VFGRC Chapter 59

Upon hearing the words “rice cake,” the gleam in Xing Xing’s round eyes dimmed.

Dad had brought rice cakes, not meat…

Xing Xing used to really enjoy eating rice cakes because of their soft and chewy texture, with a hint of sweetness and fragrance.

In the past, Yu Bai often used rice cakes to make dishes like Stir-Fried Rice Cakes with Shredded Pork and Pickled Vegetables or Crab Meat and Rice Cakes.

But recently, after Xing Xing had eaten the even softer glutinous rice dumplings and tangyuan made by Yu Bai, his interest in rice cakes had waned.

However… Dad’s cooking was always the most delicious!

Even if it was rice cakes, Dad could make them exceptionally tasty!

Since Yu Bai was discharged from the hospital, every meal he prepared had been delicious, never missing the mark.

Xing Xing, who had full trust in Yu Bai’s culinary skills, accepted the crispy rice cake that Yu Bai handed over.

Xing Xing didn’t hastily take a bite; instead, he first examined the rice cake in his hand.

The crispy rice cake looked quite similar to the soy sauce crab meat stir-fried rice cake he used to eat.

Both emitted a sweet aroma mixed with soy sauce, and their appearance bore the brown hue imparted by the soy sauce.

However, the crispy rice cake had an additional layer of roasted fragrance — a scent reminiscent of teppanyaki.

“Xing Xing, eat it while it’s hot. It won’t taste as good if it cools down.”

Only then did Xing Xing bring the crispy rice cake to his lips, opening his mouth to take a delicate bite.

*Crunch.*

The crispy rice cake’s golden-brown crust was both crunchy and savory, blending with the aroma of sesame as it spread through his mouth.

What surprised Xing Xing the most wasn’t the crispy crust or the flavor of the rice cake, but the soft and smooth filling inside the crispy crust, reminiscent of cheese and even capable of stretching like cheese!

When the rectangular rice cake is pan-fried, the outer layer in contact with the iron pan naturally forms a golden-brown crispy crust. Under high-temperature baking, the inner part of the rice cake not in contact with the pan becomes incredibly soft.

Xing Xing discovered the stretchiness of the crispy rice cake as he gently bit into it.

With his limited strength, Xing Xing had to tilt his little head back and exert effort to pull on the crispy rice cake in his hand, barely managing to break it.

Although eating the crispy rice cake was a bit challenging, its deliciousness and novelty were irresistible.

Sitting on the stool, Xing Xing playfully pulled the crispy rice cake into strings, thoroughly enjoying himself.

He even forgot about the half-finished stack of building blocks he had placed on the ground.

Yu Bai didn’t need to ask much; just by observing Xing Xing’s expression, he could tell that Xing Xing was quite satisfied with the crispy rice cake.

In no time, Xing Xing had devoured all the crispy rice cakes in his hands.

Xing Xing, who hadn’t eaten his fill, playfully licked his sweet-scented fingers, looking incredibly adorable.

Yu Bai gently pinched Xing Xing’s soft and cloud-like little cheek, his lips slightly curling upwards.

“Alright, no more finger licking. Even though you’ve washed your hands, it doesn’t mean your fingers are completely clean. Licking them for too long might introduce dirt…”

Upon hearing Yu Bai’s words, Xing Xing immediately put down his little hand and hopped off the small stool.

“Then… then I’ll go wash my hands in the bathroom!”

—

After selecting Sanjiaokou as the location for the snack shop, Yu Bai and Chen Jing still had many tasks to tackle.

In response to the urging messages from loyal customers on WeChat, Yu Bai would reply that the official opening of the Sanjiaokou shop would be next month.

This time, after Yu Bai finally provided a definite opening date, the old customers felt a lot more reassured.

They believed in Yu Bai’s character and knew he wasn’t one to make empty promises.

“Opening in March.” With this anticipation in mind, those old customers who felt like they were living through endless days without being able to enjoy Yu Bai’s teppanyaki suddenly felt a renewed sense of purpose in life.

Waiting one week or two weeks didn’t matter; they had been waiting for Yu Bai’s opening since the start of the year, so waiting a few more weeks wasn’t a big deal.

The only slight concern they had was that after the recent buzz, Yu Bai’s online reputation had skyrocketed. Many residents of J City and internet users from other cities expressed their desire to taste Yu Bai’s cooking at Sanjiaokou.

However, Yu Bai not only cooked the teppanyaki but also handled the money, keeping him incredibly busy.

If internet users from other places also flocked over, competing for the food… Yu Bai’s snack stall might turn into another “Qiaozi Snack Store,” where the queue seemed endless.

Sigh. Although the money they were working hard to earn now was enough to afford their daily afternoon tea or snacks, why was it so difficult for them to buy something they truly desired to eat?!

What everyone didn’t know was that while they were worrying about the possibility of missing out on Yu Bai’s teppanyaki, on the other side, Yu Bai was actively seeking suitable candidates.

When Chen Jing secured the commercial space at Sanjiaokou, Yu Bai discovered that Chen Jing hadn’t just secured the location at “Qiaozi Snack Store,” but had also managed to secure the adjacent shop.

It was said that the landlord who rented out the spaces had knocked down the wall between these two shops, effectively doubling the size of Yu Bai’s snack shop.

To secure such a large commercial space, the monthly rent was definitely not going to be cheap. Fortunately, Chen Jing informed Yu Bai that since he had secured both shops in one go, the landlord was willing to lower the rent a bit.

Although the rent was still slightly higher than desired, it was within Yu Bai’s budget.

With the shop’s expansion, the need for service windows and staff to attend to customers also increased.

It was impossible for Yu Bai to manage the business alone, so he needed to find some helpers.

Chen Jing and his current vision were to create two service windows in the snack shop: one for selling freshly made snacks and the other for selling pre-cooked braised dishes.

Assisting with the sale of pre-cooked braised dishes required individuals who had a basic understanding of cash handling, and were honest and diligent. This was relatively easier to find.

However, on the other side, managing the window for freshly made snacks would undoubtedly overwhelm Yu Bai if he did it alone.

Yu Bai needed someone who could come as close as possible to his culinary skills and learn to make the snacks he prepared.

But finding such a person was proving to be a challenge.

Because in his previous life, Yu Bai had been a world-class chef, and even though his culinary skills in this life were slightly inferior, they were still outstanding in any city across the country.

Moreover, someone with excellent culinary skills wouldn’t easily consider joining Yu Bai’s snack shop, would they?

Yu Bai interviewed several candidates in a row, but he wasn’t satisfied—most of the applicants had poor culinary skills.

As the month of March drew closer, with each passing day, the chosen day for the opening of the business was imminent.

Yu Bai was not someone who would compromise food quality for the sake of quantity.

If he couldn’t find suitable staff, he was prepared to manage the shop by himself.

However, luck was still on his side.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Yu Bai and Chen Jing’s busy preparations, someone reached out to them.

It was a young man, tall and thin, with a somewhat gaunt physique.

While conversing with Yu Bai and Chen Jing, his tone and gaze revealed exhaustion, and noticeable dark circles under his eyes—as if he had experienced a significant upheaval in the past few days, leading to restless nights.

Yu Bai was not a gossip-prone person.

However, it was evident that this person named “Yun He” was the only applicant, among the many Yu Bai had met recently, who truly fit the bill.

Yun He had been skilled in making snacks and pastries since he was young, often employing his creative ideas to concoct new flavors. This not only gave him a solid foundation in cooking but also equipped him with ample imagination to create new dishes.

Without exception, Yun He became the sole chef selected by Yu Bai.

Despite Yun He’s somewhat worn appearance, he was diligent and responsible when it came to preparing snacks.

Time flew by like a fleeting horse, and in the blink of an eye, March arrived.

Just as Yu Bai’s loyal customers were growing increasingly curious about the specific day in March when the shop would open—

On a certain day in March, Yu Bai dropped a bombshell in his social media circle.

【Apologies for keeping you all waiting. Our shop will officially open at Sanjiaokou tomorrow, March 14th. Please stay tuned.】

The well-known teppanyaki snack stall at Sanjiaokou, known to virtually everyone online, was finally going to reopen!

One of Yu Bai’s familiar customers must have shared his post with others… and within the span of a single night, nearly all the food enthusiasts who paid even a bit of attention to the culinary scene online were informed that the renowned snack stall in J City was about to reopen!

Chinese people are forever sensitive to good food.

As soon as the news of Yu Bai’s reopening spread online, a lively atmosphere immediately filled the virtual space.

[Finally open for business! I’ve been waiting from before the New Year until after… I thought I’d never get to taste teppanyaki in my lifetime!]

[I’ve already booked a flight, flying directly to J City tomorrow!]

Among these internet users, there were the wealthy enthusiasts who genuinely wanted to taste Yu Bai’s teppanyaki, as well as the internet celebrities seeking to ride the wave of hype generated by Yu Bai’s reopening.

Regardless of their intentions for coming to J City, their goal was the same.

A trip to J City wasn’t an easy feat. Only by tasting all of Yu Bai’s snacks in one go would their journey be worthwhile.

However… at this point, none of the internet users had anticipated that when Yu Bai reopened, he wouldn’t appear at Sanjiaokou as a snack stall owner, but as the proprietor of a snack shop.

Therefore, the snacks Yu Bai was selling this time weren’t limited to just teppanyaki, scallion pancakes, and roasted cold noodles.

The variety of snacks in his shop was even more extensive and diverse.

So… if they wanted to try all the snacks in Yu Bai’s shop, a single day wouldn’t be enough.

The next day.

Noon, twelve o’clock.

The first batch of customers had already arrived at Sanjiaokou.

Sanjiaokou had become livelier than ever, with not only snack stalls but also various vendors selling trinkets and novelties.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, snack stalls offering a variety of snacks gradually appeared on the streets of Sanjiaokou.

Normally, by this time, loyal customers should have already spotted Yu Bai’s snack stall, but they couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him.

The people at Sanjiaokou started growing restless and uneasy.

Could it be that Yao Bai was going to stand them up today?

Just then, the roll-up door of a closed shop on the side of Sanjiaokou was swiftly pulled open from the inside.

Warm and gentle afternoon sunlight streamed through the beautiful glass door into the interior.

Yu Bai was standing inside the shop, stretching lazily and basking in the spring sunlight.