Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 393 - 394: Sudden Incident—Cooking for Grandma Gua?
"Yuanshan brother, Yuanshan brother!"
Early in the morning, just as Zhuo Yuanshan arrived at the farm, he saw the town official, Alimu, waving at him from afar, with a stranger standing beside him.
Zhuo Yuanshan was a bit puzzled, wondering why they came to block him so early in the morning.
Alimu quickly approached Zhuo Yuanshan and said, "Yuanshan brother, a friend from the city is looking for you for something. Be careful with your words."
Zhuo Yuanshan glanced at the stranger, who smiled at him.
Alimu smiled and said, "Yuanshan brother, let me introduce you. This is a friend from the city who came asking for your help. If you can, please don’t refuse."
Zhuo Yuanshan nodded, "Tell me what help you need first; I can’t promise I can assist."
Bai Zongchen took two steps forward, reaching out his hand earnestly, "Hello, Brother Yuanshan. I actually have a rather awkward request. If you can, please help us."
Zhuo Yuanshan shook hands with him, suspiciously asking, "Is it related to Wang Fan?"
Bai Zongchen nodded directly, "That’s right."
"Then why don’t you go directly to him? Why always find me? He’s not even my son-in-law yet."
Mr. Zhuo was very reluctant to be the go-between, making it seem like he was forcing that kid to do things, even though he hasn’t married my daughter yet, and I’m already treating him like a son?
Bai Zongchen said solemnly, "There’s really no other way. His contribution to the city and even to our entire Great Border is too significant. We have to ask for your help."
"The entire Great Border?"
"It’s not an exaggeration to say the entire Huaxia."
"???"
Mr. Zhuo was taken aback, realizing from Alimu’s words that this person must hold an unusual position and wouldn’t be making baseless claims. But who could be so significant to all of Great Border and even Huaxia and still have a connection to me?
Bai Zongchen said, "Let me tell you her story, and after hearing it, you can decide whether to help us."
"In 1958, a lady spent four years traveling with her colleagues through over 300 production teams, collecting all the melon varieties in three counties of the Tufan area, creating the first complete melon record in Great Border’s history.
She organized, purified, reproduced, and promoted the collected varieties, eventually covering 80% of the major melon-producing areas in our Great Border, generating tens of billions in economic benefits.
In 1984, in the twenty-fourth group of seeds, Wu Ming cultivated sweet and crispy watermelons, naming them ’Zaojia 8424.’ She taught the planting techniques for free to our melon farmers, allowing Huaxia’s best-tasting watermelons to quickly take root here, making Huaxia the largest watermelon producer and consumer in the world, allowing Huaxia’s people to be the first to achieve ’melon freedom’. "
"Enough, I’ll go!"
Mr. Zhuo interrupted Bai Zongchen, tears already welling up in his eyes.
"Stop, or I’ll start crying."
As soon as Bai Zongchen started speaking, he knew who he was talking about. Who else could it be but that grandmother who dedicated almost her entire life to Great Border and retired at the age of 87?
"Has she... has she returned to Great Border? Is she in good health?"
Bai Zongchen sighed, "She’s 94 now; how well can she be? She developed Alzheimer’s before..."
He didn’t finish, but his tone was already full of sadness.
Mr. Zhuo couldn’t hold back his tears this time, despite always priding himself as a tough man.
He vaguely remembered seeing that grandmother when he was young, her smile always so kind, and the melons and watermelons she gave were so delicious...
Now that he’s grown up, that grandmother must be even older.
"Tell me the request, I’ll talk to that kid. I’ll tie him up if I have to."
Bai Zongchen nodded, "The elderly lady has given everything to our Great Border, and naturally, we want to offer her the best. Older people need lighter meals, so Southern Border’s cuisine would be more suitable. However, after asking around in Southern Border, everyone says that Mr. Zaike is the best at handling lamb, but he’s unwilling to go, saying that Mr. Wang’s skills far surpass his, and he doesn’t dare to show off. So that’s why we came to you."
Mr. Zhuo snorted, "You came to the right person. How could Zaike’s old man’s skills be worthy of her mouth?"
After yesterday’s hot pot, Mr. Zhuo had no doubt about Wang Fan’s culinary skills, which can only be described as unfathomable.
Even a simple hot pot was made like a full Manchu-Han banquet, so the grandmother’s meals must also be made by that kid!
"Leave it to me, I’ll tell him," Mr. Zhuo promised assuredly, then strode into his own farm.
Alimu sighed helplessly, feeling that Great Border seems to owe more and more to Wang Fan.
The man came here for a vacation, solving poverty and promoting the area, yet the hard work still always finds its way to him. You can’t expect a single sheep to make him do so much work, can you?
Bai Zongchen exhaled in relief; with Boss Wang’s father-in-law stepping in, this matter is as good as done.
When they picked Wang Fan, they undoubtedly did some investigation, and what they found left them wide-eyed.
No one expected such a big fish to be hidden in such an inconspicuous little place.
His culinary skills are incredibly high, with not a single poor review of the food he prepares, attracting fans worldwide to chase after a bite, even receiving praise from the Cantonese Cuisine master.
Most importantly, he has even been commended by the official media.
This official media is way above their local media’s level, truly not a place for just anyone.
Wang Fan was getting ready to prepare today’s ingredients when he saw Mr. Zhuo approaching with a menacing expression, leaving him puzzled.
He thought he had served well enough last night without any slight; why the angry look then?
"Let’s go, we won’t be cooking here today."
"Huh?"
Wang Fan gaped, completely clueless about what was happening.
"Do you know why we have melon freedom now?"
Mr. Zhuo didn’t elaborate, instead asking a question.
Wang Fan nodded, "Because Grandma Wu developed many excellent melon varieties, ending Huaxia’s era of ’surprise boxes’ when growing melons."
Mr. Zhuo was surprised, "You actually know?"
Wang Fan said, "I know some of the old scientists; they’re my idols."
When Wang Fan was a child, he loved reading books about these scientists. Even though his talent didn’t eventually lead him down the tech path, they remained his idols.
"Since you know, it should be easier. In the following days, you are responsible for cooking for her."
"What?!"
Wang Fan’s mouth dropped as wide as a hippo’s, utterly stunned by the news.
"What do you mean? Can you do it?"
"Of course, I have to use everything I’ve learned!"
Forget the system task; though today is the last day, Wang Fan was trembling with excitement at the thought of cooking for that grandmother personally.
So what about the system task, recipes, levels, and points!
There will be opportunities for rewards and improvement in the future, and even if there were no more recipe rewards, he absolutely wouldn’t regret this decision.
