Chapter 42: Small Stalls Sound So Unhygienic
「At the entrance to the Zijing Garden construction site.」
Xu Heping arrived promptly at eleven o’clock at the construction site entrance. Today, he had brought just ten boxed lunches, four of which were pre-ordered.
Unlike other days, when a huge crowd of workers would pour out at quitting time, today they only trickled out in twos and threes.
Furthermore, after coming out, they didn’t buy food from the nearby fast-food joints or small stalls. Instead, they found a shady spot under a tree to chat and shoot the breeze.
Just then, a worker walked up to Xu Heping’s boxed lunch stall and asked sheepishly, "I pre-ordered a boxed lunch from you yesterday. Number 1004."
Xu Heping checked his order list. After confirming the name and number were correct, he didn’t immediately hand the boxed lunch to the worker.
"I heard about what happened on the site yesterday afternoon, and I understand your concerns. So, if you’re worried about our food, you don’t have to feel obligated to take it. You can get a refund."
The worker’s eyes lit up when he heard this.
What happened yesterday had made him wary of all food from outside the construction site. An upset stomach was one thing, but getting hospitalized was a far more serious matter.
’If I end up in the hospital, I won’t be able to work for several days. The lost wages would be huge!’
"I’ll take the refund, then. I really don’t want to take any chances with food right now." The worker chose the refund without a moment’s hesitation.
This was what Xu Heping had expected. He took eight yuan from his waist pouch, handed it to the worker, and crossed the man’s name off his list with a pen.
Of the four workers who had pre-ordered, only Uncle Dongliang didn’t ask for a refund. He simply picked up his boxed lunch, squatted down to one side, and ate with relish.
Xu Heping occasionally overheard other workers talking about Xu Dongliang, mostly commenting on how brave he was to still be eating street food at a time like this.
「At the entrance to the Hai City Library construction site.」
Although there had been an incident at Zijing Garden, the news hadn’t spread yet, so it didn’t affect the people over at the Hai City Library.
At 11:40, a worker, having finished his break, came out and, just like any other day, walked straight to Xu An’s boxed lunch stall to buy a meal.
He had just reached the stall when he heard Xu An apologizing.
"Sorry, everyone. We’re all sold out of boxed lunches for today. Please come back tomorrow."
"But don’t you still have a bunch in that styrofoam cooler? How can you be sold out?" the worker asked, confused as he looked at the meals inside.
"Those were pre-ordered yesterday. We’re about to deliver them," Xu An explained briefly.
After a few other workers also pleaded with him to no avail, they became frustrated and stormed off, cursing under their breath.
"Are you crazy? You’ve got paying customers right here, and you won’t sell to us? What’s all this nonsense about pre-orders? We’re never buying from here again."
’Sigh.’
Xu An sighed to himself. ’I have to increase production! I need to make a plan this afternoon. I’ll have to crunch the numbers carefully, since I don’t have a lot of cash on hand.’
But first, he had to get busy with deliveries, so Xu An didn’t have time to think about that problem right now.
The pre-ordered lunches for the office workers were already packed into individual bags, each with a label showing the name and address. Xu An was in charge of delivering this batch of orders.
Liang Dani, meanwhile, was responsible for delivering the order to the Hai City Nautical College.
The previous afternoon, Xu An had planned out a delivery route for the office workers’ orders based on their locations and distances. Now, all he had to do was follow the route and make the drop-offs.
The first delivery was across the street to Aisha Clothing, for Ding Nan and Luo Min.
The three-story building looked unassuming from the outside, but the interior decor was surprisingly modern.
In Xu An’s eyes, it wouldn’t look dated even ten years from now.
He parked and locked his vehicle by the entrance, took two boxed lunches from his container, and walked through the company’s main doors to the front desk.
The receptionist was facing her computer, her fingers clacking away on the keyboard as she worked.
"Hello, I’m looking for Ding Nan and Luo Min. Could you please let them know I’m here?" Xu An asked politely.
The receptionist glanced up at him and nodded.
Instead of getting up or using the phone, she simply opened up a chat program and typed a message into the company-wide group chat.
"Ding Nan, Luo Min, someone’s at the front desk for you. Come quick."
Ding Nan and Luo Min had scheduled their delivery for 11:50. Starting at 11:45, they both began watching the hallway, hoping to see a figure appear at their office door carrying their lunches.
Although they didn’t see Xu An himself, they did get the notification from the company-wide group chat.
As soon as they saw the receptionist’s message, the two of them immediately got up and headed out.
The other people in the office couldn’t help but glance at the clock. It was only 11:50, not yet lunchtime. ’Are those two leaving for the day already?’
Two minutes later, Ding Nan and Luo Min returned, carrying their boxed lunches. Since it wasn’t lunchtime yet, they simply set the food aside and went back to work.
The aroma of the food began to seep from the containers, slowly spreading and wafting through the office.
Sister Liu, who sat behind them, sniffed the air once, then again.
’Do I smell food?’
Twelve o’clock. Lunchtime.
Their coworkers locked their screens, stood up to stretch, and began discussing where to go for lunch.
The moment it struck twelve, Luo Min, without even waiting to lock her computer, shoved her keyboard and mouse aside. She placed her boxed lunch in the middle of her desk and promptly took off the lids.
Six Lion’s Head meatballs rested quietly in a crimson broth, their fried outer layer forming a golden, paper-thin skin that snugly enveloped the delicate, soft ground meat within.
The first bite sent an explosion of flavor through her mouth, as the tender ground meat and thick sauce mingled. The savory taste of the meat, the fragrance of scallions, and the crisp refreshment of carrots all erupted at once.
’Delicious!’
Next to the exquisite Lion’s Head meatballs, the adjacent dry-fried green beans—wrinkled and slightly charred—looked ordinary by comparison. Tasting them, however, was another experience entirely.
Her teeth snapped the beans effortlessly in two, and their unique, sweet fragrance filled her mouth.
Even the Yu-Shiang Shredded Pork, which looked like the most unassuming dish in the box, was so good it made you want to shovel down a huge mouthful of rice with it.
Sister Liu had been discussing lunch plans with a coworker, but the aroma grew more and more intense until her stomach couldn’t help but start growling.
Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she looked around, searching for the source of the scent. Her eyes finally landed on Ding Nan and Luo Min, who were eating with gusto.
’Didn’t the lunch break just start? How are they already eating?’
Sister Liu leaned over to see what the two of them were eating.
’Whoa!’
’Braised Lion’s Head Meatballs! Dry-fried Green Beans! Yu-Shiang Shredded Pork! And is that an Herbal Tofu Soup?!’
’What restaurant is this from? It looks so lavish!’
"Min, where did you buy this? It looks really good! How much for a serving like that?"
Luo Min managed to swallow the food in her mouth before answering, "It’s from a boxed lunch stall across the street. Eight yuan per meal."
’A boxed lunch stall?’
Sister Liu hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the idea.
’Food from a street vendor... it doesn’t sound very hygienic. And for that cheap? What if I get sick?’
But as she turned to leave, she couldn’t help but steal another glance at the boxed lunch.
’But that food looks so incredible!’
’It might be from a street vendor, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try it. Isn’t there an old saying? A little grime won’t make you sick.’
Liang Dani arrived at the entrance of the Hai City Nautical College at 12:11. From a good distance away, she could already see Old Han waiting by the gate with several male students.
As soon as she stopped the tricycle, Old Han and the students came forward, unloaded the boxed lunches, and counted them.
After confirming all forty-two meals were there, he handed the money to Liang Dani. "That’s 336 yuan for the forty-two lunches, plus a 21-yuan delivery fee. Please count it."
Liang Dani didn’t stand on ceremony, taking the money and counting it right then and there.
"A total of 357 yuan. It’s all here."
"We’ll need 47 tomorrow. Same time."
"Got it."