"Hiss! This duck blood is so spicy, so delicious! The spicier, the more I want to eat!"

"Oh my! This Gannan stir-fried fish is too delicious, isn't it? But there are a lot of bones, ouch!"

"The steamed silverfish with egg is so delicious it makes you want to cry! So fresh! So smooth!"

"..."

Lu Shuwu is a big foodie. When he tastes food, he is used to savoring it slowly, indulging in the sensation of wonderful flavors dancing on his taste buds.

For him, it's a rare enjoyment.

So, by the time he finished savoring this small spoonful of Lotus Duck Blood, quite a while had passed.

He smacked his lips, feeling a bit unsatisfied, and was about to scoop another spoonful when he was shocked to find that the dishes on the table were already empty. Where was any Lotus Duck Blood?

"This..."

Lu Shuwu looked shocked, glanced around, and found that except for Jiang Yu, everyone else was eating with oil dripping down their mouths, looking satisfied. Hu Zhihai even licked his lips sneakily!

What kind of gang of bandits is this?!

I only had a taste of the Lotus Duck Blood, and in the blink of an eye, not only was the Lotus Duck Blood gone, but the Gannan stir-fried fish and steamed silverfish with egg were all gone too!

What made him even angrier was that out of so many dishes on the table, only these three dishes were empty, and the bandit pork liver, sour cabbage sautéed with tapioca, farmhouse stir-fried meat, and mushroom meat slice soup he made still had so much left!

What does this mean? Are they saying my dishes aren't tasty?!

Angry, trembling, and cold!

"Boss Xiao Jiang, the buns should be ready by now. Let me bring them out for everyone to taste!"

Ma Guoqiang was truly satisfied today. After tasting the dishes Jiang Yu made, he was even more convinced he came to the right place.

Forget about salaries. Even without pay, as long as he could eat such delicious food every day, he would be willing to stay and work!

Ma Guoqiang is in his fifties, his wife is a primary school teacher, and their only son got a job in a multinational company. Life is already carefree for them; he is looking for work just because he can't sit still.

"Alright, thank you, Master Ma, be careful opening the box and don't burn yourself."

Jiang Yu smiled at him, and then turned his head to Hu Zhihai, saying,

"Zhihai, go along with Master Ma and bring out the rice powder meat in the second layer steamer. Remember to sprinkle some green onions on top when you bring it out, I've already chopped them."

"There's rice powder meat? You should've said earlier!"

Hu Zhihai's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he quickly got up from his seat and headed to the kitchen with Ma Guoqiang.

"Is everyone still hungry? Don't worry, the buns will be here soon. There are meat buns and vegetable buns, all made by Master Ma and Master He."

After those two left, Jiang Yu called out to everyone, smiling as he said,

"These are specialty Xiang Cuisine dishes made by Brother Xiao Wu. Many people might not have heard of them before.

This is bandit pork liver, one of the most representative dishes from the 'bandit food' culture that appeared in Xiangxi in the last century, and here is farmhouse stir-fried meat, sour cabbage sautéed with tapioca...

Come on, everyone, don't be shy, try the flavors!"

With Jiang Yu's introduction, everyone who lost interest after one bite picked up their chopsticks, very reservedly took a few bites, and started tasting slowly, nodding in praise:

"Brother Xiao Wu, your stir-fried meat is also very delicious, spicy and chewy!"

"It's actually my first time eating sour cabbage sautéed with tapioca. It's appetizingly spicy and sour, feels very palatable with rice!"

"This pork liver is also good, so spicy it's bold, no wonder it's called bandit pork liver!"

"..."

Listening to these seemingly genuine compliments, Lu Shuwu's smile felt stiff, and his heart felt hollow and empty:

Listen, listen! Is this even human language?

What does "also" delicious mean? It's obviously saying that I'm not as good as Jiang Yu, isn't it?

Who do you think you're looking down on!

Sure, my culinary skills might not be as good as his, but the dishes I make weren't that unbearable, were they?

With my level, aren't my dishes way better than those made by the chefs at the First and Second Dining Hall, where normally you'd have to spend a lot to eat them at fancy restaurants?

Eat it if you want or leave it if you don't!

Lu Shuwu felt so wronged.

Today, he was quite happy, thinking he could taste more because the boss personally made four dishes, but who knew he would run into a bunch of bandits, and just as he tasted one bite, the dish was gone.

The Gannan stir-fried fish and the steamed silverfish with egg, those two dishes he really only smelled!

"I'm older than you, can I call you Xiao Wu?"

He Chunxiao, who was more attentive, saw Lu Shuwu sitting beside her looking gloomy, felt she should say something, and smiled as she said,

"Xiao Wu, the dishes you made are really quite delicious. My grandma's house is over in Tanzhou, so our family really loves Xiang Cuisine.

Honestly, your dishes are even better than my mom's, and I definitely can't compete. If you have time, could you teach me how to make them?

If I could make dishes like these, my mom would definitely be surprised."

When He Chunxiao said this, her tone was sincere, and her expression was genuine, clearly straight from the heart.

Lu Shuwu felt much better inside; that's more like it. My cooking skills aren't as good as the boss's but are definitely stronger than the average chef's. Otherwise, why would this sister ask me for guidance?

He cleared his throat and smiled bashfully, saying:

"Sister Chunxiao, you're too kind. There's no need for teaching, I'm no master chef. Later, we can just exchange some ideas."

"It's settled then!" He Chunxiao smiled slightly.

The two hadn't chatted for long when Ma Guoqiang came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of steaming buns and mantou. From a distance, the unique aroma of meat buns wafted over.

Following behind him, Hu Zhihai also came out with a large bowl filled with glistening, scallion-garnished pork braised in rice flour, looking tempting under the light.

Everyone at the table turned to look, their eyes filled with desire...

Ma Guoqiang was quite pleased at this moment. To be honest, he was indeed skilled at making buns and mantou, especially the fresh meat buns; his filling was unmatched in flavor, and everyone who had tasted them loved them.

Look at them now; smelling the aroma of the buns, aren't they all eagerly watching?

Working under someone as skilled as Boss Jiang, one surely had to have real skills; otherwise, how embarrassing would that be?

With a big smile, he walked to the table, set down the tray, and cheerfully said:

"Come, come, buns and mantou should be eaten while they're hot, don't be shy, everyone come and try!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone "whooshed" up, grabbed their chopsticks, and gathered around, not keeping quiet:

"Hey, hey, don't grab, Senior Brother Jiang is still here!"

"Whoa! You're too much, using a bowl!?"

"Save some for me, I haven't even tried any yet!"

"..."

This scene startled Ma Guoqiang, and he quickly took two steps back, wondering since when were the buns and mantou he and Xiaohu made so popular that people had to fight over them?

This, this doesn't make sense!

Before he could figure it out, it seemed the "food grabbing" had ended, and everyone, slightly unsatisfied, returned to their seats.

Focusing his eyes, Ma Guoqiang was shocked! The buns and mantou he brought were untouched, still piling high on the tray!

But the large bowl of pork braised in rice flour Hu Zhihai brought back was...

Where's the pork braised in rice flour?

Even a small piece of potato dropped on the table during the struggle was picked up and eaten by Hu Zhihai!

"Master Ma, Master He, these meat buns are really good!"

Ma Guoqiang was a bit dazed when suddenly he heard Jiang Yu speak. Holding a big meat bun with a satisfied look on his face, after taking a bite, he continued,

"The meat buns, with their fluffy and soft outer skin that doesn't leak oil, and tender, juicy filling with a rich scallion flavor, taste really excellent."

Saying this, he turned to the others with a smile and urged,

"I've already said, don't be shy, you all try it, these buns are best while they're hot!"

Only then did the others start moving, picking up buns or mantou to eat. After trying a bite, they couldn't help but raise their thumbs in praise:

"These meat buns do taste great, much better than those in the First Dining Hall!"

"Those things at the First Dining Hall they call buns? Thick skin and little filling, might as well eat mantou!"

"Wow! This is the spicy tofu bun, so fragrant, spicy, and tender, it's delicious!"

"I got the shiitake mushroom and greens bun, the juice flows out as soon as you bite into it, it smells great!"

"..."

Initially a bit embarrassed, Ma Guoqiang and He Chunxiao couldn't help but exchange a relieved glance after hearing everyone's praises.

Phew, everyone is giving face!

If anyone had criticized their buns right there, especially with the boss present, it would've been really awkward.

…

That meal lasted until one in the afternoon, with everyone eating a bit too much.

The dishes Jiang Yu made were gone in an instant as soon as they came out, and even the sauce at the bottom of the plates was mopped up with mantou by Hu Zhihai.

As for Lu Shuwu's three dishes and one soup, only half of the bandit liver was left, while the farmhouse stir-fried pork and sauerkraut fried noodles were devoured by the part-time students with one bun, one bite of dish.

This made Lu Shuwu feel much better, that's right, how could no one eat the dishes he made?

After the meal, the part-time students rested for a bit in the hall and then proactively began cleaning up, washing dishes, wiping tables, mopping floors—busy and happy.

Having enjoyed such a meal made the part-time students cherish this hard-earned job even more, afraid that failing to perform could get them dismissed, with no place to even cry about it.

While the students were busy cleaning, Jiang Yu had a conversation with Ma Guoqiang and He Chunxiao about salary, daily work, and other issues.

Both of them were already interested in working at the canteen, and after witnessing Jiang Yu's culinary skills, their decision became even firmer. Therefore, the conversation went smoothly, and soon both signed their names on the contract.

After signing the contracts, Ma Guoqiang and He Chunxiao went back to prepare.

Seeing off the two pastry chefs, Jiang Yu took a short break, then called over Lu Shuwu, and the two went back to the kitchen to get busy again.

According to the previously set menu, they needed to prepare some marinated dishes and cold dishes in advance; otherwise, with buns and porridge to make in the morning, they would surely run out of time.

Though today wasn't the opening day, the two would surely be busy until very late.

Because tomorrow, the Seventh Dining Hall would officially open.

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