"Boss, you smell so good, hehehe..."

The aroma of the meat could be smelled by the river, and it was even stronger in front of the grill. Being so close, Wang Fan inevitably carried the aroma of grilled meat.

Wang Fan corrected, "It’s the meat that smells good, not me. I’m not the one being grilled."

As he spoke, he took the skewers off the grill.

The charcoal fire was very hot. When the lamb’s fat dripped onto the charcoal, sparks would fly. After picking up the skewers, he grabbed a nearby bottle of mineral water and squeezed it over the flames.

A few streams of water spurted out and extinguished the fire, then he put the skewers back on the grill.

Grilling over an open flame can easily char the surface of the skewers, but a skilled cook wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake.

Once back on the grill, he didn’t cook them much longer. He sprinkled a pinch of fine salt, half with the prepared seasoning, and that was it.

Zhuo Qianqian had already prepared the hot plates, and once the skewers were arranged, they both grabbed a plain one.

Wang Fan didn’t dip it in vinegar first; he took the plain skewer and put it directly into his mouth.

This simple seasoning best highlighted the natural flavor of the ingredients, and he wanted to try how Guizhou lamb tasted.

When Wang Fan’s teeth bit into the dice-sized piece of meat, he immediately felt the incredible elasticity of the meat.

With a slight squeeze, the fat seeped out of the meat, and a rich, savory flavor burst into his mouth.

Guizhou lamb mostly uses Qianbei black goats and Qianbei hemp sheep. These sheep are free-range in the Qianbei Mountain Area, feeding on green, ecological grasses and drinking natural mineral water. In terms of meat quality alone, they aren’t inferior to those from major lamb-producing provinces.

High-end ingredients only require the simplest cooking methods to shine, and this moment was a perfect example.

Although it was just a little bit of salt, this perfectly balanced salt accentuated the unique flavor of the lamb to the fullest.

Wang Fan’s control over heat and the doneness of ingredients had improved quite a bit since his time on Mount Tai, and this directly reflected in the taste of the lamb.

Tender, juicy, refreshing—the perfect 7.8 ripeness.

The meat on the skewers had just a thin layer of slightly golden brown edges, while the rest was incredibly tender. Each chew squeezed the juices from the meat, making his entire palate take on the form of lamb.

Zhuo Qianqian had already poured the prepared sweet vinegar into a disposable cup, then dipped a skewer into it, allowing the skewer to absorb the dark red vinegar juice.

It was the first time in her life, after eating lamb for so many years, that she was trying lamb dipped in vinegar, and it was a novel experience for her. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

As soon as the meat with sweet vinegar entered the mouth, the first sensation was the taste of the sweet vinegar.

The sweet vinegar sticking to the lamb mixed with the saliva as soon as it entered the mouth, creating a complex flavor of sour, sweet, and salty. It made the mouth feel exceptionally refreshed, and Zhuo Qianqian even thought this sweet vinegar would be quite nice as a drink.

With the sourness taking the lead, the lamb felt particularly tender upon entering the mouth. At this point, let’s not even mention that lamb naturally lacks a strong mutton smell; even if you put a piece of stinky tofu in your mouth, you probably wouldn’t sense the odor.

However, the unique taste resulting from blending the sweet and sour flavors into the meat was indeed quite refreshing to eat.

Has the boss’s skill improved?

This tender texture was simply off the charts, even better than what was grilled on Mount Tai.

While the two were enjoying their feast, the first wave of tourists finally approached with a swaggering gait.

It’s not that they were acting arrogant; it was just that the cross-river journey was so tough!

Chu Tiantian even felt like she had a moment of floating on a cloud earlier.

She clearly felt her butt leave the rubber boat!

Scared stiff, her face turned pale, and her legs felt weak, so it’s no wonder her walk seemed lopsided and uncaring.

Seeing their pitiable state, Wang Fan was somewhat compassionate: "Uh... would you like some ginger tea to warm up?"

Chu Tiantian was almost in tears: "Thank you, Boss Wang, I feel like I’m 0.1 millimeters away from death."

Wang Fan chuckled and shook his head, heading towards the RV, thinking why on earth would they choose such an extreme activity with such a small courage?

Fresh ginger was sliced and put into a pot, adding red dates, brown sugar, and some spring onion sections. The cloudy weather was a bit chilly today, and he estimated that many people might feel cold, so he decided to make extra.

He preferred to see his guests healthy rather than sick, even if they didn’t buy his food; it didn’t matter.

He was well-practiced in making this, as he had to make it for Zhuo Qianqian a few times every month. The rich brown sugar ginger tea was soon ready, and he served each person a bowl at the counter.

Chu Tiantian and her group each took a bowl: "Thank you, Boss Wang. How much is this? We’ll pay you."

Wang Fan shook his head: "Why charge for a bowl of ginger tea? Drink it while it’s hot to sweat a bit. In this weather, it’s easy to catch a cold if you get chilled."

After hearing Wang Fan’s words, Chu Tiantian and her friends’ impression of him greatly improved. A warm-hearted guy like him was well-received anywhere.

"Thank you, Boss Wang."

"Thanks."

The sweet red sugar water had a hint of spiciness, but was the perfect remedy for their situation. When the body truly needs it, even the bitterest traditional medicine can taste sweet. So naturally, this already-sweet drink with just a hint of spice was welcomed.

Each bowl had a pitless Great Border Hetian date, which absorbed a lot of the broth while simmering. The originally large date became even bigger and plumper.

The subtle date sweetness blended into the ginger tea, enriching the flavor of this red sugar ginger tea.

Delicious!

These two words kept flashing in their minds, making them a bit embarrassed.

As the sons or daughters of famous chefs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, being won over by a simple bowl of red sugar ginger tea seemed a bit shameful to admit.

But what could they do? It was genuinely delicious!

Especially the date, which had absorbed the essence of the red sugar ginger water, combined with the already soft and glutinous flesh, was tenderly sweet and juicy with one bite. If you could have a bowl of such red sugar water during that time of the month, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to marry him right away, thought Chu Tiantian.

While they were drinking, more and more people gradually arrived. Wang Fan then put up a sign offering free warm-up red sugar water.

Many were so touched when they received their bowl. In a society that feels increasingly indifferent, it seemed like everyone was building a cold protective shell for themselves. Receiving a stranger’s help and kindness was akin to a ray of sunshine piercing through the winter, warming the soul.

Some young people, having just been bruised by societal and family hardships, even began to tear up.

This simple bowl of ginger tea not only warmed their bodies but also warmed their hearts.

"Boss Wang, I’m your number one fan. Give me 50 lamb skewers!"

"From this moment onwards, I’m also number one. I want 100 skewers!"

Wang Fan shook his head emphatically: "Limit of 20 skewers, no more."

The skewers are large, and for a normal person, 20 would be more than enough to feel full. 100 skewers would burst their stomachs!

"Consume rationally, retaliatory spending is not wise. My skewers are big and sell well. If you eat too much and then need medical attention, I’ll have to foot the bill."

The crowd laughed at Wang Fan’s words. They rarely encountered purchasing limits elsewhere, and when they did, it usually felt like clever scarcity marketing, unlike Boss Wang, who played it real.