Chapter 386 - 385: Fuqi Feipian, Numbing, Spicy, Savory, and Aromatic

Chapter 386: Chapter 385: Fuqi Feipian, Numbing, Spicy, Savory, and Aromatic

Back at the shop, the angled parking spots by the entrance were already full.

But no one had dared to take the exclusive spot that Jiang Liu always used.

"There are so many people, honey." Jun Qingmeng got out of the car, wanting to cover her ears.

"Daddy," Jiang Tongtong said, blinking her big, innocent eyes, "it seems way more crowded than usual today."

"Yeah."

Jiang Liu was also a little surprised.

It was a sea of people this early in the morning, and the roar of the crowd was so loud that a passerby might think it was a concert.

People had already noticed him while he was parking. The moment he stepped out of the car, someone came over to greet him.

The owner of the barbershop said, "You’re here, Boss Jiang? How did things go yesterday?"

"It went well. No hitches."

"If you hadn’t shown up this morning, I would’ve starved to death!"

"I’m dying for some buns! Go, go, go make them!"

"Can you please open up faster? I haven’t eaten since last night. My legs feel like jelly."

"Thank you."

"I’ll do my best."

Jiang Liu casually replied to everyone who spoke to him.

New customers were pleasantly surprised. They hadn’t expected the famous Boss Jiang to be so friendly and were instantly charmed.

Yang Zishan was in line today with three of her best friends.

The four of them hadn’t dared to mess around last night. They went to bed at eight and got up at two in the morning to queue, but even then, a lot of people were already ahead of them.

Yang Zishan watched with a blank expression as Jun Qingmeng clung to Jiang Liu’s hand like an obedient child. Her heart soured with jealousy, and her grip on her purse tightened.

Her friends were shocked. "Holy crap, Zishan, you weren’t lying! Sister Jun is really in a relationship! My whole worldview is shattered!"

"Is that the same aloof female CEO we know? The difference is just too much."

"Is that little girl their daughter? She’s so cute! Zishan, you think we can borrow her from Boss Jiang for a night to play with?"

"So the guy talking back there is Boss Jiang, huh? I didn’t expect him to be as handsome as you said. He’s totally my type."

"It would be great if he could be a boyfriend to all four of us. I don’t mind sharing."

They had become Jiang Liu fans before they even tasted his food.

「Just yesterday at noon.」

Boss Jiang’s shop was closed, so Yang Zishan had scrolled past a promotional video for Yang’s Buns on Douyin, and the group went to try it.

It was so gross they nearly died.

Compared to Boss Jiang’s buns, they were worse by more than just a little. Plus, Yang’s only had buns, a few side dishes, and congee.

The filling seemed a bit off. The meat had an artificial, chemical flavor and a faint, strange aftertaste, like it was zombie meat.

Xia Changzhi, who was in the middle of a card game, smiled and greeted Jiang Liu. "How’d it go yesterday? Everything go smoothly?"

"Everything went smoothly. You’re here bright and early today, Uncle Xia."

"Haha, what can I say? I was craving your food! Ever since I started eating here, the stove at my place has been collecting dust. I feel awful if I miss even one of your meals."

"You didn’t drink yesterday, did you, Xiao Jiang? You seem to be in good shape," Uncle Kong asked with concern.

"Nope, Uncle Kong."

Uncle Liu offered, "Boss Jiang, if you ever can’t find a place to park, feel free to use our Phoenix District. I already spoke to property management. You can just drive right in and park wherever you like. No one will give you any trouble."

’Park wherever I want? Wow...’

"Alright, if I ever need to, I definitely will."

Jiang Liu chatted with the old-timers for a few more moments.

Seeing the customers in line getting antsy, Jiang Liu quickly opened the shop doors and got to work.

After taking half a day off, Jiang Liu felt a strange sense of comfort and stability upon returning to his shop.

Jiang Tongtong and Jun Qingmeng were in the kitchen helping Jiang Liu wash vegetables, chatting as they worked.

"Mommy, Tongtong had a wonderful dream last night. Do you want to hear about it?"

"I do. Go on."

"Hehe," Jiang Tongtong said with a wistful smile. "Last night, I dreamed that we all moved into a little villa. Tongtong had her own small, orange room, and it even had a mini-fridge filled with lots of ice cream and snacks!"

"Then you should tell your dad. Ask him to magic up an orange room for you."

"Daddy, can Tongtong have an orange room with a fridge?"

Jiang Liu was prepping some beef tripe. He glanced at Tongtong and said, "Sure. I’ll talk to your grandpa about it later. But you can forget about the fridge."

"Oh, fine! Daddy, you’re mean and nice at the same time! Hmph! I’m not talking to you for one whole minute!"

Jiang Liu was speechless.

’So not letting you have ice cream makes me a bad dad?’

’And not talking to me for one minute? Are you serious?’

Jiang Liu chuckled to himself.

The tips of Jun Qingmeng’s ears, hidden beneath her hair, suddenly turned a delicate shade of red. Her heart began to race and she felt her body warm up.

She stole a glance at Jiang Liu.

’When they moved into the new house...’

’...if Tongtong occasionally slept in her own little room, then...’

’...wouldn’t that leave just her and Jiang Liu in bed?’

’Could she finally be bold and tease her husband then?’

The two of them finished washing the vegetables and sat down on little stools, sipping juice.

"SPLASH!"

Jiang Liu tossed a large pile of spices into the wok, and a rich, intense aroma instantly filled the entire kitchen.

He was making five-spice chili oil.

The technique was so familiar it was etched into his memory; he didn’t even have to think about each step.

He scooped out the dry-fried spices.

He controlled the oil temperature until it was moderately hot, then added sesame seeds to further enhance the fragrance.

He added a spoonful of cool oil to lower the temperature again, preventing the sesame seeds from burning.

Next, he poured the bright red chili flakes and powder into the oil, letting them fry slowly over low heat. When making chili oil, temperature is the most critical factor besides the ingredients themselves. If it’s too hot, it will taste burnt; too cool, and it won’t release the ingredients’ hidden aroma.

Small bubbles occasionally rose to the surface of the red oil in the wok. A potent, spicy fragrance, with a faint numbing tingle, wafted out.

Jiang Liu leaned in for a sniff.

He was very satisfied.

’This is what you get when you use top-tier ingredients and traditional methods,’ he thought.

The aroma wasn’t just headily spicy; it was also thick and complex.

This wasn’t an artificial flavoring, but a natural fragrance coaxed from a multitude of spices.

He could offer this to customers for free, but he knew plenty of people would gladly pay for it.

"Honey, are you making chili oil? It smells amazing."

Jun Qingmeng had snuck up beside him at some point, staring at the bright red chili oil in the wok with the curiosity of a child.

"That’s right. Want to take a sip?" Jiang Liu scooped up a large spoonful with a wicked grin.

"No way!" Jun Qingmeng dodged away, huffing. "Who in their right mind drinks chili oil?"

"Fine, your loss." Jiang Liu smiled and said, "Our customers kept asking me to make some chili oil. So, over the past few days, I developed this special five-spice chili oil. Its main feature is a rich aroma, with a medium level of spice and numbness..."

"Is it free?"

"Yep. I’ll just put it out on the tables for everyone to use for free. I’ll get some small, disposable containers for it. Little saucers are a pain to wash."

"Mhm, I think that’s a great idea."

"Daddy, is it yummy? Can Tongtong have a little sip?" the little foodie chimed in.

"Here."

Afraid it would be too spicy for his daughter, Jiang Liu dipped the very tip of a spoon in the chili oil and gave her a taste.

"Ooh, the chili smells so good... Wow! Spicy! Spicy! It’s gonna kill this little cutie!"

The heat was delayed for a few seconds before it exploded on her taste buds.

Tongtong stuck out her little tongue, fanning it vigorously as a blush immediately bloomed on her pale, tender cheeks.

.....