CHAPTER 256: CHAPTER 256: A FISH IS MADE INTO WEST LAKE VINEGAR FISH, IT DIES IN VAIN!

Eating West Lake vinegar fish is a classic part of visiting West Lake.

But I’ve heard that West Lake vinegar fish is rather unpalatable, with many people shying away from it.

Now, Jiang Feng’s stall offers West Lake vinegar fish right by West Lake, and its taste is exceptionally good.

A winning combination.

Jiang Feng’s stall is undeniably popular.

There has never been a shortage of customers in line.

When they were about to sell out, Jiang Feng would send Sun Zhuangfei to the back to tell the customers there was no need to queue anymore; they were almost sold out.

Two young women approached, looking dejected, and asked Jiang Feng,

"Boss Jiang, is it really sold out?"

"We really wanted to try the West Lake vinegar fish."

"We’ve been looking forward to it for so long."

Seeing their eager faces, Jiang Feng replied,

"Sorry, but it is indeed sold out. We only have so much fish; we can’t make any more."

Upon hearing this, their disappointment was palpable.

There was nothing to be done.

For Jiang Feng, running out of ingredients was an excellent excuse to call it a day.

That’s why he wasn’t so tired.

And there were no rules binding him.

Recently, a barbecue restaurant became incredibly popular. The owner, overwhelmed by the swarm of customers, grew so anxious that he even started driving customers to his competitor’s establishment. He even told them that his competitor’s food was better. This was because he simply couldn’t keep up with the orders; it was completely overwhelming.

It’s unclear what’s gotten into people, but nowadays, they’re incredibly enthusiastic about such food stalls. The moment they hear a place serves good food, they flock there in droves.

Even more extreme, the owner of the Day by Day Fresh barbecue found himself unable to keep up and made up a reason, claiming the barbecue’s flue needed repairs. He took a week off and closed the shop.

The barbecue patrons, not known for their patience, promptly called the local cultural tourism bureau. Many netizens also commented online. The cultural tourism bureau immediately announced they would send someone to assess the situation and ensure the flue was repaired within a day, allowing the business to resume normal operations the following day.

Then, the owner of Day by Day Fresh got a talking-to.

The business had to keep going.

Even if he couldn’t finish, he had to keep working.

If Jiang Feng tried to satisfy all his customers’ demands, he would probably have to work 24 hours a day, and even then, the line in front of his stall would likely never shrink.

After all, there are people who would come back in the evening after having lunch.

So, he set a daily sales limit. Once everything was sold, he immediately closed up shop and made a quick getaway.

The cultural tourism bureau couldn’t reach him either.

After all, Jiang Feng moved between cities unpredictably, and no one knew where he would go next.

This left the netizens who wanted to try his food quite helpless.

In the foodie group chat, people were idly discussing.

"Boss Jiang’s stall is getting more and more popular! I went to queue today but couldn’t get anything!"

"So many tourists are queuing up too!"

"Truly a walking hotspot!"

"I really want to eat the West Lake vinegar fish, especially his version. I’ve seen so many people sharing that the fish is especially delicious!"

"If only there were scalpers, I’d willingly pay double."

"Boss Jiang limits each person to one portion, so even scalpers could only buy one. They wouldn’t make any money, so there are definitely no scalpers!"

Clearly, everyone really wanted to eat the West Lake vinegar fish he prepared.

But there was nothing to be done. There’s only so much good fish, and whether you get to eat it is all down to luck.

While Jiang Feng was running his stall, he had also arranged for someone else to handle chef recruitment for his restaurant.

That person was Zhao Cheng.

Previously, while wandering the streets, Jiang Feng had eaten at Zhao Cheng’s small, home-style eatery. Zhao Cheng’s West Lake vinegar fish was very good. It wasn’t just the West Lake vinegar fish; the quality of his other dishes also demonstrated a solid culinary foundation.

Zhao Cheng was formally trained in culinary arts and was very skilled. Although only twenty-nine, his cooking was impressive.

Jiang Feng interacted with him a few more times and came to understand his character: straightforward yet reliable.

So, Jiang Feng tasked him with handling the hiring process. This involved reviewing candidates’ resumes and culinary experience. If they owned restaurants, Zhao Cheng would also assess their management. He would record the contact information of promising chefs, and Jiang Feng would personally conduct a tasting of their dishes later.

Simply put, he had Zhao Cheng act as HR.

Human resources was no easy job.

Zhao Cheng discovered that all sorts of unqualified individuals were applying; some couldn’t even identify common dishes yet were asking to be head chef.

Pretty absurd.

Adopting a serious and responsible approach to selection and vetting, Zhao Cheng found that the most dependable candidates were chefs already working in large, established restaurants.

Their attitudes were actually quite proper.

Leaving the selection to Zhao Cheng, Jiang Feng also kept an eye on the situation.

After all, he was not just a food vendor but also a restaurant owner.

Jiangyue Terrace Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant was opened beside West Lake, and Jiang Feng hoped to make it a signature establishment.

On the snack street, not a single grass carp remained in the basin.

Today’s vending had finally come to an end.

Jiang Feng picked up a megaphone and announced,

"Everyone, I’m really sorry, but the West Lake vinegar fish is sold out, truly not a single one left."

"Time to call it a day."

Upon hearing this, someone loudly responded,

"Boss Jiang, make a few more, please."

At that moment, a man held up a bag filled with several large, fresh grass carp and shouted excitedly,

"Boss Jiang, I’ve got fish, I’ve got fish here!"

Then, another voice chimed in,

"There’s an aquatic products store nearby, Boss Jiang! Tell us how many grass carp you need, and we’ll buy them!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng felt a chill.

The scene before him seemed all too familiar.

If he agreed, he would undoubtedly be stuck working overtime until 11 p.m.; the customers wouldn’t let him leave.

Jiang Feng had Sun Zhuangfei quickly pack up.

If they didn’t leave immediately, they wouldn’t be able to leave at all.

He addressed the customers,

"Everyone, I truly apologize. As you know, West Lake vinegar fish demands high-quality grass carp."

"If it’s grass carp from an ordinary aquatic products store, no matter how I process it, it will have an earthy taste that I can’t get rid of."

"Moreover, my grass carp are specially prepared two days in advance to ensure they are thoroughly cleansed internally."

"If it isn’t my own grass carp, I simply can’t make it."

"Thank you for your understanding."

Saying this, he started the food truck and slowly began to maneuver his way out.

There was no choice; there were just too many customers.

At this moment, Jiang Feng’s thoughts likely mirrored those of the owner of Day by Day Fresh Barbecue and Old Man Tianshui.

It felt like a lifetime’s work could never be finished.

Seeing his determination, the customers felt helpless.

Indeed, Jiang Feng didn’t trust using grass carp from others.

If there was a problem with the grass carp, he would be held responsible too.

It’s always better to prepare the ingredients oneself.

After finally escaping the food street, Jiang Feng stepped on the gas as soon as the food truck hit the main road, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Phew, that was close," Jiang Feng muttered.

"I’ll contact Boss Li Duoyu at the reservoir later to buy another batch of grass carp."

"You go and check on it this afternoon."

Inside the truck, Jiang Feng said to Sun Zhuangfei.

"Yes, Boss."

Sun Zhuangfei immediately agreed.

Jiang Feng couldn’t bear to let too many people down, so he still planned to increase the supply.

All he could do was try his best.

Of course, him working overtime because others brought him grass carp was out of the question.

Jiang Feng called Li Duoyu to discuss purchasing more grass carp that afternoon.

"Sure, no problem, Boss Jiang, I’ve seen the video online," Li Duoyu said.

"You’re actually making West Lake Vinegar Fish, that’s amazing."

"The key is, it’s really delicious."

"I, a local, don’t even eat West Lake Vinegar Fish."

Li Duoyu readily agreed.

Jiang Feng laughed and said, "Your fish is high quality, and that’s why the West Lake Vinegar Fish tastes so good. Fish like this doesn’t even need a complex sauce; it would be delicious simply steamed."

Li Duoyu was naturally happy to hear Jiang Feng say so.

"Of course," he replied.

"If others claimed they used my fish for West Lake Vinegar Fish, I wouldn’t be at ease."

"Because there’s a saying online,"

"If a fish is made into West Lake Vinegar Fish, then it died in vain."

Jiang Feng couldn’t help but laugh as well.

He had seen that saying before.

Netizens certainly had a knack for coming up with memes.

If a fish is turned into West Lake Vinegar Fish, then it died in vain.

The saying goes: if you go to Hangzhou and don’t eat West Lake Vinegar Fish, you’ll regret missing out; if you do eat it, you’ll regret eating it.

There were many similar jokes.

Fortunately, the West Lake Vinegar Fish Jiang Feng made himself was quite tasty.

There was no big problem.

Li Duoyu also invited Jiang Feng to his reservoir for fishing.

"No problem, once I’m done with this week’s stall, I’ll come over and fish."

Jiang Feng agreed.

For the future development of Jiangyue Terrace Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant, a steady supply of fish was essential. Raising their own fish was too costly, so purchasing from an aquaculture farm owner like Li Duoyu was the most practical solution. They planned to sign a cooperation agreement for regular deliveries.

Apart from running his stall, Jiang Feng also had to deal with work matters.

「In the evening」

Zhao Cheng reported to Jiang Feng about the chef applicants.

There were many applicants, but few met the criteria.

Jiang Feng would have to personally taste test their cooking later on.

After listening to Zhao Cheng’s report, Jiang Feng noted down the information on these chefs and scheduled time to start the selection process the following evening.

This step was crucial for creating a signature Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant.

Serious effort was required.

People who knew Jiang Feng’s story also understood his thoughts.

His approach was to visit a place, immerse himself in the local cuisine, master its style, and then open a restaurant.

The restaurants he opened were all truly signature spots.

They followed a boutique approach.

Making money was secondary; the primary goal was to establish the brand’s reputation.

Perhaps it was for this reason that Jiang Feng was especially attentive to his brand.

Jiang Feng parked the food truck back at his restaurant and then went home to rest.

He now had some time to play with his cats and dogs.

「The next day」

Jiang Feng arrived at West Lake as usual to set up his stall.

The crowd today consisted of a new batch of people.

But their enthusiasm remained unchanged, everyone still eagerly filming his every move with their phones.

The line had already formed early on.

Moreover, the person in charge of the food street had specially assigned two security guards to maintain order.

Some tourists who came to visit West Lake saw the queue at the food street and were curious.

They went to buy something at a convenience store and asked the store owner,

"What’s with the long line over there, what are they doing?"

"Is there something good there?"

The shopkeeper glanced over and replied nonchalantly,

"Those people are queuing up to buy West Lake Vinegar Fish."

Upon hearing this, the tourists couldn’t believe their ears. They unconsciously craned their necks forward, completely stunned.

"West Lake Vinegar Fish?"

"Queuing for West Lake Vinegar Fish?"

"Are you serious?"

The tourists asked again.

He remembered West Lake Vinegar Fish having a notoriously bad reputation.

"It’s West Lake Vinegar Fish, made by Boss Jiang. He uses high-quality grass carp, and apparently, it tastes very good," the shopkeeper began to explain.

"A lot of people eat it every day."

Only then did the tourist understand.

So that was it.

But he still found it unusual.

A large crowd queuing for West Lake Vinegar Fish by West Lake.

Truly a sight you don’t see every day!