Chapter 187: Chapter 187 An Even More Absurd New Task!
Diners were searching for Jiang Feng. During meals, many people chatted idly:
"Where’s Boss Jiang set up his stall this week? We haven’t seen him around!"
"Don’t tell me he’s skipped town!"
"I’m craving his steak!"
"Someone’s set up a new steak stall where he used to be, even playing the violin, but the taste isn’t nearly as good as Boss Jiang’s!"
"Only his steak can taste that delicious!"
Usually, Jiang Feng would set up his stall for a week, then take a couple of days off. But this time, he simply didn’t show up.
Jiang Feng’s fans immediately switched to search mode. In the intel groups, people asked daily if Jiang Feng had been found. Moreover, several intel groups had established channels to share information, immediately relaying any news.
Jiang Feng probably hadn’t expected this. Other fans were busy praising and supporting their idols, while his fans spent their days just trying to find him. It was truly absurd.
At this moment, Jiang Feng was leisurely visiting a Sichuan cuisine creative contest. Truth be told, the chefs in the finals were each more impressive than the last. It was truly a gathering of virtuosos.
One Sichuan chef had carved a pillar from a large white radish, etching small, neat regular script characters onto it, with a dragon coiled around its side. Another chef had directly carved a phoenix. Yet another had sculpted a fairy ascending to the heavens, surrounded by a ring of small baskets filled with spicy glass noodles.
No wonder ’culinary’ contained the word ’art’; this truly is artistry. Besides top chefs, who would have the patience for this?
Another chef had molded a camel, placed it on a bed of yellow mashed potatoes, then added a few mock cacti on the potatoes and arranged several small dishes of braised intestines in brown sauce around it. A small flag stuck beside it read, "Belt and Road." It reflected both the theme and current policy.
Seeing these creations, Jiang Feng clicked his tongue in wonder. City folks really know how to have fun. He’d never thought to create such fancy things. The skill level of these chefs is no joke.
These elaborate displays required a lot of effort, but they weren’t impossibly difficult if one studied them carefully. However, when Jiang Feng cooked, he prioritized "flavor" and didn’t much care for such ostentation.
The chefs’ works were displayed on tables, each accompanied by a small plaque detailing the chef’s information. Hu Youwei hadn’t disappointed him either; his "Blossoming Flowers and Full Moon" composition also looked quite artistic.
In the crowd inspecting the works, one person was a fan of Jiang Feng. When he spotted Jiang Feng, his eyes widened. Holy sh*t! Isn’t that Executive Chef Jiang? He immediately took out his phone, snapped a photo of Jiang Feng, and posted it in the intel group.
"Guys, I found Boss Jiang! He’s wandering around the Sichuan Cuisine Creative Contest."
Looks like he’s not setting up his stall!
Seeing this, the people in the group finally understood. So that’s where he is! I was wondering why I couldn’t find him! Tell him to hurry up and set up his stall! What’s he doing loitering around? You go and tell him!
The person who found Jiang Feng was a bit stunned. Me? Go up and urge someone I just saw? Isn’t that a bit much?
Jiang Feng strolled around, chatted with Hu Youwei, and even scouted a few promising young chefs. Jiang Feng took the time to speak with them, outlining the salary and benefits. Two young chefs immediately expressed their interest. They recognized Jiang Feng, and the compensation at Jiangyue Terrace was indeed good, so they decided to sign.
Others scouted for young, pretty women in KTVs or other shady venues. Jiang Feng, however, was at a culinary innovation competition, scouting talented young chefs. He was clearly a career-focused man. Women would only slow down my cooking.
The competition venue resembled an exhibition hall, with tables laden with all sorts of exquisite, increasingly elaborate dishes. After a look around, Jiang Feng departed.
「That afternoon, the system issued a new task:」
[Mission started: Set up a stall on the summit of Mount Qingcheng and sell 100 servings of breakfast daily.]
[Mission Reward: Golden Pagoda (1)]
[Recipes Acquired: Soy Milk recipe, Wonton recipe, Youtiao recipe, Beef and Peppery Soup recipe, Large Fried Dough Twists recipe, Scallion Pancake recipe]
When this mission appeared, Jiang Feng paused. Golden Pagoda? Mount Qingcheng? Isn’t that from ’The New Legend of the White Snake’? I remember Bai Suzhen lived there. Can a reward actually be something like this? Jiang Feng was immediately intrigued.
Mount Qingcheng was near Chengdu City, not a long trip. It was part of the Dujiangyan Scenic Area, renowned for its beautiful landscapes, layered peaks, and deep, tranquil valleys. It was also one of the birthplaces of Taoism in China. It all sounded quite appealing.
However, Jiang Feng suddenly faced a dilemma. He then noticed the system specified "set up a stall on the mountaintop."
Set up a stall on the summit to sell breakfast? Who in their right mind would do that? Can you even get a stall up there? Jiang Feng was somewhat speechless. If there was a visitor service area halfway up, there might be some small eateries or stalls. But the summit was too remote; it was rare to see anyone vending there. How am I supposed to get everything up there?
Then, Jiang Feng called Sun Zhuangfei.
"Boss!" Sun Zhuangfei’s voice was filled with pleasant surprise.
"Busy this afternoon?" Jiang Feng asked.
"Not busy."
"Good. Come climb Mount Qingcheng with me. We’re going to set up a breakfast stall on the summit," Jiang Feng said directly.
"A breakfast stall on the summit? Oh, okay, I’ll head over now." Sun Zhuangfei was a little taken aback. Why on earth are we selling breakfast on a mountaintop? He didn’t ask further; it wasn’t his style to pry. Besides, Jiang Feng had already prepared an excuse: he planned to watch the sunrise for a week.
Nowadays, almost any mountain with a view attracted crowds for sunrise. There was something truly majestic about watching the sun emerge from behind the peaks.
Jiang Feng had contacted the scenic area management in advance. Mount Qingcheng was a major tourist site with quite formal administration. Cable cars, shuttle buses, temples, and so on were all managed by dedicated staff. The management knew Jiang Feng wanted to rent a small pavilion on the summit for a week and said it was no problem at all. They could even help transport goods up via the cable car daily, though Jiang Feng would have to carry them the final stretch himself.
When Jiang Feng heard this, he was pleased. Looks like the system already arranged everything.
"No problem," he agreed readily. "We can carry it the rest of the way ourselves."After hanging up, Jiang Feng called Sun Zhuangfei over to the food truck.
"Boss, what’s the plan? Aren’t we climbing the mountain?" Sun Zhuangfei asked immediately.
"First, pack up all the pots, pans, utensils, rice, flour, oil, and seasonings. We need to get them up the mountain. We’ll start selling tomorrow morning," Jiang Feng instructed.
"Sure, no problem." Sun Zhuangfei was nothing if not strong.
"Boss, what are we selling tomorrow?" Zhuangfei asked again.
"First day, nothing too complicated. Let’s do soy milk and youtiao. I’m good at both," Jiang Feng replied.
"Alright."
The two got busy. One packed the cookware and utensils, while the other handled the rice, flour, seasonings, gas stove, propane tank, tables, and stools. Seeing it was too much for two, Jiang Feng called a moving company. Soon, four movers arrived at the designated spot.
"Boss, where are we moving this stuff?" one of the workers asked.
"To the summit of Mount Qingcheng," Jiang Feng replied.
The worker was dumbfounded. The summit of Mount Qingcheng? Are you serious?
Jiang Feng explained, "First, drive these things to the cable car station. The cable car will take us up, and then we’ll carry everything to the summit. We’ve arranged to use the cable car for transport after 7 p.m. It’s about that time now, so just follow me."
Hearing this, the movers naturally had no objections. He was the boss; they’d do as he said. As long as they got paid, the job was fine.
The group began their trek up the mountain. Jiang Feng mentally reviewed the ingredients for tomorrow’s soy milk.
Making soy milk wasn’t difficult. Many households had soy milk makers: just add soybeans, glutinous rice, and peanuts, then blend. However, soy milk made this way could have a strong beany taste. To make fragrant, rich soy milk, the soybeans needed special preparation: first steaming, then rinsing with clean water, followed by soaking. Finally, the soybeans, glutinous rice, and peanuts were fed into a separating grinder simultaneously. The soy milk would flow out from one spout, while the dregs were expelled from another. A final slow simmer would produce a fragrant and delicious soy milk.
Soy milk personally made by Jiang Feng naturally needed no further endorsement of its taste. As for the youtiao, their quality had been proven when he sold crayfish; many came for the crayfish but raved about his youtiao. One could imagine how delicious they were. The powerhouse combination of youtiao and soy milk was sure to attract plenty of customers, even on a mountaintop.
As the movers helped Jiang Feng carry the equipment up the mountain, they saw he was preparing to sell breakfast and asked, "Boss, will you actually get business selling breakfast on the summit?"
Jiang Feng replied calmly, "There should be. A lot of people come up to watch the sunrise these days."
The movers nodded. "That’s true. And prices on the summit are steep; everything sells for more. A bottle of water is ten yuan! If you’re selling breakfast, it’ll surely be even pricier."
The movers’ words gave Jiang Feng an idea. Prices on the summit are indeed high, but I don’t plan to be outrageous. Soy milk, 5 yuan a bowl. Youtiao, 4 yuan each. That should be enough to break even, he thought. His expenses included not just ingredients but also the stall rental fee. Renting a spot on the summit of a scenic area wasn’t cheap, after all. He had to turn a profit; he couldn’t afford to run at a loss.
「The evening on Mount Qingcheng, with the setting sun casting its glow on the mountains, seemed especially tranquil.」
Some visitors were just then leaving the mountain. Meanwhile, Jiang Feng and his team, transported by cable car, were heading to the summit to set up the breakfast stall, bustling about to ensure they could open smoothly the next morning.