Chapter 195: Chapter 195: No, where did all these people come from?
Jiang Feng planned to launch a new dish tomorrow: Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee.
Ever since the news of his food stall at the mountain peak went viral, more and more people had been coming.
Everyone treated his stall as a tourist attraction.
With popularity came pressure, and he always felt the need to introduce new dishes.
To make the Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee, Jiang Feng used a specially made large clay pot.
For the congee to achieve its best taste and a richer flavor, it had to be simmered in a clay pot.
The process of making Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee was quite simple.
It was just a matter of adding rice, chopped century eggs, marinated strips of meat, and seasoning.
Although the steps were simple, each one demanded careful execution.
For instance, the rice had to be soaked in water and frozen for two hours.
The century eggs had to be steamed in a pot before being chopped, so their flavor wouldn’t be too overpowering.
The strips of meat had to be marinated with seasoning sauce and shredded ginger, then mixed well by hand to thoroughly absorb the flavors.
Using a clay pot also helped concentrate the flavors of the congee.
Jiang Feng wasn’t in a hurry to make the congee today; he was just getting the ingredients ready.
In the afternoon, Jiang Feng and Sun Zhuangfei were at the little restaurant, preparing ingredients for the next day.
Jiang Feng made the meat filling and wonton skins, while Sun Zhuangfei sat wrapping wontons.
Little Black lay at the entrance of the shop, enjoying the view.
Occasionally, local residents would pass by, stopping in front of Jiang Feng’s stall to chat for a bit and ask if they could buy a bowl of wontons then and there.
Jiang Feng would politely decline, as the pot wasn’t even hot and the broth hadn’t been prepared.
The dough for the scallion pancakes also needed to be made in advance and left to rise, so it would be ready for making pancakes on the mountain the next day.
The two bustled about, preparing for tomorrow.
At the same time, Jiang Feng’s wontons had already caused quite a stir online.
Many who had tried his wontons couldn’t stop praising them.
Some people only told their friends about it.
Others had already shared their experiences online, including several bloggers, big and small.
On platforms like Dianping, Meituan, Little Red Book, and others, people shared their stories.
"Mount Qingcheng check-in, the most stunning part was Boss Jiang’s snack stall."
"I’ve never tasted such delicious wontons."
"The wonton filling is so fragrant; I devour them one after another."
"And the broth is delicious too, exceptionally savory."
"After drinking it, I felt all warmed up."
"In any case, if any of you are going to Mount Qingcheng soon, make sure to go in the morning and try Boss Jiang’s snack stall."
"Absolutely worth it!"
People shared their experiences, and Jiang Feng’s fame was rapidly growing online.
And this was despite him not managing a personal account.
Previously, Jiang Feng’s videos went viral in the food section, and those who knew him were food video enthusiasts.
Gradually, his fame began to spread beyond his usual audience.
Thanks to the buzz from tourists checking in at his stall, more people learned about him.
Following one person’s post, many netizens commented:
"Executive Chef Jiang is truly a marvel. He owns a restaurant but doesn’t work there, running a stall instead."
"He sets up his stall wherever he goes, so carefree. The last person this freewheeling was Yue Yunpeng, chasing Yanzi and setting up stalls abroad."
"I’ve seen this stall owner so many times; everyone says his food is delicious."
"I’ve come across him many times too, always from different people’s perspectives, and he sells something different each time."
"What’s his account? Can someone tag him?"
"He seems to have said he doesn’t have an account."
"What? No account, and he’s this popular? Doesn’t he want the traffic?"
"The man’s a tycoon, with assets in the hundreds of millions. He runs the stall purely for enjoyment; does he really need the online traffic?"
The netizens were engrossed in a heated discussion.
It was these conversations that introduced even more people to Jiang Feng.
「Early the next morning,」
Jiang Feng, Sun Zhuangfei, and two porters were heading up the mountain when tour group buses had already started arriving down below.
Presumably, these tour groups had come to watch the sunrise and, incidentally, grab some breakfast.
Yesterday there were just two tour groups; today, there were at least six.
The number of visitors was indeed substantial.
Many had adjusted their itineraries just for Jiang Feng’s snack stall.
Originally planning to hike in the afternoon, they all switched to the morning instead.
For no other reason than to have breakfast on the mountaintop.
Eating while looking out at the newly risen sun felt very comfortable.
"There are so many people climbing the mountain today," Sun Zhuangfei exclaimed.
"They can’t all be here for breakfast, can they?"
As they were riding the cable car, many tourists watched them.
"Look over there, it’s Boss Jiang!"
"They’re going up the mountain!"
"Is that thermal container holding the breakfast they’ll be selling today?"
"Let’s rush to get some!"
The tourists joked with each other.
Seeing the four of them heading up, laden with packages large and small, was quite an interesting sight.
The rear mountain path didn’t open to the public until after seven o’clock.
But workers could enter early.
So, before the visitors ascended, Jiang Feng had plenty of time to prepare.
The thermal containers were filled to the brim with the prepared Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee. The two porters were remarkably strong, carrying a huge pot of the congee without showing any strain.
Jiang Feng and Sun Zhuangfei carried the rest of the items.
Then, Jiang Feng busied himself in his small stall, preparing for the customers.
「On the mountain path.」
An influencer was livestreaming.
Panting heavily, he spoke to the camera, "The challenge to eat Boss Jiang’s breakfast on Mount Qingcheng is still underway!"
This person was named Li Pao’er.
His livestream content involved fulfilling challenges requested by his audience,
such as climbing the Five Great Mountains in five days or visiting a son guarding the border.
Today’s challenge was to eat at Jiang Feng’s breakfast stall on Mount Qingcheng.
"There are so many people! Everyone, look at the rear mountain area; it’s packed with people."
"I guess they’re all here for breakfast."
"I’ve got to hurry and get up there, or there’ll be nothing left!" Li Pao’er said with some concern.
The challenge was to eat breakfast; if he didn’t manage to, it wouldn’t count.
Li Pao’er had initially thought grabbing breakfast would be a sure thing, with the mountain climb being the only tiring part.
But when he saw two or three tour groups already waiting, he immediately began to have doubts.
The audience in the livestream chat was amused:
[Hahaha, if he doesn’t get to eat, the challenge is failed!]
[Holy cow, is that food stall owner that popular?]
[I love seeing Boss Jiang in different people’s videos; it’s so interesting!]
[Everyone’s scrambling for food!]
Just then, it was time for the rear mountain path to open.
As soon as access was granted, a large crowd surged towards the mountaintop.
The first to dash out were several robust young men, their strides as swift as the wind.
Taking three or four steps at a time, their movements were incredibly light, and they quickly took the lead.
Li Pao’er was rather stout, the soft, pudgy kind of fat.
He wasn’t nearly as agile.
He followed in the midst of the crowd, laboring up the mountain, exhausted but compelled to keep pushing forward.
The livestream audience found it hilarious.
[Haha, what a lively scene!]
[Host, run faster! If you don’t, you won’t get to eat!]
[Man, all this for breakfast? Is it really necessary?]
[It’s not about necessity; a lot of people just love the thrill of getting something in demand, especially when there’s a big crowd. It gets really intense.]
[Does this stall owner really have that much appeal?]
At that moment, Jiang Feng was fully prepared.
The wontons were already boiling.
The pot of Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee was still heating up.
The dough, mixed with scallions and sesame oil, had been rolled flat by Jiang Feng, ready to be griddled at any moment.
These breakfast items weren’t difficult to make.
But the taste of the finished products varied drastically from person to person.
Take Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee, for example. Some places made a version that was almost inedible—slimy, unrefreshing, and even slightly fishy.
Other places, however, served Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee with glistening rice grains, a delightful savory aroma, and an incredibly smooth texture.
Similarly, some scallion pancakes were hard, with a bland taste and texture.
But others boasted a pronounced scallion aroma and were soft and wonderfully chewy.
With his top-notch culinary skills, the food Jiang Feng made was naturally excellent.
Soon, the first wave of climbers arrived, and they immediately started placing orders.
Jiang Feng served them enthusiastically.
A while later, a somewhat muffled sound drifted from the distance, reminiscent of thousands of horses galloping across the Grassland, or perhaps a classroom of students chattering endlessly while the teacher was away.
The clamor grew closer.
Then, Jiang Feng saw a vast horde of tourists making their way up the steps.
They ascended almost shoulder to shoulder.
Jiang Feng was momentarily stunned.
Seriously, where did all these people come from?
After reaching the mountaintop, the tourists all headed towards Jiang Feng’s stall.
It looked like they were indeed going to form a long queue!
The situation was certainly beyond Jiang Feng’s expectations.
If people were climbing just for good food, there wouldn’t be this many.
Because those who go to great lengths purely for a meal are relatively few.
But if it was to join the crowd and experience the excitement, then many more would come.
People nowadays just love to follow the crowd and join in on whatever’s popular.
Since they had already come all this way, it would feel like a missed opportunity not to go up and see.
It was just like when eating instant noodles on Mount Laojun became a trend, and for days afterward, everyone went up just for that.
"So many people at the mountaintop!" Jiang Feng exclaimed.
This familiar feeling of being surrounded by diners had returned; it all came rushing back.
As people began to queue, Jiang Feng got busy taking orders.
Some wanted wontons, some scallion pancakes, others Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee.
Luckily, he had brought enough bowls on the first day.
Otherwise, it would have been tough to manage.
Considering the situation, I’ll need to bring more disposable bowls in the future, and maybe hire an auntie to help keep the summit clean, he mused. Arrive clean, leave clean.
He was determined not to negatively impact the mountain environment.
Many people were holding up their phones, filming Jiang Feng making pancakes.
It was clear that Jiang Feng had indeed become very popular.