Divorced Dad's Gourmet Shop

Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Twice-Cooked Pork

"Master, you can rest assured. The two of us will follow the standards you gave us to the letter!"

"We definitely won’t cut any corners, Master. Should we head back now?"

The two of them actually wanted to stay and help Jiang Liu work, to bask a little in the restaurant’s glory.

In the future, they could tell their peers they had worked at the "Second Best Restaurant Under Heaven." How prestigious would that be?

Another reason was that they were getting hungry. Ever since eating the steamed buns Jiang Liu made yesterday, the two of them still couldn’t forget the taste.

"Alright, go on back and get some rest."

Jiang Liu nodded, then suddenly asked, "By the way, have you two had lunch?"

"No, we didn’t have breakfast either."

"We’re a little hungry, Master."

Hu Yongfa and Yue Longfan gulped.

Even they, chefs with decades of experience, couldn’t resist the temptation of Jiang Liu’s food, to say nothing of ordinary people.

"Feeling hungry, are we? Hold on, I’ll get you some tuna to eat." Jiang Liu smiled and grabbed two takeout boxes.

"Yes, Master!"

"Thank you, Master."

As Jiang Liu went to pack the tuna, the two men exchanged an excited glance.

’Tuna!!’

’We’ve wanted to eat it for ages but never had the chance.’

A moment later, Jiang Liu returned with two boxes of tuna.

The pink sashimi was enough to make one’s mouth water just by looking at it.

’Just how tender would a bite of that be?’

"This tuna is something special!"

As he walked out the door, Hu Yongfa couldn’t resist picking up a piece of tuna and trying a bite.

It melted in his mouth—so rich and tender!

The meat carried the fresh, savory taste of the ocean.

It was as if this was a top-grade tuna that had just been pulled from the ocean!

’Boss Jiang is a genius...’

Both men saw the shock in each other’s eyes.

"So tender! This is the first time I’ve ever eaten tuna this delicious. I’m done talking, I’m heading home!"

"Yeah, I’m hurrying back too!"

The two clutched the tuna boxes as if guarding against thieves and hurried away.

They were taking it home to enjoy with their wives and kids!

「12:03 PM.」

Outside, the customers craned their necks, trying to peer into the restaurant.

"I’m starving. My stomach won’t stop growling. When are they going to open?"

"I’m trying not to think about it. The more I think about Boss Jiang’s beef, the more I suffer."

"Xiao Jiang is so lazy. Can’t he open a little earlier? Ugh."

"That yak beef... it’s just so amazing. It doesn’t get stuck in your teeth at all, it’s like eating tofu. I’m even dreaming about waiting in this line now. It’s tragic."

As the crowd continued to murmur, a chain reaction of stomach growls rippled through the line.

Just then, Wang Cheng and Xia Changzhi walked into the little shop side by side.

Wang Cheng was dressed in his usual suit and tie, carrying a black leather bag, while Xia Changzhi wore a blue tracksuit.

Hearing voices, Jiang Liu came out in his apron and greeted them warmly. "You’re here? Go ahead and sit down. I’ll have you try some twice-cooked pork in a bit."

Wang Cheng placed his bag on a table and nodded with a smile. "Thanks for having us, Boss Jiang."

Xia Changzhi spoke up, a bit embarrassed. "I heard Wang Cheng was coming here for twice-cooked pork, and since I wasn’t in the line, I just tagged along. I hope it’s not too much trouble for you, Boss Jiang?"

As he listened, Jiang Liu brought out two bottles of chilled watermelon juice for them.

"What trouble is it? When I asked you two for a favor, did you complain it was too much trouble?"

Xia Changzhi was overjoyed to hear that and let out a couple of hearty laughs.

"Oh, right, Boss Jiang. The landlord you asked me to look into—I haven’t been able to reach him yet. I’ve asked one of his friends to contact him, so I’m sure there’ll be news soon."

Jiang Liu waved a dismissive hand. "Don’t worry about it. It’s only been a few hours. We can take our time. It’s not like I can buy the shop on the spot anyway."

’Right now, with the money from my girlfriend, plus this morning’s earnings, and after subtracting some expenses and the advance payment...’

’...I only have a little over 1.4 million left.’

’That’s not a lot to play with. If this landlord decides to jack up the price on the spot, I’ll have to use my connections to pressure him to lower it.’

After settling the two in, Jiang Liu went to the back kitchen to get their food.

Three plates of twice-cooked pork and three bowls of nourishing congee.

The steamed buns weren’t ready and the beef was still simmering, so Jiang Liu decided to serve an impressive platter of tuna as well.

Jiang Liu placed a tray on the table. "Dig in. The yak beef and steamed buns will be a while longer. Is this enough for you?"

The two men’s eyes were practically glued to the food. "More than enough, more than enough! Don’t go to any more trouble, Boss Jiang," they said at once.

"I won’t stand on ceremony then, Boss Jiang. I’m starving to death over here."

Wang Cheng threw decorum to the wind, hastily snatching a piece of twice-cooked pork and popping it into his mouth.

He chewed a few times, and as the flavor conquered his palate, his eyes shot wide open in disbelief.

’This flavor...’

After one bite of the pork, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, Xia Changzhi couldn’t stop. He lowered his head and began to wolf it down.

"Boss Jiang, this... this twice-cooked pork you made is just too good!"

The more Wang Cheng ate, the more shocked he became, his words starting to stammer.

The pork slices had no unpleasant gaminess; they were prepared perfectly. The fusion of salty, spicy, and garlicky notes elevated the entire dish to another level.

Xia Changzhi shook his head in admiration. "Little Boss Jiang, you’re truly something else. I’ve eaten twice-cooked pork my whole life, but it wasn’t until I tasted yours that I realized what I’ve been missing!"

It was truly delicious.

From the ingredients to the preparation, everything was absolutely top-tier.

The two of them thought simultaneously.

Jiang Liu simply smiled without a word.

Wang Cheng asked curiously, "Boss Jiang, why isn’t something this delicious on your permanent menu? And by the way, I forgot to ask, how much is a plate of this?"

Xia Changzhi also perked up his ears to listen.

Jiang Liu shook his head and explained, "The twice-cooked pork is good, but I feel it’s still missing something. It’s not quite good enough for the permanent menu. As for the price, I set it at one hundred yuan, but I feel that’s a bit steep..."

"One hundred? You call that expensive?!"

Wang Cheng took another hearty bite of the pork and garlic sprouts.

His mouth filled with the rich flavor of suckling pig and the aroma of garlic.

A look of utter confusion was on his face.

"If you ask me, Boss Jiang, you could sell this for five hundred and people would still buy it."

"Five hundred is too expensive."

Jiang Liu shook his head. "I have high-end items in my shop, and I also have delicious, affordable ones. It’s good to occasionally put out something cheap and tasty for everyone to enjoy."

’What I’m building is a good reputation and customer loyalty.’

’Selling it for a high price is pointless. Customer approval is what matters most.’

’Many things need to be done gradually, step by step.’

"That makes sense."

"Appealing to young and old alike. Boss Jiang is a real businessman."

The two men nodded in admiration.

Although they didn’t fully understand his reasoning, the long line of customers at the door every day said it all.

Xia Changzhi’s mouth was slick with pork grease as he ate.

SLURP. He took a big gulp of the congee, his eyes narrowing in bliss.

He deliberately stood up and stretched, making sure the customers outside could see him eating.

’How is it that freeloader again?!’

Outside, the faces of the waiting uncles and aunties turned green with envy.

"I thought I heard an old man go into Boss Jiang’s shop. I can’t believe it’s this bastard again."

"Can’t be helped. It’s just our fate to be jealous. After all, he did Brother Jiang a huge favor."

Uncle Li snorted. "Next time, let’s drag that son of a bitch into a game of Chinese chess. But instead of putting paper strips on the loser’s face, the forfeit will be taking off their clothes. See if I don’t make that old bastard lose every last shred of his dignity!"

’Take off his clothes?’

The surrounding aunties in the line grew excited.

"That’s a great idea! That good-for-nothing deserves to be humiliated."

"When the time comes, we’ll all gang up on him and pull his underwear right off!"