Chapter 2

Ding Sha decided to take action right away. The next morning, she got up early to go to the wholesale market to buy vegetables and disposable lunch boxes, then came back home.

On her way back, she stopped by the construction site gate to ask the security guard some questions.

After Ding Sha got home, she drank some water, took her folic acid, and then dove right into the kitchen.

She had already decided the night before that she was going to make three dishes today.

Sour green beans fried with minced pork, cabbage stir-fried with pork slices, and cold tossed bean thread noodles.

She grabbed a large handful of mouth-watering sour green beans from the sour vegetable crock and cut them into small pieces. As Ding Sha was cutting them, she couldn't resist popping a piece into her mouth.

Crunching them noisily, the sour and refreshing taste made her unconsciously start humming a song.

She heated oil in a hot wok, sautéed the scallions, ginger and garlic until fragrant, then added the chili powder and doubanjiang to bring out the red oil and spiciness before adding the fresh, evenly mixed fatty and lean minced pork. After stir-frying for a bit, she added the sliced sour green beans and fresh fava beans.

When it was nearly cooked, she added a touch of her secret weapon, Sichuan peppercorn water, and gave it a final stir.

The savory, mouth-watering Sour Green Beans Fried with Minced Pork was done.

Next was the Cabbage Stir-Fried with Pork Slices.

She cut the pork belly into uneven slices, not worrying about their size. At the construction site, most of the work was physical labor, so no matter how much rice they ate, it wasn't as good as meat for fighting hunger.

She cut the fresh, juicy napa cabbage on the diagonal and set it aside.

After sautéing the aromatics, she only added a few dried chilies for flavor. Just a bit of salt, sugar and chicken stock powder was enough to make it tasty.

Finally she cut the bean thread noodles into thin shreds and added shredded carrots and cilantro, then poured over a versatile sauce she had blended from dozens of ingredients to complete the cold dish.

Next was packing the lunch boxes.

Ding Sha packed a total of 35 boxed lunches, neatly packaging them and placing them in an insulated foam container affixed to her electric bike.

After checking the time and seeing it was about right, she locked up and headed towards the construction site.

Just after 11:10, workers had just started trickling out of the construction site gate. Ding Sha found some shade from a tree not too far away and placed her sign with the payment QR code next to the lunchboxes she had prepared.

She was good-looking, so people noticed her here very quickly, but they just gathered in small groups ogling her while murmuring to each other instead of coming over.

Ding Sha didn't mind waiting calmly.

Before long, a sturdy-looking worker with an honest face came over hesitantly.

"Miss, are you selling lunch boxes?"

"Yes, 15 yuan each," Ding Sha immediately put on a smile and nodded, opening the insulated box to show him the neat and tidy lunchboxes inside.

"Really with two meat and one vegetable dishes?" The worker pointed at her sign doubtingly. Afraid he wouldn't believe her, Ding Sha told him the menu for today.

The worker rubbed his belly. These past few days he had been eating nothing but takeout, he was already sick of all the nearby options. But the lunches provided at the construction site were just bland boiled veggies and broth, which did nothing for his hunger.

Hesitating for a moment, the worker felt in his gut that this pretty girl wouldn't cheat him, so he said, "Alright, give me one to try."

After scanning the payment code, the worker looked at the scorching hot ground in the sun outside the shade. He simply squatted beside Ding Sha at the roadside and opened up his lunchbox right then and there.

Ding Sha glanced at him but didn't say anything, just took out a small folding stool from her bike basket and gave it to him.

The worker plopped down on the curb, placing the lunchbox on the seat as he held the rice in his hands.

Ding Sha had packed each box very full, and the worker was quite satisfied with the portion size as he looked it over.

As soon as he opened the lid, the rich aroma of the stir-fried dishes immediately surrounded the worker's nose. He instinctively took a deep breath, and his stomach rumbled loudly almost instantly.

Unable to wait any longer, he picked up a piece of fatty pork and stuffed it into his mouth. After just a couple chews, he felt the complex and layered juices from the meat explode in his mouth. This was the first time he had ever eaten pork belly with this kind of texture.

Not only was it not greasy, but also very tender and smooth.

He scooped up some sour green beans and ate them together with rice. His mouth still had room so he shoved in a huge mouthful of bean thread noodles as well. The cold dish was tinglingly spicy and refreshing going down. The shredded carrot was crispy and pleasantly crunchy to chew.

He couldn't help but pick up another huge bite and stuff it in.

The worker couldn't help but close his eyes blissfully.

This food was just too delicious!

Some coworkers were drawn in by the smell. "Bro, how is it? What's it taste like?"

"Amazing!! So delicious!!"

As if afraid they wouldn't believe him, he shoveled down a few more mouthfuls of rice and asked Ding Sha with his mouth full, "Miss, are you coming back tomorrow?"

"If business is good I'll come back," Ding Sha smiled.

Seeing her smile, the coworkers stared dumbfoundedly, eyes going blurry. Then looking at the burly guy beside them happily eating away, "Beauty, give me one too!"

As soon as he got the lunchbox, he also eagerly sat down next to the burly guy, shoving aside space on the little folding stool. "Really that delicious?"

Saying that, he also took a first bite of the fatty pork right away.

After chewing a couple times, a look of astonishment appeared on his face. Mumbling a couple words, he could wait no longer and happily started shoveling down the food.

With two living ads eating away enthusiastically, Ding Sha quickly sold out all her lunchboxes.

The workers who didn't get to buy eyed the lingering aromas in the air somewhat resentfully. "Why didn't you make more?"

"I'll make more tomorrow," Ding Sha gave an apologetic smile.

She tallied up the profits in her head, extremely delighted.

Under the burly guy's reluctant urging, Ding Sha rode her electric bike back home.

After deducting costs, she had earned at least 200 yuan today.

That was including the cost of the wholesale lunchboxes.

The lunchboxes were cheap, and she still had a lot left at home.

Counting this way, she could earn quite a lot in a month. Ding Sha happily sat in the yard neatly stacking the cash she had received between the pages of a book.

The red date and longan rock sugar soup she had set to simmer before going out had now melted into a smooth broth. Opening the lid, the sweet aroma burst out. She ladled herself a bowl and slowly drank it as she sat in the yard.

The yard was empty without much furnishings. Ding Sha took some money to go visit the village carpenter Uncle Wei.

"Uncle Wei, are you there?" Ding Sha knocked on the door.

Uncle Wei was the only carpenter left in the village, his work was superb, but now that machines ruled the world, the old man could only dejectedly return to the village and retire.

"Oh, coming!" Uncle Wei responded. "What can I do for you, little lass?"

"I want to commission a rocking chair from you," Ding Sha gestured with her hands, "Do you think you could make it?"

"I can, I can!" The old man was extremely delighted. He opened the door and invited her to sit inside, even pouring her a cup of syrupy tea to drink.

"Do you have any requirements for the type of wood?" Uncle Wei rubbed his hands and took out a rough little notebook.

Ding Sha shook her head. "Regular is fine."

Uncle Wei wrote a few characters in his notebook, then looked up somewhat embarrassed, "Lass, us carpenters have an old rule, need to collect a deposit first..."

Ding Sha smiled and nodded. "Of course there needs to be a deposit. How much do you usually collect?"

Uncle Wei thought for a moment. "Give me 100 yuan for now, I'll deduct it from the final price when it's done."

As he spoke he tore off a slip of paper and wrote on it. "Don't worry, I'll give you a receipt." Ding Sha handed over 100 yuan, and carefully folded the receipt to tuck away in her phone case.

"Then I'll get going first, Uncle Wei," Ding Sha stood up. "I'm staying next door to Granny Zhang, just call for me when it's done."

"Sounds good, sounds good," Uncle Wei saw her to the door.

"I'll finish it for you as quickly as possible."

Ding Sha thanked him and headed home. She had just reached the small village square in the middle when she was blocked by someone.

It was the youngest son of the village chief, Wang Kun.

He had dropped out of school at just 15 or 16 and lazed about the village every day. His meaty triangular eyes often shone with ill intent.

Wang Kun blocked Ding Sha's path, not letting her pass.

"Hey beautiful, where you going? How 'bout you come back home with me instead? The little woods'll work too!"

Ding Sha looked at him expressionlessly, then walked around him and continued on her way.

Her look made Wang Kun's heart itch unbearably, further confirming his belief that this slut was trying to seduce him.

So without hesitation he reached out to grope Ding Sha's waist.

Ding Sha dodged his roving hand as if she had eyes in the back of her head.

Wang Kun felt she was deliberately being coy, thinking he couldn't indulge her little temper.

So he arrogantly declared, "Hey, come help your daddy stand."

Ding Sha looked at him in astonishment, then turned and left without looking back.

Wang Kun had been posing arrogantly but Ding Sha never came to him. He watched her walk farther and farther away, so angry his nose went crooked.

He had to teach this slut a lesson!