Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Oh no, I’ve become an attraction!
At 11:45 AM, Jiang Feng was at his stall.
A large bus suddenly pulled into a parking spot at the curb.
Then, about twenty people wearing red hats got off the bus.
Leading them was a tour guide holding a small flag and a megaphone.
"Attention everyone, this is the spot where Executive Chef Jiang sets up his food stall," the guide announced, his voice booming from the megaphone.
"As you can see, he is currently operating right beside the road."
"Those who want to try the ice cream or check in here can go ahead and line up."
Jiang Feng wasn’t deaf; he heard the announcement loud and clear.
What in the world is going on? he wondered, stunned. Did I hear that right? Did I see that right! What in the world? Is this a tour group? A tour group has come to *me*!
Not just Jiang Feng, but the customers already in line were dumbfounded as well.
Everyone stared blankly at the stopped bus for a few seconds.
It was one of those ’you don’t see this every day’ moments.
A tourist bus bringing visitors to line up for ice cream?
Could it get any more absurd?
Many bloggers and passersby in the area, who were taking selfies and photos for social media, also paused what they were doing.
With the increased number of people filming, the place genuinely started to resemble a tourist attraction.
"Am I seeing things? A tour group coming en masse to buy ice cream?"
"It’s true this city doesn’t have many attractions. After visiting Fengqi Mountain and seeing Moon River, there isn’t much else. Executive Chef Jiang really does count as an attraction now!"
"He’s practically a city icon!"
"This is the most outrageous thing I’ve ever seen!"
The tour group members quickly joined the end of the queue.
Everyone was wearing a Little Red Riding Hood, looking even neater than elementary school students.
They had smiles on their faces and were chatting happily.
"It’s that chef! I’ve seen his videos; tons of people line up for him!"
"There really are so many people!"
"Let’s try his creations!"
"It’s really him, in the flesh! And he’s quite handsome!"
Everyone was discussing animatedly.
Jiang Feng was speechless.
He didn’t say anything, just continued selling ice cream.
Soon, elementary school students were dismissed from school, and they all headed straight for Jiang Feng’s food truck.
Two of the students looked up, saw the line ahead, and their eyes widened in astonishment.
"Huh? Who are those people? Adults on an outing? Why are they wearing the same hats as us!"
"Which school are they from, coming to our spot to get ice cream!"
"More and more people are coming for ice cream lately!"
"Yeah, let’s hurry up and get in line!"
The two quickly ran to the end of the queue, managing to secure a spot.
In the tour group, two young girls were chatting.
"Do you really think it’s that good?" Su Ya asked. "Look at all these people lining up."
"It must be delicious!" Xu Xin replied. "I’ve seen so many people online sharing pictures of his ice cream!"
Su Ya said, "I just worry it’s a rip-off. There are tourist traps everywhere these days; you can’t be too careful."
"Don’t worry," Xu Xin reassured her. "He’s different."
Soon enough, the two of them got their hands on the eagerly anticipated ice cream.
Upon taking a bite, their eyes instantly sparkled, their faces brimming with excitement.
"It’s really so delicious!"
"His ice cream is truly different from others!"
"So sweet!"
"I need to take a photo and post it!"
The two were very satisfied with their ice cream.
The tourists all seemed to be having a great time.
The place truly became bustling, with the food truck at the center, surrounded by crowds three layers deep, plus a long queue.
Fortunately, the road was wide enough that the flow of people wasn’t obstructed.
Before long, Jiang Feng’s ice cream sold out, and he stylishly drove off in his food truck.
His food truck traveled along the road, amidst the heavy traffic.
In the city, his food truck was just a tiny part.
But the impact Jiang Feng brought continued to grow.
People inevitably feel joy when they eat delicious food.
The treats made by Jiang Feng had that exact effect.
「For the next two days」
Jiang Feng’s business continued to be as good as ever.
Every day, one or two tour groups would arrive, neatly disembarking from their buses to line up and buy ice cream.
At first, some tourists felt they were being scammed.
I came to this city to sightsee, and you bring me to buy ice cream? I can buy ice cream anywhere!
But after tasting it, the tourists often had a complete change of heart, praising it profusely.
Especially when they saw many others around taking photos and posting online, they felt even more that they had made the right choice.
Their opinions completely shifted.
"This ice cream is amazing! This stop was a great idea!"
"Checking in at Executive Chef Jiang’s food truck!"
"A famous attraction in this city, a street vendor whose stall randomly appears, and I managed to find him today!"
"His ice cream is genuinely delicious!"
Tourists kept posting about their experience.
Jiang Feng felt increasingly that something was off.
Wait, I’m just running my stall nicely; how did it become a tourist attraction? Before, it was foodies who sought out my stall, but now tourists have joined the search. And they’re all from out of town. This is just absurd!
However, he decided to go with the flow. He had always been easygoing and didn’t really care about such things, as long as it didn’t affect his business.
Soon, the seven-day task of selling desserts ended, and Jiang Feng received another valuable Jade Bracelet.
The bracelet felt good in his hand, though he didn’t understand much about jade.
He only knew that jadeite had become the most popular type of gemstone, with a broad market outlook and a specific set of appraisal standards.
If he were to sell this bracelet, he could definitely get a good price for it.
But Jiang Feng wasn’t particularly short on cash, so he kept it as a collectible.
Occasionally, he would open his safe to admire and handle it.
He was still young and only had a moderate liking for these things.
He reckoned he’d grow more fond of these top-quality gemstones as he got older.
Personal growth is often a cycle.
Some people, upon reaching a certain age, start to enjoy photographing and growing flowers, keeping fish, or twirling strings of beads. They begin to appreciate sipping tea, sitting quietly, or indulging in massages and foot soaks.
After all, they were all descendants of the Yan and Huang Emperors; the essence in their blood wouldn’t change.
After finishing his stint with the food truck, Jiang Feng began to focus on the restaurant.
The renovations at Jiangyue Terrace Restaurant were finally complete.
It had already been renovated a few months prior; this time, it was just a matter of adding screens and railings, replacing a few sets of tables and chairs, and hanging some traditional-style lanterns.
The communal tables in the main hall had been divided into smaller sections, offering some privacy.
So, the renovation was completed quickly.
Overall, Jiang Feng was very satisfied with the ambiance, especially considering the considerable expense.
The feel of a modern-style Chinese restaurant was now fully realized.
The entire second floor consisted of private rooms. One large room contained two big round tables, sofas, a television, and other amenities.
Other private rooms featured antique-style decor, each with a single large round table.
Jiang Feng also created set menus at different price points specifically for guests in the private rooms. When ordering, they just had to mention the desired price tier, and the chef would prepare it accordingly, all for convenience.
The opening date was set for four days later.
In the intervening days, he began to gather the staff, conduct daily trial runs of dishes, go through service procedures, and perfect the overall workflow.
Jiang Feng was constantly at the restaurant, overseeing operations, guiding the kitchen staff, and adjusting the flavor of each dish.
He wanted to create an authentic Shandong Cuisine Restaurant.
He even aspired for it to become a signature Shandong Cuisine Restaurant.
Here, he aimed to carry on the legacy of Shandong Cuisine, one of the eight major Chinese cuisines.
If possible, Jiang Feng even dreamed of opening eight restaurants, each dedicated to a different major cuisine: Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant, Jiangyue Terrace Sichuan Restaurant, Jiangyue Terrace Cantonese Cuisine Restaurant, and so on.
And he himself aimed to master each of these cuisines.
If he could achieve that, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration for people to call him a "Culinary God."
「Meanwhile.」
At Academy Road Primary School.
Jiang Feng’s sudden departure had left a large group of elementary school students heartbroken.
Especially on the first day he was gone, several children cried at the spot where he used to set up his stall.
"I want ice cream! I want ice cream!" the children wailed to their parents.
The parents were also troubled. "Go to the convenience store; they have ice cream there."
"I want ice cream from that handsome guy!"
"That handsome guy has moved. If you study hard, Mom will find him and buy it for you!"
「At 12:10 p.m.」
Young Liu Zixuan returned home, his face etched with dejection.
His eyes held a solemnity unusual for a child.
Seeing his expression, Liu Zixuan’s mother grew curious and asked, "What’s wrong today? You’re back 10 minutes early. Weren’t you lining up for ice cream these past few days? Don’t you want any today?"
Liu Zixuan sighed. "Mom, you don’t understand. Some things just can’t be held onto."
Liu Zixuan’s mother raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Hurry up and eat! Stop talking such nonsense."
Hearing this, Liu Zixuan looked even more sorrowful. After finishing his meal at the table, he sneakily took out his phone, logged into QQ, found a melancholic quote online, copied it, and posted a status update:
"There’s no such thing as a safe harbor. When the sky falls, you hold it up yourself. When it thunders, you cover your own ears. When it rains, you hold your own umbrella. Don’t trouble others with things you can do yourself."
Today’s elementary school students, much like the non-mainstream youth of years past, loved to post angsty, melancholic texts.
The world is indeed a tad mad. Children like to pretend to be mature, to be melancholic. Adults like to pretend to be young, to feign youthfulness.
Soon, several other elementary school students liked Liu Zixuan’s social media status, deeply empathizing with his words. The sudden disappearance of Jiang Feng’s stall had left a whole group of them feeling EMO.