CHAPTER 226: CHAPTER 226: NEW MISSION, JIANG FENG’S CHOICE!

Jiang Feng took a three-day break, wandering around Hangzhou and scoping out restaurants and chefs. During this time, many locals found out he had arrived, especially the students from the University of Science and Technology. After tasting his luosifen, they truly couldn’t stop thinking about it, and many were still talking about it.

"I finally understand why so many people online are looking for him! I want to know where he has set up his stall now too," one person exclaimed.

"Show up soon, Executive Chef Jiang! I’m tired of fast food!" another pleaded.

"Who knows where he’s setting up his stall now?"

"If only I knew."

That steaming bowl of luosifen—after finishing the rice noodles and side dishes, followed by a hot, spicy, fragrant, and delicious broth—left a feeling of complete satisfaction that people couldn’t forget. Thinking about it now still felt exceptionally comforting. Some had eaten it several times, and it tasted great every time. One could only imagine how delicious that luosifen was, not to mention Executive Chef Jiang’s fried pig’s trotters and tiger skin chicken feet. The skin of the chicken feet was fully flavored, crunchy, and aromatic when bitten into—simply perfect.

At this moment, Jiang Feng was waiting for the next task from the system. After all, completing three tasks would reward him with a restaurant, which was quite an attractive prospect. The system would also gain satisfaction from the diners—a win-win situation.

Before long, the system’s notification sounded:

[Launching Hangzhou Stall Task (2/3): Set up a stall to sell roast duck for seven consecutive days at a designated location in Hangzhou, serving 100 guests daily.]

[Task Reward: Restaurant Award]

[Acquired: Roast Duck Recipe]

[Task Start Deadline: Within two days]

[Accept?]

Jiang Feng naturally chose to accept. However, he was immediately somewhat puzzled. Setting up a stall to sell roast duck?

Normally, roast duck is eaten in proper roast duck restaurants. These establishments can slice the fresh roast duck and serve it with thin pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumbers, and shredded green onions, presenting a complete dish for customers to enjoy conveniently. But now, the system specified setting up a stall to sell roast duck. This undoubtedly increased the difficulty.

Indeed, there were businesses that set up stalls to sell roast duck. Some brought ovens to sell whole cooked ducks, which customers could take home to slice and eat. Others sold complete roast duck sets. With high rent and the hassle of managing a shop, many street vendors had developed ways of selling roast duck from stalls.

Jiang Feng had already begun to plan how to set up his stall. It didn’t seem too hard. He just needed to prepare an oven, the hoisin sauce, pre-cut the cucumbers and green onions, and prepare some thin pancakes.

Jiang Feng went to the system-designated location to check it out. Selling roast duck... this could be a good business, he mused, very much looking forward to it.

Soon enough, he arrived at the designated place: a square in Xiasha University Town where many small vendors had their stalls. The most notable feature here was the large number of university students, with fourteen universities nearby. In the evenings or on weekends, a vast crowd of young students would emerge. There were also many local residents in the area.

Standing at the center of the square, Jiang Feng surveyed his surroundings and suddenly felt a chill. He realized that if the roast duck became popular, he might be surrounded by ravenous students every day. The students here have been hungry for a while, he thought.

Just don’t get too popular. A little business will do. I’ll prepare 30 ducks a day. Each duck is about enough for four people, so I should be able to serve 100 customers.

Not wanting to become too popular was unusual for a small stall owner like him. The key was that Jiang Feng already had a following; once the students started talking, news would travel exceptionally fast. It was possible that within a couple of days, all the nearby universities would know.

I should wear a mask, Jiang Feng figured. I can’t reveal myself. Otherwise, there definitely won’t be enough roast duck. A little business will do.

He didn’t need to worry about initial business, since he planned to start his stall on Friday evening. Customer traffic on Fridays was huge; even without any established fame, the natural flow of people alone would be enough to sell all the roast duck.

After scouting the location, Jiang Feng took out his phone and sent a message to Sun Zhuangfei: "Are you busy? Get ready for action tomorrow."

It wasn’t long before Sun Zhuangfei replied, "Alright, Boss. What are we selling this week?"

Jiang Feng responded, "We’re preparing to sell roast duck."

"No problem," Sun Zhuangfei confirmed.

Jiang Feng arranged a time for Sun Zhuangfei to come over. They still had to pick out the ducks, prepare the roast duck ovens, and gather the ingredients for the hoisin sauce, among other things. Jiang Feng planned to sell freshly sliced roast duck sets.

Duck meat tends to have a milder taste, especially roast duck. Even after marination, only a thin layer of skin carries good flavor, while the meat inside remains faint. This is different from roasted chicken, as chicken absorbs flavors more easily. Therefore, the best way to enjoy roast duck is to spread some sauce on it, add refreshing cucumber and green onion strips, and roll it all in a soft, thin pancake. This way, the sauce enhances the duck meat’s flavor, the meat provides a satisfying texture, and the cucumber and green onion strips offer a refreshing counterpoint. The combination is perfect.

「The next day」

Jiang Feng and Sun Zhuangfei bought whole, processed ducks and went to the previously rented shop to prepare them.

"Boss, what should I do next?" Sun Zhuangfei inquired.

"Follow me and learn how to wash the duck, how to stuff it, how to inflate it, and how to sew it up. Then you’ll handle the rest of the ducks," Jiang Feng instructed.

"Alright, no problem."

Jiang Feng began to prepare a duck. The ducks had their wingtips removed, were stuffed with seasonings, marinated for a while, then inflated. Their skin was scalded with boiling water before they were hung on hooks. Rows of raw ducks hung there, looking exceptionally plump.

Next, Sun Zhuangfei took over processing and hanging the ducks, while Jiang Feng started making the crispy skin paste. He first mixed starch into a paste, then boiled Zhejiang red vinegar with maltose.

Only Zhejiang red vinegar achieved the desired effect; its color would turn the duck skin a bright, translucent orange-red when applied, making it look lusciously shiny. He then poured the starch paste into the pot with the vinegar mixture. He cooked this down until it became a crispy skin paste with a faint, light pink hue. The paste was ready.

Jiang Feng then took the prepared ducks one by one and drizzled them with the crispy skin paste from top to bottom, ensuring all the skin was covered. With that, the initial preparation was complete, but they still had to wait. Only after the crispy skin paste on the ducks air-dried could they be roasted. The resulting roast duck would have that signature shiny, reddish appearance.

The two were busy for a while; the workload was substantial.

The roast duck recipe Jiang Feng had mastered was simple yet sophisticated; his seasonings were meticulously balanced to ensure the perfect outcome. The ducks, now coated in crispy skin paste, hung on the rack.

"Boss, do you know what these ducks make me think of?" Sun Zhuangfei asked.

Jiang Feng, seeing his expression, suspected it wasn’t anything good but still asked, "What do they make you think of?"

"I’m reminded of Zhu Ganglie’s demon cave in ’Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons.’ They roast pigs just like this: hanging them up, stuffing their bellies, and roasting them in an oven."

Hearing this, Jiang Feng was somewhat speechless. Roasting chicken, duck, or suckling pig has always been done this way; the movie was just based on this method, he thought.

"Well, will you eat it when it’s roasted later?" Jiang Feng asked coolly.

"Eat it? Of course, I’ll eat it! Since you made it, Boss, I definitely have to eat it," Sun Zhuangfei quickly replied, afraid Jiang Feng might not let him have any.

They had been busy all this time, each step clean, meticulous, and falling perfectly into place. Although the ducks hadn’t yet entered the oven, the preliminary work—marination, inflation, skin scalding, a special coating with crispy skin paste, followed by resting and blow-drying with a hairdryer—was extensive. With these steps, it would be hard for the duck not to be delicious. When prepared authentically, the flavors were bound to be genuine.

Roasting duck also required skill, especially in controlling the temperature and cooking time. Some people who tried roasting ducks at home ended up with burnt results, some parts always blackened, failing to achieve that shiny, reddish look. Jiang Feng, however, was very precise in controlling the heat.

After the ducks coated with crispy skin paste had rested for a few hours, Jiang Feng brought in the oven and began roasting them. It didn’t take too long—one hour at 200 degrees Celsius was enough.

(Duck’s perspective): Thanks for the warmth, old friend!

Soon, Jiang Feng placed the ducks into the oven one by one. As the temperature rose, the ducks slowly started to transform.

After an hour, Jiang Feng took the ducks out of the oven. The moment the first roasted duck emerged, Sun Zhuangfei’s eyes lit up. The ducks had turned a bright, orange-red color, their skin shining as if glowing. Overall, they looked crystalline and tantalizingly crisp.

Jiang Feng hung the roasted ducks on the rack one by one. Then, it was time to roast the second batch. He had prepared thirty-two roast ducks in total and definitely planned to keep some for himself.

The thin pancakes were already steamed, and a bowl of sweet bean sauce was ready. Jiang Feng had also sliced some cucumber and green onion strips. All the components were prepared.

Both hungry, they sat down at a nearby table to start eating. Jiang Feng took one of the roasted ducks and skillfully began to carve it. Slice after slice of glistening duck meat, skin-on, was laid out on a platter.

Seeing this, Sun Zhuangfei was filled with admiration. Jiang Feng’s knife skills were incredible; such proficiency was something he couldn’t hope to match.

Once the duck was carved, Jiang Feng took a thin, round pancake in his left hand. With his right, he picked up a couple of slices of duck, dipped them in the sweet bean sauce, and then spread the sauce evenly on the pancake. He layered the duck meat on top, added some cucumber and green onion strips, and rolled up the pancake.

He popped it into his mouth.

Instantly, a wondrous symphony of flavors blossomed. The aroma of the pancake, the savory-sweetness of the bean sauce, the crispy duck skin contrasting with its tender meat, all perfectly complemented by the fresh crunch of cucumber and the bite of green onion. The taste was truly excellent.