Food: Senior year internship, you take over the university cafeteria

Chapter 42 There's Only One Mother in the World

That night, the city lights began to twinkle.

The late-night snack stall at window number 07 has become the warmest and brightest spot on campus during autumn nights.

The steam from rice noodle rolls mingled with the aroma of fried pancakes, and tonight, a new and intriguing aroma of crispy rice has been added.

"One serving of spicy stir-fried rice cakes!"

"Pan-fried rice cakes, sprinkle with plenty of sesame seeds!"

"Rice noodle rolls as usual, and I'd also like a serving of rice cakes!"

The newly launched "Double Flavor Rice Cake" – bright red, sweet and spicy Korean-style stir-fried rice cake and golden, crispy and sweet pan-fried rice cake – quickly captured the hearts of late-night snack lovers with its novel taste and affordable price (12 yuan for spicy stir-fried and 8 yuan for sweet pan-fried).

At the control panel, Wang Sheng's movements remained fluid and effortless, the abundant energy provided by the [Stamina Enhancement Card] allowing him to handle the situation with ease.

[Ding! Received a positive review (Spicy Rice Cakes)!]

[Ding! Received a positive review (sweet pan-fried rice cake)!]

[Popularity value is slowly and steadily recovering: 51240 → 51880]

Just as the late-night snack was getting into full swing, a composed figure quietly joined the end of the line.

It was Principal Zhou Mingyuan.

He seemed to be taking a walk and happened to check out this window, which is now quite a hot topic among faculty and staff.

He showed some interest when he saw the newly added "rice cake" item.

When it was his turn, Wang Sheng was a little surprised: "Principal Zhou, good evening. You're here for a late-night snack too?"

"I came here because of the aroma," Zhou Mingyuan smiled kindly, glancing at the menu, "Rice cake—"

That's quite rare. Let's have a small portion of both the spicy stir-fry and the sweet pan-fried one, just to try something new.

"Okay, please have a seat."

Soon, a small plate of bright red and tempting spicy stir-fried rice cakes and a small plate of golden sweet pan-fried rice cakes sprinkled with sesame seeds were placed in front of Zhou Mingyuan. He did not go to the specially arranged seat, but stood by the small table by the window and picked up disposable chopsticks.

I tried the spicy stir-fry first.

The soft, chewy texture of the rice cake made him raise an eyebrow slightly. The sweet and spicy sauce combined perfectly with the rice cake's natural aroma, stimulating without masking its original flavor. "Hmm, interesting. The rice cake has a great texture, and the sauce is very appetizing."

Then try the sweet and fried one.

The sweetness of the crispy caramel crust contrasts beautifully with the soft, fragrant rice inside, creating a simple yet blissful experience. "This is great! A modern take on traditional pastries; the students will definitely love it."

Zhou Mingyuan ate slowly, but his gaze involuntarily swept over the bustling scene at the small window in front of him, then looked at the slightly old-fashioned overall environment of the cafeteria, and the other windows in the distance with sparse customers.

An idea gradually became clear and took shape in his mind.

Perhaps—next summer, we should put the overall renovation of the first canteen and the construction of a special dining area on the agenda.

Individuals like "Sheng Ji," which are distinctive, high-quality, and popular with teachers and students, should have a more standardized system.

A wider space, better showcasing its value. This will not only improve the dining environment for teachers and students, but also become a new calling card for campus culture.

After finishing the last piece of rice cake, he wiped his mouth and nodded approvingly at Wang Sheng: "Wang Sheng, your rice cake is of excellent quality in both texture and taste. You have a strong ability to develop new products. Well done! The school supports entrepreneurial students like you who have ideas and skills."

Although the words were ordinary, Wang Sheng caught a glimpse of an unusual expectation in the principal's deep eyes.

He was slightly moved and respectfully replied, "Thank you for your encouragement, Principal. We will continue to work hard."

Zhou Mingyuan didn't say anything more, and left with his hands behind his back, seemingly lost in thought. But his arrival and evaluation undoubtedly added an invisible golden touch to "Shengji".

The late-night snack period is coming to an end.

Wang Sheng and Zhao Gang were finishing up the cleanup when a series of urgent knocks came from outside the roller shutter door, accompanied by an anxious yet familiar middle-aged woman's voice: "Sheng Sheng! Wang Sheng! Open the door! It's Mom!"

Mom?!

Wang Sheng was startled and quickly pulled open the roller shutter door, which was not yet fully closed. Outside the door, he saw Wang's mother, looking travel-worn, carrying an old travel bag. Her hair was slightly disheveled by the autumn wind, and her face was filled with the fatigue of a long journey and—deep worry.

"Mom?! What brings you here? You didn't even tell me beforehand! So late—" Wang Sheng quickly ushered his mother in.

As soon as Wang's mother entered, she didn't even bother to look around. She grabbed her son's arm, looking him up and down, her voice trembling, "Are you really here? Are you really working in the cafeteria? You're not lying to your mother? You haven't been doing any of those shady things! After seeing those photos you posted, and your father checking that live stream recording—my heart was pounding, I couldn't sleep a wink! I had to see it for myself!"

Her rapid-fire words were filled with a mother's deepest, even somewhat clumsy, concern for her son. She simply couldn't believe that her son could suddenly be "making a fortune," and her mind was filled with terrifying thoughts such as whether her son had joined a pyramid scheme or been tricked into committing fraud.

Looking at his mother's bloodshot eyes and anxious face, Wang Sheng felt a mix of sadness and warmth in his heart, and his nose felt a little stuffy. He helped his mother sit down in a chair and poured her a glass of hot water: "Mom, look, I'm perfectly fine. I'm really doing business here properly. These are all my classmates, here to help." He pointed to Zhao Gang and Lin Xiaowen beside him.

Zhao Gang and the others quickly greeted her, "Hello, Auntie!"

The Queen Mother finally calmed down and began to carefully examine the kitchen. It was clean, bright, and equipped with professional equipment. All kinds of ingredients were neatly arranged, and the air still held the enticing aroma of food. This environment certainly didn't seem like a place for shady dealings.

"You—you really made so much food? Can you sell it all?" The Queen Mother was still somewhat skeptical.

"Mom, wait a minute." Wang Sheng turned around, quickly used the remaining ingredients to make a small bowl of Supreme Boat Congee, and heated up a few pieces of sweet pan-fried rice cake that had been reserved for the evening. He then placed the bowl in front of his mother, saying, "Try it, this is how well I cook now."

The aroma of porridge and the sweet scent of rice cakes wafted into her nose, and the Queen Mother subconsciously swallowed. With some skepticism, she picked up a spoon and took a sip of the porridge.

Soft, smooth, fresh, and fragrant!

The rich ingredients and incredibly smooth congee base instantly won over her taste buds! This taste—better than any congee shop she'd ever had back home!

She took another bite of the rice cake; it was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, sweet and delicious.

As the Queen Mother ate, her eyes gradually widened, and the worry and exhaustion on her face were slowly replaced by shock and disbelief, finally turning into indescribable pride and joy!

"This—you did all of this?" Her voice changed slightly.

"Mm." Wang Sheng nodded.

"Are there this many people eating here every day?"

"Almost full, breakfast and late-night snacks are all booked."

"Can you really make that much money?"

"Mom, do you want to see the payment record?" Wang Sheng asked, both amused and exasperated, as he took out his phone.

Looking at the dizzying daily revenue figures on the screen, and then at her son before her, with his composed demeanor and confident eyes, Wang's mother finally believed it completely. A surge of immense joy and pride welled up inside her, and her eyes instantly reddened. She patted her son's hand, exclaiming, "Good! Good! My son is promising! Truly promising! Mom was wrong about you—Mom was just—just worried about you!"