Four p.m.
Ji Huai carried the prepared ingredients downstairs bit by bit and put them in the boxes behind the tricycle. After checking them, he got on his tricycle and drove towards No. 3 Middle School.
On the road, a tricycle drove very slowly. There was a large welded box behind it. It was painted with white paint and had a cute little bear painted on it, which attracted many eyebrows.
The driver was a young man with a handsome appearance. He looked at the car behind him, drove the tricycle to the opposite side of the road, and parked it not far from the entrance of No. 3 Middle School.
On the left side of the school gate are small shops, with various shops open, including small restaurants, small shops, milk tea shops, stationery shops... On the right side is the wall. There are usually various stalls here, but today there are not many small shops in the surrounding area. , there were even fewer people setting up stalls, there were only a couple selling oden, a girl selling sushi, and an old man selling fried chicken nuggets.
No. 3 Middle School does not have a primary school and only accepts middle and high school students. Today is Sunday. The boarding students have started to return to school, but the day students have not come yet, so it does not seem lively.
The couple selling oden must have been in this business for a long time. They are well-equipped. They also drive a tricycle and bring tables and chairs. They occupy a large space. The girl selling sushi only brought a small table and put a few... Box, the old man selling fried chicken drove a motorcycle, and there was a small box on the back of the car with a "menu" on it: fried chicken clavicle, burgers, Orleans grilled wings...
When Ji Huai stopped the car, opened the trunk and lifted it up one by one, several people looked over and couldn't help but frown. I had never seen this guy before. Suddenly he appeared and there was another competitor.
Ji Huai ignored it. He took out a stack of wooden menus from the front of the car and hung the menus in front of them. They read: "Soy sauce chicken rice noodles 5 yuan, sauce chicken vermicelli 5 yuan, sauce chicken vermicelli 5 yuan, pork noodles." The rice noodles are 5 yuan…”
When he hung up the sign, the couple selling oden were observing silently. They also sell rice noodles, but the method is very simple, just put the rice noodles in oden boiling water and pour the sauce on it. The arrival of the other party means that they are trying to steal their business. Just as they are getting angry, they see the other party selling them for five yuan. , a heart slowly relaxed again.
They were also busy. His wife Chen Juan put the skewered meatballs inside and lowered her voice and said to her husband Liang Dong: "It's so expensive next to the school. We only sell it for two yuan per serving. Who will buy it for five yuan?" "
"I won't be able to continue working for a few days." Liang Dong said with certainty.
"Sooner or later, get out of here!" Chen Juan was very forceful. After saying this, she saw Liang Dong pouring some sauce and spilled a little bit, and she yelled, "What did you do? You can't do anything! You're so clumsy, and you quickly set up the table. What are you waiting for?"
The couple has been working here for several years, and they are the only two selling oden. Although the price is cheap, the quantity is small, and there are only a few yuan on a skewer. But there is no way, they are the only one selling it, and students can only come here. Buy here.
They occupy an excellent location. Although they set up a stall on the roadside, there is a corridor inside where two small tables can be placed where students can sit and eat. Because of this, students always like to go to their home to buy.
Ji Huai hung up the signboard, put briquettes into the stove, lit the coals, and put the soup bucket on to cook.
Place a pot on each of the three-burner stoves, take out the small iron pots containing the sauced chicken and minced meat, and place them on the side.
There was a small bucket of spicy and sour shredded radish placed in front of the car, next to it were chopped cilantro, a bottle of chili sauce, and chopped green onion, coriander, soy sauce and vinegar... After doing this, he started to put on his white chef uniform and took out I got a mask and put it on myself.
Although roadside stalls don’t pay much attention to hygiene, they still have to pay attention to it.
The little girl selling sushi secretly glanced at him several times and kept observing. The tricycle has been remodeled very nicely, the menu hanging on it is exquisite and compact, the stainless steel countertop is very clean, and he is well-dressed, making it easy for others to like him.
"Fancy." Chen Juan muttered. She felt that the most important thing about selling things near the school was that they were cheap, and everything else was fake. Ji Huai would get out sooner or later.
The sun went down and the sky got a lot darker.
Boarding students began to come to the school one after another. Some were sent by their parents, and some took long-distance buses. They carried bags on their backs and carried large and small bags in their hands. Some entered the school directly, while others looked back and forth at the school gate, looking for them. While eating. They came early and many of them didn't eat, so they had to buy some snacks to satisfy their hunger.
Many students rushed to Oden and began to buy it in a familiar way. Some also went to buy sushi, fried chicken nuggets, or went to nearby shops to buy milk tea...
There were not many people coming to the stall today, and Ji Huai's stall was particularly conspicuous, but everyone was hesitant because it was expensive, costing five yuan a bowl. Plus they hadn't tried it and didn't know if it tasted good, so they didn't consider it.
"Here comes a rice noodle seller." The girl with a ponytail said to her companion, looking towards the other side of the white tricycle.
"It looks very expensive at first glance. It costs five yuan a portion. It will definitely cost more after packaging. Let's go eat oden." Her companion pulled her aside and walked to the oden stall and said to Chen Juan. , "I want a soup noodle."
"Okay." Chen Juan replied with a smile, opened the white plastic bucket on the side, grabbed a little powder and put it in a colander, and then put it into the water next to it.
The companion was choosing the skewers to eat, and the girl kept looking at Ji Huai, wanting to try it.
The vegetarian dishes of Oden are 50 cents per skewer, and the various meatballs and meat dishes are 1 yuan per skewer. It sounds very cheap, but the meatballs are cut in half, and the vegetarian dishes are also cut very small, with a lot of space between them.
"You don't want to choose?" The companion looked at the girl and asked.
In front of Chen Juan, the girl was too embarrassed to refuse. She was about to buy a hot powder when she saw Chen Juan put the powder that fell on her hand back into the bowl while putting the powder on her hands. She immediately put the powder into the bowl. He swallowed his words and said, "I'm a little full and don't really want to eat."
If you have seen nothing in the past, the roadside stall is unhygienic and everyone's tolerance is very low. However, the guy opposite is wearing a chef's uniform and a mask, and the stall looks clean and tidy.
Her companion didn't say anything else, she continued to choose, and finally chose a bunch of kelp, a bunch of white radish slices, and a bunch of meatballs.
"Four dollars." Chen Juan packed the bag and handed it to her.
"good."
…
The two walked back hand in hand. The couple selling oden and the old man selling fried chicken were both very busy. Many people gathered in front of the stall. The girl looked at the empty white stall and suddenly didn't want to go back to school, so she sent her companion there. Head pull.
"I want a side of soy sauce chicken vermicelli." The girl with a ponytail came to the stall and said to Ji Huai.
Her living expenses for a week are 80 yuan, 60 yuan for meals and breakfast, and 6 yuan for round-trip transportation. She can eat something good on Sunday and save it later.
"Okay." Ji Huai lit the fire with the igniter very neatly, then opened the lid of the bucket and started ladling the soup.
As soon as the lid was lifted, a scent overflowed. The friend who bought the oden took a sniff and said to Ji Huai, "Your soup is so fragrant."
Ji Huai was wearing a mask and couldn't see his face clearly, but he was tall and thin, so he didn't look ugly.
"It smells good and tastes delicious." Ji Huai was not modest and answered with a smile.
Once the conversation started, it was easier to start a conversation. The girl looked forward and asked: "Are there only two flavors: sauce chicken and minced meat?"
Ji Huai: "When I first started selling, I only made these two types."
"Which one is delicious?" she asked him again.
As soon as she finished asking, her companion answered: "Ask him, he must think everything is delicious. How can anyone say that the food he makes is not delicious?"
Ji Huai chuckled and replied, "Chicken is spicier and minced meat is lighter. I can give you both."
"Thank you, brother." The girl was a little happy to get an advantage.
"There are side dishes next to it, you can get some." Ji Huai pointed to the sweet and sour radish shreds next to him, and specifically added, "That one is free."
When the girl heard this, she also walked aside. Ji Huai gave her a pair of disposable chopsticks, took out a round side dish from the bottom, handed one to her, and put the others aside.
He bought this online. It is a plastic vegetable box with a diameter of about seven centimeters. It is about the size of a girl's palm and is just enough for one person.
He knew that his products were expensive, so he had to put more thought into other aspects. The wholesale price of this kind of thing was only ten cents each. It looked relatively small and the quality was very good.
The girl was surprised and took a look at the small box. Ordinary stalls and simple storefronts generally don't have this kind of thing. She took her chopsticks and pinched shredded radish inside, which felt quite ritualistic.
The soup was boiling. Ji Huai took some chopsticks and put some kelp shreds into it, then added green vegetables and leeks, and then added vermicelli... Vermicelli was not easy to cook for too long. He opened the two front lids and scooped out a small spoonful of chicken and Put a small spoonful of minced meat in, turn off the heat, take out a plastic box from the side, and pour it into it.
The girl had also filled the small box with shredded radish and took out a small lid to cover it. Ji Huai put the packing box in front of her. There was a large box full of chicken and minced meat, as well as shredded kelp and green vegetables floating on it.
There is a layer of red oil floating on it, and it smells fragrant.
She added another spoonful of green onions and coriander, but didn't add other peppers or anything else, for fear of destroying the taste. After adding them, she put down the spoon and said, "It's ready."
Ji Huai leaned over, covered it with a lid, pulled out the plastic bag from the side, put the packed rice noodles in, helped her put the side dishes in, added a pair of chopsticks and a spoon, and handed it to her .
"How much?" The girl took it and took the money out of her pocket.
She thought the packing fee might cost two yuan, because the plastic bags were all customized. The milky white plastic bags had a cute bear printed on them and a few words printed on them: Chuhe Rice Noodles.
Seven yuan is a bit expensive, and it's a bit painful, but it's such a big bowl, there are side dishes, and there's meat in it, and it smells delicious, so I'll try it this time.
Thinking about it, she felt that the little brother might not be able to sell it for long, it was too expensive.
"Five yuan." Ji Huai said.
The girl hadn't handed over the ten yuan yet, so she was still stunned, and asked specifically: "Isn't the packing fee free?"
"How much can a box have? Of course there is no charge." Ji Huai smiled, took the ten yuan from her, gave her another five yuan, and said to her, "Thank you."
The girl followed her companion for a long distance. She looked at the slightly heavy bag in her hand, but before she could recall it, she said, "It only costs five yuan. It feels like a good deal."
"I feel so bad." The companion shrugged his head. She spent four yuan and bought a little vermicelli, three slices of white radish, a few pieces of mushrooms, and a few meatballs. The other party bought a large bowl of vermicelli, chicken, minced meat, and a small box of shredded radish.
When they arrived at the dormitory, other classmates also came. They also bought some snacks and chatted while eating. The two walked to the table and began to sit down.
The girl with a ponytail took out the box. As soon as she opened the lid, the aroma wafted out, attracting several roommates to look over.
The companion next to her untied the black bag, and inside was a white bag. It was very simple. She pursed her lips and said, "I bought it for four yuan. She bought the rice noodles at the door. Such a big bowl only costs five yuan." I feel like I lost a lot of money."
There was very little rice noodles in the white bag. It was gone after two chopsticks, and the small balls floating on it became pitiful. She even thought that the rice noodles might not taste good, so there were so many ingredients.
"There's meat too." The roommates also gathered around, wanting to try it, and asked, "Is that the white tricycle at the door? I saw it too, but I didn't buy it."
"Yes, he looks like a very young brother." The girl opened the side dishes, picked a few pieces and put them in her mouth. The next second she raised her voice and said, "This is delicious, you guys try it."
The roommate took a sip of the soup with a spoon and immediately responded: "This soup is also very delicious, so fresh and sweet, and it actually has shredded kelp in it. It feels like a good deal."
My companion looked at the oden in front of him and immediately lost his appetite. He thought it was too little and expensive, so he went to share his bowl of vermicelli.
The minced meat is mellow and not greasy, the chicken is tender and flavourful, the slightly spicy soup is fresh, the shredded radish is sweet and sour, and even the vermicelli inside is very chewy and full of texture.
One bite after another, the portion in the box in front of you is gradually decreasing, and the roommates are starting to feel embarrassed. One of them is about to say, "It's so delicious. How about we go out and buy it now and take it to the classroom to eat? I'm already hungry."
The girl looked at the time and said, "There are still twenty-four minutes left for class. You are too late."
"Shall we buy some after school later?"
"Okay, let's go after school and call me."
…
Outside the school gate.
It was getting dark, day students began to come to the school, and the school gate became lively.
There were many students gathered in front of the oden stall. On the other hand, no one was interested in Jihuai. It was impossible for day students to buy it because they couldn't finish it. The skewers were eaten quickly. They were taken to the classroom and finished in a while, which can satisfy their cravings.
"Ring ring ring~~~" The class bell rang.
Without the students, there is no business. The uncle closed the box and drove away on his motorcycle. The girl selling sushi had one box left. She started to clean up the stall, and then came to Ji Huai's stall: "I want A portion of chicken rice noodles with soy sauce, don’t take it away, eat it here.”
Ji Huai paused as he was about to light the fire, then apologized: "I'm sorry, I didn't prepare a table."
"I have it." She opened her desk, brought over the folding chair, and sat next to his car.
"You are really particular about hygiene." She observed his behavior, then looked at the clean countertop, and continued to look for topics, "Is this your first day out of the stall today?"
"Well, the first day." Ji Huai cracked the eggs in and stirred them with a spoon.
"Oh~~" She glanced at him secretly. Her eyelashes were long, her eyes were pretty, and she was tall enough. She kept feeling anxious in her heart.
"Okay." He turned off the fire, poured the rice noodles into the box, and placed it in front of her.
She put some shredded sour radish in and said to herself: "I work from Monday to Friday, but I get off work early, at around three o'clock. I have no time at work, so I make sushi and sell it here. I'm too lazy to do it alone." Cook, just eat a bowl of rice noodles before going back. I saw you sold a few copies today, but it’s just the first day. It will get better gradually, and when school is over, the day students will also buy it. "
"You should have sold out, right? I saw a lot of people buying it." Ji Huai followed her words.
He deliberately chose to come on Sunday because the prices were a little more expensive. He had enough student living expenses on Sundays and would try, so he would not be frustrated by the lack of sales.
Rice noodles are not snacks, they can be used as late-night snacks. He just realized that the day students came early and might not have eaten, so he would buy them, but he didn't expect that no one would buy them. With this, he sold five servings in total.
"There's one left. Do you like sushi? I'll give it to you." She said immediately, and then added, "The sushi I make is pretty good, try it."
Ji Huai didn't refuse: "Then exchange. You won't be charged for this rice noodle."
"This is only four yuan a piece for me." She gave him the box of sushi from the car and insisted on paying him the difference. She was quite surprised to learn that Ji Huai only sold it for five yuan a piece.
Like many people, she thinks it is very expensive and the packing boxes may cost one yuan, which students are reluctant to spend.
Ji Huai confiscated her money, and she sat aside with rice noodles. She took a sip of the soup first and thought it was very good. Then she took a sip of the rice noodles. It was smooth and chewy, with a strong chicken aroma. She immediately praised him: "You are good at this skill." Ah, it’s delicious.”
"Thank you." He was not modest. Seeing that there were no students left, he leaned on the car to rest.
The Oden couple sat around the table. Chen Juan took out a lot of money and was sorting it out. Liang Dong was playing with his mobile phone. From time to time, she called him a coward.
They sell it cheaply, but the quantity is small, so the profit is high and they can make a lot in a day. The idea of selling oden was Chen Juan's idea. She was poor before, but now she has made money and her back is straight. Liang Dong can only let him curse.
When Ji Huai put the box of sushi aside, the girl eating rice noodles turned around and said, "You can try it."
"I'll eat it later." He replied.
He had already taken off his mask. He had a handsome face, deep three-dimensional features, and a high bridge of nose. He was much more handsome than she had imagined. It made people's hearts beat just looking at him.
She found a topic to chat with him, and the two of them chatted every word. It was not good to be too enthusiastic when they met for the first time. She was relatively restrained. After eating, she cleared her table and said to Ji Huai, "I'm going back first. See you tomorrow."
The other party is not very old and should be about the same age as her. Both of them are stall owners. She can help him and sell sushi at his stall. If she makes more, he can still sell it when she returns. It’s good to think about it.
"Bye." Ji Huai replied casually and took out his phone to check the time.