Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Cafeteria 7 Opens Tomorrow

Jiang Yu and Lu Shuwu were busy in the kitchen of the Seventh Dining Hall, while in the student dorms, both male and female students were having lively discussions.

“Ladies, the Seventh Dining Hall is opening tomorrow. Should we go and try it?”

“Do you even need to ask? With Senior Brother Jiang running it, the food can’t be bad!”

“But we have class at eight tomorrow morning, and the Seventh Dining Hall is so far away. It takes a long time to get there and back.”

“For a good bite, some people would fly; what’s a few extra steps for us?”

“Alright, then tomorrow morning, let’s head to the Seventh Dining Hall together from our dorm and grab some food!”

“…”

“Guys, we’re about to have a great time. Senior Brother Jiang’s Seventh Dining Hall is opening tomorrow!”

“Finally! I don’t even know how I got through these last seven days, I truly admire myself!”

“Once the Seventh Dining Hall opens tomorrow, I’ll bring a big bowl and eat to my heart’s content!”

“Set an alarm! Set an alarm! Let’s line up early tomorrow!”

“…”

“Good news! Good news! The Seventh Dining Hall is confirmed to open tomorrow!”

“Where did you hear that? Who told you?”

“I just passed by the Seventh Dining Hall and smelled a strong aroma of meat. That scent, oh my, it’s too good!”

“Really? Huaxia people don’t fool Huaxia people!”

“Truer than pearls!”

“Great, I’ll wake up early tomorrow to feast at the Seventh Dining Hall. I was nearly starved these past few days!”

“…”

Jiang University students were discussing heatedly, with messages all over QQ, yet the campus forum was surprisingly quiet, with no posts about the “Seventh Dining Hall opening tomorrow.”

It was as if all the students had come to a mutual agreement.

That evening, many students couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning like they had taken stimulants.

In the pitch-black dormitory buildings, countless restless souls were hidden.

…

While the students were eagerly awaiting dawn, Jiang Yu and Lu Shuwu were still busy in the kitchen of the Seventh Dining Hall.

They kept working until nearly midnight, both too exhausted to bother going back, so they quickly showered on the second floor of the Seventh Dining Hall and headed to their rooms to rest.

Jiang Yu didn’t know how long he had slept, only that it felt like he had just laid down when the alarm on his phone went off.

He glanced at his phone and immediately sat up in shock.

It was already four-thirty!

Today was the first day of opening, and there was so much to do. How could he afford to get up late?

He quickly jumped out of bed, got dressed, and headed to the bathroom to wash up. Just then, he saw Lu Shuwu emerge with sleepy eyes, clearly not well-rested.

“I’ll head downstairs to get started. If you haven’t slept enough, feel free to rest a bit more.”

Jiang Yu greeted him and then hurried downstairs.

Once in the kitchen, Jiang Yu went to the locker room and changed into a white short-sleeved chef uniform, put on a chef’s hat, and entered the workspace.

The kitchen air was still filled with a faint meaty scent.

Last night, Jiang Yu and Lu Shuwu had stewed duck feet, duck necks, duck wings, and eggs; after they were cooked, they turned off the heat and left them soaking in the marinade to absorb the flavors.

By now, these braised dishes had been soaking overnight, likely becoming even tastier.

Jiang Yu lifted the pot lid, and the rich scent of the marinade spread out, making his mouth water. Even though he hadn’t eaten breakfast, his stomach growled loudly.

But he didn’t have time for that now; he took the duck feet, duck necks, duck wings, and eggs out of the marinade and set them aside. He filtered the remaining marinade and put it into a container, sealed it with plastic wrap, and stored it in the fridge.

The marinade, also known as master stock, can be reused. The longer it’s preserved, the more aromatic it becomes, enhancing the flavor of the meat cooked in it.

“Wow! It smells amazing!”

Just after Jiang Yu put the marinade in the fridge, Lu Shuwu appeared energetically at the door, also donned in a chef’s uniform, looking much refreshed.

With a look of greed, Lu Shuwu approached the braised dishes, swallowed, and asked,

“Boss, can I taste it now?”

Jiang Yu smiled and said, “Go ahead and try it.”

“Thank you, Boss!”

Overjoyed, Lu Shuwu quickly washed his hands, grabbed some chopsticks, and picked up a duck foot and a wing, then retreated to the corner to savor them slowly.

After eating, he came over again, sporting a pained expression,

“Boss, I shouldn’t have eaten it.”

Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow, “Not good?”

“No, it’s too good. The duck feet are chewy and tasty, spicy and flavorful. The duck wings are firm, and the more you chew, the better they taste.”

Smacking his lips, Lu Shuwu patted his stomach and said,

“But I’ve only eaten one of each, and I’m hungrier than before!”

“You’re just supposed to taste, not fill your stomach. Finish the work first,”

Jiang Yu glanced at him, saying, “Go wash the rice and start cooking the porridge. There’s a lot to do. After I finish with the braised dishes, I need to make the soup dumpling filling.”

“Alright, I’ll eat more later!”

Lu Shuwu nodded and turned to get started.

Jiang Yu headed to the prep area and picked out some fresh peppers, garlic, and cilantro, washed and chopped them, then put on disposable gloves. He cut the whole duck necks into sections but left the duck feet, wings, and eggs untouched, placing them into four separate stainless steel trays.

Then he divided the chopped peppers, minced garlic, and cilantro into four portions and mixed them in.

The marinade for the braised dish has its own flavor. Once it’s braised well, it can be eaten right away. Jiang Yu adds some fresh chili peppers, minced garlic, and cilantro, not only to make the braised dish look more appealing but also to enhance its aroma.

At this point, the braised dish is ready to be sold at any time.

Jiang Yu wraps four trays with cling film, puts them in the refrigerator, and then prepares to head back to the workroom to prepare the filling.

As soon as he leaves the side dish room, he notices the arrival of Ma Guoqiang and He Chunxiao, and he can’t help but smile:

“Master Ma, Master He, you’re here early?”

“For breakfast, if we don’t get up early to prepare, what will the guests eat?”

Ma Guoqiang waves his hand and says with a smile,

“Boss Xiao Jiang, just call me Lao Ma from now on. We’re all going to work together, and calling me ’Master Ma’ all the time makes us seem estranged.”

“That’s right, Boss Xiao Jiang, don’t call me Master He anymore. If you don’t mind, you can just call me Sister He.” He Chunxiao nods in agreement.

“Alright then, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

Jiang Yu smiles and says,

“Uncle Ma, Sister He, you just do the same buns and steamed buns as yesterday afternoon. I’ll need to make a few soup dumplings later.”

“Alright, we’ll get started right away.”

Making buns and steamed buns is second nature to Ma Guoqiang and He Chunxiao, it’s as simple as can be.

The two of them immediately divide the tasks, with Ma Guoqiang preparing the filling and He Chunxiao making the dough, quickly getting to work.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yu isn’t idle either. He heads to the side dish room and starts preparing the filling for the soup dumplings.

In no time, the four people in the kitchen are all busy with their tasks, pots and pans clanging, the atmosphere bustling with activity.

…

In dormitory room 202 of the girls’ dormitory.

Linlin, half-asleep and half-awake, suddenly hears a rustling sound from the next bed. She squints her eyes to look down and sees Liu Sili already awake, sitting on the bed putting on clothes.

She can’t help but ask softly, “Sili, what time is it?”

“It’s five-thirty.”

“Why are you up so early?”

“I’m going to study some vocabulary. This year, I have to pass the CET-4 exam.”

After getting dressed, Liu Sili climbs down from the bed, puts on her shoes, and says softly,

“While I’m memorizing words, I might as well head to the Seventh Dining Hall early to queue up. I’m telling you, it’s going to be packed today, and if we’re late, we won’t get anything to eat!”

“Oh, right! The Seventh Dining Hall is opening today!”

Upon hearing this, Linlin instantly wakes up, jumps out of bed, gets dressed quickly, then puts on her shoes and excitedly says to Liu Sili,

“Hehe, I’ll join you in studying vocabulary!”

“…”

Liu Sili shakes her head in exasperation and says,

“Since we’re both up, let’s wake the other two too. Otherwise, when they wake up and find we’re gone, they’ll definitely scold us for not sharing.”

“Of course, we must share good food with our best friends.”

Linlin giggles, walks to the door, and turns on the switch. The energy-saving light on the ceiling instantly brightens the room, interrupting the dreams of the other two:

“Who turned on the light? It’s only five-thirty!”

“Aww, I was just about to marry my dream guy. Who ruined my beautiful dream?”

“…”

“Alright, alright, stop whining. Do you want to eat the dishes Senior Brother Jiang made?”

Liu Sili can’t help but roll her eyes. Oh man, too scared to talk to the dream guy during the day, but brave enough to marry him in a dream at night, really impressive!

She says in a slightly annoyed tone,

“If you want to eat, take five minutes to get dressed and freshen up. If not, you can keep sleeping, but we’re leaving first.”

“Eat, eat, eat! Who wouldn’t want to eat the dishes Senior Brother Jiang made? Sili, wait for me!”

“I want to eat too! What’s the use of a dream guy, you can’t eat him!”

“…”

The two girls, acting all crazy, throw off their blankets and quickly get dressed, climbing down from their beds.

After the four of them take turns freshening up, they each grab a copy of the CET-6 vocabulary book and head straight towards the Seventh Dining Hall.

…

Not just Liu Sili’s room, but similar scenes are happening in other dormitories, whether male or female.

The soup dumpling shop was closed for a full seven days during the National Day holiday, leaving many people craving with desire.

Now it’s the first day of the Seventh Dining Hall’s opening, and Senior Brother Jiang is clearly going to introduce many new dishes. Who can resist?

So, not long after Liu Sili and the others left, various sounds of waking up, movement, and freshening up started coming from each floor of the dormitory building…

Soon, students started to trickle out of the dormitory doors. As soon as they stepped outside, they quickened their pace, as if they were about to meet a loved one, filled with anticipation.

The opening time of the Seventh Dining Hall is the same as that of the Second Dining Hall, at seven in the morning.

Just before six o’clock, what was usually a desolate sports field suddenly became bustling with people.

These people sat in the stands, wandered across the wide field, or strolled through the nearby grove, each holding a book, occasionally glancing down at it, then frowning in silent recitation, looking very serious and diligent.

This scene left Boss Zhao, who was delivering food on his tricycle, somewhat stunned, secretly amazed:

The students at Jiang University are really diligent, getting up so early to study. How could their future achievements be anything but great?

Jiang Yu, however, looked a bit exasperated: These juniors and juniors, they really go all out for a bite to eat!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep