From Wage Slave to Tycoon novel Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Chapter 114: Bratty Kid on the Loose, Everyone Make Way

"Whew... The winters in the Imperial Capital are seriously cold!"

Su Chen exhaled, and his warm breath instantly condensed into a puff of white mist that dissipated in the air.

Su Chen had been idly scrolling through his phone at home when he stumbled upon a video recommending food in the Imperial Capital.

For some reason... on a sudden whim, he had braved the flurries and dragged Chen Fei out the door, claiming it was to appreciate the winter scenery of the Imperial Capital.

In reality... he just wanted to try the snacks around Shichahai and taste the roast duck at Wangfujing.

After all, the Imperial Capital’s roast duck was so famous, and Su Chen was a foodie...

He’d been in the Imperial Capital for so long and hadn’t even tried its most essential dishes. If word got out, wouldn’t he lose face?

Stepping out of his courtyard house, Su Chen discovered that Shichahai had a unique charm in the winter.

After several consecutive days of cold weather, the surface of the lake at Shichahai had long since frozen over. Plenty of people were out skating on the vast sheet of ice.

"Chen Fei, do you know what those things are?" Su Chen asked, pointing to the ice where many people were sliding around on things that looked like little chairs.

Chen Fei followed Su Chen’s finger. When he got a clear look at the objects, a smile touched his lips.

"Sir, you mean those? They’re ice chairs made by the locals around Shichahai. They’re modified from ice sleds, just using old wooden stools. They cost next to nothing to make!"

Su Chen understood. ’Probably a toy the older generation came up with,’ he thought. ’Simple and cheap.’

"You know, those things actually look pretty fun. We should try them out sometime!" If Su Chen hadn’t already set his mind on getting roast duck, he definitely would have gone down for a few laps.

Su Chen had skated before back in his school days, but only roller-skating with inline skates.

But this would be his first time on actual ice, let alone sliding around on a chair.

"Tanghulu! Candied tanghulu! Delicious candied tanghulu, ten yuan a stick!" A sharp, practiced cry pulled Su Chen’s attention back.

He saw an old man carrying a straw rack studded with all kinds of tanghulu. Their bright red color looked incredibly appetizing.

A foodie like Su Chen couldn’t help but lick his lips.

Chen Fei, who was beside him, noticed the small gesture and quickly called out, "Sir, two sticks of tanghulu, please!"

"Coming!" The tanghulu vendor heard the call and scurried over. He moved so quickly you’d never guess his age, especially since he was carrying a twenty-odd-pound straw rack.

His accent was pure Imperial Capital.

"Wangfujing, sir!" Su Chen replied with a smile.

"You got it! Sit tight, you two. We’re off!"

The driver was a true local, a real chatterbox. The moment the car started moving, he was off, talking a mile a minute and sharing all the best food spots and sights in the Imperial Capital with Su Chen.

He knew which place had the best lamb hot pot, whose buns were to die for, and which grand-looking restaurants were actually just tourist traps. He was practically a ready-made tour guide.

Su Chen learned that the driver owned several apartments between the Third and Fourth Ring Roads—all from demolition compensation. He drove a taxi simply because he was restless at home and loved to talk. In the end, he figured driving a taxi was the perfect solution.

It kept him busy, allowed him to chat with passengers, hear their interesting stories, and introduce tourists to the Imperial Capital’s culinary culture.

It was the best of both worlds, really.

The Drum Tower wasn’t far from Wangfujing, and they arrived in less than twenty minutes. As they got out, the driver enthusiastically handed Su Chen his business card, telling him to call directly if he needed a ride since he was almost always in the Dongcheng District.

Holding the business card, Su Chen watched the taxi drive away and said to Chen Fei with a laugh, "And they say Beijingers are all proud and standoffish. That guy was perfectly friendly!"