Food Intelligence King

Chapter 85 New Intelligence: The Steamed Buns in the Old Shipyard Diary (Thanks to "A Delicate Ash" for the bonus chapter for being the Alliance Leader)

It didn't take long for Chen Zhou to finish discussing work with Aunt Zheng in the morning.

The main thing is that Auntie and Zihan's mother have already explained most of the things that needed to be explained.

When it came to Chen Zhou, he went to talk to Aunt Zheng about some specific details.

Aunt Zheng said she could start work tomorrow, making her the second employee to officially join the shop.

After finishing the business at noon,

Chen Zhou brought the pancakes he made at the shop, the soup dumplings he had saved for his wife and children, and also took his junior sister home.

Ms. Lin and Chen Taotao both like her very much.

While waiting for Chen Zhou to make the scrambled eggs, the house erupted in cheers again.

Of course, the girls, both young and old, were the ones having the most fun. Ms. Lin watched them play from the sidelines.

Junior sister really can't finish a whole pancake.

Chen Zhou cut it into four corners.

I cut a piece of the fried egg to the same size.

Chen Zhou asked from the kitchen:

"We started the last two days of summer heat, so I'm making up for it for you today. Should the eggs be stuffed inside or stacked?"

"A pancake with an egg."

After serving it, the junior sister noticed that Chen Zhou had only made one serving.

She was a little confused:
"It smells delicious, you should all save some for me."

Ms. Lin smiled faintly: "I just ate yesterday."

Tao Tao then pinched off a small piece of the pastry and added some specific details:
"I ate this yesterday morning and yesterday afternoon, but I can't eat this morning."

Another day of envying Chen Taotao.

The mother and daughter changed into soup dumplings, and the junior sister enjoyed them by herself.

The combination of flatbread and egg pancake tastes wonderful.

First, press your lips against the crispy, charred crust of the pancake, then bite into its chewy interior. In the very center lies a thick, springy egg pancake.

Oily, slightly crisp, and chewy, the rich layers alternate, each chew bringing a new sensation.

The egg pancake's rich flavor is the main attraction, with a slightly caramelized aroma and a hint of oiliness.

A few chopped scallions, when you bite into them, release the sweetness of the scallions and a hint of spiciness.

In the end, it all got mixed up with the pancake in my mouth.

It slid down the throat.

Warm and solid.

After finishing her meal, the junior sister was inexplicably touched: "Senior brother, I'll treat you to a meal again next time."

Chen Taotao has finally discovered who can best meet her needs.

She tugged at Zhao Yilin's sleeve discreetly: "Sister Zhao, will you take me to eat hamburgers again next time?"

"no problem."

Chen Taotao liked the little toy that was given as a gift.

She has collected several.

They love it like it's a treasure.

Chen Zhou looked at his refrigerator and saw that it was covered with various small decorations.

So, he originally wanted to tell the two of them to stop eating hamburgers all the time.

In the end, it was changed to "I'll treat you next time".

It's fine to eat it once or twice occasionally.

Junior Sister: "Then I won't stand on ceremony with you!"

Chen Zhou told her to relax: "No meal is free for you."

In the evening, the couple had a late-night chat.

The two chatted about their junior sister.

Chen Zhou asked:

"Don't you have any suitable young men in your company?"

"No way. We have a lot of young girls there, so I was thinking of talking to Wang Meng about it last time."

Thinking of Captain Wang, Chen Zhou scratched his head.

"Apart from work, he's either on blind dates or on his way to one. His schedule is packed."

"I did hear him say that," Ms. Lin brought the conversation back on track: "Why did you suddenly ask this? Are you introducing him to Yilin?"

"Yes, but I didn't ask her what she wanted to do."

Ms. Lin chimed in, "We definitely need to ask her what she thinks first. Should we do it, or should I?"

"Anything is fine, let's find an opportunity," Chen Zhou replied, recalling what his junior sister had said that morning and relaying it to his wife.

"Yilin said that she doesn't go home very often either."

Ms. Lin had heard Zhao Yilin mention this situation two years ago during a dinner gathering. "Her father often sends her money, but she doesn't want to go back."

Chen Zhou, assuming his wife was unaware, couldn't help but ask, "You've talked to her before?"

"Yeah, you don't know?"

"I only heard it from her today."

“I thought you must know this since you’ve worked at the same company for several years. That’s why I told you to be nice to her and invited her over for dinner sometime.”

Fine.

The daytime incident involved a minor incident with Aunt Zheng.

Chen Zhou sighed: "It's that 'I thought you knew' again."

But how many misunderstandings in the world have the chance to be cleared up?

So many things in life are missed because of this.

He concluded to his wife, "We need to communicate more in the future. Don't keep things bottled up inside."

"Ah."

Ms. Lin thought about it and realized that there was indeed something she wanted to talk to Chen Zhou about.

"Shouldn't Tao Tao be sleeping separately from us too?"

Chen Zhou :)

“I’m talking about serious matters!” Ms. Lin said reproachfully. “I read in a parenting book that children should start sleeping on their own between the ages of four and six, and she’s exactly five this year.”

"Why isn't being a legally married couple a proper thing? If she won't go to the second bedroom, then it'll just be the two of us."

"You're the one who says we should communicate properly, but you're also the one who makes ineffective communication." Ms. Lin felt a little resentful after hearing her husband's words.

"Go and go."

The next day.

As Chen Zhou was walking in the neighborhood, he ran into Aunt Zheng.

The two greeted each other and then went into the store together.

Chen Zhou originally wanted her to gradually familiarize herself with her job position first.

But after all, she had worked at this store before, and even the layout of the kitchen hadn't changed much.

So he quickly got the hang of it. As for preparing the filling and wrapping the buns, Aunt Zheng had been doing it for ten years. Chen Zhou learned how to make soup dumplings from her. These were no problem for him.

The only thing that took Aunt Zheng a little effort was—

The hygiene requirements are more stringent than before, including cleaning and disinfection, masks, clothing, and hats.

But Aunt Zheng agreed and showed a positive attitude of cooperation.

"That's why my daughter-in-law says you're good at everything. You've never worked in the kitchen, and all you know how to do is make steamed buns. Now it seems you're good at everything."

It seems that Zihan's mother has a significant influence on her aunt.

Chen Zhou laughed and said, "As expected of a veteran who used to work here, he can see through everything."

"Boss, you always make people happy with what you say."

At this moment, the junior sister also arrived at the store.

The three of them happily busied themselves in the kitchen.

Chen Zhou filled the dumplings, Aunt Zheng rolled out the dough, and the junior apprentice helped out.

This combination now significantly improves efficiency.

Zheng Xiufang's ten years of experience also helped the small shop improve its food preparation process.

What do we do when we arrive in the morning? What do we prepare in advance after closing time?

Chen Zhou indeed benefited greatly from his conversation with her.

As the old saying goes, "An old shopkeeper is a treasure."

Looking at the brightly lit kitchen under the lights and the two young people beside her, Zheng Xiufang sighed as she worked:

“In the past, when we made steamed buns, we would gather in a circle, a few old ladies, to see who could make them the fastest and best.”

After meeting Xiao Zhao's gaze, Aunt Zheng quickly added:
"That old shop in Bianliang."

“I know, Aunt Zheng.”

However, the junior sister actually got it mixed up again.

Chen Zhou admired Aunt Zheng's dedication—she competed with her colleagues in terms of efficiency at work.

While it might not be entirely accurate to say it reflects the spirit of the times, the work environment is certainly very important.

Recalling the upcoming passenger flow mentioned in the intelligence report, Chen Zhou said to his aunt and junior sister:

"Did you guys see the video I posted in the group a few days ago? It seems to have gone a bit viral, so I might be a little busy in the next few days."

Let's work harder; if we earn more, we'll get a bigger share at the end of the month.

The junior sister remembered the comments she saw under the video.

It was relayed that:
"Netizens are saying these are 'ascetic-looking' steamed buns, I definitely have to try them. Hahahaha."

As he spoke, he started laughing.

Aunt Zheng also watched the video, and her daughter-in-law even unusually tried to chat with her about it.

But she really didn't understand these things.

It was my grandson who helped me find the relevant information.

However, she understood the meaning of the word "making money," and Zhao Yilin had also told her about Chen Zhou giving out money.

Aunt Zheng thought to herself: This boss is really a good person.

This is even better than my previous boss; I'm sure I'll make a fortune.

If I work hard here, I'm sure I can save up enough for my retirement.

At 7:30, the intelligence was updated.

Chen Zhou always felt that he used to watch things while working, which was a bit sneaky.

Now that's good, I can temporarily hand over the work to Aunt Zheng and concentrate on checking the intelligence.

[Local Secrets (Rare)]: In the office of Warehouse No. 3 of the old shipyard in Haibin City, there is a lost diary. Page 40 records the recipe for "Hu Bing," a local specialty of the era. This dish is made with grains and vegetables and meets current market demands.

First, let's talk about the stewed flatbread. Chen Zhou had never actually eaten it before.

Even the sound of it is somewhat unfamiliar.

Logically speaking, even regional delicacies shouldn't have such a narrow reach.

It might indeed have a strong sense of age.

However, it's surprising that an old recipe can still meet current market demands, regardless of whether it's suitable for sale. Chen Zhou was indeed quite curious.

Make it, try it, there shouldn't be any problem.

Chen Zhou was familiar with the location mentioned in the intelligence report.

Because there was a subway station nearby, the old shipyard site was later planned to be developed into residential housing. This was a project undertaken by the design institute at the time.

However, there was no money left to continue investing. The project just stagnated.

The old shipyard is still there, continuing to age.

If you're not too busy these days, you can go for a walk around.

To-do list +1.

After that--

[Food News]: Spring-planted corn will soon be available in large quantities.

For the older generation, knowing which vegetables to plant in which season is probably common sense and life experience.

However, each generation has its own common sense.

The elderly, who have traditional farming experience, are now learning how to use mobile phones from their children and grandchildren.

I should definitely buy some when I go to the market these next few days. I can just put it in the pressure cooker and cook it. I reckon it'll taste pretty good.

The third type of targeted intelligence—

[Diner Dynamics (Targeted)]: The number of diners visiting the restaurant in the next three days is expected to increase by 60% compared to last week.

Increasing staff, streamlining workflows, and improving service levels and work efficiency are Chen Zhou's methods for dealing with passenger flow.

He used to have a regular job, but he didn't like working overtime.

Now, the shop's main customer base is the local residents. Given this influx of customers, Chen Zhou doesn't plan to work overtime.

[Market News]: According to incomplete statistics, the proportion of employees in the catering industry in Guangming District who pay social security contributions does not exceed 40%.

Chen Zhou: Be yourself.

As the information was updated, a customer who regularly appeared on Tuesdays also appeared in the store.

Captain Wang, carrying his small briefcase, looked a bit haggard today.

"Working overtime again?"

Wang Meng found a seat and put his bag down. Turning to his head, he replied, "They called me at 10 PM asking me to write something. I'm fed up. I'll eat more today."

"Have you had the soup dumplings from last time? I think you're coming back with eight this time."

Wang Meng seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

"I'm starting to regret it, Mr. Chen. I shouldn't have asked you to film this video."

“You can’t say that,” Chen Zhou joked. “We’re going in the same direction.”

"If I keep going like this, I won't be able to afford steamed buns anymore."

Inside the shop, when the junior sister heard that Captain Wang wanted to eat soup dumplings, she couldn't help but look at the 20808 napkins on the table.

There's half a pack left. That should be enough for him.

　Not a drop left. Tomorrow's update will be in the evening, everyone.

　　10,000 words offered
　　
　
(End of this chapter)