"Boss Lin, that marinated dried tofu is really well made. Can you make more tomorrow?"
"Indeed, it tastes amazing. I regret only buying two slices."
"You did better than me—I only bought one slice to taste first, planning to buy two more if it was good. But by the time I turned around, it was all sold out!"
"Make more tomorrow, Boss Lin. It’s seriously a divine artifact for pairing with drinks!"
The customers couldn’t stop praising the newly introduced marinated dried tofu.
Initially, some hesitated at the price of three yuan per slice when tofu in the market cost less than three yuan per pound. A single slice selling for three yuan seemed rather outrageous.
But after tasting it, they understood.
It was worth the price.
The flavor, the texture—it was even better than meat.
Especially the rich marinade in the dried tofu; it tasted just like the Tiger Skin Chicken Feet, but with even more of the delicious sauce.
It was tastier and more satisfying.
"Today, Master Ma bought too much tofu, so we marinated some to try it out. Since everyone likes it, we’ll definitely make more tomorrow."
If it were a more difficult dish, Lin Xu would have to give it some thought.
But making marinated dried tofu is simple.
As long as the customers love it.
He’d give it his all!
To further ignite the customers’ enthusiasm, Lin Xu announced, "Tomorrow, we won’t only have marinated dried tofu and Pickled Pork, but also Braised Duck Heads, Braised Duck Necks, Braised Duck Feet, and Braised Duck Wings. If you like spicy food, definitely don’t miss out!"
This immediately sparked the customers’ interest.
"What? You’re going to have duck heads and necks?"
"I love spicy snacks. Paired with beer, I can never get enough."
"Make sure it’s really spicy, Boss Lin. That’s what makes these duck treats delicious."
"I can’t wait to try them."
"Me neither! I’m coming early tomorrow to avoid them selling out again!"
While everyone was chatting excitedly, Lin Xu caught a glimpse of Leopard Print Auntie entering the shop with her Hermès handbag.
Huh? What is she doing here? Is she here to tear into Master again, that old lothario?
"Welcome, please place your order!" Song Tiantian’s greeting stopped Leopard Print Auntie as she was about to walk further inside. She casually glanced at the menu posted on the cash register and paid a thousand yuan with her phone.
"I’m not hungry right now," she said. "I’ll just pay first and decide what I’d like to eat later when I’m inside."
After saying that, she proceeded inward without looking back.
Song Tiantian was speechless. If you’re not eating, why come to a restaurant? Are you here to see our boss?
She glanced in the direction the auntie headed. Sure enough, she was making her way toward the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Lin Xu wiped his hands and took the initiative to greet her. "Good day, Auntie. Is there something I can help you with?"
Leopard Print Auntie, with her makeup impeccably done, hair piled high, and wearing a youthful, figure-hugging dress, looked far better than the disheveled state she was in during her tussle with Master that morning.
Approaching Lin Xu, she didn’t mince words and said, "I just want to get to know Gao Xiaoshuai. He is your master, right?"
Get to know him? Lin Xu curiously asked, "Are you planning to sue him or something?"
I need to get this straight. I can’t have just finished praising Master as the retired head chef from Fishing Platform, only for this auntie to go there and stir up trouble. Wouldn’t that make me responsible for harming Master?
His question made Leopard Print Auntie chuckle. "No, no, no. Why would I sue him? I just want to get to know him, become friends. But the more I try to get close to him, the more he keeps his distance."
Lin Xu remained silent. He was just casually livestreaming for fun, and you single-handedly turned him into a major streamer, making his hobby a career. How could he possibly be nice to you?
Looking at Leopard Print Auntie’s frustrated expression, a thought crossed Lin Xu’s mind. Since Master doesn’t want anything to do with her, I, as his disciple, should throw some cold water on this situation to cool Auntie down. It’s a good chance for her to see Master’s true colors, so she doesn’t come back raising hell after getting played, disrupting the whole shop.
With that in mind, Lin Xu said, "My master is nothing but a playboy who flits through life, faithful only to cooking; he takes everything else as a game..."
That should be clear enough, right? It’s just short of me outright saying, ’He’s a scumbag, run!’
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Leopard Print Auntie, who had been looking distressed, suddenly brightened up. "Really? I love that kind of person, living a playful life, that’s what it means to live for oneself! Thank you, young man, I’m going to go find your master now."
After saying this, she hurriedly left the store with her purse in tow, as if she were pursuing her own springtime.
Lin Xu stood dumbfounded, astonishment written all over his face.
What in the world? I was clearly trying to put out the fire. Why does it feel like I just poured a bucket of gasoline on it instead?
「Four-thirty in the morning.」
Lin Xu came to the store, carrying Dundun.
After placing the little guy on the cashmere blanket at the cash register, he locked the door and headed off to the market to buy groceries.
Today, he needed to prepare Pickled Pork, marinated dried tofu, and various duck products, requiring noticeably more ingredients than usual.
The duck products alone required about twenty different spices. These included Chili King dried chilies, Devil’s Pepper, and the more aromatic Lantern Pepper for better flavor enhancement.
"Boss Lin, everything’s ready for you: two boxes of duck heads, two boxes of duck necks, two boxes of duck wings, and two boxes of duck feet, all of the highest quality."
Lin Xu opened the cardboard boxes to check the ingredients.
Assured they were of good quality, he then loaded them onto Boss Hu’s electric tricycle.
Given the current volume of ingredients Lin Ji’s Food used, Lin Xu could have simply stayed in the store and had Boss Hu and Uncle Shen deliver. However, he was concerned about quality, so he insisted on going to the market to select them himself. This also allowed him to snap up any good ingredients he found.
After selecting the duck products and the meats he needed, just as he was about to leave, he noticed that Boss Hu’s Pork Large Intestine also looked quite good.
He bought about ten pounds, planning to make some stir-fried Fatty Intestines for lunch.
He also intended to take advantage of any lulls during the busy morning to shoot a food vlog.
He had been busy the last couple of days, making do with videos of Dundun playing games to keep content flowing.
Although his number of fans was increasing, he couldn’t forget his main focus.
After all, he was a food vlogger, not a pet vlogger.
To improve the video quality, Lin Xu had also specially spent sixty thousand points to exchange for the Basic Shooting Technique.
With this Technique, combined with the action camera and other shooting equipment Chen Yan had given him, the video quality should take a qualitative leap.
After getting back to the store, he started by soaking the duck products in a basin of water.
This would remove impurities and blood, making them taste better when cooked.
Next, he soaked Chicken Feet and blanched Pork Skin, kicking off a busy day.
「Eight in the morning.」
The employees were all busy with their tasks.
Lin Xu brought out the Pork Bone Broth that Ma Zhiqiang had simmered during his downtime the day before.
He was preparing to make a marinade for the duck products.
While he was busy, his senior apprentice brother, Xie Baomin, strolled into the store.
"Senior Brother? What brings you here?"
"Oh, I came to take Master home. He said there was a water and power outage in his community last night, so he stayed at my place..."
Lin Xu was utterly bewildered.
There hadn’t been any water or power outages in any Ying Chun Street community last night. If there had, the community group chat would have exploded. Why would Master tell such a lie? Could it be...
A thought suddenly flashed through Lin Xu’s mind: Could it be that this old lothario was cornered by Leopard Print Auntie, who’s chasing her ’springtime,’ and couldn’t go home?