Food Intelligence King

Chapter 11 Where did I, the urban management officer, go?

In the morning, Chen Zhou had just returned from the market after buying pork and a large steamer.

Then I received a call from the company.

She is a junior colleague who juggles multiple roles in personnel and administration.

Chen Zhou thought he had left his job gracefully and started his own catering business, but in reality, leaving a job still required going through various procedures.

However, the junior sister meant well.

Remind him to take annual leave this month so he can get an extra half month's salary.
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"Since you won't get the subsidy if you don't take your annual leave, you might as well take advantage of the old man before you leave."

The old man, of course, refers to the dean.

Hearing her say that, Chen Zhou couldn't help but laugh while holding his phone.

"Thanks, junior sister. Come over sometime and I'll treat you to steamed buns. It's in the Sunshine City residential area."
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"It's nothing, Engineer Chen. But you actually went and set up a stall? I saw you posted something about stall registration on Douyin."

Did it help the people setting up stalls? Chen Zhou didn't know; he had first sent yesterday's video to acquaintances on his phone.

Chen Zhou replied:

"Why would I lie to you? I just bought six pounds of pork and I'm about to make steamed buns."

He was grateful for his junior sister Zhao Yilin's reminder, but he also hoped that she could understand that he still had business to attend to.

But the other party clearly wasn't finished talking:
"That's right. A few days ago, Lao Song and the others bet you with a pack of cigarettes on what you were up to. This morning, they were handing out cigarettes at your workstation."

These guys really have a lot of free time. Chen Zhou asked with a smile, "You didn't place a bet too, did you?"

Zhao Yilin quickly clarified:
"I don't smoke, but they opened a new menu and said I could switch to milk tea. This time they're betting on whether your business can survive."

Can you give me a heads-up, senior brother?

I can fill out your annual leave form for you, so you don't have to come to the company again.

As the old saying goes, when a person changes and leaves their original environment, they become out of place.

Chen Zhou was also impressed by these people.

He said to Zhao Yilin:
"I'll treat you to your milk tea. Don't get involved with them. My business is doing just fine."
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"No, no, no, I want them to bleed, especially Old Song. That guy is so annoying. He always stares at me with that lecherous look, and he talks with that smug, fatherly tone. He's so greasy."

Perhaps venting to former colleagues about the company situation could be a way for Zhao Yilin to relieve stress.

Chen Zhou didn't hang up the phone. He put the phone aside and listened while preparing for his afternoon stall business.

Being a person is probably a bit like making steamed buns—

The minced meat should be three parts fat and seven parts lean, and it shouldn't be fried in oil.

A few minutes later, Zhao Yilin's phone call suddenly ended.

Chen Zhou remembered that she stammered out, "Old Dean Tang!"

The junior sister doesn't seem to be very clever either.

In the evening, Chen Zhou drove his food cart back to the same old spot.

On the signboard,
Besides the pork bun, there were also a few lines of smaller text.

"Homemade pickled cucumbers, available for pre-order, free tasting today."

It wasn't that Chen Zhou had switched to a new marketing method, but rather that these pickled cucumbers needed three days to reach their optimal taste.

But the promotion was quite effective.

After all, it's hard for people to refuse something that's free.

Moreover, the combination of choosing a soft steamed bun in the left hand and a refreshing and crisp pickled vegetable in the right hand is also very appealing.

Many customers were delighted to receive the free, glistening, emerald-green pickled cucumbers.

"Wow! These pickled vegetables look so clean."

"Thank you, boss."

"I bought two liang of steamed buns (two liang of dough, which actually means six buns), could you give me some more?"
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"no problem."

The pickled cucumbers, which had just been taken out of the refrigerator, still had a chill in them.

Some people will inevitably choose to eat while walking.

Discerning foodies will first take a bite of the bun, sucking out the oily broth inside, and then squeezing the soft dough with their teeth.

Then, take another bite of cucumber and listen to the crisp sound.

Finally, a bite of steamed bun, a bite of pickled cucumber.

The icy coolness and the scalding heat blend together, and the mouth is the first place to experience the tactile stimulation.

Next comes the collision of oily and fresh aromas. The juicy and crisp cucumber strips will continue to contribute, adding a touch of sourness, sweetness, saltiness, and umami.

What happens if you start eating halfway through the journey? Most likely, you'll rush back to the stall where you bought the buns.

"Boss, I'd like to order a box of pickled cucumbers. How much?"

"Twelve yuan a box, come pick it up the day after tomorrow. There's a pen tied here, you can write your information down."

"Ok."

[I'm not a foodie], 132########, 1 box

Chen Zhou improved his steamed bun-making skills by earning points for positive reviews, which greatly increased his efficiency. So today, he prepared six jin of fresh meat steamed buns.

There are 22 boxes of small cucumbers that were set aside for separate sale.

So much so that it sold out even before the steamed buns.

However, because he also had to sell pickled cucumbers, Chen Zhou's food preparation speed was slowed down. When Ms. Lin brought her daughter to visit him, Chen Zhou had not yet sold out.

"Let me do it, you take a break," Lin Yifan said.

"I'm not tired."

With his professional skills, Chen Zhou didn't expend too much energy making steamed buns, especially since his wife had also worked a full day.

But Ms. Lin insisted.

Chen Zhou had no choice but to give her the seat next to him.

"I mainly wanted you to go back and massage my back. Since you insist on helping, then I'll massage it for you instead."

Ms. Lin also delivered a moderately powerful elbow strike.

Watching her parents get into the car, Chen Taotao felt a little lost.

"Daddy, Daddy, what about me?"

Chen Zhou almost forgot about the child. He picked up the little girl:
"Dad saved you a private seat at the front of the car."

With his wife helping with bagging and paying the bill, Chen Zhou was able to divert his attention to looking for the urban management officers mentioned in the diners' posts.

It's getting dark now, so someone in a blue uniform should be easy to spot.

However, Chen Zhou couldn't recall ever encountering urban management officers today.

So you'll be here in a bit?
If you don't come soon, I'm going to close up shop.

Chen Taotao called out at the opportune moment:

"Ten more bags~~~"

Two construction workers from a nearby renovation team were drawn in by the little girl's voice.

"Hey~ they're selling steamed buns."

"The little girl is so cute."

Judging from his accent, he sounds like someone from Lin Yifan's hometown.

Chen Zhou waved to them enthusiastically: "The steamed buns are over here."

The two chefs must have just finished their work and were hungry, so their eyes lit up when they saw the steamed buns.

How much are the steamed buns?

"Two yuan and fifty cents each. If you take all ten of them, I'll give you twenty yuan."

A little-known rule in the street vending world is to offer a discount on the last order.

The two craftsmen were delighted, saying, "This is really great!"

Chen Zhou reminded them to come early tomorrow, as there would be free pickled cucumbers.

Watching the two fellow villagers leave with their steamed buns, Lin Yifan couldn't help but think of her hometown and her parents.

"Your pickled cucumbers taste really good. I'd like to save some to send to my parents."

Chen Zhou nodded:

"Don't worry, I've kept it. But it would be best to mail it in a few more days."

Ms. Lin glanced at the list of reservations written on the paper in front of her and said:

"Oh, it tastes better after marinating for a few days, right?"

Chen Zhou replied, "That's right, mainly because there's a possibility of heavy rain in the next few days."

(End of this chapter)