Food: Selling Boxed Meals at a Construction Site

As time went on, the aroma of braised dishes slowly drifted out of the kitchen, gradually seeping into the air and teasing the senses of everyone nearby.

The aroma built up little by little in the pot. The moment the lid was lifted, it erupted like a volcano, booming outwards and spreading rapidly in all directions. Many pedestrians stopped in their tracks, searching for the source of the fragrance...

Those who had tasted the braised dishes at Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant the previous afternoon knew instantly from the smell that the restaurant was making them again.

They couldn’t help but recall yesterday’s braised dishes. The flavor was truly excellent, but there were just too many people. They had only managed to eat a single slice of potato and half a slice of lotus root before the plate was empty.

Now, smelling that aroma again, the craving gnawed at his stomach, crawling and advancing until it completely took over his thoughts.

’I wonder what braised dishes they have today. Are they even for sale?’

By the time the man snapped out of it, he found himself already standing at the entrance of Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant.

’Well, since I’m here anyway~’

"Boss, are the braised dishes for sale? What do you have, and what are the prices?"

The few people busy packing meals all looked up at the question, only to realize several people were standing behind them, including some familiar faces from the previous afternoon.

"They are!" Xu An reacted with lightning speed. "Vegetable dishes are 5 yuan a pound, and meat dishes are 30 yuan a pound."

The man stood on his tiptoes, his gaze passing over Xu An and the others to look at the three large basins in front of them.

Lotus root, potatoes, kelp, shiitake mushrooms... chicken feet, chicken wings, quail eggs, marbled pork belly, thick cuts of intestine...

’Just a moment ago, he thought the meat dishes were too expensive and he should just get some vegetables. But the instant he saw the meat, his mouth started watering uncontrollably. He had to have some~’

’It’s not like I eat this stuff every day. Maybe once every week or two. Spending thirty or forty yuan at a time only comes out to about a hundred yuan a month!’

’Hiss... Still, I feel a little guilty!’

’Alright, I’ll just call a few friends over. We can have a few drinks with these braised dishes. They’re way better than peanuts!’

The thought that several people would be sharing a thirty or forty yuan snack, with each person only spending eight or ten yuan, instantly eased his guilt.

"Boss, give me a little of each vegetable dish, two pounds in total. And a little of each meat dish, one pound in total."

"Boss, pick out a little of each vegetable, one pound’s worth. I want to try them."

"Boss, half a pound each of potatoes and lotus root. I only got a taste yesterday. Today, I’m going to eat my fill."

"..."

In just a few moments, they had sold five pounds of braised dishes, bringing in fifty yuan.

The profit margin on these braised dishes was huge. They made twelve yuan for every pound of meat and three yuan for every pound of vegetables. Just from these five pounds, they had already earned twenty-four yuan!

Once the brine was ready, they could cook a huge pot of food, which was much less trouble and effort than making boxed lunches.

’This braised dish business... feels even more profitable than the boxed lunches.’

They had sold 8 pounds through delivery orders, and now another 5 pounds in just a short time. That was thirteen pounds in total—a quarter of their stock!

Zhang Dezhen, who had been on edge all morning, finally relaxed.

’We sold some! My job is safe!’

「At the entrance of the Zijing Garden construction site.」

A few workers near the main gate had been smelling an incredibly rich and overpowering aroma since ten o’clock. It made their mouths water, and they all wondered if it was the smell of today’s boxed lunches or if a new eatery had opened nearby.

They had never smelled anything like it before.

When they finally made it to their eleven o’clock break, the workers tossed their tools aside and bolted for the gate. For the first time ever, they arrived even earlier than Qiao Xingguo.

By the time Qiao Xingguo arrived, there were already seven or eight people in line ahead of him, and another four or five off to the side had already collected their boxed lunches.

’What’s going on today? I’m actually not the first one here!’

Suddenly, a gentle breeze carried a very familiar scent to him. Qiao Xingguo’s nose twitched. He took a deep breath, and his eyes lit up.

’That’s it! That’s the smell! The smell of braised dishes from my hometown!’

Having identified the aroma, Qiao Xingguo looked all around, trying to find its source.

There were no food stalls near the gate, nor were there any new shops across the street.

’Wait!’

’Why are so many people standing in front of Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant? It’s usually so quiet.’

’Could it be... that the smell is coming from Xu’s Fast Food? Did they switch to selling braised dishes?’

The line moved quickly, and soon it was Qiao Xingguo’s turn. After grabbing his boxed lunch, he was about to head back to the construction site when another gust of wind blew past, once again carrying that familiar aroma of braised dishes.

Qiao Xingguo stopped. He turned around. He looked at Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant. He took a step. He walked right up to the front of Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant...

Besides the familiar hot food counter, a table had been set up at the entrance. On it were three large basins of braised dishes, covered with transparent food nets.

’Vegetable Dishes: 5 yuan/pound; Meat Dishes: 30 yuan/pound’

’The meat’s a bit pricey, but the vegetables are cheap!’

’I haven’t had any braised dishes since I left my hometown for work in Hai City at the beginning of the year. Maybe I’ll get half a pound to try with my wife.’

"Boss, can you get me half a pound of the vegetable dishes?"

"You got it."

The one who answered was Zhang Dezhen. He was in charge of selling the braised dishes, while Zhou Qi was responsible for plating the food. Their duties were clearly divided.

More and more people were drawn in by the aroma. In addition to local residents, many workers from the construction site across the street also started coming over.

Although many people only bought half a pound of vegetables to try, every little bit added up. Before long, the two basins of vegetable dishes were nearly empty.

「Yipin Xiang Fast Food Restaurant.」

Starting from the third day, Ren Peng had delegated the task of delivering to Aisha Clothing Company to the manager of his closest branch.

But he didn’t wash his hands of it completely. Every day at six in the evening, he would still pull out his phone on schedule to check the email from Luo Min.

Second day, 6:00 PM. Ren Peng opened the email from Luo Min on time. The next day’s order count: 80 meals.

Third day, 6:00 PM. Opened the email on time. Order count: 55 meals.

Fourth day, 6:00 PM. Email. Count: 37 meals.

Fifth day... 38 meals. The order count seemed to be fluctuating between 35 and 40.

’Tsk, this Aisha Clothing Company account is a lost cause.’

「Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant.」

According to the law of conservation of energy, where there is an increase, there must be a decrease.

As the order volume at Yipin Xiang Fast Food Restaurant decreased, the order volume at Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant rose. Now, just from Aisha Clothing Company alone, they were getting around two hundred orders a day.

Over at Red Brick Creative Park, as time went by, the reputation of Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant gradually spread throughout the park.

When many people didn’t want to go out and wait in line, or didn’t know what to eat, Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant was the first thing that came to mind. Orders had increased from nearly two hundred at the beginning to over four hundred now.

With the continuous increase in orders, buying a small truck became an urgent matter.

After six full days of business, Xu An now had 20,763 yuan of disposable funds!

A brand-new small truck cost around forty to fifty thousand yuan. A used one would go for about half that, with the price fluctuating based on the vehicle’s maintenance condition, mileage, and other factors.

Xu An’s requirements for the small truck weren’t high: a large cargo capacity, stable performance, and preferably no history of breakdowns. He didn’t even mind if it had low remaining mileage.

’One year at most. No, two months!’

’Before winter arrives, I’ll definitely trade this used truck I don’t even have yet for a high-end, impressive food truck with insulated compartments!’