If I ask you to set up a stall, why do you always run to deserted places?

He Sen stared at the message, forgetting all about eating the chicken leg pastry in his hand.

He quickly went outside the crowd and made a phone call to his mother.

The phone was answered after only one ring.

"Mom, what happened at home?"

There was no immediate answer on the other end of the phone; instead, a sizzling sound came through, as if someone was sealing a cardboard box with tape.

Immediately afterwards, there was the crisp sound of porcelain bowls clashing together.

He Sen suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Where are you now?" the mother asked in a low voice.

"We've reached the summit of Mount Tai."

"Why did you run so far away at this time?"

Mrs. He sighed, but she wasn't in the mood to say anything to him. "Your father closed the shop, paid the wages of the two kitchen helpers, and they're packing up now."

"What?!"

He Sen quickly took a few steps to the side. "Didn't you say there were three banquet tables scheduled for this month? Why was it suddenly closed?"

"That's all."

He's mother's voice was filled with undisguised exhaustion.

"The two tables in front of us complained that our menu hadn't changed in years, so they switched to that newly opened private restaurant in the south of the city."

"The last table originally said they wouldn't give a refund no matter what, but they called this morning."

People say that although our food isn't bad, we still need to have something new when we're entertaining guests. We can't have the same few dishes on the table for seven or eight years.

He Sen held his phone, remaining silent for a moment.

He had said this to his father six months ago. At that time, he wanted to add two new dishes and revise the menu and plating, but his father did not believe him at all.

The old man always believed that the key to a private kitchen's success lies in the chef's skill, not in deceiving customers with photos. He believed that as long as the taste remained the same, regular customers would eventually return.

But the result?

It's going to go bankrupt soon.

He Sen was completely numb!

"What did Dad say?" He Sen asked.

"What else can I say? I'll say I'm taking advantage of these few days to fix the kitchen and reopen the door, but do you really believe me?"

"I just don't believe it."

When He's mother got to this point, her voice lowered even further.

"You know your dad; the more he tries to hold on, the more stubborn he becomes."

"The landlord is coming over this afternoon. He hasn't settled the payments for the first two months. This time, we might really not be able to hold on."

He Sen's heart sank.

It's over!

He was about to ask how much was still owed when his father's voice suddenly came from the other end of the phone, "Who are you talking to?"

Mother He immediately fell silent, and then Father He's voice grew closer and closer.

"Was that a call to He Sen? I told him the shop is only closing for a few days to fix the kitchen, why are you telling him all this?"

"Let him have fun, stop worrying about useless things all day long!"

"Dad!" He Sen called out quickly, but the call had already been disconnected, and no one answered when he called back.

"Should we go down the mountain now?" Duan Ming asked.

He Sen looked at his phone, hesitated for a few seconds, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he turned back to look at Su Yun's stall.

In the frying pan, a new batch of shortbread has just been flipped.

The surface of the Sichuan peppercorn chicken leg pancake is golden and crispy, with layers of textured patterns blooming along the edges.

This unassuming pancake, which contains neither rare delicacies nor expensive ingredients, can still make so many people willingly line up at the top of the mountain to wait.

He Sen looked down at the remaining half of the pancake in his hand.

My father always said that pastries are not suitable for the grand banquet tables of a private kitchen.

But what if he tasted the cake himself?

"Boss!"

He Sen squeezed back to the front of the stall. "There are six flavors on the menu. Give me two of each. Could you pack them up nicely for me? I need to take them down the mountain."

Su Yun looked up at him.

"Sure, but we'll have to wait for the next batch. Also, the shortbread will soften if it's left out for too long, and it definitely won't taste as good as when it's fresh out of the oven."

"It's okay, I'll take it back and reheat it in a pan."

"You know your stuff."

"My family also runs a restaurant business."

He Sen forced a smile. "I want to take it back for my dad to try."

Su Yun didn't ask any further questions, but simply pulled out a new kraft paper box from the side.

"Then I'll let it air dry separately before packing it. Leave some air holes in the box. Don't put it in the microwave when you get back. Just pan it on low heat and cook each side for half a minute."

"Thanks."

He Sen scanned the QR code to pay.

.......

At the same time, Zhang Yue also turned the action camera back on.

Qiaoqiao captured his reaction when he took his first bite of the mutton pastry on camera.

"Post it quickly! Post it without any cuts!"

"Really no cuts?"

"Really, really!"

Zhang Yue directly uploaded the original 30-second clip to his account with a simple and direct title.

[There really are people making crispy pastries on the top of Mount Tai! This isn't scripted; I'm already swooning over the aroma!]

the other side.

Tang Guo's live stream viewership has exceeded 10,000.

There were already many tourists on the mountaintop; some came by the smell, and others came after seeing the live stream.

Some people even called their friends immediately after finishing their meal.

"Stop taking pictures of the scenery, come down now! There's always beautiful scenery, but once this pancake is sold out, it's really gone!"

The platform, which was originally quite spacious, was visibly packed with people.

The payment notification sound was almost constant.

In less than three hours, more than 200 pastries of various kinds had been sold, and the turnover was heading straight for 4,000 yuan.

As Su Yun filled the dumplings, she watched the sales figures steadily rise, her smile practically reaching her ears.

Good heavens! Is this a street stall? This is practically picking up money!

Su Yun didn't notice at that moment.

Not far from the platform.

A man in gray overalls was holding up his phone and taking pictures of the entire crowd in front of the stall.

"OMG!"

The man glanced at his supermarket stall, which had almost no customers, and his face turned very ugly.

He said, "Why are there so few people buying things today?"

It turns out there was this guy who had no sense of martial ethics, setting up a stall on the top of Mount Tai.

Is this person out of their mind?

If you're going to set up a stall, go somewhere nicer!

What's the point of displaying it right in front of your own store?

The man made a phone call using another phone.

The call was answered quickly.

"Boss Hu! You have to stand up for me in this matter!"

The man almost burst into tears. "That bandit selling pancakes is still serving food! We haven't even sold 30% of our usual instant noodles and tea eggs today!"

The boss, named Hu Guangfu, fell silent.

"Don't go and cause trouble yet."

Hu Guangfu was not impulsive. He rented this stall on the mountaintop, and the rent and transportation costs alone amounted to a large sum of money every year.

He was naturally unhappy that someone was taking away his business.

But now tourists are filming everywhere, and if you actually rush up and cause trouble, you'll only end up hurting yourself.

so.....

"First, take a clear picture of what kind of stove he's using, and then check if he has an operating license! Send the photos to Manager Zhao so the scenic area staff can handle it."

"Also, keep an eye on his safety. There's only so much land on the top of Mount Tai; I don't believe he can keep an eye on everything!"

"Understood." The man hung up the phone and took a few more steps closer to Su Yun's stall.

On the other side...

Inside the scenic area's duty room, Supervisor Zhao also happened to receive the video of the massive crowds.

He clicked on it and glanced at it, his brows slowly furrowing.

"???"

"Setting up a stall on the top of Mount Tai?"

"Is this guy out of his mind?"