CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44: DAMN!

"Tsk, this young man’s really something, not only are his Steamed Buns delicious, but he’s also clean and hygienic, always using stainless steel tongs to pick up the buns. That makes you feel at ease eating them."

"That’s right, when you get old, your stomach can’t handle much. Eating out usually upsets it, but yesterday I had this young man’s buns, and not a single issue."

"And they’re not just tasty, even my little grandson has stopped clamoring for fast food and is asking for steamy buns instead."

A group of grannies chatted and laughed while waiting in line, creating a nice atmosphere.

But soon enough...

"What?! Just half an hour and you tell me the beef buns are sold out??"

Grandpa Wang was furious, "I don’t believe it, check again. There’s still so many buns in your box, there must be a few beef ones hidden in there!"

Wang Fan sighed, "Grandpa, I made 500 beef buns in total, and I counted them earlier, they’re really all gone."

Grandpa insisted, "No way, absolutely not! You must look again!"

"Grandpa, the beef buns are really sold out. How about you try the minced meat and green bean ones? If you can handle spicy, the pepper and eggplant ones are even better."

Grumbling, Grandfather found Wang Fan genuinely had none left, so he had to grudgingly accept: "Oh, you’re killing this old man! Next time, you should control them, don’t let them buy so many, especially that old Sun, buying 30 at once like that, he might burst! Give them a limit! Let me try 10 bucks’ worth of the minced meat and green bean, and the pepper and eggplant. If they’re good, I’ll buy more."

Wang Fan quickly used the tongs to pick up 5 minced meat and green bean buns and 7 pepper and eggplant buns, placing them in two plastic bags and handed them to Grandpa.

Grandpa took them but didn’t leave. He first picked up a minced meat and green bean bun and started eating.

The minced meat and green bean buns had less juice compared to the mushroom beef ones, but still plenty enough to make your mouth water.

Different from the rich beef aroma, the vegetables brought out a more intense fragrance.

Yet it didn’t feel too vegetarian, with just the right complement from the meaty taste.

Taking a bite, the green beans were soft yet slightly chewy, combined with minced meat and meat chunks, wrapped in fluffy dough, creating a completely addictive sensation.

When Wang Fan made the filling, he packed it tightly. So even after steaming, the filling stayed compact, without scattering everywhere.

Usually, too much of this minced meat filling would make one tired of it, but with Wang Fan’s experience and recipe system, the meat-to-veggie ratio was perfect—neither flavorless nor greasy.

In one word—superb!

"Wow, young fella, your culinary skills are the real deal! I bet there’s no other place in Beijing that can pull off this taste."

Grandpa’s accent clearly marked him as a local Beijing native, known for speaking their minds without reservation.

Grinning, Wang Fan humbly replied, "Thank you, Grandpa, there’s always room for improvement."

Grandpa widened his eyes and retorted, "Don’t you dare improve any more, or I’m worried you’ll stuff an old man like me to death. I can already eat 20 of these; if they get any tastier, my stomach might burst!"

His words sent those in line behind him into fits of laughter, now eagerly anticipating the minced meat and green bean buns.

After devouring one bun, Grandpa, still unsatisfied, grabbed a pepper and eggplant bun and took a bite.

"Wow!"

Just two bites, and Grandpa couldn’t help but swear.

This bun... the texture...

"Wow!"

Grandpa wanted to articulate something, but he was completely lost for words.

Anxious, he opened his mouth: "Wow!"

Three consecutive wows left the crowd baffled.

"Old Zhao, wow this, wow that, what’s it all about? Is it good or not?"

"With that expression, do you think it’s bad?"

"Then why isn’t he saying anything about the taste, just wowing all the time?"

"Could it be that he’s at a loss for words?"

Old Zhao was indeed at a loss.

The taste and texture of this bun felt like it grew right out of his heart.

Take a bite, and it truly collected soft, chewy, smooth, spongy, fragrant, spicy, and fresh all in one.

The aroma of onion, ginger, and garlic perfectly fused with the eggplant and chili. With each bite, the fragrance seemed to seep from the pores.

After being steamed at high heat, the eggplant and chili became very tender, practically melting in the mouth. The essence of all the spices was absorbed into the eggplant completely, a sublime flavor his vocabulary couldn’t even begin to describe.

"Give me another 10 bucks’ worth of the minced meat and green bean and 20 bucks’ worth of the pepper and eggplant buns."

If words can’t describe it now, then buy more, eat more, savor it longer, and surely something will come to mind!

The man behind Old Zhao was a professor-like gentleman, wearing gold-rimmed spectacles.

Seeing Zhao pay up hurriedly and still chewing, he gave Zhao a gentle nudge: "Move along, hogging the space all day, if you can’t describe it, go play with your spoon. Let this old brother show you how it’s done."

Zhao grudgingly glared at him, "You old Jiang, just because you’re a professor you think you’re all that, I’d love to hear what poetic words you have."

Professor Jiang snorted, "Step aside and watch. Young man, give me 10 bucks’ worth of each. I want to see what flavor has old Zhao so captivated."

Wang Fan swiftly packed the buns and handed them to Professor Jiang, who slipped two brand new ten-yuan bills into the cash box.

Picking up a pepper and eggplant bun, he squeezed it gently, nodding as he praised, "The dough is fluffy yet resilient, and it’s remarkably white—it really whets your appetite."

Zhao rushed him, "Stop yapping, just eat."

Professor Jiang ignored him, bringing the bun closer for a deep sniff. The rich wheat aroma immediately revealed its authenticity.

"Ah, this scent really brings back memories of childhood when having a single white bun could make us ecstatic, haven’t felt like this in years."

After his nostalgic remark, Professor Jiang finally bit into the bun.

It was clear that he placed great emphasis on his image, wearing well-groomed clothes and chewing meticulously.

Though it was just a small bite, Wang Fan’s dough was so thin that even a small piece led to the filling.

Closing his eyes, Professor Jiang savored the bun’s flavors, suddenly pausing with a start.

He looked down in disbelief at the bun, then took another tentative bite.

Everyone watched expectantly, eager to hear how this learned man described the bun’s taste.

After finishing the entire bun and swallowing, he slowly opened his eyes once more.

Taking a brief sweeping glance around, he closed them again in contemplation.

Then abruptly opened them again, exclaiming, "Wow!"