The afternoon saw Ding Yun set up her stall again.
It was much livelier than before.
There were people asking why she wasn't selling the five-color chicken strips anymore, when she would sell them again, and inquiries about how the radishes were so rare and surprisingly sweet.
In addition, many people bought the imitation kelp salad and the homemade salted water drinks, all of whom gave positive reviews.
They found the taste to be quite good.
As for the giggling eggs and stinky tofu,
these two items wouldn't spoil quickly, and Ding Yun was too busy to handle them, so she didn't sell them today.
Because there weren't many items.
Ding Yun packed up and went home around 4 PM.
At home, she prepared to mix batter to make egg pancakes. Making giggling egg pancakes fresh was time-consuming, so Ding Yun planned to make a batch of semi-finished products in advance, and then mix some sauces and side dishes, to directly sell egg pancakes the next morning.
That is, pancakes with side dishes and sauces.
Although her iron pot wasn't the same as the specialized pancake-making pans, it could still be used with some adaptation.
In addition, she would cook the king crab that evening.
She and her mother ate until they were completely stuffed.
It took a while before they could move.
...
The next day, Ding Yun sold egg pancakes in the morning and stinky tofu in the afternoon. Although the two seemed completely unrelated, her business was always good due to the good quality and low prices, and the novelty of the items. She sold out of the giggling eggs and stinky tofu in just two days.
Just as the custom-made cooking utensils she had ordered arrived, Ding Yun didn't rush to open a new blind box. Instead, she began to soak the giant grain of rice, preparing to work on it.
Her plan was to soak the rice first, and then cook it.
However, less than an hour after she started soaking the rice, Ding Yun realized she had been a bit naive. This grain of rice was truly different from the rice she normally ate. It swelled up, and not just a little, but so much that it almost split the wooden bucket it was soaking in.
Ding Yun would never have imagined that rice as hard as steel would absorb water like a sponge.
She had initially worried that the rice wouldn't soak properly.
And wouldn't cook through!
Now, it seemed her worries were in vain.
As the grain of rice swelled significantly, Ding Yun could clearly feel that its hardness was no longer as extreme. Chopping it with a cleaver was still not easy,
but at least it was manageable.
So, Ding Yun proceeded to cut the grain of rice, which had expanded nearly twofold, into pieces weighing tens of pounds each, and continued to soak the remaining rice. She was determined to see how much water the rice could absorb; it couldn't possibly turn into paste, could it?
A few hours later.
The rice pieces, which had been divided, had each expanded by nearly five times and then stopped absorbing water. At the same time, the texture of the rice pieces was no longer solid; it could even be described as slightly soft.
It felt a bit like very firm dough.
This texture was clearly not suitable for boiling, and Ding Yun felt that if it could absorb so much water just from soaking in cold water, it would absorb even more when boiled in hot water.
It might truly turn into paste.
So, she specifically cut a piece to steam and test.
When the swelled rice pieces were steamed, Ding Yun knew she had finally found the right path. After steaming, the texture of that small piece of rice was essentially indistinguishable from rice cakes, with perhaps just a more intense rice aroma.
This was likely the correct cooking method.
Perhaps giants didn't eat it this way, but Ding Yun felt this was the simplest and most convenient method, so she cooked the remaining rice pieces in the same way.
Once she had accumulated a certain amount, Ding Yun pushed her cart to sell them. Furthermore, because the soaking ratio was so outrageous – over a hundred pounds of rice had somehow produced over a thousand pounds of raw material for rice cakes – and the items were not easy to store, she sold them at a very low price.
She basically sold them at the cost price of normal rice cakes.
It was fortunate that not many people in their area made and sold rice cakes, otherwise her competitors would have hated her.
Because the items were of good quality and low price, even with over a thousand pounds, Ding Yun managed to sell all the rice cakes within two days. Then, following her usual routine, she went to the police station to inquire about the progress.
After all, the original owner had been robbed of sixteen thousand yuan.
Such a significant loss would not be accepted by anyone.
It would be strange if she didn't follow up frequently. Therefore, even though she was busy, Ding Yun insisted on going to the police station every day to ask about the progress. Over time, she became familiar with the staff.
Previously, she always left disappointed, but this time, before Ding Yun could even ask after entering, Xu Ping, the staff member who had handled the initial report with Ding Yun, immediately greeted her with a smile: "Sister Song, Sister Song, come quickly! Come quickly!
I'm telling you, there's good news today! Based on the individuals you apprehended that day, we followed the leads and finally apprehended the entire group. The area where your money was stolen was basically under their control. If nothing unexpected happens,
this group of people definitely includes the one who stole your money."
She paused for a moment and continued:
"By the way, although this is good news, there are some things I need to tell you in advance. They must have spent the stolen money, so it's hard to say how much can be recovered in the end. You need to be psychologically prepared."
"It's okay, whatever can be recovered is fine.
Besides, it's only been a few days, they probably haven't spent too much. And I've already prepared myself for not recovering a single cent, so any amount recovered will be a pleasant surprise. By the way, when will there be results?
Several of our neighbors were also robbed.
I suspect they might be behind it..."
The potential for loss was something Ding Yun had anticipated. There was no point in dwelling on it; it was better to accept it calmly, as there was nothing else she could do.
Xu Ping, seeing Ding Yun's straightforwardness, felt she was a good person who understood their difficulties. Unlike some unreasonable people who would cause a scene when told the thieves couldn't compensate because they'd spent the money, they couldn't possibly subsidize it themselves. So, it was indeed an unavoidable situation.
The two of them got along well and their conversation flowed. Soon, Xu Ping revealed more details about the current situation and asked Ding Yun to come back in two days. If luck was on her side, the results might be out tomorrow, or the day after. Those who came earlier would definitely recover more of their losses, and those who came too late might not be so fortunate.
After this casual chat, Ding Yun gave Xu Ping some rice cakes, which she had specifically saved and claimed were leftovers, as dinner.
Ding Yun left quite happily.
As the matter was not yet officially concluded and the money not yet recovered, Ding Yun did not spread the word. Upon returning, she decided to celebrate and spent forty yuan to buy an intermediate food blind box, curious to see what good items it might contain.