Reborn: Selling Chicken Cutlets Outside My School

At nineteen, Zheng Ze was unexpectedly reborn at a crucial moment, just before the chicken cutlet stand outside the elementary school became a huge hit. With only 50 yuan in startup money, he decided to make selling chicken cutlets his life's work. Shy and quiet but principled, he made a promise at his very first stall to Xiaoyu, a fifth-grader: "Three yuan per skewer, and I'll never cut corners on the ingredients." That promise became the principle he held fast to.

From pushing a mobile cart to renting a permanent storefront, from selling 32 skewers on the first day to earning a million yuan a year, Zheng Ze always stayed rooted outside the elementary school. He put up a shelter for children who came by on a stormy day, made free ginger tea for customers waiting in line during the winter, refused a wholesaler's demand for higher prices, turned down the temptation of a 100,000-yuan franchise deal, and even covered rising ingredient costs himself, all to keep his promise to the kids.

The children became his little helpers, passing him tissues, keeping rival vendors at bay, and bringing him thank-you cards hidden in the change box. Their parents became his source of motivation, recommending him in group chats and writing a joint letter of thanks. Zheng Ze's chicken cutlet stand was more than a way to make a living; it became a warm, multigenerational family.

Even after his bank balance topped a million yuan, he still opened his stall every morning. The wooden sign still read "Three yuan per skewer." Faced with a choice between wealth and staying true to himself, Zheng Ze proved through his actions that the promise he made to the children and his commitment to honesty were the most precious treasures he gained from being reborn.