Chapter 126 Go, deliver the takeout.
Arrange the cut pork chops neatly on one side of the rice.
Finally, scoop up a large spoonful of piping hot, steaming, rich curry and pour it evenly over the other side of the rice and pork chop.
The golden curry sauce flowed slowly, covering part of the rice, creating a striking contrast with the crispy, golden pork chop.
Steaming hot and fragrant—the aroma of wheat rice, the crispy and savory pork chop, the complex and spicy scent of curry… all interwoven like an invisible net, precisely capturing the sense of smell of every passerby.
"Hey! What's that smell? It smells so good!" A high school student carrying a backpack, who was obviously skipping class, suddenly stopped in his tracks, sniffed hard, and scanned the area like a radar, finally locking onto Su Xiaonuan's stall.
"It's curry! This tastes so authentic! It's a hundred times better than my mom's!" A young mother holding her child couldn't help but swallow hard and whispered to her husband.
"Gurgle..." Someone's stomach rumbled, eliciting a good-natured chuckle.
Soon, a small queue spontaneously formed in front of Su Xiaonuan's stall.
The group included students in school uniforms, aunties carrying shopping baskets, and white-collar workers from nearby office buildings looking for food.
Everyone's eyes were filled with longing as they watched Su Xiaonuan's smooth and effortless movements.
After packing the first takeout order, Su Xiaonuan casually hung a small blackboard with the words "Curry Pork Chop Rice, Limited to 50 servings, while supplies last" in the most conspicuous position on the front of the car.
She calmly handed the packaged food container to An Ran, then looked at Qin Haochu, who was standing quietly waiting, and shared the destination address on the food delivery app: "Mr. Qin, could you please make a trip and deliver this food?"
Qin Haochu seemed to be stunned for a moment.
He originally thought he would at least be someone who helps manage the stall, collect money, or maintain order, but he never expected... he would just be a food deliveryman?
For the first time, a slight crack appeared on his handsome face, a look of bewilderment at the clash between ideals and reality.
But after glancing at Su Xiaonuan, who was diligently preparing the next meal, and then at An Ran beside him holding the takeout and gesturing for him to "hurry up," he ultimately said nothing.
He just sighed silently to himself, resignedly took the takeout bag, glanced at the address, and turned to walk towards his ordinary little electric scooter, which was completely out of place with the current scene but which he had specially changed to for "work".
Watching Qin Haochu ride his electric scooter into the traffic, An Ran moved closer to Su Xiaonuan, glancing curiously at her phone screen while continuing to pack food. She lowered her voice and asked, "Xiaonuan, you've started a food delivery business?"
Without even looking up, Su Xiaonuan deftly chopped the freshly cooked pork chops into pieces while explaining softly, "Well, let's get used to it in advance. Once we become famous, we can't just keep setting up a stall in one place forever; it'll be too conspicuous. Occasional mobile stalls are fine, but in the long run, we either need to open a permanent store or build up a delivery system to adapt to the times."
An Ran then truly realized that Su Xiaonuan was not just good at cooking and lucky; she had a clear plan and strong control over her "career".
I felt excited about my friend's growth, but I couldn't help but feel a little worried—the taller the tree, the more the wind will blow against it.
The two no longer got distracted and worked together seamlessly.
Su Xiaonuan was mainly responsible for cooking and plating, while An Ran was responsible for packing, collecting money, and maintaining order in the queue.
Business is booming.
Soon, the "target" that Su Xiaonuan was waiting for appeared.
On the system map, the red dot representing Grandma Wang gradually approached and eventually ended up in the middle of the queue.
Aunt Wang was in her fifties, slightly overweight, wearing a flashy shirt, and had a habitual, somewhat mean expression on her face.
She was holding a little boy of about five years old tightly in her hand. The little boy had a cute little bun on his head, but his face showed a spoiled and impatient expression as he struggled to break free from his grandmother's hand.
Su Xiaonuan narrowed her eyes, a glint of light flashing behind her glasses, as a mischievous idea popped into her head.
She remained calm and continued her work, but when dealing with each customer in front of her, her soft, sweet voice seemed even more gentle and harmless.
Finally, it was Aunt Wang's turn in line.
"Auntie, would you like a curry pork chop rice?" Su Xiaonuan raised her face, her eyes crinkling into crescents above her mask, her voice so sweet it could melt honey, making her sound exceptionally easy to manipulate.
Aunt Wang's eyes flickered slightly, clearly tempted by the aroma. Seeing Su Xiaonuan's "weak and easily bullied" student appearance, her scheming began to take shape.
She forced a smile and pointed to the golden, glistening pork chop rice: "How much is this?"
"25 yuan a serving, Auntie," Su Xiaonuan said softly.
"Oh, 25..." Aunt Wang drawled, pretending not to understand, and tightened her grip on the little boy's hand, looking quite "awkward." "This... how do I pay? I don't know how to use your old-fashioned phone to scan QR codes..." she said, while secretly glancing at Su Xiaonuan's reaction out of the corner of her eye.
Su Xiaonuan patiently explained the QR code payment process again, her voice still gentle.
Aunt Wang shook her head again, her face filled with confusion and helplessness: "I don't understand, girl, my brain is very slow..."
Many of the people queuing around were clearly used to Wang Dama's tricks before. One by one, they turned their heads in unison, looking at the sky, the ground, or pretending to play on their phones, their faces showing a mixture of amusement and helplessness.
No one spoke up, afraid of getting themselves into trouble.
Su Xiaonuan knew perfectly well that this would happen.
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, as if she were seriously considering a solution.
When Aunt Wang saw that the girl was "in a dilemma," she was secretly delighted, thinking that the girl was shy and would soon give in, so she would give her a free portion.
She had even leaned forward slightly, ready to take the fragrant curry rice that was so close at hand.
Just as Aunt Wang's finger was about to touch the edge of the lunchbox—
Su Xiaonuan was moved!
Her movements were as fast as lightning, yet they possessed a strange precision and composure.
With a flick of her wrist, she snatched the curry pork chop rice from within Wang Dama's reach and placed it back on the counter.
The whole process was smooth and seamless, without spilling a single drop of soup.
Grandma Wang's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, her fake smile and "bewilderment" instantly solidifying.
Su Xiaonuan raised her face, her eyes, visible above the mask, remained clear and innocent, even carrying a perfectly appropriate hint of confusion.
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