Novel Boss
Chapter 24 - The Customers’ Eyes Lit up After Tasting the Ice Crystal Cake!
Chapter 24 The Customers’ Eyes Lit up After Tasting the Ice Crystal Cake!
All the customers in line looked eagerly at the ice crystal cakes on the counter. The crystal-clear cakes looked like art pieces made of crystal, with an incredibly appealing appearance.
“Is this ice crystal cake? So delicate and beautiful!”
“It does look good. 25 yuan a box, and only two boxes per person?”
“I’ve had osmanthus cake and mung bean cake before, and they were pretty good. I wonder if Boss Lu’s ice crystal cake is just as good!”
“There’s no label or date on the box. Is this some kind of unregulated product?”
“Are you dumb? Boss Lu makes these himself. He’s not reselling something from elsewhere.”
At that moment, Lu Qin looked up and explained.
“These ice crystal cakes were made fresh this morning. The main ingredient is glutinous rice, and it’s entirely handmade with no food additives. You can rest assured.”
“I trust Boss Lu on this. Just look at how clean and sanitary his cart is. All the ingredients are covered with cloth, and there isn’t a speck of grease on the counter!”
“Exactly! I never used to eat from street vendors, but I tried his stir-fried noodles because of how clean it looked, and now I’m hooked.”
“Enough talk, Boss Lu, I’ll take two boxes of ice crystal cake.”
“First come, first served. I’ll take two as well.”
“Better act fast, or they’ll be gone. I’ll take two boxes too.”
About ten customers bought the ice crystal cakes, scanning and paying one after another. The sound of payments being received through Alipay and WeChat Wallet kept chiming.
While stir-frying noodles, Lu Qin listened to the notifications, knowing that no one was eating without paying. Some customers couldn’t wait to open the box as soon as they got it, eagerly taking a bite of the cake.
The texture of the ice crystal cake was soft and chewy, giving a pleasant experience with each bite.
One customer was amazed and exclaimed, “So chewy, soft, sweet, and delicious! It’s so good it makes me want to dance to ‘Beat It’!”
He even got goosebumps. Other customers couldn’t hold back and opened their boxes to taste the ice crystal cake. After the first bite, their reactions were all the same.
Astonishment!
Delight!
And then goosebumps!
“Oh my! This ice crystal cake is out-of-this-world delicious!”
“Forget osmanthus cake, mung bean cake, or crystal cake—those are nothing compared to this ice crystal cake!”
“I used to only eat Western desserts like tiramisu and cheesecake, but this ice crystal cake… I won’t say anything else, but I can’t believe I used to be so obsessed with foreign desserts. Our country’s ice crystal cake is the real deal!”
“This ice crystal cake is amazing! The girl I’ve been chasing would definitely love it. Boss, don’t limit the quantity! Two boxes aren’t enough—can I buy one more? Please!”
“Yeah, Boss, the limit is too painful!”
“Exactly, I want to buy two boxes for my parents, and also for my wife, my second uncle, my aunt, my cousin…”
“Boss Lu, money isn’t an issue. I’ll pay extra if you lift the limit.”
“Yeah, I’ll pay double!”
Lu Qin thought for a moment, then shook his head and apologized.
“Sorry, everyone. I just don’t want anyone to buy too much and leave other customers without a chance to try it.”
“If you want more, you can come back every day.”
Hearing this, the customers had no choice but to accept it.
Lu Qin had a point—if someone bought ten boxes at once, there wouldn’t be any left for others.
Who knows, you might be the late customer tomorrow!
“Boss Lu, there’s no limit on stir-fried noodles, right? I’ll take te—”
A customer started to make a big order, but then hesitated and said quietly,
“Ahem… just one portion of stir-fried noodles, please. If I buy too many, they’ll get cold and won’t taste as good.”
“Hahaha,” The other customers laughed.
The lively scene in front of the stir-fried noodle stall broke the peaceful calm of the weekend morning. The residents of the nearby neighborhood all had a group chat.
Some couldn’t help but share their experience.
“The new stir-fried noodle stall downstairs is amazing! Super tasty and very clean. If you haven’t tried it, come quick. You’ll regret missing out!”
“That young man’s cooking skills are excellent! He’s also got ice crystal cakes today, but you can only buy two boxes per person—limited sale!”
“Really? Stir-fried noodles are a bit greasy though. Isn’t it bad to eat something so oily in the morning?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Boss Lu’s stir-fried noodles are flavorful but not greasy at all. They’re refreshing and delicious!”
“I usually wouldn’t bother sharing about regular noodles, but this is seriously good!”
“It’s finally my turn to order. He’s packing up soon. If you get to eat this, consider yourself lucky! The noodles and ice crystal cakes are out of this world!”
“Don’t post it in the group! If more people come, we’ll be waiting in line forever!”
…
Residents from different complexes shared in their respective chat groups. Before long, people started coming downstairs to buy stir-fried noodles.
“Let me see what’s so special about these noodles.”
“It must be that stall with the line. The others don’t have any customers.”
“Wow! It smells amazing. I’ll buy a portion and try it.”
“Sister Chen, why did you buy so much stuff? Did you go to the supermarket?”
“No, this is all from Boss Lu’s noodle stall! Four portions of stir-fried noodles, two boxes of ice crystal cakes, and eight cups of mung bean paste.”
“That’s a lot!”
“You don’t understand. The ice crystal cakes are limited. If I could, I’d buy three more boxes to keep in the fridge.”
“Enough chatting. My husband and kids are waiting for these noodles!”
Not far away, the stall owners selling flatbread and stuffed pancakes looked on enviously. Compared to their stalls, with only one or two customers, Lu Qin’s stir-fried noodle stall had a line of over ten people. Comparing themselves to him would only make them furious!
In just half an hour, Lu Qin sold out more than 200 cups of mung bean paste. There were only fifty portions of stir-fried noodles left, and only six boxes of ice crystal cake remained.
Grandpa Ge and a few neighbors arrived, each ordering stir-fried noodles. They also wanted mung bean paste but were disappointed to find it had sold out.
“Mung bean paste sold out so quickly. What a shame.”
Grandpa Ge’s eyes lit up when he saw the ice crystal cakes.
“Little Lu, what’s this?”
“Ice crystal cakes, a new product.”
“Taste samples? There are only a few left?”
Lu Qin smiled and said, “I’ve already sold over 100 boxes today.”
“Wow! You should’ve told me sooner. I’ll take all the boxes left!”
Grandpa Ge, being sharp, knew that if over 100 boxes had sold, these cakes must be delicious. Plus, they looked amazing.
Hearing Grandpa Ge say that, the other elderly neighbors weren’t too happy.
“Old Ge, be fair!”
“Exactly. We’ve been neighbors for years, and you’re buying all the cakes? Don’t you feel guilty?”
Grandpa Ge didn’t care.
“I love sweets. You guys either have high blood sugar or diabetes—can you even eat sweets? I’m doing this for your own good!”
Wang Guifen spat.
“Nonsense, Old Ge! You just want to hog all the ice crystal cakes for yourself!”
Lu Qin chuckled and shook his head.
“No need to argue, everyone. There are six boxes left, and there are nine of you. I’ll divide the cakes into nine portions, so each of you can have one.”
“Look at that, Boss Lu is fair and just.”
“How much is a box?”
“It was originally 25 yuan per box. Let’s say 20 yuan per box now.”
“That’s a bit expensive.”
“Expensive? Just looking at the presentation, it’s worth it.”
“Not expensive at all. Yesterday I took my granddaughter to a cake shop, and a tiny cake cost 36 yuan. It wasn’t even a golden cake!”
Grandpa Ge chimed in.
“Anything Little Lu makes is worth the price. It’s not expensive. Let me taste it first.”
Grandpa Ge gulped, being a big fan of sweets, and could hardly wait. He took a bite of the ice crystal cake, and his eyes immediately lit up. He didn’t say a word, just savored it slowly and chewed carefully. The others watched him.
“Well, Old Ge, how is it? Is it good?”
“Of course it’s good! Look at his expression—he’s so happy, his wrinkles just got deeper!”
…