"Boss Jiang, when are you going to make those shrimp noodles? The flavor is perfect for me! Please, please, make them just once! I’ll buy out your entire stock, I swear!"

"What about the Gold Coin Eggs? The flavor of those eggs is freaking incredible, but it’s a shame Boss Jiang won’t sell them."

The customers were disappointed.

The more they ate, the less satisfied they became.

Jiang Liu didn’t waste time on pleasantries. He opened the door and got straight to work.

As usual, he first set the dough to rise, then used the downtime to start preparing the tuna sashimi.

While he was making the tuna sashimi, Jun Qingmeng helped him by peeling potatoes and washing mushrooms.

Ten minutes before the dough finished rising, Jiang Liu finished blanching the beef and put it in the pressure cooker to cook.

In the meantime, Jiang Liu instructed Jun Qingmeng on how to make the seafood congee.

His seafood congee was the real deal. It was filled with small chunks of Little Cyan Dragon lobster meat and corn kernels. A final light sprinkle of fine salt made the flavor incredibly savory!

The congee was now simmering.

Jun Qingmeng took Tongtong with her to make juice and shuck corn.

The three of them worked together with the seamless coordination of a family.

「6:20 AM.」

The baozi were half-wrapped.

Jiang Liu put down the dough wrapper and started making the Di San Xian.

The Di San Xian was a quick stir-fry.

Jun Qingmeng had already prepped all the ingredients.

Jiang Liu cut the small, black-skinned potatoes into chunks, and sliced the peeled eggplant and Termitomyces mushrooms into strips.

On the high flame, the water in the pot went BUBBLE BUBBLE.

Jiang Liu dropped the potatoes in to boil for two minutes.

In the meantime, he coated the eggplant strips with a mix of starch and flour. This would make the skin crispy while keeping the inside tender and soft...

Tongtong tugged on Jiang Liu’s pants and pointed to her mouth. "Daddy, your little cutie is hungry."

"It’ll be ready in a moment. Go sit at the table and wait."

Jiang Liu patted Tongtong’s head.

Jun Qingmeng came over to join in on the fun. "Boyfriend, I’m hungry. You have to feed me."

"Be good. Go sit with Tongtong."

Jiang Liu waved them away and sped up his stir-frying of the Di San Xian.

He planned to price the Di San Xian and congee set at fifty yuan per serving.

After calculating the costs, he’d make a net profit of over forty yuan.

The two of them obediently sat down, waiting for Jiang Liu to feed them.

「6:45 AM.」

Jiang Liu opened the tall pot. The congee inside was bubbling away, releasing a hot, savory steam fragrant with lobster and mixed with the sweet scent of corn.

By now, a growing crowd of customers eager for breakfast was gathering at Jiang Liu’s door.

Across the street, Jiujiu Restaurant was still deserted.

Since his lease hadn’t expired, Brother Hai simply spent his days playing cards in the shop with his two partners.

Although his baozi weren’t selling, many customers were willing to pay to use his air conditioning, allowing him to leech off some of Jiang Liu’s business and make two or three hundred yuan a day.

Xiao Huzi stared at the white smoke wafting from the exhaust vent above Jiang Liu’s air conditioner and swallowed hard a few times.

He had started trying to buy food from Jiang Liu’s place, but it was incredibly hard to get a spot in line.

"Brother Hai, we should try to get on Boss Jiang’s good side. His food is seriously delicious, and since we’re right across the street, it’d be easier to buy some if we had a good relationship."

"Yeah, Brother Hai! Boss Jiang’s food is a rare treat. Everyone’s saying that just getting to eat it is a win in itself!"

Brother Hai glared at the two of them and angrily threw down his cards. "If you want to go, then you go! I couldn’t care less!"

"What’s so great about baozi? And the beef is just so-so!"

He had a look of utter disdain.

Inside, jealousy burned like a fire.

The two men exchanged a look.

’Didn’t you chow down happily when we brought some back? What are you so mad about now?!’

Second Best Restaurant Under Heaven.

"Time to eat!"

Jiang Liu carried over three bowls of congee and a large platter of Di San Xian, placing them on the table.

Tongtong’s eyes immediately lit up like little stars. Cupping her face, she exclaimed, "Wow, Daddy, it smells so yummy! You’re the best! I’ll give you a little red flower as a reward tonight!"

"Oh, boyfriend, what am I going to do? I like you so much. Will you cook for me every day?"

Jiang Liu sat down across from them and smiled. "Hurry up and eat, or you’ll be late. If you like it, I’ll cook for you every day."

As he spoke, Jiang Liu reached out and patted Jun Qingmeng’s head.

Jun Qingmeng’s pretty face flushed red.

’Wait, did he just turn my own flirting back on me?’

The three of them dug in.

The eggplant was incredibly fragrant—not too light, but not too oily either. The balance of salt and sugar was perfect, with a faint aroma of fermented black beans. Because it was coated in the starch and flour mixture, the flesh inside was exceptionally tender. One bite was enough to make your tongue melt.

The potatoes had been pan-fried to give them a crisp, browned skin that enveloped a soft, fluffy interior.

The Termitomyces mushrooms had a slight crunch to them, and being wild, their fragrance was intense.

The three of them devoured the meal.

Just then, Xia Changzhi walked in, carrying two exquisite mooncake gift boxes.

You could tell at a glance they weren’t cheap.

"Having a meal, Boss Jiang?"

"Uncle Xia, you’re here! Come, have a seat. Eat with us."

Jiang Liu stood up and gestured warmly, inviting him over.

Xia Changzhi smiled and waved his hand in refusal. "No need. I just came to give you two boxes of mooncakes. The younger generation gave them to me, but I don’t really like sweets, so I figured I’d just bring them over to you."

"I’ll be on my way now."

Xia Changzhi said, putting the boxes down and turning to leave.

Although he was thick-skinned and desperately wanted to eat the delicious food, he cared more about his relationship with Jiang Liu.

Tongtong’s eyes lit up.

’We can have a reunion with Daddy again!’

Jiang Liu called out in resignation, "Uncle Xia, wait a moment. Let me pack up some Di San Xian and congee for you. You can take it home for your family to eat."

"Qingmeng, keep an eye on Uncle Xia. Don’t let him leave. I’m going to the kitchen to pack it up."

With that, Jiang Liu turned and walked into the kitchen.

"Di San Xian?!"

Xia Changzhi stopped in his tracks, pleasantly surprised. His stomach immediately let out a RUMBLE. He wanted to eat it so badly.

"Uncle Xia, please have a seat and wait."

Playing the part of the dutiful wife, Jun Qingmeng graciously hosted him.

Normally, she wouldn’t be this polite, but this man had helped her boyfriend, so of course she had to treat him well.

"Alright, alright! Well, it’d be rude to refuse. I’ll be shameless just this once, haha."

Uncle Xia happily sat down to wait.

In the meantime, the rich, fried aroma of the Di San Xian made his stomach grumble a few more times.

’It smells so good!’

A few moments later, Jiang Liu came out carrying a large container packed to the brim with Di San Xian, along with four large boxes of nutritious seafood congee.

"That’s so much!"

Uncle Xia was touched. Boss Jiang had packed enough for his whole family!

A warm feeling spread through his heart.

"Boss Jiang, how much is it?"

"Don’t worry about it. It’s probably not even as expensive as your mooncakes. You should hurry and take it home while it’s hot."

Jiang Liu didn’t want to take his money and urged Xia Changzhi to leave.

Uncle Xia was absolutely delighted. He grinned sheepishly and said, "Well, I’ll accept it then. Having you here in Yangzhai Street is a real blessing, Boss Jiang. Haha."

Jiang Liu chuckled. "Are you coming by at noon? I plan on giving out a freebie today—steamed corn."

He had originally planned to give it out in the morning, but then he decided to sell Di San Xian and worried he’d be too busy, so he canceled it.

"Steamed corn?!"

Xia Changzhi was ecstatic. This was great news.

"Boss Jiang, I’m telling you, just the smell of that steamed corn is amazing. It smells more fragrant than any corn I’ve ever eaten. Why don’t you sell it every day? People would buy it even if the price was a little high. In any case, however much you sell, I’ll buy."

"Nah, I’m worried I wouldn’t have enough time. It’s fine to just give it out as a bonus for everyone occasionally."

Xia Changzhi said with regret, "Everything here is great. There’s just never enough to eat."

"Alright, I’ll be back at noon. I’m off now. I won’t disturb your little family of three’s reunion."

Tongtong had already finished her meal. She took Jiang Liu’s hand and waved. "Goodbye, Grandpa Xia."

"Haha, this child is so pretty and polite. When she grows up, suitors will probably break down your door."

"Hmph! Tongtong will never leave Daddy."

Jiang Tongtong frowned, holding tightly to Jiang Liu’s hand.

Xia Changzhi left, chuckling to himself.

This time, he didn’t even bother to hide it, brazenly showing off the bag.

The customers, neighbors, and local residents at the door all wore unfriendly expressions, filled mostly with envy, jealousy, and hate.

"That damned old man! How does he manage to freeload at Brother Jiang’s shop every single day?"