Chapter 171 Roujiamo (Chinese Hamburger)
On the contrary, Lu Zheng, who was standing next to her, tried his best to maintain a blank expression, but his slightly reddened earlobes, his slightly stiff posture, and his eyes that dared not meet Su Xiaonuan's gaze all revealed his extreme unease.
Asking a deputy head of the criminal investigation team, who is used to confronting evil head-on and acting decisively, to play a loving husband who has suffered greatly in life is no less difficult than asking him to fight ten armed criminals with his bare hands.
Soon, they appeared at the entrance of an old street market in the suburbs.
This place is a melting pot of people from all walks of life, a melting pot of different religions and social classes, a place where information flows freely but where evil can easily breed and hide.
A food cart, simply disguised and looking quite old, stood at the intersection, blending into the bustling, lively atmosphere of the surrounding city.
Wearing an old, faded apron, Su Xiaonuan skillfully began processing the ingredients, preparing to sell roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) today.
The pork belly, with its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, simmers in a special braising sauce, releasing an irresistible, rich aroma; meanwhile, the dough pieces are skillfully transformed into round pancakes in Su Xiaonuan's hands, which are then baked on the griddle until the outer skin is slightly golden and crispy.
This overpowering fragrance, like an invisible hand, firmly grasped the sense of smell of passersby.
Many people who were originally in a hurry couldn't help but stop and look over following the smell.
Several vendors who regularly set up stalls nearby initially looked at the two unfamiliar young men with a mixture of scrutiny and restraint.
Seeing that Su Xiaonuan had a sweet and gentle smile, was quick and efficient, and sold food that didn't conflict with theirs, and most importantly, the taste was so tempting, they also warmly came over to chat.
"Young lady, is this your first time setting up a stall here? I've never seen you before!" an older woman selling pancakes asked curiously.
Su Xiaonuan immediately got into character, a shy and sorrowful smile on her face, her voice softening: "Well, big sister, we...we had no choice. We're in debt, so we thought we'd set up a stall to earn a little money..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Zheng, who was clumsily putting meat into a steamed bun next to her—a "performance" he had requested to fit the character of "husband suffering from a chronic illness"—said a few suppressed, weak coughs at the right moment, and subconsciously rubbed his chest, which seemed to be uncomfortable.
The woman's curiosity was immediately replaced by deep sympathy: "Oh dear, this is... your husband? He doesn't look too well... You two really have it tough!"
Another fruit vendor came over, clicked his tongue twice, and glanced at Su Xiaonuan's youthful face and Lu Zheng's forcedly tired expression before sighing, "So young, and already burdened with debt? And sick too? Sigh, this world..."
Su Xiaonuan's eyes were slightly red. She lowered her head and, in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "added" the key information from the script: "...Before, we had a child...who we lost...He was devastated and his health never fully recovered..." She spoke these words half-truthfully, with an indescribable sadness that made the old woman's heart clench.
"Oh my goodness! What a tragedy!" The aunt slapped her thigh, looking at them as if they were two poor, homeless children.
The fruit vendor was very enthusiastic. He pulled Lu Zheng aside and, as someone who had been through it all, earnestly "taught" him "life lessons," saying things like "a man must be strong" and "no matter how hard life is, you have to get through it."
Lu Zheng could only grit his teeth and try his best to maintain that "sickly but resilient" expression, nodding occasionally and squeezing out a few indistinct syllables from his throat to cope.
When the uncle returned, full of sympathy, his gaze towards Su Xiaonuan and Lu Zheng had completely changed.
In the time it takes to eat a meal, the news that "the young couple who just came to the street corner lost their child, the man is sick and the woman is weak, and they are also heavily in debt, so pitiful..." spread like wildfire among the vendors and some regular customers in the small market.
While smoothly chopping meat, making sandwiches, collecting money and giving change, Su Xiaonuan kept an eye on her surroundings out of the corner of her eye.
She knew that the fish would soon be drawn in by this special bait, a mixture of delicious aromas and tragic stories.
Soon, after a day of word-of-mouth recommendations from diners, Su Xiaonuan's roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) became a "hidden gem" in the neighborhood.
The aroma of that braised meat was so strong and irresistible, it seemed to penetrate all fatigue and worries, reaching the most primal appetite in people's hearts.
The steamed buns are freshly baked, with a crispy outer crust and a soft, fluffy interior. They are soaked in rich, flavorful meat juices. With one bite, the aroma of meat, bread, and broth explodes in your mouth, making you want to swallow your tongue along with it.
That morning, during a lull in the flow of people, a middle-aged man wearing an ordinary jacket, slightly overweight, and with a somewhat shrewd look, walked with his hands behind his back and stopped in front of Su Xiaonuan's stall.
He took a deep breath of the aroma of meat filling the air, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly masked by his usual pickiness.
He is Wang Bo, the specialist in charge of external procurement for the Sacred Heart Society.
Every day, I shuttle between various vegetable markets and snack stalls to purchase supplies for the organization's base. My palate has long been spoiled.
"Young lady, how much is the roujiamo?" Wang Bo asked, his voice slightly casual.
Su Xiaonuan was chopping meat skillfully with her head down when she heard the sound. She looked up and gave a timid smile that suited her "poor little wife" persona: "Big brother, eight yuan each, plus one yuan and fifty cents for dried tofu or braised egg."
Affordable price.
Wang Bo nodded in agreement, but still habitually nitpicked: "It smells delicious, but I wonder how it tastes? Maybe it smells good but is too salty or tasteless."
Hearing this, the woman selling pancakes nearby couldn't help but chime in, "Oh dear, Procurement Manager Wang, you're mistaken! This is the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) from Xiao Su's place!" She gave a thumbs up, "I've been running this stall for over ten years, and I've never smelled such authentic braised meat! My son cried and begged for more after eating it!"
Su Xiaonuan chimed in at the opportune moment, her voice soft and sweet: "Big brother, please try one first. If you don't like it, I won't charge you."
As she spoke, she deftly picked up a meat sandwich with a perfect balance of lean and fatty meat and plenty of broth, wrapped it in oil paper, and handed it over, her eyes clear yet filled with a cautious anticipation.
Wang Bo felt too embarrassed to be picky after being looked at like that, so he took the steamed bun and took a suspicious bite.
The next moment, he abruptly stopped chewing, and his eyes widened instantly!
This...this taste!
The braised pork is tender and flavorful, fatty yet not greasy, lean yet not dry, savory with a perfectly balanced sweet aftertaste, and the spices blend together perfectly without masking the meat's natural flavor; instead, they elevate it to its ultimate perfection.
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