Chapter 60: Failing to Steal Business

At first glance, Tong Chuxue could tell that the Tong family's mooncakes were no match for theirs. Anyone who bought one and took a single bite would immediately realize how shoddy they were and that they were not worth the money. However, the Tong family also knew their fillings were meager, so they priced them slightly lower at seven copper coins each.

Those who were stingier preferred to buy from the Tong family's stall.

"Chuxue, how could they do this?" Xu Jinniang asked with a distressed look. She could not understand why the Tong family, given that she and Chuxue had already left them, would stoop so low as to steal their business.

"Mother, you don't need to worry. Their mooncakes simply cannot compare to ours. Let's just focus on selling ours," Tong Chuxue comforted her.

In truth, Tong Chuxue was right. While a few customers were lured to the Tong family's stall today, those who actually tasted the mooncakes ultimately insisted on buying from Tong Chuxue.

The two representatives from the Tong family today were the daughters-in-law, Zou Hongping and Tian Zhaodi.

Last night, Tong Yu'er, upon returning from town, did not go straight home. Instead, she stopped by the Tong family residence first and recounted everything she had seen on the street to Zou Hongping.

Zou Hongping immediately realized this was a golden opportunity. Tong Chuxue was merely adding some meat to her mooncakes and selling them. How hard could that be? It was not as if their family did not know how to cook.

She immediately sought out Old Madam Tong.

Upon hearing that Tong Chuxue's business was booming, Old Madam Tong was inevitably tempted. Yet, making meat-filled mooncakes still carried some risks. However, all her hesitations vanished the moment Tong Yu'er mentioned that Tong Chuxue was selling her mooncakes for ten copper coins each.

Mooncakes priced at ten copper coins each would easily recoup any production costs, no matter how high.

The family conferred late into the night and decided to make a batch of meat mooncakes to poach customers from Tong Chuxue.

Thus unfolded tonight's scene on the street.

It had to be said that thanks to the Tong family's low pricing and the groundwork laid by Tong Chuxue's enthusiastic promotion earlier, people had already grown receptive to this novel treat, allowing the Tong family to secure some sales.

Because of the high cost, the Tong family had only made a hundred mooncakes today. At seven copper coins each, they pocketed seven hundred copper coins that evening.

When Tian Zhaodi and Zou Hongping returned home with a pouch of money, Old Madam Tong was overjoyed. Clutching the money pouch tightly, she refused to let go and immediately ordered her daughters-in-law to make another hundred tomorrow.

Though Zou Hongping and Tian Zhaodi felt exhausted making that much in a single day, they felt the fatigue was well worth it.

Meanwhile, Tong Chuxue did not alter her plan because of the Tong family's emergence and still instructed everyone to prepare five hundred portions.

Xu Jinniang worried aloud, "Should we really prepare this much today? The Tong family made money yesterday, so they'll probably sell even more today."

"Auntie, don't worry. The mooncakes at the Tong family's stall are simply not as delicious as ours, and they might not sell as many today," Lu Hui'an said.

Xu Jinniang cast a doubtful glance at Lu Hui'an. The Tong family's business had clearly been thriving yesterday; why would they fail today?

To this, Lu Hui'an merely offered a mysterious smile and gave no further explanation.

As the only person present who shared an understanding with Lu Hui'an, Tong Chuxue comforted Xu Jinniang, "It's fine. Just wait and see."

Soon, as dusk fell, Tong Chuxue appeared at the entrance of the medical clinic once more with five hundred fresh meat mooncakes.

Customers gathered around as before.

"Ah, your fresh meat mooncakes are still the best. I bought some from that newly opened place yesterday, and they were simply dreadful," a customer complained to Tong Chuxue. "You have no idea—the meat inside their mooncake was just a tiny lump, smaller than a quail's egg, yet they dared to charge seven copper coins for it. Worse still, they dumped so much Sichuan pepper into the filling that with a single bite, my mouth was completely overloaded with pepper and my tongue went numb."

While packing the mooncakes, Tong Chuxue explained, "To remove the gamey taste from our meat filling, we use ginger water. If we used Sichuan pepper, the customers' dining experience would suffer terribly upon taking a bite."

"Ain't that the truth? Anyway, their mooncakes are truly awful," the customer remarked, taking the wrapped mooncakes and not forgetting to sigh before walking away.

"Mother, look, didn't I say the Tong family's business wouldn't last?" Tong Chuxue said to Xu Jinniang.

Upon seeing the Tong family's mooncakes yesterday, she had realized they were utterly clueless about business, completely devoid of sincerity, and practically treating customers like fools. How could a business run that way possibly succeed?

As she spoke, a commotion arose not far away.

A shrill female voice shouted, "Let me tell you, my child got a bad stomachache from eating your stuff! If you don't compensate me today, I'll smash your stall to pieces!"

Tong Chuxue stood up and looked into the distance to see a plump middle-aged woman dragging a young boy toward the Renren Medical Clinic.

The young boy looked pale, his steps unsteady, completely drained of energy.

He was followed by a tall man, while Tian Zhaodi and Zou Hongping trailed behind, kept under the man's watchful eye.

Though the two women dared not fight back physically, their tongues did not stop wagging.

Zou Hongping protested, "Don't go around framing people blindly! Who knows what your child ate all day long? How can you pin this on our mooncakes?"

Tian Zhaodi chimed in, "We sold so many mooncakes yesterday, and your kid is the only one who had issues. Chances are your child just has a weak stomach and you're blaming us."

The plump woman, distressed by her child's suffering, grew furious and snapped back, "Bulls***! My son eats pretty much the same things every day, except he tried one of your mooncakes yesterday for the first time. If it's not the mooncakes' fault, whose fault is it?"

The group wrangled as they moved toward the medical clinic.

The plump woman took her child straight into the clinic to see the doctor, while Zou Hongping, noticing Tong Chuxue sitting by the entrance with a look of detached amusement, grew thoroughly displeased.

"What are you looking at, you heartless little wretch? When it comes to making money, you won't bring along people from the Tong family, but you're always quick to side with outsiders."

Tong Chuxue was almost amused to the point of laughter by Zou Hongping's words. Back when the Tong family had gone to great lengths to drive her and Xu Jinniang out of the house, no one had considered them family. Now that there was money to be made, they remembered to spout such nonsense.

"Auntie, instead of wasting your breath cursing me, you'd better worry about yourself first," Tong Chuxue said coolly.

Inside, the diagnosis for the plump woman's son had come out: nothing serious, simply diarrhea caused by eating unclean food.

Armed with the doctor's conclusion, the plump woman glared menacingly at Zou Hongping. "You heard it all! My son got a bad stomachache precisely because he ate your mooncakes. Pay up!"

Zou Hongping refused to concede. "What nonsense are you spouting? Your own son ate something bad, so why blame our mooncakes? For all we know, there's something wrong with the food you cook at home."

The plump woman insisted her son fell ill because of the mooncakes, while Zou Hongping and Tian Zhaodi stubbornly refused to admit fault. The two sides remained locked in a stalemate.

At that moment, other voices arose from the crowd.

"My stomach felt a bit off last night too. I didn't think much of it, but it seems it really was related to those mooncakes."

"No wonder! My daughter threw up right after a meal yesterday; so the mooncakes were the problem."

"Oh my, thank goodness I didn't cheap out and buy their mooncakes. Cheap goods are never good."

A meddlesome onlooker even pulled out a mooncake bought earlier and handed it to the doctor, asking, "Could you take a look and tell us if there's something wrong with this mooncake?"

The resident physician cut open the mooncake, tasted the meat filling inside, stroked his beard, and said, "The meat in this mooncake had already spoiled. They simply added a large amount of Sichuan pepper to mask it, which is why people didn't notice at first. But upon careful tasting, you can tell the meat's flavor is already compromised."

The crowd erupted in uproar.

"It was spoiled meat all along? That is utterly ruthless and devoid of conscience."

"Indeed! How could anyone be so wicked?"

Zou Hongping and Tian Zhaodi, who had been acting so righteous just moments ago, were now exposed on the spot by the doctor and lost their footing entirely.

In truth, this wasn't quite what they had intended. When making the mooncakes initially, Tian Zhaodi had asked Old Madam Tong for money to buy fresh meat, but the old woman had been too stingy. After much deliberation, she came up with a terrible scheme: she went to the butcher's and bought a large quantity of spoiled meat to use as filling, adding plenty of Sichuan pepper and ginger to conceal the stench.

The plump woman screamed for compensation, threatening to drag them before the magistrate if they refused.

Tian Zhaodi had always been timid. Upon hearing the word "magistrate," she immediately paid out one hundred copper coins to settle the matter, and she also covered the doctor's consultation fee.

Tong Chuxue felt not a shred of sympathy for Zou Hongping and Tian Zhaodi's miserable plight; they had brought this entirely upon themselves.

However, such a golden promotional opportunity could not be missed.

Consequently, the crowd exiting the medical clinic was swiftly drawn to Tong Chuxue's stall, where she welcomed them with a radiant smile.

"Rest assured and buy from us, everyone. Our pork is freshly slaughtered this very morning—it couldn't be fresher. Besides, we are the original sellers of fresh meat mooncakes on this street."

Hearing this, the crowd surged around Tong Chuxue's stall, voices overlapping as they shouted, "Give me a few!"

Meanwhile, Zou Hongping and Tong Yu'er could only shuffle past Tong Chuxue's stall with reddened eyes. The throng of people was so dense that some eager customers blocked their path.

Tian Zhaodi accidentally bumped into someone and was promptly rebuked, "Watch where you're going! Are you blind?"

Tian Zhaodi desperately wanted to snap back, but knowing they were in the wrong and that making a scene would only backfire, she had to swallow her bitter humiliation.

Packing up the remaining fresh meat mooncakes, the two of them slunk away in disgrace.