Cooking System: Street Food Rules
Chapter 96 Have you also heard my story?!

Chapter 96: Chapter 96 Have you also heard my story?!

Jiang Feng went to Liyuan Street early to check out the situation.

He arrived at the designated vending area and looked toward the back. Behind was an office building, each floor adorned with huge banners.

"#Bucks Gym, where men need strength#"

"#Tide Gym and Swimming#"

"#Fanghua Dance Studio#"

"#Piano Training#"

Only then did Jiang Feng realize that the area was populated mostly by fitness enthusiasts, and also by dance and music lovers. The entire block had a style similar to a technology park. In such a place, there was less of a sense of ordinary life, and more ambitious young people. It also attracted many people with a variety of interests and hobbies.

There was a fitness club called Tiger’s Gate, which had a few strong men specifically training for bodybuilding competitions, and they even accepted disciples with exceptional talent.

Jiang Feng wasn’t particularly interested in fitness. But people who worked out probably have a keen interest in barbecue. So, as long as he started his business, it would surely do well.

Jiang Feng also confirmed the location for his stand. Following the system’s instructions, he headed to a small shop. Some tables and chairs were laid out, with a barbecue grill set up inside. Only after stepping in did Jiang Feng learn that this barbecue stand had been in operation for a month and had just closed due to poor business. The owner was now looking to sell off the equipment to recoup some costs and then post a "Prime Location For Rent" notice to lease out the shop.

Jiang Feng immediately decided to rent it.

"Rent?" The owner was taken aback when he heard this. "How long?"

"A week?"

"Are you joking with me? Who rents a shop for just a week? What do you take me for?"

"I’ll pay the price of a month."

"Alright, let’s discuss it then."

"Including today, that’s a total of eight days. Keep all these things for me. They’re exactly what I need."

The barbecue stand owner took a good look at Jiang Feng, and he seemed genuine. After a chat, the owner suddenly remembered something.

"I knew you looked familiar!"

"You’re that popular stall owner, aren’t you?"

"The one with a long queue of customers!"

"You set up your stall for seven days before moving to a new location!"

"It’s you!"

The barbecue stand owner slapped his thigh in sudden realization. That made sense. He had been wondering who would rent a shop for only seven days, suspecting they might just want to resell the barbecue grill, fridge, pots, and pans. Now that he knew it was Jiang Feng, it all seemed reasonable.

"It seems you are indeed talking about me," Jiang Feng said with a smile.

They discussed the details of their collaboration. It was straightforward. Jiang Feng would rent all the equipment and manage the sales himself. After paying the rent, whatever he earned would be his. The shop was quite new, having been open only for a month.

"Why are you thinking of transferring it? It’s not that cold yet, and by rights, barbecue should still be popular," Jiang Feng asked curiously. "And you have indoor seating here."

Hao Fei, the forthright owner of the barbecue stall, replied, "I shouldn’t have opened a barbecue place here. Upstairs is full of fitness fanatics, and those trainers are very responsible, managing their students very strictly. They don’t eat high-fat, oily barbecue. Neither do those who dance or swim. Only those running the cat cafe and doing DIY crafts buy a little. Just relying on those, it’s hard to even cover the rent. The neighbors selling diet meals and chicken breast meat are doing very well. I find it odd, how can barbecue not sell better than a plate of green vegetables? Young people’s tastes are just too unique nowadays."

Hearing this, Jiang Feng nodded slightly. It seemed starting a stall here was more challenging than he had initially thought. But as long as there was some business, that would be fine.

"About how many orders do you get in a day?" Jiang Feng inquired.

"Somewhere around fifty to sixty orders."

"Good." Jiang Feng was relieved. Fifty to sixty was the number of orders. An order might be for two people, or possibly four or five. So, as long as the business picked up, completing the mission wouldn’t be a problem.

Jiang Feng talked with Hao Fei about hiring someone to handle the cash register and wash the dishes and plates, offering 2,500 for seven days.

After hearing Jiang Feng’s offer, Hao Fei immediately responded, "2,500? My wife can do it then. My wife will definitely do a good job. I need to find buyers for the barbecue grills during the day and can’t get away, but I can help at night."

The two struck an instant agreement.

Once everything was settled, Jiang Feng went to check on the barbecue grill and charcoal. The most important things for barbecue were, first, the ingredients, and second, the grilling technique. The method simply involves placing the meat over the fire. However, knowing the right charcoal temperature and how to grill for even heat distribution requires experience and skill. Sometimes, additional oil isn’t even needed. The meat’s own fat can render and give the meat a shiny sheen.

Jiang Feng officially took over the barbecue stand. This small, recently closed stall would begin a new Chapter under a new owner the next day.

「The next morning, around 11 a.m.」

After the ingredients Jiang Feng ordered arrived, he began to skewer them with Hao Fei’s wife. It’s always best to skewer the meat yourself; that’s the only way to be sure. Jiang Feng planned to start business at four in the afternoon. He had prepared all the common varieties seen on the market. Although Jiang Feng had only obtained recipes for four common types of barbecue, the methods were similar. He just needed to control the heat.

Time flew by in a flurry of activity. Hao Fei’s wife was a diligent worker, swift and decisive in her actions. This put Jiang Feng’s mind at ease, relieving him of any worries.

「Four o’clock in the afternoon.」

The barbecue grill was set up outside. There were also five or six tables around. It was only mid-September now, and the weather was still somewhat hot. Many people liked to gather together in the evening to drink beer and eat barbecue at the stands. But this place was indeed a bit unsuitable for a barbecue stall. In the evenings, everyone coming and going was either heading to the gym or to dance class, and these people rarely sat at the barbecue stand to eat and drink.

However, there were still orders. Jiang Feng saw that people had started to head towards the office building to work out. He immediately fired up the charcoal and placed lamb skewers on the grill, planning to cook ten skewers first. This was to let the aroma spread and attract customers.

The lamb Jiang Feng chose was fresh and consisted of alternating layers of fat and lean meat. This type of lamb skewer didn’t need too much oil, as its own fat would render out during grilling, and the skewer would become shiny and glistening with oil. The seasonings were simple: just salt, cumin, and chili powder.

He was confident in his skills. High-end lamb skewers often require only the simplest cooking methods. While there were also marinated lamb skewers or those coated with sauce available nowadays, Jiang Feng preferred the original flavor.

Each skewer of lamb was especially large, with alternating fat and lean meat. The charcoal he bought was of good quality, not prone to flaring up, and even if fat dripped down, it wouldn’t produce flames. Once the charcoal was hot enough, Jiang Feng placed the large lamb skewers on the grill and simply sprinkled some salt over them. Then, without needing to flip the skewers, he just waited. Jiang Feng held a torn piece of cardboard box as a fan in his hand. If he thought the heat from the charcoal wasn’t enough, he’d give it a few fans.

The underside of the lamb skewers, originally a raw mix of red and white, began to change under the high heat. The red lean meat started to turn golden brown and firm. The white fat rendered, oozing oil. This oil, like a hazy mist, clung to the surface of the lamb skewers. Oil has good heat resistance and can better absorb the heat from the charcoal fire. After absorbing the heat, it became a heat source itself, roasting the lamb. The ingredients underwent a wonderful transformation.

Jiang Feng stood in front of the grill waiting, only occasionally fanning the fire. At that moment, numerous tiny droplets of oil gathered along the surface of the lamb, merging into a larger drop, then dripped down.

An oil droplet fell into the charcoal. SIZZLE! It vaporized instantly. This was the signal that one side of the lamb was cooked.

Jiang Feng held a handful of lamb skewers in his left hand and another handful in his right. He tilted the skewers, allowing the rendered fat from the cooked side to coat the uncooked side. Then, he flipped both skewers over to grill the other side. The aroma of lamb instantly wafted out.

Jiang Feng had a little trick up his sleeve. He deliberately placed the grill in a position close to the path. That way, passers-by would notice the lamb skewers on the grill. Such large, glistening, appetizing, and colorful lamb skewers would be hard for most people to resist. Moreover, Jiang Feng deeply understood the psychology of passers-by. He set up a sign next to him with the prices written in very large letters:

Today’s special barbecue delicacies:

Large lamb skewer: 3 yuan each

Large beef skewer: 4 yuan each

Grilled chicken wings: 5 yuan per skewer (2 pieces)

Single skewer purchases welcome! Come try the flavor!

Typically, barbecue stalls wouldn’t bother with single skewer sales, and passers-by would be too embarrassed to ask. Jiang Feng wrote it out plainly, indicating that people could buy as they wished—even just a single skewer was fine. This was incredibly appealing.

Jiang Feng didn’t make many movements, without needing to flip them constantly. Hao Fei’s wife occasionally glanced over at him.

She found it somewhat magical. When she watched Hao Fei barbecue before, he was very busy. He would constantly grab a handful of skewers and flip them over, occasionally needing to brush on oil or sauce. Now, Jiang Feng’s barbecuing involved minimal action. He only waited for one side to cook completely before flipping to the other. The seasonings he used were also minimal: just a sprinkle of salt at the beginning, and a bit of cumin and chili powder at the end. That was it.

But those lamb skewers—large, plump, with well-defined pieces—just looking at them, she could already imagine the springy texture with each bite. The fat within the lamb had rendered out, making the lean meat appear even firmer, and the whole skewer was coated in a glistening layer of this rendered fat. The layer of fat on the surface even bubbled gently. The aroma wafted outwards.

A passer-by glanced at the grill, and upon seeing such large and fragrant lamb skewers, found themselves unable to walk away. Jiang Feng’s strategy was working.

A voice seemed to whisper inside him. Heh. Try not to drool all over yourselves.