Cooking System: Street Food Rules

Around 5:00 a.m., Jiang Feng got up and went to his shop to start the busy day.

He had also specially hired an auntie to help out.

The auntie arrived after six o'clock. Her task was quite simple. For each disposable meal box, she would first fill it with rice from the rice compartment. Then, she would add two portions of hot dishes (likely a main and a side) from the designated food compartments, and finally a bit of pickled vegetables from a small pickled vegetable compartment.

Then, she would put the lid on and place the box in the thermal container.

That way, a boxed meal was made.

Jiang Feng's food truck was fairly large and could store many boxed meals.

The boxed meals were similar to the rice combo sets he had made before or the self-selected meals in the school canteen.

They were all common dishes.

Jiang Feng was already very familiar with these.

Today, he prepared four types of boxed meals: Yu Xiang Rou Si (Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork), Kung Pao Chicken, Braised Eggplant, and Stir-fried Pork with Wood Ear Mushrooms.

Three of these were dishes he was adept at cooking.

The "Stir-fried Pork with Wood Ear Mushrooms" was a dish he had researched and learned on his own.

First, he added salt, cooking wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, egg white, and potato starch to the pork slices and mixed them evenly, then poured in a bit of cooking oil to prevent the pork slices from sticking together.

He let it marinate for 10 minutes.

The marinated pork slices had a deep color and were continually absorbing the flavors.

The wood ear mushrooms were also soaked in cold water for about ten minutes.

Then came preparing the sauce, blanching the wood ear mushrooms, and stir-frying the pork slices.

After blanching, the wood ear mushrooms needed to be soaked in cold water to maintain their fresh and tender texture.

During the process of stir-frying the pork slices, when the meat changed color, he added scallions, ginger, garlic, blanched wood ear mushrooms, and green and red peppers, and finally poured in the prepared sauce.

This allowed the flavor of the sauce to coat the pork slices as the liquid reduced.

Thus, the Stir-fried Pork with Wood Ear Mushrooms was completed.

Jiang Feng poured the cooked Stir-fried Pork with Wood Ear Mushrooms into a basin, and the auntie was responsible for packing the rice and hot dishes into boxes.

The pork slices, fried to a bright red and completely enveloped in red oil, were mostly lean meat, garnished with wood ear mushrooms and green and red peppers, giving the dish a shiny, oily appearance that looked very appetizing with rice.

Even the auntie who packed the meals was tempted.

Jiang Feng, after all, was a conscientious boss. He also provided meals, allowing the auntie to help herself to any dish she fancied.

It made the auntie very happy. Indeed, it was a good job.

Busy for two hours for 200 yuan, and meals included.

It would be nice if she could work more days.

What Jiang Feng was selling this week were not the self-selected meal boxes, but pre-prepared ones.

There was no need to start cooking again later; he just needed to focus on selling the boxed meals.

Batch after batch of hot dishes were stir-fried.

One after another, the boxed meals were put into the thermal containers.

The meal boxes were transparent, allowing one to see the contents at a glance.

The rice was also of a higher quality, with a stronger fragrance.

There are also differences in quality between boxed meals.

Ordinary boxed meals are typically made to minimize costs. The rice quality isn't as good; the grains might be large and have a somewhat sticky, unpleasant texture.

But Jiang Feng used high-quality polished rice.

Combined with the meticulously prepared hot dishes, this boxed meal was definitely a premium product among boxed meals.

Priced at 18 yuan each, it wasn't expensive, nor was it cheap; the price was just right.

Once the boxed meals were packed full to the brim, a rough estimate put the number at over three hundred and sixty boxes.

Carrying a truckload of boxed meals, Jiang Feng drove his food truck straight toward Moon River.

This week's task reward was a restaurant.

Jiang Feng's plan was not to be a chef in the restaurant, but to be the boss.

A chef would be hired separately; he would only occasionally cook a meal himself.

Just like Guo Degang with the Deyunshe performance art group, he only needed to make occasional appearances at the small theater.

Depending on future system tasks and rewards, he would continue to set up his stall as needed.

Moon River was located in the suburban mountainous region of the city.

It was part of the Fengqi Mountain area, but some distance away from the mountain itself.

The river was wide, and the banks were gentle.

In one section, the river curved like a crescent moon, which is why the locals called it 'Moon River.'

Moon River wasn't particularly scenic.

It was just a river, with mountains on one side, an ordinary natural landscape.

However, it was a haven for fishing enthusiasts.

Because it was a bend in the river where vegetation was lush, there were plenty of fish.

And this place enforced a 'fishing ban but not an angling ban,' making it an excellent natural fishing spot.

Many places have a fishing ban but not an angling ban, such as the Yangtze River during its fishing ban period.

Some wondered why net fishing was not allowed, but angling was permitted.

The reason was simple: net fishing would reduce the number of fish in the river and destroy the ecosystem.

Anglers, before fishing, often 'chum' the water, which means scattering feed into the river.

This feed nurtured a great many fish.

Anglers would love for the entire river to be filled with fish.

Therefore, in this area, one could often see both sides of the riverbank crowded with anglers, packed in dense rows.

Jiang Feng also felt a bit nervous.

After all, this time he was setting up his stall at Moon River, a wilderness.

While the scenery was nice, there wasn't much foot traffic.

The main clientele would be these anglers.

The food truck quickly made its way to the banks of Moon River, where a vast expanse of open ground was designated for parking.

Jiang Feng drove to the riverbank, about a hundred meters away from the river.

This place offered a wide field of vision; the fishermen could see him, yet he was far enough not to interfere with anyone's fishing. FirstpublishedonM|V|L!EMPYR.

Then, the lightbox on the food truck lit up.

At the top was a light strip displaying the words: 'Gourmet Boxed Meals, 18 yuan each.'

At 10 a.m., Jiang Feng's stall officially opened for business.

Even though it was only 10 a.m., there were already around thirty to forty people on the banks of Moon River.

Over twenty cars were parked on the open ground.

Hea Qiang, who had come to fish, hadn't had breakfast.

As he walked from the parking area, he spotted a brand-new food truck selling boxed meals.

This area usually had a good number of people. In the past, there had been vendors selling grilled sausages and drinks.

But this was the first time someone was selling boxed meals.

Hea Qiang approached Jiang Feng's stall. "Boss, I'll have a rice combo set."

"Sure. There are four flavors. Which one would you like?"

"The Stir-fried Pork with Wood Ear Mushrooms."

"18 yuan per set."

Hea Qiang transferred the money, and Jiang Feng took out a transparent boxed meal from the thermal container and handed it to him along with a pair of disposable chopsticks.

"Please don't just throw the meal box anywhere. I'll hire someone to collect them later, or you can bring it back to me when you leave."

"I'm running a business here. I don't want to damage the environment," Jiang Feng said with a smile.

"Don't worry about that. Everyone here at Moon River is a local, and we all know each other. We're all keeping an eye out."

"If anyone dares to damage the environment here, we'll be the first to object," Hea Qiang responded.

The fishermen at Moon River were all familiar faces; everyone knew each other.

And as long as the weather wasn't extreme, there were people here around the clock.

They even had a fishing chat group.

Whoever caught a big fish would post it in the group for a bit of fun and laughter.

Hea Qiang had a fishing box slung over his shoulder and carried two fishing rods in one hand, with a bag on his back.

After getting his boxed meal, he hurried towards the riverbank.

He needed to find a good spot to fish.

Fishing was an incredibly addictive activity, sometimes dubbed 'the most addictive sport.'

Those who loved it, truly cherished it, and those who didn't, couldn't understand its appeal at all.

Hea Qiang found his spot, busily chummed it, then baited his hook, rigged his line, cast it out, and secured his fishing rod.

Only after completing all these tasks did he finally let out a comfortable sigh of relief.

Now, it was just a matter of waiting for a fish to bite.

Hea Qiang remembered the boxed meal he had bought and immediately picked it up, unwrapped the chopsticks, and began to eat while seated on his fishing box.

He had chosen the Stir-fried Pork with Wood Ear Mushrooms rice combo set.

The Stir-fried Pork with Wood Ear Mushrooms was visually stunning. The glossy slices of meat, the dark, crisp wood ear mushrooms, and the vibrant red and green peppers created an incredibly appetizing color combination.

Hea Qiang hadn't been hungry at first, but the aroma of the dish and rice suddenly made his stomach growl.

He couldn't wait to try a piece of the meat.

The meat was still warm.

The aroma of the stir-fried meat, mixed with a hint of spice, instantly filled his mouth. The rich, savory flavor of the pork, combined with the stimulating kick from the green and red peppers, made his mouth water, creating a thoroughly satisfying sensation.

The slight spiciness made him instinctively want to take a bite of rice.

Hea Qiang chewed on the pork slice.

The flavor of the meat was fully integrated with that of the peppers, cutting through any greasiness while preserving the meat's original texture. There were some fatty parts in the meat, but as they were sautéed, the fat rendered out, infusing the dish with flavor, making it rich but not greasy.

The pork slices were completely coated in sauce. Their edges were slightly charred and crispy, and they oozed savory juice with every chew.

The craving in his stomach was fully ignited.

"Hmm?"

Hea Qiang looked down at his boxed meal in surprise.

This boxed meal was unexpectedly delicious!

Such a rare find.

The meat was cooked perfectly!

Hea Qiang took another bite of rice. It too was exceptionally fragrant.

Outstanding, truly outstanding!

Right then, he took out his phone, snapped a picture of his boxed meal, and uploaded it to the "Moon River Fishing Bigshots Group."

He also left a message:

"A new stall selling rice combo sets has shown up on the west side of the river, and the taste is fantastic!"

"18 yuan a set, and it's absolutely delicious!"

"Anyone who hasn't eaten yet, go buy one quickly. You can grab a meal without it affecting your fishing at all."

As soon as Hea Qiang's message appeared in the fishing group, people immediately asked:

"Is it really that good? I'm starving!"

"It looks pretty appetizing!"

"I'm going to buy one right now!"

"Damn, talk about perfect timing! This is great news!"

"Let's go, let's go! Hurry up!"

Hea Qiang's post stirred up enthusiasm among his fellow anglers.

Many of them got to their feet and headed for Jiang Feng's food truck.

Some even asked their companions to bring them a meal while they watched the fishing rods.

It seemed the banks of Moon River were even livelier today.