MMB Chapter 144 They Came to Our Door
Chapter 144 They Came to Our Door
It was nearly noon the next day.
Chen Yuan's breakfast shop was closed. As he was wiping the flour on the counter with a rag, four or five figures quietly gathered at the shop entrance.
They weren't tourists; they were all shop owners on the street.
The first person to step forward and knock on the door was Old Li, who sold tofu pudding across the street.
He was in his early sixties, very thin, with a slightly hunched back, wearing a new blue cotton shirt. He didn't talk much, but he would smile whenever he saw someone.
He held a rough earthenware bowl in both hands and gently placed it on the edge of the counter.
The tofu pudding in the bowl was snow-white as jade, drizzled with amber-colored braising sauce, and sprinkled with bright green cilantro and golden dried shrimp as garnish.
Old Li flashed his signature smile again, grinning at Chen Yuan.
"Boss Chen, try this."
After saying that, Old Li rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with anxiety and anticipation.
After he spoke up, the second person to squeeze in was Sister Zhao, who sold bursting twisted dough sticks; she looked to be in her forties.
He had a loud, booming voice, and his apron was covered in powdered sugar and oil. He spoke in a rapid, energetic manner.
She handed over homemade twisted dough sticks.
He started talking non-stop.
"Boss Chen, let me be honest with you, my twisted dough sticks look hard on the outside, but they're actually molten inside, especially the brown sugar flavor, they're really delicious. I sold over 100 yesterday."
"Look, you've already teamed up with that girl who sells milk tea. Why don't we team up? You can hang up my sign outside, and I'll give you 50 cents for every milk tea you sell."
Sister Zhao revealed the straightforwardness and shrewdness of a street businesswoman, her eyes gleaming with the light of an abacus.
"Don't think 5 cents is too little. You know I don't make much money selling fried dough twists. I'm an honest person, I just want to make a dollar. How about this?"
"Boss Chen! Don't listen to her."
The one who interrupted was a young man selling purple rice cakes, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Although he did a physically demanding job, he was dressed very neatly and presentably.
Her hair was slicked back with hair oil and combed meticulously, her smile radiating affability and warmth.
"Why listen to Sister Zhao's ramblings? The restaurant business isn't what it used to be."
"Your breakfast shop is now a top local brand. How about we do a carb-fueled combo meal? Steamed buns with purple rice cakes."
"I'll handle the marketing on the app, you just need to endorse it. I'll invest in the traffic, monitor the conversion rates, and we'll split the profits 50/50. If you think that's too little, 30/70 is fine too!"
Seeing that Chen Yuan didn't speak, he thought Chen Yuan felt it wasn't enough, so he immediately changed his mind.
"If that doesn't work, whatever you say goes. You'll become famous, and I'll handle the rest. I guarantee you'll make money while you're at it."
The young man kept spouting technical terms like "private domain," "viral marketing," and "user profile," making Chen Yuan's temples throb.
The last person to step forward was a young woman in her early twenties, wearing black-rimmed glasses and dressed simply and plainly, even her apron was linen-colored, but very clean.
"Hello Mr. Chen, my name is Lin Che. I run a handmade bread shop at the entrance of the alley across the street."
She spoke softly, her eyes darting around, and she blushed whenever she made eye contact with Chen Yuan, showing the nervousness typical of someone with social anxiety.
Lin Che placed a large brown paper bag next to the bowl of tofu pudding.
"These breads are all handmade by me. I come over at 3 a.m. every day to knead and bake them fresh. I don't use any random ingredients... I mean, my quality is very good."
"If you'd like, could you help me promote it? As for commission, I don't know much about that, but you can name your price, and I'll try my best to agree."
Although she spoke a little haltingly and lacked confidence, well, she was still quite honest.
Chen Yuan looked at the four people in front of him and felt completely overwhelmed.
One was as silent as a stone, another was like a gust of wind whistling past one's ears, and yet another was smooth-talking and socially awkward.
He rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh.
He now finally understands what it means to have great responsibility with great power.
This kind of promotion is really hard to handle. If you do it well, the whole street will benefit. If you do it badly, you'll ruin your own reputation and brand.
Difficult.
After much deliberation, Chen Yuan decided to pass this hot potato to the professionals.
"Thank you all for your kindness, neighbors. But as you know, my abilities are limited. How about this, I'll contact the community and have them select and survey candidates. What do you think?"
"The community may inspect your raw materials, as well as the environment of your kitchen, etc."
"Of course, I will try all your products. I absolutely do not engage in false advertising. If it's delicious, it's delicious. If there are any shortcomings, then I can only apologize."
"As for the price, I can't interfere. As for the profit... we'll talk about that later."
Everyone reacted differently after hearing Chen Yuan's words.
Old Li nodded heavily, still smiling, and handed the tofu pudding to Chen Yuan, insisting on doing so.
"Try it, you try it."
Unable to refuse the kind offer, Chen Yuan took a bite.
The tofu pudding is smooth and rich, with a savory and sweet broth.
The taste is indeed very good.
"Uncle Li, I've heard from the neighbors that your tofu pudding is a traditional recipe and it's really delicious."
Old Li scratched his head sheepishly, looking a little embarrassed, and said a few more words than usual.
"This is made from pure soybeans, not like the ones outside that are mixed with various powders. Try it and see if you can taste the strong soybean flavor; it's quite authentic."
"Yes, it really is quite delicious."
Chen Yuan finished the tofu pudding in a few bites. Old Li nodded heavily, took the empty bowl, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Sister Zhao scratched her head and muttered something.
"Fine, anyway, I'm a big fried dough twist, so it's delicious. I'm not afraid of your tests."
The young man selling purple rice cakes didn't say anything, his expression was somewhat solemn, and he left when no one was paying attention.
Lin Che visibly breathed a sigh of relief, gently pushed up his glasses with his fingers, and spoke very softly.
"Boss Chen, you can take these breads home and try them."
"Thank you for your hard work."
After the group left, the old street finally regained a moment of tranquility.
Chen Yuan didn't delay and immediately told the staff of the Culture and Tourism Bureau about the matter.
The other party said they needed to consult their superiors.
Chen Yuan didn't waste any more words.
That was enough. He hung up the phone, got into his car, and soon returned to his parents' house.
Chen Da has been discharged from the hospital, and Chen Yuan, as his son, has the responsibility and obligation to take care of him.
The bread truck quickly drove away from the old residential area.
the other side.
The cold light from the phone screen shone on Lin Wei's face, flickering intermittently.
She leaned back in the high chair at the milk tea shop's cashier, mechanically scrolling through short videos.
Chen Yuan's breakfast shop dominated the top three spots on the local trending search list.
The amazing comments from bloggers who visited the restaurant, the long lines of tourists, and the scenes of volunteers providing water.
Every scene was repeatedly stimulating her nerves.