[Sold braised pork: 402/200 pounds, daily task complete.]
[Acquired additional reward: Silver Flat Pan.]
The extra reward for the sixth day was a flat pan, made of pure silver.
Jiang Feng took out the flat pan and examined it.
The silver flat pan resembled a regular one in shape, but it was entirely silver and exceptionally smooth to the touch, giving it a very appealing look.
Another piece for the collection.
Not bad.
Jiang Feng looked at it for a while before putting the silver flat pan away.
With the current price of silver at 5.50 yuan per gram, even 1 kilogram would only be worth just over 5,000 yuan.
It was more suitable as a decorative item.
After Jiang Feng returned home and had lunch, he began preparing the braised pork for the next day.
On his last day of running the braised pork stall, he didn't introduce any new dishes but prepared around 400 pounds of braised pork again.
The entire little shop was filled with the aroma of braised meat.
He felt as if he himself were being thoroughly permeated by the aroma.
Despite being busy with work for the food stall, Jiang Feng still found time to walk Little Black in the park for an hour.
Little Black was exceptionally healthy. His fur felt dense, as if it were solid. This was probably because he ate very well and was growing quickly.
The place Jiang Feng walked his dog was Hongshan Park, as it was closest to his current house.
One of the park's regulars, an elderly man, even recognized him.
"Boss Jiang, out for a walk with your dog?"
"I heard you've recently set up a stall at Shuize Resort?" the old man greeted him.
Jiang Feng hadn't expected the old man to recognize him and responded with a smile, "Yes, I've been running a stall selling braised pork at Shuize Resort these past few days."
The old man then asked, "When will you come back to Hongshan Park?"
"I have no plans for that at the moment."
"Your rice combo sets were delicious. I hope you'll come back when you get the chance."
"Sure thing."
After chatting briefly with the old man, Jiang Feng left with his dog.
Not long after, another person greeted him, again with polite conversation.
Jiang Feng noticed that it seemed like more people were recognizing him.
After politely responding, he left with Little Black.
In fact, the recent videos of diners queuing up at the snack street had become popular on local short video platforms.
Although the dragon-like queue in the videos was the main attraction, people also noticed Jiang Feng in his food truck.
Some said he used to run a stall selling rice combo sets in Hongshan Park, attracting a huge line of customers as well.
Residents around Hongshan Park who saw the videos would comment, "Isn't that the same food truck from the rice combo set guy? He's a hit wherever he goes!"
This was mainly because Jiang Feng cooked with care, ensuring his food was clean and tasted great. People naturally liked him, figuring someone like that wouldn't be a bad person.
Jiang Feng didn't pay much attention to local videos. When he used Douyin, he watched the [Recommended] section, focusing on the more popular videos from across the internet.
Moreover, he didn't follow food-related content, so he had never stumbled upon videos of himself.
I'm just running a stall to make money and complete my tasks as usual, Jiang Feng thought.
The next day was another clear and beautiful one.
Jiang Feng drove his food truck leisurely towards Shuize Resort, in no particular hurry.
The Bluetooth speaker in the truck was playing music:
"Wumeng Mountain connects to mountains beyond!"
"Moonlight sprinkles over Xiangshui Beach!"
...
The volume of the music wasn't loud, and the truck's sound insulation was good when closed, so only Jiang Feng could hear it.
When Jiang Feng entered the resort and reached the snack street, he found it bustling with tourists again.
He drove very slowly, not rushing the tourists, simply cruising down the street at a steady pace.
Only when he neared his spot and found someone blocking his stall would Jiang Feng call out, "Excuse me, could you please let me through? Thank you."
A long line had already formed in front of his stall.
However, Jiang Feng noticed an unwelcome sight.
He saw a few people to the side of the queue with phone mounts, apparently livestreaming.
There were also two or three people holding their phones up and continuously filming him.
Small-time streamers were like that, always chasing the latest sensation.
If someone's three-yuan bowl of noodles went viral, they would all flock to film it, sparking so much online debate that the owner could no longer run their business.
Take "Zhou Binglun," for example. He became wildly popular because he resembled Jay Chou. Many minor internet celebrities would seek him out, not to buy his pancakes, but just to get him to smile for their cameras. They constantly disturbed him, and eventually, Zhou Binglun stopped setting up his stall altogether.
Jiang Feng's videos weren't yet a nationwide sensation, but they had generated some local buzz, prompting people to come and see what the fuss was about.
To this, Jiang Feng was quite indifferent.
After all, today was his last day running his stall at Shuize Resort.
His handling of the ingredients was still perfect.
All the meat was fresh, personally selected by him.
Fine hairs on the pork trotters, chicken, and duck were singed off with a blowtorch. Then, they were soaked with scallions, ginger, and garlic to remove any gamey taste and impurities.
The stock, a specially concocted rich formula, was simmered slowly, bit by bit.
The braising time was also just right.
Flames still burned on the stove, where the hot braising liquid simmered gently over a low heat.
The aroma was pervasive and enticing.
"Boss, one braised chicken!" the first customer ordered.
The people behind craned their necks in anticipation.
The bustling business at the small stall began once more.
The voice of a nearby minor streamer, who was livestreaming, could be heard:
"I'm right now in the food street at Shuize Resort, and even this early in the morning, there are so many people queuing up!"
"Folks, just look at how lively it is here! In a moment, I'll queue up for a braised chicken and let everyone taste it!"
Further away, the voices of tourists could also be heard:
"Why are there so many people queuing over there?"
"So lively! What are they queuing for, free eggs?"
"Let's go over and take a look!"
All sorts of voices merged together.
Bustling and lively.
That's how the snack street was on the weekends.
Amidst this environment, Jiang Feng, busy with his work, didn't find the noise bothersome.
He was oblivious to the world outside his window, focusing solely on selling his savory braised meat.
The braised meat sold at lightning speed.
10 pounds, 20 pounds, 30 pounds...
The customers at the front of the queue watched the stall intently.
They watched as Jiang Feng lifted several pork trotters from the pot. The trotters, red and glistening, were brimming with juices—a sight that made their mouths water.
Then, he'd lift out a piece of braised pork belly and slap it onto the cutting board. The meat would quiver slightly, a tremor that seemed to resonate in the customers' hearts, making them even more excited.
Or he would pull out several fragrant pork ribs, their bones stained with the marinade; one could only imagine how delicious they were.
Their eyes were glued to these delicacies, unable to look away.
Normally, if a roadside stall selling braised meat lifted out a freshly braised piece, it would attract passersby.
Let alone top-quality braised meat like Jiang Feng's.
Nearby, a middle-aged man marveled,
"The stuff young people make at their stalls these days is so much better than before; clearly, a lot of effort has gone into it."
"It tastes good too."
"Really impressive!"
On this last day of selling braised meat at the stall, everything on the bustling snack street proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Customers who bought braised meat left with smiles.
Strolling pedestrians curiously watched the lively scene.
The minor streamers performed energetically for their live cameras, trying to attract more viewers.
Jiang Feng appeared relaxed, handling his customers unhurriedly.
Little Black, leashed and sitting next to the food truck, yawned as he watched the pedestrians with an air of boredom.
Occasionally, someone would squat down to play with him.
This, perhaps, was the charm of everyday life.