Chapter 356

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Protagonist:

Lu Feng

The charcoal he uses is also top-grade ebony charcoal, taken from the heartwood of hundred-year-old ebony, processed through twelve carbonization techniques.

When burning, this charcoal produces no smoke or strange odor, burns evenly, and lasts a long time.

However, this wood has become extremely scarce due to overharvesting.

The ebony wood variety Lu Feng holds is even listed as a national treasure-level rare species.

Even if made into ebony wood bracelets, one string would sell for several thousand.

If diners who know the value of this ebony wood saw Lu Feng using such precious high-end wood to roast ducks,

they would probably swarm him and beat him up.

After all, this is too wasteful.

After learning the value of this ebony wood, Lu Feng felt the charcoal in his hand had become much heavier.

He took out a long-handled match, lit it, and brought it close to the charcoal.

The charcoal soon caught fire, and the flame slowly spread along the charcoal's grain.

In a short while, the whole pile of charcoal burned red-hot, a faint wood fragrance rising with the heat, yet not a wisp of smoke was produced.

The roast oven's temperature rose quickly; the oven itself was not large, and the clay pot material gathered the heat well.

Plus, ebony charcoal heats up extremely fast, and soon the temperature inside the oven reached the optimal 200 degrees.

Lu Feng put on thick heat-resistant gloves and quickly hung the duck inside the oven.

Then he adjusted the angle to ensure every part of the duck's body could be roasted thoroughly.

Then he covered the oven lid—"Crack!"—the lid fit tightly onto the oven.

Even though he knew every step of roasting duck by heart, Lu Feng still dared not be the slightest bit careless the first time making roast duck.

Every time he made a new dish for the first time, Lu Feng would follow the steps one by one.

Only after becoming proficient would he try adding some innovations to the original steps.

…………

It was still some time before Lu Feng opened for business, and the diners outside had not yet started queuing.

Those diners who could not stand the hunger from smelling the fragrance drifting from the shop all turned to nearby restaurants and stalls to fill their stomachs first.

Li Jiang arrived excitedly at Lu Feng's shop entrance, just about to step inside, when a voice came from behind him.

"Hey, who are you? Boss Lu hasn't opened for business yet; going in now is useless!"

At the fried skewer stall opposite Lu Feng's shop, Zhu Chang had just finished skewering the fried skewers in his hand, stood up, and staggered toward Li Jiang.

His gaze sized Li Jiang up and down, his brow slightly furrowed.

After all, anyone who had eaten at Lu Feng's shop knew that one could not enter before business hours.

This was also an iron rule that old customers had always tacitly followed.

But this person, after arriving, wanted to go straight into the shop, as if returning to his own home.

Zhu Chang had never seen Li Jiang, and thought he was a new customer who did not know Lu Feng's shop rules, so he called out to stop him.

"You're asking me?"

Li Jiang stopped, turned to look at Zhu Chang, patted his chest, and made a self-introduction with a smug expression: "I'm this shop's boss's Iron Brother! We've been good brothers for many years!"

"Good brothers? Really or fake?"

Zhu Chang had an expression of disbelief.

After all, there were many people who wanted to eat at Lu Feng's shop, and to cut in line, those people had made up all sorts of excuses.

Last time he even heard a middle-aged man impersonating Boss Lu's father!

"Why would I lie to you? I really am Lu Feng's brother!"

Li Jiang glanced around and saw Qin Ye and a few others standing not far away.

His eyes lit up, and he pointed at those few, saying: "Those old gentlemen over there all know; if you don't believe me, go ask them!"

Zhu Chang looked over in the direction Li Jiang pointed with a suspicious expression.

Qin Ye and the others had also heard Li Jiang's words just now, and smiled, nodding toward this side.

Coming to eat at Lu Feng's place, even if Li Jiang was his brother, he still had to queue obediently.

But it was still early before business hours, and the queue had not started yet.

Therefore Qin Ye and the others had not stopped him.

Zhu Chang's brow relaxed a little, but immediately a sour feeling welled up in his heart.

This person said he was Boss Lu's brother; normally he might have eaten plenty of things Boss Lu made.

Maybe this guy could even taste the new dishes Boss Lu developed before them customers.

With such thoughts, the fire of jealousy in Zhu Chang's heart burned fiercely.

At this moment, Li Jiang's beaming expression on his face, in his eyes, also took on the meaning of showing off.

Thus, Zhu Chang's attitude toward Li Jiang became somewhat displeased.

He looked at the thermos Li Jiang was carrying, his brow furrowed again, and his tone turned harsh: "What did you come here for?"

"I came here to eat, of course!"

Li Jiang answered as a matter of course, then patted the thermos he was carrying, and said with a natural expression: "By the way, I have something to tell him."

"Something with Boss Lu? You wouldn't be here to drag Boss Lu out, would you? Boss Lu still has to open for business soon; he's not going anywhere!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chang immediately tensed up, speaking with a wary expression.

The expression on his face was extremely serious.

If Li Jiang really delayed Lu Boss's prep work, even if he was Lu Boss's brother, he wouldn't stand for it!

"Hahaha, look at how nervous you are!"

Li Jiang was amused by his behavior into roaring laughter, reaching out to smack Zhu Chang's shoulder: "I'll say two sentences and leave, I still have to come back to queue later! Relax, I won't delay your meal!"

Finished speaking, he didn't wait for Zhu Chang to respond, carrying the thermos and walking straight into the shop.

"Definitely nothing good."

Zhu Chang stood in place, watching Li Jiang's retreating figure, muttering softly under his breath.

He pursed his lips, simply standing at the store entrance staring at the activity inside, ears also pricked up.

Judging by his posture, he clearly intended that if any situation arose inside, he would immediately rush in to protect the boss.

No matter what, he couldn't let his lunch run into any trouble.

…………

"Fengzi, busy?"

Li Jiang, carrying the thermos, stepped lightly through the shop hall, calling out loudly to Lu Feng in the kitchen.

But immediately he was drawn in by the fragrance in the air.

Li Jiang sniffed hard, eyes widening round: "Wow! Fengzi, during the time I haven't come, your shop sure hasn't stopped making good stuff! This smell is too fragrant!"

"Yesterday I told you to come earlier, but you coming this early?"

Lu Feng smiled as he walked out from the kitchen, his gaze sweeping past Li Jiang's back.

Li Jiang seemed to have come alone; behind him was empty, not another person in sight.

Lu Feng couldn't help asking curiously: "How come it's just you? Didn't you say you'd bring Su Yue along? Where's the person you brought?"