txolops Chapter 47 is free?!
Chapter 47 is free?!
The next morning.
The air was crisp and clear on a summer morning, and sunlight streamed down the streets.
The entrance to Qiming Bilingual Kindergarten.
"Squeak—"
The tricycle was parked on the side of the road.
Lin Chen got out of the car and carried Tangtang, who was sitting in the passenger seat, out of the car.
Tangtang was still wearing her blue and white summer school uniform today, carrying her little backpack, and with her pink rabbit thermos slung across her chest.
"Daddy, Tangtang filled a whole cup with warm water today!"
Tangtang patted the thermos on her chest, looked up at her little face, and earnestly reported to her supervisor.
"Okay, you can drink if you're thirsty at kindergarten."
If you've finished drinking, go to the water dispenser and ask Teacher Liu to refill your glass.
Lin Chen bent down and carefully straightened his daughter's skirt.
"Um!"
Tangtang nodded vigorously, then turned to look at Wang Hai sitting in the driver's seat, "Goodbye, Uncle Fatty! Remember to pick Tangtang up early this afternoon!"
"Don't worry, Tangtang, your uncle will definitely be the first one to rush to the gate to pick you up this afternoon!"
Wang Hai waved happily.
Lin Chen led Tangtang to the reception desk at the gate and handed the child over to Teacher Liu, who was in charge of the class.
Watching his daughter skip and hop into the teaching building with her teacher, Lin Chen looked away and turned back to his tricycle.
"Let's go to the farmers' market."
Lin Chen got into the passenger seat.
"Alright!"
Twenty minutes later, the tricycle stopped at the entrance of the farmers' market.
The market was noisy and bustling in the morning.
The two walked into the market side by side, with Wang Hai calculating his purchase list for the day as they went.
"Brother Chen, the two 100-jin bags of old rice we bought yesterday are still more than half full. We definitely don't need to buy rice today."
We still have packaging boxes in stock.
Wang Hai said clearly, "Today we'll just go and buy fresh free-range eggs and scallions."
"Okay, go get twelve trays of eggs and three bunches of scallions."
Lin Chen nodded. The two of them easily found their way to the poultry and egg section and the vegetable section, and completed the purchase of these two daily necessities in less than ten minutes.
Wang Hai put the bundled eggs and the bag of scallions into the tricycle bed and clapped his hands.
"Everything's ready! Brother Chen, let's go home and prepare the food."
Wang Hai reached for the car keys.
"Don't rush back."
Lin Chen didn't get into the car, but stood there and calmly said, "I need to buy more things today."
"What else should I buy?"
Wang Hai was stunned for a moment.
"Come with me."
Lin Chen didn't offer any further explanation, and turned to walk directly towards the fresh meat section at the back of the farmers' market.
Wang Hai was completely confused, but he still quickly followed.
In the fresh meat section, the sound of chopping meat on the cutting boards rose and fell.
Lin Chen did not linger at the pork stall, but went straight to a stall that specialized in selling live poultry and local specialties.
"Boss, I'd like two free-range hens from a farm."
Lin Chen glanced at the live poultry in the cage. "They need to be raised for more than two years. Don't try to fool me with fast-growing chickens."
The stall owner glanced at Lin Chen and immediately saw the point. He smiled and opened the iron cage, pulling out two old hens with dull feathers and rough claws: "Young man, you're an expert."
These two are definitely free-range hens; they'll produce the most oil when used to make soup.
"Okay. Kill it and clean it thoroughly."
Lin Chen nodded. While the stall owner was killing the chicken, Lin Chen walked over to the fresh meat stall across the street.
"Boss, I'd like four fresh pork bones, leaving some meat near the bone, and break them in half."
Lin Chen pointed to the bone on the cutting board and said.
The stall owner swiftly chopped the pork bones in a few quick strokes and put them into a bag.
Lin Chen paid the money, picked up the bag full of bones and old hens, and turned to walk out of the market.
Wang Hai, who was following behind, quickly snatched the bag and carried it, his mind filled with doubt.
"Brother Chen, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Wang Hai couldn't help but ask, "It's both old hens and pig bones."
That adds up to almost two hundred yuan.
"Don't we only sell fried rice? Are you buying this to eat at home?"
The two walked to the tricycle.
Wang Hai put the bag into the truck bed and turned to stare intently at Lin Chen.
Lin Chen opened the passenger door and got in.
"We bought these to add a serving of soup to our fried rice."
Lin Chen calmly gave his answer.
"Regular soup?!"
Wang Hai's eyes widened as he plopped down in the driver's seat, turned to look at Lin Chen, and said, "Brother Chen, are you kidding me?"
Our stall was just a roadside stand without even tables, what kind of soup would we serve?
Besides, we sell a serving of fried rice for ninety-nine yuan, and we're already too busy to handle everything. Why would you bother making soup now?
Lin Chen remained calm in the face of Wang Hai's repeated questioning.
"When you were setting up your stall last night, didn't you notice those people eating fried rice right next to the flower beds?"
Lin Chen looked at Wang Hai and asked him a question.
Wang Hai recalled, "I noticed, didn't Liu Wei and Zhao Qiang eat there?"
Zhao Qiang choked halfway through and ran to buy a bottle of water.
Liu Wei carried a thermos with him and ate and drank at the same time.
Lin Chen shared the details he observed yesterday: "In order to achieve the ultimate texture of distinct grains in our Crushed Gold Fried Rice, the moisture content is strictly controlled."
If you eat it alone, you will definitely feel thirsty in the second half.
Making diners constantly drink mineral water to soothe their throats while they eat ruins the dining experience.
Lin Chen pointed to the ingredients in the car behind.
"In a top-notch kitchen, stir-fried staple foods are always accompanied by a bowl of clear soup."
A bite of fried rice, a sip of clear soup—that's the perfect flavor.
"This soup can't be the kind that's oily and pale like bone broth, because that would mask the aroma of the fried rice, scallions, and eggs."
The broth must be made by simmering old hens and pork bones to extract its flavor, then skimming off all the surface oil and impurities to create a "high-quality stock" that looks as clear as plain water, but tastes delicious and refreshing.
After hearing Lin Chen's explanation, Wang Hai opened his mouth, his doubts instantly replaced by a deep sense of admiration.
"Brother Chen, with your skills and attention to detail, it's a waste that you're not an executive chef at a five-star hotel!"
Wang Hai gave a thumbs up, "The devil is in the details!"
How much does one serving of our premium clear broth cost?
With such generous portions and your expert cooking skills, this should easily cost twenty or thirty yuan, right?
"Not for sale."
Lin Chen rejected Wang Hai's idea without hesitation, uttering just two words.
"free."
"Free...free?!"
Wang Hai almost jumped up from his seat. "Brother Chen, these two chickens plus a few big bones cost almost two hundred!"
In addition, there's the gas cost for making the soup and the soup containers for packaging.
This is real cost!
Free?!
"Yes, it's free."
Lin Chen looked at Wang Hai and rationally did some calculations.
"This cost of a few hundred yuan is necessary to strengthen the reputation of our stall."
Ninety-nine yuan for fried rice is indeed expensive at a roadside stall, so we must compensate for the psychological gap with quality far exceeding that ninety-nine yuan.
Lin Chen's tone remained unchanged, but his business logic was clear: "A plate of dry and crisp fried rice with a bowl of free broth made with painstaking effort and high-quality ingredients."
Do you think those white-collar workers will still feel they wasted their 99 yuan when they receive it?
Wang Hai followed Lin Chen's train of thought.
In this commercial center where prices are soaring, even a simple takeout order with water added to instant soup costs several dollars.
If you spend 99 yuan on a premium fried rice, the owner will give you a free bowl of five-star quality soup to cleanse your palate... that instantly elevates your status!
Customers will not only not feel that it is expensive, but will also feel that the owner is conscientious!
"Holy crap..."
Wang Hai slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up completely. "Brother Chen, that was brilliant!"
Once we start giving out this free soup, our stall will no longer be just a simple roadside stand; it'll be a high-end private kitchen!
Lin Chen didn't reply, but simply leaned back steadily in his chair.
"Drive home and make soup."
Making this clear broth takes time and requires careful attention to the heat; you have to be quick.
Lin Chen issued the order.
"Alright! Time to go home and make the stock!"