Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Don’t You Have Any Idea Yourself?
"Where on earth did Executive Chef Jiang go? Why hasn’t there been any news from him?"
Many people longed for Jiang Feng’s cuisine. After all, once tasted, it truly was hard to forget. Many people were still waiting for him to set up his stall again so they could queue up. Unfortunately, this time not even his stall could be seen.
Some also inquired with Liu Bao, but Liu Bao had promised Jiang Feng not to disclose his whereabouts, so he said nothing in the group. Otherwise, even having dozens of people showing up at someone’s banquet would be quite troublesome.
That evening, Wang Lei was preparing to set up the courtyard with his family. Tomorrow was Old Master Wang’s eightieth birthday, and as the eldest grandchild, Wang Lei took the birthday celebration very seriously. He had visited every household in the village, and many people had promised to come.
Old Master Wang was a village doctor with good health. In his earlier years, he was a well-known handsome young man in the region, having helped many villagers. As the saying goes, accumulate good deeds and blessings will follow. Old Master Wang’s descendants were all commendable. Some excelled in their studies and left for schooling, while others made their fortune in business. Wang Lei stayed in the village and had set up an eco-greenhouse, which was doing quite well.
Now that Old Master Wang was turning eighty, the family had discussed and decided to have a grand celebration. The siblings had all contributed money, and Wang Lei was responsible for hiring the chefs.
"Lei Lei, are you sure about the chefs? I heard you canceled the previous booking with the banquet chef," his uncle asked with concern upon seeing Wang Lei.
Wang Lei wore a confident expression and replied,
"Uncle, don’t worry, there definitely won’t be a problem."
"You’ll see when the time comes."
Seeing his confidence, the uncle did not press the matter further.
Meanwhile, the chefs were also busy at work in the restaurant’s kitchen. The restaurant’s decor was being renovated; the kitchen didn’t need renovating but got new ovens, exhaust hoods, refrigerators, and so on. Jiang Feng was indeed willing to invest.
Opening a restaurant involved significant outlay, so the chefs sometimes worried about how Jiangyue Terrace would perform after opening. A large-scale restaurant facing losses would indeed mean a huge loss.
Zhang Hu was overseeing this.
"Brother Hu, do you think our restaurant’s business will be better than before once we open?" a young chef asked.
This, after all, concerned everyone’s future, and they inevitably had their concerns. The others, while working, all looked towards Zhang Hu.
Zhang Hu was forty years old, slightly overweight, with a large head and thick neck, a typical figure of an executive chef.
He immediately responded,
"Relax, just look at the messages online; so many people are Boss Jiang’s fans."
"As long as our skills are up to par, we won’t be short of customers."
"Everyone just focus on your work. Boss Jiang is generous. If the restaurant makes money, you can certainly expect a pay rise."
Hearing this, everyone’s enthusiasm for their work increased even more. A salary increase was indeed something Jiang Feng and Zhang Hu had spoken about; if the restaurant’s profits were good, a raise of ten to twenty percent was not a problem.
The crew began processing the ingredients, preparing them into a semi-processed state. For any dish Jiang Feng was to make, the ingredients had been prepared well in advance. Each softshell turtle had been cleaned thoroughly, all the yellow fat inside scraped clean without a trace remaining. Bass and shrimp were also ready, and all were still alive.
The boss deserved the best treatment. There was no need for Jiang Feng to worry about anything; he could just start cooking on the stove the next day.
Jiang Feng, for his part, had a leisurely time. He rested at home, played with his dog, and played games. With nothing else to do, he even went for a few slow jogs around the neighborhood to stretch his limbs. The environment in the community was pleasant, making running comfortable.
「The next day, Jiang Feng drove his off-road vehicle, took his small dog, and headed towards his destination.」
Around eight o’clock, the chefs and cars from Jiangyue Terrace all arrived. They started unloading the ingredients, setting up the stoves, and arranging the tables. Jiang Feng also began to get busy.
Today’s featured ingredients were softshell turtles, bass, and large prawns. All were creatures from the water. Seafood is all about freshness. If it’s killed and left for a couple of days, the taste would be completely different.
A young lad assigned to handle ingredients was working under Jiang Feng, helping him with tasks like scraping fish scales and deveining shrimp. The fish had to be completely clean, including removing any blood sticking to the bone – all sources of the fishy smell. If not thoroughly washed, no matter how it was cooked later, there would be a fishy taste.
Once the fish was clean, it needed to be scored. Jiang Feng picked up a washed bass, cut several slashes inside the fish and a few on the outside, maintaining its overall appearance while significantly increasing the fish’s surface area. This would ensure the fish absorbed the flavors well during stewing.
The chefs bustled about. Wang Lei’s relatives also came and went.
From time to time, Jiang Feng glanced over at the situation in the courtyard.
These few days had indeed showcased a wide spectrum of life!
There were celebrations for a baby’s hundred days, old folks’ funerals, as well as older people’s eightieth birthdays.
And there were even wedding banquets to come.
These were all major life events.
In every event, the busy figures of chefs were a constant presence.
Today, however, not many people came to crowd around the stove. After all, steamed bass, braised softshell turtle, and egg-foo-young shrimp weren’t dishes that gave off an enticing aroma. One wouldn’t know if they were good until after tasting them.
Elderly villagers had already arrived, including two who were over ninety. They also came to wish Old Master Wang a happy birthday. From time to time, they would marvel at how time flies.
Back in the day, Old Master Wang was still a child.
And now, he was already eighty!
However, to them, eighty was still young, and they wouldn’t hesitate to show their temper if needed.
Old Master Wang was dressed in new clothes, beaming with joy. Villagers kept coming to wish him well.
"Dr. Wang, may your fortune be as vast as the East China Sea, and your longevity surpass that of the Southern Mountain!"
"A good person is sure to live to a ripe old age!"
"Old Master, you’re still looking strong, aren’t you!"
"The Old Master is eighty now—it’s indeed time to celebrate properly!"
The Wang family had smiles blooming on their faces. Today was truly a joyous day. People were beaming, chatting with one another.
Wang Lei’s uncle had been worried about the chefs, fearing that the ones Wang Lei had invited might not be reliable. But after a look around, he immediately put his mind at ease. These chefs had the look of professionals. The cold dishes they were setting out were anything but ordinary. Some plates were square, with green vegetables adorning the sides, and spiced beef placed in the middle. Some plates were round, surrounded by a ring of cold shrimp.
It all looked extraordinary.
The chefs, all donning their uniforms, moved back and forth in an orderly manner.
The class was apparent.
On an ordinary day, it wouldn’t be easy to hire a restaurant chef team for the price they were offered today. It was because the chefs were still receiving their salaries plus extra allowances that everyone was willing to come.
The stoves were bustling with activity. Jiang Feng was also busy concentrating on his work.
Wang Lei’s uncle approached Wang Lei, praising him,
"You’ve hired an excellent chef! The dishes all look good, and the cold dishes are nicely plated!"
"They look delicious!"
Hearing this, Wang Lei confidently responded,
"Of course, Executive Chef Jiang’s cooking is even better. You should try the softshell turtle, bass, and shrimp he made today."
"Executive Chef Jiang? Which one? That chubby, robust looking one?"
"No, the young one. He’s pretty handsome, looks clean and neat."
"He’s the executive chef? I thought he was just an intern, he’s so young!"
"Not only is he the executive chef, but he’s also the boss. All those chefs take his orders!"
"Ah?"
As the two men were talking, the uncle’s daughter, Wang Miao, came over.
"What are you two chatting about? Not socializing with the villagers?"
Hearing this, Wang Lei laughed and said, "I’m telling uncle about Executive Chef Jiang. I’ve invited Executive Chef Jiang here. Uncle didn’t recognize him and thought he was the chubby one."
Upon hearing Wang Lei’s words, Wang Miao immediately got excited.
"Executive Chef Jiang? The one from the snack stall? He’s here today?"
"I invited him over, he’s in the back making shrimp!" Wang Lei said, proud of his accomplishment.
"Really? Bro, don’t trick me; I tried to queue up at his stall with my bestie before and couldn’t even get a spot!"
Wang Miao, half-doubtful, made her way to the kitchen.
Jiang Feng was quite well-known among the younger crowd; many people knew of him or had seen his videos, even if they didn’t recognize him in person. Wang Miao knew Jiang Feng, and she had talked about him with Wang Lei before; they were both regular customers of Jiang Feng. Learning that Jiang Feng was at her family’s home now, Wang Miao couldn’t contain her excitement.
She hurried to the kitchen and, sure enough, spotted Jiang Feng cutting a softshell turtle at first glance.
"Executive Chef Jiang, it really is you!"
Wang Miao immediately came over to greet him.
Upon hearing someone call his name, Jiang Feng looked up to see a girl in her late teens.
"Hello."
Jiang Feng greeted her politely as always.
"What a coincidence, I could never get to eat at your stall before."
"And today, you’ve come to my doorstep!"
Wang Miao’s eyes brightened.
Hearing this, Jiang Feng could only smile awkwardly.
After that, Wang Miao and Jiang Feng took a few selfies together, and Jiang Feng readily agreed.
After taking the photos, Wang Miao sent them to her bestie, bragging to her.
"Today, Executive Chef Jiang is at my house preparing a feast, specially cooking for me!"
Wang Miao messaged her best friend.
It wasn’t long before her best friend replied,
"Is it really him? He looks quite handsome. Is he cooking just for you? Isn’t that a banquet?"
"Rounded up, it’s for me; he looks insanely good in person! Love it!"
"Why not take the opportunity to snag him?"
"That’s not entirely impossible."
...
The topics among besties are always a bit over the line, but it’s all just talk.
Seeing this, the chefs from Jiangyue Terrace quietly chatted among themselves.
"When will I be like the boss, just cooking a meal and having girls come over for selfies."
"Aren’t you aware of your own situation? Look at your bank account, here’s a basin of water, now look at your face, and tell me how you could be like the boss?"
The chef who spoke first looked into the basin. His reflection showed a distinguished-looking man. His small eyes exuded intelligence, and a mole on his chin added a touch of manly allure. A few curly hairs grew from the mole, lending an air of a fortune-teller’s mystique.
"Isn’t that quite handsome?"
He commented on his own appearance.
Hearing that, the other chef didn’t want to say another word. He just put a bit more force into the knife he was using to cut meat.