The scenery of Shuize Resort was exceptional, emphasizing natural harmony.
The resort was divided into a commercial area and a sightseeing area.
The commercial area consisted of shops, snack stalls, and children's playgrounds for tourists to enjoy.
The sightseeing area featured a large ranch and a park.
Jiang Feng's stall was on the food street in the commercial area.
「The next day」
Jiang Feng prepared his master stock and braised delicacies before setting out again.
Preparing braised meat by oneself was quite a chore. For instance, pig trotters needed to be thoroughly cleaned in advance, seasoned, cooked in a pot, and then braised in the master stock. He busied himself for several hours in his small shop in the morning to get the braised meat ready for sale that day.
The savory aroma drifted around the shop, and many people who smelled it couldn't help but linger for a while, curious about where the delicious scent was coming from.
Jiang Feng drove the food truck and quickly entered the resort. The guard at the entrance recognized him, and after confirming there were no issues, let him pass.
"You're quite late today; it's already eleven o'clock," the guard, a warm-hearted fellow, chatted with Jiang Feng. "Other vendors set up as early as seven."
"Hmm, I sell braised meat, which requires advance preparation, so it takes a bit of time," Jiang Feng replied courteously, able to chat with anyone.
The food truck headed towards the interior of the resort. The pots of braised meat were covered, only releasing their fragrance occasionally when the truck jostled.
The guard caught a whiff of the aroma from Jiang Feng's food truck, and his stomach immediately rumbled. With lunchtime fast approaching, it was hard not to feel hungry smelling such a tantalizing scent.
This aroma is indeed tempting, but it's a pity braised meat is so expensive; a single meal would cost half a day's wages, the guard mused to himself as he took out his phone to order some stir-fried noodles.
Jiang Feng arrived at his usual spot to set up his stall. By this time, the food street was bustling with people. Restaurants and stalls were busy welcoming customers, creating a lively scene.
Jiang Feng parked the food truck, got out, propped up the glass windows on the side, and hung up his sign. He then lifted the lids from the pots of braised meat. The meat was still simmering in the pots.
Instantly, a rich aroma spread all around.
The meat shouldn't be braised for too long. Once ready, it needed to be taken out and placed in a basin. Jiang Feng's current batch of braised meat had just started cooking and needed a little more time. The released aroma also served to attract customers.
Nearby vendors caught the scent and sniffed the air. The aroma of Jiang Feng's braised meat was exceptionally appetizing, and they all felt an urge to come over and buy some.
As soon as Jiang Feng opened his stall, customers began to arrive, quite a few of them regulars.
A short while later, another person approached. Jiang Feng recognized her; it was the young lady from the ranch who had made the last purchase yesterday. Zhang Xinya had washed her hair and applied light makeup today, looking entirely different from the day before.
"Boss, you're finally here!" Zhang Xinya said with a smile. "This is my second time coming by already."
Seeing Zhang Xinya, Jiang Feng also smiled. After all, this was a big order. I've only just started selling braised meat today, and I still have a long way to go to meet my quota.
"I was busy with the initial braising this morning. Only a portion is done; the rest is still stewing," Jiang Feng responded promptly. "How much would you like?"
"I'll take ten pig trotters, then five pounds of pork intestines, five pounds of chicken feet, and five pounds of assorted braised items," Zhang Xinya said, looking at the menu board.
Hearing Zhang Xinya's order, Jiang Feng was somewhat surprised. That's quite a large order! Ten pig trotters alone would be at least 20 pounds. Add the pork intestines and chicken feet, and that's 30 pounds. At 40 per pound, this single sale will earn me 1,200!
"No problem. You're buying quite a lot this time," Jiang Feng remarked.
Zhang Xinya replied, "My family loves meat. My dad and a few of the older ranch hands are like that too. We absolutely loved your braised meat yesterday; it was so satisfying. Is this braised meat recipe a family secret? It's quite valuable. If used properly, it could even build a brand."
Zhang Xinya had a good business mind; she saw an opportunity in Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng remained calm as he replied while weighing the meat for Zhang Xinya, "In today's society, creating a brand for gourmet food isn't so easy. There are plenty of delicious secret braised meat recipes. Many private braising shops are popular locally, but they're just small workshops and find it hard to expand beyond their area. It's hard to make a brand name for braised meat. Moreover, the master stock for my braised meat is quite troublesome to prepare and not suitable for mass production. So, I'm not considering those things."
As they chatted, they both realized the other was intelligent; or perhaps, they simply found themselves on the same wavelength. Sometimes, talking with certain people is tiring because they think on different levels. It's like talking to a wall—not interesting at all.
Hearing Jiang Feng's explanation, Zhang Xinya nodded. "True, building a braised meat brand is difficult nowadays. The food industry has long been a red ocean, overly competitive, with too many tasty brands already. I just feel it's a pity for such a good braised meat recipe to be limited to a stall. Opening a larger storefront would be better."
Jiang Feng finished packing the meat into plastic boxes and replied with a smile, "I'm used to running a stall. Some people have invited me to be a head chef in their restaurants, but I don't like being restricted. This way is quite nice."
The two chatted casually.
"That'll be 1,380 in total. Since you're a regular customer, let's make it 1,300."
Jiang Feng packed all the meat into plastic boxes, then bundled them together, adding ten pairs of disposable gloves, some disposable chopsticks, and small packets of wet wipes.
Zhang Xinya had come on her electric bike. It was quite a challenge to fit so much meat into the basket of her electric bike. Jiang Feng helped her secure the packages, making sure everything was stable. Only then did Zhang Xinya ride off.
This one sale has already put me 32 pounds closer to my 200-pound goal. That's over a seventh of it done in one go! Just six more sales like this, and I can go home and rest. Jiang Feng's mood brightened. It would be great if this beauty kept coming back.
However, Jiang Feng wasn't too worried about his quota. Business today was much better than yesterday, and repeat customers made things easier.
Before long, another customer approached.
"Boss, give me a pig trotter!" the customer ordered with a smile. "I just love your pig trotters; they're so flavorful. It's all fresh flavor, with none of that off-taste."
Jiang Feng responded, "Mine is a small business; everything is freshly braised today. Business is good, so we sell out every day. Naturally, it tastes fresh."
Many braising shops nowadays, unable to sell all their braised meats, add preservatives to cut costs and keep them on display. Some meats sit out for days and go bad. Even if unscrupulous shop owners try their best to mask it with preservatives, they can't completely cover up the rotten smell. When eating pig trotters from such places, one can still detect it. So, finding fresh and tasty braised meat isn't always easy.
Jiang Feng's braised meat was both fresh and delicious, and those who knew their meats could appreciate the subtleties of his braising.
Hearing Jiang Feng's words, the customer was even more pleased. "So, it's made fresh! That explains why it tastes so good. Slice me a pound of pig head meat, too."
"Sure."
Jiang Feng grabbed tongs, picked up a piece of pig head meat from the pot, and placed it on the chopping board. The freshly braised pig head meat quivered slightly on the chopping board, a testament to its tenderness.
Seeing the quivering meat, the customer swallowed involuntarily. The pig head meat looked incredibly tempting: ruddy and glistening, plump and firm. The meat was still hot, and the rising steam carried its aroma.
Jiang Feng used his Dark Metal Kitchen Knife to slice the pig head meat. As he sliced, rich juices flowed out of the meat onto the chopping board.
Such a waste to see those juices run out! the customer lamented internally. Drizzled over plain steamed buns, they'd be an exquisite delicacy.
As Jiang Feng sliced the meat, several other customers nearby watched intently, their eyes glued to the spectacle. Everyone unconsciously swallowed.
This meat looks so amazing, we have to buy some!