Chapter 196: 196 Chapter Snowflakes fluttering, the north wind whistles~
Li Pao’er panted as he reached the summit.
His assistant, also out of breath, held up a phone behind him.
Both were overweight, and speeding up the mountain had left them utterly exhausted.
"Challenge to climb to the top of Mount Qingcheng, accomplished!"
Li Pao’er didn’t forget to cheer himself on.
"Next step, challenge to eat Boss Jiang’s breakfast!"
He moved forward, only to see the line ahead snaking around several bends.
"Oh my!"
"This many people?"
Li Pao’er was astonished.
It was almost like the National Day holiday climbing rush!
The viewers in the livestream were even more excited to see this scene.
[Come on, you must succeed in the challenge!]
[A breakfast stall on the mountaintop with such a long line—have people gone mad, or have I?]
[This world has gone crazy!]
[I think it’s because of a mysterious force, summed up in four words: "Since we’re here anyway!"]
[Exactly! If I went to Mount Qingcheng and you told me there was a super popular breakfast stall at the top, I’d definitely want to go too.]
The livestream chat was extremely lively.
Fans of Jiang Feng had once said that you could spot Boss Jiang anywhere, just not on his own social media account.
That was just the way Jiang Feng was.
He wasn’t active in the public eye, yet the public sphere was full of his stories.
At this moment, Jiang Feng also started to get busy. Soon, there weren’t enough bowls. He had to wait for the customers ahead to finish their meals. Then, he would collect the used bowls, remove the disposable linings, give them a quick wash, slip on new plastic linings, and hurry to serve the next customer.
Sun Zhuangfei darted through the crowd, back and forth.
Only a young guy could manage such work.
If you hired an older woman, she’d struggle just climbing the mountain, let alone running back and forth.
The line kept moving forward, but it seemed like more people were joining from behind.
Jiang Feng, busy for a while, quickly estimated the remaining supplies and shouted, "Not much left, no need to keep lining up!"
"Almost sold out! I can take at most 20 more orders!"
Upon hearing his words, people at the front of the line immediately began to calculate their positions.
Li Pao’er, after a long wait, also stuck his head out and started counting.
"1, 2, 3, 4..."
"18, 19, 20, 21."
"No way, I’m number 21!"
Li Pao’er was stunned. Seeing his reaction, the livestream audience burst into laughter. It’s true that one person’s sorrow doesn’t always resonate with another’s joy; livestream entertainment often involves watching the host’s misfortune, much to the viewers’ amusement.
The line continued to inch forward.
Li Pao’er leaned out and called towards Jiang Feng, "Boss Jiang, I’m a huge fan! Save me some!"
"I’m number 21! I’m number 21!"
Li Pao’er was desperate.
He had promised his viewers that if he failed the challenge, he would get a buzz cut—a really short one, 3 millimeters.
So, completing the breakfast challenge was a must.
His words did have an effect.
Jiang Feng carefully managed the portions, so there was still a bit left for him.
Finally, Li Pao’er made his way to the front of the line.
His assistant pointed the camera at Jiang Feng.
"Boss Jiang, two bowls of wonton soup, two scallion pancakes, and two bowls of century egg and lean pork congee," Li Pao’er hurriedly said.
"There’s only one bowl of wonton soup and one bowl of century egg and lean pork congee left, but I can make two more scallion pancakes."
"They’re all yours."
Jiang Feng picked up the thermos and poured the last bit of century egg and lean pork congee into a bowl.
Then, he ladled out a bowl of wontons.
Afterward, he deftly made two scallion pancakes.
Regardless, Li Pao’er had finally managed to buy breakfast, and the challenge was ultimately complete.
The camera focused on Jiang Feng’s face, giving it a close-up.
The livestream audience watched Jiang Feng.
[Holy cow, this stall owner is kind of handsome! He looks this good even with a close-up and no filter!]
[He’s about as handsome as I am!]
[He’s half a pound of gold, and you’re eight ounces of scrap metal!]
[Not to brag or anything, but I looked exactly like him when I was younger!]
[Is he that handsome? Well, maybe just a tiny bit better looking than me!]
[Damn, he’s that handsome and he can cook? Does he have a girlfriend? I’ll make the sacrifice and be his girlfriend!]
[She’s clearly dreaming! Someone give her a rude awakening!]
The barrage of comments exploded in an instant.
At that very moment, Li Pao’er sat down at a little table with his bowl of century egg and lean pork congee.
He looked into the bowl.
The congee gleamed with a translucent shimmer, the grains of rice soft and pearly white, looking very clean overall.
Century egg and chopped green onions were mixed in, with traces of ginger and shredded pork visible.
Upon stirring gently with a spoon, the aroma instantly wafted out.
Li Pao’er exclaimed, "The presentation is really nice, no wonder everyone comes!"
His stomach was growling insistently, so he immediately spooned up some congee and put it in his mouth.
Instantly, a tantalizing aroma burst in his mouth, blooming on his taste buds.
The century egg and lean pork congee had a savory, salty flavor that registered as soon as it hit his tongue.
The rice was very soft on the surface, yet he could feel its elasticity as he chewed.
The century egg was incredibly tender and had been prepared so well there wasn’t the slightest hint of ammonia, only a rich egg fragrance.
The pork shreds, meticulously marinated, had a particularly smooth texture, slipping easily into his mouth with a slurp.
This was a very common breakfast dish.
But to make it this delicious was no easy feat.
"Wow!"
Li Pao’er’s eyes widened.
He turned to the livestream camera and said, "Delicious, it really is delicious!"
"I’m not exaggerating, and this isn’t just for show!"
"His century egg and lean pork congee is exceptionally flavorful and incredibly fragrant."
"It’s so much better than the century egg and lean pork congee I’ve had at KFC!"
"Absolutely incredible!"
Li Pao’er was full of praise.
He had a few more bites and felt increasingly satisfied.
The netizens watching him found their mouths watering unconsciously.
It looked absolutely delicious!
His assistant was eating wontons. Li Pao’er asked, "How are the wontons? Let me try one."
His assistant gave a thumbs-up and said two words: "Unbeatable!"
Li Pao’er scooped up a wonton with his spoon and put it in his mouth.
Eating quickly, he swallowed it without even chewing.
Little did he know how silky smooth the wonton was; it slipped right down.
He just felt a burst of fragrance in his mouth, and then it slid smoothly down his throat.
"Whoa, that was fast!"
"Let me try another one!"
He tasted another wonton.
This time, he chewed carefully and truly savored the fresh tenderness of the meat filling.
"TSK! TSK! TSK!"
Li Pao’er clicked his tongue in amazement.
It was truly delicious.
Not just ordinarily delicious, but exceptionally delicious.
"No wonder it’s so popular."
"The flavor is genuinely amazing!"
"I finally understand why he’s so popular online, why people line up for whatever he makes."
"Bros, that’s not just fans creating hype; it’s because the food he makes is just too delicious!"
"Bros, he’s the real deal; trust me on this."
"What other master chef would set up a little stall to cook gourmet food for us, huh!"
Li Pao’er exclaimed sincerely.
There were many viewers in the livestream, hailing from all over the country.
Although they wouldn’t necessarily rush over just to eat at the stall, Jiang Feng had certainly made an impression on them.
[Is it really that delicious? Don’t kid me!]
[I’ve seen so many people share about it, but the more they share, the less I believe it!]
[Same here, I’m a skeptical type. But I’m slowly starting to be persuaded. If so many people say something’s good, it must be good.]
[You should check out videos of this stall owner cooking. He’s got real skills—very impressive!]
[Guys, have you seen his video making knife-shaved noodles? It’s like he’s professionally trained. All you see are afterimages!]
The barrage of comments kept emerging.
More and more people were learning about Jiang Feng’s exploits.
At that moment, Jiang Feng was busy cleaning up with Sun Zhuangfei.
Sun Zhuangfei was carrying a large garbage bag, picking up trash everywhere.
Jiang Feng was very particular about this, and Sun Zhuangfei followed suit.
All the garbage had to be cleaned up; none could be left behind.
Every time they descended the mountain, they took all the garbage down with them.
They were more conscientious than the mountain’s sanitation workers.
Jiang Feng wasn’t clear about the situation online, nor did he particularly care.
He was focused on his brick-and-mortar business, on running his own restaurant.
Beyond that, it was about completing system tasks and accumulating wealth.
He genuinely enjoyed setting up his food stall and selling delicious food, gaining a sense of achievement from seeing his customers eat happily.
"Boss Jiang, we climbed all the way up the mountain specifically for this. Is it really all sold out?" a few customers asked, their faces full of disappointment.
"It’s really all gone, not a bit left."
"Sorry about that," Jiang Feng explained.
"NOOOOO~~~~~~"
One guy, utterly exhausted, collapsed to his knees on the ground, letting out a wail.
It seemed as if background music started playing around him:
"Snowflakes flutter, north wind whistles~"
"The world, a vast expanse, of desolation~~"
The surrounding people cast sympathetic glances.
Poor kid, to suffer such a blow at such a young age.
But there was nothing to be done; life is full of regrets.
Jiang Feng continued to pack up.
He had to hurry; he needed to leave quickly.
More and more people were approaching, all asking if there was any breakfast left.
For now, only one guy was wailing.
If he waited any longer, there might be a whole crowd wailing.
That would be too much to handle.
Soon, Sun Zhuangfei had collected the bowls, chopsticks, and disposable tableware from the last few customers.
The two of them, carrying shoulder poles loaded with garbage, empty buckets, and empty basins, started heading down the mountain.
Jiang Feng saw that the mountain path’s steps were densely packed with people.
There was barely any room to go down.
Moreover, many of them were clearly heading up for breakfast.
If they were spotted, they would definitely be mobbed.
"Zhuangfei, did you bring a headscarf?" Jiang Feng asked.
"Didn’t bring a headscarf."
"But I brought a baseball cap and face masks—lots of face masks. I have two baseball caps; I was planning to switch between them," Sun Zhuangfei hastily replied.
"Give me a set," Jiang Feng said quickly.
Then, both donning baseball caps and face masks, they carried their shoulder poles and headed down the mountain.
Along the way, Jiang Feng overheard people chatting.
"If we go to the mountaintop now, will we still be able to get breakfast?"
"We should, right? With so many people, that owner must have prepared extra."
"I think so too. I’m just worried he might have already closed up shop!"
"Hopefully not."
Hearing their words, Jiang Feng pulled his cap lower.
Fortunately, there were many porters on the mountain, so tourists wouldn’t pay him special attention.
Fully disguised, Jiang Feng and Sun Zhuangfei quickly made their getaway.