Special offer, clay pot crispy pork, fifty cents per serving. Limited to five servings.
The "ad post" went out, and soon everyone passing by stopped to take a look.
As mealtime began, sure enough, someone came holding a lunch bucket.
"Comrade, is it really fifty cents per serving outside?" A male comrade came in and asked.
"Yes, would you like a serving, comrade?" Lin Wan replied with a smile.
The man hesitated for a while, then said, "It’s suddenly so cheap, is the meat clean? It’s not from a dead pig, is it?"
"Rest assured, comrade, we serve meals with integrity. We’d rather earn less than do anything unscrupulous," Lin Wan said, taking out the leftover crispy pork from the kitchen. "Comrade, try a piece first and see how it tastes."
The man shyly took a piece and tasted it. Perhaps it was absolutely delicious, or maybe he was just embarrassed. He smiled bashfully and said, "Comrade, give me a serving, please, with extra soup. Also, I’d like two servings of rice. Do you need a ticket?"
"Yes, please sit down and wait for a while, comrade."
Before leaving, the male comrade asked, "Will you have any spe- special offers tomorrow?" At that time, he probably had no concept of special promotions. When he said special offer, he specifically turned to look at the promotion flyer posted outside.
Lin Wan thought for a moment, then had a sudden flash of inspiration and said, "There will be something every day, but the dishes will differ each day."
Not long after this male comrade left, more people came to order the crispy pork from the promotion flyer.
All five servings were booked by noon.
More people came afterward wanting to order, feeling frustrated for coming late. Even though the cheap dish was gone, they still ordered other items in the restaurant.
To those who couldn’t buy the special offer dish, Lin Wan kindly reminded them that there would be more tomorrow.
As more people asked, Xia Mo directly took a thick black pen and wrote a big "Sold Out" on the flyer at the door. Initially, Lin Wan wanted to write "Sold Out," but at that time, the phrase didn’t exist.
There were also some shameless ones who, seeing the special price dish was gone, asked them to sell what they wanted at a discount as well.
"Comrade, all your dishes are priced the same; if this can be cheaper, why can’t the others?"
"Comrade, if all prices are the same, then how can it be called a special promotion."
"So much cheaper all of a sudden; you’re earning a lot too. Speculation shouldn’t go too far; it’s just taking advantage of us ordinary citizens."
The lady wasn’t the only customer in the restaurant. Others listened to the plump lady’s words and showed interest, glancing at the two of them.
Those who frequently dined at their restaurant knew the food was delicious, albeit a bit pricey. Secretly, they also wished for tasty yet affordable meals.
"Comrade, you can’t say that. We earn every penny through hard work. As you all know, our restaurant just opened not long ago. To let more people know about us, we made this money-losing dish today. You saw, it’s limited to only five servings. If we could make money, who would limit it to just five servings and leave money unearned?"
Lin Wan’s words made everyone in the restaurant nod in agreement; who wouldn’t earn money if they could?
The plump aunt turned red in embarrassment and was too shy to argue further. Reluctantly, she pointed at the braised chicken with mushrooms she wanted and ordered a serving.
"Xiao Wan, is everything okay outside?" Liang Hongmei, in the back kitchen, could hear some of the talking outside. She was worried it might be similar to last time in Huai Town when they ran into some thugs.