Chapter 2 Supreme Jianbing Guozi
"Captain Lu!" At that moment, two young patrol officers arrived at the scene. "Hey, isn't this Huang Mao and his gang? Getting into trouble again?"
Lu Zheng pointed to the ground: "Take them back and ask them what happened." He paused, then added, "And check if they have any sudden illnesses."
His gaze returned to Su Xiaonuan, with a hint of barely perceptible inquiry.
Are you alright?
Su Xiaonuan quickly shook her head, revealing a timid, grateful smile: "It's nothing, thank you, police officer."
"Hmm." Lu Zheng nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Just before leaving, he turned back and took one last deep look at her and her rickety little tricycle.
Su Xiaonuan breathed a long sigh of relief after watching the police and thugs disappear.
The area in front of the stall was finally quiet.
She patted her chest and muttered to herself: What a bad start.
However... that policeman was quite handsome.
[Ding! The host has successfully defended against the initial threat and maintained the safety of the stall.]
[Please continue your efforts in managing the business!]
Su Xiaonuan: "..."
Run your business my ass!
She looked down at her pancake stall, which was still deserted.
Oh no! If the mission fails, am I really going to become someone who gains weight just by drinking water?!
No!
...
"Gurgle—"
It wasn't the sound of the pancake pan; it was Su Xiaonuan's stomach protesting.
She stood there from dusk until dark, but she didn't sell a single jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe).
After that "farce," the people around her looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and...pity?
It was as if to say: This poor girl is being targeted by thugs as soon as she arrives. How will she do business?
Su Xiaonuan was so hungry that her stomach was practically sticking to her back, and she decided she couldn't bear it any longer.
So what if the mission fails? So what if I get fat? Let's fill our stomachs first!
With a slight lift of her wrist, the perfectly proportioned batter poured from the rim of the spoon.
The batter was of just the right consistency, and when it touched the hot griddle, it made a soft "sizzle" sound, like a perfectly timed opening drumbeat.
With a deft twist of her wrist, as if guided by an invisible thread, the wooden rake traced a smooth arc.
The batter spread rapidly on the griddle, incredibly evenly, with not a single uneven spot visible.
The edges gradually solidify to form a perfect circle, while the center remains a translucent pale yellow. The skin is as thin as a cicada's wing yet flawless.
The action of cracking the egg is clean and efficient; with a light tap of the knuckles, the egg liquid falls onto the not-yet-fully-set dough.
With a flick of the bamboo dragonfly, the golden egg liquid is evenly spread across the entire surface of the pancake, blending perfectly with the dough.
The egg white quickly solidified into a snow-white color, while the yolk was sprinkled in like scattered gold.
Chopped scallions and cilantro sprinkled from her fingers, distributed evenly as if by precise calculation.
The vibrant green scallions, deep green cilantro, and golden egg pancake create a striking color scheme, each element perfectly balanced – too much or too little would be overwhelming.
The action of flipping the dough is smooth and effortless. With a light lift of the spatula, the paper-thin dough is flipped completely, and the back is already covered with evenly browned spots, crispy but not burnt.
The technique for applying the sauces is even more ingenious: the sweet bean sauce and chili oil are each applied to one side of the brush, and then applied simultaneously from both sides.
The sauce spirals perfectly across the surface of the pancake, gathering layer by layer from the outside in. Every inch of the pancake is coated with just the right amount of sauce color. The deep brown sweet bean sauce and bright red chili oil blend together without completely mixing, creating a beautiful marble pattern.
The crispy fried dough pieces sprinkled on top at the end were fried in advance; they were golden and crispy, and each piece was about the same size.
Her movements when folding and wrapping the jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) were incredibly precise. The jianbing guozi took shape in her hands, soft on the outside and crispy on the inside, with distinct layers.
The aroma reaches its peak at this moment—the wheaty fragrance of the baked batter, the rich aroma of eggs, the combined aroma of the sauce, the freshness of scallions and cilantro, and the oily fragrance of the crispy pastry, all weave together an invisible net that precisely captures the sense of smell of every passerby.
Some people unconsciously stopped in their tracks, some people's Adam's apples bobbed slightly, and everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to the golden and shiny jianbing guozi.
The skills instilled by the system were no longer cold programs in her hands, but transformed into an almost artistic performance, with every movement so precise and elegant that it was impossible to look away.
"Mommy! It smells so good! I want to eat that!" A little boy being led by his mother suddenly stopped, pointed at Su Xiaonuan's stall, his eyes shining, and his mouth almost watering.
His mother sniffed and couldn't help but swallow, "What's that smell? It smells so good?"
The old man repairing shoes nearby couldn't help but look up and say, "Hey, young lady, your skills are amazing! It smells authentic!"
In the blink of an eye, three or four people gathered around Su Xiaonuan's stall.
"Little girl, how much is this pancake?"
"Give me one!"
"I want one too, with two eggs!"
We're open! We're finally open!
Su Xiaonuan perked up, instantly forgetting her hunger, and a bright smile bloomed on her face, her two dimples sweet and intoxicating: "Alright! Eight yuan each, nine yuan with an egg, ten yuan with sausage and tenderloin! Everyone, please wait a moment!"
She worked quickly, spreading the pancakes, cracking eggs, flipping them, brushing on sauce, adding crispy crackers, and packing them up—all in one smooth motion.
The first customer was a young girl. She took the pancake, took a bite, and her eyes widened instantly: "Mmm! Delicious! It's so delicious! Sister, how did you make this sauce? It's amazing!"
Seeing this, the others were even more eager to join in.
"Give me one too!"
"This little girl is so quick and efficient!"
[Ding! First 'Supreme Jianbing Guozi' sold successfully, received positive reviews, mission progress 1/10.]
[Ding! Sold successfully...]
The system notification sounded like heavenly music to Su Xiaonuan at that moment.
She was so busy that her face was flushed from the heat, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but her smile never stopped.
So this is what it feels like to make delicious food that people like?
However, the good times didn't last long.
[WARNING! Target with a 'Sin Value' exceeding 35 detected within range! Location: 2 o'clock, distance 5 meters!]
[Target Information: Theft (habitual offender).]
A cold system alarm suddenly sounded, and a red arrow virtual cursor appeared in Su Xiaonuan's field of vision, pointing diagonally forward.
Su Xiaonuan didn't stop what she was doing, and casually looked up in the direction of the arrow.
He was a middle-aged man wearing a gray jacket and looking somewhat furtive.
He pretended to look at his phone, but his eyes darted around and finally settled on a fairly new-looking electric scooter parked on the side of the road.
Is that him? The habitual battery thief?
Su Xiaonuan muttered to herself as she deftly handed the finished pancakes to the customer.
The man observed for a while, and finding that no one was paying attention, he quickly took out a pair of pliers and a screwdriver from his pocket, squatted down, and was about to damage the electric vehicle's battery.
Their movements were so practiced it was heartbreaking.
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