Chapter 64

In line with what Du Rourou said, the Fast Food Fragrance Family restaurant did open a new production line for fast food products.

However, whether it was because the taste was not good or the promotion was inadequate, business had always been lackluster with continuous losses.

The person in charge was also at wit’s end and heard that Ding Sha helped sell the pickled vegetables well, so he also wanted to try his luck.

Ding Sha did not immediately agree but went over there again to investigate. Obviously, the production line was very good and the ingredients used were also fine.

After Ding Sha came back, she began to research what kind of dishes would be more suitable to promote in fast food products.

She signed another contract with the Fast Food Fragrance Family again. The person in charge smiled and shook hands with her, “I look forward to working more with you in the future. Our whole factory is very much looking forward to your participation.”

Ding Sha also smiled and exchanged a few polite remarks.

After returning home, she bought all varieties and flavors of fast food products on the market, including rice, hotpot, sour and spicy noodles, etc.

The Fast Food Fragrance Family mainly produced self-heating fast food products. Every day, Ding Sha opened a few packets of instant rice meals and ate them together with Xiao Jun and Du Rourou. In the end, Du Rourou felt nauseous at the sight of instant rice meals after eating too much.

Finally, they decided to make a potato and beef dish first. The unchanging combination of soft, mushy potatoes with soft, well-stewed beef was flavorful. With the viscous gravy titillating the taste buds.

Ding Sha felt that no one would be able to resist such a dish.

After sending the ratio of ingredients for her homecooked dish to the Fast Food Fragrance Family, Ding Sha finally took a break.

She had been busy for a few days. As for the video, she simply filmed a product review of the fast food meals. Fans were joking that Ding Sha might have started developing her own product because she couldn’t stand the taste of fast food meals.

In a way, the fans were spot on.

Ding Sha sat in the cashier counter. She had not sat here for a long time and for a moment, felt rather novel.

The door was knocked gently as a pair of skeletal brown hands pushed the door open. An emaciated old man speaking in a rural accent asked her, “Young lady, do you sell leftover rice here?”

Ding Sha did not understand and felt rather awkward. It was Du Rourou who came over and repeated it again.

There were very few leftovers from rice and dishes at the restaurant. Whatever little leftovers would be poured together and removed by the garbage truck at night. The old man stood hunchbacked at the door, looking at her apprehensively.

Du Rourou whispered to Ding Sha that this was a rag picker.

Seeing how old he was, Ding Sha felt sympathetic.

There were only a few tables of guests at the moment. Ding Sha asked Du Rourou to bring him to the backyard and had Wang Wenhao cook him a bowl of beef noodles.

The beef was stewed and cut into thin slices layered over the noodles. The old man looked somewhat at a loss as he gazed at Ding Sha.

“Eat up,” Ding Sha had him sit down and placed the bowl in front of him.

The old man rubbed his hands and brought them together to bow deeply before finally picking up his chopsticks with trembling hands to eat.

He did not eat quickly but he ate with relish. Ding Sha was afraid he would feel uncomfortable and moved to the side, hugging Little Ping An as she played on the swing.

When the old man finished his meal, she went over. “Have you eaten your fill? There’s more if not enough.”

The old man kept waving his hands. “Enough, enough.”

He looked at the fair and chubby Little Ping An. “What a good looking baby, blessed one.”

He was probably an introverted old man. He came and went, only saying that one line. Ding Sha laughed and thanked him but he kept waving his hands.

Ding Sha sent him off and when they reached the door, she said, “If you’re hungry in future, come here again. I can’t give you anything else but at least I can still give you a full meal.”

The old man brought both hands together again to bow deeply towards her. Ding Sha smiled and moved to the side for him. The old man tottered two steps before turning back again. Ding Sha waved to him.

The old man also clumsily waved back before slowly walking away, his snake skin bag on his back.

Du Rourou walked over. “Sis, you’re so kind-hearted.”

“What’s so kind about it,” Ding Sha shook her head. “I just hope everyone can live a little better.”

“Everyone will grow old. I’m helping others now. When I grow old later or when my son grows old, if we encounter difficulties, I also hope there will be people to help us.”

Du Rourou oh-ed and said, “Anyway to him, you’re still kind-hearted.”

Ding Sha smiled and shook her head again.

It was just a bowl of noodles to her and was not much but to that old man, it was very important.

If help can be rendered, why not just help?

Ding Sha carried Little Ping An into the room. The winds were getting strong and she was afraid he would catch a cold.

The colder it got, the more she craved for something piping hot. At the insistence of the Fast Food Fragrance Family, Ding Sha gave them the recipe for the hotpot soup bases too.

This included mala, mushroom and tomato flavored ones. The Fast Food Fragrance Family was ambitious and wanted to make a mighty comeback. Some items were also removed from the menu of the little shop. Mainly, a series of nourishing soups was promoted. Hence, business had been exceptionally good lately.

Customers who drank a bowl of soup would comfortably slouch against the chair back with their eyes closed, a picture of bliss.

Little Ping An grew very quickly. He could now stand on the ground by himself. Even when held by one hand by Auntie Zhao, he could still walk a few steps. His eyes were big and bright like grapes.

The neighbors on both sides praised that the child was very well taken care of. Ding Sha reckoned that by New Year, she could let him try real meals and understand what they tasted like. After all, he was the child from a family that ran an eatery. How could he not know what food tasted like? Ding Sha thought to herself rather amusedly.

Da Zhuang finally completed a few orders in quick succession and was gleeful from his handsome earnings.

He bought new clothes and gifts for his children and sister-in-law Gong who scolded him with her mouth but was elated inside.

Before she could complain much, Da Zhuang went off again to handle his new work order.

Sister-in-law Gong stood at the door watching him leave with a soft sigh.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be back quickly,” Ding Sha comforted her.

“I’m not hoping that he’ll earn me a mansion. Having enough to spend with some savings and not owing the children is good enough,” said Sister-in-law Gong. “I’m just afraid he’s working too hard. He’s such a big man yet he has become thinner.”

Wang Wenhao interjected, “Such is life.”

Sister-in-law Gong sighed again and went back in.

Du Rourou glared at him. Wang Wenhao scratched his head guiltily.

Ding Sha collected a lot of charcoal from Uncle Wei and customized small stoves for grilling meat.

Lean beef, quality pork belly meat and the QQ bouncy smoked sausage, when grilled over charcoal and wrapped with lettuce and garlic slices while dipped in BBQ sauce, was extremely satisfying as the morsel entered the mouth.

There was always a constant stream of customers at the little shop and the delicious dishes changed daily.

Over time, it made its way into the top five must-eat local specialty foods list.

Not a few foodies from the surrounding cities also chose to drive down over the weekends to sample the fare.

They laughingly remarked that they now know about this shop and have eaten there before, rendering it impossible for them to escape its draw in future.

A satisfied customer is the highest praise to a chef. Wang Wenhao was brimming with enthusiasm daily and his culinary skills improved tremendously. Coupled with that was the wider spread of the Wang Family Cuisine’s name.

When Wang Zhengyang found out about it, he was very gratified. He made a special trip down to praise and warn Wang Wenhao to avoid him becoming arrogant or complacent.

However, Wang Wenhao always engaged his mouth before his brain so by the time the words came tumbling out, it would be too late to retract them. Wang Zhengyang was so annoyed that his moustache bristled as he swung his sleeves and stormed off.

That night, Xiao Jun specially asked Wang Wenhao to stay back. “Pack up in a few days’ time and go back home.”

“Master? You want to chase me away?” Wang Wenhao panicked.