txolops Chapter 46: Some Signs Found
Chapter 46: Some Signs Found
Shortly after Secretary Chen left with the takeout box.
Then came the real evening rush hour.
A large number of white-collar workers poured out of the surrounding buildings, and the queue in front of Lin Chen's stall instantly lengthened.
Liu Wei and Zhao Qiang weren't scheduled to work overtime today, so they walked quickly to the front of the line, shoulder to shoulder.
"Boss, the usual, two portions, please!"
As Liu Wei scanned the QR code on his phone, he said to Wang Hai, "Brother Wang, we don't need to bag and pack it today."
My brother and I weren't assigned to bring lunch to our colleagues today, so we'll eat here and then take the subway home.
"Alright! Eat here! It tastes best when it's hot and fresh out of the pot!"
Wang Hai deftly pulled out two transparent lunch boxes and placed them on the table. He then pointed to the empty space on the side of the stall and said, "There are a few empty plastic stools over there. You can sit down for a while."
"Uncle Liu, Uncle Zhao, here are your spoons!"
Tangtang sat on her little stool and skillfully pulled out two disposable spoons from the packaging bag in her arms, handing them to the two of them with both hands.
"Thank you, Tangtang."
Liu Wei smiled and took the spoon. He and Zhao Qiang each took a plastic stool and sat down by the flower bed.
Lin Chen stood in front of the stove and pressed the gas stove knob with his left hand.
Flames shot up.
Heat the pan, then add cold oil.
He took two eggs with one hand, cracked them into the pot, and then poured in the old rice.
The shovel flew, the movements swift and decisive.
In less than three minutes, two steaming pots of fried rice were ready. Wang Hai quickly packed them into lunchboxes and served them to Liu Wei and Zhao Qiang.
"Your meal is ready!"
Wang Hai gave a shout and turned to continue dealing with the long queue behind him.
Liu Wei and Zhao Qiang lifted the lid of the lunchbox, and the aroma of scallion and egg wafted out.
The two were starving, and without saying a word, they picked up their spoons and started eating heartily.
Lin Chen stood in front of the stove, methodically cooking the next batch of rice while calmly scanning the diners around the stall between flipping the pan.
Besides Liu Wei and Zhao Qiang, there were several other office workers who chose to eat right there by the flower bed before leaving.
Lin Chen's gaze fell on Zhao Qiang.
After eating half a box of fried rice, Zhao Qiang's eating speed slowed down significantly, and he even choked a little.
He put down his spoon, pounded his chest, and quickly stuffed the lunchbox into Liu Wei's hands.
"Brother Liu, could you hold this for me? I'm going to buy a bottle of water; I'm choking."
Zhao Qiang stood up, walked quickly to the vending machine at the edge of the square, scanned the code and bought a bottle of chilled mineral water.
After unscrewing the bottle cap and chugging half of it, Zhao Qiang let out a long sigh of relief before returning to his seat, taking back his lunchbox, and continuing to eat.
Liu Wei, standing nearby, was clearly prepared.
After eating a few bites of fried rice, he would take out a thermos from his bag, tilt his head back, and take a sip of water to moisten his throat.
Lin Chen withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the other side of the flower bed.
Two young women, who were walking home from get off work together, were eating fried rice while standing.
Every few bites they ate, they would habitually take a sip of the iced lemon tea they were carrying.
Lin Chen held the shovel in his hand, his movements without pausing, but his mind was already reviewing the situation.
As a chef with strict requirements for food, he knew exactly where the problem lay.
To achieve the ultimate dryness and distinct grains in the fried rice, the moisture content is strictly controlled during the cooking and stir-frying process.
In addition, the free-range eggs absorb the oil, making them incredibly fragrant when you eat them.
But it's precisely because it's so dry.
In top-tier restaurants, this stir-frying method is always accompanied by a bowl of light broth.
A bite of fried rice, a sip of clear soup – that's the complete dining experience.
A few days ago, customers were packing their purchases and taking them back to the office in the building.
The office has a water dispenser and coffee/tea, so the shortcomings of this arrangement are not exposed.
But now that the purchase restrictions have been lifted, the number of people buying has surged, and many white-collar workers are eating their purchases directly on the roadside for convenience.
Eating a whole box of fried rice without any soup or broth will not only make you choke, but it will also greatly diminish the taste of the fried rice in the latter half.
If a 99-yuan serving of fried rice doesn't provide a complete dining experience, it's ruining its own reputation.
"Next, how many servings would you like?"
Wang Hai's voice interrupted Lin Chen's thoughts.
"Three portions to go!"
Lin Chen didn't say anything, but cracked in the egg mixture, poured in the rice, and continued to stir-fry.
He kept this matter firmly in mind.
Time passed by, second by second.
Twenty minutes later, Liu Wei and Zhao Qiang scraped the last grain of rice out of the lunchbox.
The two stood up and threw the empty lunchboxes into the trash bag next to them.
"Boss, Brother Wang, your cooking is still amazing!"
Liu Wei picked up his thermos, waved to Lin Chen and Wang Hai, and said, "We're full, we're going to take the subway now, see you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow, Uncle Zhao and Uncle Liu!"
Tangtang waved her little hand obediently.
Take care.
Lin Chen nodded slightly. Liu Wei and Zhao Qiang walked together towards the subway station.
The queue in front of the stall was still very long, but the food was being served in an orderly manner.
It was 7:15 PM. Night had completely fallen, and all the streetlights in the square were turned on.
Wang Hai took a rice scoop and scraped the bottom of the second stainless steel insulated container with all his might. After frying the last bit of rice, he put it into a takeout box and handed it to the customer in front of him.
"Here's your last one!"
After seeing off the last customer, Wang Hai straightened up, looked at the two large buckets behind him that were completely empty, and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Brother Chen, all 150 orders for today have been cleared out!"
Wang Hai wiped the sweat from his face, turned to look at Lin Chen, and said with undisguised joy, "Although working for two hours straight is tiring, the speed at which we're making money is really satisfying to watch!"
Lin Chen turned off the gas stove valve.
The flames died down, and the temperature around the stove gradually dropped.
He took off his apron, picked up the damp towel draped over the handlebars, and carefully wiped the grease off the rim of the iron pot and the stove surface.
"Tangtang, tidy up the little stool."
Lin Chen gave a brief instruction without even looking up.
"Okay!"
Tangtang stood up, put the remaining disposable spoons back into the plastic bag, and tied it up.
Then, she picked up her small wooden stool, wobbled over to the side of the tricycle, and tiptoed to put it inside.
Wang Hai deftly folded the small table and cleaned up the empty cardboard boxes and garbage bags.
The two worked together seamlessly, and in less than ten minutes, the entire stall was cleaned up spotlessly.
Lin Chen put the cleaned iron pot back in its original place, turned around, took Tangtang's hand, and helped her into the passenger seat.
Wang Hai got into the driver's seat and turned the key.
"Chen-ge, Tangtang, hold on tight, we're going home!"
"Hold on tight, Fatty Uncle."
"Walk."
"Let's go!"
Lin Chen closed the car door.
"Squeak—"
The tricycle slowly drove away from the Yintai Building Plaza.
The early summer evening breeze blew in, dispelling the heat from my body.
Lin Chen sat in the passenger seat, watching the street scene rushing past the car window.
He didn't mention what he had just observed to Wang Hai.
He silently planned in his mind what ingredients he would need to prepare for the farmers' market tomorrow.
When making soup, it must be a refreshing, palatable soup that can be made in large batches and just enough to cover the fried rice.
In the darkness, the tricycle headed towards the urban village.