Just as Ouyang was savoring the taste of the Crab Shell Cake with both happiness and regret, planning to order another plate, the morning jog group of elderly patrons came in.
There were 6 elderly patrons, one more than yesterday.
Each was dressed in a grandfather shirt, casual pants or sweatpants, with sweat still on their foreheads and their shirts slightly damp, clearly having just come back from a proper morning jog.
"Wow, there are baked buns this morning!" exclaimed the breakfast connoisseur Mr. Xu as he entered the store, then briskly walked to the window, staring at the Crab Shell Cake with joy, "Crab Shell Cake, just out of the oven, we made it just in time."
Mr. Xu pointed at the Crab Shell Cake, impatiently saying, "Young man, give me two of these. One basket of each bun from yesterday, a bowl of chilled green bean soup, I'm exhausted."
Having said that, Mr. Xu slumped into his familiar spot at table number 9, leaning back on the chair.
"You've only been jogging for how long and you're already tired. You say I'm stingy, but I think it's because you've gotten used to the good life over the past couple of years, eating so much right after a run. When will your blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids ever drop?" Mr. Cao mercilessly teased, skillfully scanning the QR code, "The servers at your store aren't at work yet, two Crab Shell Cakes, one basket of Three Meat Buns, transferred the order."
The other elderly patrons also scanned and ordered, acting as if they had been frequent customers for months. Only the new elderly patron seemed hesitant, feeling he had encountered a new breakfast scam.
"Why is everything in your store so expensive?" the elderly patron questioned, "A Crab Shell Cake here is 5 yuan, but in my neighborhood, they sell for only 2.5 yuan each. You've doubled the price!"
"We're offering a 30% discount for the grand opening, and this Crab Shell Cake is a new fresh shrimp filling, temporarily priced the same as the fresh meat filling at 5 yuan each. It will return to the original price of 8 yuan each tomorrow," Qin Huai explained with a smile.
The real reason was that Qin Huai initially didn't plan to make fresh shrimp Crab Shell Cakes and didn't have a menu for it. The menu wouldn't arrive until the afternoon.
The elderly patron grew even more hesitant.
"Wang Laogen, stop dithering. The breakfasts here are a bit pricey, but they're delicious. The radishes in a boutique supermarket aren't priced the same as those on the street stalls, are they? You've been an accountant for 40 to 50 years, haven't you counted money long enough? We brought you over here for a run so you could try this place, trust me, it's definitely good and worth it!" Mr. Cao started to whisper temptingly.
"Exactly, this store just opened yesterday, and I'm afraid you won't even be able to get in line in a while," Mr. Xu said, temporarily putting aside previous grievances with Mr. Cao, forming a united front.
"It's not Gusu, how good can the Crab Shell Cake be?" Uncle Wang muttered softly.
Although he found it expensive, under the heartfelt recommendation of Mr. Cao and Mr. Xu, Uncle Wang hesitated but still ordered one Crab Shell Cake, a basket of Five Fillings Bun, and a basket of Three Meat Buns.
The buns were freshly steamed and still a bit hot, while the Crab Shell Cake could be eaten directly.
For a moment, the entire restaurant was filled with the rich aroma of the Crab Shell Cake.
Mr. Xu couldn't stop eating; he swallowed two in two bites, picked up a plate, and was about to get more.
"Bang." Uncle Wang, sitting opposite Mr. Xu, was so excited that he banged the table, startling Mr. Xu, who nearly dropped his plate.
"Wang Laogen, why are you banging on the table! If the plate breaks, you'll have to pay for it!" Mr. Xu complained, cursing Wang Laogen for almost making him pay for the plate.
Uncle Wang was unmoved and excitedly exclaimed, "It's this taste!"
The other elderly patrons: ?
Has Wang Laogen also developed dementia?
His condition seems serious, should we call his wife to pick him up?
"What taste?" Mr. Cao asked.
"The taste of Crab Shell Cake!"
The other elderly patrons: ??
Uncle Wang was so excited that he was almost incoherent, gesticulating, "It tastes exactly like the Crab Shell Cake I had when I was young in Gusu, it's this exact taste! It definitely is, a fresh shrimp filling, I haven't had something this authentic in half my life!"
The other elderly patrons: ...
Looks like we're about to hear another trip down memory lane.
Uncle Wang nostalgically recalled, "Back then, I was an accountant at a textile factory, and our factory was one of the top factories in Gusu. That State-owned Restaurant was right next to the factory, and the thing I looked forward to most was getting off work, riding my bicycle to line up for Crab Shell Cake."
"You guys wouldn't know, the master at that store made Crab Shell Cakes so good, the first batch came out at six every evening, and the aroma could spread for miles!"
"Once they were out of the oven, the whole street could smell them. If you got off work late by even a minute, you couldn't get any. Back then, it was better to skip lunch just to save money to buy two to satiate the craving. If a family promised their kids Crab Shell Cake but couldn't get it, the child could cry all night. I was able to woo my wife back then thanks to the speed with which I cycled and snagged them each time."
"Unfortunately, the factory didn't do well later on. My job transfer led me away from Gusu, and I never tasted that flavor again. Such memories, those days..."
The other elderly patrons, likely used to Uncle Wang's frequent trips down memory lane, calmly indulged in their food without acknowledging him.
After reminiscing for a few minutes, Uncle Wang had just about finished his passionate storytelling about his youth, feeling like he was 40 years younger and had regained his youthful appetite. He shouted towards the window, "Young man, give me 30 Crab Shell Cakes, to-go!"
"My wife loves this taste!"
Qin Huai quickly packed the order into a bag.
Ouyang watched this scene dumbfounded, secretly envious.
He also wanted to shout for 30 Crab Shell Cakes to go, but without the money, he could only order another plate, and after eating, slouched in his seat playing on his phone idly.
After the elderly patrons left, Qin Huai quietly checked the task progress on his task panel.
The progress was promising.
The elderly patrons seemed quite influential, it seems they frequented the nearby restaurants quite often.
When he left this morning, it was 31/94, and those 5 elderly patrons directly surpassed 8 stores.
Qin Huai silently gave a thumbs up to the elderly patrons in his mind.