Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 323 - 324: The Restless Villagers

Wang Fan woke up at around four o’clock.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw Cheng Dong looking at him from a distance with an awkward expression, which immediately gave Wang Fan a bad feeling.

Cheng Dong rubbed his hands and approached, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Wang Fan took a deep breath and said, "Brother Cheng, just tell me what’s on your mind."

Cheng Dong sighed, "It’s really a bit hard to put into words."

Wang Fan also sighed, "Go ahead, I can handle it."

Cheng Dong said helplessly, "Because the affected area is really too large this time, and the number of affected people is too many. After the higher-ups heard about our situation here, they temporarily sent over around 1,000 more affected people, but there’s also some good news..."

Wang Fan felt his head swell at the mention of another thousand people; it was really too much to bear.

"What’s the good news?"

He just hoped that the good news would be good enough to calm his nerves.

"The higher-ups have also sent over a cook from another brigade..."

"How many?!"

"One..."

Alright, well, that could be considered good news. Looking at the rows of new tents set up in the distance, Wang Fan couldn’t help but rub his temples.

Breakfast was relatively simple, with ready-made bread and milk, and each person got an egg, which didn’t seem too shabby.

When Wang Fan started preparing lunch, he saw dozens of elderly people walking towards them.

Jia Fengyue walked up to Wang Fan and said, "Young comrade, is there anything we can help with?"

Wang Fan felt a bit overwhelmed. He didn’t really understand this matter, so he turned to look at Cheng Dong.

Cheng Dong smiled and said, "Ladies, just go back and rest, we’re managing fine."

Jia Fengyue shook her head, "We’re all fine, we just got a little rain yesterday, it’s nothing. With just a few of you taking care of so many of us, we feel bad. Please, let us help."

The other ladies behind her echoed, "Yes, we usually cook at home too. Even if we’re not great at it, we can still help wash vegetables."

"Yes, yes, you all were exhausted yesterday. We couldn’t bear to watch that, let us help."

"When I don’t work, I feel uncomfortable all over. Maybe doing some work will help me feel better faster."

Seeing that they couldn’t dissuade these ladies, Cheng Dong had no choice but to agree, "Alright, how about you ladies help with processing the ingredients? Mainly washing the cabbage clean."

Jia Fengyue was delighted to hear this, "Alright, we’ll definitely do a good job and make sure they’re spotless."

The other ladies’ faces lit up with smiles as they started helping wash the vegetables under Cheng Dong’s guidance.

Wang Fan felt very touched. These people had just suffered a great disaster yesterday, yet today they were already eager to help out. They were all diligent and simple folk. Why is the weather so unfair? If there’s too much rain, why not help out Sailor and Lu Dong, where the riverbeds are almost dry!

With the addition of these ladies, Wang Fan was able to step away from preparing ingredients and directly started cooking.

Jia Fengyue was surprised to see Wang Fan at the stove, "Was it you, young fellow, who cooked yesterday’s meal?"

They hadn’t seen the cooking yesterday and assumed it was Cheng Dong, who looked a bit older.

Wang Fan smiled and nodded, "Yes, I cooked it, Auntie. Did it suit your tastes?"

Jia Fengyue immediately gave him a thumbs up, "It was really delicious. I’ve never had such tasty ribs before."

The other ladies praised Wang Fan as they washed the vegetables.

"I’m already 70, yet those ribs were so tender. Young man, your skills are excellent."

"The taste was wonderful too. I was quite anxious yesterday, but the delicious ribs made me forget about it."

"Haha, me too, me too. I was just focused on how tasty the ribs were. Even last night, when I closed my eyes, I was thinking about what delicious food we’d have today, forgetting all about the flooding."

Hearing this made Cheng Dong and Wang Fan feel deeply comforted and amazed.

Wang Fan gained a deeper understanding of what he was doing now.

The saying ’Food is the primary need of the people’ indeed holds true.

As long as there’s something to eat, people feel more secure, and delicious food truly has the magical power to make people forget their worries.

At this moment, Zhuo Qianqian carried two large boxes of bottled water over from a distance. Behind her were some strong middle-aged men who spontaneously began helping with receiving supplies, thus enhancing the efficiency of the shelter.

Cheng Dong watched with many heartfelt feelings. To be honest, he had participated in disaster relief several times, but never had there been a situation like this one.

The villagers had just experienced a natural disaster, and their mindsets are usually not easily adjusted. Typically, it takes two or three days before they start wanting to find things to do. But this time, they started helping on the second day, which undoubtedly reduced their burden significantly. This way, more people could be assigned to help those still affected by the disaster.

Cheng Dong took a long look at Wang Fan and secretly vowed that he must learn a few tricks from this young man this time. Food, when it reaches a certain level of deliciousness, can indeed have a calming effect!

Pork and cabbage stew with vermicelli is a traditional Northeast home-cooked dish. Although it seems simple, if done right, the taste is absolutely top-notch.

Moreover, eating this dish gives a hearty feeling that can further relax one’s nerves, which is one of the reasons Wang Fan chose this dish.

Cheng Dong deftly sliced the pork belly, with his sharp knife skills producing almost uniform slices. Wang Fan had already set two massive pots over the fire.

These two large pots had diameters of up to one and a half meters, looking overwhelmingly grand. The food cooked in one pot could easily serve seven to eight hundred people.

Once Cheng Dong had sliced a big basin of meat, Wang Fan poured the meat directly into the dry pot. Pork belly contains its own fats, so there’s no need for additional oil.

"Brother Wang, do you have any secrets for stewing dishes that you can share with me? Learning a trick or two from you might enhance my cooking skills a bit," Cheng Dong asked curiously as he continued cutting the meat.

While using a large shovel to stir the pork belly, Wang Fan said, "It’s not as amazing as you think. It’s really about the little details. If you want, I can explain as I cook."

"For example, when stir-frying pork belly, it has a natural gamy odor. When you fry it until both sides turn golden, inducing a Maillard reaction, that odor transforms into an incredibly penetrating aroma."