Chapter 391 - 390: Jiang Xiaoqian Regrets It to Death, Should’ve Bought More

Chapter 391: Chapter 390: Jiang Xiaoqian Regrets It to Death, Should’ve Bought More

"Oh, is that so..."

Yang Zishan’s eyes glimmered. Seeing their nonchalant attitudes, she felt a flicker of anticipation. "Well, you two had better savor it carefully then. Brother Jiang’s cooking is delicious, you know."

Her girlfriends beside her secretly peeked at the two bigwigs.

They were curious to see what these two would think of Boss Jiang’s food.

"The buns for number two sixty-five are ready. Please come pick them up."

Jiang Liu called out. ’I’ve got to get a smart ordering system,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, I’ll have to shout every time. It’s exhausting!’

Wanting to help Jiang Liu out and save him some trouble, Yang Zishan took the initiative and brought the steamed buns and beer over to the two men.

"Not bad. Quick on the uptake," Jiang Xiaoqian complimented.

Yang Zishan smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, Miss Yang."

Lu Benyi nodded politely in acknowledgment.

The two men picked up the soft, springy buns.

The buns were scalding hot to the touch, yet not the least bit damp or sticky. The skin was clean, firm, and smooth.

Hm?!

’These buns actually seem pretty good...’

The two exchanged a look before bringing the buns to their lips and taking a bite.

The moment they bit down, scalding hot, savory juices from the shrimp flooded their mouths, flowing over their tongues and overwhelming their taste buds.

A rich shrimp aroma exploded in their mouths.

’How can this shrimp be so savory and delicious!?’

They were both in disbelief.

Jiang Xiaoqian’s casual expression instantly vanished, his composure shattered. His pupils contracted slightly.

His mind reeled with emotion.

He stared at the bun in his hand in disbelief.

This flavor... it reminded him of when he was just starting out, struggling to make a living. He remembered working a full day, famished, and buying five steamed buns. In that moment, even the air had smelled fragrant. After he finished, he had licked every last bit of grease and juice from his fingers.

’It’s been so long since I’ve felt the pure joy of satisfying a deep craving!’

The two men stopped talking.

They just stared at the buns in front of them and began to eat voraciously.

At first, Lu Benyi was still trying to be polite, but when he saw President Jiang devouring the buns one after another like a pig, he couldn’t stay calm any longer.

’This won’t do!’

He grabbed a bun in each hand. As soon as he finished one, he immediately started on the other. Whenever he felt like he was choking, he’d take a swig of the draft beer to wash it down.

In less than ten minutes,

the twenty buns had been completely devoured by the pair. They even bickered over the last one, which they ended up splitting in half.

The beer was gone too.

"BURP~ BURP!"

"I can’t believe the buns from this place are so good. The texture is absolutely top-tier," Lu Benyi said in amazement, freeing a hand to rub his stomach.

’I ate too fast and washed it down with ice-cold beer... now my stomach hurts...’

Jiang Xiaoqian was in no better state, leaning back in his chair with his eyes half-closed, all semblance of his usual dignified image gone.

’No wonder that Old Turtle Jun brags about this place every day.’

’To think such an exquisite delicacy actually exists.’

He decided he wasn’t leaving at noon. He was going to get back in line!

Yang Zishan pursed her lips into a smile. "So, Uncle Jiang, was it to your... liking?"

She had originally been about to say "an old man like you," but she remembered he didn’t like being called old and quickly cut herself off.

"Excellent! Among all the steamed buns I have ever eaten, these rank number one!"

Jiang Xiaoqian gave it the highest praise.

He wasn’t exaggerating. He was speaking the truth—no other steamed buns could compare to these. You’d have to taste them to understand.

Yang Zishan beamed, pursing her lips in a happy smile.

She loved hearing others praise the man she idolized.

The three girlfriends beside her let out an excited "Yay!"

Of course they were happy to hear their idol being praised.

The two men wanted to buy more, but the shop had a rule: one purchase per person.

Jiang Xiaoqian clicked his tongue in regret.

"I’m still not satisfied. If I’d known, I would’ve bought more. It’s not like I’m short on cash, and Boss Jiang’s buns aren’t even expensive. What a pity... I really thought there was no way we could finish ten each."

In reality,

he hadn’t expected the buns to be on the smaller side, nor had he expected them to be so incredibly delicious.

’Damn it all to hell! I could kick myself!’

Lu Benyi’s earlier dismissive attitude was completely gone. He spoke to Jiang Liu respectfully, "Boss Jiang, your buns are truly something else. I, Lu Benyi, am in awe of your skill!

"Thinking back, in my entire life, this is the first time I’ve had such delicious steamed buns and chili oil. Oh, right, may I ask what time you open for lunch?"

"Thank you for the compliment." After listening, Jiang Liu replied with a smile, "I open around noon, twelve o’clock."

He wore a standard-issue corporate smile.

"Alright, got it. The two of us will be back at noon then."

The two men didn’t want to impose on Jiang Liu any further, so they headed straight back to their cars.

There, they happened upon Du Qin, who was puffing away on a cigarette.

"So, President Jiang? Was it good?" Du Qin asked with a grin.

His I-told-you-so expression irked Jiang Xiaoqian.

"Mm." Jiang Xiaoqian nodded.

Noticing the teasing look in the other man’s eyes, he felt he was losing face and quickly added, "It was alright. It suited my palate, I suppose."

"Heh, it seems President Jiang has quite the discerning palate," Du Qin said. "I’m going to get in line in a bit. Want to join? We could order a few different dishes and share them."

The two were instantly tempted.

Jiang Xiaoqian wanted to refuse, but Boss Jiang’s food was just too good. "Hmph, fine. It’s not like I have anything better to do. I guess we can have another meal."

’It’s a shame I missed out on this morning’s Husband and Wife Lung Slices...’

Lu Benyi, who was standing to the side, also lit a cigarette. "Who would’ve thought we’d stumble upon such an amazing little shop just by wandering around? Truly, masters walk among us."

"Indeed," Du Qin said with admiration. "Boss Jiang’s food isn’t just delicious; the young man’s character is also admirable. To sell such incredible food at such affordable prices... If it were someone greedier, they would have jacked up the prices long ago."

"Perhaps... that’s what makes him a true master!" Du Qin’s gaze turned fervent as he looked toward Jiang Liu’s stall.

For a man like him, who had been a chef his entire life, it was like spending a lifetime making porridge only to suddenly discover the existence of stir-fry.

The shock and excitement in his heart were as intense as anyone’s.

*

The weather was scorching today.

After chatting for a few more minutes and agreeing on a time, they all hurried back to their respective cars to blast the air conditioning.

As soon as Du Qin got back into his car, he saw a message on his phone from his boss.

"Are you busy? Did you go? How was it?"

Du Qin replied: "I just left the stall. By the time I got there, Boss Jiang only had buns, juice, and beer left. Everything else was sold out."

The boss: "And? You’re not going to give me your opinion?"

Du Qin: "...What can I say? I don’t feel qualified to judge it. All I can say is that the food Boss Jiang sells is all at a world-class level. Our hotel definitely can’t compare. It would be best to not even entertain the thought."

The boss lost his composure, his heart skipping a beat: "World-class? Are you serious?! Old Du, don’t mess with me! You’re a state-banquet-level chef. How can we possibly not measure up to some little stall owner?"

The Guomao Grand Hotel was a four-star establishment. Its chefs were, at the very minimum, top-tier experts in the culinary industry, all of whom the boss had painstakingly scouted from across the country.

They had chefs specializing in basically every type of cuisine.

The boss had assumed Jiang Liu’s little stall was just something special, and that was it. He never expected his own executive chef to give it such a monumental review.

’Don’t even entertain the thought of competing?’

’World-class?’

.....