This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 122 The Taoist Priest is Going to Set Up a Stall Too
As soon as Chen Shi'an opened the door, he smelled the aroma of sweet soup, which was several times stronger than usual.

Today is Saturday, and Li Wanyin is off work. Tonight, she decided to try her luck by setting up a dessert stall.

For Li Wanyin, this was a big deal. Because of this, Chen Shi'an declined the invitation to have dinner at Lin Mengqiu and Wen Zhixia's house and specially came back home for dinner, and would accompany her to set up a stall later.

"Sister Wanyin—"

"Shi'an's back?"

"Is Sister Wanyin cooking?"

"Okay, I'll stir-fry some vegetables, and we can eat in a little while."

The kitchen range hood was humming, and the sounds of woks and spatulas sizzling filled the air. A plate of freshly cooked fish was already on the table, and Li Wanyin, wearing an apron, was cooking in the kitchen.

Chen Shi'an changed his shoes and walked into the house. Two buckets of sugar water were placed in an empty space in the living room.

The two 15-liter stainless steel food insulated containers were bought by Li Wanyin on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace) a few days ago. For tools and containers used for street vending, there is actually no difference between second-hand and new ones. The main advantage is that they can save a lot of costs.

"When did you finish making the sweet soup, Sister Wanyin?" Chen Shi'an called out into the kitchen.

The range hood was loud, and the wok was sizzling. If an ordinary person were to shout in the living room, the person cooking would have a hard time hearing them. But Chen Shi'an's words seemed to be ringing in her ears, and Li Wanyin heard them very clearly.

"I made it this afternoon and then left it in the living room to cool. Shi'an, you can try it first."

"Okay."

Chen Shi'an went to the kitchen and brought out bowls and chopsticks, then scooped out some sugar water to taste.

One bucket contained mung bean syrup, and the other contained taro sago pudding, which had now cooled to room temperature.

These are all sweet soups that Li Wanyin is very good at making, and she makes them quite often.

The bucket is 15 liters, but it wasn't filled to the brim with sugar water; I'd estimate it was about 12 liters.

In addition to mung beans, Li Wanyin also added lotus seeds, lily bulbs, dried tangerine peel, and other ingredients to her mung bean soup.

It's clear that Li Wanyin put a lot of effort into making this sweet soup for her first time setting up a food stall. She specially broke open the lotus seeds and removed the cores to avoid bitterness, soaked the dried lily bulbs in advance, and soaked the dried tangerine peel in advance to remove the white pith. Not only was it clean and hygienic, but it also tasted quite good.

From Chen Shi'an's perspective, there is certainly room for improvement, but for ordinary people, there is really not much to complain about with this mung bean soup.

As Chen Shi'an was enjoying the sweet soup, Li Wanyin brought out the dishes.

She untied her apron and, watching Chen Shi'an earnestly savor the sweet soup, said somewhat nervously:

"How is it? Is there anything wrong with the taste?"

"It's delicious. Compared to the mung bean soup and taro sago dessert sold outside, I give Sister Wanyin a perfect score."

Chen Shi'an smiled and turned his head, giving her a thumbs up in a trendy manner.

Li Wanyin's tense expression finally relaxed, and a smile appeared on her face as she held up two bowls of rice and invited Chen Shi'an to eat.

"Has Sister Wanyin calculated the costs?" Chen Shi'an asked her while eating.

"Yes, yes, it must have been calculated."

Li Wanyin casually picked up a handwritten sheet from the table and handed it to him to look at.

"The mung bean soup and taro sago dessert each use about 12 liters. The mung bean soup uses 3 catties, lotus seeds 150 grams, lily bulbs 100 grams, dried tangerine peel 30 grams, and rock sugar... The total cost is about 28 yuan; then the taro sago dessert uses 4 catties of taro, 2 catties of sago, sweet potato, purple sweet potato, coconut milk... The total cost is about 57 yuan."

How many bowls can you sell?

"I've already bought disposable bowls and chopsticks, about 300 ml per bowl, but they won't be full. If it's 12 liters, after accounting for some error, I estimate it should be enough to fill more than 40 bowls."

What price?

"Just sell it at the same prices as other vendors: mung bean soup is three yuan a bowl, five yuan for two bowls; taro sago is six yuan a bowl, ten yuan for two bowls."

Chen Shi'an was good at math and quickly calculated the total price. Assuming all the food was sold, the revenue from mung bean soup could reach a maximum of 120 yuan and a minimum of 100 yuan; the revenue from taro sago could reach a maximum of 240 yuan and a minimum of 200 yuan. Assuming all the revenue was calculated at the minimum, and not considering equipment and labor costs, the mung bean soup could earn at least 70 yuan and the taro sago could earn at least 140 yuan.

"So if we sell them all, wouldn't Sister Wanyin earn at least two hundred?"

"It has to be able to sell out completely."

Li Wanyin chuckled, "I've been observing and researching these past few days. There are quite a few stalls selling sweet soup along the Xijiang River, since the barrier to entry is low. However, most of them have only average sales. It's very likely that they'll only sell less than half of the sweet soup they make in a whole night. When doing business, you have to factor in the losses. The profit margin for sweet soup seems large, but the shelf life is too short. If you don't sell it all tonight, you have to throw it away when you close up shop. It's not like household goods, which won't spoil if you leave them out, so you can make small profits but quick turnover."

"So I started by selling sweet soup to test the waters and gain some experience. It will be much easier to sell milk tea and fruit drinks later. The profit margin for milk tea and fruit drinks is also very large, but compared to sweet soup, they can be made on the spot and the raw materials are not easy to spoil. It's just that the threshold and start-up capital are higher than selling sweet soup."

"It seems that Sister Wanyin has done a very thorough job of preparation."

"Of course I need it, so my goal tonight is simple: break even first!"

"To break even, selling about ten copies of each should be enough."

"Um-"

Li Wanyin nodded while eating, and said conservatively, "Doing business is not easy. It's not uncommon to not sell a single item. So let's try our best. On the first day of setting up the stall, we should try to sell twenty items to break even. That would be a success!"

Li Wanyin wasn't trying to save face. After all, it was her first time setting up a stall, and she was as nervous as if she were taking an exam. Forget about dreaming of selling everything in one night and making two hundred yuan; she genuinely felt that just breaking even would be good enough. If she lost money on her first time setting up a stall, it would be quite a blow...

When does Sister Wanyin plan to start selling milk tea?

"Hmm... I need to save some money first."

All you need to sell sweet soup is two insulated containers. You can cook the sweet soup at home and bring it over to sell.

She hasn't yet acquired all the equipment and tools needed to sell milk tea. Basic equipment includes ice makers, sealing machines, hand-cranked tea barrels, and insulated refrigerators, as well as auxiliary facilities such as portable workbenches and outdoor power supplies. She also needs to purchase custom-made, high-quality cups, straws, and other packaging supplies, and a stall cart. All in all, not counting the cost of raw materials for making milk tea and fruit drinks, even if she buys all the equipment secondhand, it will still cost three to four thousand yuan.

Li Wanyin felt ashamed. She had only recently found a formal job and hadn't even received her salary yet. She really couldn't afford to earn even three or four thousand yuan.

Fortunately, Chen Shi'an is now sharing the rent and food expenses with her. With only a little over 800 yuan left in her pocket, she estimates that she should be able to make it to the end of the month without any problems. There are only 12 days left. The company pays salaries on the 5th of each month, and it will be paid earlier if it is a holiday. On the 30th, she will receive her first salary of 3,500 yuan for the probationary period of her formal job.

Li Wanyin has a feeling that her work has been going smoothly lately. She has a premonition that after she becomes a full-time employee next month, she should be able to get the highest monthly salary of 6,000 yuan. With 6,000 yuan in her account every month, Li Wanyin feels that she will have a lot of room to try things out freely.

"Sister Wanyin, don't you have enough money?"

"Um……"

"Are you struggling financially lately?"

"It's alright. Although I couldn't find a job before, I've been working part-time, and with some New Year's money and such, it's no problem."

"How much investment would I need to set up a milk tea stall?"

"I'd estimate around three or four thousand yuan..."

"I'd like to borrow Sister Wanyin."

Chen Shi'an spoke up naturally: "Teacher Wan transferred the revenue from the video views to me twice before, which added up to a lot of money. I don't need it for the time being. If Sister Wanyin needs it, I can lend it to you first."

Over the years, Master had lent money to many people, and Chen Shi'an had also lent things to many people. Seeing that Li Wanyin was in trouble, Chen Shi'an took the initiative to ask for help.

Unexpectedly, Li Wanyin refused quite decisively, almost without thinking.

"No need, no need! You don't have much money yourself, and making money is so difficult. You still need to study in the future. If you lend me the money, what will you do?"

"It's not like I'm giving the money to Sister Wanyin. She can pay me back when she has the money in the future."

"No, no, that would be transferring my risk to you... Don't worry, I have my own plans!"

Li Wanyin has never borrowed money from anyone in her life. Since starting university, she has been working part-time on weekends to earn her living expenses. She has never even used platforms like Ant Financial or Huaba, for fear that one day she would not be able to pay it back. She has always lived a law-abiding life and has never dared to overspend.

She didn't want to borrow money from Chen Shi'an, partly because she was worried he wouldn't be able to pay it back, and partly because he was Chen Shi'an... If it were the other way around, she could lend him 800 yuan of the only 827.3 yuan she had left in her WeChat account without hesitation, and keep the remaining 27 yuan to buy steamed buns for herself, but she would never borrow a single penny from him.

Just so tough!

The poverty of her roommates only intensified Li Wanyin's desire to earn money.

Tonight's goal for setting up the stall can't just be breaking even! I absolutely have to make at least a small profit!
Seeing that Li Wanyin insisted on not accepting his help, Chen Shi'an gave up.

After the meal, the siblings cleaned up the dishes and the kitchen together, and then prepared to set up their stall by the Xijiang River.

Li Wanyin had already prepared everything she needed for setting up her stall well in advance.

A price tag with a QR code for payment, two packs of disposable bowls and chopsticks and plastic bags, a night market-specific light sourced from Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace marketplace), a folding cart sourced from Xianyu, and two buckets of sweet soup.

She had assumed that Chen Shi'an would go to Uncle Lin's house for dinner as usual, and she was planning to set up her stall herself, since it was her own business and she hadn't thought of asking Chen Shi'an for help. But she didn't expect Chen Shi'an to offer to help her set up her stall.

Of course I was touched...

Then Chen Shi'an returned to his room, took out a dark blue cloth, and put some wood carvings, handmade incense, and calligraphy and paintings he made in his spare time inside. He wrapped these trinkets in the large blue cloth and skillfully tied the cloth into the shape of a bundle, which he then tied diagonally on his shoulder.

"Shi'an, what's wrong with you...?"

“Set up a stall. I’ll go with Sister Wanyin to set up a stall and give it a try. I’ll tell fortunes and sell some trinkets.”

Li Wanyin exclaimed in surprise, "Are you serious?!"

"Give it a try." "Then why don't you change out of your school uniform? I feel like people might trust you more if you wear a Taoist robe."

"It doesn't matter. I don't force others to believe me. If they are willing to believe me, that's their fate. I have no reason to force them to believe."

Li Wanyin felt inferior to such a state of mind. Just how much confidence did she have to say such a thing?
While others try to please others when doing business, Chen Shi'an sets up a stall with an attitude of "take it or leave it" or "buy or don't buy," which makes him seem like a very sophisticated person.

"Shall we go now? It's almost seven o'clock, let's get there early and find a good spot!" Li Wanyin said.

"Okay, let's go."

Chen Shi'an took the initiative to lift two heavy stainless steel insulated buckets.

Including the weight of the bucket itself, plus the approximately twelve liters of sugar water inside, a single bucket weighs twenty-eight kilograms.

"Shi'an, I'll take this. You just hold the price tag for me." Li Wanyin said, reaching for the bucket in his hand.

"Let me do it. Is Sister Wanyin stronger than me?"

Chen Shi'an smiled and started carrying the bucket up the stairs.

The heavy bucket of sugar water seemed as light as a feather in his hands, and the sugar water inside didn't even shake.

It's great to have a young and strong younger brother at home. If it weren't for Chen Shi'an, Li Wanyin would have to go downstairs twice to carry all this stuff, making two trips up and down nine flights of stairs. She would be exhausted...

"Sister Wanyin, aren't we leaving yet?"

"coming--"

Li Wanyin snapped out of her daze, quickly grabbed the folding cart and price tags, and followed him downstairs with her bag on her back.

Once downstairs, Li Wanyin unfolded the folding trolley. This type of trolley is designed for camping and picnics and has a strong load-bearing capacity. The two sugar water buckets fit securely inside, and it comes with four wheels, so you can pull it like luggage.

With the trolley, Li Wanyin stopped Chen Shi'an from having to carry the buckets; she pulled the trolley herself.

"How much did Sister Wanyin pay for this little stroller?"

"Hehe, sixty-five!"

"so cheap?"

"Yes, I bought it from Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace)."

Li Wanyin also shops online, but she uses Pinduoduo and Xianyu the most. Although these two platforms have many flaws, they are really good platforms for people who are short of money.

The two went to set up a stall by the West River, and the black cat naturally wanted to join in the fun. Fei Mo had been waiting for them in the community for a long time. When he saw Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin coming over, the cat raised its tail and followed.

Chen Shi'an carried a bundle on his back and held a price tag made by Li Wanyin in his hand.

As the two people and the cat walked out like this, they attracted the attention of many neighbors in the community.

It's seven o'clock in the evening now, and it's already getting dark. Many neighbors who have finished their dinners are taking a walk in the neighborhood.

Seeing that Li Wanyin was pulling a small cart with two large stainless steel buckets inside, it was unclear what they contained;
But one look at the price tag in Chen Shi'an's hand told them everything—

"Mung bean soup, three yuan a bowl, five yuan for two bowls..."

"Taro sago pudding, six yuan a bowl, ten yuan for two bowls..."

"Xiao Chen, are you guys going to set up a stall?"

Having lived in the neighborhood for more than half a month, Chen Shi'an, an elder, had become quite familiar with many of the elderly people who liked to stroll around the neighborhood. Seeing the young man setting up his stall, the elderly people asked him a question out of curiosity.

"Yes, they're all homemade. Uncle Yang, Aunt Zeng, would you like to buy a bowl and try them?"

"Xiao Chen, did you make this yourself?"

"My sister Wanyin made it; she's a great cook!"

"Oh! This is the woman you were talking about who shares an apartment with you?"

"Correct."

Seeing Chen Shi'an talking to these elderly men and women, Li Wanyin also stopped walking.

Compared to Chen Shi'an, she had lived in the neighborhood longer. These elderly men and women looked familiar to her, but she had never spoken to them. She didn't know when Chen Shi'an had become so familiar with them.

Perhaps among all the young people in the neighborhood, only Chen Shi'an was willing to chat with these elderly folks...

"Grandpa and grandma, would you like some sweet soup to try? It's all freshly made." Seeing that Chen Shi'an had spoken first, Li Wanyin also started doing business.

"Sure, I just finished eating and am taking a walk here. Xiao Chen, could you get me a bowl of mung bean sweet soup?"

"it is good."

Business came so suddenly that even Li Wanyin herself didn't expect that she would start a business before she even left the gate of the community.

Li Wanyin acted swiftly, opening the lid of the stainless steel thermos, taking out a disposable bowl and spoon from her bag, and serving Grandpa Yang a bowl of mung bean soup.

"how much is it?"

"Three yuan a bowl, Grandpa Yang, will you scan the code or pay in cash?" Chen Shi'an pointed to the price tag in his hand.

"Then let's use WeChat."

Mr. Yang, who is in his sixties, is quite familiar with WeChat Pay. He opened his phone, squinted, and slowly scanned the QR code.

Soon, Li Wanyin felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and a notification sounded: "[WeChat payment of three yuan]"
Thanks to Chen Shi'an, Li Wanyin successfully completed her first business deal, and she was very happy!
Put the packaged mung bean soup into a bag and hand it to the old man with both hands.

"Thank you, uncle."

"Xiao Chen, then give me two bowls of taro sago pudding," Aunt Zeng said from the side.

"it is good."

Chen Shi'an chatted with the group of elderly men and women, while Li Wanyin excitedly packed up sweet soups. Business was coming in so fast, it felt like a dream. Chen Shi'an was indeed her lucky star!

If it weren't for Chen Shi'an being there, these elderly folks wouldn't have come to help!
Retired elderly people are always a group that likes to join in the fun. Seeing the commotion, the elderly people around gathered around to watch.

After Grandpa Yang and Grandma Zeng tried the sweet soup on the spot and nodded in praise, other elderly men and women followed suit and placed orders. Some bought it to take home for their families, while others were with their grandchildren and wanted to buy it for their children to try.

"Xiao Chen, give me four bowls of mung bean sweet soup, can you give me a discount?"

"Of course, the more you buy, the more discounts you get."

"Xiao Chen, I'd like two bowls of taro sago pudding and two bowls of mung bean sweet soup."

"Xiao Chen, your sweet soup is really good, much better than what you buy outside. Could you pack two more bowls for me? I'll take them upstairs for my granddaughter to try later."

……

In just a short while, a considerable amount of the sweet soup that was intended to be sold at a stall along the Xijiang River was sold within the neighborhood.

After the elderly people who had gathered there dispersed, the siblings walked back out of the residential area.

"Sister Wanyin, how many have you sold just now?"

"We've sold eleven bowls of mung bean sweet soup and ten bowls of taro sago pudding!!"

Li Wanyin remembered the number clearly, her eyes sparkling, her face full of disbelief.

"Isn't that..."

"We broke even!!"

Li Wanyin really wanted to hug Chen Shi'an and kiss him.

Before setting up my stall, I never imagined that I would achieve my small goal before even leaving the gate of my residential area.
Next, we'll go to the West River and sell every bowl of sweet soup there; it'll be pure profit!

Although it was all small amounts of money, it really made her feel incredibly happy!

"Shi'an, thank you so much! How do you know so many elderly people?"

"When I run into them in the morning or on my way back, I chat with them."

Chen Shi'an smiled and said, "It's mainly because Sister Wanyin's sweet soup is delicious. The older folks are picky; if it wasn't good, they would have left long ago."

"That's all thanks to you that we were able to make these deals."

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the entrance of the residential area, and Uncle Zheng, the security guard, was already at work.

"Uncle Zheng, would you like a bowl of sweet soup?"

Another deal.

(End of this chapter)