"Are you absolutely certain of what you saw?" Lin Changshou regarded Hu Shi's words with skepticism.
"I saw it with my own eyes! Today, since Yuange was returning from town, I thought I'd buy a fish at the dock to nourish him. But as soon as I arrived, I spotted those three little jinxes setting up a food stall. Good heavens, their business was booming!" Hu Shi said mysteriously, "I even overheard the boatmen saying their Lu Zhu Xia Shui uses a family's secret recipe! Could it be that father-in-law and mother-in-law actually passed them some secret recipe?"
She leaned closer to Lin Changshou, lowering her voice as she continued: "Husband, don't you find this strange? Those youngsters used to be good at nothing but eating everything in sight. How did they suddenly become capable of running a business? You should have seen their stall – packed with customers, incredibly busy. Who knows how much money they're making!"
Lin Changshou frowned deeply, stroking his chin thoughtfully before speaking slowly: "This matter is indeed peculiar. But if our family truly had a secret recipe, why would father and mother have lived in poverty all these years? Father has always favored me – any secret recipe would have been left to me! How could it possibly go to those jinxes from the second branch."
Hu Shi curled her lips disdainfully, snorting through her nose: "Hmph, in my opinion, it's likely their short-lived mother secretly hoarded family assets before she died, keeping it completely hidden from us. Now those little brats have seized the opportunity to use those resources to start a business. Husband, you need to be careful – we can't let them take all the advantages. Think of our Yuange and Mingge, still working themselves to death in town. How can we just watch them live it up while our sons struggle!"
A calculating glint flashed in Lin Changshou's eyes as he said: "Let me think about this. We can't let this matter rest. If they truly have some money-making method, as their elder uncle, I should naturally look after them. We can't let children run wild with such things."
While the first branch of the Lin family harbored their own schemes, the kitchen of the second branch presented an entirely different scene. Lin Cheng and Lin Song were gathered around an iron plate, examining this strangely shaped metal sheet.
Lin Cheng had been full of doubts when his sister commissioned this iron plate, though he trusted she must have her reasons. But when she excitedly announced she would use this thing called an "iron plate" to cook for everyone, he simply couldn't comprehend what could be made with such a metal sheet.
Lin Song also looked curious, reaching out to touch the cool iron surface before turning to his sister Lin Yao with questioning eyes: "Second sister, what delicious food are you making?"
Lin Yao flicked the little bun on Lin Song's head, "You'll find out soon enough."
She first crouched down, skillfully adding dry firewood to the stove and lighting kindling. Soon, roaring flames were burning within the stove. She steadily positioned the iron plate over the stove, with flames licking at its bottom.
The iron plate gradually warmed, its originally cool surface beginning to emit faint heat waves.
Lin Yao held her hand about an inch above the iron plate to gauge the temperature. Confirming it was suitable, she turned toward the vegetable basket, retrieving the prepared five-spice pork and greens, then scooping out a large bowl of leftover rice from the nearby steamer.
She deftly sliced the pork belly into thin pieces and placed them on the hot iron griddle. The moment the meat made contact, a sizzle erupted as moisture evaporated, rendering the fat until droplets of oil danced merrily across the surface. The rich aroma of frying meat soon filled the air.
Lin Cheng and Lin Song, captivated by the sudden burst of fragrance, swallowed hard, their eyes wide and unblinking as they stared fixedly at the griddle.
Lin Yao occasionally flipped the meat slices with her spatula. Once they turned golden brown with crispy edges, she pushed them aside and tossed in the leafy greens. The vegetables wilted rapidly in the hot oil, releasing a fresh scent while glistening with pork fat, making them appear even more tender.
Next, she poured rice onto the griddle, using the spatula to break up the clumps and mix it thoroughly with the pork belly and greens. After sprinkling salt and seasonings, she continued stir-frying. The rice tumbled across the griddle, absorbing the savory meat and vegetable essences until it became irresistibly fragrant.
Unable to resist, Lin Cheng leaned in and inhaled deeply. "This smells incredible!" he exclaimed.
Beside him, Lin Song tilted his small face upward and chirped brightly, "Second Sister, make sure to scoop me an extra-large portion later! I want to eat until I'm full, grow up fast, and help you earn lots and lots of copper coins!"
Observing Lin Song, whose pale cheeks had gained a healthy rosy hue from recent hearty meals, Lin Yao couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll fill your bowl to the brim! You'd better eat plenty and grow strong. Then you can help me earn endless silver coins! Silver is far more exciting than copper!"
She believed in starting financial ambitions early—why settle for small change when gleaming silver promised real substance and satisfaction?
Amid the laughter, the iron-griddle pork belly fried rice was ready. Lin Yao served it onto plates where the red meat, green vegetables, and white rice created a vibrant visual harmony.
Lin Cheng and Lin Song eagerly grabbed their bowls and chopsticks, digging in with gusto.
As for Lin Yao, though she remained seated with a calm exterior, an inner version of herself was nearly squealing with delight upon tasting the fried rice.
This was the flavor she remembered!
The pork fat rendered from the belly coated every grain of rice with a glossy, smoky richness. The thinly sliced pork belly, crisped to perfection on the griddle, layered the rice and greens with complex textures and depth!
Each mouthful convinced Lin Yao that this was what made life worth living!
In her previous life, she had been obsessed with maintaining a slender figure and preferred light flavors. Back then, she might have considered this fried rice overly greasy. But now, in a life scarce of oily indulgence, this luscious, aromatic dish felt like divine ambrosia—each bite bursting with pure joy.
Noting her own frail, thin frame, she resolved: to restore her health, she must eat well and earn more!
"Elder Brother," she said, "let's steam extra rice later. Tomorrow, I want to make fried rice to sell at the dock."
Lin Cheng, mid-bite, paused and looked at her in confusion. "Sell at the dock? Will that work? This is made with premium white rice, animal fat, and pork belly—all top-quality ingredients. If we price it too high, will anyone be willing to buy it?"
Lin Yao swallowed the food in her mouth. "Brother, you make a fair point, but after a long day of labor, the dockworkers must be both exhausted and hungry. At that moment, if there were steaming, hearty food to fill their stomachs, I believe many would be willing to spend their money. This business might truly be viable."
"Moreover, the docks are crowded with people, and I don’t intend to cater only to dockworkers and boatmen." Lin Yao blinked playfully. "If we want to earn more, we can’t just focus on small transactions of a few coins. There are so many traveling merchants and guards passing through the docks—they’re constantly on the move and have some extra money. Our sizzling pork fried rice, with its unique flavor and quick satisfaction, fits their needs perfectly."
"A Yao makes a good point," Lin Cheng agreed, setting down his bowl and chopsticks. "While eating this fried rice, I only thought about how delicious it was, never considering it could be a way to earn money. Your mind is certainly more agile than your elder brother’s."
After dinner, Lin Yao and Lin Song immediately set to work washing rice and vegetables, preparing the ingredients for the next day.
Noticing that autumn was approaching and the night breeze carried a slight chill, Lin Yao thought selling cold drinks might no longer be suitable and decided against brewing the beverages they had previously offered.
As she sliced the pork belly, she discussed pricing with Lin Cheng: "Brother, how about setting the price at ten coins per serving of fried rice?"
Lin Cheng paused from wiping the iron griddle, his brow furrowing slightly with hesitation. "Ten coins for one serving of rice is quite steep. Even though we’re using genuine, high-quality ingredients, I’m afraid such a price might scare away many customers."
Hearing this from Lin Cheng, a local, Lin Yao knew she needed to reconsider the pricing. After a moment’s thought, she came up with another idea. "How about we offer the rice in large, medium, and small portions? A large portion for ten coins, a medium for eight, and a small for three. This way, people with different appetites and budgets can choose what suits them." As she spoke, she deftly picked up a bowl and demonstrated the three portion sizes, making it easier for Lin Cheng to visualize.
From a consumer psychology perspective, selling only a single ten-coin product might make customers perceive the price as too high. However, by designing three tiers—minimizing the price gap between large and medium portions while appropriately widening the gap between small and medium—customer decision-making could be skillfully guided. This way, when comparing, customers would notice that the medium and large portions differ by only two coins, yet the large portion offers significantly more food. Naturally, they would see the large portion as having better value for money and be more inclined to purchase it.
When a large popcorn is priced at 30 yuan and a small one at 20 yuan, most consumers tend to choose the small size since it's more affordable. However, once a medium size priced at 28 yuan is introduced between the two, the situation changes entirely. Consumers comparing the options will realize that for just 2 yuan more, they can upgrade from medium to large, instantly making the 30-yuan large popcorn seem like a better value and exceptionally cost-effective. Here, the medium popcorn acts like a carefully placed "decoy," subtly influencing decisions. This "decoy effect" makes people perceive the original option as more economical and appealing when choosing between two comparable alternatives②.
Lin Yao explained it to Lin Cheng in simple terms, "Put that way, it seems I'd also prefer to buy the ten-wen fried rice." Lin Cheng had a sudden realization.
"Moreover, many people probably haven't tried fried rice before. The three-wen small portion makes it affordable for those with limited means while allowing those unsure about the taste to give it a try," Lin Yao said.
"A Yao, your mind works so quickly! Let's do as you suggest!" Lin Cheng nodded repeatedly.
Lin Song, standing nearby, chimed in, "Let's do as Second Sister says!"
Lin Yao found his grown-up demeanor both adorable and amusing, tickling his chin as she asked, "You little rascal, you understood all that?"
Lin Song giggled and ran off, "I understood, I understood! Second Sister is going to make lots of money!"