Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Customer: No New Products, He’s Run Out of Talent
Jun Qingmeng blushed, picked up Tongtong, and followed.
They got into the car.
Within two minutes, both Tongtong and Jun Qingmeng had fallen asleep again.
Two soft snores could be heard from the back seat.
Jiang Liu drove leisurely.
It was already the twentieth, and September was just around the corner.
The morning air was a bit cool, and the street cleaners on the road were clearly in a good mood.
Autumn was nice, aside from the abundance of leaves. It was neither cold nor hot.
「At the wet market.」
"You’re here, Boss Jiang! The usual?"
The old woman had a full head of silver hair and a kind face.
Jiang Liu nodded. "Yep. I’ll take fifteen pounds of fennel, the freshest you’ve got."
"You got it."
The old woman picked out the freshest fennel for Jiang Liu, probing for information as she worked.
"Little Boss Jiang, any new permanent items on the menu today?"
"Not today."
"What about in the future?"
"Not sure yet. We’ll see," Jiang Liu said with a smile.
’There will definitely be better permanent new items later on. It’s better to keep it a secret for now.’
Besides, he was getting a little worried about the source of his ingredients. Although he could just say they were from a "special channel" and no one would bother to investigate, he still needed to figure out a way to make his story hold up.
’Looks like there’s nothing new...’ The old woman was disappointed.
She had been hoping to taste a new dish. After all, she was on friendly terms with Boss Jiang, so she’d surely get to try it.
After weighing it, it came out to eighteen pounds. The old woman said with a straight face, "Well, look at that! Exactly fifteen pounds. Let me bag it up for you."
"But that’s three pounds extra."
Jiang Liu smiled helplessly.
In this society, everyone believed in the give-and-take of social niceties.
"Don’t worry about it, just take it. Make some more buns for everyone. My family loves your buns, there just aren’t enough of them."
"Alright then. Next time you come to the shop, I’ll give you ten buns on the house."
"Oh, that’s wonderful! I’ll get in line in a little bit."
The old woman’s wrinkles crinkled together as she beamed, her face like a blooming flower.
Jiang Liu left.
That old woman always had fresh fennel ready for him. She was a good person.
He drove back to the shop.
A long line of customers was already waiting outside. All the businesses on Yangzhai Street had opened their doors bright and early.
They had been swept up in the rat race along with Jiang Liu.
Of course, the most important thing was that Jiang Liu had brought a crowd to Yangzhai Street.
In the past, there was hardly anyone around this early in the morning, so opening early wasn’t profitable.
"Boss Jiang’s starting his shift?"
"Hurry up, Brother Jiang! When are you adding a new permanent item? You’ve only got four things every day, it’s not enough! I can never buy any."
"Running out of ideas? Hee hee hee."
"Don’t talk nonsense! Be careful or Boss Jiang might just close up shop and not work."
Jiang Liu listened to his customers’ teasing, exchanging a few casual words with a smile before heading back into the shop to get to work.
Same as always: first, he prepped the dough, then he prepped the tuna and yak meat.
With Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong’s help, his schedule wasn’t quite so tight.
Today, Jiang Liu planned to sell Di San Xian again.
While Di San Xian wasn’t as delicious as the classic dishes from the Gourmet Album, it was still made with top-tier fresh ingredients and high-quality seasonings.
Combined with Jiang Liu’s fairly decent understanding of the dish, the flavor would absolutely blow any ordinary shop’s Di San Xian out of the water.
Six o’clock.
The Nutritious Seafood Congee was already steaming.
Jiang Liu cracked five eggs. He was going to make a batch of steamed egg custard for Tongtong and his girlfriend.
His mother used to make it for him often, but she always used ordinary eggs.
"Honey, are you making scrambled eggs?"
Jun Qingmeng sidled up to Jiang Liu, clinging to him as she asked.
"Not scrambled eggs. Steamed egg custard. When it’s done in a bit, you two can taste-test it for me."
"Wow, you’re amazing! You even know how to make steamed egg custard. My boyfriend is practically omnipotent!"
Jun Qingmeng praised Jiang Liu effusively.
Jiang Liu chuckled. "Alright, enough teasing. You and Tongtong go rest for a bit. Get ready to eat."
"Okay! Call me if you need any help."
Jiang Liu cracked five free-range eggs into a bowl.
If they were ordinary eggs, they’d have an earthy, gamey taste that would require adding vinegar.
That would ruin the texture.
But free-range eggs didn’t need it.
Jiang Liu sprinkled four grams of fine salt into the bowl, took out a fork, and whisked vigorously. Once the yellow liquid was uniform, he used a spoon to skim the foam from the edges.
This foam had to be removed, or else it would create honeycombing in the custard and affect the texture.
Jiang Liu took out some plastic wrap, covered the bowl, and placed it on the steaming rack above the cooking rice porridge.
Tongtong and Jun Qingmeng were so eager they couldn’t sit still, following at Jiang Liu’s heels and clamoring.
"Is it ready yet, Daddy? I’m hungry."
"Honey, I’m hungry! I want to eat."
"Daddy, Daddy!"
"I’m hungry."
Jiang Liu felt like he was being followed by a troop of Smurfs.
What a headache.
Six-twenty.
Jiang Liu lifted the pot lid and took a look.
The egg custard had solidified, its surface smooth, like a yellow pudding.
"Ooh! It’s such a cute little jelly!"
"Daddy! When can we eat?"
"Jiang Liu, is it cooked?"
Jiang Liu put on oven mitts and took out the bowl. "One minute. Let me just add some sesame oil and light soy sauce."
"Hurry, Daddy! Your little cutie can’t take it anymore."
"Hurry up, Jiang Liu! Your girlfriend can’t take it anymore either!"
"Hey! Just wait, just wait!"
Jiang Liu shot them an exasperated look, then lowered his head, removed the plastic wrap, and made a dozen or so crisscrossing cuts with a thin, narrow knife.
He poured on the sesame oil and light soy sauce he had purchased from the Gourmet Album.
As he unlocked four types of ingredients, the variety of seasonings he could purchase had grown richer.
This sesame oil had no additives; it was pure, naturally pressed sesame oil. The light soy sauce was brewed in ancient-style stone vats, rejecting modern techniques.
"Daddy, is it ready? It smells so good! This little kid is about to drool."
Jun Qingmeng was surprised. "Jiang Liu, where did you buy this sesame oil? It smells amazing."
"Through a friend. He brings me some every now and then."
Feeling a headache coming on, Jiang Liu gave a vague explanation, placed the bowl on the table, and handed spoons to Tongtong and Jun Qingmeng.
"Look at you two, so impatient. Go on, eat up. It’s nutritious and healthy."
The two little gluttons couldn’t wait any longer.
But they still had to dote on Jiang Liu first.
"Daddy, open your mouth. Your little angel will feed you."
"Honey, you can have my bite."
Jiang Liu took a bite from Tongtong’s spoon, then one from Jun Qingmeng’s.
"Not bad, it tastes pretty good," he remarked casually.
The steamed egg custard was soft, tender, and silky smooth, melting in his mouth. Even someone with no teeth could eat it. The flavor was light and fragrant, with a hint of saltiness. The sesame oil added aroma, and the light soy sauce added umami.
There was also a faint milky fragrance.
Jiang Liu guessed that if he used these eggs to bake a cake, the milky aroma would be even more intoxicating.
Tongtong blissfully scooped a large spoonful of egg custard into her mouth.
Her eyes immediately lit up. "It’s so yummy, Daddy!"
"First time trying it?" Jiang Liu patted Tongtong’s head.
"Mhm! You’re so good to me, Daddy! Hee hee, SLURP."
Jiang Tongtong absolutely loved the steamed egg custard. She loved soft things.
Jun Qingmeng took a bite and was instantly conquered by the texture of the custard.
"Jiang Liu, how did you get the steamed egg custard to taste like this?"
"What’s wrong?" Jiang Liu asked with a smile.
Ignoring the heat, Jun Qingmeng couldn’t help but take another big bite.
"It’s so tender and fragrant! It feels like I’m eating air. I think you should make cakes... Hmm, no, that’s not it. Is everything you make just delicious?"
Jiang Liu always managed to surprise her.
Jun Qingmeng didn’t understand why everything her boyfriend made was so delicious.
A simple steamed egg custard had been elevated into something that tasted like a luxury ordinary people couldn’t afford.
It was so silky and tender that if it weren’t for the fragrance that melted in her mouth, she would have thought she was eating air.
Jiang Liu said with a straight face, "That’s because when I cook, I’m thinking of you two. That’s why it’s so delicious."
"Hee hee hee."
Tongtong giggled.
Jun Qingmeng froze for a second, then realized he was flirting with her again.
She shyly lowered her gaze and went back to eating the custard. "Is that so? No wonder it’s so good."
Her heart swelled with sweetness.
"Daddy, next time, can you just think about ice cream? I want to taste what ’thinking about ice cream’ tastes like."
Jiang Liu raised his hand, spoon in hand.
"Ah! I was wrong, Daddy! I’ll do it myself."
Tongtong gently tapped her own head with her spoon.
"Oof, that hurts. Hee hee."
