C13 Unexpectedly, It Was Very Popular!

Dong Xiaorou returned with her arms full and spotted Lee Zhi on the beach, idly chatting with a little girl. Puzzled, she inquired, "Whose kid is that?"

Lee Zhi shook his head, grinning. "No idea!"

"Brother, I gotta run!" The mushroom-haired girl crammed the last of her fish balls into her cheeks, puffing them out, handed the chopsticks back to Lee Zhi, and dashed off towards the beach, ball in tow, in search of her family.

That's when Lee Zhi rose from the sand to assist Dong Xiaorou with skewering fish balls, threading two onto each stick.

"You have a soft spot for kids?" Dong Xiaorou asked nonchalantly.

Lee Zhi chuckled. "I guess so. Wasn't that little one just adorable? She talks like she's all grown up—hilarious!"

Dong Xiaorou's tone remained even. "You gave that girl food without a second thought. Did you consider whether her parents would approve?"

"Huh?"

Lee Zhi paused, taken aback. Dong Xiaorou's comment made him second-guess his actions. Was it wrong to offer the girl a fish ball?

"Nowadays, parents are very protective of their children. You're a stranger giving out food. How can they be sure of your intentions?" Dong Xiaorou said with a gentle shake of her head.

"It's not like that, right?" Lee Zhi scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. He hadn't thought it through; he simply found the girl charming and knew kids couldn't resist a treat.

"What are you selling here?"

A tourist approached, drawn by Dong Xiaorou's presence. When Lee Zhi had been alone, not a soul had stopped by.

"Boiled fish balls," Lee Zhi replied.

"How much for a skewer?"

"five dollars each, two per skewer."

"five dollars each? That's steep!" The tourist scowled, clearly put off.

Dong Xiaorou interjected with a smile, "Our fish balls are homemade, pure fish meat, no additives—nothing like what you'd find at the market."

"Really? I'll take a skewer to try!" The man smiled, handing Dong Xiaorou ten dollars. She fished out a skewer of cooked fish balls and asked, "Want any seasoning?"

"Just plain, thanks!"

He accepted the skewer from Dong Xiaorou.

Lee Zhi mused to himself that beauty indeed sells; if he were peddling the fish balls, that tourist would've surely walked away.

"Let me get five more skewers!"

The customer, only a few meters away, turned back and handed over a fifty-dollar note without another word.

"Sure thing. Need them wrapped?"

"Got a box for these?" the customer inquired.

"Absolutely!" Dong Xiaorou had preemptively purchased large paper cups from the village store, anticipating such a need.

...

The mushroom-haired girl scampered onto the beach, where a lively group of young adults was engrossed in a volleyball game.

"Sister, sister, I need money!"

She barged into the middle of the game, hand outstretched.

The older girl, several sizes larger than the little one, halted the game and peered down at her sister, frowning. "Why do you need money?"

Tangtang turned to Lee Zhi and Dong Xiaorou, pointing in their direction. With her sweet, childlike voice, she exclaimed, "Let's go buy fish balls! They're so yummy. Big Brother just gave me one, but Tangtang still wants more!"

"Fish balls?"

"Which fish balls? Are they even clean? Have you eaten them?"

"I did! Big Brother gave them to me, and they're scrumptious. Sister, I need money. All of Tangtang's allowance is with you. If you don't give it to me, I'll tell Dad you're being mean to me." Pouting, the little girl glanced anxiously back at Lee Zhi's stall, worried that someone might snatch up all the fish balls.

Lee Ziyan couldn't help but smile wryly. She excused herself from her friends, ready to accompany her sister to get some fish balls. These friends, also her classmates, knew Tangtang well and were aware of her picky eating habits.

"Big Brother, Big Brother, Tangtang's here again! This time, you don't need to treat me—I'll buy my own!"

The little girl bounced over, her crescent-moon eyes beaming with joy.

Behind her, a group of six or seven young adults followed, their connection to the little girl unclear.

"How much for a fish ball?"

"Five bucks each," Lee Zhi replied with a grin.

"That much?"

Lee Zhi just smiled, having heard the 'that's pricey' comment more than once already that day.

"Expensive? I think it's super cheap! Donuts cost way more, and these fish balls are only five dollars. Not expensive at all, and they're so tasty. I'm treating you all today!" The mushroom-haired girl defended Lee Zhi, then turned to him, holding up her tiny hands, "Brother, I want this many!"

Lee Zhi chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"How many is 'this many'?" he asked, still smiling.

Blinking, the little girl shook her chubby hands, "This many means this many! You're so silly, Brother. Just count them!"

"Brother can't count that high. Let's see if this is enough for your 'this many'?" Lee Zhi laughed, scooping up ten fish balls into a paper cup and handing out five cups to the little girl and the young adults trailing her.

"I can't count that high either!" Tangtang giggled, accepting the cups. "Stingy sister, hurry up with the money. Why the glare? They're really good—try them!"

Taste doesn't lie; the tongue is one of the most sensitive organs, and it knows instantly if something is truly delicious.

"Ziyan, these are actually pretty good!"

Ziyan's classmates were pleasantly surprised after tasting the fish balls they took from Tangtang.

"Of course, they're good! Tangtang never tells fibs," the proud little girl declared.

Curiosity piqued by the crowd at Lee Zhi's stall, onlookers began to gather, eager to sample the fare.

A skewer of fish balls for ten dollars—some might balk at the price, but it was generally deemed reasonable. After all, anyone out and about with money to spare wouldn't fret over ten dollars.

Why not buy a skewer? Treat yourself, treat the kids, and savor the flavor!

"It's really delicious!" That seemed to be the unanimous first impression as the fish balls melted in everyone's mouths.

An elderly man, after savoring a bite, inquired, "Young man, did you make these fish balls yourselves?"

Lee Zhi replied with a smile, "Yes, we did. They're made of 100% fish meat, with no additives, preservatives, or even a pinch of seasoning."

"Do you sell them raw as well?"

"Indeed, we do. They're sixty-one dollars per catty, which is our wholesale rate to the public."

"I'll take two catties then. I want my grandson to try them!"

"Count me in for two catties as well!"

"Hey, young fella, I'll take ten catties!"

Exchanging glances, Lee Zhi and Dong Xiaorou were taken aback by the unexpected frenzy. The thrill of watching customers clamor over two, three catties was even more exhilarating than making two hundred thousand from Zhao Xueying.

"Please, everyone, settle down. We have a limited supply of fish balls today, just enough for a taste. If you'd like to place an order, you can reserve some with me. We'll tally up the amounts and ensure they're ready before you all head out tomorrow."

It was clear that the remaining hundred catties wouldn't meet the demand. The number of fish balls sold just today was staggering.

At sixty-one catties, exactly twenty fish balls made up one catty, and each was priced at three dollars—two dollars less than those cooked at small stands.

Lee Zhi kept the prices steady, opting not to mark them up. The factory could produce the fish balls in bulk, but the key was to move volume, even at the stall.

"They're not spicy enough. Hey, buddy, don't you have any hot and spicy ones? The fish balls are tasty, but they could use some heat!"

Spicy flavor?

Lee Zhi could only offer a wry smile and a shake of his head. He didn't have any spicy ones—just the plain flavor, which could be spiced up with chili powder if desired.

It wasn't until nine in the evening that Lee Zhi and Dong Xiaorou returned from the seaside. They hadn't stopped selling because they wanted to; they had simply run out of fish balls.

"We've hit the jackpot!" Lee Zhi bellowed joyfully upon their return to the factory, his voice echoing with unrestrained delight.

Dong Xiaorou just smiled, sharing in his happiness. She knew exactly how he felt. Not only was Lee Zhi over the moon, but she was thrilled too. In just one afternoon, they had sold no less than two thousand fish balls.