Wang Fan nodded in agreent, "Fifteen bucks for all you can eat, but I’ve got a request—just try to have your family and friends co buy their groceries here in the morning if possible."
Shen Bowen nodded like a pecking chick, "Absolutely, absolutely, my ho isn’t far from here. I’ll have my mom start coming here in the mornings to buy groceries."
Wang Fan chuckled, "Alright, I’ll thank you and your mom on behalf of those grandpas and grandmas. Want a portion?"
Shen Bowen felt a bit embarrassed. He was a true local of Wudu, while Brother Wang, an outsider, was helping the local elderly drum up business and still needed to thank him, the local. It was a bit face-reddening to say the least.
"It’s the least I can do, Brother Wang."
Wang Fan pointed to a huge rice cooker on the side, "The rice is over there; help yourself to as much as you want, and I’ll load you up with dishes when you co back. Those in the back, follow in order and don’t push."
Shen Bowen hurried over. Beside the rice cooker were disposable al boxes, the kind with multiple small compartnts. He initially thought of placing rice into one of the small sections and leaving the largest one for dishes. But it felt a bit shaless to play tricks over a fifteen-buck al, so he honestly filled the largest section with rice.
Carrying his al box back, he pointed to the braised pork with potatoes and fish-flavored eggplant, "Brother Wang, I want these two dishes."
When Shen Bowen handed over his al box, Wang Fan dumped two big spoonfuls into it with a thud, leaving Shen Bowen dumbfounded.
This isn’t... By the usual thod, shouldn’t you be shaking the spoon like soone with Parkinson’s?
Shouldn’t you shake all the at back into the pot and leave only a couple of potatoes before dumping it into the box?
Before I could react, you filled my box with two heaped spoonfuls. I’m completely dumbstruck!
Wang Fan, seeing Shen Bowen still in a daze, asked puzzledly, "What? Do you want anything else?"
Shen Bowen shook his head rapidly, "No, no, this is plenty, thank you, Brother Wang!"
It was indeed more than enough. Wang Fan’s spoonfuls were so generous they filled all four compartnts of the al box and covered the rice with a layer of at.
If this was taken to the school cafeteria, the cafeteria aunt would probably grieve over it for months.
Wang Fan pointed to a basin on the side, inside of which were so pickled radishes he had just taken out of a pickle jar. The snow-white radishes peppered with so bright red chilies looked very appetizing.
"These are radishes I pickled this morning, you can help yourself to so. They’re great with rice."
Shen Bowen quickly thanked him and stepped aside, feeling imnsely touched.
Look, look, this is what you call being magnanimous and generous.
Not only did he fill my al box with two spoonfuls, but he also recomnded adding so side dishes after the main dishes were in. No wonder Boss Wang is so popular, with no haters.
Except for his random wandering around, you really can’t find any faults with him!
After moving aside, the girl behind him quickly presented her al box, "Brother Wang, I want braised pork, stewed vermicelli, fish-flavored shredded pork, fish-flavored eggplant, and sweet and sour crispy pork."
Wang Fan once again filled the girl’s al box to the brim before handing the spoon to the guy in line behind her.
"Take whatever you like and as much as you want. I need to go back to cooking or else those at the end won’t have anything to eat."
The guy’s jaw dropped wide enough to fit a fist, "Are you serious?"
Wang Fan nodded affirmatively, "Yes."
Having said that, he turned on his heels and left, leaving that guy standing there dumbfounded in the wind.
Is Boss Wang really that carefree? Does he not worry that I’ll just scoop up all the at?
You just hand over the spoon to to serve myself?
Is this really a fifteen-buck buffet?
Forget it, I can’t let down Boss Wang’s trust. Whatever cos out with this scoop is what I’ll take, no picky choices!
The guy scooped up the dishes he wanted and passed the spoon to the next in line, and so the line continued in an orderly fashion.
anwhile, Wang Fan busied himself with frying and stewing dishes, giving them nothing but a slender silhouette with not even a single glance back, possibly unaware even if soone hadn’t paid.
Those in line felt a mix of exasperation and heartfelt warmth, as trust like this among people was very moving.
So even handed over more money out of the strong emotion they felt, paying fifty when fifteen was plenty.
Fifty bucks couldn’t happen with Wang Fan’s paynt structure. He imdiately turned and called back, "Hey buddy, co back, you gave too much money."
That guy took to his heels, shouting as he ran, "Not too much, not too much, just consider it as us Wudu locals showing so love to the grandpas and grannies."
After shouting, he disappeared, leaving many people with enlightened expressions.
Exactly!
Boss Wang clearly sets this up for the grandpas and grannies. You see them when you co in, each eating heartily. They clearly look over seventy, probably enjoying free als.
The fact that Boss Wang’s als cost just fifteen bucks and he doesn’t indulge in the online money-grab streaming thing ans he’s bound to lose money selling like this.
Us locals shouldn’t let Boss Wang suffer a loss, should we?
Familiar faces exchanged a glance, reaching an unspoken agreent.
Wang Fan cast a wary glance at those still in line, "Don’t follow his example now, one al is fifteen bucks, fair to all ages. Making money for is easier than for you, save your money for better use."
Having said that, he hurriedly turned back to cooking, avoiding letting the dishes turn stale from too much talk.
The guys in line chuckled, ignoring Wang Fan’s words entirely—paying thirty, fifty, even a hundred, prompting Wang Fan to occasionally cast an exasperated glance at them.
They avoided Wang Fan’s gaze, looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, occasionally whistling with tilted lips.
You can control what we eat, but can you control how much we pay?
Hmph!
Carefully balancing his al, Shen Bowen returned to the office, already overly tempted by the aroma along the way.
In the break room, a few colleagues were already eating, and they were taken aback seeing him with such a heaping al.
"Whoa, what’s the occasion today, eating so well?"
"That must’ve cost you, right? Looks like no less than fifty bucks."
"The sll’s amazing, how much? From where?"
Placing the al box on the table, Shen Bowen bragged, "You won’t believe it, this was fifteen bucks."
"How much?"
"Fifteen bucks?"
"Aren’t you pulling our leg?"
"Is it pre-made with leftover at?"
A few colleagues clearly couldn’t believe such luck; who offers so much at for fifteen bucks?
"My twenty-five buck lunch doesn’t even show this much at, and you claim yours is fifteen bucks that loaded? I’m not buying it."
Shen Bowen snorted, "Believe it or not, and let tell you, it’s Boss Wang’s special. Earlier, I asked you to hit the market with for food, and you hesitated. Now you can regret it."
With that, he popped a piece of braised pork into his mouth.
The tender, sweet, savory braised pork with a hint of spiciness lted into delicious juices on his tongue, sending him into a floating sensation.
"Wow, those online reviews for my Brother Wang’s food are way too conservative—this is a culinary masterpiece! There’s no better red-braised pork, it fulfills all my fantasies about it!"
Shen Bowen’s words and his ecstatic expression told all his colleagues—this was made by Boss Wang himself.
An unwavering loyalty to food is characteristic of Wudu people, delicious is delicious and bad is bad, no matter your fa.
"Jeez, you just said to go buy food at the market, you never ntioned Boss Wang was there!"
"We’ve been to that market countless tis and never seen als sold there. Boy, how dare you not report this? What punishnt do you deserve?!"
"Hold him down, guys, so I can taste just how good Boss Wang’s food is—I’ll take a bite then pass it on!"
Young folks ssing around is quite common, even at work keeping a trace of youthfulness, filling the break room with laughter.
Of course, there was also a scream of anguish akin to a pig being slaughtered.
"Don’t touch my al, co at instead if you dare!"
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