Chapter 106 The boss's cooking is even better than my mom's.
"Lunch is served!" Su Yingxue walked out of the tea room carrying three stainless steel lunch boxes, her arms slightly sore from holding a spatula for a long time.
She gently placed the lunchbox on the communal table, her apron still stained with a few drops of oil and potato peels.
The office was completely silent; everyone stopped what they were doing. Xiao Li was unpacking shrimp and fish cake noodles, Ada's spicy hot pot delivery had just arrived, Mengmeng and Xiao Li's instant noodle pots were steaming, and even Wang Datou had taken out his treasured sausages.
"This...this is the vegetarian lunchbox you were talking about?" Xiao Zhao was the first to lean closer, sniffing exaggeratedly. "Wow, it smells so good!"
Su Yingxue opened the first lunchbox. Golden potato shreds were neatly arranged on one side of the lunchbox, with a slightly browned surface and a glossy sheen.
Next to it is a casserole of eggplant, with dark purple eggplant chunks soaking up the broth and looking tempting with their oily surface; on the other side is a cabbage and tofu soup, with tender yellow tofu chunks and bright green cabbage leaves floating in the milky white broth, and a few drops of golden oil floating on the surface.
"Try it." Su Yingxue handed over disposable chopsticks, watching everyone's reaction nervously. She wasn't sure herself, after all, she hadn't cooked a completely vegetarian dish in a long time, and she felt a little embarrassed. But that was all the budget she had. It would be good if she could even manage to make it.
Xiao Li stared at the shrimp and fish cake noodles in his hand, which cost 6 yuan. The tender shrimp and fish cake floated in the hot soup, and the aroma was irresistible.
She hesitated for a second, then, as if possessed, put down the instant noodles, picked up disposable chopsticks, and took a shredded potato.
With a "crack," the shredded potato broke in her mouth, and the crispy outside and soft inside made her eyes widen instantly.
The seasoning was just right, with a perfect balance of saltiness and smokiness, making it even tastier than the trendy restaurant she usually frequents.
"This...this really is what you made? It reminds me of the vegetarian restaurant my sister took me to that cost 1,000 yuan per person last time!" Xiao Li had already put her second shredded potato into her mouth, and the delicious taste exploded in her mouth.
Ada, who was staring at the reviews of mala tang on his phone, put down his phone upon hearing this and picked up a piece of eggplant. The eggplant skin was soft and tender, the inside was smooth and fluffy, and it was soaked in the delicious broth, with a hint of sweetness in the saltiness. It was even more flavorful than the street food he usually ate from.
"Boss, did you learn this skill specifically?" Ada asked, his mouth full of eggplant. "It's so delicious. My God. This is the first time I've ever thought eggplant could taste so good, so soft and fresh. Absolutely amazing."
Su Yingxue shook her head: "When I was little, my family was poor, and we often ate vegetarian food, so I kept thinking about how to make vegetarian dishes taste better."
Mengmeng scooped up a spoonful of cabbage and tofu soup and gently blew on it. The milky white soup entered her mouth, and the fresh and sweet taste immediately filled the air. The tender tofu melted on her tongue, and the fragrance of the cabbage leaves blended perfectly with the rich flavor of the tofu.
"Oh my god... this soup... it reminds me of the last time my mom cooked it. I haven't been back in so long."
Mengmeng's eyes welled up with tears. She remembered that she had eaten instant noodles for half a month to save money, and the dry taste in her throat still lingered.
Xiao Zhao had already devoured half a box of shredded potatoes in a flash, then picked up a piece of eggplant: "Boss, how do you make eggplant so delicious? I'll have my mom try it when I get home! It smells so good. I don't even want to eat meat anymore. Even vegetables taste good. My goodness!"
Wang Datou held his lunchbox, originally intending to eat ham sausage with bread.
He was currently sipping his cabbage and tofu soup spoonful by spoonful, a satisfied smile on his face: "Mr. Su, this soup...it's even more fragrant than my wife's! It's the authentic home-style flavor, but even more fragrant and delicious. Absolutely amazing! No wonder you're a boss; your cooking skills are so good. Hahaha! I really made the right choice buying these vegetables today!"
Amidst the chorus of praise in the office, Xiao Li quietly put down her almost untouched bowl of shrimp and fish cake noodles.
The shrimp on the noodles were still fresh and tender, and the fish cake was still chewy, but at this moment, in her eyes, they couldn't compare to Su Yingxue's simple and unpretentious shredded potatoes.
"I...I suddenly feel like instant noodles are a bit greasy..." Xiao Li muttered to himself, then picked up a piece of cabbage leaf with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
The sweet cabbage leaves, infused with the savory flavor of the broth, were so tender they practically melted in your mouth without needing to be chewed. To her surprise, she discovered that she could actually taste the natural sweetness of the cabbage itself.
Ada had already opened the food delivery app, ready to order a deluxe meal for three, but then silently pressed the back button. He picked up a piece of eggplant, savoring it slowly: "Boss, how much did this meal cost?"
Su Yingxue smiled and said, "Potatoes are two yuan a pound, and I bought 10 pounds; eggplants are three yuan a pound, so I bought 10 pounds; two heads of cabbage are one yuan and fifty cents each; and tofu is two yuan. The seasonings add up to less than ten yuan. The cost of this whole meal is less than 100 yuan."
"100 yuan?!" Xiao Zhao exclaimed. "My bowl of instant noodles costs 14 yuan!"
"And my spicy hot pot..." Ada looked at her almost untouched takeout, "...costs thirty-eight!"
Mengmeng had quickly finished her lunchbox and was now eagerly waiting for Su Yingxue to serve her another one: "Boss, is there any more? I can still eat!"
Holding the almost empty lunchbox, Wang Datou sighed contentedly, "President Su, I've never eaten such delicious vegetarian food in my life."
In the office, hands that were about to order takeout froze. Some people had already taken out their phones and started searching for "how to make vegetarian dishes delicious"; others stared at the spatula in Su Yingxue's hand, their eyes filled with admiration.
"Um...Mr. Su," Xiao Li asked cautiously, "will we be able to have your cooking again tomorrow?"
Watching everyone eagerly devour the vegetarian dishes, Su Yingxue's lips unconsciously curled into a smile: "As long as you don't mind, I'll make it every day."
"I don't mind! Absolutely not!" Ada immediately declared, his mouth still stuffed with eggplant.
"I hereby declare," Xiao Zhao put down his chopsticks and solemnly announced, "that from today onwards, anyone who complains about the cancellation of the lunch subsidy is an enemy of the company!"
A burst of laughter filled the office, and even the sunlight outside seemed to brighten. Watching everyone enjoy their meal, Su Yingxue felt a warm glow in her heart. She picked up a rag and began clearing the lunchboxes from the table, surrounded by a chorus of praise.
"Boss, could you add some green peppers tomorrow?"
"I think adding some stir-fried bean sprouts would be great too!"
"Boss, it's a real shame you're not running a restaurant with such culinary skills!"
Su Yingxue smiled and nodded, her apron-clad figure appearing especially warm in the sunlight. Who says vegetarian food can't be delicious? With love, even the most ordinary ingredients can become a culinary delight.
"System notification: The task of approving vegetarian dishes has been completed, and funds have increased by 50,000 yuan."
Su Yingxue looked out the window, wondering what to do. Finally, she could have some meat for dinner tomorrow.
However, they couldn't just sit around doing nothing. Su Yingxue looked at her employees. Shouldn't they find some orders to work on? How could they start with just the first order? It was only the beginning of the month. It seemed this month would be busy.
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