Cooking System: Street Food Rules
Chapter 86: Orthopedic Patients Run Away En Masse?!

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Orthopedic Patients Run Away En Masse?!

"This stinky tofu is really delicious!" Shi Meng’s wife was increasingly surprised.

"You eat this piece of tofu; I’ll drink all the soup." Shi Meng ate with great enjoyment, his gaze fixed on the soup in the bowl.

The broth was very rich, filled with cilantro, pickled long beans, chopped green onions, and the garlic chili sauce that oozed from the tofu. Mixed together, these seasonings were undeniably delicious.

After Shi Meng’s wife ate the last piece of stinky tofu, Shi Meng picked up the bowl and drank all the soup in one go. He seemed to have forgotten he was still a patient.

"Ah, that’s so satisfying." After drinking the soup, Shi Meng let out a long sigh of relief.

"I think you’re just hungry; you haven’t been eating well these past few days."

"It was these snacks that finally whetted my appetite."

His wife cleaned up the trash, wiped her mouth, and looked at him. "How do you feel now?"

Only then did Shi Meng realize that his nose, freshly operated on, was still sore.

"It wasn’t bothering me until you mentioned it, and now it hurts again."

"I was so engrossed in eating the grilled cold noodles and stinky tofu, I forgot about the pain."

He lay down on the bed to rest. These snacks were more effective than medicine, at least psychologically. After eating them, he felt his whole body become more comfortable.

Such cases weren’t limited to Shi Meng’s hospital room.

「Orthopedic ward.」

Most of the patients here had leg or arm fractures. Some had just undergone steel plate fixation and needed rest. Others were so severely injured they required wheelchairs, while some were hospitalized for head injuries under observation. They all wore plaster casts and bandages. The orthopedic department of 322 Hospital was one of the best, so many patients sought treatment here.

Xu Shan was a patient in the orthopedic department. His situation was relatively mild: a fractured left arm, bandaged and cast, while the rest of his body was fine. He wanted to take a walk, so he asked the nurse on duty for permission to stroll around the area near the inpatient department. The nurse naturally agreed. The hospitalized patients all wore hospital gowns and identification wristbands, so there was no worry about them wandering off.

As Xu Shan strolled through the hospital courtyard, he saw two people ahead enjoying stinky tofu, their faces gleaming with grease, an unmistakable expression of pleasure. Their way of eating was irresistibly tempting. The enjoyment of delicious food is easily contagious. Seeing someone relishing their food so much usually makes most people instinctively salivate. It was uncontrollable, and Xu Shan felt a craving too.

The man and woman were chatting as they ate:

"Super tasty! This stinky tofu stand is really impressive!"

"I think so too. The soup is delicious as well."

"Let’s go get another bowl; it’s not far."

"Let’s go!"

Watching them leave, Xu Shan followed suit. When he was leaving through the gate, the security guard asked where he was going. He replied that he was going out to buy some stinky tofu. The security guard didn’t stop him. The hospital’s inpatient department didn’t restrict patients; they were free to go wherever they wanted, as long as they informed someone they were leaving.

Xu Shan followed the pair, and before long, he spotted Jiang Feng’s food truck—a brand new mobile food truck. The truck had a window open on its side, revealing a griddle and a deep fryer, with a young vendor busy inside. About three or four people were waiting around. Xu Shan’s mouth felt a bit bland, and he wanted something to eat. He immediately headed towards the food truck.

One by one, customers received their purchases and left. Soon, Xu Shan arrived at Jiang Feng’s food truck. With one arm bandaged and cast, it wasn’t convenient for Xu Shan to eat while standing, so he planned to take the food back to his ward. In the ward, there were three other patients. They had all been getting along well these past few days, and it didn’t feel right for him to enjoy something that cost just a few yuan by himself.

"Boss, give me four servings of stinky tofu," Xu Shan said immediately.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Jiang Feng saw Xu Shan in his hospital gown, arm in a bandage, but his expression didn’t change much. He just found it unusual. A patient out buying snacks?

He took stinky tofu from a bag and fried it in oil, repeating the familiar steps. Finally, he placed the tofu, filled with garlic chili sauce, into a bowl and poured in a ladle of the delicious original broth. A bowl of stinky tofu was ready.

"I’ve poured a little less soup for you, so you don’t spill it while carrying it," Jiang Feng reminded him.

"Right, thank you."

After Jiang Feng finished preparing four servings of stinky tofu, he handed them to Xu Shan. Xu Shan paid by scanning a code with his phone and left with the bag.

He quickly returned to his own ward. In the ward, two men had leg fractures. They lay in their hospital beds, their plastered shins propped on stands, a rather comical sight. Another man had a minor skull fracture, nothing too serious, his head wrapped in bandages.

"I just stepped out for a bit. There’s a new stall outside selling stinky tofu and grilled cold noodles."

"Business seemed good, so I bought four bowls for us to try."

Xu Shan placed the stinky tofu on the bedside tables.

"Thanks a lot!"

"You’re too kind!"

"It’s lucky you can move around freely. We even struggle to go to the bathroom."

After the trio received their stinky tofu, they expressed their thanks. Then, they adjusted their positions and started to eat the stinky tofu with toothpicks.

The moment the stinky tofu touched their lips, their entire experience was instantly transformed.

"Huh?"

The first bite: This is tastier than I imagined.

The second bite: Holy moly, this is too delicious!

The third bite: Is stinky tofu supposed to taste like this? So fragrant? So flavorful?

The stinky tofu they usually ate only had sauce on the surface; the inside was bland, creating an unsatisfying contrast. But Jiang Feng not only stuffed garlic and chili sauce inside the stinky tofu but also added broth, allowing the tofu to soak it all up. This experience was completely different. Every bit of the tofu was filled with aroma. Even the broth that oozed out was fragrant.

"This stinky tofu is really tasty!"

"Indeed! I don’t usually eat it much, but I didn’t expect this to be so delicious!"

"Yeah, it’s good!"

The four of them ate with great satisfaction. The three lying down wanted more, but since it was a gift from Xu Shan, they felt embarrassed to ask.

As it happened, today was Xu Shan’s discharge day. He tidied up his things, preparing to leave around noon. He only had a broken arm and could convalesce at home, so there was no need to spend more money staying in the hospital. Before long, Xu Shan’s family arrived. After packing up, they said goodbye to the other three and left.

After Xu Shan left, the three remaining in the room were silent for a moment.

"Shall we go out for a walk? It’s not great always being in the room."

"Getting some sunshine helps absorb calcium, which is good for bone recovery."

"And while we’re at it, let’s stroll outside. Isn’t that food truck just outside the hospital? We can buy something."

The three immediately agreed to the plan.

Then, the two with broken legs hobbled on crutches, accompanied by the man with a bandaged head from his skull fracture, as they laboriously made their way out of the ward. The orthopedic department housed many patients, but nurses were few. They couldn’t provide one-on-one care, so everyone largely looked after themselves. The three told the nurse they were going out for a walk.

The nurse was also taken aback. Good grief, these three usually don’t move around much. Why are they suddenly up for sunbathing today?

The hospital generally approved such requests, so the nurse simply told them not to wander too far and to stay within the hospital grounds.

As the three were going downstairs, they ran into a fellow patient with his arm in a bandage. This man lived in the room across from them. Not liking his own room, he often came over to theirs to chat, so they were on fairly good terms.

"Where are you three off to, all coming out like this?" the patient with the bandaged arm asked curiously.

"Just going for a walk, and also to buy some snacks," one of them replied.

"Buy snacks? Why not wait for your families to come tonight?" the man added.

During the day, their family members had work commitments; it was usually only in the evening that relatives came to care for them.

"We’re worried the food truck might leave. You have no idea how delicious that stinky tofu is."

"Besides, soaking up some sun and moving around helps with recovery."

"Are you coming with us?" one of them asked.

"If you’re all going, then I’m definitely in!"

"Let’s go!"

All four entered the elevator together. Some people visiting the inpatient department found this scene quite curious. Four patients walking together—two with plastered legs, using crutches; one with a head bandage; and another with a plastered, bandaged arm. They looked like the pilgrims from *Journey to the West* after being completely wiped out.

The four moved slowly towards the exit of the inpatient department, drawing many stares.

Passersby wondered:

"What’s with those patients? Why are they wrapped in bandages and heading out?"

"What are they doing?"

"They’re probably looking for a sunny spot to discuss their conditions."

"They’re just out for a walk; isn’t that normal?"

When the four reached the main entrance of the inpatient department, the security guard was baffled. What’s going on? Are the orthopedic patients staging a mass escape?

"Hold on, where are you going?" the security guard hurried out to ask.

"We’re just going over there to buy stinky tofu. We’ll come back once we’re done."

"Just stepping out to get something, we’ll be right back!" the patients replied immediately.

Hearing their response, the security guard finally understood, though he still found it odd. He had, however, seen many people eating stinky tofu before, and they all looked very happy. It seemed this stinky tofu was indeed delicious.

"Alright, go ahead, but be careful," the security guard kindly advised.

The four headed out and soon saw Jiang Feng’s food truck. At that time, Jiang Feng was preparing to close up shop. He had already completed his main tasks but wanted to sell a bit longer, ideally until all the tofu was gone. That way, he could start with fresh tofu the next day. Otherwise, leftover tofu would be problematic, as its taste would change by the next day.

Just then, Jiang Feng saw four patients staggering towards his stall. He was quite astonished.

My goodness, what’s with these guys? They can come out in that condition?