Chapter 120: The Homemade Pork Knuckle, It Was Actually Him!

Chapter 120: Chapter 120: The Homemade Pork Knuckle, It Was Actually Him!

Niu Feihu’s son’s hundred-day celebration today was the epitome of class.

Quite a few people asked him where he had found the chefs.

In the village, a good chef team was always the missing piece for banquets.

Niu Feihu told them that they were all chefs from Jiangyue Terrace; had the restaurant not been undergoing renovations, they wouldn’t have been available.

Upon hearing this, many felt regretful. Why aren’t I holding a banquet these days? they thought. Otherwise, I too could have had my moment of glory!

The village’s information system had always been well-developed. News in this village could quickly spread to other villages.

So, before the banquet had even started, people came to Jiang Feng to ask about booking their own banquets.

Business was knocking on the door.

However, Jiang Feng had to consider the situation; with a team to manage, it all depended on the other party’s offer.

By around eleven o’clock, Niu Feihu’s courtyard was filled with people.

Many others were drawn in just by the smell.

A few people had come just to see the spectacle and didn’t plan to dine, since attending a banquet required a gift.

But today was an exception.

"It smells so good, let’s go in!"

"I was thinking the same! I came for the spectacle, but I have to try dishes made by a big restaurant’s chef!"

"Right, a gift of 200 should be enough. We can’t go wrong with that."

"Let’s go!"

People started filing in.

Once inside, everyone found a table and sat down.

There were two tables inside for the host family and elders to dine.

Outside were tables for villagers, friends, and children.

A hundred-day celebration with such an impressive setup was indeed rare.

Many eyed the direction of the chefs. Everything was ready; they were just waiting for the dishes to be served.

The chefs were also waiting for the right moment.

Before long, it was time, and the dishes started coming out.

The chefs began by placing an array of beautifully prepared cold dishes before the guests: pork knuckles, pig’s head meat, cucumber salad, glass noodles, and soy sauce beef.

Just the sight of them made people hungry.

These dishes tasted just like those from a large restaurant.

Already famished, people reached for their chopsticks, eating some cold dishes to partially fill their stomachs and whet their appetites.

Everyone ate merrily, and there was no habit of grabbing or hoarding food.

Soon enough, hot dishes started to arrive at the tables: Four Happiness meatballs, Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet, braised fish, roast lamb chops...

Besides Shandong Cuisine, the chefs could also prepare some common home-style meat dishes.

What everyone was most looking forward to was Jiang Feng’s stewed pork knuckle.

It wasn’t long before a huge, pre-sliced pork knuckle was brought out by the chefs.

Upon seeing the knuckle, everyone’s eyes lit up.

The knuckle had deepened to a rich soy color, its surface glistening with oil. The thick, slightly viscous sauce coated every part of it. Steam rose, adding an irresistible allure to the already tantalizing dish.

"Here it comes!"

Immediately, people’s focus locked onto the pork knuckle, and chopsticks reached for it.

An old lady got a piece of meat with the skin still on it and popped it into her mouth.

As soon as the meat touched her palate, a rich pork flavor flooded her senses.

When she chewed, the layers of meat parted, releasing a cascade of savory juices!

The pleasure of devouring such tender meat was indescribable, and its texture was just as satisfying.

Perhaps the most exquisite part was the pork skin, which Jiang Feng’s preparation had rendered incredibly soft and flavorful. Chewing it revealed a slight gelatinous texture, brimming with collagen—so delectable one might feel like swallowing their own tongue.

This pork knuckle was incredibly delicious!

"Not bad at all!"

"Truly the work of a chef from a big restaurant!"

"This knuckle smells amazing!"

The exclamations came one after another.

The portions were generous, so at first, everyone was quite polite.

But as soon as the pork knuckle arrived, people started to dig in with gusto.

Most tables remained fairly calm.

At one table, Aunt Liu was a bit more aggressive. Upon tasting how delicious the knuckle was, she pulled out a plastic bag from her pocket, aiming to pack the knuckle away.

"What do you think you’re doing?" a fellow villager at the same table immediately chided her, knowing that if they didn’t speak up, the knuckle would truly be gone.

Caught in the act, Aunt Liu pursed her lips and reluctantly put the plastic bag away.

The pork knuckle stewed by Jiang Feng was simply irresistible.

The meat was tender and succulent, the sauce rich, and each bite filled the mouth with its savory essence.

Furthermore, considering the difficulty of portioning, Jiang Feng had precut the knuckle for easy serving with chopsticks.

Almost everyone’s attention was on the pork knuckle.

Quickly, in mere moments, the large pork knuckle was reduced to a bare bone.

It was the same story at nearly every table.

Niu Feihu came out to have a look and felt very satisfied seeing the bustling scene.

At that moment, a chef came out to serve more dishes, and Liu Fei asked, "Master chef, who made this knuckle? The flavor is spot on!"

The villagers had exceptionally sharp ears, and upon hearing Liu Fei’s question, they all pricked them up to listen.

The chef who had come out was a young man, an assistant responsible for plating and serving dishes. He immediately replied, "Our boss made it, Jiang Feng, Executive Chef Jiang."

Niu Feihu nodded, not knowing who Jiang Feng was.

But there was a young man among the guests named Ma Fei, who suddenly widened his eyes in shock.

Executive Chef Jiang? Is it him?

Ma Fei wanted to go to the kitchen to confirm, but eating the pork knuckle was his priority.

Only after the knuckle was devoured did he sneak a peek into the back kitchen.

"Holy cow! It really is him!" he exclaimed. "Executive Chef Jiang is doing banquets this week! Where did he find so many assistants?"

Ma Fei immediately started recording a video of Jiang Feng.

Conveniently, he was in Liu Bao’s outdoor live-streaming group, so he immediately sent the video to the group.

"Breaking news! Executive Chef Jiang is cooking for a banquet in our village!"

"His subordinates are all chefs from big restaurants!"

"I ate the pork knuckle he made; it was so delicious that it got snatched up as soon as it was served!"

When they saw Ma Fei’s message and video, the netizens in the group were also stunned.

[What? Executive Chef Jiang stopped setting up his stall and started catering banquets?]

[You’re saying his subordinates are chefs from big restaurants? For real?]

[Damn... I thought he was just a small stall owner, and now you’re telling me his chefs are from big restaurants?]

[For real? How many identities does he have!]

[Executive Chef Jiang is truly enigmatic, a master of hiding his talents. I can’t figure him out at all!]

The group instantly sprang to life.

Liu Bao wasn’t live-streaming. Seeing many people @ing him, he clicked into the group to see what was happening.

Liu Bao also saw Ma Fei’s message.

What the fuck! Executive Chef Jiang has so many chefs from big restaurants as his subordinates? What am I seeing? He isn’t a street vendor? Is he a restaurant owner? A real tycoon?

Liu Bao couldn’t wait to @ Ma Fei and ask, "Bro, is this news for real?"

Ma Fei, who was at the feast, took several pictures of the banquet and replied:

"It’s real, happening right in a rich family’s home in our village; the banquet is 1,200 yuan per table—such high quality!"

"I also heard it from the host!"

"Executive Chef Jiang is the owner of Jiangyue Terrace, which was formerly Gourmet Suite."

"Everyone in our village is talking about it; their food is incredibly delicious!"

"Can’t chat now, I need to eat first."

After seeing Ma Fei’s message, Liu Bao was even more shocked.

Big news!

Executive Chef Jiang, who ran a food truck, also owned a restaurant and had many chefs working under him.

Damn, I was so lucky to have eaten at his stall before! Liu Bao felt a surge of emotions.

I knew it! No mere street vendor could have that level of skill; he had to be a top chef! I was right all along!

At this point, many people in the fan group were also shouting out.

"Brother Bao, why don’t you get married and invite us to the banquet!"

"I’d do anything to eat at that banquet!"

"Brother Bao, we want to eat at your banquet!"

Liu Bao, faced with everyone’s messages, was speechless.

If it only cost ten or twenty thousand for a banquet, he’d gladly do it. But such events were troublesome, involving decisions about how many people to invite, where to book, and managing personnel.

That’s why most streamers only organized small gatherings for meals, not large banquets.

Liu Bao considered crashing a banquet.

It would be quite easy to crash a banquet by giving the host family a gift and a red envelope.

But he couldn’t bring many people. It was better not to publicize such things, as too many attendees could disrupt the hosts’ event.

「At this very moment」

Niu Feihu’s home was bustling with activity.

The guests were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Every dish was of restaurant quality, and the taste was superb!

The dish that garnered the most praise was the glistening, crimson pork knuckle.

A few dogs, attracted by the aroma, came in.

Seeing the dogs’ longing looks, a dog lover threw them a leftover pork knuckle bone.

It was a large bone, still coated with savory meat sauce.

A small white dog snatched the bone and bolted outside, disappearing quickly.

Seeing its action, the other dogs immediately chased after it.

The chatter of people, the barking of dogs, the toasts at the banquet, and the gossip of the aunties all mingled, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.

The chefs from Jiangyue Terrace were still busy with the final few dishes. They had made sure to set aside plenty of good food for themselves; chefs never shortchange themselves when it comes to eating.

"Come on, try the pork knuckle made by the boss!" Zhang Hu called out to a few others.

The main cooking was done. All that remained was plating, garnishing, and preparing the desserts, tasks the head chef no longer needed to oversee.

Everyone came over, scooped up a bowl of rice, and started tasting the pork knuckle.

The meat was incredibly fragrant, the skin stewed until tender. The hot, thick sauce clung to the knuckle, making every bite an absolute delight.

"The boss’s skills are truly on another level!"

"We’re all chefs; how come I can’t open a restaurant like this!"

"It depends on who you learn from. I saw the boss’s profile online; it says he started learning to cook when he was young, taught by a master chef."

"This pork knuckle is truly exceptional, stewed perfectly."

Everyone was discussing amongst themselves.

At that moment, Zhang Hu served up a bowl of rice for Jiang Feng, who came over to eat as well.

He also distributed bonuses to everyone.

Seeing the distribution of money, the chefs were quite thrilled.

A joyful atmosphere permeated the farmhouse courtyard.

"I’ve accepted another job for tomorrow: a funeral banquet at someone’s home," Jiang Feng told his chefs. "The standard will be the same as today, just without the Four Happiness Meatballs, tofu, and prawns. I’ll give the menu to Old Zhang later. Everyone, please work hard again. Bonuses will be paid as usual."

Hearing Jiang Feng’s words, everyone became cheerful again.

After all, earning an extra 300 for a morning’s work was quite good.

Jiang Feng maintained a calm exterior, but inwardly, he was even more delighted.

After all, making a million from a single job is incredibly satisfying. Having the system is just great!