Food Intelligence King

Chapter 156: Taking Ms. Lin to work, and her personal lunch during the shop's break.

Chen Taotao's wish for her father to attend kindergarten in her place is definitely not going to come true.

A 30-year-old adult male cannot reverse aging.

However, Chen Zhou can take her to school.

This is not a problem at all.

So the next morning, the family of three went out together.

Chen Taotao was extremely happy to have her parents take her to kindergarten.

The time children arrive at and leave school, and who picks them up and drops them off, all affect their happiness level in kindergarten.

Chen Taotao is often envied by other children.

Because her father was always the first to pick her up.

What's more, her parents are taking her to school today, so she's quite happy to go even though it's Saturday.

The little girl also invited:

"Mom and Dad, it would be even better if you could both pick me up this afternoon!"

“No problem,” Chen Zhou said, glancing at his wife.
“If the two of us come to pick you up, we’ll have to wait for your mom to get off work, and you won’t be the first one to leave.”

"I'm fine with it too."

More than whether she was the first one picked up, Chen Taotao was more concerned about who would pick her up.

The little girl began to look forward to it after receiving her father's promise.

She held her father's hand on the left and her mother's hand on the right, her two little hands swaying back and forth.

Ms. Lin, who is to Chen Taotao's right, naturally had no objection to this.

It's simply a matter of letting my daughter wait at the kindergarten for a little while.

On the left, considering that it was the same job no matter which way he went, Chen Zhou decided to pick up and drop off his wife at get off work as well.

The couple dropped their child off with Teacher Li and prepared to go about their own business.

When Chen Zhou walked back, he sat directly in the driver's seat.

This action surprised Ms. Lin slightly.
"Are you using your car today?" she asked.

Chen Zhou replied with a smile, "I just pick you up and drop you off at work and school."

"Hmm~"

Ms. Lin nodded and obediently walked around to the passenger seat.

Her workplace wasn't exactly close, but it couldn't be far either.

If you drive, the commute time is similar. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on road conditions.

Because they were driving towards Ms. Lin's company, she casually started chatting about topics related to her company and colleagues along the way.

Then they also mentioned Sister Hou—

The mother whose son used to study Go and is now studying at No. 2 Middle School.

"I heard her say that No. 2 Middle School is a very good school with strong teaching staff and a focus on cultivating students' interests and hobbies. It would be great if Chen Taotao could get into No. 2 Middle School in the future."

Being a mother is very worrying.

This is probably Ms. Lin's daily routine.

Chen Zhou said with a smile, "The high school entrance exam is still a long way off."

"Ah."

Ms. Lin was just thinking about it. She didn't have such high standards as her sister. Although she would worry, she felt that it was good enough.

"I heard that No. 2 Middle School recently printed some kind of school magazine."

The workplace experiences of married women are quite different from the discussions Chen Zhou heard his colleagues have about stocks, lithography machines, and nuclear missiles at work. The topics they talk about seem to revolve around their husbands and children.

Chen Zhouguang almost found out from Ms. Lin which girl in Hou Jie's class her son liked.

However, Chen Zhou was actually quite clear about the matter of the Ivy School Magazine.

He smiled and said:
"I'll find you a copy later. There's a kid in my shop who's a regular customer of No. 2 Middle School, and we're pretty close."

"That's not necessary." Ms. Lin really was just saying it casually.

But Chen Zhou took it seriously.

He joked, "Tonight, I want to see you reading this magazine properly in bed."

Ms. Lin rolled her eyes at her husband: "Then I'll write you a review later."

The couple chatted casually.

Chen Zhou talked about the recent business at the store.

In terms of income alone, his net profit in the two months since opening the store has exceeded 60,000 yuan.

Business is doing quite well.

Because Ms. Lin had also given him the savings book that her family had previously kept.

So, adding in the cash flow, Chen Zhou had nearly 100,000 yuan on hand.

He didn't make any financial investments during the National Day holiday this month, and the market was closed. He just kept the money on hand.

And so the steamed bun shop in the community canteen basically settled down. With guaranteed ingredient quality, safety, hygiene, and delicious buns, it attracted a steady stream of customers every day.

Ms. Lin was also concerned about business matters, but she didn't quite understand them.

Chen Zhou only gave her a brief explanation.

But Ms. Lin actually knows her husband very well—he truly treats the catering business as a hobby.

She listened to Chen Zhou talk about the store, and then said seriously, "I support whatever ideas you have. But we have to take it one step at a time."

His wife's support was heartwarming, motivating, and reassuring, Chen Zhou said gratefully.
"Boss lady, let me praise you again."

Ms. Lin smiled faintly and said, "Go ahead and praise me."

"Let me organize my thoughts," Chen Zhou said.

While her husband was thinking, Ms. Lin removed Chen Zhou's hand from her lap and placed it where it should be when driving. She emphasized the importance of driving safety and reminded him:
"When driving, concentrate on driving."

"Okay, boss lady."

After arriving at the company, Ms. Lin waved goodbye to her husband, saying, "Don't eat lunch alone. If you can't manage, go out to eat."

She still held the same idea:
Her husband cooks for others every day, and it would be best if someone could cook for him even when the shop isn't open. Ms. Lin has to work and doesn't have time to prepare elaborate meals, but she hopes her husband can eat well. They earn a decent amount of money each month, so eating out once in a while isn't unreasonable.

Chen Zhou tilted his head back at his wife and said, "Go to work. You have to worry about me all day long."

"Okay, send me a picture of your lunch," Lin Yifan added as a final instruction.

"Drive carefully. Don't forget to pick me up tonight."

I don't know what Ms. Lin is worried about. How could she forget this?

Chen Zhou watched his wife go to work through the car window.

Before she entered, she must have met her colleagues; several women were chatting and laughing as they entered together.

Ms. Lin's personality makes it difficult for her to have conflicts with others, and her occasional tactful social interactions probably make her quite popular.

But to be fair, Ms. Lin's suggestion wasn't wrong either—

If Chen Zhou were eating alone, he might indeed make do with whatever meal he could find.

It's not easy for him to cook for one person.

If he does too little, it won't be much trouble; if he does too much, Chen Zhou can't let his wife and children come home to eat leftovers.

So when he cooks at home, he controls the amount of food he makes, and he doesn't cook too much; he just eats it all at once.

So, after dropping his wife off at work, Chen Zhou started getting regular maintenance and upkeep done by Master An, a blind massage therapist.

At noon, he listened to Ms. Lin and found a small restaurant near his home.

It's not exactly next to the community canteen, but it's not far away. It's next to the local restaurant that used to be near the sales office—Aqi's Home-Style Cuisine.

The boss also knew Chen Zhou.

Both of them work in the food service industry, but they don't directly compete in terms of product category. They can still have a good chat.

Boss Qi greeted them:
"You're here, Mr. Chen. Want to have lunch here? How many people are in your party?"

"Hey, Brother Qi," Chen Zhou replied with a smile, "I'll cook for one person."

"Then take a look at the menu." Old Qi handed the restaurant's menu to Chen Zhou.

It's worth mentioning that the owner of Aqi's Home-Style Cuisine isn't actually surnamed Qi.

However, after people called him that so many times, he ended up using the surname Qi.

Chen Zhou flipped through the menu.

Unlike the slightly more upscale restaurant next door, Aqi's home-style dishes are relatively inexpensive.

A simple menu without pictures, containing about forty dishes.

Aqi's Home-Style Cuisine is larger than a typical ground-floor shop, but it doesn't have private rooms; most tables are for four people. Assuming seven or eight dishes per table, with a choice of five, the menu is relatively extensive.

Chen Zhou glanced through the list briefly and ordered a dish of stir-fried shredded pork with vinegar.

He hadn't cooked it himself, but he knew it contained scallions, ginger, and garlic, so it could be considered a balanced meal with both meat and vegetables. It was acceptable for him to take pictures of his wife.

"Another serving of rice, please."

"Okay, wait a minute."

On a weekday lunch break, there weren't many people at Aqi's Home-Style Restaurant.

The restaurant wasn't full.

While Chen Zhou was eating, Boss Qi also had some free time to chat with him.

He was quite envious of the community canteen's business. Whether out of social necessity or genuine feeling, he said this:

"Your business is the best in our row."

“Heh, just doing it blindly,” Chen Zhou laughed. “I was just lucky. After my aunt left, I was the only one buying breakfast.”

He then praised Aqi's home-style dish, stir-fried shredded pork with vinegar.

Mr. Qi was very happy to receive recognition from his peers.

But he really felt he was unlucky—the restaurant next door was bigger and had private rooms, precisely targeting people's need for group dining, so his business wasn't doing very well either.

Old Qi sighed, "I was here first."

Continuing on this topic would be like stirring up trouble, since the boss next door, Chen Zhou, is also an acquaintance.

So all he could do while paying the bill was to keep talking about how well Aqi's home-style stir-fried scrambled eggs with vinegar were cooked.

"Okay, come visit anytime." Old Qi said goodbye to Chen Zhou.

After finishing his meal, Chen Zhou checked the time and sent the lunch to Ms. Lin.

Aqi's home-style stir-fried shredded mushrooms with vinegar has a glossy, oily sauce and a light soy sauce color that looks quite appetizing.

Ms. Lin was pleased that her husband had eaten well, but she was only barely satisfied with the dishes in the picture.

Because you can't see any green vegetables in stir-fried shredded pork with vinegar.

Chen Zhou explained, "With scallions, ginger, and garlic, it's considered a passing grade."

"OK then."

The image below is a stolen emoji from Ms. Lin.

When one or two people go to a restaurant, it's true that if they want to ensure a balanced diet with a mix of meat and vegetables, they need to order a couple more dishes.

The usual portion sizes are probably too much for two people to finish.

It's even more difficult for one person.

As Chen Zhou walked towards the residential area, he happened to run into Tony, the hairdresser, who was drying towels in front of the barbershop.

He saw Chen Zhou approaching and waited outside the shop for a while.

"You ate at Azira?" Tony asked.

Chen Zhou nodded and said with a smile, "I'm just checking out some shops too."

The row of ground-floor shops covers all aspects of the residents' daily needs, and the business owners naturally visit each other from time to time.

Teacher Tony gestured for Chen Zhou to speak privately.

It seems there's some inside information involved.

"Brother, don't tell anyone I told you."

(End of this chapter)