Is the beginning of a catastrophe? The little farm cook is raising a family with a full warehouse.

Chapter 154: Advance and Retreat

The night is as dark as ink, slowly spreading and gradually burying the hustle and bustle of the day.

A bright moon quietly climbed up the branches, reflecting the scattered lights on the street. Cheng Yuntao pushed her stall cart and came to the familiar street corner.

Wisps of mist slowly drifted away from the stall, like a layer of gauze, appearing and disappearing under the dim light, attracting the attention of passers-by.

"Are you planning to sell soup dishes? I can vaguely smell the aroma, it's quite tempting!" Diners gathered around one after another, and someone in the crowd shouted curiously, "Isn't the theater performing "Butterfly Lovers" tonight? I thought Miss Cheng would make pastries like butterfly cakes!"

Cheng Yuntao smiled and replied crisply, "I was being lazy today and made a butterfly fish dumpling that was handed down from my ancestors."

"Butterfly fish dumplings? I seem to have heard of them, but I've never tried them myself. I'm in for a treat today."

There were many knowledgeable and experienced people in the crowd. An elderly man stroked his beard and said leisurely, "Legend has it that a chef was moved by the ending of the opera, Liang Zhu, who turned into butterflies and flew away, and created this dish."

Seeing everyone around him fascinated by his words, he paused for a moment and continued, "The chef used fish as the skin and pork as the filling, and after many attempts, he finally created dumplings that resembled butterflies."

Someone in the crowd couldn't help but interject, "How does it taste?"

The old man laughed heartily and said, "According to rumors, the taste is so delicious that it can make your tongue fall off after one bite. As for whether this rumor is true or not, you have to try it yourself to find out."

There was a commotion in the crowd, and many people immediately took out money, clamoring to try it.

“Give me a bowl!”

"Give me one too, I'm raring to go!"

Cheng Yuntao put the fish dumplings into the pot one by one according to the amount, while Jiang Yu helped collect the money.

As the steam rose, the fish dumplings gradually became crystal clear, and the pink meat filling inside could be vaguely seen. Soon, bowls of steaming fish dumplings were served to the diners.

The butterfly fish dumplings just out of the pot look very tempting. The dumpling skin is as thin as paper and has a translucent texture. It has a warm luster under the light and the edges are slightly curled, just like a butterfly spreading its wings to fly, lifelike.

The fish dumpling wrappers, made from fresh fish, are delicately ground and glistening, offering a perfect texture like creamy fat, a soft, lustrous sheen, and a perfectly springy texture with every bite. The filling is generous, with a perfect balance of fat and lean pork, tender and smooth shrimp, and soft, tender mushrooms. The distinct layers of flavor complement each other perfectly. The overall texture is tender, soft, and refreshing, and even eating several dumplings doesn't feel greasy.

After tasting the dish, all the diners praised it highly.

Feng Mulin and Li Yuanyuan arrived a little late tonight, but fortunately they caught the last bus. The butterfly fish dumplings were not sold out yet. After getting their own portion of fish dumplings, they sat down casually at a small table nearby and started eating.

In the past, they would never have imagined themselves eating at a street table without any image, after all, it was too cheap.

But now, Cheng Yuntao's food is so delicious, the stall is bustling with people and is very popular. They know that if they don't eat it, there will be many people rushing to eat it, and if they come too late, they will really miss it.

While there were many customers, Cheng Yuntao said something: "Everyone, my stall has to close for a day tomorrow."

She raised her voice, and the crisp sound spread in front of the busy stall. When everyone heard it, their movements involuntarily slowed down a bit.

Before everyone could recover from the shock, Cheng Yuntao continued, "In the future, I might also open a stall based on my mood, and I may not be here every day."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a sudden cry of grief in front of the stall.

"No! We've only been setting up the stall for a few days, why are you closing it down like that?!"

"I just joined in on the fun today. If I had known it would be like this, I should have come two days ago."

"Miss Cheng, are you in trouble? If you have any difficulties, please tell us. We may be able to help you."

Cheng Yuntao waved her hand and was about to explain to everyone when a middle-aged businessman suddenly emerged from the crowd. He was wearing a silk robe and spoke earnestly.

"Miss Cheng, I have a shop on East Street with a great location. As long as you agree to open the shop every day, the shop will be yours. With your skills, you should have a decent place to display them. Why do you have to set up a stall here?"

The diners around took advantage of the excitement and started to chime in.

"Mr. Zhao is always generous!"

"Miss Cheng, this is a great opportunity, don't miss it!"

Faced with this unexpected hospitality, Cheng Yuntao quickly refused: "Sir, I appreciate your kindness, but I set up this stall just to be free and casual. I have no intention of opening a store yet."

The businessman still didn't give up. He stepped forward and said, "Miss Cheng, this is such a good opportunity, are you really not going to consider it again?"

Cheng Yuntao expressed her gratitude again, but still refused. The other party was a little disappointed, but there was nothing she could do but sigh and leave.

Jiang Yu's face was full of confusion. He approached Cheng Yuntao and asked in a low voice, "Yuntao, why do you have to take a day off tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is the fifteenth, isn't it? I promised Boss Ji that I would go to his house and prepare a dinner for him on the fifteenth of every month. This month, we only started setting up our stall near the middle of the month, and it happened within two days."

"Since I've already promised them, I naturally have to do it well. Boss Ji is a picky person. I guess if I want to satisfy him, I have to start preparing all the necessary ingredients from early in the morning. Naturally, I won't have time to set up the stall anymore, so I just stopped."

After hearing Cheng Yuntao's explanation, Jiang Yu's eyes flashed with understanding, but he suddenly remembered the scene of being deliberately stopped outside Ji's house some time ago, and he still felt a little aggrieved.

"I see. Then I'll follow you tomorrow and hide in the dark to protect you."

Jiang Yu was worried about Cheng Yuntao going to Ji's Mansion alone, but he also knew that he could not enter the mansion, so he could only wait nearby. If anything went wrong, he could come to Cheng Yuntao's side as soon as possible.

"it is good."

With Jiang Yu protecting her in secret, Cheng Yuntao felt a lot more relaxed. She had only dealt with Boss Ji briefly twice and didn't even know what he looked like. Judging from his voice, he was no more than thirty years old.

At such a young age, he has created so much wealth. He is definitely not a simple character. It is better to be careful.

Then, Jiang Yu curiously asked, "Yun Tao, are you really going to set up a stall as you please in the future? Aren't you afraid that your customers will run away?"

"The reason I set up the stall at my own pace is, firstly, because setting up a stall is hard work, and I don't want to push myself too hard, I want to take it easy; secondly, I also want everyone to know that if you want to taste my cooking, money alone is not enough, it depends on fate."