MTLNOVEL Chapter 159
Lu Qin returned home and started simmering the mung bean paste while kneading 10 pounds of dough to let it rest. Next, he began preparing Pickled Chili Chicken Feet (Pao Jiao Feng Zhua).
The process was actually quite simple. He cut along the backs of the chicken feet, brought a pot of water to a boil, and then added the chicken feet, skimming off the foam. Boiling for 24 minutes, he then transferred them into ice water to cool completely before deboning them.
At this stage, they couldn't be pickled immediately. Instead, he kneaded them with flour first—this step helped remove excess grease from the surface. In a glass jar, he added purified water, salt, sugar, vinegar, Sichuan peppercorns, and other seasonings.
The key technique of Pickled Chili Chicken Feet was the precise ratio of ingredients. With max-level mastery, Lu Qin could measure each component down to the gram, ensuring the perfect flavor and texture.
Normally, Pickled Chili Chicken Feet needed to be refrigerated for three days. But, just like with his pickled vegetables, the system conveniently provided a pickling accelerator. Sprinkling in a mysterious gray powder, the chicken feet would be ready in just two hours.
Just as Lu Qin finished preparing them, Xiaomi rode back on the three-wheeled food cart. Checking the time—she had only been gone for less than an hour.
"Xiaomi, did you rent the house? Got all your essential supplies?"
"Boss, everything is done."
Lu Qin nodded. Xiaomi was incredibly efficient. As soon as she finished her personal errands, she rushed back to work. Xiaomi poured herself a glass of water and handed one to Lu Qin as well. Then, she showed him the rental contract and shopping receipts.
Renting a place in the old district was easy since many people had moved to the city center.
Xiaomi rented a one-bedroom small house for 1,000 yuan per month. She showed pictures—it was clean, tidy, and comfortable for a single person.
She also bought three sets of clothes and three pairs of shoes from a budget store near the supermarket, spending less than 200 yuan per outfit, including shoes. Her bank balance still had over 8,000 yuan, but since this money technically belonged to Lu Qin, she wouldn't spend it recklessly.
After finishing her drink, Xiaomi helped Lu Qin with work. He began teaching her how to make Ice Crystal Cakes. With 100% comprehension ability, one lesson was enough for her to master it.
And he didn't have to worry about 'teaching an apprentice and starving the master'—Xiaomi was his loyal assistant.
"Xiaomi, next, wrap the crystal shrimp dumplings. I'll steam them when I get back. Also, blanch the pork hind leg meat, slice it, and store it in the insulated fresh-lock box."
"I'm heading out for a bit."
"Understood, Boss."
Lu Qin drove to an advertising shop to make three name tags.
【Boss】 ("Boss, the real one")
【Employee Xiaomi】
【Little Boss Lady】
Big companies have corporate culture—why not his food stall? A little humor made it more fun.
He also ordered matching uniforms in dark brown, with 'Lu's Snack Stall' embroidered on the left chest. From now on, whenever they set up shop, they would wear matching outfits—creating a professional and unified look.
For takeout packaging, he didn't need custom containers, but he ordered plastic bags and drink sealing films printed with 'Lu's Snack Stall'.
The total cost at the advertising shop was 700+ yuan.
Lu Qin also added the shop owner on WeChat since he'd need a steady supply of branded packaging in the future. After some thought, he ordered another name tag.
【Boss Lady】
Before leaving, he also bought 20 meters of warm-colored LED strip lights. These would decorate the new food truck, making it stand out at night markets and attract even more customers.
(Of course, Lu's Snack Stall didn't really need help attracting customers.)
When Lu Qin got home, Xiaomi was wrapping crystal shrimp dumplings—600+ dumplings already filled the table. She had also finished all the other tasks he had assigned—her efficiency was top-notch.
She even cut and packaged the pickled vegetables—400+ neatly packed portions stored in white plastic containers. Lu Qin was very satisfied. Xiaomi's presence saved him a ton of work.
Together, they steamed the crystal shrimp dumplings, with Lu Qin explaining key steaming techniques to avoid mistakes.
"Leave at least 2cm space between dumplings to prevent sticking."
"Once the water boils, switch to medium heat. Since we made 30g dumplings, the optimal steaming time is about six minutes."
Xiaomi nodded, memorizing everything.
After steaming 500+ dumplings, production had
skyrocketed compared to when Lu Qin worked alone.
At 2:30 PM, Lu Qin told Xiaomi to pack everything up, then went to the courtyard to remove the canopy from the three-wheeled food cart. From now on, the tricycle would be Xiaomi's personal vehicle for commuting and grocery shopping.
With a 110km battery range, it was more than enough for daily needs. At this moment, the new mobile food truck arrived. Lu Qin opened both sides of the iron courtyard gate. Once the large food truck was driven in, the courtyard instantly felt cramped.
After receiving the invoice, he carefully inspected the vehicle—everything was in perfect condition. He then installed the LED strip lights—by afternoon, Lu's Snack Stall's upgraded food truck was officially ready for business.
At 3:15 PM – Tianhong Plaza
When the new food truck rolled into Tianhong Plaza, customers were in awe.
"Boss Lu got an upgrade! Awesome! The business is growing!"
"Bigger is better! Now we can buy more food!"
"【Boss】? Hahaha, that's hilarious!"
"Boss Lu, can customers get name tags too? I want one that says 'Proud Lu's Snack Stall Customer'!"
The food truck had openable sliding glass windows, which could be set up as two or three serving windows. Lu Qin stir-fried noodles on the left, while Xiaomi handled sales on the right.
"Boss Lu! You're selling Pickled Chili Chicken Feet now? Amazing!"
"Insane! You release new dishes so fast—I love it!"
"There's too much good food! I can't keep up! But I still want EVERYTHING!"
"Wait, what if my stomach isn't big enough? Can I install an extra one?"
"This Pickled Chili Chicken Feet is delicious! Flavorful, tangy, spicy, and crunchy—absolutely amazing!"
…
Late afternoon, since Tianhong Mall was air-conditioned, many people stayed inside, shopping, drinking milk tea, or eating ice cream. But once Lu's Snack Stall appeared, crowds swarmed the food truck.
Within minutes, the mall became nearly empty. The mall manager was dumbfounded. A food stall this popular? Completely unreasonable!
As the temperature rose, Lu Qin turned on the solar-powered fans. With 360-degree adjustable oscillation, he set the airflow to cool both the food truck and the queueing customers.
Crowds kept growing. Seeing many people squatting on the roadside to eat, Lu Qin paused sales for a few minutes to buy 30 foldable stools.
"Boss Lu, you're so thoughtful! Thanks!"
"Boss Lu is a great guy!"
Customers were polite, folding up the stools neatly after eating, making them available for the next person.
As more and more customers arrived, Lu Qin bought 30 more stools.
At 5 PM, by this time, stir-fried noodles were completely sold out, leaving only 50 portions of pickled vegetables. Lu Qin told Xiaomi to finish selling those, then drive the food truck home while he picked up his daughter.
At Starlight Kindergarten, Lu Xiyao walked out, her big eyes glowing with excitement—thinking about ice cream. She had waited so long for this moment.
Lu Qin had already bought a vanilla ice cream and stored it in the car fridge. She kissed him happily.
"Thank you, Daddy!"
As they drove home, she ate ice cream while watching cartoons in the backseat.
Noticing a box with uniforms and name tags, she found one labeled 【Little Boss Lady】 and her eyes lit up.
"Daddy, is this mine?"
"Yes, you're the Little Boss Lady! You can wear the uniform when we set up shop tonight. And we got a bigger food truck!"
"Wow! That's amazing!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.