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

When He Sen arrived home, it was already afternoon.

The door to the private restaurant was only half open.

The business sign that used to hang at the entrance has been taken down and is leaning against the corner of the wall.

The two cardboard boxes were filled with bowls, plates, and tablecloths.

The round tables in the store have also been covered with dust cloths.

How does this look like the restaurant has been closed for a few days to repair the kitchen?

This is clearly a sign that they're preparing to close down completely!

"dad."

He Sen carried the cardboard box inside.

Mr. He was squatting at the kitchen doorway tidying up the spice jars when he heard the noise, but he didn't even look up.

"Didn't I tell you to have fun? Why are you back so soon?"

"With all the shops closed, how am I supposed to have fun outside?"

"Who said the store is closed?"

Mr. He's face darkened. "There's a problem with the kitchen ventilation system. We'll stop for a few days to fix it."

"We'll reopen as usual once it's fixed!"

"Is the landlord coming over this afternoon?" He Sen asked directly.

Mr. He paused in his work. "Did your mother tell you that? That woman is always worrying about nothing!"

"I'm asking you, haven't you settled the payments for the goods from the first two months yet?" He Sen asked.

"What's it to you?"

"I'm your son, how come I have nothing to do with you?"

The father and son stood at the kitchen doorway, neither willing to give in.

Hearing the noise, Mother He quickly came out from inside. "Alright, alright! Sen'er just came back from Mount Tai. Let him have a drink of water first."

"What kind of water do you want?" Mr. He stood up, brushing the dust off his pants. "If he were really capable, he wouldn't have come back to cause trouble at a time like this!"

"How did I cause trouble?" He Sen also got angry. "I told you six months ago that I wanted to change the menu and add new dishes, but you didn't listen!"

"Now that the guests are all gone, you're still blaming it on the kitchen!"

"What do you know?" Mr. He's voice suddenly rose. "Our He family has been running a private kitchen for over twenty years, relying on our true culinary skills!"

"What's the point of changing the plating every day and doing all that fancy stuff?"

"If the food isn't good, even if it's arranged in a long line, nobody will come!"

"But our food isn't so delicious that people absolutely have to eat it!"

The store fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

Mr. He stared intently at his son, his face turning extremely grim.

He Sen knew that his words were a bit harsh, but that was the truth.

The food at the He family's restaurant wasn't bad; in fact, it was better than most ordinary restaurants. But that was all it was—good.

In the past, customers had limited choices, and the restaurant could survive on just a few signature dishes. Now, more and more new private restaurants are opening in the city.

The menu is updated frequently, the environment is nice, and some restaurants even change their menus every month.

They're still keeping things from seven or eight years ago, so why would customers necessarily come back?

"I ate at a food stall on the top of Mount Tai today." He Sen took a deep breath and put the cardboard box in his hand on the table.

"A pancake sells for more than ten yuan, but after I ate it, I realized that whether a product can be remembered by customers has nothing to do with how expensive it is or whether it is served at a high-end table."

Mr. He glanced at the cardboard box. "So you rushed back just so I could eat at a roadside stall?"

"It's not by the roadside, it's a stall on the top of Mount Tai."

"Isn't that still just a stall?" Father He sneered. "How much can a pancake do? It's nothing more than adding more oil, more meat, and some artificial flavoring to make people unable to move."

He Sen did not continue to argue. He opened the box and took out a Sichuan peppercorn chicken leg pastry.

The descent from the mountain took too long, and the pastries had cooled down a bit, with the flaky layers on the surface not as pronounced as when they were fresh out of the oven.

Following Su Yun's instructions, he heated a frying pan without oil over low heat, cooking each side for thirty seconds.

Not long after the pastry was placed in the pan, the oil on the surface slowly melted, and the outermost layer of pastry turned golden brown again. Then, the aroma of chicken thigh meat and Sichuan peppercorns gradually wafted out from the pan.

Mr. He had initially looked disdainful, but after smelling the aroma, he suddenly slowed down his movements as he cleaned up the spice jars.

This flavor... doesn't have that overpowering, artificial flavoring. First comes the aroma of flour and sesame oil, then the chicken fat, and finally a touch of Sichuan peppercorns, making the whole aroma refreshing.

"What's the use of fragrance?" Mr. He retorted stubbornly. "Making food isn't like making perfume."

"I didn't let you smell it." He Sen cut the reheated pancake into four pieces and put them on a plate. "Try a bite."

"I won't eat it."

"Do you not want to eat it, or are you afraid to eat it?"

"What wouldn't I dare to do?" Mr. He glared at him. "Goading me won't work!"

"Then don't eat it." He Sen picked up the plate and turned to walk out.

Father He: "........"

That little brat! He was already ready to reach out, how come he actually took it?

"Wait a minute!" Mr. He called out instinctively.

He Sen stopped, a slight smile playing on his lips, which he quickly suppressed. "What's wrong?"

"I..." Mr. He looked at the distinct layers of pastry on the plate, swallowed hard, "I just wanted to see if this pastry was really as amazing as you said."

"Understood." He Sen put the plate back down. "You're a veteran, a professional assessor!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Father He picked up a piece of cake, but instead of eating it right away, he broke it open to take a look at the filling inside.

The chicken thigh meat was cut into uniform sizes, and there was plenty of juice, but the pancakes were not soaked. The proportions of crisp bamboo shoots, Sichuan peppercorns, and scallions were also very particular.

The disdain on Mr. He's face slowly disappeared. Just by looking at the cross-section, he knew that the person who made this pancake was no ordinary vendor.

"How much does it cost?"

"Twelve pieces."

"Nonsense!" Mr. He blurted out. "How can you make any money on this chicken leg alone, with just the chicken meat and the cooking skills?"

After he finished speaking, he was stunned. He Sen didn't say anything, but just looked at his father. He's father looked a little embarrassed and took a bite.

Click!

The pastry cracked open in the quiet shop, and the next second, Mr. He's chewing suddenly stopped.

........

On the top of Mount Tai.

Su Yun continued serving meals.

With Zhou Ye's help, the speed did indeed increase significantly.

Zhou Ye not only maintained order, but also took the initiative to pack and collect payments. He could remember which type of cake belonged to whom, whether to pack them separately, and whether to add red dates to the millet pudding. He only needed to hear it once to remember.

When they encounter elderly people with mobility issues, they will proactively deliver their belongings to them. They worked for more than two hours without making a single mistake.

"Boss, customer number 292 wants two slices of mutton and one serving of brown sugar! Customer number 293 is short a bowl of millet pudding; he forgot to take it! Customer number 294 has already taken it!"

As Zhou Ye called out, he handed out the filled paper bag, leaving Chen Yu standing beside him dumbfounded.

"Didn't you used to be unable to even remember the members' training plans? How come you're doing so well today?"

"Who says I can't remember?" Zhou Ye retorted.

"You sent Sister Wang's muscle-building plan to Brother Liu, who was trying to lose fat, last month, and he turned into a big fat guy, have you forgotten?"

"That was an accident!" Zhou Ye's face darkened. "Besides, their names are too similar!"

"One is named Wang Meili, and the other is named Liu Dazhuang. How do they resemble each other?"

"They're all three characters!"

Chen Yu: "........"

What you said makes a lot of sense.

Just then, Su Yun picked up a brown sugar walnut lava pastry and said, "Zhou Ye, come here."

"What's wrong, boss?"

Open your mouth.

Zhou Ye opened his mouth subconsciously, and Su Yun threw in a small piece of the pancake that he had broken off.

The brown sugar had completely melted, mixing with the fragrant roasted walnut pieces, and flowed out from the pastry. Zhou Ye's eyes lit up instantly.

"Have a bite first," Su Yun said. "After you finish this pot, take two pieces and eat them yourself."

"Alright!" Zhou Ye chewed on a biscuit, feeling a strange mix of emotions. He used to go to the gym for seven or eight classes in a row, and he would get so hungry that he felt dizzy.

When Manager Cao saw this, he would only ask him to go to the front desk to make a cup of protein powder, on the grounds that the coach eating rice would affect his image.

He's only worked a few hours, and the boss is already worried he'll go hungry! No wonder people in ancient times could be bought off with just one meal! You know what, it really makes sense!

"Don't worry, boss!" Zhou Ye swallowed the pastry, looking refreshed. "Nobody's cutting in line today!"

Just then, another commotion broke out outside the platform.

Zheng Qiang returned, but this time, he didn't walk in front; a man in his forties followed behind him.

The two men walked slowly through the crowd, with two stall staff members following behind the man.

"It's him! It's him!" Zheng Qiang pointed at Su Yun's stall and whispered, "Boss Hu, it's right here!"