txolops Chapter 193 The Dry Rice Group is Waiting to Be Fed
Chapter 193 The Dry Rice Group is Waiting to Be Fed
In the early morning, sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains.
"Tick-tock".
The clock on the wall pointed to seven in the morning.
Lin Chen woke up.
He turned his head and glanced at his side; Tangtang was sleeping soundly, hugging her little blanket.
The little girl's chubby little hand, adorned with a red flower sticker, was carefully placed beside her pillow, as if afraid of crushing it.
Without waking his daughter, Lin Chen quietly lifted the covers, got out of bed, and left the bedroom.
After a quick wash, he went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Although I made nearly 60,000 yuan yesterday, life still goes on as usual.
Moreover, today is Sunday, the last peak of visitor traffic for the Summer Food Festival, so we must prepare early.
Less than half an hour.
A pot of rich and smooth congee with preserved egg and lean pork, along with a pot of pan-fried buns with a golden-brown, crispy bottom, sprinkled with black sesame seeds and scallions, were served on the small table.
The overpowering aroma instantly filled the rented room.
"Bang bang bang".
Just as Lin Chen finished setting out the bowls and chopsticks, a rhythmic knocking sound came from outside the door.
Lin Chen walked over and opened the security door.
Wang Hai stood outside the door, sporting two huge dark circles under his eyes.
"Good morning, Brother Chen!"
Wang Hai sniffed, his eyes instantly glued to the dining table. "Holy crap, congee with preserved egg and lean pork with pan-fried buns?"
"Brother Chen, am I just here to freeload a meal?"
"Go wash your hands and get a bowl."
Lin Chen gave the instructions.
"Alright!"
Wang Hai went into the kitchen, washed his hands, took out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, and plopped down at the dining table.
Just as he was about to take action, the bedroom door opened.
Tangtang, wearing a pink onesie, came out rubbing her sleepy eyes.
The little girl's first reaction wasn't to look for food, but to immediately look down at the back of her hand.
Seeing that the bright red flower was still there, Tangtang smiled with satisfaction.
Good morning, Daddy! Good morning, Fatty Uncle!
Tangtang greeted everyone in her sweet, childlike voice.
"Oh dear, our squad leader is awake!"
Wang Hai waved cheerfully, "Go wash your face and brush your teeth, your dad made pan-fried buns, if you don't come soon, Uncle Fatty will eat them all!"
"No, no! Uncle Fatty, save one for me!"
Tangtang instantly perked up and ran towards the bathroom with her short legs.
Lin Chen served Tangtang a small bowl of slightly cooled meat porridge and then sat down himself.
"Snoring..."
Wang Hai sipped his porridge with crisp, clean movements.
After a mouthful of rich congee with preserved egg and lean pork, followed by a bite of a juicy pan-fried bun, Wang Hai let out a satisfied sigh.
"Brother Chen, that's amazing!"
As Wang Hai stuffed a steamed bun into his mouth, he muttered, "I feel like my palate has become too picky ever since I started working for you."
Lin Chen ignored the question and calmly ate his breakfast: "It's Sunday today, any activity in the group chat?"
Wang Hai perked up instantly at the mention of this.
He quickly put down his chopsticks, took out his phone from his pocket, opened the "No. 1 Greenhouse Rice Group" and handed the screen directly to Lin Chen.
"Brother Chen, see for yourself."
These people are crazy!
Lin Chen glanced at the screen.
It was only 7:30 in the morning, and the group of 500 people already had 99+ unread messages.
"Boss Lin! Fatty Wang! Are you up yet? It's Sunday today, don't sleep in!"
"Seventy pounds of minced meat yesterday wasn't even enough to fill a tooth gap!"
I need to prepare a lot more today, otherwise my weekend won't be complete!
"Yes! I'm planning to take my parents out to eat today, so you have to save me at least three portions!"
"Boss Wang, come out here and tell us, how many pounds of meat are you planning to prepare today?"
……
The screen was filled with messages urging for more rice, and every word conveyed an eager enthusiasm for rice.
Lin Chen withdrew his gaze, picked up the bowl, took a sip of porridge, and spoke.
"Today's customer traffic will be even greater than yesterday's."
Lin Chen put down his bowl. "After you finish eating, go straight to the morning market."
Today we're preparing 90 jin (45 kg) of top-quality black pork.
"Ninety pounds?!"
Wang Hai's eyes widened suddenly, and he swallowed the bun in his mouth.
Instead of complaining, he slapped his thigh hard and exclaimed, "Damn it!"
As long as I can make money, I'd be willing to cut up a whole pig, let alone 90 kilograms!
"Brother Chen, let's aim for a turnover of over 70,000 today!"
After breakfast, Lin Chen put the dishes in the sink and put on a black short-sleeved shirt.
"Tangtang, come on, let's go buy some big pieces of meat with Daddy."
Lin Chen greeted him.
"Here you are!"
Tangtang changed her shoes and obediently followed Lin Chen.
The three of them went downstairs and got into the van.
Wang Hai stepped on the gas, and the bread truck sped through the streets, heading straight for the farmers' wholesale market.
At 8:30 a.m., the morning market is at its busiest.
Everywhere you look, there are sounds of bargaining and tricycles coming and going.
Wang Hai parked the car on the side of the road, and the three of them headed straight for the pork wholesale stall they usually worked with.
The stall owner, Lao Zhang, was smoking a cigarette and using a boning knife to butcher half a pig.
Upon looking up and seeing Lin Chen and Wang Hai, he immediately greeted them with a smile.
"Hey, Boss Lin, Boss Wang, you're here early today!"
Old Zhang slammed the knife down on the cutting board and greeted them warmly, "Business was good yesterday, wasn't it?"
How much meat are you planning to take today?
Lin Chen stepped forward, his eyes sweeping over the meat stall, and picked out the freshest pieces with the most even fat-to-lean ratio.
"Same as always, top-quality pork belly and foreleg."
"I'm taking ninety pounds today."
Lin Chen spoke up.
"Cough cough cough!"
The puff of smoke that Old Zhang had just inhaled got stuck in his throat, causing him to cough violently.
He stared wide-eyed at Lin Chen in disbelief.
"How...how much? Ninety pounds?!"
Old Zhang could hardly believe his ears. "Boss Lin, you're not kidding, are you?"
Yesterday you took seventy jin (35 kg), I thought you were going to throw a banquet.
Today, I'm getting 90 jin of premium pork.
All the high-end goods I have at this stall today, even added together, barely make up this many!
"I'll take them all. Let's weigh them."
Lin Chen took out his phone, ready to pay.
Old Zhang swallowed hard, and the way he looked at Lin Chen changed completely.
"Boss Lin, what kind of amazing roadside stall is yours?"
While cutting and weighing the meat, Old Zhang couldn't help but gossip, "I've been in the pork wholesale business for over ten years, and I've never seen a small restaurant consume ninety catties of pork a day!"
Your business is absolutely brilliant!
"To earn a little money through hard work."
Wang Hai chuckled and chimed in.
Watching Old Zhang pack a huge pile of meat into large plastic bags, Wang Hai's mouth practically stretched to his ears in a wide grin.
"Ding! WeChat payment received: 4050 yuan!"
After paying, Lin Chen and Wang Hai each carried two large, heavy bags of pork and put them into the trunk of the van.
Then I went to the grain and oil section and bought two 80-pound bags of Wuchang rice, and all the side dishes.
Come back fully loaded.
It was already 10 a.m. when I got back to my rented room.
"Bang!"
After carrying over 200 kilograms of ingredients into the house, Wang Hai took a deep breath and looked at the mountain of pork piled on the cutting board, his eyes full of energy.
"Brother Chen, let's get started!"
Wang Hai washed his hands, pulled a cleaver from the knife rack, and stared at the mountain of meat in front of him.
"Um."
Lin Chen tied on his apron and picked up his usual chef's knife.
"Tangtang, go help Daddy peel the scallions clean."
Lin Chen assigned his daughter the easiest task.
"good!"
Tangtang carried her little stool and sat obediently in the corner, diligently working on that small bunch of scallions.
"Tap tap tap tap tap..."
The next second, the sound of chopping meat rang out from the kitchen of the rented house.
Lin Chen's knife skills were as steady as Mount Tai.
The cleaver seemed to come alive in his hands; with each stroke, he could cut the pork into uniform small cubes.
Wang Hai gritted his teeth, his mind filled with the evening's revenue, and his hands moved swiftly through the chopping.
Ninety pounds of pork were transformed into perfect cubes by the hands of two men.
More than two hours later.
As the last small piece of pork belly was chopped up, Lin Chen put down the knife.
"Done!"
Wang Hai shook his aching right hand, his face beaming with excitement, "Ninety pounds of meat! That's enough to feed all those hungry wolves in the group tonight!"
Lin Chen turned around and turned on the high-powered stove.
Heat a large, wide-mouthed iron pot.
Pour in the oil, then add the diced meat.
"Sizzle!"
The aroma filled the kitchen.
As scallions, ginger, and secret spices are added, the reddish-brown broth begins to boil.
Lin Chen transferred all the diced meat and broth into a thermos, covered it with a heavy lid, brought it to a boil over high heat, then simmered it over low heat.
"Glug glug..."
Listening to the simmering sound coming from the thermos, Lin Chen washed his hands.
"Leave the rest to the cook."
Lin Chen glanced at the clock on the wall. It was one o'clock in the afternoon. "Wash your hands and eat lunch. Take a nap after lunch."
The tough battle tonight has only just begun.