CHAPTER 257: CHAPTER 257: OFFICIAL MEDIA NAMES PRAISES? NOW IT’S REALLY ON FIRE!

Jiang Feng’s actions ultimately caused a stir among the locals in Hangzhou.

Not only tourists but many residents came to join the excitement.

"What did you say? Go to West Lake to queue for West Lake Vinegar Fish? Are you sick, or am I?"

Some locals, upon hearing their friends’ invitations, couldn’t help but question the sanity of it all.

However, once they found out the reason behind it, their opinions completely changed.

They even began to clamor about getting there early to line up, or else they’d miss out.

This situation was truly absurd.

A dish notorious for not being particularly tasty had become an object of pursuit for many.

One could only say that Jiang Feng had truly redeemed West Lake Vinegar Fish this time.

The texture of West Lake Vinegar Fish was very tender, and even a small piece let you appreciate the beauty of the fish.

Moreover, in its early years, West Lake Vinegar Fish was a state banquet dish. It was only removed because many other tasty fish dishes became available.

Jiang Feng’s cooking skills were definitely up to state banquet standards.

That’s why diners were scrambling to buy it.

Locals living near West Lake would occasionally come by for a stroll and, seeing the scene at the snack street, would exclaim in surprise.

"Look at that crowd! They’re all here for West Lake Vinegar Fish. Odd, we haven’t seen such a scene for many years."

A person nearby chimed in,

"I heard it’s even better than the West Lake Vinegar Fish at the State Guesthouse."

"The seasoning is almost the same. The main difference is the fish. If you ask me, it’s not as good as sweet and sour carp or steamed perch."

"To each their own. I, for one, love West Lake Vinegar Fish, especially the kind with no fishy smell and particularly tender meat. Just thinking about it sounds delicious."

They chatted away for a while.

People’s gazes passed through the crowd, looking towards Jiang Feng at the food truck.

Business wasn’t overwhelmingly busy, and Jiang Feng was leisurely adjusting the sauce.

He constantly drew circles in the pot with the back of his spoon, occasionally adding some fine cornstarch, until the sauce thickened and became clear and sparkling.

Then he would lift out the cooked fish and pour the sauce over it.

The hot sauce, coupled with the tender grass carp, was then handed to the customers.

One transaction was complete.

When tourists got their West Lake Vinegar Fish, the first thing they did was to pose with their plates beside Jiang Feng’s food truck.

Checking in at West Lake, checking in with Jiang Feng, checking in with West Lake Vinegar Fish.

For the tourists, it was indeed a memorable experience.

Jiang Feng had completely blown up in Hangzhou.

He was especially beloved by the local people.

Just as he was in Eastern Shandong and Chengdu.

And after he became famous, he neither livestreamed nor promoted products, making everyone feel that their affection for him was even more worthwhile.

Jiang Feng didn’t think there was anything special about it, but people were always enthusiastic about greeting him and excited to take photos, which always felt good.

The West Lake Vinegar Fish continued selling day by day.

Each day welcomed new customers.

Jiang Feng treated every cooking process seriously.

He ensured that the taste of the West Lake Vinegar Fish was the best it could be.

In addition, this event soon made it onto the local news in Hangzhou.

It was something the common people were delighted to hear about.

It wasn’t just local news; many national news media platforms also featured this story as a headline in the "People’s Livelihood" section.

For the people, food is paramount; their sustenance is the greatest concern.

「By the time the sixth day of setting up the stall arrived.」

The crowd in front of the small stall was still very, very large.

People had lined up early.

After parking the food truck, Jiang Feng began preparing the fish.

It would take about twenty minutes or so to make the first batch.

"Boss Jiang, I saw you in the news!" a passerby in line called out to Jiang Feng.

Then, many others joined in.

"I saw it too, you made the news!"

"Some marketing accounts are calling you a Culinary God of the common folk!"

"HAHAHA, I saw that too!"

"I saw something even more ridiculous—they said you’re the reincarnation of the Kitchen God!"

"So many marketing accounts are making it sound so mystical!"

Hearing everyone’s comments, Jiang Feng was both amused and bewildered.

It’s quite absurd.

Marketing accounts are like that. If someone has a good reputation, they will praise them to the skies.

They’ll use any term they can think of.

If someone has a bad reputation, marketing accounts will also be quick to state their position, sometimes even kicking them while they’re down.

Anyway, they’ll do anything for views and engagement.

The reincarnation of the Kitchen God? Jiang Feng thought, then couldn’t help but laugh. That’s too much of a stretch. Does anyone actually believe that?

Jiang Feng didn’t know that some people really did believe it.

One of them was standing right beside him.

Sun Zhuangfei had come across one of those absurd marketing account videos. It was like a fortune teller speaking, confidently discussing destiny, feng shui, the Eight Characters of one’s birth time, and even claiming Jiang Feng was the reincarnation of the Kitchen God.

After hearing this analysis, Sun Zhuangfei slapped his thigh. That explains it! I knew Boss wasn’t an ordinary person!

Of course, Jiang Feng didn’t know about this.

While thickening the sauce, Jiang Feng responded to the customers,

"Just take what those marketing accounts say with a grain of salt."

"I still believe in the Kitchen God; I can’t offend him."

Jiang Feng did have some belief in the Kitchen God.

The Kitchen God is a legendary deity of food and drink. His worship originated from the ancient reverence for fire, and over time, many stories about him have spread.

After all, Jiang Feng was a chef and also managed his own restaurant.

The Kitchen God should still be worshipped.

"Boss Jiang, you’re so popular now! Lots of marketing accounts are posting your videos."

"Why don’t you create your own video account? Think of the great traffic!" someone else chimed in.

The others nodded in agreement.

As fans of Jiang Feng, everyone naturally hoped that Jiang Feng would make videos.

"The main issue is I don’t have time to shoot videos, nor can I update regularly. If it’s cooking-related, I’ll post it on the official Jiangyue Terrace account."

"Everyone can follow the official Jiangyue Terrace account," Jiang Feng added.

Seeing that the sauce was almost ready, Jiang Feng took the stewed grass carp out of the pot, then cut it into pieces and poured the sauce over it before handing it to the customers.

It was still the same scene as always.

Jiang Feng looked up to see a sea of people around him.

Many were just there to watch the excitement.

It was similar to when the Prosperous Tang Secret Box at Datang Everbright City went viral, with people answering questions in similarly crowded scenes.

For Jiang Feng, as long as the common people enjoyed it, that was good enough.

One serving after another of West Lake Vinegar Fish was sold.

The customers, having received their West Lake Vinegar Fish, were reluctant to leave and had to be urged by the people behind them before they would move on, albeit unwillingly.

The atmosphere online was generally lively.

But, as is often the case when something becomes popular, there were always those who liked to be contrary and offer criticism.

Suddenly, voices appeared online, attacking Jiang Feng’s street vending as a "publicity stunt."

One of the bloggers named Liu Alai, in pursuit of traffic, publicly stated,

"Setting up a small stall is like holding a concert? If that’s not a publicity stunt, what is?"

"It’s clearly a setup, yet so many people are praising it. It’s laughable."

"I even doubt whether he’s actually a restaurant owner."

Once his video commentary was released, many netizens couldn’t sit still. This was because Liu Alai’s commentary was clownish, making judgments without any understanding of the original situation or context. But there were many people like that online, people who commented carelessly without understanding anything.

Many netizens left comments under his video:

"Have you even watched Boss Jiang’s videos? Those customers all went there on their own. Is he putting on a show?"

"The guy doesn’t even have his own account, unlike you, who’s so desperate for views you act like a clown."

"Many food bloggers who reviewed his stall said it was excellent. Could that be a stunt? Do you think you have the ability to orchestrate that?"

"Anyone who has watched even one video of Boss Jiang wouldn’t say such a thing."

There are always controversies online.

When many people love something, a portion will dislike it simply because so many others love it.

So, there was indeed a debate over this matter.

Amidst the uproar, his online traffic surged.

Therefore, to make it in social media, one needs thick skin.

However, the clamoring soon quieted down.

Because the official account of CCTV openly commented on Jiang Feng’s stall.

And the comments were all positive, full of praise.

The terms used were particularly grand and impressive.

"Selling West Lake Vinegar Fish by West Lake is a unique and creative idea. If the common people enjoy it, then it’s something worthy of praise."

"There’s no such thing as overnight fame; it’s all built on a solid foundation. This stall owner started by selling rice combo sets on the street and has created dozens of dishes. Behind this, there must be unseen effort and hardship."

This was normal.

Zibo Barbecue, Tianshui Spicy Hotpot—CCTV had commented on them before.

This indicated that mainstream culture recognized and approved of such phenomena.

Now that Jiang Feng’s stall had received high praise, it sent a specific signal.

The higher-ups approved of this phenomenon and of Jiang Feng setting up his stall.

Online platforms would certainly uphold this signal. After all, to operate in the country, one must heed the guidance from above.

Consequently, videos like the one Liu Alai posted were quickly taken down by the platform for violations.

Liu Alai was stunned.

What’s happening? Wasn’t that stall owner so impressive that CCTV intervened with comments? And they were all in praise? That was it.

Barring any surprises, his private messages and comment section were about to be flooded.

He didn’t dare to look. He dreaded to think how many netizens would be "sending regards" to his family each day.

He knew he had a battle to defend his family brewing. And the netizens’ fury towards him was relentless and seemingly without end, a situation grimly reminiscent of Louis XVI.

Jiang Feng hadn’t expected the online debate to become so intense.

West Lake and West Lake Vinegar Fish were already hot topics. Since he was vending West Lake Vinegar Fish, people online naturally loved it.

Consequently, the discussion surrounding this matter was unusually intense, filled with much debate and clamor.

When Jiang Feng browsed videos himself, he occasionally stumbled upon topics about him.

He would calmly long-press the video and then tap "Not Interested."

For him, watching those videos felt like working overtime. The time after work belonged to himself.

The week flew by, seemingly vanishing amidst the public’s excitement.

Jiang Feng successfully obtained the system’s reward and acquired another exquisitely crafted jade fish.

The jade was a vibrant green, shaped like a grass carp—likely because he had been cooking grass carp all week.

「By this time, Jiang Feng was already sitting by the lake at the reservoir, fishing leisurely and relaxed.」

Little Black was sleeping in his arms.

Little Black ran around the lake freely, happily playing with two German Shepherds owned by the reservoir’s leaseholder, Li Duoyu.

It was relaxing; it was comfortable.

This was life.