CHAPTER 252: CHAPTER 252: OTHERS CAN’T, BUT YOU CAN DO IT WITHOUT A PROBLEM!

「Suburban Reservoir.」

This place had been contracted by a fishing family and turned into a specialized aquaculture farm. The scenery here was very beautiful, nestled by mountains and water, surrounded by lush green hills with a few rural houses visible in the distance. In the middle lay a large reservoir, its water appearing quite clear. Nestled by mountains and water, it truly was a good spot.

Contracting the reservoir seemed appealing; after all, it meant working in such a picturesque place. Of course, only those truly in the business knew how hard it was. For instance, there were mosquitoes, weather disasters, the need to purchase fish fry, provide feed, prevent fish diseases, and so on. Some people would try to run the reservoir as a commercial fishing ground, but most lost money. Others combined fish and duck farming, focusing on ducks with fish as a secondary concern, but even then, the yields weren’t particularly high. Making money was never easy.

Jiang Feng parked the car, leaving the cat and Little Black inside, and got out. He looked around and, seeing a house by the reservoir, headed straight for it.

The owner of the contracted reservoir, Li Duoyu, was born in the 90s. He had slightly dark skin and looked as if he had weathered hardships beyond his years, but he remained rather upbeat.

"Who are you looking for?" Li Duoyu asked as he saw Jiang Feng approaching.

"Hello, I’m a fish business owner, and I’m interested in purchasing some grass carp from your reservoir here. I was wondering if you have any large, ready-to-sell ones available," Jiang Feng asked politely.

"Grass carp? Who would farm grass carp in such a big reservoir? How much can you make off them?" Li Duoyu responded. All the while, he kept his eyes fixed on Jiang Feng. He looks so familiar, Li Duoyu thought. After a moment, it dawned on him.

"Holy crap! Boss Jiang!"

"It really is you!"

"I almost didn’t recognize you!"

Hearing his words, Jiang Feng smiled and said, "Hello. I’m planning to feature fish dishes, so I need to buy some reservoir-raised grass carp."

"Since you’re in the aquaculture business, do you happen to know where I can find good quality ones?"

Upon hearing this, Li Duoyu immediately said, "Do you even need to look elsewhere? I’ve got them right here!"

"Although I don’t raise many grass carp, I do have some."

"Supplying a few hundred isn’t a problem."

Jiang Feng was somewhat taken aback. Didn’t he just say he didn’t have any?

In reality, Li Duoyu had initially assumed Jiang Feng wasn’t a major buyer. He usually didn’t sell in small batches to individual retailers. It’s not worth the effort and too much hassle, he thought. Generally, when they sold fish, they dealt directly with major distributors, selling off a large portion at once.

But Jiang Feng was an exception. For one, Li Duoyu genuinely enjoyed Jiang Feng’s videos and considered himself a fan. Secondly, Li Duoyu had once tasted Jiang Feng’s roasted duck and couldn’t praise his culinary skills enough. Since they were acquainted, Jiang Feng would naturally receive special treatment. This was a prime example of why connections mattered when you were out and about. Sometimes, even a casual acquaintance was enough to get things done.

"So, I can buy some? That’s great. I really do need to get some high-quality grass carp," Jiang Feng said. "Moreover, this is also a bit of advance work. Once the restaurant opens, I’ll need to procure large quantities of grass carp."

His restaurant was located right by West Lake. Being so close meant there would inevitably be many tourists. Thus, West Lake vinegar fish would undoubtedly be a must-order dish for them. I have to make it as delicious as possible, Jiang Feng thought. I can’t let this one dish tarnish the restaurant’s reputation. Therefore, the quality of the grass carp is crucial.

"Large-scale procurement? That’s even better! I know some people in aquaculture. There aren’t many who specialize in grass carp, but if the price is right, a dedicated supply can be arranged," Li Duoyu said immediately, realizing it was a big business opportunity.

Only then did he remember that Jiang Feng wasn’t just a small stall owner but also the proprietor of a large restaurant. And I heard he contracted a restaurant by West Lake, so he’ll definitely need to procure ingredients, Li Duoyu thought.

"Alright, let me take a look first. I can’t finalize the restaurant’s procurement just like that," Jiang Feng added. "But I do need to buy some grass carp right now."

"Okay, how many do you need, and when? I’ll get someone to net some for you."

"Today would be good. I’ve got the tanks all ready. Let’s start with a hundred fish."

"No problem, that’s easily done."

The two discussed the arrangements.

The grass carp here would undoubtedly be more expensive than those from the market; after all, they were reservoir-raised, and the quality was better. Jiang Feng understood this and was prepared to pay the prevailing market price for such quality.

Frankly, if it were anyone else wanting to buy just a hundred fish, a reservoir owner might not even bother. After all, such a small order wasn’t worth the effort of taking a boat out to net them. But Jiang Feng was an exception. Li Duoyu was happy to do business with him. Besides, there isn’t much else going on around here, Li Duoyu thought. Helping him catch some fish is fine.

Then, Li Duoyu started contacting his staff to prepare for netting the fish. Jiang Feng also called Sun Zhuangfei, asking him to rent a refrigerated fish truck and bring it over. Everyone got busy.

The reservoir’s setting, nestled by mountains and water, was incredibly beautiful. There were a few scattered homes nearby, and the picturesque scenery evoked the atmosphere of a Jiangnan water town.

Jiang Feng boarded the fishing boat and headed out onto the reservoir with the staff to net the fish. The process went smoothly. The reservoir was divided into several sections, one of which was specifically for raising grass carp, so they were easily scooped up with a net.

Then, Jiang Feng selected one hundred live fish and paid Li Duoyu.

When returning from the reservoir, Jiang Feng noticed a fishing spot next to the house, complete with fishing rods. This was a privately contracted reservoir, enclosed by railings, and fishing was generally prohibited. But the contractor, Li Duoyu, could naturally fish there since it was his own reservoir.

"Boss Jiang, you like fishing too?" Li Duoyu asked with a smile, following Jiang Feng’s gaze.

"It’s alright. I fish occasionally," Jiang Feng replied.

"Got any plans this afternoon? Why not stay and fish here?" Li Duoyu invited. "We can cook up whatever you catch. It’d be perfect."

"That wouldn’t be appropriate," Jiang Feng said, waving his hand dismissively.

"What’s not appropriate about it? This is my reservoir. What’s wrong with fishing at my own place?"

"I still need to get back and process the grass carp. Perhaps another time."

"Alright then."

Afterward, Li Duoyu and Jiang Feng took a photo together as a memento. Then, Jiang Feng got into his car and left the reservoir.

Buying the fish went surprisingly smoothly, Jiang Feng mused. I thought I’d have to visit several reservoirs to find suitable grass carp, but I found them at the very first place. It seems fame can bring conveniences sometimes.

Now that I have the grass carp, the next step is to prepare West Lake vinegar fish, Jiang Feng mused. The requirement is to serve fifty customers a day. While that might not sound like many, the difficulty is no less than when I was selling street snacks. So, how I set up the stall needs careful planning.

He always had his own approach and a deep understanding of culinary arts, consistently managing to satisfy his customers with delicious food. This was a fundamental skill for any chef.

The next day, Jiang Feng drove his food truck, stocked with dozens of grass carp, straight towards West Lake.

Stalls were not allowed within the West Lake scenic area itself. In fact, there had been reports of stall fees reaching an exorbitant two million-plus yuan a year for prime spots – locations where selling a single bottle of mineral water for 10 yuan could allow one to recoup the investment within that year. However, setting up stalls in the areas surrounding West Lake was permitted. Many people had posted videos of themselves vending near West Lake, mainly selling items like balloons, toys, and hair ornaments. Their daily income was typically around one to two hundred yuan.

Jiang Feng didn’t choose a random roadside spot; instead, he paid to rent a stall in the food street near West Lake. The stall’s location was quite prominent.

The sign on his food truck read:

West Lake Vinegar Fish: 48 yuan per serving.

One serving consisted of half a West Lake vinegar fish.

Compared to restaurant prices, this was quite a good deal. His grass carp were large, and in a restaurant, half a fish of that size would cost around 100 yuan. After all, he used premium grass carp, which were inherently more expensive than ordinary ones.

It had to be said, his stall, located in a street known for snacks, was certainly unconventional. Eating West Lake vinegar fish at a street stall instead of a proper restaurant? Who would do that?! people might think.

But Jiang Feng didn’t find it unconventional at all. He had sold steaks from his stall before; selling West Lake vinegar fish was nothing by comparison.

Sure enough, even before his food truck reached its designated spot, some tourists recognized him.

"Look over there! It’s Boss Jiang’s food truck!"

"It really is him! He’s come to West Lake!"

"Let’s go check it out! See what he’s selling this time!"

"Whoa, West Lake vinegar fish? Awesome!"

Jiang Feng had no need to worry about attracting customers. After all, he had name recognition. Even if people hadn’t tasted his food, many had seen his videos and knew of him to some extent. Seeing him setting up his stall, a crowd quickly gathered.

"Boss Jiang, setting up a stall here?"

"Quite the idea this time, challenging West Lake vinegar fish right here by West Lake!"

"Leave it to you to do something like this!"

Several people greeted him.

Jiang Feng responded politely, "I’ve been researching how to make West Lake vinegar fish."

"So I came to give it a try this time."

"It would be best if everyone enjoys it."

"After all, it’s a famous dish and shouldn’t be allowed to be forgotten or poorly represented."

While speaking, he and Sun Zhuangfei began to set up the stall. They positioned it, then set out tables and chairs, and finally brought out disposable tableware. Sun Zhuangfei got busy processing the grass carp, while Jiang Feng prepared to start cooking.

Before coming, Jiang Feng had already prepped some of the grass carp that morning. They had been freshly dispatched and thoroughly cleaned multiple times to remove any fishy odor.

Jiang Feng placed a large pot on one of the burners, adding scallions, ginger, garlic, and yellow cooking wine. He let it simmer at a low heat to gently poach and season the fish.

Meanwhile, on another burner, he set up a second pot and began to prepare the sauce, thickening it with starch. Once the fish is cooked, I’ll place it on a plate and pour this sauce over it. That’s all there is to it, he thought.

"Boss, one West Lake vinegar fish, please!"

"Me too, one serving here!"

"I’d like one as well!"

Customers were already starting to place orders.

Seeing this, Jiang Feng said with a smile, "You’ll have to wait a little bit, I’m just getting started with the cooking."

"It’ll be a short while before I can officially begin serving."

"For now, this stall will mainly feature West Lake vinegar fish."

"I’ll be introducing other Zhejiang cuisine dishes later on."

"Thanks for your support!"

Hearing this, several customers replied, "We’ll definitely support you!"

"If you’re setting up a stall, we’re bound to come!"

Many people started messaging their friends about Jiang Feng’s stall by West Lake. The news spread rapidly online. Soon, word that Jiang Feng was selling West Lake vinegar fish from his stall was on everyone’s lips.