txolops Chapter 182 Even if I get a cramp from cutting my hand, it's worth it.
Chapter 182 Even if I get a cramp from cutting my hand, it's worth it.
The farmers' market was bustling with activity in the early morning.
The sounds of various vendors hawking their wares and the rolling wheels of handcarts mingled together, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.
Wang Hai pushed a borrowed flatbed truck, following behind Lin Chen and Tangtang.
The flatbed truck was already piled with a full 80 kilograms of Wuchang rice, as well as several large baskets of fresh Shanghai bok choy, white radish, and local eggs.
"Phew... Brother Chen, you're so thoughtful."
Wang Hai pushed the flatbed cart, sighing as he walked, "I just went to the grain and oil store and heard you say you wanted to take eighty jin of rice. I was wondering why."
Didn't you say you'd reduce the amount of fried rice today? How come you bought 20 jin more rice than yesterday?
Then I slapped my thigh and realized that we had added a full twenty pounds of minced meat sauce today!
That minced meat rice requires much more rice to mix than fried rice!
"Okay, I've bought all the side dishes. Go get the meat."
Lin Chen didn't offer any further explanation. Holding Tangtang's hand, he walked straight through the bustling dry goods section and headed towards the raw meat section at the far end of the market.
The area ahead is where they sell meat; the ground is a bit slippery.
Lin Chen held Tangtang's little hand tightly, pulling her closer to him from time to time to avoid the passing merchants.
"Daddy, it's so slippery inside."
Tangtang took careful steps.
"Walk slowly."
Lin Chen gently gave his instructions.
After passing through two aisles, Old Zhang's rather large black pork stall came into view.
At this moment, Old Zhang was wearing a waterproof apron covered in oil stains and was scraping his boning knife with a sharpening stick.
Seeing Lin Chen and his group approaching, Old Zhang immediately put down his tools and greeted them with a hearty smile.
"Good morning, Boss Lin! We've been waiting for you!"
Old Zhang wiped his hands on his apron.
"Good morning, Brother Zhang."
Lin Chen nodded. "Good morning, Uncle Zhang!"
Tangtang peeked her little head out from beside Lin Chen's legs and greeted him in a clear voice.
"Oh my, Little Sugar is here today too!"
Old Zhang chuckled in agreement, casually pulled a bright red apple from a clean bag beside the cutting board, wiped it vigorously on his clothes, and handed it over, saying, "Here, Uncle will treat you to a big apple!"
"Thank you, Uncle Zhang!"
Tangtang sensibly took the apple with both hands and hugged it to her chest.
"Old Zhang, these seventy pounds of meat today must have emptied your savings, right?"
Wang Hai pushed the flatbed cart in front of the cutting board and steadied the wheels.
"you do not say!"
Old Zhang turned around and took two huge stainless steel trays from the refrigerated display case behind the stall, placing them heavily on the cutting board.
"Boss Lin, please take a look!"
Old Zhang pointed to the meat in the basin, his tone revealing the pride unique to a butcher, "To gather these seventy catties of top-quality pork belly and foreleg for you, I dragged my brother out of bed at four o'clock this morning."
The two stalls selected four of the best pigs to have all the most prized parts shaved off!
Lin Chen stepped forward. The pork in the basin was a bright reddish-brown color, with a firm, snow-white layer of fat.
The pork belly has distinct layers, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat; the foreleg meat has translucent tendons and is plump.
Moreover, Old Zhang had thoughtfully cut all the meat into long strips, saving Lin Chen the trouble of cutting large pieces of meat when he got back.
Lin Chen reached out and gently pressed on one of the pieces of pork belly.
The meat rebounds quickly, and the surface has the slight stickiness characteristic of fresh pork, indicating it's definitely high-quality meat from a slaughtered animal that was killed in the early morning.
"Good meat."
Lin Chen withdrew his hand and commented.
"That's a must! When have I, Old Zhang, ever cheated you out of what you, Boss Lin, want?"
Old Zhang smiled, turned around and took out an accounting notebook from under the chopping board. "Seventy catties exactly, not a single ounce less."
We're all old acquaintances, so let's round it down and just pay the wholesale price.
Without wasting any words, Lin Chen took out his phone and scanned the QR code on the electronic scale.
"drop!"
A notification sound rang out.
"WeChat payment received, 2100 yuan!"
Old Zhang's phone was broadcasting the news.
"The payment has been received, Mr. Lin!"
light and spacious!"
Old Zhang closed the ledger. "Come on, let me help you load it onto the truck!"
"No need, Brother Zhang, you go ahead with your work."
Lin Chen put away his phone and walked to the cutting board.
Instead of letting Wang Hai do it, he picked up one of the plastic bags full of pork.
The muscles in both arms bulge slightly, and the waist exerts force.
"rise."
Lin Chen lifted the plastic bag, which weighed more than 30 kilograms, and placed it on the flatbed cart.
Then they picked up the second plastic bag and placed it on top.
Eighty pounds of rice, dozens of pounds of vegetables and eggs, plus this seventy pounds of meat.
The flatbed truck made a muffled thud as it was pressed down.
"Alright, Boss Lin is strong enough!"
Old Zhang said from his stall, "I wish you continued success in your business today!"
"See you tomorrow."
Lin Chen nodded and took Tangtang's hand again.
"Let's go, Brother Chen, let's go back!"
Wang Hai gripped the handles of the flatbed cart with both hands, lowered his waist, and pushed the fully loaded delivery truck, following behind Lin Chen towards the exit of the farmers' market.
The return journey was difficult for Wang Hai as the car was much heavier, but his expression remained excited.
The morning sun had fully risen.
"Brother Chen, this meat looks really delicious today!"
Wang Hai pushed the cart with all his might, grinning from ear to ear, "Seventy pounds!"
Tonight we'll definitely be able to feed all those customers who couldn't get in line yesterday, and our revenue will definitely break the 50,000 mark!
Lin Chen listened to Wang Hai's plan and walked steadily.
"Let's finish chopping the vegetables first."
Lin Chen replied casually, "Cutting seventy pounds of meat into minced meat cubes is hard work."
Upon hearing the word "diced," Wang Hai's smile froze slightly.
He glanced subconsciously at the two large basins of long strips of pork in the car, and an image instantly flashed in his mind of him frantically wielding a cleaver in front of the cutting board and cutting until his wrists ached.
"That's true..."
Wang Hai swallowed hard, but quickly gritted his teeth and rallied, "Don't be afraid!"
For the sake of tonight's 50,000 yuan, even if my hands cramp from cutting so much today, I won't complain once!
The three of them walked out of the market gate.
Arriving at the open-air parking lot, Lin Chen opened the trunk of the van.
The two of them worked together to load the rice, side dishes, and the two large, heavy basins of premium black pork into the car.
"Bang."
The trunk was slammed shut.
Lin Chen opened the back door, put Tangtang back in the car seat and fastened her, then got into the front passenger seat.
Wang Hai drove the van away from the farmers' market and headed towards the rented house in the urban village.
Outside the car window, the city's morning rush hour had already begun.
For Lin Chen and Wang Hai, the rest of the day would be a tough battle that would test their physical strength and patience.