Jiang Feng's food stall was doing exceptionally well. The aromatic braised meat was simply irresistible. The aroma of his broth, as if enhanced by some magical seasoning, wafted for ten miles, enticing everyone nearby. Customers who came to eat his braised meat invariably marveled at its taste.
It was a weekday, so there were fewer tourists at the resort, with only a small surge around mealtimes. Even so, by around two o'clock in the afternoon, Jiang Feng had sold two hundred pounds of meat. The system task was successfully completed. With the task complete, Jiang Feng felt a sense of relief wash over him.
The blue panel displayed a message:
[Braised Meat Sales: 201/200 pounds, daily task completed.]
[Extra Reward Received: Dark Metal Kitchen Knife*1]
This time, the reward was a kitchen knife. Taking advantage of a quiet moment, Jiang Feng took it out.
The Dark Metal Kitchen Knife was entirely silver with a pattern carved on the side, looking extremely beautiful. It was already sharpened, with an incredibly sharp edge that could easily slice through tough ribs, which were usually difficult to cut. Jiang Feng held the Dark Metal Kitchen Knife, weighing it in his hand. It wasn't heavy, making it easy to handle for fine chopping work.
This is a good find, definitely useful for the future. Jiang Feng was very satisfied with this new addition.
He glanced at the braised meat in the pot. He had prepared around three hundred pounds for the day, and now only a third remained. He planned to stay open a while longer; if no more customers came, he would drive back and rest. Meanwhile, he intended to prepare the broth for the next day, buy the ingredients, and get ready to return tomorrow.
「At the same time, at Shuize Resort Happy Ranch.」
Happy Ranch was the resort's flagship sightseeing farm. It boasted an exceptional environment where visitors could see pens of calves and lambs upon entering. Behind this area was a Grassland where sika deer roamed freely, available for tourists to feed. The ranch also had a tent campsite where visitors could take photos, check in on social media, and eat specialty hot pot. It was an excellent place for relaxation during vacation trips.
Zhang Dashan, the forty-five-year-old owner of Happy Ranch, had been chatting with a friend. This friend mentioned that a new stall selling aromatic braised meat had opened on the snack street, boasting exceptionally delicious flavors. Zhang Dashan loved meat—it was one reason he had opened a ranch. The prospect of delicious braised meat immediately made his mouth water.
"Xiao Ya! Xiao Ya!" he called for his daughter.
Zhang Dashan's daughter, Zhang Xinya, was twenty-two years old and a recent college graduate. Since Happy Ranch was doing extremely well, Zhang Xinya didn't need to work elsewhere and instead helped out there. Zhang Dashan was a strict parent, so Zhang Xinya hadn't experienced much turbulence in life.
"Dad, what is it?" Zhang Xinya asked as she came out.
"There's a new place selling braised meat on the snack street today," Zhang Dashan said. "Could you go buy some for me? I'm having drinks with Liu Gen'er tonight. Get plenty, alright? Big pork knuckles, chicken feet, pig's trotters, and so on—at least four or five pounds of each."
He wanted Zhang Xinya to get out and about rather than staying in her room all day.
"Okay, I'll go." Zhang Xinya nodded, then hopped onto the family's electric scooter and left the ranch, heading towards the snack street. The ranch wasn't far from the snack street; it was just a short ride out the gate and down the road.
Zhang Xinya looked around, searching for the braised meat stall. Where can I find braised meat around here? she wondered. There were many vendors in the area, some with actual small shops, which made it difficult to find the specific braised meat stall.
However, after riding a little farther in, Zhang Xinya caught a whiff of a unique, enticing aroma. It smelled like well-seasoned meat when the lid is lifted from a pot, a fragrance that suggested top-quality ingredients and skillful cooking. Coming from a family that owned a ranch and ate meat daily, Zhang Xinya had a good sense for the aroma of quality meat. With such an enticing scent, the flavor was sure to be exceptional.
So, Zhang Xinya followed the scent on her scooter, heading deeper into the vendor area. Before long, she spotted Jiang Feng's food truck.
At that moment, Jiang Feng was tidying up outside his food truck. He had taken down the hanging sign and was preparing to pack up and go home.
"Boss, wait!" Zhang Xinya called out, hurrying over on her electric scooter.
At this moment, Zhang Xinya had unwashed hair and no makeup on. She was dressed in loose casual clothes and a pair of cute, rabbit-shaped slippers. Her features were quite good; young women these days pay great attention to their appearance and have high standards for themselves, so most of them look presentable.
Jiang Feng turned to look at the approaching Zhang Xinya. When she saw that Jiang Feng was quite handsome, she immediately felt a twinge of regret, thinking she should have put on some makeup.
"Boss, I'd like to buy some pig's trotters and pork knuckles," Zhang Xinya said, looking at the sign in Jiang Feng's hand. "You're new here today, aren't you?"
Jiang Feng nodded. "Yes, I just set up my stall at Shuize Resort today. What would you like? There's not much braised meat left."
Zhang Xinya looked at the sign and said, "I'll take five pig's trotters, five pounds of pork knuckles, five pounds of chicken feet, five pounds of pork intestines, and five chicken legs."
Jiang Feng was a bit surprised by her order.
This is big business! Who would have thought this pretty, casually dressed girl would be such a big spender! Now that I look at her again, she seems even more attractive. She looks good from any angle.
"Alright, let me check." Jiang Feng returned to the food truck, opened the iron pot, and checked the remaining braised meat.
"I don't have enough pig's trotters; there are only four left. The pork intestines are all sold out. I have enough pork knuckles, and plenty of chicken feet. There are enough chicken legs too."
Hearing this, Zhang Xinya immediately replied, "I'll take all the pork knuckles you have left, and eight pounds of chicken feet. I'll also take whatever braised items you have left, like the bean curd skin and dried tofu. Five chicken legs will be enough."
Jiang Feng quickly took out transparent food containers and began packing the braised meat, weighing it, and calculating the price.
"You're buying so much, you must have quite an appetite," Jiang Feng chatted as he worked.
"My family is over at Happy Ranch. My dad and the ranch workers love meat," Zhang Xinya replied. "If your braised meat is tasty, he'll want to buy it every day."
This certainly looks like a major customer.
"Alright," Jiang Feng said, "my braised meat tastes best warm. You should heat it up before eating."
He finished packing the braised meat Zhang Xinya wanted and placed it in the basket of her electric scooter.
"Great, it smells amazing! I'll head back and try it now," Zhang Xinya said. She paid and left on her electric scooter.
After this sale, there wasn't much braised meat left in Jiang Feng's pot—just some chicken feet.
I actually sold out! Faster than I imagined. Jiang Feng thought with a sigh of relief.
If he had stayed open until after six in the evening, selling out all his braised meat would not have been an issue. But it was only about two-thirty in the afternoon, still early, and Jiang Feng didn't plan on exhausting himself. A moderate amount of work made life fulfilling; too much could make a person irritable.
"Little Black, time to go home," Jiang Feng called out to the small black dog in the food truck.
"WOOF!" the pup responded with a high-pitched bark.
Seeing the little creature's cleverness, Jiang Feng couldn't help but laugh.
Life is truly leisurely, he thought. Especially when, just as you're about to close up, a customer arrives and buys all your remaining stock. That's even more delightful.
Jiang Feng slowly drove the food truck away from the resort. He opened the window, and the wind blew in, feeling free and comfortable.