Food Intelligence King

Chapter 19 Half for you, half for me

After filling out the subsidy application online, Chen Zhou first ordered a portable mini-fridge with a large 20L capacity and 12V power supply, which perfectly met his needs for setting up a stall.

Actually, making and selling steamed buns on the street is a standard practice for steamed bun stalls.

The reason Chen Zhou didn't do that was simply because the weather was hot.

He wasn't comfortable leaving the minced meat out for too long.

In addition, Chen Zhou bought a small speaker with a recording function.

This is what was prepared for Grandpa Yu.

As for replacing the refrigerator at home with a bigger one while we're at it?

Chen Zhou had this idea.

After all, the appliances in our home were bought when we first got married, and we've been using them for six or seven years.

But over time, he also developed some affection for the refrigerator.

Moreover, it's now covered with all sorts of magnetic stickers, which is one of my wife's few hobbies.

I decided to give up after thinking about it.
Chen Zhou spent nearly 400 yuan on JD.com. He was able to enjoy a 20% subsidy, so he made full use of the intelligence he had gathered.

However, looking at the promotional slogan above, "Boost domestic demand and stimulate consumption," it's quite surprising.

He couldn't help but ponder it in his heart.

"Wouldn't it be more economical not to spend any money?"

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Xingfu Vegetable Market, Chen Zhou immediately recognized the person selling his own vegetables.

Compared to the carefully arranged and sprayed vegetables in the market to maintain their vibrant color,
The items this older woman was selling were practically covered in dust.

Its sales method is also quite unique.

The older woman didn't have a scale, so she had to sell them one by one.

"Young man, these are all cucumbers I grew myself. I can't eat them all. They're one yuan each, take your pick."

At first glance, they look a bit ordinary, but once you actually pick them out, they're all quite good.

Chen Zhou glanced at them and saw about ten or twenty.

Firstly, its quality is indeed very good, and secondly, it saves the elderly from having to wait so long in the sweltering summer heat, so I said to her:
"I want it all."

The woman laughed and said, "Don't worry, just buy it. We grow it for our own consumption."

Then they helped Chen Zhou pack it up.

She hadn't even prepared any bags for repackaging. She only had the canvas bags that came with her deposit at the Agricultural Bank of China.

Chen Zhou even suspected that if someone only bought a few sticks, the auntie was planning to let the customer carry them home empty-handed.

Carrying a small bag of cucumbers, Chen Zhou arrived at Yongjia Fresh Food Market and tossed one to Old Zhang, the butcher.

"then!"

"Good cucumber!"

After taking the cucumber, Old Zhang's chubby face relaxed again, revealing a seemingly malicious smile. Having spent years in the vegetable market, he knew his stuff.

"These cucumbers look good. Where did you buy them?"

Chen Zhou pointed outside the vegetable market, "They say it's homegrown, try it and see how it is."

Old Zhang nodded and extended his other hand:

"Give me another one."

"Well, here it is."

Although Lao Zhang looks like a rough man, he is actually quite meticulous.

I turned around, washed my hands with dish soap, rinsed the dust off the cucumber with water, and carefully removed the small thorns from the surface.

Only then did he hand the cucumber back to Chen Zhou.

Chen Zhou originally thought that Zhang Jinsheng asked for two cucumbers because he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to taste the flavor of one cucumber.

I didn't expect it would be to wash one for myself too.

The two of them sat down next to each other and started tasting it together.

The cucumbers sold by this lady do taste different.

Once you bite into it, your mouth is filled with sweetness.

Juicy and refreshing, it's perfect for a hot summer day.

Old Zhang took a couple of bites, and had already eaten most of the cucumber. He showed Chen Zhou the part he had bitten off.

"Look, it's a bit hollow." Chen Zhou looked at the cucumber in his hand and saw that it did indeed have a triangular hollow center.

Next to the triangular hollow center is the glistening, plump flesh.

Zhang Jinsheng explained, "The weather is hot and we don't use pesticides, so the cucumbers grow like this naturally."

Then, he stepped aside to make room for Chen Zhou:

"Watch over it for me for a bit, I'm going to go buy some too."

Chen Zhou smiled and said:

"That's all. They only sold what they couldn't finish at home. There wasn't much of it in total."

Old Zhang felt very sorry after hearing this.

Modern technology allows cucumbers to remain evergreen all year round, but their core may still yearn for natural growth.

After a few casual words, the topic returned to today's business.

Chen Zhou bought twelve catties of pork, which is double the price he paid at the beginning.

Old Zhang sighed:
"Your steamed bun business is getting better and better."

"Meat is still the most reliable ingredient."

Zhang Jinsheng was pleased to hear this.

He remembered that he had just taken Chen Zhou's cucumbers, and while he was weighing and packing the pork, he also put a strip-shaped object into the bag.

Seeing this, Chen Zhou asked, "What is it?"

Old Zhang grinned: "I'll give you a pig's tail. Take it home and stew it. Do you know how to do it? Just blanch it first, then..."

Mr. Zhang, a pork vendor, shares his secret recipe for braised pig tail.

There are also unexpected gains.

Social interactions are sometimes a matter of give and take.

Chen Zhou also remembered that Old Zhang had just been thinking about going to the entrance of the vegetable market to buy cucumbers.

So he took a bag from the shelf next to his stall, shook it a couple of times, and gave him half of the cucumbers from his canvas bag.

"You seem to really like it, so I'll get you some more."

"You're too kind, brother!"

The value may not be equal, but the feelings are the same.

There is a large logistics warehouse in the coastal city.

So when Chen Zhou set up his stall that evening, he was already using his small refrigerator.

Therefore, they can come out a little earlier than a few days ago and start packaging and selling at the same time.

The old saying goes, "Hearing is believing, seeing is believing."

For the first time, customers buying steamed buns witnessed the original meaning of steamed buns.

I have more trust in the steamed bun stall now.

Thinking back to the initial doubts about the steamed buns in the owners' group, now that I've seen it with my own eyes, the so-called lymph node meat theory is really nonsense.

Similarly, this was the first time people had seen Chen Zhou make steamed buns on the spot.

Master Chen's technique is precise and elegant.

First, a spoonful of filling is placed steadily in the center of the dough. Then, fingers fly, like butterflies flitting among flowers, gently gathering and twisting the dough until it is finally gathered together, forming dense and even pleats at the top.

"Wow! Master Chen's cooking is really good."

"This is the first time I've ever seen someone wrap steamed buns so skillfully."

"Why do I feel like I can't pry open the tweezers with my tough hands?"

"I heard that steamed buns have thin skin, lots of filling, and eighteen pleats. How many are on this one? One, two, there really are eighteen! This one is too."

Chen Zhou laughed and said, "Actually, eighteen is only considered acceptable."

Amidst people's encouragement and praise, Chen Zhou gradually lost himself.

She's also putting more and more effort into making steamed buns.

The standard of 18 pleats is not enough; you have to make a professional 24 pleats.

Chen Zhou thought to himself: Dear customers, you're really trying to kill me with flattery.

(End of this chapter)