Cooking System: Street Food Rules
Chapter 39 Picked up a business deal from the temple!

Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Picked up a business deal from the temple!

Jiang Feng served the egg fried rice to the monk and also gave him a bowl of corn pumpkin porridge.

It was around 8:30 AM. The prepared food ingredients were mostly sold out, and the task was successfully completed.

The monk was about to eat his fried rice when a nearby customer asked,

"Master, are you able to leave the monastery on normal days?"

"I have a friend’s child who wants to become a monk, and I just wanted to inquire about the situation in the temple."

Hearing the customer’s question, the monk replied,

"Day-to-day work in the monastery can be quite exhausting. Sweeping, washing dishes, serving meals, cleaning the hall, offering incense, water offerings, morning and evening classes, distributing and receiving scriptures—all these tasks need to be done.

"You also have to memorize scriptures; you must know them by heart.

"Different monasteries have different rules and different positions.

"Entering a monastery is easy, but becoming ordained is difficult. Some monks shave their heads for six or seven years without ever taking the precepts."

Hearing this, the customer beside him became even more interested.

Jiang Feng, listening to their conversation, also found it interesting. All sorts of customers came by, and from their conversations, one could learn about things not usually encountered in everyday life.

"Then, Master, what is your position in the monastery?" the customer asked again.

The monk replied with a smile, "Strictly speaking, I’m not a monk. I’m in charge of the monastery’s logistical procurement, working in cooperation with the monastery. To avoid standing out too much, I dress like this. I’m responsible for ensuring the monastery’s food supply, delivering water, vegetables, and such."

Everyone understood upon hearing his explanation. It turned out he was not an actual monk.

"Master, the internet says that modern monasteries require a bachelor’s degree from a top 985 university as a minimum for recruitment, and the monthly salary is twenty to thirty thousand. Is that true?"

"A salary that high?" the man asked again.

Upon hearing this, the monk laughed helplessly and replied,

"That’s all false; at least I’ve never heard of such a thing.

"To become a monk, there are a few conditions: first, the temple must be accepting disciples; second, your family must agree; third, you must be single and free from any illness; and you also must not have any debts.

"Once you’re willing to work hard and memorize scriptures, that’s enough.

"If it were really as good as what’s rumored, then the number of applicants would outnumber the pilgrims. Have you ever seen a temple with that many job seekers?"

Hearing him, the customers all nodded in agreement.

Actually, the monks in the temple work hard, as do the Taoists in Taoist temples. However, online information is a mix of truth and falsehood, leaving most people with only a partial understanding.

The monk’s name was Li Xiangfo. Believing he had a connection with Buddha, he had changed his name to it. Later, he started a fruit and vegetable business, which led to a relationship with the monastery on Fengqi Mountain, where he eventually took charge of logistical support. Over time, he acquired a monk’s robe and shaved his head, donning this attire every time he went up the mountain. He particularly enjoyed this feeling.

Li Xiangfo didn’t say much more. He picked up his chopsticks and took a mouthful of the egg fried rice.

The presentation of this egg fried rice was excellent. At least, it was the best-looking plate of fried rice Li Xiangfo had ever seen. The egg fried rice glistened, each grain of rice shiny and perfectly oiled.

Li Xiangfo handled logistics and interacted with many chefs. He was also a foodie, so he had a keen interest in gourmet food.

He took a bite of the fried rice.

The flavors of egg and ham were most prominent, followed by the fragrance of green onions and rice that spread through his mouth. Li Xiangfo felt as if he were engulfed in a warm spring breeze, his whole body feeling lighter.

This is so delicious!

The ingredients are so simple, yet they create such a wonderfully delightful dish. Eating this is truly a pleasure!

The eggs were incredibly smooth, melting in the mouth. The rice was satisfyingly firm and chewy. The fragrance of green onions was enticing, a true delight to the taste buds. The ham was perfectly springy, offering a light bounce against the teeth. Every bite was uniquely satisfying.

"It’s so delicious!" Li Xiangfo’s eyes lit up.

The temple’s vegetarian meals were rather bland. Although his heart inclined towards Buddhism, he still enjoyed delicious food from the outside world. Eating such fried rice now was a rare treat.

Li Xiangfo’s appetite surged. He picked up his bowl and began to wolf down the egg fried rice swiftly. The savory fried rice filled his stomach, making him feel even more comfortable. He didn’t stop until he had polished off the entire plate.

Setting down the plate, he sighed with deep contentment, an indescribable feeling of comfort.

Then, Li Xiangfo tasted the corn pumpkin porridge. It was sweet and rich, the flavor of the corn fully released. Drinking it was also very satisfying. He finished the corn pumpkin porridge as well.

"Boss, your cooking skills are amazing," Li Xiangfo looked at Jiang Feng and inquired. "Do you have a permanent stall here? Can I place a few orders with you?"

Orders? Jiang Feng was curious.

"Yes," Li Xiangfo explained. "The temple’s breakfasts are usually supplied from down the mountain. Sometimes it’s porridge with pickles and steamed buns, and sometimes there are other types of buns.

"Of course, they can only be vegetarian buns.

"The owner of the bun shop I usually order from recently returned to his hometown, so I’ve been wondering what to do these past few days.

"Regardless, I have to get the logistical support sorted out."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng nodded in agreement, saying, "Of course, no problem. Since I’m setting up a stall here, I’m here to do business. Coincidentally, the customer flow here isn’t heavy, so I have the time."

"That’s great," Li Xiangfo immediately smiled upon hearing him say that. "Then I’ll order sixty vegetarian buns and thirty steamed buns, to be picked up around 6:10 in the morning. Is that a problem?"

Fengqi Mountain was a natural scenic spot. Although tourists came to watch the sunrise or hike, their numbers weren’t very large. Especially on weekdays, the number of tourists was even fewer. Therefore, business wasn’t that great. Taking care of the temple’s business would, of course, be best. This would make completing the daily stall tasks much easier.

Jiang Feng replied, "No problem, I’ll be there on time."

Li Xiangfo then added, "Make sure to avoid any meat or fish. The monks at the temple will be able to smell it, and I’ll check beforehand as well."

Jiang Feng nodded. "Don’t worry, I understand. Even if I use oil, it will definitely be vegetable oil."

Then, Jiang Feng asked, "Can monks eat eggs? Are eggs considered vegetarian or meat?"

Hearing Jiang Feng’s question, Li Xiangfo’s face suddenly took on a devout expression as he said, "The Great Storage of Scriptures states, ’All that are born from eggs should not be eaten, for they all contain the seed of life. Anything that possesses consciousness is unsuitable for consumption. Even if something lacks consciousness, it may still possess life force. Vegetarians must not eat chicken eggs. As they possess life force, even those seemingly without it are not to be eaten.’"

"Alright, I get it. So they can’t eat eggs," Jiang Feng waved his hand and replied.

Li Xiangfo continued, "And things like onions, ginger, and garlic are also not allowed. I’ll send you a list of prohibited items later. See if you can manage with those restrictions."

"No problem."

"Boss, then I’ll head up the mountain now."

"Okay."

Li Xiangfo bowed and then turned and left.

Customers continually approached the small stall, and Jiang Feng busied himself serving them.

「At the same time.」

Shuize Resort Happy Ranch.

Zhang Xinya was lying on the couch scrolling through videos when she suddenly came across comments about Jiang Feng, which made her sit up. She saw a comment with a photo, and the picture unmistakably showed Jiang Feng’s food truck.

Zhang Xinya also read the comment’s details: "Location: Fengqi Mountain, selling meat buns and egg fried rice at a stall."

She was a bit confused. Why has this boss run off to the suburbs to sell meat buns?

Although Shuize Resort was also in the suburbs, it at least had many people and a large flow of customers. The number of tourists at Fengqi Mountain was much lower.

Zhang Xinya immediately went to find her dad, Zhang Dashan.

"Dad, I know where that braised meat stall owner is."

Zhang Dashan was playing with his sheepdog, occasionally glancing at the flock of sheep grazing in the distance. Hearing Zhang Xinya’s words, he suddenly stood up.

"Where?"

"At Fengqi Mountain. But he’s selling meat buns and egg fried rice at a stall, not braised meat anymore."

"Ah? He’s changed his line of business?"

"Yeah, someone posted his photo."

"Fengqi Mountain isn’t far, just a half-hour drive. Let’s go check it out tomorrow. That boss’s braised meat was delicious; we should try his breakfast too."

"Okay, I’ll see if I can get up early enough."

The two chatted casually. As they talked, they again thought about the braised meat Jiang Feng had made. Whether it was the fragrant or the spicy braised meat, the taste was outstanding. Now that he had suddenly changed his business, they wondered what his breakfasts would taste like.

There were quite a few people who thought like them. However, a large portion still sought his braised meat, as they hadn’t tried Jiang Feng’s breakfast and didn’t know how it would taste. Moreover, they believed that a chef couldn’t be so versatile, skilled at making anything. If he were, he’d really be a "Culinary God"!