Chapter 20: I Will Not Sell You Anything Ever Again

Jiang Suisui was deeply grateful for Cheng Ye's timely assistance.

Without a word, she fished two tea eggs out of the rice cooker, placed them in a bag, and handed it to Cheng Ye. "Director, the crispy pork takes a few minutes to fry. Why don't you have these tea eggs first to tide you over?"

In truth, Cheng Ye hadn't come specifically for the crispy pork; she had merely heard Sister Zhong from the Human Resources Department mention that Jiang Suisui would be setting up a stall at Red Maple Park. Besides Sister Zhong, several other employees had also made plans to go and take a look. Cheng Ye happened to have a free evening and, being on good terms with Sister Zhong, decided to tag along.

When Jiang Suisui offered the eggs, Cheng Ye’s first instinct was to decline. However, upon catching the fresh, fragrant scent of tea wafting on the breeze, her hand moved faster than her brain, and she accepted them immediately.

Seeing this, Sister Zhong, who was standing nearby, quickly turned to Jiang Suisui, who was busy retying her apron. "Little Jiang, give me one of those tea eggs too, dear."

Before Jiang Suisui could reply, Cheng Ye took the initiative and passed one of her tea eggs to Sister Zhong. "I don't eat much in the evenings, and I still want to have some crispy pork later, so two eggs would be too many," Cheng Ye said with a smile to Jiang Suisui, before glancing at the other employees. "Whatever you all want to eat, just place your orders. I’ll reimburse everyone later; don't be shy."

The accompanying employees were overjoyed. After thanking Cheng Ye, they eagerly began placing their orders. Jiang Suisui understood that Cheng Ye was supporting her, so in return, she gave her an extra-generous portion of crispy pork.

Listening to the sizzling sound from the deep fryer, Cheng Ye, who hadn't been particularly hungry, suddenly found her appetite piqued. She picked up the tea egg; its dark brown shell was covered in fine cracks, coated with an amber-colored liquid that looked mouth-watering. A rich, savory aroma drifted from it, mingled with the delicate scent of tea.

Cheng Ye silently peeled away the shell to reveal the tea egg beneath. It had an alluring, glossy sheen, a beautiful amber-brown hue. She took a bite, and the rich, savory flavor filled her mouth. The egg white was tender and smooth, while the yolk was soft and mellow. Beyond the savory brine, there was a perfect hint of meatiness.

As she savored it, she was even more amazed. The tea fragrance that burst forth on her tongue was rich and sweet, with absolutely no bitterness. She was an avid tea drinker and owned many varieties, but such a fragrant, lingering taste was rare indeed.

After a moment of thought, she asked with a slight frown, "Little Jiang, what brand of tea do you use? You're running a small business; you should be mindful of your costs."

Jiang Suisui realized that Cheng Ye had misunderstood. While packing crispy pork for a previous customer, she replied, "Don't worry, Director. It's black tea grown by my relatives back home."

Cheng Ye was taken aback. Of course, she could tell it was black tea, but even the premium black tea she bought from Shennong Star could barely match this level of fragrance. As a tea enthusiast, she was intrigued, but with so many people around, it wasn't the right time to ask further.

Soon, Jiang Suisui had finished frying and packing the crispy pork for Cheng Ye, Sister Zhong, and the others. Earlier, the group had been so tempted that they had asked Wu Chenchen for a sample. The crispy, juicy, spicy, and delicious pork had completely won them over. Once they received their own portions, they couldn't wait to start eating on the spot.

"This is so delicious! Suisui, when can you become a permanent staff member—no, when can you become the head chef of Group Four? I want to eat your cooking every single day!"

"Oh my, this isn't greasy at all, and the more you eat, the better it gets. If this is what crispy pork is supposed to taste like, then what was the stuff I used to eat that made me feel sick after two bites? Was I just addicted to drinking oil?"

"Hey, Little Jiang, I want four more orders of crispy pork. One large spicy one and three small salt-and-pepper ones. I'm taking them home for my husband and my three little gluttons. No need for the Director to reimburse this; I'll pay for it myself!"

Sister Zhong was the first to add an order, and as soon as she finished, the others followed suit, all wanting to bring some home for their families.

Those who had previously listened to Xiaohui’s mother and demanded a refund saw the situation and smelled the rich aroma of the meat, quickly changing their tune.

"Uh, miss, can I re-order the crispy pork?"

"I want to re-order too. It was a misunderstanding earlier, I'm so sorry."

Even the person who had thrown the sour plum drink into the trash in front of Jiang Suisui now sheepishly joined the queue to buy a cup.

To this, Jiang Suisui replied with a polite smile, "I apologize, but I won't be selling anything to you."

One of the people who had asked for a refund protested, "Why? What right do you have to refuse us? Being this petty when you're trying to run a business—I bet you'll be out of business in no time!"

Wu Chenchen, who had a fiery temper, retorted immediately, "With a mouth that foul, you could knock someone out just by breathing. Who would dare sell food to you? You'd scare all the other customers away!"

The man turned green with rage. "I bet you're all just shills she hired! Her food must be terrible, that's why she won't let real customers like us buy any."

However, nobody believed him. Anyone with a nose could smell how fragrant and tempting Jiang Suisui's crispy pork was. Even a dog being walked by a customer was sitting in front of the stall, panting and drooling.

Seeing the man persist in making a scene, Jiang Suisui said calmly, "If you keep causing trouble, I'll call security."

Recalling how miserably Xiaohui’s mother had been dragged away by security, the man and the others who had asked for refunds hurriedly left.

Finally, peace was restored. A few more curious people lined up to order crispy pork, tea eggs, and sour plum drinks. By nine in the evening, Jiang Suisui had sold out of all her prepared ingredients. Since it was her first day, she had kept quantities modest to gauge the traffic and avoid waste.

Cheng Ye and the others had left earlier, so once Jiang Suisui, Jiang Xingran, and Jiang Yueyi finished cleaning up, they drove the food truck home.

"Sister, Sister, how did we do today?" Jiang Xingran asked impatiently as soon as they got home.

Jiang Suisui smiled. "You both did wonderfully. You worked hard today. Go take a bath and rest, and I'll tell you a story tonight."

While Jiang Yueyi went to bathe first and Jiang Xingran lay on the coffee table drawing, Jiang Suisui opened the light screen to check her account and calculate the day's earnings.

After deducting the costs, she had a net profit of over two hundred star coins. Not bad for a grand opening. If she could stay open until 10:30 in the future and prepare more ingredients, she might be able to earn four or five hundred star coins a day. Even with a few days off each month, that would be over ten thousand star coins. Combined with her salary from the Morning Star Kindergarten, her monthly income would be nearly twenty thousand star coins.

Ah, life was finally getting better. She hoped everything would continue to develop steadily. Jiang Suisui finished her calculations and began planning how much to prepare for the next day.