Meng Zhao is preparing six dishes today, three meat and three vegetable. Customers can choose any three dishes. Two vegetable dishes and one meat dish plus rice cost eight coins, while two meat dishes and one vegetable dish plus rice cost eleven coins. Soup is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The first main dish was braised pork belly, prepared in the same way as the one I made for Aunt Gu and her family. I reduced the frying time to retain as much of the meat's oil as possible. The only difference was that I added a side dish.

That was a potato. It wasn't that Meng Zhao was heartless; it was just that the conditions simply didn't allow it.

One pound of pork belly costs twelve coins, and the total cooking time is about an hour. The sugar and stewing spices required are quite expensive.

Long-term stewing also requires a lot of firewood. Although the firewood used now is cut by Shen Qinghe from the back mountain and is free, it cannot be free forever.

With the cost of ingredients, time, and labor, a pound of braised pork would have to sell for nearly 20 coins to barely break even, but that was certainly not a price that dockworkers could accept.

However, if the portion size is reduced, and only a small amount is added to each serving, this contradicts Meng Zhao's idea of ​​making large, filling portions.

After much deliberation, I decided to add a side dish to ensure sufficient quantity while reducing costs.

Moreover, it doesn't affect the taste. The potatoes, after being stewed with braised pork, are soft and delicious, with a savory and slightly sweet flavor that goes perfectly with rice.

Another classic Sichuan dish is spicy diced chicken. First, marinate the chicken pieces in advance and deep-fry them at a low temperature, then set them aside. Sauté the chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and other seasonings in a pan until fragrant, then add the fried chicken pieces. Stir-fry until cooked, then add sesame seeds for extra aroma. The finished spicy diced chicken is tender and crispy, with a numbing, spicy, and savory flavor.

Another meat dish is minced meat and tofu, which is also a great accompaniment to rice.

The vegetarian dishes are stir-fried eggplant with soy sauce, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and tofu wrapped in egg.

Tofu with Egg was a dish that Meng Zhao specially chose. The price of the eggs was one coin for two, which was between the price of meat dishes and vegetarian dishes.

Currently, many vendors count eggs as meat dishes, but Meng Zhao counts eggs as vegetarian dishes to give his boxed lunches a selling point.

Another reason is that eggs are highly nutritious, providing workers who are reluctant to eat meat with another way to supplement their nutrition.

They were busy until almost noon before they finished preparing and plating all the food. Without taking a break, Meng Zhao and Gu Shi pushed the modified cart into the city.

Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu followed obediently, helping to push the car from time to time. When Meng Zhao was cooking, the two of them helped to light the fire and fetch water to wash the dishes, showing great thoughtfulness.

Meng Zhao felt quite uncomfortable seeing this. In modern times, the two of them would only be about to start elementary school, but in ancient times, they would already be little adults who could do chores at home.

We rushed into the city, arriving at just the right time, and other lunch stalls were gradually opening up.

After securing the cart, Meng Zhao asked Gu Shi to set up the stall first, while he carried two buckets and walked to a courtyard next door.

The courtyard gate was half open, and Meng Zhao went up and knocked on the door.

A short while later, a woman carrying a child arrived at the door and asked in confusion, "Who are you?"

Meng Zhao quickly explained, "Sister, my mother and I set up a food stall near the dock. A few days ago, we happened to pass by and saw that your house has a well, so we wanted to buy two buckets of water from you."

The woman, who was not very enthusiastic at first, quickly welcomed Meng Zhao in when she heard him say he wanted to buy something, saying, "What are you talking about buying? It's just two buckets of water, it's no big deal."

“If we’re passing by and get thirsty, we can’t very well tell you we’re buying water, but we’re here to do business. We need more than just a bowl or two. If we don’t pay, wouldn’t that be taking advantage of your kind heart?” After entering the courtyard, Meng Zhao followed the woman to the well, which was the same as the one in the Shen family’s house.

"Sister, you can do it yourself. I'm holding the baby, so I won't help you," the woman said with a smile from the side.

These days, Meng Zhao has learned how to fetch water. After skillfully filling two buckets with water, he took a coin and handed it to the woman. "Today is our first time here. Here's a coin for you, sister. If you come often in the future, I'll pay you every month, okay?"

"That would be wonderful, of course." Hearing Meng Zhao say that she would come back to buy more in the future, the woman was even happier and warmly saw Meng Zhao to the door.

When Meng Zhao returned, the stall was already set up, with only the lid still on. The adults and two children stared at Meng Zhao expectantly, as if they were waiting for a savior.

Meng Zhao quickly stepped forward. The group had all broken out in a light sweat along the way. They first filled a basin with water, soaked towels, and then wiped their faces and washed their hands.

She took out the apron that Meng Zhao had prepared earlier and put it on. She also made two pairs of sleeves and two headscarves from the leftover fabric.

When they arrived today, Meng Zhao and Madam Gu had specially tied their hair up. Now, with a headscarf and an apron around their necks, they looked clean and neat.

As more and more pedestrians appeared on the road, it was lunchtime. Meng Zhao opened the lids of several rice bowls. The food was still hot, steam rising and the aroma spreading everywhere.

In business, you can't show weakness. If you're timid and hesitant, others might think you're guilty or have something wrong with your products.

So Meng Zhao, holding a spoon, stood in front of the stall and loudly called out to sell his wares.

"Boxed lunches for sale! Boxed lunches for sale! Large portions with vegetables and meat, affordable and delicious boxed lunches are here! If you come early, you'll even get a free bowl of refreshing mung bean soup."