Chapter 109 Ham, Lotus Seed, and Poultry Egg Custard

"I'll just wait for them at the entrance of the residential area," Su Xiaonuan decided.

It can accomplish the task while ensuring safety as much as possible.

She began preparing the food she would sell today—[Ham, Lotus Seed, and Poultry Egg Custard].

I obtained high-quality Jinhua ham (top), cored white lotus seeds, fresh free-range eggs, broth, and some simple seasonings from the system store.

After preparing the ingredients, she looked at Anran, who was washing up, and instructed her, "Anran, you just need to help me pack the food and collect the money later. You don't need to worry about anything else." She didn't want Anran to get too involved in these potentially risky things.

With foam in her mouth, An Ran nodded obediently and gave a mumbled reply.

But seeing the glint in her eyes, Su Xiaonuan knew that her best friend was already ready to roll up her sleeves and do everything she could to help her with the workload.

The two pushed their brand-new, top-of-the-line stall cart to the street garden square not far from the entrance of the residential area, and found a place that was both conspicuous and did not obstruct pedestrian traffic.

It wasn't lunchtime yet, and the square was mostly filled with elderly people finishing their morning exercises and residents walking their dogs.

Seeing the gleaming, uniquely designed stall cart, and the two beautiful women with different styles but equally attractive looks behind it, many people cast curious glances.

"Hey, when did this stall appear here?"

"Selling food? It looks pretty clean."

"The two girls are quite pretty..."

Su Xiaonuan responded to the gazes directed at her with a sweet smile, and then began to calmly prepare the ingredients.

She diced the ham, soaked the lotus seeds, and beat the eggs in a bowl... Her movements were skillful and her demeanor composed, making her a delightful sight in herself.

An Ran stood to the side, imitating Su Xiaonuan's usual manner, arranging disposable lunch boxes, cutlery, and takeout bags neatly, like a conscientious and responsible little assistant.

Time slipped by quietly, and lunchtime was fast approaching.

As office workers began to return home, the square became more crowded.

Su Xiaonuan seized the opportunity and lit the stove fire.

She first sautéed the diced ham in a little oil until fragrant, then added the soaked lotus seeds and boiling broth, brought it to a boil over high heat, and then simmered it over low heat.

Once the lotus seeds are soft and tender, and the salty aroma of the ham has fully infused the soup, she slowly pours the beaten egg along the edge of the pot, creating beautiful egg flowers.

Finally, add a little salt and white pepper to taste, thicken with a light cornstarch slurry, and a pot of tempting-looking and fragrant ham, lotus seed, and poultry egg soup is ready.

The aroma was different from the overpowering seafood risotto; it was a warm and mellow fragrance, a blend of the salty ham, the sweet lotus seeds, and the smooth steamed egg custard, like an invisible thread that precisely entwined the sense of smell of every passerby.

The young men and women who were originally rushing home for lunch or going to a nearby restaurant all stopped in their tracks, sniffing hard, and turned their eyes to the silver stall at the source of the aroma.

"It smells so good... What is this smell?"

"It sounds like it's coming from over there at that stall..."

"This smells amazing! Let's go check it out!"

Unable to resist the alluring aroma, someone couldn't help but come over and ask, "Boss, what do you sell here? How much does it cost?"

Su Xiaonuan looked up, her face adorned with her signature soft and cute smile, and explained patiently in a sweet voice, "It's ham, lotus seed, and poultry egg soup. You can have it with rice or just buy the soup on its own. The soup alone is 12 yuan a serving, and with rice it's 15 yuan."

Upon hearing the low price and seeing the tempting golden steamed egg custard in the pot, made with generous ingredients, the young office worker ignored everything else and exclaimed, "Give me one with rice! Extra ham and lotus seeds!"

"Okay! Just a moment!" Su Xiaonuan quickly ladled out rice, poured a large spoonful of steaming hot and flavorful poultry and egg custard over it, and handed it over.

Once the first person tried it, and that person took the food container, eagerly took a bite, and instantly showed an expression of extreme satisfaction and amazement, mumbling a praise, "Holy crap! It's so delicious!", the effect was more direct than any advertisement.

Instantly, the stall was surrounded by a huge crowd!

"Boss! I'll have one with rice too!"

"Two single-serving spoons, please! To go!"

"Hurry up, miss! I'm so hungry!"

The crowd stirred, but strangely, although everyone was anxious, watching Su Xiaonuan running around in circles, sweat beading on her forehead, they were inexplicably reluctant to urge this seemingly well-behaved and diligent stall owner.

One by one, they craned their necks, waiting patiently, as if afraid that if they urged them, they would disturb this wonderful moment or let the delicious food slip away.

Even when someone finally gets their share of food and can't wait to take the first bite, with a blissful expression on their face, the people still in line next to them, though anxiously scratching their heads, suddenly realize—how could they be so patient?

"That's strange... I usually curse if I wait more than ten minutes for my takeout, but today I waited for almost twenty minutes and I'm not angry at all?"

"Maybe the boss is too cute, and they can't bear to rush him..."

"Nonsense! It's clearly because the smell is too tempting, and I'm afraid if I scare her away, there won't be any left to eat!"

Many people laughed and joked with themselves, then took out their phones to record the long queue in front of this magical little stall, the petite figure busy at the stove, and the mouthwatering food.

The "Little Warm Food Stall" quickly went viral on social media and short video platforms.

However, just as Su Xiaonuan had predicted, the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it.

Seeing the bustling business and the crowds gathered here, the expressions of several other snack shop and stall owners who also ran lunch businesses not far away were not so pleasant.

One of them was a middle-aged man selling fried rice and noodles, dressed somewhat sloppily, with a large belly, and his face was particularly gloomy.

Looking at his deserted stall, compared to the packed crowd at Su Xiaonuan's, the flames of jealousy burned ever brighter in his eyes.

Hearing the bursts of praise and laughter coming from the other end, he finally couldn't help but say loudly and sarcastically:

"Hmph! Selling food is like a street performance! Women these days are so restless! Instead of staying home to be good wives and mothers, they run around showing their faces in public, posing seductively. Who are they trying to seduce? They have no self-respect or self-love at all!"

His voice was rough and unpleasant, with a heavy accent and undisguised malice, which sounded particularly jarring in the otherwise harmonious atmosphere.

Many diners waiting in line couldn't help but frown and look in the direction of the sound.

Upon seeing that it was the fried rice stall owner whose business was usually not very good and whose hygiene was also worrying, they all showed expressions of disgust and subconsciously moved away from him.