Cooking System: Street Food Rules

「Another day passed by.」

On the fourth day of selling Big Bone Soup, the number of customers further increased.

The Big Bone Soup Jiang Feng offered daily always had subtle differences in flavor. Sometimes he added carrots, sometimes cucumbers, and at other times he stewed mushrooms with cabbage and tofu. He could always fully bring out the best qualities of the bone soup and perfectly blend the flavor of the side dishes into it. This way, even if a customer ordered the same dish the next day, they would taste a slightly different flavor.

Today, Jiang Feng used pork bones, which also have a good flavor; almost all home-cooked Big Bone Soups are made with pork bones.

The rich and savory soup simmered in the pot. He added some fresh mushrooms and other fungi, making the flavor even more delicious.

At the same time, to cater to his customers, Jiang Feng also prepared another staple food: small sugar pancakes. These were intended to accompany the Big Bone Soup. Jiang Feng knew how to make many kinds of pastries, and small sugar pancakes were simple, so he chose those.

The recipe for small sugar pancakes was very simple. Knead a dough, form it into a long strip, cut it into small portions, roll them out like dumpling wrappers, then fill them with a sugar mixture, and roll them flat again. They just needed to be griddled in a flat pan until both sides turned golden brown. The difficulty lay in the proofing of the dough and controlling the heat when griddling the pancakes. They had to be griddled until both sides were a light golden brown, without a hint of charring, before being taken out. Such small sugar pancakes tasted best when eaten warm.

Jiang Feng wasn't in a hurry to cook them; he just prepared all the sugar-filled pancakes, ready to be griddled later.

By noon, many more people had arrived outside.

The incident on the internet was still causing a buzz. Several livestreamers were privately complaining about Fang Hui, saying he found the place so quickly that the hype died down before it even properly started. If he hadn't found it, they could have kept the search going. The matter had made it to the trending topics, and netizens were enjoying the spectacle. But when it was resolved in a single day, they naturally lost interest.

Many people came to Jiang Feng's Big Bone Soup Shop to taste the delicious Big Bone Soup.

Meanwhile, Wuh Wei, the hearse driver, drove the hearse carrying a coffin and two relatives of the deceased along the road to the funeral home. The usually empty road was somewhat congested today. Cars lined both sides, making the road seem not so desolate after all. At times, the hearse would scatter white paper flowers, but the people around didn't seem to mind; they found it rather curious.

Wuh Wei knew that all this was because of Jiang Feng, the chef with astonishing culinary skills.

The relatives of the deceased also noticed the state of the road. One of them asked, "Sir, are all these cars here for the funeral home?"

Upon hearing this, Wuh Wei replied, "No, these people are all here for a chef named Jiang Feng. Doesn't he often change locations to set up his stall and make various delicious foods? Because his food is delicious, he's become very popular. Everyone is here for him. I suggest that this afternoon, you go to his shop and have a bowl of his bone soup rice noodles. They taste great."

Wuh Wei offered this kind advice, also hoping the two relatives would not be so grief-stricken. As he spoke, he added, "The taste is really good, and eating his rice noodles makes you feel much more comfortable. I recommend you try it."

Hearing this, the two relatives said, "Alright, we'll take a look later."

Outside Jiang Feng's Big Bone Soup Shop, many people were still gathered. Because it was in a remote suburban area and it was a weekday, many people couldn't make it, so the crowd wasn't too overwhelming. It wasn't a sea of people. After waiting in line for about half an hour, one could get to eat the rice noodles.

Soon, the Big Bone Soup Shop opened, and the customers lined up to enter. The day's business thus began.

In the hearse were a couple named Li Wey and Duan Yingying. Today, they were bringing Li Wey's father for cremation. Such days were always sorrowful, and Li Wey's mood had plummeted to rock bottom.

Time passed slowly in a daze. When he emerged from the funeral home holding an urn of ashes, it was already past three in the afternoon.

At Jiang Feng's Big Bone Soup Shop, there were fewer customers at this time, which was just right. It was also almost time for Jiang Feng to finish work.

Li Wey and Duan Yingying entered the shop, joined the queue, and waited quietly.

About fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the counter.

"I want two bowls of bone soup rice noodles, no spice," Li Wey ordered. "And two small sugar pancakes."

The cashier, Sun Zhuangfei, said, "Alright, please wait a moment."

Then, Sun Zhuangfei went to the kitchen to ask Jiang Feng how much Big Bone Soup was left.

Jiang Feng responded, "There's enough for two more bowls of rice noodles, and a few more sugar pancakes can be made. Tell the people behind them they don't need to wait in line anymore."

"Okay, boss." Sun Zhuangfei hurried out and said apologetically to the customers behind Li Wey, "I'm sorry, but today's Big Bone Soup has sold out. There are just the last two bowls left. There really isn't any more."

Hearing this, the customers behind them voiced their disappointment and quietly left.

Li Wey, however, felt secretly relieved. At least life hasn't become worse.

Jiang Feng busied himself at the stove. First, he skillfully prepared two bowls of rice noodles. Then, he brushed some oil onto the flat pan and began to griddle the sugar pancakes. The sugar pancakes weren't very large, just a bit bigger than one's palm. Soon, one side of the sugar pancakes turned golden brown, and Jiang Feng flipped them over one by one. Once the second side was also golden brown, he used a spatula to lift the sugar pancakes and served them to the customers.

Li Wey and Duan Yingying sat at the table, receiving the rice noodles and sugar pancakes.

The steam from the rice noodles wafted straight into his nostrils, its aroma instantly whetting his appetite. He took a sip of the soup; his body warmed a little, and his groggy head seemed to clear slightly. This bowl of rice noodles is indeed as the hearse driver said. It has a magical power.

Li Wey's appetite was awakened. He ate several mouthfuls of rice noodles in succession; the piping hot sensation made him feel increasingly comfortable, as if days of gloom were being swept away by this one bowl.

Then, he picked up a sugar pancake. The sugar pancake looked no different from ordinary ones, except that both sides were an even golden brown.

He took a bite. As he bit down, the crispy outer shell cracked open with a CRUNCH! CRUNCH! Then, hot, white syrup flowed out from the pancake into his mouth.

The syrup was sweet—a warm, clear sweetness. This sweetness felt meticulously crafted; as it filled his mouth, it brought a comforting warmth to his heart.

Li Wey began to chew the pancake soaked with syrup. The pancake's outer skin was fried to a crisp, yet the inside was soft and satisfyingly chewy. And it was cooked through perfectly. The texture was delightful to chew.

The rice noodles were savory, as was the Big Bone Soup. Eating the savory rice noodles and drinking the Big Bone Soup, then suddenly biting into a very sweet sugar pancake—The contrast is incredible! The two complemented each other perfectly.

"This is really delicious," Duan Yingying, beside him, spoke up, trying to divert Li Wey's attention.

"Indeed, the flavor is very good," Li Wey nodded in agreement.

After speaking, he turned to Sun Zhuangfei, who was busy cleaning up, and asked, "Excuse me, do you still have sugar pancakes?"

Sun Zhuangfei immediately replied, "There are only a few left. How many would you like?"

"I'll take four more, thank you."

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Sun Zhuangfei went to the back kitchen to pass on the customer's request to Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng nodded and placed four small sugar pancakes on the flat pan, continuing to griddle them.

The taste of these sugar pancakes was indeed good. Nothing special was added—just sugar mixed into the leavened dough and sugar in the filling. After being griddled on the flat pan, they became delicious.

Sun Zhuangfei glanced at the counter where a few uncooked sugar pancakes remained, smiled awkwardly, and asked, "Boss, can I have another small sugar pancake? It's really delicious."

Jiang Feng nodded. "I'm planning to griddle all the remaining sugar pancakes in a bit; you can have some then."

Upon hearing this, Sun Zhuangfei immediately said gratefully, "Thank you, Boss!"

Soon, the four sugar pancakes were ready, and Sun Zhuangfei served them to Li Wey and Duan Yingying.

Li Wey picked up a hot sugar pancake with his chopsticks and bit into it directly. The syrup inside was scorching, and he flinched back, momentarily scalded. After letting it cool for a moment, he continued to savor the delicious sugar pancake.

This meal is indeed very satisfying. It's the best-tasting meal I've had in many days. Although it was just rice noodles and sugar pancakes, in Li Wey's eyes, this meal was comparable to a feast.

After the meal, his mood seemed to have improved somewhat.

The sugar pancakes were specially prepared by Jiang Feng. When people are sad, depressed, or upset, eating sugar can temporarily trigger the release of dopamine, a hormone associated with pleasure. This is why many people enjoy drinking sugary beverages and eating sweets. Consuming sugar can bring a sense of happiness. Jiang Feng had considered this when choosing to make sugar pancakes.

In the shop, besides Sun Zhuangfei, there were two additional helpers serving customers—hourly workers Jiang Feng had hired.

Having eaten their fill, Li Wey and Duan Yingying left, thoroughly satisfied. Eating a meal in this place felt quite nice. Li Wey also remembered Jiang Feng's name. He had heard stories about Jiang Feng before but hadn't paid them much mind. This personal experience left him with a deep impression of Jiang Feng.

「Soon, the small shop closed for the day.」

Sun Zhuangfei led the staff in washing dishes, wiping tables, sweeping, mopping, and taking out the trash. Jiang Feng also joined in. He was only responsible for managing the ingredients. After all, as the boss, he didn't need to do many tasks personally; paying wages was sufficient.

And so, the day's business concluded. It had been busy, yet not chaotic.

Jiang Feng then closed up and went home with his cats and dogs to rest.