"I plan to sell Braised Pork Belly and Sour and Spicy Shredded Potatoes, served together as a Lunch Box."
That pot of Shredded Chicken Congee from this morning had sold for thirty yuan. Even counting the twelve yuan spent on ingredients and the cost of a few Honeycomb Briquettes, the net profit was still about half, even by the most conservative estimates.
Ye Congxi was certain now: the catering path was viable.
There were many factories in their vicinity, making lunch boxes the perfect choice for the noon rush.
"Braised Pork Belly is great! I love Braised Pork Belly," Ye Daxian said happily.
"This is Lower Pork Belly, from the rib section. The fat and lean are evenly distributed, so it turns out soft and tender without being greasy. It’s the most suitable cut for Braised Pork Belly…"
As Ye Congxi picked out the meat, a string of words escaped her lips out of habit.
After all, she had been a head chef in a restaurant in her previous life. Whenever she went out to select ingredients, she would instinctively teach her team how to choose the best ones.
Halfway through her explanation, she remembered her current identity wasn't right.
To avoid suspicion, she quickly added, "That’s what it says in the books."
"That book is certainly detailed." Ye Daxian didn't suspect a thing; his eyes were glued to the pork belly.
He hadn't read the book, but he had certainly eaten Braised Pork Belly.
Even someone like him, who didn't know much about cooking, could see how beautiful the strips of pork belly his daughter had chosen were. It was bound to be delicious.
Ye Congxi bought over seven catties of meat and over ten catties of potatoes.
The pork belly cost thirteen yuan, and the potatoes cost over three yuan.
She also bought spices like Star Anise, Cinnamon, and Rock Sugar, as well as several bags of rice—some suitable for congee and others for steamed rice.
More than half of the thirty yuan earned that morning was spent just like that.
Ye Daxian’s heart twinged; the expense pained him deeply.
His daughter’s spending habits were more flamboyant than both of theirs combined.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This is our capital. Don't worry, Dad, we'll definitely earn it back at noon," Ye Congxi comforted him.
Back at home, Ye Congxi pushed open the door. "Mom, I'm back! Did you finish tidying up for me?"
There was no response.
Ye Daxian carried the bicycle inside. "Your mother must have fallen asleep again."
Ye Congxi opened the bedroom door and, sure enough, saw that the room was only half-tidied. Her mother was lying on the bed, fast asleep with her mouth slightly open, still clutching a few books.
The house faced north and didn't get much sun, so it was quite cool with just a fan blowing.
Sweat was pouring down Ye Daxian’s neck. Seeing Lin Qiujiao sleeping so comfortably, he felt a wave of envy.
In the past, he definitely would have laid down to sleep with her.
But not now. He had to sell those lunch boxes at noon to get his money back.
Ye Daxian turned to wash the pork belly, took two steps, then turned back and suddenly shouted, "Xiao Xi, are you making Shredded Chicken Congee again?"
"Shredded Chicken Congee? Where's the Shredded Chicken Congee?! Save a bowl for me!" Lin Qiujiao bolted upright in bed, a trace of drool still on the corner of her mouth.
When she looked up and saw the father and daughter standing at the door watching her, she smiled sheepishly. "You… you're back so soon."
Ye Daxian grunted twice, finally satisfied, and went to wash the meat.
The whole family had to work; no one was allowed to slack off.
"Mom, Dad and I were sweating buckets at the market, and you were actually at home sleeping!" Ye Congxi condemned her.
"I… I don't know why, but as soon as I sit on this bed, I get sleepy. My eyes just close. Do you think there’s something… 'unclean' about this bed?" Lin Qiujiao picked at her fingers, squeezing out an innocent expression.
Ye Congxi: "…We're making Braised Pork Belly for lunch. Those who don't work don't get to eat."
What? Braised Pork Belly?
Lin Qiujiao’s sleepiness vanished instantly. She slapped her left and right shoulders and said solemnly, "Luckily, I learned a Ghost Exorcism Technique from the movies. I'm not sleepy anymore. I'll get up and finish tidying right now."
"Xiao Xi, I've washed the meat and the potatoes," Ye Daxian called from outside.
Ye Congxi walked out, picked up one of the strips, and cut a piece about the width of a finger. "Dad, cut them according to this size. Don't vary too much. I plan to put two taels of meat in each lunch box. If you cut them too large, they'll be hard to portion."
Hearing this, Ye Daxian solemnly placed the sample piece on the cutting board, carefully aligned his knife, and then cut down.
Exactly the same size, not a shred of extra meat.
He was absolutely not going to let a portion exceed two taels!
Ye Congxi soaked the rice in a basin. They only had one Honeycomb Briquette Stove, so the rice needed to be soaked through first so it would cook faster later.
Once Ye Daxian finished cutting the meat, he turned to peel the potatoes. He became increasingly enthusiastic as he worked. "I have to say, this is quite therapeutic. It’s more interesting than playing cards."
"Dad, your meat cutting is pretty good." Ye Congxi smiled. After checking the pork belly, she put it in the pot with ginger and green onions to blanch it, then rinsed off the scum after scooping it out.
The Honeycomb Briquette was burning brightly. She removed one to lower the stove's temperature, using a low heat to slowly render the fat out of the pork belly.
Sigh, although things stewed over a Honeycomb Briquette were quite fragrant, it still wasn't as convenient as a gas stove.
The bottom of the pot sizzled as the pork belly gradually developed charred edges, and the aroma of the meat began to waft out.
Ye Daxian’s nose twitched. "It's just started, and I'm already salivating."
Lin Qiujiao could smell it from inside the room too. She worked even harder, even bringing over a stool to wipe down the top of the cabinet.
Ye Congxi poured the pork belly into a large basin. This basin was also newly bought and had been rinsed several times. The glistening pork belly piled up in the basin, still steaming.
Ye Congxi first scooped out a bit of the lard; adding a little when stir-frying the potato shreds would make them more fragrant.
Leaving the remaining oil in the pot, she tossed in a handful of rock sugar to stir-fry it into a Caramel Color, then added the pork belly back in along with seasonings. Instantly, oil splattered and a wild fragrance erupted.
"Dad, help me lift the pot so I can add a briquette." She needed to use high heat to bring it to a boil, then low heat for a slow simmer.
It would need to stew for at least forty minutes. During this time, Ye Congxi prepared to cut the potato shreds.
Ye Daxian said, "Your little hands aren't steady enough for such a big knife. You cut one shred, and I'll just copy it."
He had done a good job with the pork belly, after all.
"Alright." Ye Congxi cut a few shreds and stepped aside.
The potato shreds were long and thin. Ye Daxian fumbled for a long time trying to match them, but his results were all thick and chunky.
"Why are these so slippery? They're impossible to cut," Ye Daxian said dejectedly.
"Your Knife Skills aren't there yet. I practiced for many… many days to get this right."
Ye Congxi intended to have Ye Daxian practice his Knife Skills. The catering business was not easy, and she might not be able to balance it once school started, so her father would have to step up.
But there was no time now; they had to get the lunch boxes ready for noon.
Ye Congxi took the knife and quickly shredded the potatoes. Ye Daxian watched from the side, dumbfounded.
After finishing the last potato, Ye Congxi put the knife away. "Dad, wash these potato shreds to rinse off the starch; otherwise, they won't be crispy when fried."
Once Ye Daxian finished washing them, he turned around to see his daughter starting to reduce the sauce for the Braised Pork Belly.
The meat in the pot was a deep, bright red, with a thick sauce tightly coating every piece. The skin of the meat wobbled slightly as the spatula moved.
Gulp.
Ye Daxian’s throat made a loud sound as he swallowed.
The next pot began steaming the rice. Ye Congxi added a bit of oil and salt to it.
The potato shreds had been soaked in white vinegar. Along with green pepper shreds, Bird's Eye Chili, and crushed garlic, they were tossed into the pot. The fragrance was so strong it even scented the wind, making passersby look inside hungrily.
Ye Congxi looked at the living room clock through the courtyard window. "It's eleven o'clock! Quick, quick, quick, pack the lunch boxes."
"This rice smells amazing." Lin Qiujiao was full of wonder. Did her daughter really have some kind of divine culinary talent? Otherwise, how could her plain white rice smell better than everyone else's?
Lin Qiujiao was responsible for dishing the rice, Ye Daxian added the potato shreds, and Ye Congxi packed the Braised Pork Belly.
In the end, they packed thirty-five lunch boxes.
Ye Congxi handed one to Lin Qiujiao. "Mom, here's your lunch. Dad, I'm going to the stall with you today. We'll eat later."
She wanted to follow along to get familiar with things and see the customers' feedback.
At the entrance of the Electronics Factory.
A row of restaurants out front had opened their large pots and small stoves. Next to them were some street stalls selling Stir-fried Rice Noodles and such, their fierce fires roaring as they tossed their pans.
In comparison, the lunch boxes brought over on Ye Congxi’s Small Pushcart didn't look very competitive.
Ye Daxian scratched his head awkwardly.
Since his daughter was with him, he couldn't aggressively solicit customers like he had this morning. It was over; what if the lunch boxes didn't sell?
Just as Ye Daxian was worrying, a figure ran out of the factory gates with red eyes.
Ye Daxian took a look; this person looked familiar. Wasn't this the guy he had practically forced to buy a bowl of Shredded Chicken Congee this morning?
What was he doing? With that fierce look in his eyes, was he here for revenge?!
Ye Daxian quickly stepped in front of his daughter.
"You, you…!" Wu Lin panted heavily. "Are you still selling Shredded Chicken Congee this noon? I want another bowl!"
Ye Daxian: "…" So it wasn't ferocity; he was just ravenously hungry.
Ye Congxi peeked her head out. "We don't have congee at noon, but we have lunch boxes. The dishes are Braised Pork Belly and Sour and Spicy Shredded Potatoes. It's two-fifty a portion. Would you like one?"
Two yuan and fifty cents wasn't exactly expensive, but it definitely wasn't in the "bargain" category either.
Wu Lin hesitated. "Can I see it?"
"Of course." Ye Congxi picked up a lunch box and lifted the lid. Steam and fragrance billowed out.
Wu Lin’s eyes widened.
The Braised Pork Belly was bright and lustrous, the potato shreds were yellow-green accented by red chilies. That sour, spicy, savory scent made his stomach growl instantly.
He immediately pulled out his money. "Give me one!"
Wu Lin couldn't even wait to get back to his dorm; he just sat on the steps nearby to eat.
Pork belly had to be eaten in big chunks to be satisfying. This stall's pork belly was stewed through until the core was flavorful and the fat had melted out into a rich, savory aroma. It was salty with a hint of sweetness. Even the rice underneath, stained with the braised pork sauce, tasted better.
As he ate, Wu Lin discovered that even the rice untouched by sauce was fragrant, possessing a very special "breath of the fire."
The potato shreds were also incredible—each strand distinct, crispy, and spicy. The sour-savory kick really opened up his appetite.
Wu Lin ate with his eyes squinted in pure bliss.
Watching him made Ye Daxian hungry.
A customer nearby, who had originally intended to buy stir-fried rice noodles, also changed direction and asked for a lunch box.
Shortly after, several other customers who had bought the Shredded Chicken Congee that morning came out of the factory. Seeing Ye Daxian selling lunch boxes, they all followed suit and asked for one.
A "yellow-haired hoodlum" might be annoying, but if that hoodlum sold incredibly delicious food, that was a different story!
If the congee this morning was that good, the lunch boxes surely wouldn't be bad!
Ye Daxian was stunned. He had been worried they wouldn't sell, but in the blink of an eye, nine boxes were gone.
Just as he split his face into a wide grin to laugh, a roar came from behind him—
"Ye Daxian! I've finally found you!"