CHAPTER 261: CHAPTER 261 WHERE DID BOSS JIANG GO?

Huge windmills turned gently, spaced every few dozen meters apart.

On a platform built of bluestone, Jiang Feng set up his stall, gazing at the distant windmills, feeling completely at ease and very comfortable.

In the morning, the number of visitors in the area increased.

When they saw the small stall, they would just glance at it and not say much.

If someone came over and saw the delicacies for sale on the food truck, they would buy a portion to try.

After tasting the lean meatballs, they couldn’t stop praising Jiang Feng’s cooking, finding it astonishingly delightful.

Sometimes, it’s like that: you might pass by a place on a journey, make a random order, and discover a delicacy that becomes unforgettable for a lifetime.

Even if the taste of the food was forgotten, the experience of that delicious meal would still be remembered.

Jiang Feng had caused quite a stir back in Hangzhou.

Now, setting up his stall in the outskirts of Wenzhou, everything seemed much quieter.

He hadn’t felt this way in a long time. So relaxing.

Unaware, the system’s voice echoed in Jiang Feng’s mind:

[Daily task completed, you have received an additional reward: Bear Paw (edible).]

Hearing this prompt, Jiang Feng, who had felt a bit sleepy, was instantly wide awake.

Bear paw?

In earlier years, bear paw was genuinely a rare and popular delicacy.

The proverb "one cannot have both fish and bear paws" also reflected the status of bear paws in the culinary field.

But a long time ago, the state had banned the consumption of bear paws. Bears are protected animals, so it was illegal to kill them indiscriminately, let alone use them as ingredients.

However, the bear paw awarded by the system wasn’t against the rules.

Jiang Feng remained outwardly calm. This was something only he knew, and it was up to him to decide how to handle it.

The task was completed quite quickly. It wasn’t even noon, yet the 100-customer quota was already met.

It was very relaxed.

Moreover, only two middle-aged men recognized Jiang Feng, and since they were not the type to broadcast it, the news of Jiang Feng setting up his stall here did not spread far.

This situation was excellent. Jiang Feng hoped it would continue for a while.

Just setting up the stall like this every day, completing tasks, then going home to play with the cat and dog, play some games, chat on WeChat... it feels really good.

As noon approached, Jiang Feng said to Sun Zhuangfei, "Let’s have sticky rice for lunch, you and me."

Sun Zhuangfei was naturally pleased and nodded. "Boss, that would be great."

Sun Zhuangfei walked to the counter, took out a small bowl, lifted the lid of the steamer, and shoveled the steamed sticky rice into the bowl, pressing it down flat with the ladle.

After flattening the sticky rice, he added crushed fried dough sticks, scooped a large spoonful of minced meat soup over it, and then sprinkled it with chopped green onions and dried shrimp.

With that, a bowl of sticky rice was ready.

Sun Zhuangfei passed the bowl of rice to Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng picked up his chopsticks and mixed the sticky rice and meat soup evenly.

This kind of sticky rice, unlike a typical rice combo set, was distinguished by its satisfyingly chewy texture.

Some people like sweet sticky rice, and Wenzhou does offer sweet versions.

But the authentic version was the sticky rice with meat soup.

The minced meat was thoroughly mixed into the rice, with dried shrimp and green onions scattered throughout.

After mixing the rice well, Jiang Feng picked up the bowl and took a couple of large mouthfuls.

His mouth filled with the flavor of the meat soup and minced meat.

He ate heartily, the translucent sticky rice continuously breaking down in his mouth, bringing an extraordinary sense of satisfaction.

Eating Wenzhou sticky rice was a very pleasant experience.

In fact, Jiang Feng was not only a chef but also a gourmet.

He enjoyed trying different foods, through which he could sense the culture of a city.

The lean meatballs were one example, and the sticky rice was no different.

A bowl of sticky rice was very filling. He followed it with a bottle of mineral water and a few bites of side dishes.

The initial feeling of hunger vanished, leaving only a sense of contentment.

Actually, in Wenzhou, sticky rice is often what locals eat for breakfast.

In other places, people rarely have rice drenched in meat soup for breakfast, but the locals here enjoy it in the morning.

Eating it in the morning left them feeling energized for the entire day.

Nearby, Sun Zhuangfei was devouring his meal, head down. He ate quickly, his cheeks bulging, chewing rapidly as if he hadn’t eaten in a long time.

In reality, it was because the minced meat mixed with sticky rice was too fragrant; once he started eating, he couldn’t stop.

Following Jiang Feng, he certainly never went hungry.

Not long after, a few more customers arrived.

They ordered a bowl of sticky rice and couldn’t stop eating once they started.

The group was quite amazed.

"Is Wenzhou sticky rice really this tasty? This is incredibly delicious!"

"It’s so good! How is it made? If it’s this delicious, shouldn’t it be available nationwide?"

"It’s so aromatic!"

These few customers had never tasted sticky rice before, so they assumed all sticky rice was inherently this delicious.

Later, when they tried sticky rice from other places, they never found that same taste again.

Only then did they realize that the sticky rice from this particular stall was uniquely exquisite.

This little food stall among the windmills became a part of their memories.

Once the customers finished their meals, they left one after another.

Jiang Feng felt it was about time, so he told Sun Zhuangfei to pack up.

That was enough for the day.

The two of them put away the tables and chairs, cleaned up the trash, and secured the side dishes on the table.

When everything was packed up, Jiang Feng started the car and drove down the mountain.

Setting up the stall today had been unusually relaxed, almost like a pleasant outing.

Jiang Feng wasn’t aware that at this very moment, many people were still tirelessly searching for him.

Meanwhile, in Eastern Shandong, people were inquiring daily on the Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant’s official account.

"Where has your boss gone to set up his stall?"

"Where is Boss Jiang? Send us his coordinates!"

Facing these inquiries, the official Jiangyue Terrace account could only reply, "We really don’t know where the boss went. We’re looking for him too!"

Seeing such replies, netizens sensed the Shandong Cuisine Restaurant’s exasperation and found the situation highly amusing.

In Hangzhou, the quest to find Jiang Feng was once again underway.

These streamers were truly treating the search for Jiang Feng as a career move.

After all, it was a way to ride the wave of his popularity, so why not?

Streamer Fang Hui directly tagged Amazing Detective Di Renjie in his fan group, asking, "Hey fellow fan, can you analyze Boss Jiang’s current whereabouts? I want to go find him."

Others in the group chimed in, "Master Di Renjie, please analyze where Boss Jiang might have gone."

"Is he setting up his stall in some suburban area?"

"It’s been several days! Why is there absolutely no news about Boss Jiang?"

The netizen nicknamed ’Detective Di Renjie’ saw the messages in the group chat. After a moment of thought, he offered his analysis: "Personally, I think Boss Jiang might no longer be in Hangzhou."

Upon hearing his words, the netizens in the group were taken aback.

"No longer in Hangzhou? Didn’t he just sell West Lake Sour Fish by West Lake?"

"Yeah, he was a hot search topic not long ago; even the state media had publicly praised him!"

"Has he gone somewhere else?"

Seeing the replies in the group, Amazing Detective Di Renjie added, "I just have a feeling. Given Boss Jiang’s current popularity, if he were to set up a stall in Hangzhou, he’d definitely be recognized. Since the locals all know him, it would be hard for him to stay hidden. Either he’s not setting up a stall, or he’s gone to another city."

Streamer Fang Hui also saw Di Renjie’s reply.

He sighed. If that’s the case, finding Boss Jiang will be quite difficult, he thought.

So, Fang Hui posted in the group again, hoping everyone would monitor online activity and report any sign of Jiang Feng immediately.

The group members responded:

"Don’t worry, as soon as we spot Boss Jiang, we’ll definitely notify everyone at once!"

"Where on earth has he gone?"

"I really want to put a tracker on him."

"Great idea! I have a thought. Next time we find Boss Jiang’s stall, we could secretly place a tracker on his food truck..."

"You’re a little genius!"

The group chatted lively.

The ’Find Jiang Feng’ squad officially mobilized.

The Hangzhou streamers formed the core of this squad, searching with utmost diligence, while other netizens acted as loyal sidekicks, scouting for any news of Jiang Feng.

Everyone had already figured out Jiang Feng’s pattern of setting up his stall, knowing that he would definitely be operating during this period.

Consequently, everyone’s enthusiasm was high.

That evening, Jiang Feng was resting at home.

Suddenly, Sun Zhuangfei sent him a WeChat message: "Boss, lots of streamers in Hangzhou are looking for you, and many netizens too. There are quite a number of them."

Seeing Sun Zhuangfei’s message, Jiang Feng felt a sense of resignation. He had been mentally prepared for this, so he wasn’t particularly bothered.

"Alright, I got it. Let them be," Jiang Feng responded.

"Okay, boss," Sun Zhuangfei replied swiftly.

Jiang Feng put down his phone, still finding the situation rather absurd. I’m just setting up a stall, and it’s like I’m a wanted fugitive. A nationwide manhunt, no less. People clearly have too much time on their hands. It’s truly a case of ’I flee, they chase, I can’t escape even if I grew wings.’ Who would’ve thought that just by cooking, I’d have so many netizens searching for me?

However, Jiang Feng always had a good attitude.

This time, his stall was at the wind farm.

Ordinarily, a place like this would only attract tourists on self-driving trips to Wenzhou. On weekends, more locals might visit for a countryside outing.

With fewer people around, information wouldn’t spread so quickly.

Therefore, Jiang Feng didn’t concern himself with it much anymore.

The next day, Jiang Feng set up his stall at the wind farm as usual. The day’s offerings were still lean meatballs and Wenzhou sticky rice. These two snacks were perfectly suited for a stall—easy to prepare and delicious.

There weren’t many people around, mostly visitors who came to enjoy the sights and take photos. After all, this was considered a niche ’check-in’ spot. This was exactly the kind of low-key atmosphere Jiang Feng desired.

I initially thought setting up a stall here was rather desolate, but now... it’s surprisingly great!

Soon, customers started coming over to buy snacks.

The situation was similar to the previous day.

A curious customer asked, "Boss, why did you choose this particular spot for your stall? Setting up a stall beneath a wind farm is certainly unusual."

Jiang Feng would reply with a smile, "I’m here to enjoy the scenery and breathe in some fresh air."

The customer nodded. "The scenery here is indeed lovely, especially in autumn. When the reeds grow tall, the view becomes even more beautiful."

Jiang Feng responded, "It’s quite nice now as well."

The customer bought a serving of Wenzhou sticky rice and sat down to eat.

While eating, he too was amazed by Jiang Feng’s culinary skills.

This bowl of sticky rice had an incredibly rich broth, and the minced meat was especially fragrant.

He couldn’t help but praise it, saying the sticky rice tasted wonderful.

The customer was unaware of Jiang Feng’s identity and thought he was just an ordinary stall owner.

Praise given under these circumstances, without knowing his true identity, was the most genuine.

As a chef, Jiang Feng was happy to see the customer’s reaction.