Chapter 9: Pancakes! Pancakes! (Recommendations and Favorites Welcome)

Chapter 9: Pancakes! Pancakes!

“Sir, are you here for a meal or to stay overnight?”

“Uh... I’m here looking for work.”

“Looking for work?”

“Oh, just looking for some tasks to do.”

“Uh, we’re fully staffed here. You’d better try somewhere else.”

“Sir, please have a seat—what do you need?”

“I’m here to find a job.”

“Perfect timing. We actually need a bartender.”

“Really? That’s great. What are the terms?”

“Room and board included.”

“That’s all?”

“Of course. What else do you want?”

——

At the dock.

“Brother, do you still need workers here?”

“If we do, can your little frame handle it?”

“Of course, I’m quite sturdy.”

“Alright then, take this and line up in the back.”

“Heh, got it.”

“Hurry up, you lazy servant, haven’t you eaten?”

*Clap clap clap! Bang bang bang!*

“Ouch, ouch!”

“Sorry, brother, I just remembered some family matters. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

——

Sigh. Who would have thought the employment pressure in Northern Song was even worse than in my own time? And those bosses—typical capitalists, damn it. Working till you drop, offering only room and board, no salary. It’s a total rip-off.

At most, in another month, Drunken Immortal Tavern will have to change hands. I have to seize this gap to find a job fast, or else I might really end up sleeping on the streets.

But after searching all morning, I haven’t found a decent job. I’m getting really anxious.

——

“Pancakes! Pancakes!”

Pancakes? Wu Dalang?

Li Qi’s face brightened as he whipped around, only to feel disappointed. The one shouting “Pancakes!” was not the legendary Wu Dalang, the short man under five feet tall, but an elderly man with white hair and beard. The old man wore a hemp shirt and carried a bamboo shoulder pole, slowly walking toward Li Qi while calling out.

Li Qi sighed deeply in disappointment.

Of course, Li Qi had no interest in Wu Dalang himself, but he was curious to meet Wu Dalang’s famously beautiful and flirtatious wife—Pan Jinlian.

However, according to the “Water Margin,” Wu Dalang was from Qinghe County and would never appear in the capital, Bianliang. Moreover, he was a fictional character whose historical existence remains uncertain. And most importantly, what this man sold wasn’t pancakes but steamed cakes—Li Qi had simply gotten it wrong.

Failing to find Wu Dalang, Li Qi’s stomach began to growl loudly. He had been running all morning without even a sip of water and was now starving. When the old man approached, Li Qi hurriedly asked, “Grandpa, how much for your pancakes?”

The old man smiled kindly. “One cash coin each.”

That’s cheap. Li Qi nodded, “Alright, I’ll have one first.”

Seeing a customer, the old man brightened and quickly set down his pole, lifting the lid from one of the baskets. Inside was a bamboo tray covered with a white cloth. When he lifted the cloth, Li Qi saw a basket full of pancakes—round, about the size of an adult’s palm, very thick, though their color was somewhat unappealing, looking almost burnt.

The old man took one pancake out, wrapped it in a yellow paper, and handed it to Li Qi.

“Thank you!”

Li Qi took the pancake and pulled out a cash coin to place in the old man’s calloused hand.

Li Qi had eaten countless varieties of cakes in his life, but he had never tried Northern Song pancakes before and was quite curious. His stomach was already empty, so he took a big bite.

Wow! How awful! What is this? Not even a hint of flavor.

Not only was it unpleasant, but it was hard to swallow. On the first bite, Li Qi nearly choked and hurriedly sought water from the old man.

“Cough, cough, Grandpa, do you have any water?”

The old man smiled awkwardly, “Young sir, I’m sorry, I drank all the water I brought earlier.”

Damn!

Inhale! Hold breath! Exhale!

Li Qi took several deep breaths before recovering.

“Are you alright, young sir?” The old man asked worriedly, seeing Li Qi’s red face.

Li Qi exhaled slowly, shook his head, and looked at the pancake in his hand, feeling like crying but with no tears. Yet hunger gnawed at him, and reluctantly, he began to chew slowly, trying to swallow bite by bite.

Who would buy pancakes this bad?

While chewing, Li Qi pondered this, feeling more incredulous by the moment. He asked the old man, “Grandpa, how’s business recently?”

The old man sat on his pole, wiping sweat, and sighed, “Winter was okay, but since spring started, it’s been rough. To be honest, you’re only the second customer I’ve met today.”

Looks like I’m not the only one suffering.

Li Qi felt a bit better and asked, “How much do you make in a month?”

The old man chuckled, “Not much, just enough to barely get by.”

Miracle!

To barely get by with something this unappetizing—that’s a miracle. If these pancakes were sold on the streets of Beijing, the seller would probably lose money on every batch.

Actually, the pancakes weren’t as bad as Li Qi thought; otherwise, the old man would have starved long ago and wouldn’t dare sell them. It’s just that in Li Qi’s time, there were so many delicious cakes, like hamburgers and pizzas stuffed with meat and fruits. How could these plain dough pancakes compare? They were made only of flour, nothing else added—Li Qi simply couldn’t get used to them.

Never before had Li Qi missed hamburgers so much. Though he always considered them junk food, compared to these pancakes, they were leagues better.

Seeing the old man’s honest and simple demeanor, and at his age still carrying a pole to work hard for a living, Li Qi felt a pang of sympathy and wanted to help.

“Grandpa, would you like to earn a bit more money?”

Isn’t that obvious? Who would say no to more money?

The old man’s eyes lit up eagerly, “Young sir, are you going to buy more pancakes?”

Sweat! Buy more? Do you think I’ve got a death wish?

Li Qi shook his head. “Even if I bought more, it would only help temporarily. If you want to sustain this business long term, the key lies in these pancakes.”

The old man looked disappointed at first but grew curious, asking, “Young sir, do you mean there’s something wrong with the pancakes?”

“It’s more than just wrong—it’s a big problem,” Li Qi said, first teasing the old man, then continuing, “To be honest, these pancakes are hard to eat. If you want your business to thrive, you have to improve the pancakes.”

“Improve?” The old man was puzzled.

“Exactly!”

Li Qi nodded and smiled. “Let me guess your method: you mix the dough with cold water, stir it with chopsticks until even, then knead it into a dough ball and bake it directly in the oven.”

The old man was surprised. “Young sir, do you come from a family that sells pancakes?”

If I did, would you still have a share?

Li Qi broke out in a cold sweat. “Just tell me yes or no.”

The old man nodded eagerly. “That’s right. That’s exactly how I do it.”

“That’s the issue,” Li Qi said. “Pancakes made this way turn out coarse and hard, difficult to swallow. Customers will only come once and never return. That’s a big no-no in business, especially food service. You have to attract customers with flavor—that’s the foundation.”

The old man nodded thoughtfully and asked, “So, young sir, how should these pancakes be made?”

Li Qi smiled gently. “Simple. You should use warm water to mix the dough, adding water gradually as you stir. This way, the dough becomes softer. Once there’s no dry flour left, knead the dough by hand until smooth. Then, place the dough in a warm spot for fifteen minutes before baking.”

The old man no longer doubted Li Qi’s advice and nodded quickly. “Yes, yes, I’ll remember: warm water, add water while stirring, then rest in a warm place for fifteen minutes.”

Hey! The old man’s memory isn’t bad at all.

Li Qi smiled and added, “But that’s just the basics. If you want everyone to buy your pancakes, you need to create something unique and special.”

(End of chapter)