The two students took the questionnaire from Liu Zhaowen with some skepticism, glanced at it, and were immediately relieved to see that there were only three simple questions and a number printed on it.
"What flavors of braised food do you have in this box? Can I choose? I can't handle spicy food very well." One of them peeked into the bags of pre-packaged braised food in the insulated box.
"Yes, we have spicy, Sichuan peppercorn, five-spice, and soy sauce flavors. Which ones do you want?" Liu Zhaowen had rehearsed this question countless times in his mind, and his answer was fluent, almost uttered spontaneously.
"I want the spicy flavor (I want the five-spice flavor)."
Before Liu Zhaowen could finish speaking, the two students said in unison. Liu Zhaowen didn't hesitate and quickly picked out two bags of braised food from the insulated box and handed them to the two students.
Without the protection of ice, under the scorching sun, the braising liquid quickly returned to a flowing state from its semi-solid, viscous state. As the braising liquid regained its consistency, a rich aroma wafted out from the gap in the plastic bag the two had torn open. This aroma swirled in the air a few times before finally reaching below their noses and entering their nasal cavities with their breath.
It smells so good! How can it smell so good!
The two swallowed hard, eagerly opening the bag to get a clear view of the tempting, fragrant braised food inside. Drawn by the aroma, they didn't even bother to put on gloves, simply holding the food in their hands and putting it directly into their mouths.
The person holding the spicy braised food first tasted a thick, plump piece of wakame seaweed. The outer skin of the wakame was tough and chewy, while the flesh inside was tender and smooth. Upon tasting it, one could feel a rich seaweed flavor. But as one chewed, a hint of spiciness seeped out from the skin and flesh of the wakame, traveling along the taste buds on the tip of the tongue to the cerebral cortex, creating a tingling and prickly sensation in the mind.
This sensation wasn't very noticeable at first, but as different types of braised dishes with the same flavor entered my mouth, it became more and more apparent with each chew.
As the last spicy mushroom in the bag entered his mouth and died beneath his back teeth, the tingling sensation reached its peak. He felt as if an invisible hand had gripped his skull tightly, ruthlessly ripped it open, letting his soul drift freely in the world for 0.01 seconds before shoving it back into his body.
He swallowed the mushroom, his mouth opened uncontrollably, and the air that had been accumulating in his stomach rushed up his throat, releasing a burp with a rich, spicy aroma.
The person next door, wolfing down his spiced braised dishes, was almost identical to the person in front of him. The only difference was that the spiced braised dishes had a rich yet mild flavor, allowing him to indulge in the sea of braised food without restraint and enjoy the pleasure of feasting.
After devouring the braised food they'd just received in less than five minutes, the two suddenly realized what had happened. They had only intended to try it, complete the survey first, and then take it back to their dorm to enjoy it slowly with an ice-cold cola.
Just as the two were stunned, a black pen was handed to them, followed by the owner's bright and expectant voice: "Please give your feedback on the braised food."
Taste: Perfect!
Price: Only five yuan per pound?! Perfect!
Will people spend money after the store opens? Absolutely! The pen tip put a big checkmark on the word "will" without hesitation.
"You can add me on QQ. If you're interested in buying or making an appointment, you can contact me through QQ." Liu Zhaowen made this request, and the two of them took out their phones and added Liu Zhaowen on QQ almost without hesitation, and asked him about matters related to the opening.
Ultimately, Liu Zhaowen glossed over the issue, promising to post an update on QQ the day before the official opening and asking them to keep an eye out.
After asking Liu Zhaowen again and learning that the braised food in the insulated box was only for survey purposes and not for sale, the two reluctantly left, turning back every few steps.
As the two sampled the braised food, the rich aroma wafted around, attracting the attention of many. Just as the two finally moved away from the stall, two more people eagerly squeezed in front of it.
The faces in front of the stall changed rapidly, Liu Zhaowen's number of friends on QQ increased quickly, and the amount of braised food in the insulated box decreased rapidly, but more and more students wanted to squeeze into the stall.
Liu Zhaowen took out two bags of braised food from the insulated box again, intending to hand them to the new students, but when he looked up, he saw two familiar faces. They were the two people who had first patronized Liu Zhaowen's stall.
Before Liu Zhaowen could speak, the two of them said, "Our roommates also want to try it. Can we bring two bags back for them? We'll make sure they give us an honest review and add you on QQ."
Under the earnest gazes of the two men, and with the chat box still displaying messages as evidence, Liu Zhaowen finally handed the two bags of braised food to them.
This action immediately caught the attention of those still waiting nearby, who pulled out their phones to try and replicate the two men's actions. But as soon as they opened QQ, Liu Zhaowen uttered a chilling statement: "The last two bags of braised food, once they're gone, that's it!"
Upon hearing this, everyone put down their phones and eagerly stretched out their right hands towards Liu Zhaowen. In the end, two lucky individuals, taking advantage of their longer arms, managed to grab the last two bags of braised food before the others.
The lids of the two insulated boxes on Liu Zhaowen's stall were completely open, and inside were only melting ice cubes; the braised food was nowhere to be seen. The onlookers could only leave regretfully, heading towards the braised food shops near the school. The aroma had been just too tempting; they couldn't suppress their cravings without some braised food today.
After all the students had left, Liu Zhaowen packed up his stall and took out the 98 questionnaires that the students had just filled out from his bag. He looked through them one by one, and 95% of the people chose "perfect taste," "perfect price," and "definitely will patronize the store after it opens!"
Alright, I have leverage in the negotiation. The next step is to figure out how to persuade the owner of Xu's Braised Food Shop to sell the braised food to me at a lower price.
The two men, who were carrying braised food for their roommates, went into a convenience store, asked the clerk for two plastic bags, divided the two bags of braised food into four pieces, and bought four cans of Coke before returning to the dormitory with satisfaction. They kicked open the dormitory door, looked at their two roommates who were starving for food, and said arrogantly, "Sons, Daddy brought back food!"
The section about Liu Zhaowen in the chapter released last night was a bit stream-of-consciousness. I revised it and updated the content at 8:25 AM on June 6th.
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