Chapter 98: You're Told to Open a Food Shop, But You Operate at 3 AM

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Protagonist:

Lu Feng

"……"

Lu Feng was a bit dumbfounded; he hadn't expected the xiaolongbao Li Jiang brought back last week to have made Da Mao crave them this much.

Li Jiang looked at the gift box Lu Feng was carrying, his face instantly full of surprise: "Holy crap! I was just kidding with you, you actually bought Moutai!"

Lu Feng smiled, placing the gift box in his hand on the electric scooter: "Uncle has always treated me well; it's rare he's having a birthday today, so of course I have to bring something good."

Upon hearing this, Li Jiang couldn't help but purse his lips, saying in a sour tone: "You bring such a great gift for my dad, how come I never saw you be that generous when it was my birthday?"

"Back then I was poor, you know that." Lu Feng patted Li Jiang's shoulder, promising solemnly: "Next time it's your birthday, I'll prepare a better gift for you too."

"That's more like it."

Li Jiang grinned, then straddled the electric scooter, turned his head and patted the rear seat: "Get on!"

Lu Feng held Da Mao with one hand, sitting on the electric scooter's rear seat.

The electric scooter slowly headed toward the apartment building inside the residential complex, Da Mao trotting along with small steps, following unhurriedly beside the scooter.

"When did you buy the electric scooter? How come I've never seen you ride it?" Lu Feng asked curiously.

Ever since knowing Li Jiang, he had only ever seen him drive a car.

This electric scooter was still the first time he'd seen him ride it.

"Bought it last year when buying furniture; the shopping mall gave it as a lucky draw prize. It's not much use, I've only ridden it a few times, I was planning to sell it off after a while." Li Jiang said indifferently.

Hearing Li Jiang say this, Lu Feng couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart.

This electric scooter was of no use to Li Jiang, but to him it was just right for use.

The villa district he currently lived in was so large inside that every trip in and out took a lot of time; riding an electric scooter would be much more convenient.

A villa resident riding an electric scooter every day might seem strange if word got out, but Lu Feng didn't care about that.

The electric scooter soon arrived at the apartment building where Li Jiang's home was.

Lu Feng jumped off the scooter, and seeing Li Jiang about to push the electric scooter back into the basement, stepped forward and said: "Don't sell this electric scooter yet; I happen to have use for it, lend it to me to ride for a while."

"If you want to ride it just ride it away; anyway, keeping it is of no use to me."

Li Jiang stopped the electric scooter, turned his head, then his eyes rolled, and he chuckled twice: "But you have to promise me one condition."

Seeing Li Jiang like this, another bad idea was probably about to pop up.

But he knew Li Jiang; he wouldn't propose something that would put him in a difficult spot, so he smiled and said: "Go on, what condition?"

Li Jiang picked up the food ingredient box Lu Feng brought from the electric scooter's front footboard, weighing it in his hand.

Then he looked around, confirming there was no one else nearby, before sidling over mysteriously and asking in a low voice: "The ingredients you brought today, how many portions of xiaolongbao and fried noodles can they make?"

"Both xiaolongbao and fried noodles should be able to make about ten portions each, why do you ask?"

Lu Feng thought for a moment, then asked with some puzzlement.

Hearing this, Li Jiang's face first showed an excited expression, then switched to a wicked grin, lowering his voice to say to Lu Feng: "Later after you're done making them, only give them half to eat; you help me hide the other half, deal?"

Hearing Li Jiang's request, Lu Feng couldn't help but freeze for a moment, then felt a bit dumbfounded.

"There are quite a few people here for Uncle's birthday at noon today, right? Wouldn't making only five portions of xiaolongbao and fried noodles be a bit too little?"

Turned out after all this, Li Jiang was scheming this — wanting to privately stash away the portions originally meant for the guests.

"Who cares if it's enough for them! Letting them have a taste is already good enough." Li Jiang shook his head indifferently, licking his lips: "Who told you to make food this delicious? You rarely come by once, I have to keep a few more portions to eat slowly."

Li Jiang's request didn't sound too excessive; to Lu Feng it was also a trivial matter.

He nodded in agreement: "Alright, then after we finish eating, I'm riding the electric scooter away."

Li Jiang was instantly overjoyed, seemingly afraid Lu Feng would go back on his word, directly stuffing the electric scooter key into his pocket: "Take it, take it! This electric scooter isn't even worth the two bottles of wine you brought! Giving it to you is fine!"

The two entered the apartment building one after another; Li Jiang carried the food ingredient box, Lu Feng carried the gift box and led Da Mao, and they both took the elevator up.

The elevator stopped at the 18th floor; the two had just walked to Li Jiang's front door when they heard loud voices from inside before even entering.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, this White Cut Chicken is our shop's signature dish; the chicken was freshly slaughtered this morning, and this Beer-Braised Duck is also our shop's Master Chef's specialty dish; you must have a good taste today!"

"The dishes on this table seem a bit few, right? Sister-in-law, it's Big Brother's birthday today, make a few more dishes for Big Brother; otherwise I'll call the shop's Chef to come over and add a few more big dishes!"

A coarse-voiced man's voice came from inside the house.

"Alright, alright, enough to eat is fine; making so many dishes that can't be finished and get thrown away isn't that a waste?"

Another steady male voice spoke; this voice was unmistakably Li Jiang's father, Li Tian Yong.

Li Tian Yong was a teacher at a high school in Jiang City; he was rigorous and serious by nature.

Even after the demolition relocation made life much more affluent, he still didn't like waste in daily life.

As for that coarse voice, just from the tone of speech one could guess it was Li Jiang's second uncle, Li Hong'an.

"Just now I heard Xiao Jiang say when he went out that some Master Chef was coming; is it that former colleague of his called something Lu Feng?"

"Brother, it's your birthday today; even if you invite a Master Chef, no need to invite someone from a roadside fly restaurant, right? Besides, what good dishes would a wet-behind-the-ears kid know how to make?"

Li Hong'an's voice said with some dissatisfaction.

"What Master Chef or not; he's Xiao Jiang's friend, recently opened a restaurant; the xiaolongbao he made last week tasted good, heard the fried noodles taste great too; today just happens to be your brother's birthday, Xiao Jiang asked him to come show his hand and satisfy our cravings."

Li Jiang's mother Zhao Hui Fang's voice explained from the side.

"What? Xiaolongbao? Fried noodles? Sister-in-law, who eats this stuff for a birthday? Isn't that street-side food? He's not running a restaurant? Have him make something else!"

Li Hong'an's voice carried a few degrees of disdain.

"Alright Hong'an, Xiao Feng came originally just to celebrate my birthday; he's a guest too; eat whatever is made and that's that; you really treat him like someone paid to come cook?"

Li Tian Yong's voice said with some displeasure, his tone carrying a few degrees of reproach.

"What guest? I see someone just coming to freeload a meal. Brother, we have money now, we need to be more on guard against those with ulterior motives. You shouldn't let Xiao Jiang walk too close with those unsavory types in the future. Who knows what he's plotting……"

Li Hong'an hmphed, his tone carrying disdain.

"Hong'an, what are you saying!" Li Tian Yong's voice from inside the room sounded somewhat angry: "What kind of person is Xiao Feng? Could I not tell? He came today to celebrate my birthday, and you're badmouthing him behind his back. What kind of talk is that!"

"Alright alright, stop arguing you two. Hong'an, today's your brother's birthday, watch your mouth. Tian Yong, you say a few words less too. People will be arriving soon, how bad would it be if they heard!"

Zhao Hui Fang's voice from inside the room spoke up to smooth things over.