TATSD Chapter 95

The mooncakes had been selling for over a month and already had a steady group of daily customers. Even though Ji Wei planned to phase them out and replace them with his new meat floss cakes, he needed some time to transition. The daily supply of mooncakes was gradually decreasing, and anyone who arrived a bit late would find them sold out.

The best-seller was the lotus seed and salted egg yolk flavor. After so many sweet treats, customers found it refreshing to enjoy a pastry that balanced sweetness with a hint of salt.

As mooncakes became harder to find, customers began voicing their complaints, demanding an explanation from Ji Wei.

“Ji Wei, get out here!” yelled a woman who was a regular customer. She loved the salted egg yolk mooncakes and had lined up twice now only to be told they were sold out.

“I’m not leaving until you come out!”

“Yeah, Ji, you can’t just hide from us! At least give us an explanation!”

“I didn’t get any yesterday!”

“Same here.”

Hearing the commotion, Ji Wei came to the back curtain, listening for a moment until he understood that the fuss was indeed about the mooncakes. No surprise there.

Before, he had sold about a hundred of each type of mooncake daily. Since deciding to introduce the meat floss cakes, he’d reduced each type to twenty. Today, the shop had opened a little after dawn, and by mid-morning, everything was already sold out. Even if he hadn’t planned to phase out the mooncakes, he could have easily sold a hundred a day. Although the numbers weren’t low, they had dropped significantly compared to the two or three hundred pieces sold daily just a few weeks ago. Only the lotus and salted egg yolk mooncake still had consistently high demand; the other flavors had declined sharply.

So, phasing out the mooncakes and introducing new items was the right move.

“Here I am, here I am. If anyone has thoughts or suggestions, please let me know, and I’ll take them all into account!” Ji Wei opened the curtain and stepped out quickly. The waiting customers immediately crowded around him.

“I’ve missed out on the mooncakes so many times! Do you even want to stay in business?”

“You’re not planning to stop selling mooncakes, are you?”

“I have to get my egg yolk mooncakes! If you stop selling them, I’m done with this place.”

The crowd chimed in with their complaints, each person louder than the last. Ji Wei listened with a smile, raised his hand, and signaled them to quiet down.

“Everyone, please calm down. Let me say a few words.”

“Alright, we’re listening!”

“Go ahead!”

“Mooncakes are called ‘mooncakes’ because of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Now, Mid-Autumn has long passed, and the only reason I still sell them is because of everyone’s fondness for them.” Ji Wei paused, and someone in the crowd called out.

“Well, if we like them, why stop selling?”

“Costs are high, and it’s not profitable,” Ji Wei said, and everyone looked skeptical.

“That’s impossible. Just look at how many of us are here,” the woman who’d called him out earlier said, annoyed.

“Of course, people come to buy mooncakes. But most only buy the lotus and salted egg yolk variety, right? The other types aren’t selling, which shows that what people truly like isn’t mooncakes in general but specifically the salted egg yolk flavor.” Ji Wei’s explanation hit home, and the crowd fell silent, nodding thoughtfully.

“Well, it’s still a mooncake,” someone muttered.

“If you’re only interested in the salted egg yolk filling, that’s even more reason to trust me. I assure you, I can make other pastries with the same filling to satisfy everyone. I’m working on a new salted egg yolk pastry that I plan to launch soon.” Ji Wei had long planned this. Making just salted egg yolk pastries would allow him to price them higher, unlike the costly process of making a variety of mooncake flavors just to meet the demand for one specific kind.

However, making quality salted egg yolk filling was labor-intensive. To get the flavor just right—salty but not overly rich—required marinating the eggs for twenty-one days, yielding perfectly cured salted egg yolks.

With a slight smile, he added, “Actually, my new product, the meat floss cake, is excellent. If you’re interested, you should give it a try.”

“Meat floss? Like meat and…floss? Made with meat? Is it a stuffed cake?”

“Sounds a bit strange. Can it taste good?”

“Mooncakes still sound better. Never mind, if you’re not selling them, I’ll leave.”

A few people lost interest and left, but Ji Wei didn’t stop them. He turned to the dozen or so remaining customers and explained, “The meat floss in the meat floss cake is made with pork, while the cake itself is a sponge made from eggs. Since many of you may not be familiar with it, please wait a moment.”

Ji Wei asked those interested to wait and went to the back. He sliced four freshly made meat floss cakes into small pieces and brought them out on a plate.

Seeing the unfamiliar snack, the waiting customers showed curiosity.

Though they felt uncertain about the new treat, they couldn’t resist trying something made by Ji Wei himself. He had, after all, gained a reputation in Longliu Town over the past three months for creating unique and innovative pastries that everyone talked about.

And since pork was expensive, the idea of a pork-based snack—yet not a dumpling or stuffed pastry—intrigued them even more.

The golden treats on the tray caught everyone’s attention, with people craning their necks to get a better look. One person even jumped up a few times, accidentally bumping Ji Wei’s arm and nearly tipping the tray over.

“Be careful! What if it falls? This is made with pork!” a concerned woman scolded.

“These are the meat floss cakes,” Ji Wei explained, showing everyone the shredded meat. “For convenience, I cut them into smaller pieces. This is the meat floss itself, made from pork that’s been pounded until it’s stringy. Take a whiff; can you smell that rich, savory aroma?”

Ji Wei moved the tray closer to the crowd, and everyone instinctively took a sniff. Sure enough, there was a faint salty fragrance mixed with an unmistakable sweetness.

Sweet and salty? Just like the salted egg yolk mooncakes!

“How can pork be stringy like this?” asked someone close enough to see the tray up close, looking puzzled.

“What’s a sponge cake? Never heard of it before. Do you sell them here?” someone else asked. Since cakes required delicate preparation, they were typically reserved for wealthy households, so ordinary people had likely never encountered them.

When Ji Wei mentioned that sponge cakes were usually made for high-ranking families, people began to hesitate, thinking it would be out of their price range.

Just as they were about to disperse, Ji Wei called out.

“These meat floss cakes aren’t as expensive as you might think. Just four wen for one, or seven wen for two.” His words stopped them in their tracks.

“That cheap?” someone asked.

“Yes, since they’re made from leftover cake trimmings, they’re quite affordable and a great deal,” Ji Wei said with a smile. “If you’re interested, give them a try.”

He generously offered the tray around, and each person took a small piece, tasting it cautiously.

The flavor was extraordinary—softer than freshly steamed buns, with a moist texture that had a hint of sweet and sour. Each bite was juicy, and the shredded pork added a satisfying chewiness and crunch, making it more flavorful with each bite.

“This is delicious! I could swallow my tongue!”

“Is this made from pork and eggs?”

“Shopkeeper, give me five or eight of these! I have to bring some home for my wife!”

“If there aren’t any mooncakes, these meat…whatever cakes will do! Hurry, I’ll take two!”

“Please don’t rush,” Ji Wei called out. “This is a new product, and since I wasn’t sure how it would be received, I only made twenty today. Once they’re gone, that’s it. Please wait.”

The dozen or so people who had just tasted the meat floss cake urged him to hurry as he went back behind the curtain.

Once he stepped into the back room, he saw six or seven workers scatter in a hurry.

“Stop,” he called calmly, and they reluctantly halted. “Are you all finished with your tasks? What are you doing back here?”

“We just wanted to see how people were reacting,” one of them admitted, scratching his head sheepishly.

Ji Wei snorted, “No wandering around during work hours. Next time, I’ll dock two wen from each of you.”

The workers quickly returned to their stations, and Ji Wei called over Tian, a thin man who ran over. “What’s up?”

“Zhao Hu is gone, so we’re short a manager here. Since you’ve had schooling, you can keep an eye on things if I’m not around,” Ji Wei said, and Tian’s face lit up with surprise and gratitude.

Although Tian could read, he was neither as educated as scholars nor as physically strong as the other workers, so he often felt out of place. But working for Ji Wei had been a good fit, and now he was being promoted. Silently thanking his parents for sending him to school as a child, he bowed to Ji Wei, saying, “Thank you, Shopkeeper.”

“Since you’re managing, I’ll increase your hourly pay by two wen.”

“Thank you, Shopkeeper!”

Ji Wei waved him off to continue working, went inside, counted out twenty meat floss cakes, and brought them back out.

It wasn’t that he only made twenty, but he knew the importance of creating demand. Otherwise, people wouldn’t be so eager to return.

Sure enough, before he could even set the tray down, they were already snapped up by the waiting crowd. Those who managed to buy them left with joy, while those who missed out looked disappointed. Clearing his throat, Ji Wei called out, “Starting tomorrow, our new meat floss cakes will be available, with a limit of two per customer and a daily supply of fifty. First come, first served!”

Hearing this, some of those who had planned to leave turned back, eyeing the others who hadn’t managed to buy any with renewed interest.

After all, it was a treat made from pork and sponge cake, usually reserved for wealthy families. At just three to four wen, they had to come back for it!

Seven wen? That’s hardly anything, thought those who had tried it but hadn’t bought any.

Some who stayed behind were even more intrigued by Ji Wei’s mention of a new salted egg yolk pastry. A particularly curious woman followed him, asking exactly what it was.

“You’ll know once it’s ready,” Ji Wei said with a smile. “No need to rush; just wait patiently.” But she persisted until, thankfully, a man rushed in from outside, giving Ji Wei a chance to escape.

“Brother Mao! How’s Ah Qiu feeling?” Ji Wei smiled apologetically at the woman.

“Alright, I’ll wait for the good news. Just don’t keep me waiting too long, Shopkeeper,” she said, taking the hint and leaving.

The man, Mao Lin, had entered with a tense expression that darkened even more at the sight of Ji Wei. Thinking of the change in Ah Qiu’s behavior, he scoffed, “Why do you care?”