When a plate of mixed lamb offal stir-fried with dried chili peppers arrived, Zhong Guoqiang said with a smile:
"Come on, try some. This lamb offal came from abroad. It costs fifty cents more per plate than the domestic stuff!"
A plate of lamb offal only cost two yuan, and being imported added fifty cents?
"What's different about the foreign stuff?" Chen Hongjun did not really understand. He picked some up with his chopsticks as he asked.
"It doesn't taste as good as the domestic stuff," Li Long cut in. "It's just a novelty. The raw ingredients are actually cheaper than what we sell here."
"Don't give the game away yet," Zhong Guoqiang complained to Li Long. "Let Old Chen taste it first."
Chen Hongjun picked up a piece of intestine, put it in his mouth, and chewed. After swallowing, he said:
"It tastes pretty ordinary to me. What makes it worth an extra yuan?"
"Because it came from abroad." Zhong Guoqiang laughed. "You didn't notice when you came in, did you? The blackboard in the dining hall says ordinary lamb offal is two yuan, and imported lamb offal is two fifty. The imported kind sells faster."
Chen Hongjun shook his head and tried another mouthful. It still tasted ordinary, nothing special.
"You've nearly finished that sack of offal you took, right?" Li Long tried a mouthful too and asked Zhong Guoqiang.
"Yes, there isn't much left. How much have you still got?"
"Seven or eight sacks. Just saying it came from abroad makes it sell fast. It's nearly gone."
"Then I'll go get another couple of sacks in a bit. It keeps in winter, so I can store it at my place. A few regulars order a plate every time they come. It goes quickly."
"What? Li Long, you