Food Intelligence King

Chapter 55 Neighbors
Thursday morning, at the high-speed rail station.

It's not even the hottest time of the year yet, and the weather is already unbearably hot.

Chen Zhou only carried his suitcase down and walked a few steps in the sun before he felt sweating.

This made him feel fortunate—his shop was about to open, and he no longer needed to set up a stall outside and let customers suffer in the heat.

Ms. Lin gripped the suitcase in Chen Zhou's hand, speaking one sentence after another:
"Don't skimp on your own meals. I put the leftover meat from yesterday in the refrigerator, thinking I'd like to eat some vegetables and fruits instead."

"The car was just filled up with gas, you should have seen that."

"Remember not to leave the air conditioner on all night."

"Put the clothes in."

"Alright, alright," Chen Zhou pulled the suitcase over and saw the mother and daughter toward the entrance. "I'm not a three- or two-year-old child either."

Ms. Lin thought about it and realized that her husband was indeed not.

And since she had nothing more to say, she started talking about her junior sister instead:
"Yilin doesn't live very close by. Do you think we should help her rent an apartment nearby? That way, it will be more convenient for her to get to work."

"Okay, I got it. It's not like I'm going out. Just send me a message when you get there, and give my regards to Mom and my older sister."

"Okay, drive carefully on the road."

Following behind her mother, Chen Taotao turned around and waved happily to Chen Zhou, "Goodbye, Dad!"

Goodbye, Peach.

The little girl never has anything on her mind.

That's a good point.

Chen Zhou had arranged with the decoration company that morning to have them come and install the sign.

The custom-made sign looks pretty good.

Red background with white lettering, simple and elegant design.

The junior sister said the color was inspired by Mixue Ice Cream, and that the designer specially mixed a red, but Chen Zhou couldn't quite tell.

The four characters "community canteen" are eye-catching enough, but it doesn't matter that they are not exactly the same as the business license.

The smaller print lists "steamed buns and breakfast items" as one of the main product categories. The slogan reflects Chen Zhou's true feelings: "Choose good ingredients so customers can eat with peace of mind."

The signboard was made of a soft film lightbox, which is inexpensive and also has a light-up function.

If you're making breakfast, you basically won't need it in the summer.

But in winter, when it's just getting light in the morning, seeing a breakfast shop with its lights on on on the street outside the neighborhood would probably make you feel very warm.

Decoration companies also know how to save costs.

Such a big sign, yet they only sent one chef over.

So even though the pulleys under the scaffolding were secured, Chen Zhou still symbolically stepped on them.

Watching the workers on the scaffold skillfully install the light boxes all by themselves, he couldn't help but admire them; everyone has their own expertise.

Selling steamed buns earns you money from selling steamed buns, and installing them earns you money from installing them.

It's about exchanging the fruits of our labor.

After a while, the lightbox was installed, and the workers on the scaffolding called to the boss to plug it in and test the effect.

Chen Zhou asked Lao Meng to continue scouting the location, then turned around and went into the store to press a button twice.

I must say, the switch works quite well. It makes a clicking sound, the key travel is clear, and the tactile feedback is distinct.

However, the lighting effects are not very noticeable under bright sunlight.

The installer climbed down from above and said to Chen Zhou with a smile, "Try it again tonight. If you have any problems, call our company again."

Old Meng from next door offered him a cigarette.

The installer wiped his sweat with a cigarette and chatted with the two men for a few more minutes: "Your row of shops faces the sun, and the signs are always exposed to the sun. They might age quickly in the future. In that case, you can use the original frame and just replace the outer layer of cloth."

It seems that Lao Meng has almost finished talking with his landlord and plans to buy the house and then do some simple renovations. He also exchanged contact information with the contractor.

Wait until the decorating company people leave.

Chen Zhou invited Lao Meng to come to the store tonight if he was free, to try the new cooked meat buns, and to sit down together.

"Let me introduce you to a butcher. I always use pork from him for my steamed buns, he's reliable. My wife and kids are out these days, so we can grab a couple of drinks together."

Meng Da really enjoys making friends. "Okay, I'll find us a bottle of wine at the store."

Chen Zhou didn't stand on ceremony with him either, praising even Old Zhang: "You business people are really particular. Old Zhang, who sells meat, even said he wanted half a rack of spare ribs. I've saved all my food and drinks."

Meng Da emphasized, "You must have some skills."

“No problem. I guarantee professionalism.” Chen Zhou glanced at the barbershop not far away. “Let’s call Tony a little later.”

Tony is in the atmosphere team, so he doesn't need to bring anything.

Looking at the brand-new signboard, Chen Zhou contacted his junior sister again.

I sent her the rendering:

"Your signboard design is very effective. [Thumbs up]"

"How's the resignation process going? I'm almost done on my end."

Zhao Yilin replied to the message after a while:
"The effect is good, but actually, the two versions that weren't used are my proudest works."

The resignation process is almost complete, but it feels more complicated than when I processed yours. I just came out of the old man's office, and he still said what you did wasn't appropriate. Then he went to the office area in a huff and asked if anyone wanted to go sell steamed buns with him, saying they could go now.

Someone actually raised their hand.

Chen Zhou remembered that when he resigned, the dean was quite happy.

Zhao Yilin, on the other hand, was not happy about it.

My junior sister seems to be quite talented.

Chen Zhou remembered what his wife had said that morning and asked again:

"Your sister-in-law asked if you wanted her to help you rent a place nearby?"

Zhao Yilin: "Not for now, my lease isn't up yet. Besides, my senior sister took me home the other day, and I felt the distance was manageable, so I'll just ride an electric scooter for now."

Chen Zhou could only suggest lending her his small electric scooter first.

Zhao Yilin: "That's so kind of you. When can I come and pick it up?"

"You can get a free meal tonight."

Zhao Yilin:
"OR"

"K"

In the summer, Chen Zhou found cycling to work quite comfortable.

We'll figure out a solution for her when the weather gets colder.

As for Chen Zhou's own means of transportation, besides the car at home, the roujiamo cart is also powerful enough after unloading the steamer and other equipment.

Besides, Chen Zhou had been using the cart for his stall for over a month, and he wasn't really keen on selling it.

There's some emotional connection involved.

In the afternoon, Old Zhang took some time to deliver the spare ribs.

He remarked on the upcoming opening of Chen Zhou's new store and said he wanted to congratulate his younger brother.

Chen Zhou: "Old Zhang, come over here for a simple dinner tonight. I have a few neighbors here, let's sit together."

"no problem."

By evening, most of the people had gathered. As for Captain Wang, even if Chen Zhou dared to call him, he wouldn't dare to come.

Carrying the ribs, Chen Zhou began processing them in his shop.

I've made braised pork and braised pork belly.

When cooking pork ribs, you basically don't need intelligence to provide you with a recipe anymore.

Give it a quick wash.

Then add scallions, ginger, and cooking wine, blanch the ingredients, remove any fishy smell, and skim off any foam.

When blanching the ginger, there's no need to slice the whole ginger. Chen Zhou cut off the four sides of the ginger with the skin on and threw them in. The ginger core looked pretty. They would add it in when stewing the pork ribs.

Heat oil in a pan.

(End of this chapter)