that a bit too expensive?" Lin Chunyan was full of misgivings. Even with meat filling, ten cash per piece was simply too steep a price.

However, Luo Huian's suggestion satisfied Tong Chuxue. She nodded, "In my opinion, we can try selling them at ten cash each first. If it really doesn't work out, our families can just split the leftovers among ourselves. One hundred pieces isn't that much anyway."

Lin Chunyan was dumbfounded by Tong Chuxue's generous remark. One hundred meat-filled mooncakes—what if they couldn't sell them and took a massive loss? Why wasn't this little girl worried at all?

Tong Chuxue wasn't actually unconcerned, but she understood that doing business meant taking risks. They could afford the potential loss right now, and it would be a shame not to try. Besides, once a price was set too low, it would not be easy to raise it later.

The next day, everyone woke up early to get to work, managing to whip up a batch of one hundred fresh pork mooncakes.

Tong Chuxue fetched a large wooden crate to store the freshly baked mooncakes, asked Luo Huian to write on a wooden sign, and boarded Tong Shan's ox cart to head into town.

No other villagers from Qingshan Village needed to go to town today, so it was just the few of them. In a way, Tong Shan's ox cart was essentially chartered, and Luo Changhua served as the driver.

Upon arriving in town, Tong Chuxue and her group went straight to the Benevolent Medical Hall to find Boss Cheng, asking him for a small spot by the entrance to set up a stall. In return, Tong Chuxue gave ten fresh pork mooncakes to Cheng Qian as a token of appreciation.

Cheng Qian retreated to the back hall, took a bite, and couldn't help but sigh in admiration. This Tong Chuxue truly possessed remarkable skills; he had never tasted mooncakes so delightfully savory before. He immediately summoned a shop assistant and ordered him to dispatch five mooncakes to Liao Hong in the capital via expedited courier.

As for Liao Hong's boundless praise upon receiving them and the curiosity it aroused in others, that is a story for another time.

Tong Chuxue chose her spot and propped up the wooden sign.

The others looked at each other, tacitly keeping silent. For them, crying out to peddle goods on the public street was still somewhat embarrassing.

Tong Chuxue, however, had no such reservations. She called out, "Fresh pork mooncakes! Fragrant and delicious fresh pork mooncakes, packed entirely with meat!"

This street was the bustling center of the town with heavy foot traffic. Passersby caught the word "meat" and instantly perked up, their gazes involuntarily drifting toward Tong Chuxue's stall.

An older woman stopped out of curiosity, asking, "What kind of mooncakes are these?"

"Auntie, these are called fresh pork mooncakes. They're made with pork, freshly baked this very day, and they smell heavenly," Tong Chuxue recommended enthusiastically.

"How much?"

"Ten cash each."

"Ten cash for a single mooncake? Why don't you just go rob someone?" The woman's face darkened, and she walked away.

With the very first customer reacting this way, Xu Jinniang, who was already anxious, became even more unsettled. She whispered, "Chuxue, do you think we won't sell a single one today?"

"Mother, our items are priced high. It's only natural that people take a moment to accept it," Tong Chuxue comforted her.

Soon, a middle-aged man stopped in front of the small stall. "What did you call these mooncakes—fresh pork mooncakes? How come I've never heard of them?"

"Uncle, these are the latest trend in the capital. It's only natural you haven't heard of them," Tong Chuxue fibbed with a straight face.

"From the capital?" the man asked in astonishment.

"Of course! They just became popular in the capital, and everyone there will be eating fresh pork mooncakes this Mid-Autumn Festival. Why don't you buy one to try? For just ten cash, you get to eat the exact same thing as the great officials in the capital," Tong Chuxue said.

"Ten cash!" Upon hearing the price, the man shook his head repeatedly. "That's stuff for high-and-mighty officials; I can't afford that."

With that, he walked away.

Two customers in a row were chased off by the price. Lin Chunyan's resolve wavered as well. "Chuxue, perhaps we should lower the price a little?"

Luo Huian flatly rejected his mother's suggestion. "We cannot lower it."

"But..." They wouldn't be able to sell anything at all, Lin Chunyan thought to herself.

As for Tong Chuxue, she wasn't worried in the slightest.

"Hey, how much are your mooncakes?" A young girl, looking about thirteen or fourteen years old, stood before the stall and asked with a haughty expression.

"Ten cash each."

"Wrap up two for our young miss." As she spoke, the girl fished twenty cash out of her pocket.

Tong Chuxue cheerfully acknowledged the sale, nimbly wrapped the items, and handed them over.

The girl took the mooncakes, ran over to a small sedan chair nearby, and passed the package through the curtain. It appeared she was a maidservant buying treats for her mistress.

The maid stood outside the sedan chair and asked after a moment, "Young Miss, how does it taste?"

"Not bad," the young miss inside replied. "I've never tasted mooncakes like this before. Go back and buy twenty more to take for Father, Mother, my older brother, and younger sister."

Thus, the maid hurried back to Tong Chuxue's stall. "Give me another twenty."

"Coming right up!" Tong Chuxue smiled brightly as she packed a large bag of fresh pork mooncakes for her.

The maid's bulk purchase piqued the interest of nearby pedestrians. People craned their necks to take a peek, eager to see what kind of wonderful delicacy could prompt someone to buy so many at once.

The maid left with her mooncakes, but the crowd of onlookers did not disperse.

Seeing that a crowd had gathered and the timing was just right, Tong Chuxue picked up a snow-white, charming fresh pork mooncake and raised her voice. "Everyone, what I hold in my hand is called a fresh pork mooncake. It's a new trend from the capital this year, featuring a flaky pastry crust on the outside and pure meat filling on the inside."

As she spoke, Tong Chuxue broke the mooncake apart with her hands, revealing the overflowing meat filling inside, which left everyone gasping in amazement.

"So much meat!"

"Is this a meat bun or a mooncake? Why is it packed entirely with meat?"

"How could it be a meat bun? Show me which steamed bun shop is generous enough to put this much meat inside!"

"People in the capital sure are wealthy. They can afford to eat things like this."

Striking while the iron was hot, Tong Chuxue said, "Actually, our fresh pork mooncakes aren't expensive at all. They are filled entirely with top-quality pork belly, yet they cost only ten cash each. Besides, there is only one Mid-Autumn Festival in a whole year; nobody eats like this every single day. Buy a few to take home and let the elders and children at the house have a treat—isn't that wonderful?"

Several people in the crowd were swayed by Tong Chuxue's words. True, ten cash wasn't cheap, but buying a few to sample something new wasn't a bad idea, especially since meat was usually only tasted during major festivals.

"Give me two."

"Give me four."

With a few people taking the lead, the situation opened up smoothly. Tong Chuxue and her companions all pitched in, and soon the remaining fresh pork mooncakes were completely sold out.

Some impatient buyers took a bite right on the spot and praised, "So delicious!"

The surrounding people watched the meat juices spill from the fillings and swallowed hard. "Little girl, do you have any more fresh pork mooncakes?"

Tong Chuxue replied, "Today's batch is sold out, but we will come back tomorrow, right here at this spot. You are welcome to come tomorrow."

"You must come back tomorrow, you hear?" that person instructed.

"Rest assured, I will definitely be here," Tong Chuxue answered with a smile, her hand clutching a heavy pouch of coins.