Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Today, we eat without fighting!
That evening, Jiang Feng, along with Zhang Hu and Ho Tian, went to the client’s home to check on the stove conditions.
The host was Niu Feihu, who had made his wealth from coal mining and was considered rich in the village. It was his son’s hundred-day celebration the next day, and the banquet would be held right in the village.
Niu Feihu’s home was quite nice, with newly built houses and courtyards.
The village was spacious, so the banquet tables were set up in the courtyard, and all the tables and chairs had been prepared.
The household was bustling with activity and decorated with festive lights.
The village was all about creating a lively atmosphere.
The official banquet was set to start the next day, and Niu Feihu had specially invited the top chefs from Gourmet Suite to prepare the feast.
Since Jiangyue Terrace wasn’t officially open yet, everyone still referred to it as Gourmet Suite.
Upon hearing that Niu Feihu had invited chefs from the restaurant, many villagers came to watch.
"Old Niu’s family is quite something, to have hired the chefs from Gourmet Suite—that restaurant is really top-notch!"
"A table must cost at least 800, right?"
"I heard a table costs 1,200."
"How much, 1,200? That’s impressive!"
"We should come over early tomorrow."
Jiang Feng and Zhang Hu confirmed the stir-frying area. There were four stoves available for concurrent use, and Jiang Feng took charge of one.
Jiang Feng picked a dish for himself, taking responsibility for braising pork knuckles.
Braising large pork knuckles in the open-air environment of the village felt great; he left the more delicate tasks to his staff.
After discussing the details with Niu Feihu and ensuring everything was set, they left to make their preparations.
「The next day」
The day dawned clear, bright, and cloudless—a rare perfect day, just right for a celebration.
The Niu family had consulted a fortune teller and picked an auspicious day, perfectly suited for a grand banquet.
Jiang Feng and the chefs from Jiangyue Terrace arrived in the courtyard at eight in the morning. After unloading their gear, they began their preparations.
The courtyard was packed with people bustling about. Many villagers had arrived early, chatting with Niu Feihu’s family. Outside, it was also full of people.
"The Niu family really is something!"
"What an impressive setup!"
"Old Niu had a son at thirty-five; he’s really splurging."
The villagers chatted amongst themselves.
The vibe in the village was just like that, with no sense of distance between people; everyone could chat with anyone. Moreover, the village’s information network was incredibly efficient; if anything happened, the whole village would know within half a day.
The chefs from Jiangyue Terrace quickly found their stations and began bustling around.
When it came to banquet cooking, they were all professionals.
Hearing that Jiang Feng would also give out bonuses, the chefs were even happier. A trip to the village meant only being busy for a morning, with an extra bonus to boot—what a comfortable job!
Everything was in full swing.
The environment here was very simple and rustic.
Jiang Feng hadn’t been to a village in a while. They set up several tents in an empty space outside the courtyard, where he began to cook.
It was a rather special experience.
Jiang Feng was responsible for one dish: braising pork knuckles.
There were sixteen tables in total, so he prepared sixteen portions of pork knuckles. Anticipating unexpected issues, Jiang Feng prepared eighteen prime pork knuckles.
If there were any extras, the chefs could enjoy them.
Though this first banquet for Jiangyue Terrace was a village feast, Jiang Feng spared no effort.
He meticulously cleaned every pork knuckle with a blowtorch, removing hairs and any gamey smell.
He prepared the braising sauce for color, seared the skin of the pork knuckles, and began to stew them.
They needed to stew for at least two hours, with the sauce being reduced at the very end.
Jiang Feng used a large black iron pot.
Stewing so many pork knuckles at once, Jiang Feng was fully focused.
The ingredients he added to the stew were carefully selected, and the sauce for the final reduction was one he had specially concocted.
When the sauce thickened just right, it would be time to serve.
Everything was perfect.
Niu Feihu and his family occasionally came over to take a look.
All the chefs from Jiangyue Terrace wore their chef uniforms and hats, emphasizing professionalism whether they were chopping vegetables or preparing ingredients.
The usual caterers for village banquets were small businesses that drove around in trucks; they prepared good food but didn’t look very formal.
But the chefs from Jiang Feng’s restaurant were bona fide professionals from large establishments—it made a real difference.
The difference between a disciplined army and a ragtag band was clear.
Niu Feihu was very satisfied. This impressive display really earned him a lot of respect.
Many villagers looked on, amazed at such a professional team.
The pork knuckles Jiang Feng was stewing smelled fantastic. Despite the heavy lid on the large iron pot, the aroma seeped out, wafting through the air.
"Boss, the pork knuckles you’re stewing smell so good," Zhang Hu exclaimed, taking a moment to come over.
"The big iron pot isn’t very airtight, and when you stew a lot at once, the aroma escapes," Jiang Feng responded.
Hearing this, the other chefs all looked over, smiling.
Jiang Feng was a good boss. Not only were his cooking skills excellent, but he was also generous.
Although the chefs had only been with him for a few days, they were all willing to work for him.
Zhang Hu had a good eye for people. He accurately perceived that Jiang Feng, with his superb cooking abilities and financial resources, was no ordinary individual. There are no downsides to following a man like that.
「Outside the Niu family’s courtyard」
Several people were chatting idly when suddenly they caught a whiff of meat.
Everyone was waiting for the banquet and hadn’t eaten. The scent immediately made their stomachs growl with hunger!
"What’s cooking? It smells amazing!"
One person craned their neck, looking toward where the banquet was being prepared.
Just then, Niu Feihu’s older brother happened to walk by.
"Brother Niu, what are you stewing that smells so good?" someone asked eagerly.
Niu Feihu’s brother replied, "A big pot of braised pork knuckles and another pot of braised beef."
"That must be the smell of the pork knuckles."
Hearing this, everyone took a deep sniff and couldn’t help but praise, "The chef your family hired is really something; this aroma is so appetizing!"
Niu Feihu’s brother replied, a note of self-satisfaction in his voice, "Indeed. The chef is from Gourmet Suite."
"But I heard from my brother that it’s not called Gourmet Suite anymore. It’s been renamed Jiangyue Terrace, under new management."
"They’ve been renovating recently, so we were able to hire them. Normally, you can’t book them at all!"
"The chefs there are really skilled; they specialize in Shandong Cuisine, and their technique is truly authentic!"
Upon hearing this, people nodded in agreement.
"No wonder, they’re from a big restaurant!"
"Chefs from a restaurant are bound to be good!"
"With this smell, I really can’t walk away."
The courtyard, both inside and out, was bustling.
A village banquet calls for precisely this festive atmosphere.
Niu Feihu’s relatives had arrived early, with many children playing in the yard.
The sense of community in the village was very strong.
Several children, attracted by the aroma of the pork knuckles, couldn’t help but move closer to the kitchen area.
They made their way to the large pot where Jiang Feng was stewing the pork knuckles, their eyes fixed on it, one finger often finding its way into their mouths.
"Why are the kids here? With all this coming and going, be careful not to bump into them," Zhang Hu said, busily shooing the children away.
Jiang Feng watched from the side.
At that moment, seeing the children run to the back kitchen, two adults came over to retrieve them.
"Juanjuan, Lele, you kids, don’t stay there! We’re eating at noon. Come back!" the adults called out.
"We want meat!" one child declared, fist raised emphatically.
Seeing this, the other children mimicked him, "We want meat!"
"You’ll eat. The meat isn’t ready yet. We’ll eat at noon!" the adults said, picking up the children to carry them away.
The children, unable to get any meat, immediately started to wail.
Their cries, mixed with the sounds from the kitchen, added to the lively atmosphere in the courtyard.
The two adults looked hopefully at Jiang Feng, perhaps wishing he might give the children a little something.
Jiang Feng calmly said, "Indeed, it’s not ready yet. It’s still stewing, and later we still need to reduce the sauce."
Hearing this, the adults reluctantly carried the wailing children away.
The pork knuckles in the pot continued to simmer.
Jiang Feng took the opportunity to check on the other chefs’ preparations.
Everyone was working professionally.
While there was time, Jiang Feng helped Zhang Hu and Ho Tian improve their recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet.
Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet was a very popular dish, and Jiang Feng was particularly skilled at making it.
If done well, people would flock to the restaurant every day just for this dish.
Zhang Hu listened attentively to Jiang Feng’s suggestions and adjusted the sauce ratios accordingly.
After tasting a bite of the Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet he’d made, Zhang Hu himself was astonished by the flavor.
It was indeed different.
Zhang Hu had learned this dish from an authentic Shandong Cuisine master and had always believed his Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet to be truly authentic.
Now, with Jiang Feng’s guidance, he realized there were always higher mountains to climb.
Who exactly is the Boss’s master? This kind of Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet recipe isn’t something you can just learn online, Zhang Hu thought, inwardly amazed.
After advising him, Jiang Feng went to check on how the others were progressing.
The chefs were each more meticulous than the last.
It couldn’t be helped; the boss knew his craft, so there was no room for slacking off.
But thankfully, Jiang Feng was generous, and everyone worked willingly.
More and more villagers gathered around.
Niu Feihu was wealthy and generous, attracting a large crowd.
And it wasn’t just people.
Apart from the guard dogs, none of the village dogs were leashed.
These dogs didn’t bite; they roamed around in packs every day.
Attracted by the aroma, the dogs had already gathered outside the courtyard, waiting.
Usually, dogs from rival packs would squabble upon meeting, or at least bark a few insults at each other, even if they didn’t truly fight.
But today, the dog packs were unusually peaceful.
It was as if they couldn’t see each other.
One group settled on the east side, another on the west, waiting quietly.
Evidently, they were all drawn by the enticing smell.
Occasionally, if their eyes met, they would look away in tacit understanding.
Today was for feasting, not fighting.
The courtyard was electric with excitement, the joyful atmosphere soaring to the heavens.
Smiles adorned everyone’s faces.
This kind of bustling, joyous feeling could only be found at village banquets in the country.