Chapter 471: Let You Open a Food Shop, You Open for Business at 3 AM

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Protagonist:

Lu Feng

"Then you can't order such expensive dishes!"

Zhang Xianyang frowned and said helplessly: "If you eat this plate of Fengwei Shrimp, my meals for the next few days will have to be the hospital cafeteria every day! You've seen what our hospital cafeteria tastes like, and it's still a week until I get paid. Are you really willing to make me eat our hospital cafeteria every day?"

Liao Tong looked at Zhang Xianyang's troubled expression, and thinking of the scene when he first came to Tong'an Hospital and couldn't eat more than a bite at the hospital cafeteria, his heart softened as well.

To be honest, Tong'an Hospital's cafeteria food was truly bland, even the food made at their hospital cafeteria tasted better than here.

Liao Tong hesitated for a few seconds, then asked Hu Xiaoyun behind the counter: "Excuse me, miss, sorry to take up your time. I have a question—is your boss from Jinling?"

Hu Xiaoyun smiled and shook her head, answering very definitely: "Our boss isn't from Jinling; he's a local from Jiangcheng."

"A local from Jiangcheng can make Jinling's signature dish?"

Liao Tong couldn't help but be surprised, then shouted toward Lu Feng in the kitchen: "Boss, I'm from Jinling originally. I want to ask—are your Fengwei Shrimp authentic Jinling-style Fengwei Shrimp, or is it just the same name?"

He had made up his mind: if it was just the same name, he'd listen to Zhang Xianyang and order something else to taste.

Lu Feng in the kitchen heard his question, poked his head out from the kitchen door, with a gentle smile on his face, and said in a very definite tone: "Yes, this dish is the famous Fengwei Shrimp from your Jinling, and the taste is absolutely authentic."

"I didn't expect that in this small city of Jiangcheng, someone could make authentic Fengwei Shrimp from our hometown. And the boss isn't even from Jinling. As a native Jinling person, I have to taste whether the flavor here is authentic or not."

Liao Tong couldn't help muttering to himself, a glint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

Then he turned his head and said decisively to Hu Xiaoyun: "Give me a portion of Fengwei Shrimp."

"Hey, what are you doing? You're still ordering this?"

Seeing him say this, Zhang Xianyang was anxious enough to almost jump: "I'm telling you, if you want to eat hometown food from your old home, I'll at most treat you to an extra portion of Stir-fried Lu Hao, but I can't treat you to Fengwei Shrimp!"

"Relax, I'll buy this dish myself."

Liao Tong glared at him unhappily, then used his mobile phone to scan and pay for the Fengwei Shrimp.

Seeing this, Zhang Xianyang looked at Liao Tong in surprise: "Are you crazy? How much is your monthly salary? And you're willing to spend on such an expensive dish?"

Liao Tong showed a serious expression: "It's not like I eat this expensive stuff every day. I can afford to eat it once in a while. I just want to confirm—I don't believe outsiders can make our signature Fengwei Shrimp."

"Fine, as long as you're happy."

Zhang Xianyang nodded, then thought that since Liao Tong came to eat with him, not treating him was indeed unreasonable, so he said with a serious expression: "Then as I said before, I'll treat you to your Yangchun Noodles and Stir-fried Lu Hao, but—"

He changed the topic, his eyes shining as he stared at Liao Tong, his tone carrying a bit of anticipation: "This portion of Fengwei Shrimp you ordered—I have to taste it. Usually when I come to Lu Boss's shop, I've never ordered such an expensive dish. Today just happens to be a chance to taste it."

"Fine, but you can only eat one shrimp, no more than that."

Liao Tong smiled and readily agreed.

"Just one shrimp?"

After hearing this, Zhang Xianyang couldn't help complaining: "Hey, we're college classmates of five years. Have you forgotten that Wednesday of the last week before winter break in our freshman second semester, in the dorm I treated you to a portion of instant noodles with two ham sausages, and then the second week of sophomore year..."

He usually didn't talk much when eating at the shop, except for praising Lu Feng's cooking a few times, he just ate quietly.

Today coming to the shop with Liao Tong, his chatterbox seemed to have been opened, and he kept nagging nonstop.

What he said today at Lu Feng's shop was more than what he usually said at the shop combined.

"Alright, alright, it's just a few meals. It's been so many years, and you still remember so clearly. You're really stingy. I'll let you eat two more shrimp later, okay? Stop nagging!"

Liao Tong's head hurt from Zhang Xianyang's nagging, and he couldn't help but dig his ear with his finger.

If not for the fact that Zhang Xianyang was treating him to a meal today, he really wanted to pretend not to know Zhang Xianyang.

He didn't quite understand how a grown man could like nagging so much.

…………

In the kitchen, the ingredients for making Fengwei Shrimp had long been prepared.

Lu Feng walked to the water vat by the washbasin, holding a fine net bag in his hand.

The water in the vat was clear to the bottom, and the large shrimp inside were swimming happily in the water.

Lu Feng watched the movement in the water, waited for the right moment, and swept the net bag down. When he lifted it up, the net bag happened to contain eight lively river shrimp.

Each one looked bigger than an ordinary river shrimp. Without the head, the shrimp body was as long as an adult's index finger, and the shrimp tail was as thick as a thumb.

In some restaurants, the standard serving of Fengwei Shrimp is five per plate, but here at Lu Feng's, one portion has a full eight.

The netted river shrimp looked unwilling, waving their small pincers in the net bag, looking full of vitality.

"Wow, Boss, the shrimp here look fresh!"

After ordering, Liao Tong stood by the counter, staring fixedly at the few large shrimp Lu Feng had scooped out, and couldn't help but praise.

"Of course. The shrimp at Lu Boss's place aren't just fresh; judging by the color, they should be wild river shrimp. Am I right, Lu Boss?"

A diner who looked very knowledgeable asked after observing carefully.

He was a fishing enthusiast. Although he often came up empty-handed, he had also seen wild river shrimp caught by others, but none of them looked as fat as the ones in Lu Feng's hand.

"Mm, yes."

Lu Feng responded faintly, then began processing the river shrimp with a serious expression.

He pinched the lively large shrimp from the net bag in his hand, took out a slender soft-bristle brush, and gently washed every corner of the shrimp body.

The bristles of the soft-bristle brush were fine and soft. Dipped in clear water, they lightly swept back and forth on the shrimp shell.

Lu Feng pinched the shrimp body with just the right force—neither letting the struggling river shrimp escape from his hand nor deforming the tender shrimp meat.

The soft-bristle brush in his hand followed the texture of the shrimp shell, brushing from the shrimp head to the shrimp tail. Every tiny corner was brushed clean.

Originally, the river shrimp that had been scooped out were still opening their pincers, flicking their tails, and twisting desperately.

After being brushed repeatedly by the soft-bristle brush several times, they actually became quiet, obediently pinched in Lu Feng's hand without moving, only occasionally moving their slender shrimp whiskers, as if cooperating with Lu Feng's movements.