Chapter 241: Smashed Cucumber
Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Smashed Cucumber
Meanwhile.
The new restaurant opened for business.
In less than ten minutes, more than a dozen customers were already seated inside.
A female employee from the pharmacy brought her boss into the restaurant.
The moment she walked in, she shouted to the cashier:
"Sister Huang, twenty buns! Give me a mix of all the fillings. And two bowls of rice congee and a plate of spicy chicken."
"Okay, I’ve put in your order. It’ll be just a moment!"
The pharmacy owner was a middle-aged woman in her forties, still possessing a graceful charm. She wore a white coat with a name tag pinned to her chest.
She looked expressionlessly at her employee. "You’d better not be pulling my leg. I specifically skipped a hot pot dinner with friends to come here."
The employee was very confident. "Don’t worry, boss. I ate here for lunch. The buns and rice congee are definitely the best in South City!"
"You just haven’t tried it yet. Once you do, you’ll realize that hot pot isn’t even that good, and it’s unhealthy."
The middle-aged woman nodded lightly.
After waiting less than a minute, a server brought their order to the table.
The middle-aged woman’s expression turned cold.
"This fast? It must be one of those fast-food models, right? All fast-food places taste the same these days—terrible and unhealthy."
She detested the fast-food model.
The employee obsequiously handed her a bun. "Sister Xu, you’ll know once you try it. I’m really not lying to you."
"Hmph."
Sister Xu casually took the bun and bit into it.
The chive and egg filling was exceptionally fresh and fragrant, seasoned just right, and its flavor was distinct from the usual fare.
She was a little surprised.
"So, Sister Xu? This place is pretty good, right?" the employee asked expectantly.
"It’s not bad. When it comes to the buns, they’re truly the best I’ve had in South City—good enough to be called number one. I can even tell what seasonings they used, and there aren’t any additives."
"Sister Xu, quickly, try the shrimp congee."
As she spoke, the employee downed half her bowl of congee.
"Ooh~" She couldn’t help but let out a blissful moan.
Sister Xu took a spoonful of the nutritious congee. The savory shrimp-infused congee was lightly salted, with plump, sweet corn kernels mixed in.
She was even more surprised.
"The congee is amazing too? I have to get some to-go for my mom later. This is perfect for the elderly!"
She never expected a new restaurant to have such high standards. ’The chef must be some retired master cook,’ she thought.
The two stopped talking and quickly devoured their buns.
The spicy chicken was also perfectly authentic.
Before long, the restaurant was completely packed.
Hu Yongfa and Yue Longfan were ecstatic.
Because they already had repeat customers.
Not just a few—a lot!
This meant their restaurant was heading in the right direction...
...
7:55 PM.
"Brother Jiang, all sold out?"
"Yep, sold out. Come back tomorrow."
The crowd of customers still queuing at the entrance reluctantly dispersed.
"Sigh, I didn’t get any again today. So frustrating."
"Why doesn’t Brother Jiang just make more? I’d buy however much he makes!"
"Time to head home. I got the last ten buns today, haha."
Uncle Liu looked thrilled, carrying a bag slick with condensation.
He was met with longing gazes from all around.
"Old man, you’ve lost all your teeth. Sell those buns to me. I’ll give you a hundred."
"Two hundred! For your buns. That’s enough to cover your living expenses for a month."
Uncle Liu chuckled.
"Boss Jiang’s food is priceless. You think you can buy it for a few hundred? I suggest you go eat dirt!"
Inside the restaurant.
The last few customers were still finishing their meals.
Jiang Liu finally had a moment to rest.
Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong, those two little gluttons, trailed right behind Jiang Liu.
Tongtong smiled. "Daddy, when are we eating? This little cutie is about to faint from hunger."
Jun Qingmeng pointed to her mouth. "Hungry."
Jiang Liu said, exasperated, "Be patient. Let’s wait for the last customers to leave first."
The words had just left his mouth.
Uncle Niu stood up. "Boss Jiang, I’m heading out. Open up early tomorrow, okay?"
"Brother Jiang, can I get a bag? Looks like it’s going to pour. I’d better take this home to eat."
"I’ve wiped the table for you."
"Tongtong, see you tomorrow. This big sister is leaving now."
Jiang Tongtong stood at the door, bidding farewell to the customers in her sweet, childish voice: "Bye-bye, Grandpa Niu. You should smoke less, okay? See you tomorrow, Sister Yang! Tongtong likes you! Oh, it’s Granny Liu! Be careful on your way back."
The last group of customers was amused.
The child was just like her father—so clever and impish.
In the blink of an eye, all the customers had left.
Only the three of them remained in the restaurant.
"What do you two want to eat?"
"I’ll eat whatever Daddy makes. Tongtong is very easy to feed, hehe."
"Your girlfriend is easy to feed, too!"
"Alright, how about some smacked cucumber salad and rice congee?"
"Okay~!"
Jiang Liu went into the kitchen to wash the cucumbers.
The cucumbers the Vegetable Boss had given him were all bright green and prickly—clearly fresh.
Outside, the sky had completely darkened. The streets and alleys lit up with all kinds of fancy white storefront lights, designed to attract customers’ attention.
Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong followed pitifully behind Jiang Liu, never leaving his side.
"Jiang Liu, is it ready yet? Your girlfriend is about to starve to death."
"Daddy, Mommy and I are both going to starve to death because of you."
"Alright, alright. Go ahead and ladle out the congee first."
Jiang Liu held a bowl and shook it vigorously, making sure the cucumbers and seasonings were thoroughly mixed.
Jun Qingmeng trotted over to the large pot to scoop out the congee.
She scraped the pot clean, getting every last bit of congee.
"Mommy, are you done?"
"Yep, all done!"
"Then I’ll turn off the power."
Jun Qingmeng watched from the side.
Tongtong used her small hands to flip the switch on the large pot.
She cherished her father’s little restaurant.
Tongtong would take great care to protect everything in it.
The three of them sat at a table near the kitchen.
Jiang Liu swallowed. His throat still felt very uncomfortable.
It was accompanied by waves of a headache.
Jun Qingmeng felt Jiang Liu’s forehead. "What’s wrong? Your lips are a little pale. Are you getting sick?"
She had been angry when Jiang Liu got caught in the rain, but now all she felt was heartache.
’My boyfriend is my responsibility to protect,’ she thought.
"I’m fine. I just talked too much," Jiang Liu insisted, shaking his head stubbornly.
’After all,’ he thought, ’I added five points to ’Resistance.’ My constitution is stronger than the average person’s. A little rain isn’t enough to make me sick.’
"You’re just like a child. You and Tongtong are exactly alike."
Tongtong’s ears perked up instantly.
’Who’s praising this little cutie?’
Jiang Liu didn’t feel much like talking. He shook his head, his appetite gone despite the tempting, bright green smacked cucumber salad he had made himself.
Jun Qingmeng picked up a few pieces of the sesame oil-coated smacked cucumber and some peanuts, placed them in Jiang Liu’s bowl, then lifted his bowl and blew on the rice congee to cool it.
"Here, sweetie, let me feed you."
"No, it’s fine. I don’t want to eat right now. You two go ahead."
"Be good!" Jun Qingmeng authoritatively brought the spoon to Jiang Liu’s lips.
Back when she worked at her dad’s company, everyone there would tiptoe around her.
"Er, okay..."
Jiang Liu reluctantly took a bite.
’Got to give my girlfriend some face!’ he thought.
Jun Qingmeng’s expression softened again.
She had a big temper at times.
But she couldn’t bear to get angry with Jiang Liu.
"Daddy, come on. Eat what Tongtong feeds you, and you’ll feel better."
Jiang Tongtong blew on the congee on her spoon, stood on her tiptoes, and nudged it against Jiang Liu’s chin.
Jiang Liu took another bite, then smiled at them. "Weren’t you two hungry? Hurry up and eat. I can feed myself."
"Okay, but you eat too. If you don’t eat, we won’t eat either."
"That’s right, Daddy! If you don’t eat, Tongtong will starve to death with you."
Jiang Liu: ?
Jun Qingmeng ate a piece of the smacked cucumber.
She looked at Jiang Liu, once again surprised.
The savory, cool cucumber was crisp and incredibly refreshing.
It was topped with large, fried peanuts and dressed with sesame oil, filling her mouth with fragrance the moment she ate it.
Tongtong was eating with immense joy, stuffing piece after piece into her mouth.
She couldn’t help but swing her little legs under the table.
"Daddy, the food you make is ten times better than at kindergarten! Um, okay, it’s actually a lot more, but ten is the biggest number Tongtong knows, boohoo."
Jiang Liu reached out and patted his daughter’s head. "Then you be a good girl and study hard. Let’s aim for you to learn up to one hundred, and I’ll buy you ice cream then."
"Okay~!"
Jun Qingmeng asked nonchalantly, "Jiang Liu, who did you learn from? Why is everything you make so delicious? The flavor of this smacked cucumber salad is really special."