vncnus Chapter 91 It Was Worth Running
Chapter 91 It Was Worth Running
The automatic gate of Mingcui Garden slowly lowered, shutting out the exquisite villa area from the rearview mirror.
As deliveryman Xiao Li twisted the handlebars of his electric scooter hard, the motor emitted a hissing sound.
He touched his pocket and could feel the phone burning hot inside, even through the thin fabric.
Although the screen had been turned off, the crisp "account received" notification sound still echoed in his ears, more beautiful than any symphony.
Two hundred yuan.
For just this one expedited delivery, the generous employer gave him an extra two hundred yuan as a tip.
This is equivalent to Xiao Li's net income from running around in the scorching sun all day.
Sometimes, to earn this money, he had to ride his nearly broken electric bike across half the city, climbing ten or more flights of stairs in old residential buildings until his calves were sore and his clothes were soaked with sweat.
"call……"
Xiao Li let out a long sigh of relief. Sweat slid down his neck, itching and burning, raising goosebumps.
But he didn't have time to wipe it off; his fingers were gripping the handle tightly.
The scene of picking up food at "Human Fireworks" was replaying in his mind frame by frame like a film reel, each frame carrying that killer aroma.
Let's rewind to about half an hour ago.
The moment Xiao Li stepped into the "Human Fireworks" store.
He felt his soul being violently ejected from his body the instant he was struck by the rich aroma of beef brisket.
The narrow aisles in the store were packed with people.
Xiao Li saw the waitress, Su Chen, who looked like a big star, weaving between the tables and chairs like a spinning top.
He saw a bald man with a thick neck at the next table, who was now looking at a child with his eyes closed, carefully scooping up a spoonful of red soup with a spoon, his face saying "life is complete".
At that moment, Xiao Li felt his empty stomach instantly transform into a ferocious monster, scratching and clawing wildly.
But he clenched his teeth tightly.
The express fee was too high. He told himself that if he saved more, he could send more money back home next month so that his mother could go to town to get a better set of dentures.
"Master, number ending in 0864, express order!" Xiao Li shouted, his voice trembling.
Su Chen, holding a pot of ginger tea, looked up and saw Xiao Li, then glanced at the insulated box that Chen Feng had sealed and wrapped tightly.
"Here it is." Su Chen walked over quickly, deftly stuffed the heavy box into a plastic bag, and handed it to Xiao Li.
"Brother Chen said that express orders are troublesome and involve long distances, so hold on tight."
Xiao Li took the box.
The scalding heat traveled through the packaging to his palm, accompanied by a faint, irresistible fragrance that tantalized him.
At that moment, he unconsciously glanced at the beef brisket on the next table, which had just come out of the pot and hadn't been touched yet.
At first glance, the glossy red sheen and the trembling tendons of the beef almost completely captivated him, making him want to cancel the order on the spot.
A rich, red broth, soft and tender potatoes, and beef that has soaked up all the flavorful essence...
He was so frightened that he quickly closed his eyes.
"Let's go!"
Xiao Li turned and ran.
He dared not turn around, dared not look at the diners wolfing down their food, dared not look at the little girl Mengmeng sitting behind the counter smiling at him.
He was like an assassin carrying a priceless jewel, his only thought being to deliver this damned, yet irresistibly tempting box to a place dozens of kilometers away.
And now, the mission is complete.
The news of the two hundred yuan arriving in his account was a reward for his hard work, but it was also the culprit that brought down his self-discipline.
"Ring ring—"
"A new order has been assigned by the system. Please check it promptly."
The order notification sound on my phone was particularly jarring.
Based on his real-time location, the system is frantically pushing orders from nearby business districts to him.
"Get out of my way!"
Xiao Li muttered a curse under his breath.
He didn't even glance at the screen; he simply used one hand to press the power button.
Normally, even if it's just a milk tea order with a five-yuan delivery fee, he'll grab it as quickly as he can, like he's found a treasure.
But now, all he sees is the comforting aroma of braised beef brisket with potatoes.
But now, his eyes, his heart, and his mind are completely filled with that bowl of braised beef brisket with potatoes that cost fifty-eight yuan.
That two hundred yuan gave him a kind of confidence that he had never felt before, almost arrogant.
Li, who usually hesitates for a long time before buying a braised chicken dish that costs more than ten yuan, now had only one thought in his mind:
I'm going to eat that 58-yuan beef brisket today! Nobody's going to stop me!
"Gurgle—gurgle—"
My stomach rumbled again.
Xiao Li felt that his senses had completely failed him.
He can no longer smell the roadside greenery or hear the impatient honking of the cars behind him.
His nostrils were always filled with the domineering, unreasonable aroma of beef brisket, a flavor that evokes the warmth of everyday life.
"I want to eat!" Little Li stared ahead, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse as if making a vow, "I want braised beef brisket with potatoes!"
The road surface began to blur, and the shadows of the trees on both sides rushed past in my sight, turning into a green afterimage.
Xiao Li twisted the handlebars of the electric bike all the way down and rotated his wrist to its limit.
The sharp hissing sound from the motor grew louder and louder, and the electric vehicle's speed quickly exceeded the usual safe range.
The wind cut his skin like a knife and tousled his hair, but he didn't feel any pain.
Normally, he would be worried about the battery drain and whether traffic police would stop him at the intersection.
But now, his reason has been completely burned to ashes.
"Faster...faster..."
The scene he had just witnessed in the store kept replaying in his mind:
A girl dressed in an elegant Chanel-style suit couldn't wait to ladle large spoonfuls of bright red broth over snow-white rice.
Each plump grain of rice, coated in the broth, shimmered with an amber luster; the sight was incredibly appetizing.
The image was like a red-hot branding iron, burning back and forth in his consciousness.
Xiao Li felt that he had never driven so fast in his entire life.
He even felt that every part of the cheap electric car beneath him was groaning under the heavy load, as if it was about to fall apart.
But he didn't care at all, treating it as a triumphant symphony.
"Aren't we there yet? Aren't we there yet?"
For him, every traffic light was a severe form of torture.
He stared intently at the flashing green light, his toes tapping lightly on the pedal.
"Save me one, save me one..." he muttered, like some ancient incantation, "You absolutely must save me one. Two hundred dollars, I'll give you a hundred, just save me one..."
Sweat stung his eyes, but he wiped it casually on his shoulder and continued sprinting without looking back.
When Xiao Li reappeared at the entrance of the old street, the bicycle frame hadn't even been properly set up before he ran away.
The electric scooter that had played such a crucial role overturned with a loud thud on the side of the road, but he didn't even turn around.
Ignoring the astonished looks from passersby, he charged straight into the "human touch" gate like a hungry wolf.
"Boss! Boss!"
Xiao Li rushed into the store, leaning against the door frame and breathing heavily.
His face was covered in dust and sweat, and his eyes were frighteningly bright, which startled two middle-aged women who were queuing at the door, causing them to take several steps back.
"Hey buddy, you're pretty fast on your way back."
Su Chen had just brought out two steaming bowls of braised beef brisket with potatoes from the kitchen when he looked up and saw Xiao Li working so hard, and he was taken aback.
"What's wrong? Did something go wrong during delivery? Or did that guy surnamed Lin cause you trouble?" Su Chen asked, putting down the tray with some concern.
"No...no..." Xiao Li waved his hand, holding his knees.
He could finally breathe in the fragrance without worry, taking large gulps of it, and at that moment he felt his very soul trembling.
"Nothing happened... It was delivered... Mr. Lin even gave me a thumbs up."
Xiao Li straightened up, his back trembling as he pulled his off phone from his pocket, then quickly put it back in. He stared at Su Chen, then turned his head to look at the back of the person busy with a large ladle.
"Mr. Chen... Mr. Chen!"
Xiao Li's voice was loud, carrying a resolute and bold tone, "I want a serving of braised beef brisket with potatoes! I want that! I'm not short of money, I have two hundred yuan! No, I have three hundred yuan! Give me one, right now!"
Su Chen smiled.
Looking at Xiao Li, who was completely driven mad by the aroma, a sense of pride welled up in his heart once again.
"Stop yelling, Brother Chen already said that."
Su Chen walked over, patted Xiao Li's dusty shoulder, and pointed to a newly vacated seat in the corner.
"Brother Chen said that the delivery guy who made the urgent order will definitely be back. He just specially scooped out the tenderest meat from the bottom of the pot to save for you."
Xiao Li was stunned. He stared blankly at Su Chen, then looked towards the kitchen.
Chen Feng turned around in the heat and nodded slightly at him.
Although Chen Feng didn't say a word, it made Xiao Li's eyes inexplicably redden.
"Go sit down, there's plenty of rice." Su Chen smiled and pointed to the cashier. "Don't worry about paying, we can pay at Mengmeng's after we finish eating."
"well."
As soon as Xiao Li walked to that seat, he collapsed onto the bench the instant his bottom touched it.
He is too tired.
Soon, Su Chen came over carrying the porcelain bowl that had haunted his dreams.
White smoke was still rising from the rim of the bowl.
In the bright red broth, there was beef brisket that Chen Feng had specially reserved, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, and the tendons and membranes had a crystal-clear, translucent color.
The potatoes surrounding the broth had completely turned to a sandy texture, their skins having absorbed the broth.
Xiao Li trembled as he scooped up a spoonful of the thick soup.
The instant it enters the mouth.
Fresh. Sweet. Rich. Full-bodied.
A warm sensation traveled down his esophagus, like an iron, instantly soothing away all the restlessness, hunger, and fatigue he had felt on the way.
He closed his eyes, tears and sweat mingling and flowing into the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it..." Xiao Li cursed under his breath, his voice filled with an unprecedented happiness.
"This is real food! This job was totally worth it!"