"Boss Jiang, when are you going to make those shrimp noodles? The flavor is perfect for me! Please, please, make them just once! Iāll buy out your entire stock, I swear!"
"What about the Gold Coin Eggs? The flavor of those eggs is freaking incredible, but itās a shame Boss Jiang wonāt sell them."
The customers were disappointed.
The more they ate, the less satisfied they became.
Jiang Liu didnāt waste time on pleasantries. He opened the door and got straight to work.
As usual, he first set the dough to rise, then used the downtime to start preparing the tuna sashimi.
While he was making the tuna sashimi, Jun Qingmeng helped him by peeling potatoes and washing mushrooms.
Ten minutes before the dough finished rising, Jiang Liu finished blanching the beef and put it in the pressure cooker to cook.
In the meantime, Jiang Liu instructed Jun Qingmeng on how to make the seafood congee.
His seafood congee was the real deal. It was filled with small chunks of Little Cyan Dragon lobster meat and corn kernels. A final light sprinkle of fine salt made the flavor incredibly savory!
The congee was now simmering.
Jun Qingmeng took Tongtong with her to make juice and shuck corn.
The three of them worked together with the seamless coordination of a family.
ć6:20 AM.ć
The baozi were half-wrapped.
Jiang Liu put down the dough wrapper and started making the Di San Xian.
The Di San Xian was a quick stir-fry.
Jun Qingmeng had already prepped all the ingredients.
Jiang Liu cut the small, black-skinned potatoes into chunks, and sliced the peeled eggplant and Termitomyces mushrooms into strips.
On the high flame, the water in the pot went BUBBLE BUBBLE.
Jiang Liu dropped the potatoes in to boil for two minutes.
In the meantime, he coated the eggplant strips with a mix of starch and flour. This would make the skin crispy while keeping the inside tender and soft...
Tongtong tugged on Jiang Liuās pants and pointed to her mouth. "Daddy, your little cutie is hungry."
"Itāll be ready in a moment. Go sit at the table and wait."
Jiang Liu patted Tongtongās head.
Jun Qingmeng came over to join in on the fun. "Boyfriend, Iām hungry. You have to feed me."
"Be good. Go sit with Tongtong."
Jiang Liu waved them away and sped up his stir-frying of the Di San Xian.
He planned to price the Di San Xian and congee set at fifty yuan per serving.
After calculating the costs, heād make a net profit of over forty yuan.
The two of them obediently sat down, waiting for Jiang Liu to feed them.
ć6:45 AM.ć
Jiang Liu opened the tall pot. The congee inside was bubbling away, releasing a hot, savory steam fragrant with lobster and mixed with the sweet scent of corn.
By now, a growing crowd of customers eager for breakfast was gathering at Jiang Liuās door.
Across the street, Jiujiu Restaurant was still deserted.
Since his lease hadnāt expired, Brother Hai simply spent his days playing cards in the shop with his two partners.
Although his baozi werenāt selling, many customers were willing to pay to use his air conditioning, allowing him to leech off some of Jiang Liuās business and make two or three hundred yuan a day.
Xiao Huzi stared at the white smoke wafting from the exhaust vent above Jiang Liuās air conditioner and swallowed hard a few times.
He had started trying to buy food from Jiang Liuās place, but it was incredibly hard to get a spot in line.
"Brother Hai, we should try to get on Boss Jiangās good side. His food is seriously delicious, and since weāre right across the street, itād be easier to buy some if we had a good relationship."
"Yeah, Brother Hai! Boss Jiangās food is a rare treat. Everyoneās saying that just getting to eat it is a win in itself!"
Brother Hai glared at the two of them and angrily threw down his cards. "If you want to go, then you go! I couldnāt care less!"
"Whatās so great about baozi? And the beef is just so-so!"
He had a look of utter disdain.
Inside, jealousy burned like a fire.
The two men exchanged a look.
āDidnāt you chow down happily when we brought some back? What are you so mad about now?!ā
Second Best Restaurant Under Heaven.
"Time to eat!"
Jiang Liu carried over three bowls of congee and a large platter of Di San Xian, placing them on the table.
Tongtongās eyes immediately lit up like little stars. Cupping her face, she exclaimed, "Wow, Daddy, it smells so yummy! Youāre the best! Iāll give you a little red flower as a reward tonight!"
"Oh, boyfriend, what am I going to do? I like you so much. Will you cook for me every day?"
Jiang Liu sat down across from them and smiled. "Hurry up and eat, or youāll be late. If you like it, Iāll cook for you every day."
As he spoke, Jiang Liu reached out and patted Jun Qingmengās head.
Jun Qingmengās pretty face flushed red.
āWait, did he just turn my own flirting back on me?ā
The three of them dug in.
The eggplant was incredibly fragrantānot too light, but not too oily either. The balance of salt and sugar was perfect, with a faint aroma of fermented black beans. Because it was coated in the starch and flour mixture, the flesh inside was exceptionally tender. One bite was enough to make your tongue melt.
The potatoes had been pan-fried to give them a crisp, browned skin that enveloped a soft, fluffy interior.
The Termitomyces mushrooms had a slight crunch to them, and being wild, their fragrance was intense.
The three of them devoured the meal.
Just then, Xia Changzhi walked in, carrying two exquisite mooncake gift boxes.
You could tell at a glance they werenāt cheap.
"Having a meal, Boss Jiang?"
"Uncle Xia, youāre here! Come, have a seat. Eat with us."
Jiang Liu stood up and gestured warmly, inviting him over.
Xia Changzhi smiled and waved his hand in refusal. "No need. I just came to give you two boxes of mooncakes. The younger generation gave them to me, but I donāt really like sweets, so I figured Iād just bring them over to you."
"Iāll be on my way now."
Xia Changzhi said, putting the boxes down and turning to leave.
Although he was thick-skinned and desperately wanted to eat the delicious food, he cared more about his relationship with Jiang Liu.
Tongtongās eyes lit up.
āWe can have a reunion with Daddy again!ā
Jiang Liu called out in resignation, "Uncle Xia, wait a moment. Let me pack up some Di San Xian and congee for you. You can take it home for your family to eat."
"Qingmeng, keep an eye on Uncle Xia. Donāt let him leave. Iām going to the kitchen to pack it up."
With that, Jiang Liu turned and walked into the kitchen.
"Di San Xian?!"
Xia Changzhi stopped in his tracks, pleasantly surprised. His stomach immediately let out a RUMBLE. He wanted to eat it so badly.
"Uncle Xia, please have a seat and wait."
Playing the part of the dutiful wife, Jun Qingmeng graciously hosted him.
Normally, she wouldnāt be this polite, but this man had helped her boyfriend, so of course she had to treat him well.
"Alright, alright! Well, itād be rude to refuse. Iāll be shameless just this once, haha."
Uncle Xia happily sat down to wait.
In the meantime, the rich, fried aroma of the Di San Xian made his stomach grumble a few more times.
āIt smells so good!ā
A few moments later, Jiang Liu came out carrying a large container packed to the brim with Di San Xian, along with four large boxes of nutritious seafood congee.
"Thatās so much!"
Uncle Xia was touched. Boss Jiang had packed enough for his whole family!
A warm feeling spread through his heart.
"Boss Jiang, how much is it?"
"Donāt worry about it. Itās probably not even as expensive as your mooncakes. You should hurry and take it home while itās hot."
Jiang Liu didnāt want to take his money and urged Xia Changzhi to leave.
Uncle Xia was absolutely delighted. He grinned sheepishly and said, "Well, Iāll accept it then. Having you here in Yangzhai Street is a real blessing, Boss Jiang. Haha."
Jiang Liu chuckled. "Are you coming by at noon? I plan on giving out a freebie todayāsteamed corn."
He had originally planned to give it out in the morning, but then he decided to sell Di San Xian and worried heād be too busy, so he canceled it.
"Steamed corn?!"
Xia Changzhi was ecstatic. This was great news.
"Boss Jiang, Iām telling you, just the smell of that steamed corn is amazing. It smells more fragrant than any corn Iāve ever eaten. Why donāt you sell it every day? People would buy it even if the price was a little high. In any case, however much you sell, Iāll buy."
"Nah, Iām worried I wouldnāt have enough time. Itās fine to just give it out as a bonus for everyone occasionally."
Xia Changzhi said with regret, "Everything here is great. Thereās just never enough to eat."
"Alright, Iāll be back at noon. Iām off now. I wonāt disturb your little family of threeās reunion."
Tongtong had already finished her meal. She took Jiang Liuās hand and waved. "Goodbye, Grandpa Xia."
"Haha, this child is so pretty and polite. When she grows up, suitors will probably break down your door."
"Hmph! Tongtong will never leave Daddy."
Jiang Tongtong frowned, holding tightly to Jiang Liuās hand.
Xia Changzhi left, chuckling to himself.
This time, he didnāt even bother to hide it, brazenly showing off the bag.
The customers, neighbors, and local residents at the door all wore unfriendly expressions, filled mostly with envy, jealousy, and hate.
"That damned old man! How does he manage to freeload at Brother Jiangās shop every single day?"