Chapter 197: 197 Chapter Today we must take down Mount Qingcheng!
On the way downhill, the road was almost completely blocked. It wasn’t until they had covered some distance that the crowd began to thin.
"Boss, I’m guessing there will be even more people tomorrow," Sun Zhuangfei said, having already grasped the pattern.
"Yeah, we’ll just prepare two sets of clothes next time, change after we sell out, and leave," Jiang Feng spoke up.
"Change clothes?"
"Didn’t you see all the people shooting videos? Others will surely see them. It’s just a precaution."
"Boss, what are we making tomorrow, and what time should I come over?"
Jiang Feng thought for a moment. "Let’s do filled pancakes and egg soup, still pairing one solid dish with one soup."
"Filled pancakes?" Sun Zhuangfei swallowed. Filled pancakes were a real treat; anyone who loved meat would enjoy them.
"What do you need me to do, and what time should I head over?"
"Still four o’clock. Come and help in the kitchen."
"Okay."
The two carried their shoulder poles and continued downhill. Some passersby thought they looked familiar and stared for quite a while. But Jiang Feng moved too quickly, so no issues arose.
At the mountaintop, many people arrived at Jiang Feng’s stall, only to find a firmly shut iron gate and a sign reading "Closed." A few young men nearby were wailing.
"Huh? It’s over?"
"It’s finished already?"
"Is Boss Jiang really that quick?"
The hikers were on the verge of tears.
"I just saw two people carrying shoulder poles downhill; I thought it was him!"
"Ah, we should have asked him for a photo!"
"I wanted a photo too!"
"He’s too sly! I show my sincerity to Boss Jiang, and he plays mind games with me!"
These people couldn’t help but voice their laments.
There was really nothing Jiang Feng could do! If one person stopped him, a whole crowd would likely gather. He might even have to pose for pictures multiple times on the next flight of stairs, which would be a major waste of time.
Fortunately, Little Black hadn’t come today. The last time he went downhill, he too had to be carried. Later, Jiang Feng found it too troublesome to bring him and stopped letting him come along. Otherwise, he would probably have been recognized too easily.
Today’s selling session was successfully completed.
Recipe acquired: Filled Pancake Recipe x3
There were multiple flavors of filled pancakes, and the three Jiang Feng received were: Beef Filled Pancake, Pork Filled Pancake, and Leek Filled Pancake.
Of course, the preparation of filled pancakes wasn’t vastly different; the main variation was in the filling. When Jiang Feng used to make buns, he had mastered the techniques for various meat and vegetable fillings, so making filled pancakes was simple for him.
He planned to sell filled pancakes and egg soup after finishing the breakfasts for the last two days. With the increased foot traffic and ensuing pressure, he needed to work harder and maintain quality. He couldn’t let his patrons down. As for those who couldn’t get his food, there was nothing he could do; he could only prepare so much.
When Jiang Feng returned home, he rested for a bit and walked the dog. Then he went to check on the restaurant. The restaurant was located in a bustling old downtown area, surrounded by many residents and quite lively. There was even a dedicated parking lot nearby. Managing a restaurant wasn’t simple, but he had reliable staff, so it didn’t require much of his direct attention.
Business at the Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant was very good, and operations were stable. Zhang Hu sent him a message saying that two particularly skilled chefs had applied and were hoping Jiang Feng could come back to conduct an on-site interview. After all, business at the restaurant was booming and it was packed every day, so they were a bit short-staffed in the kitchen.
Jiang Feng agreed to go and have a look after he finished selling breakfast on the mountaintop.
He’d almost forgotten he was still the big boss.
The Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant was indeed thriving and had become a locally famous, signature Shandong Cuisine restaurant. When mentioning this city, locals would recommend the Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant. Here, one could taste authentic Shandong Cuisine, and it had attracted a large number of Shandong Cuisine chefs. It was a truly top-tier establishment. This success was also a result of Jiang Feng’s earlier efforts.
Upon returning home, as soon as Jiang Feng opened the door, he saw Little Black running over with slippers in his mouth to greet him. The little guy wagged his tail excitedly. Jiang Feng was quite fond of this little one, who was growing more handsome with age and hadn’t become scrawny. The looks of a village dog could easily decline as it grew older. Fortunately, Little Black maintained a standard facial structure and physique, looking fit and trim.
Jiang Feng changed his shoes and lay down on the sofa to rest. Little Black voluntarily climbed up and lay beside him; Jiang Feng naturally placed his hand on the dog’s head.
"Remote control," Jiang Feng called out.
Hearing him, Little Black immediately ran to the coffee table and brought the remote control to him.
Nowadays, young people rarely watched TV. But at home, watching TV was convenient. The television was also useful for screen casting and playing games. Jiang Feng watched TV aimlessly for a while before heading to his room for an afternoon nap.
In the afternoon, Jiang Feng brought Little Black to the shop to prepare the ingredients for tomorrow. It was actually quite simple. The filled pancakes had to be freshly griddled to be delicious, so all he needed to do was let the dough rise properly and marinate the beef and pork fillings. The seaweed egg drop soup was even simpler.
However, Jiang Feng’s seaweed egg drop soup was worlds apart from the seaweed egg drop soup found in a university cafeteria. Take the egg flowers, for example: a spoonful of beaten egg drizzled in would bloom like a peony, an achievement not just anyone could manage. A pot of his soup was filled to the brim with ingredients. The egg flowers were large and evenly distributed. It wasn’t just seaweed—there were also wood ear mushrooms, tomatoes, chopped green onions, and tiny shrimp. All the ingredients were generously portioned.
Jiang Feng’s pot of egg soup used five eggs, which was already a generous quantity. With so many eggs, if they weren’t whisked in skillfully, they would form coarse clumps of congealed egg instead of delicate strands.
Of course, the cafeteria staff were even more adept in their own way. They could make egg flowers from a single egg distribute throughout an entire pot so finely that they were almost hard to spot. The flavor of their soup, aside from being a bit salty, wasn’t anything special.
Jiang Feng’s soup, on the contrary, had plentiful amounts of tomatoes, seaweed, wood ear mushrooms, and green onions, resulting in a rich and savory broth. It was simply comforting to drink.
With these ingredients ready, everything was set. All that remained was to have someone carry them up the mountain the next day.
A bowl of seaweed egg drop soup, 6 yuan.
A filled pancake, 10 yuan.
Considering the mountaintop prices, where a bottle of mineral water also cost 10 yuan, this pricing was quite fair. This couldn’t be compared to city prices.
Since Jiang Feng knew there would be a large crowd, he made sure to prepare extra. But compared to the number of hikers, it was still far from enough.
That day, some people from a tour group had approached him, wanting to arrange VIP treatment by offering him 500 yuan to let their group eat first. Jiang Feng found the request ridiculous but politely declined. If they wanted to eat, they had to queue. The queuing system for his food was relatively fair.
「The next day」
The group of four set off on their climb again.
In this area, there was a popular saying: "Worship the water of Dujiangyan, seek enlightenment at Mount Qingcheng." The waters of Dujiangyan were considered worthy of veneration. Mount Qingcheng, with its many temples and statues, was a place to pray for blessings and seek enlightenment. After arriving at Mount Qingcheng, Jiang Feng had merely enjoyed the mountain views, without praying for blessings or seeking enlightenment. He had his own path and didn’t need to pray for anything.
The four continued their ascent. The number of mountain climbers was still large. This time, Jiang Feng made no effort to conceal himself.
"Boss Jiang, what are you selling today?" someone called out loudly along the way.
Many people who saw Jiang Feng took out their phones to capture the moment.
"Today I’m selling filled pancakes, with beef and pork fillings," Jiang Feng replied.
"Filled pancakes?"
"Can I buy two right now?" the person asked again.
Hearing this, others also showed expectant looks.
"I haven’t cooked them yet; I only have the dough and the fillings. I’m going to griddle them fresh up there. Freshly griddled filled pancakes are the best!" Jiang Feng answered calmly.
Hearing his response, the person had no choice but to give up. He promptly decided to join the queuing masses.
At the rear mountain entrance, staff members were blocking climbers from going further. There were designated opening times each day. Countless people gathered at the entrance, ready to compete in a climbing race. Those who were fast got breakfast; those who were slow missed out.
For those in the know, this was all for Jiang Feng’s breakfast. Those unaware might think it was a Shaolin Temple selection for warrior monks! A mountain climb had turned into a race. But there was no helping it; too many people were vying for the food.
At the entrance, many greeted Jiang Feng.
"Boss Jiang, save a portion for me!"
"Wait for me, I’ll be up in no time!"
"What are you selling today?"
After hearing everyone’s questions, Jiang Feng repeated the details about selling filled pancakes, and then the group of four continued their ascent.
Upon hearing it was filled pancakes, everyone perked up, eager and ready to go.
Li Pao’er was also at the rear mountain entrance and exchanged greetings with Jiang Feng. He was there today because his livestream viewers wanted to see more. Li Pao’er had taken up the challenge to queue and secure Jiang Feng’s breakfast.
"My friends, watch closely! Today I’m going to conquer the back of Mount Qingcheng! I will be at the front of the pack!" Li Pao’er said to his livestream camera.
The audience in the livestream cheered him on, urging him to go faster.
At 7 a.m. sharp, the rear mountain entrance opened.
Someone yelled, "Charge!" and the massive crowd surged up the steps toward the mountaintop.
It was just as the saying goes: "People strive for higher places, just as water flows downward." This scene perfectly embodied it!