1994: Starting with unpaid leave

It was noon when Dong Jianguo carried the manual packaging machine home.

Before even entering the yard, I saw another group of people lined up in front of their own door.

The queue this time was even longer than the queue for buying eggs on the first day!

Upon seeing him return, Yueyue cheered and ran towards Dong Jianguo, suddenly hugging his leg.

"Godfather! You're back!"

"Hmm, why are there so many people in our house again?"

"They're all here to buy braised eggs! My godmother's braised eggs are so delicious! They're only slightly worse than my mom's!"

Little Yueyue raised her face, smiled and stretched out her hand, using her index finger and thumb to draw a thin slit in front of her eyes as if showing off.

"Really? Your godmother is that amazing?"

I didn't know Xiuyun had this skill in my past life.

It seems that people are always finding something new to see...

"Yueyue, tell your godfather how many you ate?"

Yueyue's eyes widened: "My sister ate it!"

Dong Jianguo stared at the egg yolk crumbs around her mouth: "You really don't want to eat it?"

"Ah! Sister, eat it!"

Dong Jianguo smiled, rubbed Yueyue's head, said nothing, and stepped into the yard.

He decisively chose to protect his goddaughter's foolish cleverness...

As soon as you step into the courtyard, a rich aroma of braised meat wafts into your nostrils, making your mouth water.

Good heavens, my small courtyard is now completely blocked by people.

Several neighbors who hadn't managed to get a spot were standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, looking like a flock of ducks waiting to be fed.

Zhou Xiuyun and Zhao Hongmei were busy working up a sweat. Two large pots were placed on the table in the yard, steaming from the rims. Inside, a small mountain of tempting braised eggs looked so delicious that it made your mouth water.

The neighbors, who originally only came to buy eggs, all gathered around the table, making Zhao Hongmei so anxious that she kept banging on the edge of the pot:

"Step back, step back, everyone gets a share, don't knock the pot over! Who's responsible if someone gets burned?" Zhao Hongmei held the edge of the pot with one hand and used a long spoon in the other to maintain order.

Dong Jianguo finally managed to squeeze through, and the fragrance he had just smelled became even stronger.

Looking down, I saw a pot of spiced braised eggs on the left. The eggshells were cracked, like blooming plum blossoms, and the dark brown broth had seeped into the cracks, making them look very flavorful.

The pot on the right is the "braised egg in gravy" that he specifically requested. The broth contains diced pork belly and shiitake mushrooms, and has a bright red color and a strong aroma. It is richer and more oily than just five-spice.

"Jianguo, you're back just in time! Come and try some!" Zhou Xiuyun quickly handed him a pair of chopsticks as he came in, her face showing a mix of trepidation and anticipation. "Hongmei and I spent the whole morning thinking about it and made two different flavors as you suggested."

Ignoring the fact that the braised eggs were still hot, she peeled a spiced egg with the shell on for Dong Jianguo.

Dong Jianguo picked it up and looked at it. The shelled braised egg was covered with beautiful patterns, like a blooming plum blossom, and the dark brown broth had seeped into the crevices.

Just looking at it makes it look better than anything I've ever seen in a supermarket in my past life.

He picked up another braised egg with meat gravy, its surface glistening with oil and emitting a rich meaty aroma.

"The spiced eggs are braised in their shells for a longer time, while the braised eggs in gravy are cooked first and then braised, so they are less time-consuming, but they are just as flavorful."

"Mm!" Dong Jianguo nodded, eating one after another.

The egg white is chewy and bouncy, with a perfect balance of saltiness. The complex aroma of star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves unfolds layer by layer in the mouth, bringing back the most authentic "old taste" from my memories.

I quickly took another bite of the meat gravy.

One bite, and the taste is slightly different.

The rich broth, infused with the aroma of eggs, delivers a burst of umami flavor that hits you right in the head. The taste is so mellow and delicious that you simply can't stop eating it.

Although the textures are different, they taste equally delicious in the mouth.

"Great! Excellent!" Dong Jianguo gave a thumbs up, his mouth stuffed full. "Xiuyun, Sister Hongmei, your cooking is amazing! Both flavors are good, which one sells better?"

Zhou Xiuyun and Zhao Hongmei exchanged a glance and said in unison:

"Sales are all going well!"

This morning, ever since the first batch of spiced eggs was cooked, the aroma has attracted many customers who came to buy eggs.

At first, the two of them didn't pay much attention and did indeed follow Dong Jianguo's instructions to give each customer a piece to taste.

But to their surprise, more and more people came after hearing that there were free tea eggs.

Later, because so many people were drawn by the free braised eggs, Zhou Xiuyun had no choice but to change her strategy and start selling them for four cents each.

Although it deterred many people who wanted to freeload, customers still kept coming in droves.

Two large pots of braised eggs of two different flavors were sold in one morning!

All in all, I earned over a hundred yuan.

Moreover, the brine can be reused several times after it's been prepared. This business is guaranteed to make a profit, and the earnings are much higher than relying solely on high-volume egg retail!

As they were talking, more than a dozen customers came up and bought some more.

In the blink of an eye, a few more dollars went into Xiuyun's pocket.

Seeing that the person buying the eggs was Brother Feng, a neighbor who lived in the same alley, and that he had started eating them as soon as he got them, Dong Jianguo couldn't help but ask, "Brother Feng, how do you like the eggs?"

"Mmm, delicious! Much better than my wife's braised dishes! Ever since I said that my unlucky wife's braised dishes were a waste of food, she's refused to make them for me again! Today I'm going to buy a couple more, show them to her when I get home, and not let her eat any!"

Upon hearing this, the other customers nodded in agreement.

"I think these braised eggs taste a hundred times better than those breakfast stalls outside the factory! If you tried selling them there from your cart, you'd be completely outcompeted by their vendors!"

"Jianguo, you're so lucky! Xiuyun is so capable, and now Hongmei is helping you too. What a treat! Tsk tsk tsk!"

"Why don't you say Xiuyun is lucky?! Look how capable Jianguo is. Even though he got disciplined by the factory, he's been working tirelessly from dawn till dusk dealing in eggs, earning way more than he would have at his regular job!"

"Exactly! If you ask me, Jianguo is absolutely worthy of Xiuyun, such a virtuous wife!"

Hearing everyone's praise, Zhou Xiuyun glanced at her husband and noticed he was also stealing glances at her. She quickly lowered her head and smiled sweetly, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart as well...

Though my heart is filled with joy, my hands are still busy.

With a long spoon, he scooped out a whole braised chicken leg from the bottom of the pot and put it into Dong Jianguo's bowl.

Brother Feng, who hadn't left yet, saw this and exclaimed in surprise:

"Oh my! I was wondering why this braised egg with meat gravy smelled so good! Jianguo, your wife really put in the ingredients!"

Dong Jianguo smiled, picked up the chicken leg, and waved it at Brother Feng:

"Of course, my wife dotes on her husband! Brother Feng, this is a special gift my wife made for me, you can just secretly admire it!"

"Wow! I'll ask my wife to make it for me!"

Brother Feng muttered to himself as he left, a sight that made the other customers unable to hold back their laughter, covering their mouths and chuckling.

Dong Jianguo picked up a chicken leg and took a big bite.

The chicken legs, soaked in braising sauce for a long time, tasted even better than braised eggs. With each bite, the juices flowed down the corners of the mouth, making a group of customers smack their lips and swallow their saliva.

Suddenly, everyone knew that Dong Jianguo's braised eggs with gravy actually contained meat...

……