The mother-in-law's instigation, the young lady's worries
Wang Gang originally intended to just eat steamed buns, but the aroma was so enticing that he couldn't resist.
After the potatoes were fried, Li Guorong added various seasonings. The fried potatoes, which were originally just tempting, became so fragrant after being seasoned that it made people's stomachs rumble. Li Guorong handed them to Lin Shaocheng, who lowered his head and ate them voraciously.
Wang Gang stared at Lin Shaocheng without blinking, "How much are these potatoes?"
Li Guorong quickly smiled and said, "These are fried potatoes. A small portion is 10 cents, and a large portion is 20 cents. If you want some, there's no discount, but I'll give you extra."
Without further hesitation, Wang Gang quickly selected his favorite seaweed, mushrooms, and lotus root slices from the heated pot of chicken, then picked out a few skewers of pork lung, duck blood, and tofu, and a few more expensive skewers of chicken and pork. "And give me a large portion of fried potatoes, and put in extra for me."
Li Guorong worked quickly and efficiently, scooping out the freshly fried potatoes, sprinkling in the seasoning powder, adding vinegar, mixing and stirring, and a fragrant plate of fried potatoes was ready.
Wang Gang took a bite of the fried potato. It was crispy at first, then chewy and soft, with a spicy and numbing flavor that was slightly sweet and had a hint of sourness, along with the aroma of scallions.
He squinted his eyes and ate one bite after another, unable to stop. He used to hate eating potatoes, but he never expected that fried potatoes would taste so good. In no time, the potatoes were all gone.
Wang Gang picked up the steaming hot pot chicken again. Originally, pot chicken was a cold pot dish, but now it's winter, and who wouldn't want a hot meal in the morning? So Li Guorong chose to heat it up, making it more like oden.
Wang Gang took a bite of the chicken; it was spicy, numbing, and fragrant. He couldn't help but give it a thumbs up. This was quite different from Beijing cuisine. He couldn't help but inhale deeply. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his lips turned slightly red. He kept moving his hands and mouth until he finished the last skewer. "Delicious!"
Seeing how engrossed he was in his meal, several of his coworkers couldn't resist coming over.
"Give me a small portion of these fried potatoes."
"I want this pork, pork lung, and tofu skewers." This is someone who has eaten at home before and is now craving it again.
The more people there are at the stall, the more popular it becomes. Lin Shaocheng helped Li Guorong collect money, calculate accounts, and deliver vegetables. Li Guorong wiped his sweat. As dawn broke, the workers went into the factory to work. The last customer at the stall also hurriedly entered the market.
Li Guorong breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she turned around and realized that Lin Shaocheng hadn't started work yet. She called out, "Lin Shaocheng, you're going to be late for work."
Lin Shaocheng's eyes flickered for a moment before he comforted Li Guorong, "It's okay if it's a little later, just have Xiang Xi do it for me."
For Li Guorong, going to work and earning money was the most important thing. How could she slack off? So many unemployed young people wanted to work but couldn't. She pushed Lin Shaocheng outside, saying, "I can manage by myself. You should go to the factory to work."
Lin Shaocheng gave a warning look to the other envious vendors. Lin Shaocheng was tall and strong. Today, he wore a pure cotton gray shirt underneath a black sweater that tightly wrapped his body, making his upper body muscles look even bigger. He looked like someone who was not to be trifled with.
Small vendors usually wear tattered clothes from home, so it's unusual to see someone dressed so neatly. Hearing that this person was going back to work in a factory and wasn't worried about being late, the vendor guessed that the person had connections. The vendor, who had originally wanted to help this out-of-towner steal business, now hesitated.
Lin Shaocheng was still worried. "How about I take a day off and help you today?"
Li Guorong understood the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket; it would be a waste for two people to be trapped in a small food stall.
"You should leave now. I can manage on my own. You know me, who can bully me?"
Having no other choice, Li Shaocheng took the small schoolbag sewn by Li Guorong and rushed to the factory.
Li Guorong took two steps forward and called out, "Did you bring the chili sauce I gave you?"
Lin Shaocheng patted his bag with his large hand, "I brought it."
Li Guorong wiped the counter clean with a rag. The older sister selling steamed buns came over and asked, "Little sister, are you from Chongchuan? This taste is so amazing, it makes my mouth water."
Li Guorong quickly straightened up, knowing that this was a test. She stood ramrod straight, with a smile on her lips but not in her eyes, appearing completely composed.
This was a fake smile she learned from Lin's mother: "It's just a little snack, something new to eat. Steamed buns and mantou are still more affordable and practical."
The steamed bun stall owner's aura wasn't as intimidating as before; she had observed earlier that the items sold at this stall weren't cheap.
Even a small meat skewer costs as much as a steamed bun. It's probably just something to eat for the novelty. Even a landlord couldn't afford to eat like this every day. What's so special about fried potatoes? They're nothing compared to a steamed bun.
The steamed bun stall owner said, "In Beijing, you're probably one of a kind. You have such delicate skin, your husband must work in a factory, right? Why are you here earning a meager living?"
Li Guorong started wiping the table again; he had no time for witty banter. A few words would have sufficed, but this went on and on.
The table was so shiny it was reflecting light. "Staying at home is so boring. I was thinking of coming out to find something to do. We can't rely on men for everything. Many factories aren't doing well anymore."
The steamed bun stall owner, sensing the impatience, gave up, guessing that this out-of-towner wouldn't last long. Several other stalls nearby began packing up, preparing to go home.
Li Guorong couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to set up your stall at noon?"
The uncle selling soy milk next door chimed in, saying that he had sold a lot of soy milk today. This new product was very spicy, and everyone who ate it was terribly burned. "Factory No. 2 provides lunch, so there are fewer people coming out. It's better to go home and rest."
Li Guorong paused in her work, counting money. The opening day was only so-so; most people were rushing to work and didn't have the patience to choose the Bobo Chicken or wait for the fried potatoes. There weren't many customers at noon either. It would be better to go to the school or prepare the goods at home.
Li Guorong decided to wait a bit. The midday sun was warm and pleasant. A few workers appeared sparsely in the factory, but they all rushed home as soon as they left. Only one or two came over to look at Li Guorong's new snacks, but they only looked and didn't buy anything.
Li Guorong counted the skewers in the bucket, knowing he could only wait until evening to see how the customer traffic was.
Ring ring ring
Li Guorong turned his head and saw Lin Shaocheng carrying a bag, his long legs supporting him on one leg. The light shone behind Lin Shaocheng, giving him a halo. Li Guorong's heart couldn't help but race, and he couldn't help but laugh at himself, realizing that even after being married for so long, he could still be seduced by good looks.
Lin Shaocheng got out of the car, took out a lunchbox from his bag, which contained two boxes of rice and a serving of braised pork. He also picked out a few vegetarian dishes that the two of them liked from the stall.
Li Guorong asked, "Why are you here?"
Lin Shaocheng set out the food, saying, "I'm worried there will be too many people and you won't have time to eat."
Li Guorong pouted and stabbed the rice back and forth as if she had a grudge against it. Lin Shaocheng tapped her chopsticks, and only then did Li Guorong start eating properly.
Li Guorong took a bite of his food and said, "People are all rushing to work in the morning, so there aren't many people at noon. I can only wait until evening. Do you think I won't lose money?"
Lin Shaocheng buried his head in his rice and said, "Your cooking is so delicious, how could you lose money? Don't worry, if it really doesn't work out, we can move to the school gate area, where there's a lot of foot traffic."
Li Guorong felt a little relieved and began to concentrate on eating again. She held a big red apple in her well-defined hands, and the sweet and sour aroma wafted into her nose, making the food in her mouth taste even better. "Where did you buy this? It's so big."
In later generations, with the development of transportation, people in the north can eat fruits from the south and even have fruits from abroad transported by air. Now, that's not possible, and apples and pears are in high demand.
Lin Shaocheng placed the apple on the table. "It's a new one from the cafeteria today. I think it's fresher than the ones sold elsewhere, so I bought it for you."
Li Guorong held the apple carefully in his arms, asking, "Have you eaten any?"
"Of course I ate it. You eat it. I need to get back to work right away."
Li Guorong hurriedly said, "Go to work properly tonight and don't run back and forth again."
Lin Shaocheng touched his nose, took a step into the car, and said, "We'll talk about it later."
Li Guorong shouted from behind, "Work hard!"
Lin Shaocheng and Li Xiangxi were sitting in the warehouse, taking timed tests. Li Xiangxi looked completely bewildered, while Lin Shaocheng wrote with great enthusiasm.
Li Jiaoniang came to the factory. This girl had just taken her mother's place last month. "Brother Lin, I need some angelica root here."
Her eyes were fixed on Lin Shaocheng, her fox-like eyes almost blinking out a blur.
Li Xiangxi laughed and said, "A bug got into your eyeball."
Li Jiaoniang put her hands on her hips and said, "You really have no sense of propriety. Get out of here. Can't you see I'm talking to your brother?"
Lin Shaocheng looked up, and Li Jiaoniang quickly put her hands down, touching her braids with both hands, and transformed back into a graceful young lady. "Brother Lin, are you looking at books for the college entrance exam? I heard from Aunt Lin that she has a new set of practice papers, which are very good."
Lin Shaocheng paused, stood up, turned around, took the appropriate amount of angelica from the slip of paper, and handed it to Li Jiaoniang without saying anything else.
Li Jiaoniang harbored resentment in her heart. She hadn't expected that the shrew in Brother Lin's family was so tolerant, and hadn't caused any trouble for so long. She had originally planned to reap the benefits without lifting a finger. "Then Brother Lin, I'll be leaving now."
After Li Jiaoniang's shadow disappeared, Li Xiangxi couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Brother, you're quite popular, teach me how to be a teacher."
Lin Shaocheng was a little confused. "What market?"
"That girl from earlier likes you, can't you tell?"
Lin Shaocheng hadn't considered this possibility. Li Jiaoniang was Lin's mother's student and also a distant relative. There had been a subtle indication that she was going to be introduced to Lin Shaocheng, but Li Jiaoniang refused, and he had no feelings for her either, so nothing came of it.
Lin Shaocheng pointed out the question he didn't understand, "She doesn't look down on me, you're just mistaken."
Li Xiangxi got excited, "Really, I didn't miss a thing."
Lin Shaocheng tapped the table. "If you had focused on your studies, you would have surpassed me long ago. Zhao Wanyin really likes cultured people."
Li Xiangxi blushed. "Brother, what are you saying?"
Neither of them spoke again, and only the soft breathing and the sound of turning pages filled the warehouse.
As the sun gradually set in the west, leaving only a sliver of light, various stalls appeared along the street in front of the factory, mostly selling common vegetables, with a few selling cooked food.
Li Guorong had observed it from afar and thought the quality was average, lacking the strong aroma of spices found in later generations, suggesting that they were reluctant to use the ingredients.
Li Guorong started frying potatoes in oil and heating the soup base. The vegetable vendors nearby couldn't help but sniff the air, and some people who were far away came over to watch.
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