txolops Chapter 111 Clash of Ice and Fire
Chapter 111 Clash of Ice and Fire
5:15 PM.
On the open space at the edge of the square, an electric tricycle and a bread cart were parked one after the other in their usual spot.
Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Wang Hai looked out through the windshield and immediately burst out laughing.
A queue had already formed beside the flower bed where the stalls were originally set up.
At the very front of the group were Liu Wei, Zhao Qiang, and Li Na, all familiar faces from the group.
"Brother Chen, look at this commotion!"
Wang Hai turned off the engine, jumped out of the car, and smiled at Lin Chen, who was riding a tricycle next to him, saying, "That announcement in the group really paid off! These loyal customers have been waiting with bated breath!"
Lin Chen pulled out the car keys and nodded: "Stop joking, unload the stuff, get ready to set up the stall."
"Boss Lin, Brother Hai, we've been waiting for you!"
Liu Wei, who was first in line, greeted everyone, his forehead covered in sweat. "As soon as the message came in the group chat, I hadn't even finished my report, so I dragged Lao Zhao and the others down to join the queue!"
"That's right, Boss Lin! It's so muggy today. We've been queuing in the sun for almost twenty minutes, just waiting to taste your homemade chilled mung bean soup to cool us down!"
Zhao Qiang was so hot that he kept fanning himself with his hand, and his shirt collar was soaked with sweat.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, it will be ready soon."
Lin Chen replied, then untied the rope securing the tricycle and began setting up the stove.
"Come on, come on, hey buddy in front, move aside a bit, watch out for bumps!"
Wang Hai walked to the back of the van and opened the trunk.
He first moved several folding tables and chairs down and quickly set them up next to the stall.
Then, he held the stainless steel sealed soup container in both hands and placed it on the table.
The moment the soup pot hit the ground, the fine water droplets that condensed on its surface and the wisps of cool air it emitted instantly attracted the attention of the diners in the front row.
Meanwhile, Tangtang also entered "little boss" work mode.
The little girl set up her folding stool next to the tricycle, then sat down holding the plastic basket full of disposable spoons.
Hello, older brothers and sisters!
With her rosy cheeks upturned, Tangtang greeted the people in line in a clear, cheerful voice, "We have ice-cold mung bean soup today! It's so delicious!"
"Oh, Tangtang is such a good girl!"
Li Na looked at the cute little girl and responded with a smile.
The booth setup is complete.
Lin Chen turned on the gas valve, and flames instantly ignited.
Without wasting any words, he went straight to heating the oil in the wok.
The iron spoon in his hand flipped the food quickly.
In less than two minutes, the rice, carrying a rich, smoky aroma, instantly filled the air.
Clang.
Lin Chen tapped the edge of the pot with an iron spoon and turned off the heat.
"The first three portions are ready."
Lin Chen spoke up, dividing the fried rice into three takeout boxes.
"Coming right up!"
Wang Hai immediately took over and handed the three servings of fried rice to Liu Wei, Zhao Qiang, and Li Na respectively. "The three of you, as usual, the chilled crispy radish has already been packed in a box for you."
Then, Wang Hai walked up to the stainless steel soup pot and yanked open the sealed lid.
Wang Hai picked up a long-handled ladle, stirred it slowly in the bucket, and asked with a smile, "For today's free soup, would you like to choose hot old hen broth or this chilled mung bean soup?"
"The mung bean soup must be chilled!"
Liu Wei answered without hesitation.
"Yes, yes, I absolutely have to have this iced drink today!"
Zhao Qiang and Li Na nodded repeatedly.
"Alright!"
Wang Hai took three plastic bowls, filled them with three spoonfuls of mung bean soup, and handed them over.
Liu Wei and his two companions took the food and drinks, then turned around and sat down at the folding table that had just been set up next to the stall.
Liu Wei put the fried rice on the table, not even bothering to eat it, and immediately picked up the mung bean soup.
He couldn't wait and took a big gulp.
"Gulp."
The moment the icy soup slid into his mouth, Liu Wei abruptly stopped, his eyes widening in shock.
The smooth mung bean paste spreads across the tongue, carrying the purest fragrance of beans, and flows down the throat.
That refreshing coolness instantly washed away all the heat and fatigue he had accumulated while queuing.
After swallowing the mung bean soup, there was no sticky feeling in my throat; instead, a warm, sweet, and refreshing sensation arose.
"Whew—that feels great!"
Liu Wei put down his cup. "Boss Lin, your mung bean soup is amazing!"
The sand is so fine and smooth, and the sweetness isn't cloying at all; it's so refreshing!
Beside them, Zhao Qiang and Li Na had also each taken a big gulp of their drink. They looked at each other with surprise on their faces.
"Amazing! This sweetness leaves my throat feeling incredibly refreshed!"
Zhao Qiang then spoke.
Hearing the customer's praise, Wang Hai, who was serving the food, immediately took over the conversation with a proud look on his face.
"That's right! These are top-quality mung beans that Brother Chen personally picked out at the market early this morning!"
While packing the food, Wang Hai said, "And this sweetness, we didn't use cheap white sugar, we used only unrefined rock sugar!"
It's mild and won't cause internal heat; one bite and you'll definitely have a sweet aftertaste!
"No wonder there was so much food!"
Liu Wei suddenly realized.
At this point, Liu Wei was too preoccupied to speak.
He picked up a spoon, scooped up a mouthful of fried rice, and put it in his mouth.
After chewing a couple of times, he immediately picked up the cup and took a sip of the chilled mung bean soup.
A collision of hot and cold, an interweaving of salty and sweet flavors.
"Delicious...it's so delicious..."
Liu Wei completely transformed into a ruthless rice-eating machine, sipping fried rice and then iced mung bean soup, not even bothering to lift his head.
Zhao Qiang and Li Na were the same; all that could be heard on the folding table was the "click" of spoons hitting lunchboxes and the sound of swallowing drinks.
Seeing the three people at the front of the line wolfing down their food, the diners behind them could no longer resist.
The crowd, which was already somewhat impatient from waiting, instantly erupted in excitement.
"Brother Hai, hurry up!"
Watching Liu Wei eat made my mouth water; I want mung bean soup too!
"Boss Lin, I'd like two servings of fried rice!"
Two cups of mung bean soup! I'm so hungry for it!
The crowd was filled with urging voices.
Faced with enthusiastic diners, Wang Haiqian was full of energy, packing food with lightning speed.
"Don't worry, everyone! We cooked a whole twenty catties of mung beans today, plenty to go around, everyone gets a share!"
Line up one by one!
Wang Hai called out loudly.
Tangtang sat on a small stool, busy and happy.
Whenever a guest walks to the front to get their food, the little girl takes a disposable spoon from her small basket and hands it to them.
"Here's a spoon, brother!"
"Sister, is the mung bean soup delicious?"
Hearing the little girl's sweet, childlike voice, the diners who received their meals and mung bean soup were in high spirits.
"Delicious! Daddy Tangtang's cooking is the best!"
"Thank you, Tangtang! I promise I won't leave a single grain of rice today!"
The team moved forward quickly and methodically.
As more and more diners received their chilled mung bean soup, a chorus of exclamations and slurping sounds rose from the flowerbeds in the square.
"This mung bean soup is an absolute lifesaver for cooling down in the summer!"
"From now on, I'll be sticking with Boss Lin for dinner every summer!"
In front of the stove.
Lin Chen continued frying rice.