Grandpa Liu looked at Ye Congxi, then at Ye Daxian behind her. His stereotypes flared up again, and he asked warily, "Tell me what it is first."
He was a respectable old man; he didn't just help with anything.
"I saw that the floor of the third-floor apartment was a bit dirty yesterday, probably from people tracking in dirt during a move. Since you have the keys, could I trouble you to help clean it up when you have time? That way, we can move right in, which would be much more convenient." Ye Congxi smiled sweetly and pulled out her enticing trump card. "If you agree, I'll give you some soup for free."
Grandpa Liu’s eyes immediately lit up. "Alright, it's a deal!"
Grandpa Liu couldn't help but sigh with emotion. "In your family, I'd say you're the one with the most sense. Your parents are blessed to have a daughter like you."
He had seen plenty of people who spent their youth idling and fooling around, only to end up in misery later in life.
He had originally thought Ye Daxian was one of them.
But looking at him now, the man was truly lucky to have such a clever daughter.
When Grandpa Liu returned home, he called out to Zhang Apo, "Come and eat! Wow, you wouldn't believe how many people were crowding there to grab one."
"It's good stuff, so of course everyone likes it… cluck, cluck, cluck, you guys come and eat too." Zhang Apo was pouring feed into the chicken trough. After calling the chickens over for their meal, she washed her hands, sat down, and opened the Lunch Box.
"What do we have today?" Zhang Apo looked down, and her appetite was instantly piqued by the presentation. "This dish is beautifully made."
It was fragrant and looked wonderful.
She had originally thought that since she was so old, she shouldn't be as greedy for food as a child and should exercise some restraint.
But after picking up a piece of tofu and putting it in her mouth, her restraint was thrown out the window.
Zhang Apo quickly picked up a second piece, then a third, and a fourth… her mouth couldn't stop moving. "This is the first time I've eaten tofu prepared this way… Wait! This tofu is deep-fried, isn't it? You can't eat fried food."
Grandpa Liu's entire face was buried in the Lunch Box, his voice muffled. "The tofu in my portion is pan-fried. That girl made it specially for me."
"That's fine then," Zhang Apo said, relieved. Then she felt greedy again. "Then give me a piece of your pan-fried one to taste."
Grandpa Liu immediately shielded his Lunch Box. "I won't give it to you for free, but we can trade."
Zhang Apo asked, "Trade what? You can't eat the deep-fried ones."
Grandpa Liu waved his hand. "Then I'd be at a loss. No, no way."
Zhang Apo said, "I never realized you were so stingy before."
Grandpa Liu replied righteously, "There were never such delicious Lunch Boxes to fight over before!"
Zhang Apo: "…"
In the end, Zhang Apo traded a piece of Yellow-braised Chicken for a slice of pan-fried tofu, specifically picking the smallest chicken chunk.
The pan-fried tofu was indeed different from the deep-fried kind—it was tenderer and had absorbed more sauce. The Yellow-braised Chicken was also delicious and exceptionally tender; one could tell it was made from fresh chicken. This was much more honest than most restaurants.
She glanced at Grandpa Liu across from her, who was eating with great relish, showing none of his usual lack of appetite. She thought to herself that giving away the gas stove had really been worth it.
A week later, at six in the morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
The night before, the family of three had returned from making and selling Shredded Potato Pancakes, falling into bed the moment they finished washing up.
They woke up early this morning and gathered around to count the money in the iron box.
Ye Congxi divided the money into three piles. "There's three hundred yuan here for Jiang Wenchuan. This pile is for our supplies today, and the rest is for living expenses."
Ye Congxi pulled forty yuan from the living expenses, divided it into two piles, and pushed them toward her parents.
"The five yuan I gave you last time is all gone, right? We've saved up enough for the debt now. From now on, I'll pay you regular wages from the money we earn."
Ye Daxian looked at the three hundred yuan, and the heavy stone that had been hanging over his heart finally dropped. He didn't reach for the money. "No need to give us money. You keep it; you're the most reliable at managing it."
To be honest, he had felt like he was in a dream lately. In the past, he wouldn't have dared to imagine earning three hundred yuan in less than half a month!
Lin Qiujiao also nodded. She no longer cared about twenty yuan; she cared about the big apartment. "This money should be saved for the rent on the third floor."
"Just take it. We'll have the rent after working a few more days."
How could one expect a horse to run without giving it grass? She had to give them a little sweetness so her parents would work even harder.
The couple exchanged a look and finally accepted the money happily.
After dividing the money, they went to the market for supplies.
Ye Congxi planned to make Stir-fried Leek Sprouts with Dried Tofu today, with Braised Fish Chunks as the meat dish.
As usual, Ye Daxian was in charge of chopping, while Ye Congxi was responsible for the seasoning and supervising the heat.
After cutting the dried tofu into strips, she first stir-fried them in the wok until fragrant, then added Bird's Eye Chili and minced garlic. A spoonful of light soy sauce was drizzled in, and the aroma was instantly released.
Only then were the leek sprouts added; this way, the leaves would remain crisp and tender.
Finally, she stir-fried it over high heat.
Flames licked up from the bottom of the wok, almost engulfing it. The red glow illuminated the three faces, and Ye Daxian and Lin Qiujiao’s eyes nearly popped out in surprise.
Ye Daxian's eyes were full of envy.
When would he be able to master such a skill? If he could, he'd walk down the street stir-frying to show everyone!
Ye Congxi went to check the fish chunks in the basin. The fish had been marinated with green onion, ginger, light soy sauce, egg, and Starch for about half an hour.
"Dad, your specialty is up next. Fry them." Ye Congxi pointed at the basin of fish and tilted her chin toward her father.
"Leave it to me!" Ye Daxian raised his spatula. He heated the wok first before adding cold oil, then slowly pan-fried the fish over low heat.
Since it was his first time frying such thick pieces of meat, he followed his daughter's instructions: don't be impatient and flip them frequently to check their status.
Finally, when the fish chunks were golden brown on both sides, he couldn't help but turn around to show off. "How is it, Xiaoxi? These fish your dad fried aren't bad, right?"
Ye Congxi stood with her hands behind her back. She was fairly satisfied and nodded slowly. "Not bad, not bad. It'll do. Now pour in fresh oil and add the green onion, ginger, and Bird's Eye Chili."
As soon as the aromatics hit the wok, the spicy scent filled the air. Ye Daxian put the fish chunks back in.
Watching for the right moment, Ye Congxi drizzled in the pre-mixed sauce and added water. Once it boiled, she covered the wok to let it simmer for about ten minutes, then finally turned up the heat to reduce the sauce and sprinkled on chopped green onions.
The fish chunks were a bright, reddish-brown color, and the sauce was thick and glossy, its rich aroma almost palpable, making one's mouth water at the sight.
Smelling the fragrance, Lin Qiujiao’s speed in scooping rice increased significantly.
In the spirit of not wasting food, Ye Congxi also put the fish heads into the wok, frying them until they were charred on the outside and tender on the inside.
However, the fish heads certainly couldn't be sold to customers, so they ate them themselves.
The pan-fried fish heads were even more flavorful to gnaw on, without a hint of fishiness. A large piece was coated in the braising sauce; after using one's tongue to savor the entire surface of the fish head and then picking out the fish eyes to eat, it was simply divine.
Inside the Electronics Factory.
Song Yu had been working on parts all morning and felt dizzy when she stood up. It wasn't until she walked out of the factory and felt the breeze and the crowd flowing past her that she felt alive again.
Seeing the Lunch Box stall under the Great Banyan Tree from a distance, Song Yu immediately perked up and walked over quickly.
Ye Congxi handed her a Lunch Box. "Today's dishes are Braised Fish Chunks and Stir-fried Leek Sprouts with Dried Tofu."
Song Yu said happily, "New dishes?"
She loved this sense of surprise!
A man nearby curled his lip and muttered, "Wasn't it potato stewed chicken yesterday? I ordered based on that dish, but now you've changed it. What's that about?"
Ye Congxi explained patiently, "I mentioned it when you pre-ordered—the dishes might change every day, but it will always be one meat and one vegetable."
In many restaurants that stir-fried on the spot, the menu wasn't fixed. They went to the market each day and bought whatever was cheap and fresh.
She had made it very clear; she only took pre-orders from those who could accept this.
But the man in front of her insisted on being difficult. "I didn't hear you. You must have spoken too quietly. Who does business like this? I wanted potato stewed chicken, and you give me Braised Fish Chunks."
A customer waiting in line couldn't stand it. "This braised fish looks delicious. It's not a loss."
The man stubbornly replied, "I'm allergic to fish."
Ye Congxi didn't intend to waste time with him. "Fine, then I'll refund your money. Give the Lunch Box back."
The man was still unwilling. "I'd have to go buy food all over again. That's a waste of time. Forget it, just refund me one yuan and I'll count myself unlucky."
Ye Congxi used to work in the back of the kitchen, but now that she was selling Lunch Boxes and interacting with customers face-to-face, she realized there were quite a few oddballs in the world.
She was so annoyed she laughed. "Don't do that. Didn't you say you were allergic to fish? If something happens after you eat it, we can't afford the responsibility."
Song Yu thought the man's voice sounded familiar. She had just been pushed out by the crowd but squeezed back in because she was genuinely curious. "Lu Deping? You're allergic to fish? I saw you eating Steamed Fish in the cafeteria before."
Lu Deping worked in the same workshop as Song Yu and finished work at the same time; they often bumped into each other in the cafeteria.
Lu Deping didn't expect to run into someone he knew here. His face reddened with embarrassment, and he looked away, stammering, "I'm… I'm allergic to braised fish… Forget it, just give me the refund. I won't eat it, okay?"
Ye Daxian, who had been selling Lunch Boxes nearby, noticed something was wrong and walked over to ask, "What's going on?"
Ye Congxi spoke plainly, "This person is faking a fish allergy. He says he's unhappy with today's Braised Fish Chunks and wants me to refund him one yuan."
Ye Daxian clenched his fist. "So you're the one trying to take advantage of us?"
Lu Deping shrunk back and quickly took his money.
He hadn't originally intended to order this Lunch Box; he only did it to chase a girl.
Yesterday, she had arrived late and couldn't buy one, so he had paid to pre-order a portion, wanting to treat her today to gain some favor.
At two yuan and fifty cents a box, his hand had trembled when he took out the money. It pained his heart!
Who knew the girl wouldn't even come to the factory today?
He had originally wanted to cancel it, but seeing how enticing the dishes looked, he thought that if he could get it for a yuan cheaper, he could live with it. He hadn't expected the boss to be so stingy.
Lu Deping looked around and then walked into the fast-food shop across the way, where the meals were only one yuan and fifty cents.
Now, this was a normal price! Why did that blonde girl's Lunch Box stall charge so much?
They were both Lunch Boxes; how much difference could there be?
After Lu Deping finished his purchase, he returned to the factory. The cafeteria was crowded, and the only empty seat was next to Song Yu.
Song Yu was currently eating the braised fish. The fish was simmered until it was a glossy, sauce-red color, with the skin fried into fine wrinkles and coated in thick sauce.
Biting through the crispy exterior, the white fish meat inside was snow-white and tender, with all the fresh moisture locked within. It was incredibly fragrant.