Chapter Nineteen: Perhaps I Can Grow My Own Cucumbers in the Future?

After completing the subsidy application online, Chen Zhou first ordered a small portable refrigerator. It boasted a 20L capacity and supported 12V power, fitting his street vending needs perfectly.

In truth, preparing and selling steamed buns on the spot is standard practice for a bun stall. The only reason Chen Zhou hadn’t done so until now was the summer heat. He didn't feel comfortable leaving raw meat filling out for extended periods.

In addition to the fridge, Chen Zhou bought a small megaphone with a recording function. This was intended for Old Man Yu.

As for replacing his home refrigerator while he was at it? Chen Zhou had considered it. After all, the appliances at home were purchased when he and his wife first married, six or seven years ago. But over time, he had grown attached to the old fridge. Besides, it was covered in various magnetic stickers—one of the few small hobbies his wife had. He decided against it in the end.

With his purchase on JD.com, Chen Zhou spent nearly four hundred yuan. Being able to enjoy a 20% subsidy meant he had made good use of this intel. However, looking at the promotional slogan, "Boost domestic demand, stimulate consumption," he couldn't help but ponder: "Wouldn't it be more of a saving if I didn't spend at all?"

...

Arriving at the entrance of the Xingfu Farmers' Market, Chen Zhou could tell at a glance who was selling their own homegrown vegetables. Compared to the produce inside the market—carefully arranged and misted to maintain a vibrant sheen—the items this middle-aged woman was selling looked as if they still had dirt clinging to them.

Her method of sale was also quite unique. Lacking a scale, she could only sell by the piece: "Young man, these are cucumbers grown in my own backyard. I can’t eat them all, so they’re one yuan each. Help yourself."

Though they looked a bit plain at first glance, they were actually quite high quality once you picked them up. Chen Zhou took a quick look; there were about twenty of them. Seeing that the quality was excellent and wanting to save the elderly woman from having to squat there all day in the summer heat, he told her, "I'll take them all."

The woman beamed. "You can rest assured eating these; there isn't a drop of pesticide on them." She then helped him pack them up. She didn't even have bags for individual portions, only a canvas tote provided by the Rural Commercial Bank for deposits. Chen Zhou couldn't help but wonder if she expected customers to carry the vegetables home in their bare hands if they only bought a few.

Carrying the small bag of cucumbers, Chen Zhou arrived at the Yongjia Fresh Produce stall and tossed one to Old Zhang, the butcher. "Catch!"

"Good cucumber!" Old Zhang caught it, his fleshy face unfolding into a smile that looked somewhat mischievous. Having spent years in the market, he knew a good product when he saw one. "Looks nice. Where’d you get it?"

Chen Zhou pointed toward the outside of the market. "She said it’s homegrown. Give it a taste and see what you think."

"Give me another one."

"Sure, here."

Though Old Zhang appeared to be a rough man, he was actually quite meticulous. He turned around, washed his hands with dish soap, rinsed the dust off the cucumber with clean water, and carefully rubbed off the tiny prickles on its surface before handing it back to Chen Zhou.

The two of them stood to the side and took a bite. This homegrown cucumber truly tasted different. Upon biting into it, one was met with a burst of sweetness. It was juicy and refreshing—the perfect antidote to the summer heat. Old Zhang took two hearty bites, and most of the cucumber was gone. He showed Chen Zhou the part he had bitten into. "Look, it’s a bit hollow."

Chen Zhou looked at the one in his own hand; it indeed had a triangular hollow center. Surrounding the hollow were crystalline, plump segments of flesh. Zhang Jinsheng explained, "The heat and the lack of pesticides make them grow like this naturally."

He then stepped aside to make room for Chen Zhou. "Watch the stall for a second, I’m going to go buy some too."

Chen Zhou laughed. "They’re gone. She only brought them because she couldn't finish what she grew, and there weren't many to begin with." Old Zhang looked genuinely disappointed.

Modern technology allows cucumbers to remain green and uniform throughout the four seasons, but their core still longs for natural growth. This purchase sparked an idea in Chen Zhou’s mind. He said to Zhang Jinsheng, "Could I grow my own vegetables in the future and sell them? People would surely love all-natural, harmless produce."

Old Zhang shook his head, feeling the product wouldn't fit the current market. "It’s fine for small-scale personal use, but if you really want to sell them, you can't compete with the greenhouses."

However, with the Gourmet Intelligence System, Chen Zhou felt it wasn't entirely impossible. If the opportunity arose, he could certainly give it a try. He imagined controlling every step—from planting and raising the ingredients to cooking and processing them himself. That would truly ensure customers could eat with peace of mind.

"Isn't that exactly what my Gourmet Intelligence is for?" he thought. He smiled at Zhang Jinsheng and said, "Just wait until you can eat the cucumbers I grow."

The two chatted for a bit before the topic returned to the day's business.

Chen Zhou bought twelve pounds of pork, double the amount he started with. As Zhang Jinsheng weighed and packed the meat, he slipped a long object into the bag. Chen Zhou noticed and asked, "What's that?"

Old Zhang replied, "I’m giving you a pig tail. Take it home and stew it."

Human relationships are often a matter of give and take. Chen Zhou couldn't help but think of the homegrown cucumbers Old Zhang had been eyeing, so he split half his bag with him.

...

There was a large logistics warehouse right in Haibin City. Because of this, by the time Chen Zhou set up his stall that evening, he was already using his new small refrigerator. This allowed him to come out a bit earlier than previous days, enabling him to prepare and sell the buns simultaneously.

As the old saying goes, "Hearing is believing, but seeing is truth." The customers buying the buns saw the raw filling for the first time, which gave them even more confidence in the stall. Thinking back to the initial doubts expressed in the neighborhood group, seeing it with their own eyes proved the talk of "lymphatic meat" was absolute nonsense.

Likewise, it was the first time people had seen Chen Zhou wrap buns on the spot. Master Chen’s technique was elegant and precise. A spoonful of filling was placed steadily in the center of the dough, his fingers then danced like a butterfly in the flowers—tucking and pleating with slow, deliberate motions. The dough was neatly gathered, forming dense, uniform folds at the top.

"Wow! Master Chen’s craftsmanship is excellent!"
"This is my first time seeing someone wrap buns so skillfully."
"Why do my clumsy hands feel like they couldn't even manage a pair of tweezers?"
"They say a good bun has thin skin, plenty of filling, and eighteen folds. How many does this have? One, two... it really is eighteen! This one is too."

Chen Zhou laughed. "Actually, eighteen is just the passing grade."

Encouraged and praised by the crowd, Chen Zhou gradually lost himself in the moment, working even harder at wrapping the buns. Eighteen folds weren't enough anymore; he had to pinch the professional standard of twenty-four.

Chen Zhou thought to himself, "My dear customers, you are spoiling me with all this praise."

Huh?
[Diner satisfaction +1]
They gave a positive rating without even eating the bun yet.