Era: You're asked to cook a home-style dish, but you cook Wellington.

"Gao Yang, is this really okay for us?"

Lin Xiaoyu stood at the entrance of the alleyway hotel, carrying a basket of freshly bought vegetables.

Along the roadside, there are stoves, pots, and pans of all kinds.

Her mind was a little fuzzy.

According to Gao Yang, the primary goal now is to make a name for themselves. However, they never expected that the way to make a name for themselves would be to move their stove to the street and cook.

"What are you doing?"

It was the time when people were getting off work and leaving school, and many women riding old-fashioned bicycles and workers leaving get off work were passing by. When they saw the stove set up by the roadside, they were curious and gathered around.

Lin Xiaoyu was a little embarrassed to answer. The little girl was shy and well protected by her family. At this moment, she could only look to Gao Yang for help.

Gao Yang received his gaze and smiled slightly.

"Ma'am, we work at this hotel. Our food is delicious, would you like to try some?"

One of the older women looked at the sign behind Gao Yang, nodded in approval, and pushed her bicycle to Gao Yang's stall.

What vegetables do you sell, and how much do they cost?

Gao Yang had been waiting for those words. He pulled a small blackboard from the pile of junk behind him, picked up the chalk, and began writing something in a lively and unrestrained manner.

Stir-fried bok choy: 3 yuan

Twice-cooked pork: 5 yuan

The handwriting wasn't particularly beautiful, but it was neat and eye-catching.

He set up the blackboard in front of his stall and added with a smile, "We only sell two dishes a day, and there's a limit of twenty servings per person."

Before he could finish speaking, a young man next to him sneered, "Why is it so cheap? You must be using diseased pork."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

Indeed, I was only focused on the cheap price and didn't think too deeply about it. If it's diseased pork, I wouldn't eat it even if it were free.

"Besides, why is there so little food on your plate? Look at the Hongyun Hotel across the street, their menu has at least five dishes on one page, and they only limit purchases to twenty per day. If you can sell ten of these, I'll eat your whole pot."

The young man's words infuriated Lin Xiaoyu. She clenched her fists tightly, ready to unleash a torrent of abuse.

Unexpectedly, Gao Yang reached out and stopped her.

"Gao Yang, look at what he said."

Lin Xiaoyu pouted, looking unhappy.

Gao Yang smiled faintly and turned to look at the young man.

"If you sell ten portions, you'll eat the pot, right?"

A faint aura of power emanated from him.

The young man felt a little uneasy under Gao Yang's gaze, shuddered, and was trying to save face by leaving.

The older brother and sister next to them spoke first.

"What are you afraid of? He's just one cook, and he only has ten dishes to prepare."

"Exactly, do you think his cooking can taste better than that of Hongyun Hotel?"

These older brothers and sisters certainly don't want the young people to succeed; they're just watching the show and don't care who wins.

As for this dish, so what if it's cheap? Who would buy it? It's better to just cook it at home yourself.

Upon hearing this, the young man was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to advance or retreat. His eyes darted around for a moment before he made up his mind.

"Come on, let's bet."

He slapped his thigh.

Seeing how decisive the young man was, Lin Xiaoyu couldn't help but feel hesitant.

She gently tugged at Gao Yang's sleeve, her words filled with unconcealed worry.

"Um, are you really confident? I'm scared."

"It's okay, watch me."

Gao Yang chuckled.

After saying that, he stopped talking nonsense and turned to light the fire.

"boom"

The coal stove suddenly burst into flames, the eerie blue flames licking the bottom of the pot.

With a flick of his wrist, Gao Yang slid the iron pot into the fire, and the oil temperature soared rapidly.

Seeing that the time was right, he poured the oil from the pot back into the oil vat.

Leave some oil in the pan and sauté the garlic until fragrant.

As the garlic cloves cook in hot oil, they turn from off-white to golden yellow, and their aroma becomes rich and mellow.

He scooped out the garlic cloves, picked up a spoonful of salt, and threw it into the pot.

Immediately afterwards, he grabbed a handful of bok choy.

"Sizzle"

The bok choy is dropped into a hot wok, coated with a layer of oil, and turns a vibrant green.

He added a few drops of water to the pot in several batches.

As white steam rose and the wok was tossed around, the bok choy softened at a visible speed.

A distinctive aroma of leafy green vegetables wafted through the air, attracting the attention of many.

After adding water a few times and tossing the pot a few times, he poured out the bok choy and set it aside.

Next, Gao Yang scooped up a spoonful of lard and put it into the pot, then added three cloves of garlic to fry.

He turned around, put some salt and MSG into a small bowl, and grabbed a small handful of moist cornstarch.

The lard in the pot had already melted, and the aroma of animal fat and garlic blended together, filling the air with fragrance.

Everyone present sniffed the air, their faces showing satisfaction.

In 93, although the rationing system was abolished, ordinary families did not eat meat every day, and people's desire for animal fats still existed.

Everyone had just gotten off work and was already hungry. The aroma was so enticing that their thoughts began to waver.

"This smells delicious. The chef may be young, but his skills must be pretty good. Why don't we buy some meat to take home and eat?"

"That's right, it's only five yuan, much cheaper than other restaurants, and we don't have to cook or wash the dishes ourselves."

"I think it's a good idea. I'll wait until he finishes cooking this dish and then I'll try it. If it's good, I'll buy a portion to take home and have as a treat."

The older brothers and sisters gathered together, completely ignoring the young man's unpleasant expression.

Seeing that something was wrong, the young man quickly spoke up.

"Don't be fooled by him. He's so young, how could he possibly have any meat? I think he's just a handyman, his only skill is cooking vegetables."

Some people listened to his words, thought about them, and felt that they made sense. They took a few steps back, withdrew from the crowd, and watched from a distance.

However, some people still think that the young chef's stir-fried vegetables are very fragrant.

Before long, seeing the garlic slices turn golden brown, Gao Yang put the bok choy from the side into the pot.

Stir-frying over high heat, the heat surges and a delicate sweetness emerges from deep within the bok choy.

He slowly poured in the prepared sauce, then added a little soy sauce.

Under Gao Yang's skillful movements, the bok choy in the pot was evenly coated with the sauce and heated evenly. The original emerald green color was enhanced with a caramel-like brown, making it look even more appetizing.

Finally, seeing that the bok choy was cooked, he immediately turned off the heat, plated it, and served it.

Everyone looked up and watched the steam rise slowly, and they all involuntarily swallowed.

At first glance, this dish doesn't seem to be any different from dishes from other places.

This is the taste...

You'll have to try it to know.

"Here, please have a taste."

Gao Yang handed over a pair of chopsticks.

The first woman to approach took the chopsticks. She first examined the surface of the vegetable.

"Yes, they're all cooked through. They look really good, and the aroma is coming out too."

She picked up a piece of bok choy and put it in her mouth.

"What are you doing...?"

Her eyes lit up. The bok choy entered her mouth, first smooth, then fragrant with oil and garlic, and a hint of soy sauce and fermented black bean aroma. All the flavors blended together, fully activating her taste buds.

With one bite, the bok choy's own juices burst forth, releasing a fresh and sweet sensation. It's crisp and tender with a hint of softness, without any of the astringency of green vegetables or the dryness of overcooked ones. Every leaf absorbs the aroma of oil, yet it's not greasy. It's refreshing yet rich, becoming more fragrant with each chew.

The older sister's eyes widened, and before she had even finished swallowing the food in her mouth, she couldn't help but nod repeatedly, her voice filled with excitement.

"Delicious! So delicious! This stir-fried bok choy is absolutely amazing! It's even more fragrant and tender than the bok choy at Hongyun Hotel! Quick, quick, one order of bok choy and one order of twice-cooked pork, pack them up for me!"

The crowd instantly erupted in uproar.

"No way, can it really taste that good?"

"Quick, quick, let me try some!"

They quickly gathered around, one after another picking up their chopsticks and taking a bite.

Immediately, a group of people stood still, their faces full of satisfaction. Those who had previously doubted Gao Yang's technology were now embarrassed, unsure whether to leave or buy after trying it.

"Come on, young man, give me one too!"

Someone realized what was happening first and quickly pulled out a ticket for ethnic minorities.

"Young man, I'd like an order of twice-cooked pork too!"

"Give me one too!"

A cacophony of voices erupted—shouting, pulling out money—creating utter chaos.

Lin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up. This situation was something she had never expected. In the past, there were never so many people in front of the hotel in the alley. Even the sweepers would hardly give it a second glance.

She rushed forward to help Gao Yang.

Just then, she seemed to see something, and her eyes flashed.

"Stop right there! Don't run away! When are you going to swallow this pot?"