Chapter 273: Chapter 272 Lushan Cloud Mist Tea
So now the question arises, what exactly did Zhang Chu repair back then?
When Jiang Feng came out of the restroom, he happened to run into Lu Sheng, who had come out first and was washing his hands. A historic meeting took place at the washbasin by the menâs restroom door at Yonghe House between the behind-the-scenes owner of a new restaurant in Beiping and the owner of an established restaurant.
They looked each other in the eye, gazes intertwining.
âJiang Feng?â
âLu Sheng.â
This was the first meeting between Jiang Feng and Lu Sheng, or perhaps not the first, but they didnât know each other at the time of Xia Mushiâs funeral, so even if they had seen each other then, there was no impression left. Previously, Jiang Feng had only seen photos of Lu Sheng on his social media, and now seeing the man in person, Jiang Feng was surprised to find that Lu Sheng was really an honest fellow.
The photos posted on social media were taken with an original camera, the person looked exactly as they did in the photos, which made them easy to recognize.
âYou get here and donât even call me, what, chefs from Taifeng Building have to sneak around when they eat at Yonghe House?â Lu Sheng said with a smile.
Jiang Feng instantly found that feeling of chatting and joking in a WeChat group, laughing, âOf course I have to be sneaky about it, wouldnât it be bad to get caught?â
âWell then, I should thank you for bringing Yonghe House extra business. Itâs just a pity that I was busy during Taifeng Buildingâs opening and missed out on your Sweet and Sour Yam,â Lu Sheng said.
In Beipingâs circle of chefs, Jiang Fengâs Sweet and Sour Yam was far more famous than he was himself. Mention Jiang Feng and not everyone might know who youâre talking about, but mention the Sweet and Sour Yam that Taifeng Building limits to six servings each day, and everyone knows it.
âNext time youâre free, come to Taifeng Building, Iâll definitely save a serving for you,â Jiang Feng said.
âI remember you came here with your friend for a meal, what dishes did you order? Let me, the owner, give you some personal recommendations. Oh, and Iâve recently gotten hold of a box of fine tea leaves. Iâll go brew you a pot of tea, itâll be a good chance for your friend to sample our Yonghe House tea,â Lu Sheng said, grabbing Jiang Feng and leading him to see the newly acquired tea leaves.
âShredded Pork in Beijing Sauce, Pot-Stewed Meat, Oil-Poached Eggplant, Bicolored Prawns, Vegetarian Stewed White Fungus, and Stir-Fried Broccoli.â Jiang Feng began to list the dishes.
âQuite the connoisseur, I didnât expect you to actually know about ourâŠâ Lu Sheng was astonished.
âI know, Shredded Pork in Beijing SauceâŠâ
âThe really special dish in our restaurant is the Vegetarian Stewed White Fungus.â
Lu Sheng: ???
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Jiang Feng: ???
âThe Vegetarian Stewed White Fungus wasnât what you ordered?â
âIsnât Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce your restaurantâs specialty dish?â
The two stared at each other, dumbfounded.
Lu Sheng took Jiang Feng to the surveillance room, which was also his office, explaining as they walked.
âShredded Pork in Beijing Sauce is a popular dish for the masses, but Vegetarian Stewed White Fungus is our real specialty. Itâs like your Taifeng Buildingâs Chicken in Wine and Roasted Pig; our Tan Family Cuisine is banquet food, normally itâs not available unless you reserve it in advance,â Lu Sheng said, âIâd specifically instructed our waiter to bring the VIP menu to your table.â
âVIP menu?â
âHow could those old restaurants in Beiping have an Ordering System as comprehensive as yours at Taifeng Building? Arenât we all just handing over menus for customers to order from, and under normal circumstances, Tan Family dishes wouldnât be included in the regular menu,â Lu Sheng explained, âThat Ordering System of yours wasnât cheap, was it?â
âItâs not as expensive as you think,â Jiang Feng said with a laugh.
Lu Sheng loved tea, which was common knowledge. His social media was always filled with various types of tea leaves, from green to black, white, yellow, and oolong, his collection had it all.
Yonghe Houseâs tea was also famous, and many gourmets liked to meet up with a few friends there, ordering a table full of dishes and a pot of tea.
Lu Sheng took out a can of tea leaves from the cabinet and introduced it to Jiang Feng, âThis is Lushan Cloud Mist Tea. Iâve been looking for it for years and couldnât find any. It was Mr. Xu who recently managed to get a box. He doesnât drink green tea, so he passed it on to me.â
Jiang Feng nodded as if he understood, though he only knew about Lushan Cloud Mist Tea because he visited Mount Lu a few summers ago. Jiang Jiankang had bought two cans for Jiang Weiguo. They seemed to be of the kind from the lower mount, but he couldnât really tell the quality.
Jiang Feng didnât drink tea and had no research on it. As for tea beverages, he had drunk plenty, such as iced black tea and lemon tea during his junior and senior high school days.
Lu Sheng wasnât just a connoisseur; he also studied the art of making tea, but Jiang Feng couldnât understand any of it. The type of water used, the brewing method, the amount of tea, the number of rinses â it all looked the same to him.
As Jiang Feng watched Lu Sheng make tea, he pondered what exactly Zhang Chu had restored. His seeming distraction didnât escape Lu Shengâs notice. âWhatâs on your mind? Thinking about new dishes?â Lu Sheng asked.
âNot really, just curious about all the retro decor in Yonghe House and wondering how many of the items are relics from the previous dynasty,â Jiang Feng replied.
âNot many. Over 30 years ago, a fire started in the kitchen and burned all those antiques. I think I had just been born around that time. The fire almost completely destroyed the first floor, and the second floor lost many things too. Everything here now has been refurbished to look like before, but none of the old screens, paintings, or anything else survived,â Lu Sheng explained.
âThe entire first floor was burned? And the stairs too?â Jiang Feng asked in shock.
âAll gone. Back then, everything inside Yonghe House was wooden and easily caught fire. Itâs a shame about the screens, cabinets, and stairs. My dad told me that the screens and stairs in Yonghe House were handcrafted by a master carpenter named Jin. His unique craftsmanship is now hard to find,â said Lu Sheng.
Jiang Feng had originally guessed that Zhang Chu and his master might have come to repair major items like screens, railings, or staircases. But having just learned from Lu Sheng that all those items were destroyed in a fire 30 years ago, he felt uncertain.
The mission prompt suggested finding the object Zhang Chu had restored and getting his confirmation or remembering what exactly he had worked on would suffice. Since the prompt mentioned finding it, Jiang Feng believed the object Zhang Chu worked on must still be inside Yonghe House.
But what could it be?
Zhang Chu mentioned his master was a famous carpenter in Beiping City. Jin, the carpenter mentioned by Lu Sheng, might just be Zhang Chuâs master. Thirty years ago, the first floor of Yonghe House was completely destroyed by fire, and the second floor also suffered severe damage, leaving no old items untouched.
What wooden items remained on the second floor worth a famous carpenter taking his apprentice to repair in person?
At that moment, Jiang Feng felt as if he had picked up the wrong script.
Logically, he was supposed to be in an inspiring film about reviving his familyâs restaurant, or a business drama full of scheming and intrigue, or a lighthearted and hearty food show. So why did his script seem more like âDetective Conanâ? âTeaâs ready, care to have a taste?â Lu Sheng inquired. frŃewebηovel.cŃłm
âNo thanks, I prefer cold tea,â Jiang Feng politely declined.
âLushan Cloud Mist Tea boasts six exceptional qualities: bold and thick leaves, vibrant and lush, clear tea color, tender and even leaves, lingering aroma, rich and sweet flavor. To drink it cold would be a travesty, donât you think?â Lu Sheng said, his literary flair emerging whenever tea was the subject.
âI donât appreciate tea; drinking such fine tea would be a waste on me,â Jiang Feng said helplessly, âThereâs an old gentleman at our table; Iâll take the tea to someone who appreciates it.â
âRemember to drink it warm, donât let it get cold,â Lu Sheng reminded him.
Jiang Feng picked up the teapot and walked over to the table where Zhang Zhiyuan was sitting.