Chapter 203

Old Zhan knew that the nearby Lu Qin snack stall came from the Annan District. Qin Hui brought himself over for that very reason. At the food festival, many stalls from the Lianhua District were overshadowed by a snack stall from Annan District. It was truly unacceptable.

Looking at it now, their stall is really booming!

Why are these customers rushing like addicts to line up?

Is their food really that delicious?

Or did they hire a bunch of paid actors to create a false impression?

After all, the stall owner is so young, and it’s hard to imagine someone that young having exceptional culinary skills.

Cooking isn’t something you can fake; it takes years of hard work and dedication.

In the Chinese culinary world, which famous chef hasn’t been over forty years old?

I’ve never heard of a young person in their twenties having extraordinary cooking skills—most are just apprentices.

When Old Zhan was in his twenties, he wouldn’t even eat the fried noodles he cooked himself.

So, even though Lu Qin’s business is booming, Old Zhan is sure that it’s not because the owner’s fried noodles are particularly good.

After thinking for a moment, Old Zhan cleared his mind and stopped thinking about all the irrelevant details.

To truly excel at something, you need unwavering focus—that’s the key to success. Old Zhan has been frying noodles for 28 years, in a small, dirty shop that hasn’t moved in all these years.

There aren’t any tables for customers to sit down and eat, it’s only available for takeaway. Old Zhan sells his fried noodles cheaply and never raises prices randomly.

He also wouldn’t raise prices just because his business is doing well. The only reason he might raise prices is if the cost of ingredients goes up. Old Zhan is indifferent to everything else, but he is passionate about fried noodles. Perhaps that’s why his fried noodles have reached a level of mastery.

When locals mentioned the Guozi Street in Lianhua District, everyone knew about Old Zhan’s fried noodles. Soon, someone recognized him.

“Hey, it’s Old Zhan, from Jin Feng community under my building!”

“Old Zhan’s fried noodles? Are they famous?”

“Old Zhan’s fried noodles might not be famous all over Jiangcheng, but in Guozi Street and Huaimin Road, they’re household names!”

“Old Zhan’s fried noodles may not be the hottest, but they’re definitely the tastiest!”

“Old Zhan’s noodles might not be well-known, but they’re really good. When I was in high school, my classmates asked me to bring them so often. My backpack was so heavy, filled with fried noodles!”

“Old Zhan has been frying noodles for half his life. He must be at the peak of his craft now. He’s really impressive. I ate his fried noodles for breakfast for months straight!”

“I haven’t had Old Zhan’s fried noodles. I wonder how they compare to Lu Qin’s.”

“Lu Qin’s fried noodles are great too! I’d rate them as top-tier!”

“I just got here, but I don’t think they can beat Old Zhan’s. As the saying goes, ‘The old ginger is spicier!’”

The discussion between Old Zhan and Lu Qin quickly spread among the foodies. Most of them were not only food lovers but also enjoyed gossip.

While eating delicious food, they also enjoyed the drama, adding fuel to the fire at the food festival. Before long, the crowds at both Old Zhan’s fried noodles stall and Lu Qin’s snack stall began to swell.

The vendors next to Lu Qin, Zeng Quanyu making crystal shrimp dumplings and Qian Shifu specializing in Sichuan cuisine, stopped their work to watch. They thought their only competitor was Lu Qin, but they didn’t expect there was another “rival.”

They couldn’t help but wonder, was the owner of Lu Qin not a specialist, but a jack-of-all-trades?

So young?

Could they be good at everything, but a master at nothing?

Though it wasn’t an official competition, the two stalls were side by side, both cooking fried noodles, almost like a competition for supremacy.

Lu Qin also noticed something odd. Yesterday, the stall on his left was selling skewers, but today it suddenly changed. Stalls at the food festival required an upfront payment, so changing stalls mid-way wasn’t possible.

Now, the stall next to his was also selling fried noodles. Could this be targeted at him?

And the stalls on his right, one selling crystal shrimp dumplings and the other Sichuan cuisine—are they also targeting him?

Interesting.

Lu Qin, however, was quite pleased with this “targeting.”

Every time the festival ended, there were always a lot of customers who couldn’t get food and complained. If another stall could draw some of those customers away, it would help quiet their complaints.

Old Zhan started frying noodles. Lu Qin had already taken a few orders. Lu Qin then entered his zone and began focusing entirely on frying noodles. Some customers excitedly took out their phones to start filming, already thinking about what to title the videos.

Gossip is always better when it’s juicy.

[Lianhua District Guozi Street Old Zhan Fried Noodles VS Lu Qin Fried Noodles, both top-tier in Jiangcheng’s fried noodle world—who makes the best?]

[Wow! A fried noodle showdown at the food festival, determining the best once and for all!]

[Both masters! So exciting! It’s a foodie’s dream come true—satisfying both stomach and eyes!]

[Old Zhan VS Lu Qin, who will come out on top?]

Excitement was written all over the faces of the crowd, and more people kept gathering. Qin Hui, observing from afar, anticipated this kind of effect, but he still underestimated the public’s love for gossip. The food festival became even livelier as a result.

However, this was good—Qin Hui had brought these three people over to help secure Lianhua District’s position at the Jiangcheng Food Festival. Lianhua District couldn’t let Annan District bully them like this.

The process of frying noodles was actually very short. It was fast food, relying on high heat and quick stir-frying. But the flames rising from the wok and the sight of the chef quickly flipping the ladle were quite visually striking. Some of the spectators even clapped and cheered!

“Impressive!”

Old Zhan and Lu Qin remained completely unfazed by the discussions or filming around them, staying focused. The fried noodles were ready. The aroma wafted in the air. The customers took deep breaths, their mouths watering.

Old Zhan made three portions of fried noodles, while Lu Qin made five. Lu Qin used his ladle to pack five portions into boxes, while Old Zhan placed three portions into round plastic containers.

At this moment, Old Zhan slightly turned his head and glanced at Lu Qin’s five portions. His eyes flickered.bA true expert can tell at a glance. Old Zhan had been frying noodles for almost thirty years, and just one look at a portion of fried noodles, judging the color, texture, and the wok aroma, and he knew that Lu Qin’s fried noodles must taste pretty good.

When it comes to fried noodles, the taste accounts for 30% of the quality, while texture accounts for 70%.

For experts, the main competition lies in texture. Old Zhan’s fried noodles, when they pick them up with chopsticks, they come up in a single, easy-to-handle bite, not cLumping together. But with ordinary fried noodles, a single bite can turn into a Lump the size of a fist, and you have to shake it loose—this shows the level of skill.

He didn’t expect Lu Qin’s fried noodles to reach this level. Old Zhan finally took another look at Lu Qin. He didn’t expect this young man to have such solid skills.