On the second day of the New Year, it was typically rare for places to resume work; in Harbin, many businesses only opened after the Lantern Festival.

But this year things were different; everyone seemed to have a mutual understanding and started opening for business early.

Wang Fan noticed that many of the ingredients that were originally grayed out in the System Mall were now available for purchase.

Even the snack stalls next to Wang Fan's stall had many people opening for business.

Ma Weiliang, known as Little Brother Ma, set up his stall and went straight to Wang Fan's RV, smiling as he said, "Boss Wang, Happy New Year! Got any good food today?"

Wang Fan replied with a smile, "Happy New Year, Little Brother Ma. Today, I'm preparing some braised ribs and a variety of braised dishes."

Second Uncle curiously stuck his head out and asked, "Little Ma, why are you opening today? Didn't you say you'd come after the fifth day of the New Year?"

Ma Weiliang said, "I initially planned to come after the fifth, but my kid kept insisting that people from the South would be visiting around this time. Spoke so convincingly that I figured we couldn't refuse guests, so I came right after the New Year."

"Hey? Little Ma, you're in the same boat? It's similar for me—my daughter said the internet is full of posts about Southerners showing off their tickets, claiming they'd arrive these days. She just pushed my wife and me out the door in a rush! Hahaha."

Liu ManCang also joined, greeted the others, and joined the group chat.

"Boss Wang, Brother Wang, the event you hosted yesterday was quite spectacular. My daughter attended, you know. I even got to enjoy some of your braised dishes without paying last night. Haha."

Ma Weiliang looked puzzled at Liu ManCang and Wang Fan, "Event? An event on the first day of the New Year? Isn't your daughter just in junior high? What kind of activity did she join and get braised dishes?"

Liu ManCang chuckled, "Little Brother Ma, you didn't know? The internet is full of news about yesterday's event."

He then took out his phone to show Little Brother Ma and explained the backstory.

Little Brother Ma stomped his foot in frustration, "Oh, it's all my fault for drinking too much yesterday at noon; I missed it, such a great loss!"

Liu ManCang laughed uproariously, "Indeed, you missed out! Ever since my daughter returned yesterday, she's been eager to help in the kitchen, one moment washing vegetables and another washing dishes. It's as if she suddenly grew up. The braised dishes we brought home were delicious; that flavor was simply perfect. Just with those dishes, my wife and I polished off a bottle of Baijiu and had a good night's sleep without a hitch."

Second Uncle laughed at the compliment, although he modestly replied, "Just fooling around, really. Just randomly put something together, didn't expect so many people to turn up! Haha."

While listening to their chats, Wang Fan was already picking out ingredients from the System Mall.

"Pure pork ribs, slaughtered two hours ago. Price: 20 yuan per jin (over 100 jin costs 18 yuan per jin). Recommendation rating: 96."

"Pork spine bones, slaughtered two hours ago. Price: 10 yuan per jin (over 100 jin costs 8 yuan per jin). Recommendation rating: 96."

"Pork big bones, slaughtered two hours ago. Price: 12 yuan per jin (over 100 jin costs 10 yuan per jin). Recommendation rating: 96."

Wang Fan skipped the spine bones and ordered 200 jin each of pork shank, pure pork ribs, and big bones, then added 100 jin each of white radish, lotus root, and edamame from the vegetable section.

After ordering, he checked the system and noticed his level had quietly reached Level 28, and today was already the fourth day of the mission.

Looking at his sales records, Wang Fan couldn't help but chuckle wryly, marveling at the vastness and depth of Huaxia cuisine.

Including the first day's trial operation, he's only used pork shank, beef tendon, beef chuck bones, and pig ears for braised meat in four days. The comprehensive recipe for braised meats has so many types of meat that he estimates it would take a year, even if he changed it daily.

However, he didn't mind; he understood the saying "biting off more than you can chew." Plus, Second Uncle would eventually steer the braised meat business, focusing on mastering the pork and beef would suffice.

After placing the order, the goods were delivered in no time, and the stall owners finished their chat to start their work. Wang Fan and Second Uncle shut the RV door and began their preparations.

The pork ribs and big bones were pre-cut before delivery. They have a specialized bone-cutting machine that works fast and efficiently. If cut manually, it would waste a lot of time and make the RV shake like crazy, making passersby wonder what's happening inside.

The pure pork ribs are long strips of rib bones from the sides of the pig's spine, considered the most expensive part of the bones, perfect for soups, braised meat, or BBQ.

The big bones consist of thigh and calf bones, with plenty of meat attached. The big bones were cut in half; even a single hand could only hold one at a time, as they swell even more when heated.

Wang Fan first blanched the big bones, as they are more challenging to cook than pure ribs, thus prioritized for boiling.

Moreover, the abundant marrow in the big bones can enhance the umami of the braised broth.

Wang Fan blanched a portion merely for a demonstration and then stepped aside for Second Uncle to practice.

Second Uncle carried out the process meticulously, boiling three times until no froth emerged from the pot.

Wang Fan occasionally added input during crucial steps, reinforcing Second Uncle's memory.

"During the blanching step, adding cold water after boiling is called 'water smashing.' The goal is to lower the temperature and draw the blood from the braised meat and bones. If the temperature rises too quickly, the outside might cook while the inside remains raw, causing the blood to be sealed within the meat, making it taste peculiar."

A notebook was placed on the table beside Second Uncle, with a pen tucked behind his ear. Whenever Wang Fan spoke, Second Uncle would jot down notes. Having never attended school, he learned to write in the army under the guidance of their instructor.

The reason Wang Fan didn't write was primarily that Second Uncle found Wang Fan's writing too messy to decipher.

While not exceptionally pretty, Second Uncle's writing was neatly structured, making it legible to anyone, whereas Wang Fan's handwriting was the complete opposite as crooked as a misshapen fruit.

He wrote so frantically that upon reviewing his notes later, he'd struggle to recall the content.

As Second Uncle jokingly remarked, "If I dabbed ink onto a spider's leg and let it crawl, those marks would look better than your handwriting."

Wang Fan felt helpless about it, as it seems some are naturally gifted at writing, and some, like him, write like a spider crawling.

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