After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

When Boss Zhang outside the door saw Old Wang leading the way out, his eyes widened instantly.

Mr. Zhang, the owner of a hardware store who was at the front of the line, took two quick steps forward. Not bothering to watch where he was going, he nearly slipped on the snow-covered steps. Pointing at Old Wang's ruddy face, which was still damp with sweat, he shouted in his hoarse voice:

"Old Wang! Captain Wang! What are you doing in there?!"

The raw ingredients in Boss Zhang's hand dangled in the air, he was sweating profusely with anxiety, and took a big slurp of the rich, sour aroma: "What kind of divine stuff is being stewed in this house?!"

"My hardware store is a full 80 meters away from here! Half an hour ago, the smell of stir-fried pickled cabbage and hot fish soup seeped in through the crack in the door, completely washing away the engine oil smell in my store!"

Boss Zhang rubbed his rumbling stomach, his face filled with anxious worry: "I have a worker on hand right now, and just smelling this, my drool is practically dripping down my chin onto the water pipe!"

"I didn't even lock the shop door, I just followed the smell and came here! Didn't they say Boss Lin posted a notice that he was closed? What are you guys doing inside?!"

The middle-aged woman next to him, holding an empty stainless steel lunchbox, also squeezed forward, her eyes fixed on the thin, glistening sheen of oil on Old Wang's lips, and she raised her voice high:

"Hey Lao Wang! Your mouths are all greasy, what were you eating in there just now?!"

"The smell went straight up into the sky through the exhaust pipe and was blown directly into my kitchen range hood by the wind!"

"The chicken soup I was making at home smelled amazing! It made my whole pot of chicken smell like plain water. I dropped the spatula, grabbed my lunchbox, and ran over! What on earth is this?! How can it smell so incredibly good?!"

The delivery guys at the back of the crowd were so anxious they were stamping their feet, clutching their insulated helmets and peering intently into the lobby.

"Brother! Uncles and aunties! What are you eating?!"

"We just picked up an order at the intersection, and as the electric scooter drove by, the aroma of charred pork and minced meat wafted straight into my helmet! It smelled so good I almost dropped the handlebars!"

"Smelling this, I think the food in those restaurants is practically pig swill!"

Surrounded by a group of neighbors asking him all sorts of questions, Old Wang blushed slightly, coughed with a wry smile, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"What's all the noise about! Look at you all, so pathetic, like starving wolves who haven't eaten for three days!"

Old Wang wiped the lingering tangy flavor of the soup from the corner of his mouth, smacked his lips, and couldn't help but boast, "Boss Lin is testing new dishes in the kitchen!"

Old Wang patted his round belly and exhaled a long puff of white steam carrying the aroma of pickled cabbage:

"Those glass noodles, soaked up the fish soup, were as smooth and soft as mutton fat jade. Biting into them filled my mouth with hot, fresh, and sour juice."

"That minced meat rice, the meat chunks are crisp and crunchy, the pickled cabbage is crunchy, the lard mixed with rice...tsk tsk tsk, I wouldn't trade it for anything, not even for a god!"

"Stop talking! Please stop talking!!"

Mr. Zhang, who was standing at the front, screamed in agony, clutching his stomach with both hands, his face deathly pale, and he swallowed frantically.

"Old Wang, you've really gone too far! Your recitation of the menu is practically killing me! My stomach acid is about to boil up!"

The delivery guy behind him stared wide-eyed, then suddenly pulled a crumpled 100-yuan bill from his pocket, held it high above his head, and desperately pushed his way forward.

"Boss Lin! Is Boss Lin inside?! Sell me one! I only make three yuan and fifty cents per delivery, but I'll give you all of this hundred yuan!"

"I'm not picky, even just half a bowl of those glass noodles, or two spoonfuls of pickled cabbage and minced pork to mix with rice would be fine! I really can't take it anymore!"

"I'll pay two hundred! Boss Lin, fill this lunchbox to the brim, I'll give you two hundred!"

The woman at the grocery store simply handed the stainless steel lunchbox forward and stepped forcefully across the threshold.

"My husband didn't have a good appetite today, and he kept complaining about this smell on the balcony!"

"Boss Lin, please have mercy and sell me one to take home. It's freezing cold outside, please have pity on us neighbors!"

"More money! We're willing to pay more!"

The crowd instantly erupted in excitement. All thirty-odd people were completely swayed by the overwhelming aroma and lost all sense of reason. Some were taking out their wallets, some were showing their payment codes on their phones, and some were pushing forward with their lunchboxes in hand. In no time, the entrance to the Lin family's shop was packed with people, and the threshold was almost flattened by their feet.

Old Liu watched from behind, amused. He tucked the large wrench into his belt, sauntered forward, leaned against the doorframe, and glanced sideways at the group outside.

"Hey, isn't this Old Zhang? Didn't you just complain to someone this morning that Boss Lin's pan-fried buns were overpriced at 188 yuan a serving, and that he was ripping off customers?"

"Now you're holding up a hundred dollars to buy half a bowl of vermicelli, how come you don't think it's expensive?"

Old Liu puffed out his chest and deliberately picked his teeth: "Auntie, don't you usually love buying those two-yuan-a-bag industrial-grade pickled cabbages?"

"Boss Lin, the sauerkraut in this pot is top-quality, fermented from Aunt Wang's old jar next door. The fish is all fresh, and the meat is the foreleg of a top-grade black mountain pig. You think you can fill this lousy lunchbox for two hundred yuan? Dream on!"

Old Liu's words made Boss Zhang blush, but the lingering smell of burning food in the lobby prevented him from getting angry. He just smiled and bowed.

"Old Liu, Brother Liu! My dear brother! I was just being cheeky this morning, I didn't recognize your greatness! Please put in a good word for me with Boss Lin! I'd even take a couple of sips of soup!"

The crowd grew increasingly aggressive, and it looked like they were about to surge into the lobby.

Lin Fan strode out from behind the bar with a calm expression.

He was still wearing his dark cloth apron, his posture was upright, and his hands were naturally in the front pockets of the apron as he stood in the middle of the threshold.

As soon as Lin Fan appeared, the noisy shouts outside the door immediately subsided, and dozens of pairs of hungry, green-eyed eyes all turned to his face.

The cold wind howled outside, making the curtains sway, but Lin Fan stood in the wind, his expression unmoved.

He glanced at the dense crowd outside the door, his gaze settling on the banknotes, mobile payment codes, and empty lunchboxes held aloft. His expression was calm as he spoke:

"Gentlemen."

"The notice posted in front of the store clearly states that the store is closed for the holiday today and will not be open to the public."

A chorus of groans suddenly erupted from the crowd:

"Boss Lin, please be lenient! Even selling five or ten portions would be fine!"

"Yeah, we came all this way, and if we go back smelling this, we won't be able to sleep tonight!"

The delivery driver was almost in tears: "Boss Lin, I'll accept the penalty for this order being late, please just sell me one, I beg you!"

Faced with a barrage of pleas and waving banknotes, Lin Fan simply shook his head indifferently:

"The kitchen had a limited amount of food prepared, and it's all gone just now..."

Lin Fan hadn't finished speaking.

A clear, crisp mechanical voice suddenly exploded deep within Lin Fan's mind without warning!

It instantly dissipated all the noise.

【Ding! 】