"Finally, we're closed for the day. I almost got knocked flat with exhaustion!"
Today was the freshman registration day, and despite Lao Jiang and Hu Zhihai being psychologically prepared for "a large number of diners," they still underestimated the deadly allure of soup dumplings and hot and sour soup, and were taken aback by the crowd of new and returning students eager to try the food.
From 11:30, the three of them in the restaurant were like spinning tops whipped into motion, busy without a moment's rest until they could finally take a breath at 2:00 PM.
Hu Zhihai collapsed unceremoniously onto a chair in the corner, lamenting endlessly,
"Business is too good! At this rate, my hard-earned body fat will all be gone!"
"You're over 200 pounds, you should be losing some weight anyway."
Jiang Yu was also sweating profusely but was in better shape than Hu Zhihai. At least he could still sit upright. He grabbed a towel hanging nearby to wipe his face, then continued,
"If you don't exercise more, with your current appetite, you'll soon weigh enough to be slaughtered for the New Year."
Yan Tongtong had never been this busy before. After a whole morning's work, her limbs felt weak. She sat catching her breath and didn't want to talk, but when she heard their conversation, she couldn't help herself and let out a laugh.
Her face turned red, and she quickly covered her mouth and looked down, not daring to make another sound.
"What do you know? Nowadays, the standard for girls choosing boyfriends is a sense of security! Being a bit chubby gives people a sense of security!"
Hu Zhihai glanced at Yan Tongtong and asked with a grin, "Xiaoyan, don't you think so?"
"Uh? I, I don't know."
Yan Tongtong looked up, bewildered, clearly not expecting to be dragged into the topic.
She first glanced at the boss nervously, then turned to Hu Zhihai, stammering,
"I, I haven't thought about it."
"Alright, stop with the useless chatter. With all that security, I haven't seen any girl in class write you a love letter!"
Seeing Yan Tongtong looking lost, Jiang Yu subtly shifted the topic. He glanced at Hu Zhihai with a half-smile and said,
"After a busy noon, you're not hungry, huh? If you're not hungry, I'll just sell those dumplings since there are many people who haven't had a chance to buy them yet!"
"Hungry! Of course, I'm hungry!"
Hu Zhihai hastily stood up from the chair upon hearing this, muttering to himself as he walked towards the fridge,
"I must be starving to the point of forgetfulness. I'll go steam some dumplings right now!"
"I'll go to the hall to collect the steamers to clean for the evening use."
Seeing Hu Zhihai going to steam the dumplings, Yan Tongtong felt uneasy staying idle and quickly stood up as well.
"Finish eating before you go; there's no rush."
Jiang Yu stopped her when he saw she was about to start working again,
"We've been busy the whole afternoon like crazy, aren't you tired? Sit down and have a good rest."
It's already past 2:00 PM, and having someone work on an empty stomach would earn him the nickname Jiang Bapi, which he didn't want to be called.
"I'm alright, not particularly tired."
Yan Tongtong glanced at him and whispered, "Back home, helping with farm work like picking corn and harvesting rice was exhausting; my legs would be sore the next day..."
"..."
This girl is really too honest!
Helping out at home is a different matter!
Without explaining any further, Jiang Yu pointed at the pile of vegetables in the corner and said to her,
"You can clean up the hall's steamers and soup bowls later. For now, sit here and sort out those vegetables. Remove any rotten leaves, so it's easier to wash them later."
"Oh, alright then."
Yan Tongtong hesitated before responding, moved a small stool, and sat down to start sorting the vegetables.
Seeing the two of them occupied, Jiang Yu rested for a bit before heading to the back kitchen to continue making dumplings.
There were just too many students at midday, using up most of the pre-prepared dough. After he finished making dumplings with what little dough was left, he'd have to prepare more to ensure there would be enough for the evening.
Just as he returned to the kitchen and hadn't even sat down, he heard voices from the front:
"Hello, is the owner here?"
Hu Zhihai asked, "Who are you? What do you want with our boss?"
"Oh, I was wondering if you were hiring?"
"You're looking for a job? Hold on then."
Hu Zhihai scrutinized the person for a moment, then turned back into the restaurant and shouted,
"Lao Jiang, someone's here to see you!"
"Coming."
Upon hearing the conversation, Jiang Yu had already set aside what he was doing and came out to look. He saw a well-dressed, handsome young man outside, appearing to be about 24 or 25.
Curiosity piqued, Jiang Yu wondered why such a young man, who didn't look like someone who needed a job, was at his small shop looking for work.
"Are you the owner?"
The young man's face stiffened upon seeing Jiang Yu, looking quite shocked.
This young man was none other than Lu Shuwu.
If tasting the soup dumplings yesterday only left a lingering impression, then this morning's hot and sour soup had truly blown Lu Shuwu away.
Never in his over twenty years of life had he imagined that someone could make a hot and sour soup with ordinary ingredients matching the flavor of his grandfather's cooking!
Keep in mind, his grandfather was no ordinary chef but the founder of the renowned "Tanzhou Family" restaurant, hailed as a Hunan Cuisine Leader, a famous master chef of Xiang Cuisine!
From that moment, he was sure the owner of this place was no ordinary person!
To find such a hidden talent in a university cafeteria intrigued Lu Shuwu, a scion from a Hunan cuisine family.
Moreover, to what heights had this master's culinary skills reached, to make such amazing soup dumplings and hot and sour soup from ordinary ingredients?
What intrigued Lu Shuwu even more was that soup dumplings originated from the North, while hot and sour soup is a Southern specialty. Who was this master, capable of making such mouth-watering dishes from both regions?
Besides soup dumplings and hot and sour soup, what other high-end dishes could he make?
What made this food fanatic even more eager was wondering, with more advanced and precious ingredients, what kind of exquisite delicacies might come from this master's hands?
At that moment, Lu Shuwu was determined to stay.
Even if just to run errands, he'd do it!
While he thought of many things, what he hadn't expected was that the master behind such culinary art was so young!
Moreover, he seemed to be a year or two younger than himself...
How did he hone his culinary skills?
"This world is freakin' crazy!"
In that instant, Lu Shuwu felt as if his mind was about to collapse...