Chapter 43: Beef Fried Rice and Shrimp Fried Rice

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Beef Fried Rice and Shrimp Fried Rice

Fu Chao spoke in a relaxed tone, smiling as he said,

"Of course not! Since I gave you my word, I’d move heaven and earth to be here, you know?"

He lowered his head to move some vegetables, hiding the somber glint in his eyes.

In truth, Nan Zhi had guessed correctly. His agent had indeed told him not to get mixed up in this—

’...Even if your misunderstanding led to that whole series of incidents, we already clarified it on Weibo. The matter should be over. Why are you getting so close to Nan Zhi? Aren’t you just asking for trouble?’

’Because wrong is wrong.’

That was Fu Chao’s answer.

It was what he truly believed, and he had put that belief into action.

And that was what had delayed him, almost making Nan Zhi think he was someone who didn’t keep his word!

For some reason, Fu Chao really didn’t want to leave a bad impression on Nan Zhi.

’Could it be... guilt?’

Fu Chao pondered this internally, but his hands never stopped moving.

He huffed and puffed, moving the prepped meat and vegetables, having completely become Nan Zhi’s assistant.

Meanwhile, Nan Zhi’s hands hadn’t stopped moving while they talked either.

The two of them were exceptionally efficient working together.

The crowd of customers, however, just watched, dumbfounded.

Someone mustered up the courage to ask,

"Brother Fu, what are you doing?"

Fu Chao lifted his sweat-beaded head and answered with a cheerful laugh,

"Can’t you tell? I’m working for Boss Nan, of course!"

This was an unexpected and delightful surprise for the customers!

Everyone cheered, their enthusiasm soaring. They couldn’t wait for Nan Zhi to start taking orders!

"And me! And me!"

Nearly forgotten, Qing Xi refused to be left out. He bounced on the spot, insisting that his "senior," Yiyi, find a job for him.

Nan Yi might be small, but his way of thinking wasn’t simple at all.

He instinctively classified Qing Xi as a fragile little kid and didn’t want to assign him anything dangerous or difficult. So, he said,

"You can be in charge of keeping order."

"Then what about you?"

Qing Xi asked instinctively.

Nan Yi puffed out his chest with undisguised pride, showing off the payment QR code placard hanging around his neck.

"I’m the cashier!"

Qing Xi’s face filled with awe and admiration. He humbly requested,

"Can I be a cashier with you?"

He didn’t know what a cashier was, but he thought Yiyi looked incredibly cool standing on that stool.

To be honest, Nan Yi was a bit reluctant.

In his eyes, this was an honor and a responsibility that his mom had personally entrusted to him.

Before, he would have never shared it with anyone, no matter what.

But this was Qing Xi, the first person his age to show him kindness.

Besides, he didn’t want his mom to see him as a stingy, selfish kid.

Nan Yi glanced back, just in time to meet Nan Zhi’s encouraging smile.

He hesitated for a long while before finally, and reluctantly, nodding.

"Okay, you can help me collect the money. But make sure you ask me if you’re not sure about anything!"

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Qing Xi beamed!

The waiting customers were all amused by the interaction between the two little cubs.

Fu Chao, busy behind the food cart, quietly sidled up to Nan Zhi.

"Are you really okay with that?"

Nan Zhi replied without looking up,

"Yiyi is amazing. He’s never gotten the math wrong, not even once."

A look of amazed disbelief crossed Fu Chao’s face.

But Nan Zhi paid him no mind, finishing up the last few details. All the prep work was now complete.

Then, she set the wok on the stove, lit the fire, and tapped the spatula against the rim with a sharp, clear CLANG.

"Open for business!"

A wave of enthusiastic customers swarmed the cart, startling even Fu Chao, who was immediately thrown into a fluster.

"What would you like? Okay, okay, I’m writing it down... Shrimp Fried Rice, got it. So is that two orders total now, or was it three..."

The sudden surge of orders made Fu Chao’s head spin.

It was Nan Zhi who calmly reminded him,

"I can cook up to three portions in one go. As my assistant, you should group similar orders and adjust the pace of taking new ones to match my cooking speed. That will maximize our efficiency. It’s easy."

The dizzy and overwhelmed Fu Chao could only think, ’...You call this ’easy’?’

Luckily, with Nan Zhi’s occasional guidance, Fu Chao gradually got the hang of it and grew into his role as her assistant.

He memorized the order quantities and would tell Nan Zhi what to cook next the moment her wok was empty.

He kept a constant eye on the ingredients, restocking anything that ran low.

He even taught himself to watch Nan Zhi’s condition. When he saw she was getting tired, he’d slow down the pace of orders, chatting with the waiting customers to ease their impatience.

Fu Chao even found himself thinking, ’With this experience, if I ever quit showbiz to wait tables, I bet I’d be better than most...’

’Ugh, what a thought! Can’t I think of something more positive?!’

After a moment of self-loathing, Fu Chao threw himself back into his work with renewed enthusiasm.

Then there was Qing Xi.

While his little brain didn’t make him a high-IQ genius like Nan Yi, he was still a smart kid and a very quick learner.

He made a few small mistakes, but a quick word or two from Nan Yi was all it took for Qing Xi to immediately correct his course.

Before long, Qing Xi had become Nan Yi’s capable assistant.

It was safe to say that the arrival of Fu Chao and Qing Xi, the uncle-and-nephew-like duo, saved Nan Zhi and Nan Yi a lot of trouble at their fried rice stall!

Soon, plates of fried rice were being sent out one after another, delivered right into the customers’ hands—

The Golden Egg Fried Rice, needless to say, had been a viral sensation for days, proving its undisputed status as the reigning king.

But the rule was a limit of two portions per person.

Because of this, most people, aside from their steadfast choice of an Egg Fried Rice, would also buy one of the new fried rice options.

What was that saying again?

Even if it tasted like crap, they had to find out for themselves!

That being said, their faith in Nan Zhi’s cooking was extremely high.

If she could make something as fundamental as egg fried rice that well, then her other fried rice dishes couldn’t possibly be bad.

That was what everyone thought.

But they never could have anticipated that the new menu items weren’t just "good."

They were divinely delicious!

The Beef Fried Rice used the classic pairing of green peppers and beef. The beef was tender, not tough in the slightest, and the green peppers were crisp and sweet with a hint of spice. Even the rice was flavorful, with each grain perfectly distinct!

Compared to the lighter Golden Egg Fried Rice, the Beef Fried Rice had a much heartier flavor, but it was perfectly balanced. The subtle, wok-charred aroma of the rice was the finishing touch that brought it all together!

The Shrimp Fried Rice, by contrast, was even more refreshing than the others. It featured fresh shrimp paired with a variety of diced vegetables like carrots and green peas. Not only was it colorful, but its light, fresh, and sweet flavor made it a true feast for the senses!

This type of fried rice could easily have seemed bland next to the Beef and Golden Egg versions, but Nan Zhi was determined to change that perception, forging a unique path for the Shrimp Fried Rice with its distinctive, fresh aroma!

Anyone who tasted them was left with a profound impression!

"I just want to scream ’Holy shit!’ with every bite!"

"The boss is a culinary god!"

"And to think some people said the boss could only make egg fried rice... They’re really eating their words now, haha!"

"Why the two-portion limit! Can’t a guy just try every flavor?"

"My friend has a terminal illness, and their last wish before they pass is to taste every single fried rice from your stall, Boss..."