Chapter 6
The piping hot gluten, cooked to the perfect temperature, combined with a uniquely prepared recipe, releases an irresistible aroma.
Jin Yifei had already tasted it yesterday and couldn't stop thinking about it after returning home; now he couldn't wait to eat it again.
"Cousin, you must eat these skewers while they're hot! In this life, the only thing you should never miss is good food!"
Zhu Zhifeng didn't seem to care and gave a soft snort, "You've just eaten too many delicacies and are only temporarily interested in simple vegetables. I grew up in this county and I've never known there was such a restaurant in this small town. In my opinion, you've been fooled."
Her words were arrogant, but her eyes were honest; she stared at the gluten in her cousin's hand and very restrainedly swallowed her saliva.
Jin Yifei didn't argue with her. After all, everyone has their own preferences and the right to choose, and there's no need to force others.
It'll get cold if we don't eat it soon.
Taking a bite of the fluffy gluten is incredibly satisfying, and the various spices are blended together in just the right proportions, making it an unforgettable experience.
"Absolutely delicious!"
Yu Wan thought to herself, how could it not taste good? In her world, a small stall could make a lot of money just by selling grilled gluten, which showed how popular it was.
She could tell from Zhu Zhifeng's expression that her taste buds were being piqued.
Yu Cheng ran over and took away the plates from table number two.
Yu Wan's hands moved swiftly and skillfully, not interrupting the conversation, as she picked up another skewer of gluten and handed it over.
"Really not going to try it?"
Zhu Zhifeng hesitated, her bright eyes fixed on the noodles. She pursed her lips, but finally raised her chin.
"Hmph, I would never eat something of unknown origin!"
Jin Yifei hadn't had enough to eat earlier, and now he wanted to grab some more.
"If she doesn't want to eat, then forget it. Give it to me, give it to me."
But just as his fingers were about to touch the bamboo skewer, it was snatched away by someone.
Zhu Zhifeng tried to save face, saying, "You begged me to eat this, so I won't hold it against you. I'm giving you face."
Yu Wan remained calm and didn't argue with her. Besides, she had no status or position and had no confidence whatsoever.
On the contrary, these two individuals could help her spread her reputation, so she naturally wanted to earn their praise. Especially during the startup phase, every positive review is crucial, and given the unusual backgrounds of these two, the promotional effect would be even better.
Zhu Zhifeng stared disdainfully at the gluten in her hand.
Is it really safe to eat?
Jin Yifei couldn't stand it anymore. "Zhu Zhifeng, you're such a spoilsport! I can't bear to watch anymore; it's such a waste of all this delicious food."
Zhu Zhifeng glanced at him, wanting to eat but not wanting to, and remained in a stalemate with the gluten for a while before finally making up her mind.
She had already guessed she would gag; she had always vomited whenever she ate something she didn't like since she was a child. But not wanting to be laughed at, she closed her eyes, took a small bite, and chewed it carefully a couple of times.
However, her guess did not come true. She suddenly opened her beautiful eyes, which sparkled as she looked at the gluten.
"What is this? How can it taste so delicious? I've never eaten anything like this before, it's so unique!"
Jin Yifei rolled his eyes. "Grilled gluten! So you've been belittling that young lady's cooking skills all this time, but you don't even know what this is called? You're just insulting her without thinking, that's so low!"
Yu Wan smiled slightly, finally winning over the young lady's stomach!
happy!
Zhu Zhifeng finished the gluten in a few bites and immediately stared at the grill, turning into a curious child.
"What are all these?"
Yu Wan patiently explained, "Miss Zhu, this is pork tenderloin, sweet potato skewers, pork belly, ham sausage, rice cakes..."
Zhu Zhifeng swallowed hard, waved her hand dismissively, and said in a hearty tone:
"I want to eat them all!"
Yu Wan took two plates and quickly plated the food. "This table is yours, table number three."
Yu Cheng jogged over to pick up the plate, but Jin Yifei snatched it away first, and then the plate ended up in Zhu Zhifeng's hands.
"They're all mine! Cousin, you can order another one for yourself."
Jin Yifei said with a smile:
"So you have this side to you? You'd abandon all ladylike image for a bite to eat?"
Zhu Zhifeng walked away smugly with the plate, "Eat quickly, or it'll get cold!"
Yu Wan knew her grilled skewers would win her over, but she never expected such a big difference.
“Young Master Jin, I was selling kebabs at the market that day, and I am very grateful that you were the first to stand up and taste them. You helped me a lot. To be honest, that day was very important to me. Without your help, my family’s restaurant probably wouldn’t have been able to get started so quickly. So, this meal is on me today.”
Jin Yifei interrupted her, "Don't say that. I'm not that kind. It's just that your skewers are delicious enough to attract my attention. That's your skill, it has nothing to do with me."
Yu Wan wouldn't think that way. Sometimes success requires many factors, including timing, location, and people. Even if someone is very capable, they still need good luck.
That day, the two of them were dressed elegantly and impeccably; even strangers would guess they were people of status. They actually stopped at a simple barbecue stall, and Jin Yifei even ate some skewers on the spot. Later, he followed them to a restaurant and ate there for several days in a row. The whole town knew about it. Jin Yifei's unintentional act gave her career a great start. That's why Yu Wan wanted to express her heartfelt gratitude.
"Thank you anyway."
Jin Yifei, as if remembering something, asked, "The day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve. My aunt is preparing the menu for the New Year's Eve dinner. How about I pre-order some skewers from you, and I'll send someone to pick them up? Can you make them?"
Yu Wan's expression brightened. "Really? But the county town is quite a distance from our restaurant, so it'll probably get cold by the time we get back."
"That's true." Jin Yifei said thoughtfully. It's inevitable to feel a little disappointed when you can't share your favorite food with your family, and it's not easy to persuade them to come to the restaurant to try it.
Yu Wan naturally couldn't let such a good opportunity slip by, and a brilliant idea came to her.
"I'll bring my tools and ingredients to your doorstep to grill right here, so I can have something hot to eat."
Jin Yifei clapped his hands. "Great idea! That solves everything. But I'm sorry you can't stay home with your family. Is that alright?"
Yu Wan was now eager to seize every opportunity to make money. "It's okay, thank you for giving me this opportunity, Mr. Jin."
That's the county magistrate's residence. If her kebabs really made it to the magistrate's table, that would be wonderful.
With the deal settled, Yu Wan worked even harder. Is this what it feels like to be on a winning streak? Everything's going too smoothly!
Lunar New Year's eve.
That day, the restaurant was not crowded with customers. Yu Wan saw that it was getting late, so she put up the sign to close the shop, prepared her tools and ingredients, and headed out.
Yu's mother was worried. "Awan, why don't you not go? It's not safe for a young lady like you to walk alone at night. Things aren't very peaceful these days."
Yu Wan smiled and comforted her, "Mother, Young Master Jin sent a carriage to pick me up, and he will also bring me back. I'm not going there on foot, so it's perfectly safe."
Yu's mother was still worried. "I'm feeling uneasy. It's better if you don't go."
Yu Wan couldn't easily miss such a good opportunity.
"I heard that the magistrate's family banquet featured a full sixty dishes prepared by the chef from Fu Man Ju restaurant. If our family's kebabs can be served on the same table as the signature dishes of that grand restaurant, then we'll really make a name for ourselves. Mother, you and A-Cheng can stay home and wait for my good news. Don't worry about me."
As soon as they stepped outside, they saw the carriage sent by Jin Yifei.
Sitting in the carriage, she began to think about her future plans. She knew not only how to grill skewers, but also how to cook. She had learned all eight major cuisines and could also make pastries. She planned to make plans for all of these in the future.
However, the restaurant is just starting out, so thinking about these things is still a long way off. Not having money is the biggest problem, so we need to work hard to save money in order to have better facilities.
She roughly sketched out a development plan in her mind, and soon arrived in the county town.
This was her first time here. She had been busy in this small town since arriving in this world and hadn't had a chance to see any further places.
As darkness fell, few pedestrians remained; most stayed home to celebrate the New Year.
However, there were still a few vendors selling New Year's goods on the street. The peddlers carried their wares on shoulder poles and hawked their wares as they moved through the streets and alleys, while fireworks and firecrackers were set off everywhere.
A county town is a county town; it's more prosperous and bustling than a town.
Yu Wan didn't know when the county magistrate's family would hold a banquet, so she could only set up the grill and wait at the back door as previously agreed.
Before long, a luxurious carriage stopped at the door, which aroused Yu Wan's envy.
She'll wait a little longer, until things get a bit better, then she'll buy a carriage too, which will make traveling much easier.
A plump, middle-aged man stepped down from the carriage, arrogantly holding his head high as he walked towards the door. Suddenly, he stopped and looked her over suspiciously.
"Where did this vendor come from, daring to set up a stall in front of the magistrate's house?"
Yu Wan did not know who this person was, and as a newcomer, she did not want to cause trouble. Judging from the other person's words, she concluded that he was a guest of the county magistrate.
"Happy New Year, sir. I am Yu Wan, the owner of Yu Family Restaurant in Modan Town."
The middle-aged man thought for a moment, but couldn't recall the name.
"What kind of eatery is this? Get out of here! It's the New Year, don't bring bad luck to the magistrate!"
Yu Wan was annoyed, but she didn't lash out; she just smiled and remained silent.
Anyway, this isn't his home, so why should we listen to him?
This kind of person is a snob. He's all high and mighty now, but he'll have to act like a grandson in front of the county magistrate later.
Seeing that she neither answered nor left, the middle-aged man also became determined to prove her wrong.
"Aren't you leaving yet? If you don't leave now, someone will come with a stick and chase you away like a dog. Don't blame me for not warning you."
Yu Wan smiled, "Thank you for your kindness."
The middle-aged man angrily flung his sleeves and cursed, "You ungrateful wretch!"
At that moment, someone opened the door from the inside.
The middle-aged man immediately bowed, his face beaming with smiles.
"Young Master Jin, Happy New Year! I wish you a Happy New Year."
Jin Yifei walked right past him and stood in front of Yu Wan.
"Come inside with me."
Yu Wan looked somewhat surprised. Wasn't it agreed that they would be grilling skewers at the entrance? Why were they suddenly allowed to come in?
"good."
She slung her basket over her shoulder and followed, leaving the middle-aged man standing at the door, bewildered.
Yu Wan was visiting such a large mansion for the first time and was worried about losing them, so she followed them very closely.
Not knowing what the rules were in the household, I kept silent and walked with my head down.
Jin Yifei secretly praised him, saying that he was a wonderful person who had such good cooking skills at such a young age and was calm and composed in the face of adversity.
“Madam Yu, first of all, I must apologize to you. I was not thoughtful enough to make you prepare food for us outside in the dead of winter. Fortunately, my aunt is kind-hearted and pointed out my mistake.”
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