Chapter 86 Curry Beef Rice and Fried Chicken Cutlet
The fryer on the other side was already preheated. She took out the chicken breast that had been marinated for half an hour with salt, black pepper, a little cooking wine and light soy sauce, brushed a thin layer of oil on the surface, put it in the fryer, and fried it at 180 degrees for 20 minutes, turning it over once halfway through, until the surface of the chicken breast was golden and crispy. She took it out and cut it into wide strips, and the fried chicken cutlet was ready.
Finally, she put the cooked rice into an insulated container, packed it down, and then inverted it into a lunchbox. She scooped a large spoonful of curry beef on the side, and then placed a few pieces of fried chicken on top. A steaming hot curry beef bibimbap was ready. She also thoughtfully put a small packet of plum juice in each lunchbox to cleanse the palate and whet the appetite.
As usual, we sent them to the funeral home. We kept twenty portions to sell.
As dusk stained the outskirts of the city in ink, Wang Chuan led He Mao and his three henchmen to Su Yingxue's lunchbox stall. Their stomachs were rumbling with hunger, and as they passed the stall, the rich aroma of curry mingled with the smoky scent of fried chicken, like a hand hooking their noses, causing them to involuntarily stop in their tracks.
Su Yingxue was scooping rice into her lunchbox when she saw the group approaching, and her movements paused. She recognized the blond-haired He Mao—three days ago, he had come to the stall and spouted nonsense, only to be beaten black and blue by the security guards. Now, the five men stood in front of the stall, Wang Chuan's baseball bat clapping loudly on the ground; it was clear to anyone with eyes that they were up to no good.
"Want to eat? Pay first." Su Yingxue straightened up, her tone neither soft nor hard, and her gaze swept over He Mao with a hint of coldness.
Wang Chuan moved aside and gestured with his chin toward He Mao: "He Mao, pay the bill."
He Mao clutched the few crumpled bills in his pocket, his fingers trembling. He hesitantly counted out the money for five meals and handed it over, wondering to himself: He promised to help me save face, but now that it's food, he's making me pay first?
The moment the lunchbox was handed to them, Wang Chuan and his men's eyes lit up. The rice was long-grain rice, each grain distinct, coated in a thick curry sauce. The beef chunks were large enough to fill a mouth, and the fried chicken cutlet lying next to it was golden and crispy, making a "crunch" sound with every bite, with juices dripping down their chins.
"Damn, this smells amazing!" one of the underlings mumbled, shoveling food into his mouth with his chopsticks. Wang Chuan, abandoning all his bossy attitude, buried his head in his food and devoured it, leaving not a drop of curry sauce, scraping the rice clean with it.
The five boxed meals were gone in no time. Suddenly, one of the underlings slapped his forehead and whispered in Wang Chuan's ear, "Brother, we were so busy eating that we forgot to put the cockroach in."
"Useless!" Wang Chuan glared at him, then turned to Su Yingxue and shouted, "Boss, five more servings! Put it on He Mao's tab!"
He Mao grew anxious and tugged at Wang Chuan's sleeve: "Brother, we came here to..."
"What's the rush? We'll settle the bill after you finish eating." Wang Chuan waved his hand away, took the newly handed lunchbox, and wolfed it down. He Mao looked at his empty pockets and smelled the delicious aroma from the lunchbox. He could only grit his teeth, sit down, and pay again, feeling both angry and craving.
After finishing his second bowl of rice, Wang Chuan wiped his mouth and finally remembered his "business." He picked up the baseball bat from the ground and was about to walk towards the stall when a furious roar suddenly rang out from the alley entrance: "Wang Chuan! You brat, dare to touch me?"
Just as the baseball bat was raised halfway through the air, a roar suddenly erupted from the alley entrance, startling Wang Chuan so much that his hand trembled and the bat slammed onto the concrete ground with a loud bang.
"Wang Chuan! You brat, have you lost your mind?! Trying to act like a gangster, you think you're some kind of boss? Bringing this bunch of thugs to dine and dash? Huh! Are you crazy?"
Wang Chuan turned around at the sound and saw an old man in a dark blue jacket standing under the streetlight, holding a dark electric baton in his hand, the baton still gleaming coldly—it was Grandpa Wang from the funeral home, his father's sworn brother, the "Third Uncle" who had been the strictest with him since childhood.
"Third, Third Uncle? Aren't you at work?" Wang Chuan instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, all the bravado he had just put on vanished, and he scratched his head and shrank back, not even having the courage to pick up the stick.
The four underlings next to him panicked even more, their empty lunchboxes clenched so tightly they turned white, and they all backed away in unison, looking like mice being targeted by a cat.
Grandpa Wang strode over, slammed the stun gun on the ground with a loud "thud," startling He Mao so much that he shuddered.
The old man's eyes widened. He first glanced at the empty lunchboxes scattered on the ground, then glared fiercely at Wang Chuan: "You think you're so tough, huh? Blocking that girl's stall with a stick? You turned on her right after finishing your meal. What happened to the 'don't owe favors' your father taught you? This is our funeral home's best chef, the one who makes dinner. Have you given up your conscience?"
Wang Chuan shrank back and protested, "No, Uncle, I was just... just messing around with the boss, I didn't really mean anything."
"Playing around?" Grandpa Wang stepped forward, reached out and twisted Wang Chuan's ear, making him wince and gasp for breath. "Playing around with a baseball bat? I think you need a good beating!"
He turned to look at Su Yingxue, his tone softening instantly, even with a hint of apology, "Yingxue, this brat was in the wrong. Don't take it to heart. I apologize to you."
Su Yingxue was wiping the spoon in her hand when she heard this. She looked up and smiled, her eyes no longer wary. "Uncle Wang, it's alright. They didn't really do anything, and they paid for the meal." She paused, her gaze falling on He Mao—the blond-haired man was clutching an empty pocket, his face flushed red, his eyes darting around.
Grandpa Wang wouldn't let it go, scolding Wang Chuan a few more times. Finally, he tucked the stun gun behind his back, turned around, and glared at the group: "What are you all standing there for? Apologize to the girl! Why..."
Wang Chuan dared not be negligent and quickly bowed, saying, "I'm sorry, Boss Su, we will never cause trouble again." His four henchmen also apologized, their voices barely audible.
He Mao hesitated for a moment, then bent down as well, but he felt terrible. He had come to seek revenge, but he had not only spent all the money in his pocket, but was also begged to apologize. Not to mention, the aroma of curry beef was still wafting in his nose, which made him lose all confidence to argue.
Grandpa Wang chatted with Su Yingxue for a couple more minutes before leaving, feeling relieved. Only Su Yingxue and her lunchbox stall remained at the alley entrance. As the five of them prepared to leave, He Mao walked last, but his steps inexplicably halted as he passed the stall.
Su Yingxue looked up at him. "Stop messing around. Didn't you get enough time in the police station last time?"
Looking into Su Yingxue's eyes, He Mao suddenly blushed with embarrassment. He clenched his hands, not daring to look up, and only mumbled "I know," before quickly catching up with Wang Chuan ahead.
The streetlights cast long shadows that gleamed in the moonlight, much more substantial than his shiny dyed blond hair.
Su Yingxue shook her head, finding today's events far too interesting. Strange things were happening every day while she was setting up her stall.
Just as she was packing up to go home, she heard a series of eerie wails again. Why did that sound so familiar? Su Yingxue decided to turn around and take a look.
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