11: performance art

Lu Chuan, who had been frying tofu with his head down, maintained a stiff smile with great difficulty.

He had originally thought that Worker Meng and his three companions would immediately bolt away once the stinky tofu was brought out.

Unexpectedly, they stubbornly endured the incredibly strong stench, like nails, firmly rooted in front of the stall.

After a while, Lu Chuan finally couldn't hold back and looked up to ask:

"Don't you think it's stinky? You could actually wait on the wooden benches over there..."

He hadn't even finished speaking when he was startled by the appearance of the four people in front of him.

All four had their noses and ears stuffed with tissue, their eyes were red from the smoke, yet they stared at the tofu blocks tumbling in the oil with a look of infatuation.

"Huh? What did you say?"

Worker Meng saw Lu Chuan looking at him, his mouth still opening and closing, and immediately understood, quickly removing the tissue from his ears.

Lu Chuan, helpless, repeated his reminder.

"Hahahaha, it is very stinky."

Worker Meng came back to his senses and laughed heartily.

But as the swirling stench rushed into his mouth, he was caught off guard and suddenly gagged again.

...

Lu Chuan was a little speechless for a moment.

At this moment, a repairman beside him suddenly laughed and said:

"Little boss, seeing that you're about the same age as my youngest son, I'll call you little boss."

He paused, then continued:

"You see this stinky tofu, before it's deep-fried, it truly stinks to high heaven, but once it's deep-fried, it immediately transforms into a rare delicacy. As stinky as it was before, that's how fragrant it is when you eat it."

"Isn't this just like our lives? Bitterness first, then sweetness; a mix of bitterness and sweetness is the norm in life."

"So, little boss, you might think we're enduring hardship unnecessarily, but it's only because we understand that to better enjoy this delicacy, we must also accept its smell. This is a complete and regret-free gourmet experience."

After he finished speaking, not only was Lu Chuan stunned, but even his colleagues beside him were surprised.

But soon, someone burst into laughter and patted his shoulder in agreement.

"Well said, Old Chen, you usually seem like a rather rough person; I didn't expect you to have such an artistic side."

Old Chen scratched his head, a sheepish smile on his face.

At this moment, in the iron pot, as the hot oil surged, the light blue tofu blocks began their journey of transformation.

Oil splattered like a grand carnival, sizzling as the charred aroma, intertwined with a mysterious hidden fragrance, exploded in the air.

This commotion immediately attracted Worker Meng and his three companions.

They stared intently at the stinky tofu in the pot, and their mouths instinctively began to salivate.

As the stench grew richer, the unique hidden aroma, deeply concealed behind the smell, finally couldn't hold back, slightly turned over, and then fully awakened.

It was like the mellow richness wafting from an aged Shaoxing wine jar, clashing with the pungency of the garlic paste on the counter, the thickness of the sesame paste, and the fiery spirit boiling in the chili oil, assaulting the diners' nasal passages.

It was like the most ferocious wasabi bomb, instantly shattering everyone's thoughts.

When Worker Meng came back to his senses, he found that at some point, his hands were firmly holding a steaming bowl of stinky tofu.

Gulp.

He swallowed, looking at the clearly colored, art-like delicacy in his hands, and his eyes involuntarily became moist.

Poke!

The moment the tip of the Chopsticks pierced the golden crispy shell, the tender white tofu core trembled into view, as delicate as a soft-boiled egg.

The sauce seeped into the texture along the cracks, and the moment his tongue lightly touched it, the outer crispness and inner softness danced a tango between his teeth.

The hot, fresh, and fragrant juice scattered and escaped in his mouth, the richness of the sesame paste enveloped the sweetness of the tofu, and the burning heat of the chili suddenly broke through, igniting sparks at the back of his tongue... "I have never felt so clearly, as in this moment, the fact that I am alive."

Worker Meng held the plastic bowl with only a trace of soup residue, head tilted back, tears streaming down his face.

Old Chen and his two companions, who were behaving similarly, also nodded in unison, expressing deep agreement.

...

Lu Chuan watched the scene of the four people simultaneously holding their bowls, looking up and sighing, his mouth twitching repeatedly.

His expression was really about to give out!

No, he couldn't lose his composure in front of customers!!!

He quickly lowered his head, grabbed a rag, and began to wipe the gleaming countertop again.

But as he wiped, he also began to question life.

Confused, very confused.

Was it the magical power of his stinky tofu... or were all the customers hidden comedians... First, high school students pouncing on food next to a toilet... then middle-aged people openly performing performance art... Help, his expression was really about to lose control!!!

---

Li An's face was greasy, and he was repeatedly telling old, stale jokes.

He was completely unaware of how forced the woman's laughter beside him was.

"Oh my, oh my, let me tell you, this morning when I went out, I saw a group of sows lining up and falling into a ditch, it was really, really funny."

Hahahahaha...

He clutched his big belly, laughing so hard he swayed back and forth.

... Uh-huh...

The woman was extremely awkward but still forced a difficult smile.

But in her heart, she had already cursed the greasy fat man in front of her to hell.

But there was no choice; the economy wasn't good now, and finding a sugar daddy who asked for nothing in return and provided food and drink wasn't so easy anymore.

She had to endure what she had to endure.

Li An thought he had successfully made his goddess laugh.

Immediately more energized, he was about to rack his brains for more jokes when he suddenly felt a wave of overwhelming pain in his stomach.

The pain made cold sweat constantly seep from his forehead, and his calves started to tremble.

But even in this situation, he still clenched his buttocks and spoke in a soft, gentle voice, straining his throat.

"Xiao Mei... you must be thirsty, right? You... wait for me here... I'll go buy you... water..."

By the time he forced out this sentence, he already felt his sphincter beginning to relax.

He suddenly had a strong premonition that if he didn't leave soon, he might be covered in his own feces!

Li An's face instantly paled, and he could no longer wait for his goddess's approval, limping and jogging towards the distant public restroom.

...

Xiao Mei's hand was suspended in mid-air, her face bewildered as she watched his retreating figure.

After a long while, she angrily put her hand down, stamping her foot to vent her displeasure.

"Hmph! You pathetic sycophant, if you have diarrhea, just say you have diarrhea, don't make it sound so good. Coming out on a date with this goddess, and not even taking care of your personal hygiene first, and making this goddess wait for you!"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She glanced at the small flowers blooming brightly by the roadside, lifted her foot, and stepped on them repeatedly.

Only when the flowers were completely mashed did her mood improve slightly.

Then, she looked up and saw a good-looking young man walking by, and her eyes immediately lit up.

She immediately tossed her bangs, clutched her shoulder bag, and walked with a seductive sway towards the young man.

"Hello, young man~ I'm lost, could you help me..."