Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Boss, you are quite nice!
"The greasy spoon on the backstreet that blew up in popularity is open again! This week they’re selling spicy crayfish!"
"Their crayfish noodles are absolutely unmatched!"
"The ultimate spicy delight, visiting the chef’s little eatery!"
That very night, news about Jiang Feng’s crayfish shop flooded the internet. It caught fire faster than expected. These days, everyone had more free time and loved to join in on the buzz. A popular eatery quickly caught people’s attention. This time, the videos began to spread further, no longer confined to the area around the backstreet but reaching the entire city of Chengdu. Even many tourists came across similar videos.
"The greasy spoon on the backstreet is selling spicy crayfish? Is it really that delicious?"
"That noodle dish looks good!"
"Could it be a promotion? I hate ads!"
"I don’t think so. How could a small eatery afford so much promotion?"
"That owner seems pretty awesome. He’s famous; I remember seeing his videos before."
People were discussing this in the video comments. In this era, everyone was tagged with various "labels." Big data knew you best. Some people loved watching gaming videos, some loved movie commentaries, some loved cute pet videos, and others loved entertainment videos. There were also those who just liked watching models with long legs and various beauties doing suggestive dances. Besides these, there were multiple categories like fishing, food, motorcycles, travel, parenting, and more. Those who liked watching food videos easily came across Jiang Feng’s videos.
"A Shandong Cuisine chef making spicy crayfish? Sounds odd, gotta try it."
"The crayfish is delicious? What crayfish isn’t? I’m not going! What? The owner is handsome? Well, that’s worth checking out."
"I don’t believe it can be that good. I’ll go tomorrow!"
Amidst the chatter, the fame of Jiang Feng’s crayfish gradually grew.
「The next morning」
Jiang Feng leisurely went to the market and picked out a large batch of live crayfish. He was quick at selecting, grabbing handfuls and tossing them into a large basin. The crayfish vendor could tell he was an expert, as Jiang Feng only picked out the finest green-shelled ones. The vendor wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. After all, Jiang Feng was a chef; selecting top-quality crayfish was naturally not difficult for him. Jiang Feng chose several basins of crayfish and then boarded a truck, transporting them, along with himself, to his little eatery.
He went to a street-side stall and casually ate a bowl of cold noodles. Soon, the hired helper arrived, ready to start washing the crayfish one by one. Business was so good that they had hired three helpers for the day. The cooking stove had also been upgraded to a slightly larger one. Jiang Feng wasn’t idle either. Taking advantage of the spare time, he stood before the stove and began frying dough sticks. The dough sticks he fried were golden and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. When pulled apart, the white, fluffy interior released plumes of steam, and the fragrant aroma of dough instantly filled the air. Dough sticks like these would be a massive hit at any breakfast stall. However, he wasn’t running a breakfast stall, so he could only sell them alongside the spicy crayfish.
Preparations inside the eatery were busy yet orderly. Soon, customers began to form a queue outside. The flavor of the crayfish was too good, and word of mouth spread, drawing more and more people who wanted to try it. Business was naturally booming.
By four o’clock, Jiang Feng’s stall officially opened. He hung up the sign, pushed open the door, and saw a large crowd already gathered outside. It’s quite pressuring when everyone’s looking at you like that.
"Don’t rush, everyone! Please come up according to your number, one by one," Jiang Feng shouted to the crowd.
One of the helpers had already prepared numbers for the customers using a ticket dispenser. There were simply too many people, and a queue could easily get chaotic, so Jiang Feng had made these preparations in advance. After receiving a number, customers were free to wander off, which allowed for easier movement and also brought some business to the neighboring shops.
Then, the customers started to come up one by one. Jiang Feng plated the prepared crayfish and brought them out. Business was instantly red-hot. Jiang Feng was busy at the stove.
A man who looked downcast ordered a medium serving of crayfish and waited by the side. The crayfish prepared in advance had already sold out, and Jiang Feng was hard at work making new batches.
The man struck up a conversation with Jiang Feng. "Boss, can you add extra chili for me? I’m feeling down today and want to sweat it out."
Jiang Feng, who could chat with anyone, asked, "What’s wrong? Eating is about enjoyment. Don’t be so hard on yourself."
"Sigh!" The man let out a long sigh. "I’ve been wounded by love."
The other diners, who were thoroughly enjoying their crayfish, instantly perked up their ears upon hearing this.
Well, well, an unexpected bonus?
We get to hear gossip while eating crayfish?
This is getting interesting!
The man, his face etched with sorrow, continued as if talking to himself, "I met her three months ago. At the time, I thought she smelled really nice, with a faint, milky scent."
"I fell for her right then and started pursuing her."
"After putting in a lot of effort, I finally won her over."
"But then..."
At this point, the man paused. The surrounding customers were savoring their crayfish and the story with equal relish. When the man suddenly trailed off, everyone felt a bit anxious. It wasn’t just the customers; even Jiang Feng grew curious. While stir-frying crayfish, he asked, "What happened then?"
"Sigh," the man sighed again and said slowly, "It turned out she had a one-year-old kid."
"No wonder she had that milky scent about her."
Hearing the man’s words, the surrounding customers struggled to hold back their laughter, though they deeply sympathized with his plight. Two young women couldn’t help but burst out laughing before hastily stifling it.
Sorry, we’re professionals. We don’t laugh no matter how funny something is—unless we absolutely can’t hold it in.
The man was indeed unlucky to have encountered such a situation. Jiang Feng also felt a deep sense of sympathy for the man’s predicament. Being kind-hearted, he tried to console him. "I’m not in a position to comment on this, but you could look on the bright side."
"Which is?"
"You have a good nose."
Upon hearing Jiang Feng’s words, the man was momentarily stunned. He was a bit slow to react. The other customers were dumbfounded as well.
Holy crap! Is that how you comfort someone?
What a unique perspective!
The customers immediately started murmuring to each other in low voices.
"This boss has such a unique way of comforting people!"
"I was so embarrassed I didn’t know what to say, but he managed to offer some comfort, which is pretty impressive."
"Indeed, the man has a good nose. The average person wouldn’t detect a milky scent like that."
"I wonder if the man has ever considered working for the Drug Enforcement Administration."
"Hahaha, his words make me want to drink some milk!"
The man said no more, remaining silent. Jiang Feng sped up the process of making crayfish, focusing entirely on cooking. The atmosphere became somewhat subdued for a while.
Soon, a savory and spicy dish of crayfish was ready. Jiang Feng handed it to the man and even kindly gave him two fried dough sticks. He’s a pitiful fellow, too, Jiang Feng thought.
Looking around, the eatery was once again packed, both inside and out. And still, more people kept coming. Some who found no place to sit chose to get their food to go. Eating it at home is just as good, anyway.
What surprised Jiang Feng was that the customers were not only interested in the crayfish but also in the fried dough sticks. Many people kept ordering them.
"Boss, give me two more fried dough sticks!"
"Man, these fried dough sticks are so delicious! Boss Jiang, have you considered opening a breakfast stall selling soy milk and dough sticks? I’d come every day!"
"They really are tasty—so soft and fragrant. These are the best fried dough sticks I’ve ever had!"
Jiang Feng had originally fried several pans of dough sticks, thinking it would be enough. Unexpectedly, only half the crayfish had been sold, but the dough sticks were nearly gone. He didn’t have time to fry more, so he could only tell the customers further back in line that the dough sticks were sold out.
"Ah? They’re gone already? How can an eatery run out of fried dough sticks?" the customers at the back asked, their faces full of regret.
"This is a crayfish restaurant, so it’s pretty normal to run out of dough sticks, I suppose," Jiang Feng replied with a smile. "I’ll fry more tomorrow. Sorry about today."
The atmosphere in the eatery was very lively. Customers of all kinds kept pouring in. And perhaps because he ran an eatery, many customers also loved to chat with him. They found talking with Jiang Feng quite interesting. Though he looked young, he gave off a mature vibe and could hold a conversation on almost any topic.
"Boss, how about a brain teaser?" At that moment, a young woman with a stunning figure looked at Jiang Feng and asked with a grin.
"Um... is that really necessary?" Jiang Feng still responded warmly.
The young woman looked at him and said, "Everyone knows that to kill a snake, you strike its ’seven-inch’ spot. So, what do you do if you encounter a snake that’s only four inches long?"
After she spoke, she gazed at him intently, awaiting his answer.
Jiang Feng was always good-natured and could handle almost any question thrown his way. This kind of corny riddle was right up his alley.
"Quite simple," Jiang Feng replied calmly. "Hit its three-and-a-half-inch spot, twice."
Seeing that she couldn’t stump him, the young woman’s enthusiasm deflated instantly. "Impressive!" she exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up.
Jiang Feng just smiled and then got back to busily frying the crayfish.