I'm the Culinary God

"This works too, Uncle-in-law?"

"Why not? Chili Oil is a fixed thing, but people are flexible. You have to be good at using modern tools."

With that, Shi Wenming put the lamb soup he had simmered yesterday back on the stove to reheat. Then, he took out the lamb offal cooked the day before and started to chop it. Shortly, he would blanch it in the lamb soup, add some boiling lamb broth, sprinkle some cilantro, and it would become a mouthwatering lamb offal soup.

By the time the bowls of lamb offal soup were ready, Second Uncle had also arrived for work, carrying freshly bought Sesame Pancakes. Mom, Chen Meijuan, had specifically asked him to buy them.

"Come and eat, it's still hot. I didn't know how many to buy, so I just bought them all."

Second Uncle had bought twenty or thirty Sesame Pancakes, so everyone could eat their fill today.

To ensure everyone ate comfortably, Shi Wenming had also specially prepared some pickled chilies and small pickles. By now, the lamb fat Chili Oil had solidified. He scooped some into a bowl, and soon, the rich red oil, along with the unique aroma of lamb fat, began to permeate the dining area.

"Wow, the aroma of this chili is so rich!" Shen Baobao exclaimed, then scooped some more into her bowl.

This Chili Oil is so fragrant, I absolutely need two spoonfuls to satisfy my craving!

Once the Chili Oil melted, just a pinch of salt in the soup, and then it could be paired with the Sesame Pancakes.

"Two lambs cost several thousand yuan, plus all the various individual customers..." Shi Wenming mused, encouraging himself while enjoying the delicious lamb offal soup. "Let's push hard today and try to get the restaurant's revenue over ten thousand yuan!"

Lin Hongqi said, "Don't stress about the sales. Now is the time to build our reputation. Establishing a good reputation is much more important than a temporary increase in sales."

When he first started developing the scenic area, Lin Hongqi had planned to contract out all its facilities. He figured he could just collect leasing fees and not have to worry about the day-to-day trifles. However, it turned out that the hotel, restaurant, homestays, and even the Stargazing Base couldn't be contracted out, so he ended up running them himself.

Now, with tourists coming up, business was blossoming in all areas. Yesterday, the Cliffside Hotel had fifty or sixty staying guests, and the Stargazing Base had even surpassed two hundred visitors. This outcome pleased Lin Hongqi. Once the 4A certification was approved, another round of promotions could potentially boost business volume even further.

Breakfast was over, and everyone was satisfyingly full.

Chen Meijuan was holding Dundun, trying on the little sweater she had knitted the day before. The wine-red sweater made the little fellow look even more like a child. After the initial discomfort, the little guy even took the initiative to strut around in front of the air conditioner. It was a good thing the air conditioner couldn't move; otherwise, that little rascal Dundun would have definitely gotten a spanking.

"Let Dundun stay with us this morning," Chen Meijuan began.

Just as she spoke, Dundun quietly sidled over to Lin Xu, clearly wanting to stay with his dad and not go to the ticket office.

But what Chen Meijuan said next changed the little fellow's mind: "I've ordered a bunch of cat toys, scratching posts, and a cat bed, and they should be arriving soon. It'll be perfect for Dundun to see if he likes them."

"MEOW~~~"

As soon as she finished speaking, Dundun pounced over, affectionately rubbing his head against Chen Meijuan's trouser leg.

"Heh, this little one is really close to me."

Gleefully, Chen Meijuan held Dundun in her arms. Chen Yuanyuan, holding a Sesame Pancake stuffed with lamb offal in one hand and the handlebars with the other, drove the commuter vehicle carrying Chen Meijuan toward the main gate. While driving, Yuanyuan still took an occasional bite of her Sesame Pancake.

After they left, Shi Wenming unloaded another grill—which he had bought that morning while grocery shopping—from the backseat of his Wuling Hongguang. One lamb, one grill. That way, come noon, it wouldn't interfere with Bobo Not Happy entertaining his friends.

After breakfast, Lin Xu didn't start his live stream immediately. Instead, he drove back with Shen Baobao to move their luggage to a homestay in the ancient village near the Cliffside Hotel.

"So, this is the Demon Cave everyone talks about, huh?" Shen Baobao asked, looking at the quaint, antique old house before her, her heart filled with pleasant surprise.

She had grown up in Grandma Shen's large courtyard house and had a deep affection for such old buildings. Seeing one again brought back feelings from her childhood.

The ancient village had over ten refurbished homestays, but they had remained unrented. Consequently, Chen Yuanyuan was living in one, and Chen Meijuan and Lin Hongqi were also staying in another.

Opening the courtyard gate, they saw the yard was paved with white gravel. Alongside it, a circular covered walkway connected the gate to the house. The walkway was laid with thick wooden planks, comfortable to walk on.

Passing through the covered walkway to the front door of the house, they first went through a glass door and then entered an exterior corridor. Indeed, the entire corridor was enclosed by glass walls. This not only created a sense of spaciousness but also allowed people to sit there and enjoy the courtyard scenery.

"Wow, this place is beautiful!"

"My mom had all this done," Lin Xu explained, "but my dad put a stop to it later because the costs were too high..."

No matter how well a homestay is designed, it's all for nothing if it can't be rented out. That's why it's better to use limited funds elsewhere.

The suite Lin Xu was staying in had originally been the model unit. When he returned for summer vacation last year, it became his exclusive cabin. Even the game console and its matching TV from his apartment in the city had been moved here.

Taking out the key, he pushed the door open. The house had wooden floors. Chen Meijuan must have had someone clean it yesterday, as the floor was spotless. Paired with the wood-grain papered walls, it gave off the feeling of a cabin in the woods.

Changing into slippers and stepping inside, the first things they saw were the large TV in the living room and the PlayStation game console beside it.