"Hey! Have you heard? The Seventh Dining Hall is reopening tomorrow!"
"No way! Are you serious?"
"Of course, I’m serious! I saw the notice on the library bulletin board myself!"
"Thank heavens, it’s finally opening! You have no idea how I’ve survived this period; it’s been tears all the way!"
"Tch! You think you’re the only one suffering not being able to eat at the Seventh Dining Hall? It’s the sa for everyone, okay?"
"..."
"Girls, the Seventh Dining Hall is reopening tomorrow!"
"I know, I know! There’ll be food in the morning!"
"Boohoo, Senior Brother Jiang is so cruel, opening so late that I’ve lost ten pounds!"
"Isn’t losing weight good? Don’t go eating at the Seventh Dining Hall, or you’ll be back to rolling like a ball!"
"I don’t care, I just want to eat! I’m queuing up at five in the morning to fill up on soup dumplings!"
"..."
The news of the Seventh Dining Hall’s reopening spread instantly among Jiangzhou University students like a self-recorded voice broadcast.
Not only were various ssages flying around in WeChat and QQ groups, but the campus forum also posted about the dining hall’s reopening tomorrow.
In no ti, there were countless replies, and within a short period, it beca another hot topic.
At the sa ti, the official Douyin account of Jiangzhou University tily released the news:
"Jiang University Seventh Dining Hall will resu normal operations starting February 11, 2019. The reservation channel is now open again, with a daily limit of 50 people. Reservations are first-co, first-served, so hurry up!"
As soon as the news was out, followers started comnting:
"The Seventh Dining Hall is reopening, huh? I was too busy last year to go even though I made a reservation. This year, I finally have so free ti, and I must try the legendary Seventh Dining Hall!"
"I was lucky enough to eat there once last year, and I’m still savoring it. The food at the Seventh Dining Hall is amazing, I have to go again a few tis this year!"
"Such delicious food shouldn’t just be in a university dining hall! Why not open a restaurant outside to benefit more people?"
"Students are people too! Plus, I heard the Seventh Dining Hall is not just a student cafeteria anymore; they’ve converted the second floor into private rooms, and it might open to the public!"
"Are you for real?"
"If they open private rooms, that ans it’s open to the public. That would be great news, and everyone will have a chance to eat there!"
"Watching closely, waiting for further news!"
"..."
The private rooms on the second floor of the Seventh Dining Hall weren’t even officially launched, yet they already garnered significant attention from foodies, each eagerly anticipating them.
Given the situation, once the second-floor rooms open to the public, the re eight rooms surely won’t suffice, and who knows how intense the fight to book them will be then.
Of course, Jiang Yu was unaware of all this outside fuss.
It was already past seven in the evening, and after the reopening banquet, the dining hall staff helped tidy up. Once the dinnerware and kitchen were cleaned, they left early to rest up.
The Seventh Dining Hall would open early the next morning, so they took the chance to rest well and gather their energy.
Once everyone had left, only Jiang Yu and Lu Shuwu remained in the large kitchen.
"Brother Xiao Wu, you’ll still handle the dough while I prepare the filling. We’ll make a few soup dumplings in advance, and later, I’ll stew so hot brine. The rest of the work can wait until tomorrow morning."
Jiang Yu sat on a chair to catch his breath, then stood up and walked towards the prep room, speaking as he went,
"Tomorrow we can cook more kinds of porridge, like vegetable mushroom and lean pork porridge, century egg and lean pork porridge, or sausage porridge. We can also make sweet porridge like sweet potato porridge and eight-treasure porridge, giving students more options."
"You know what, that’s a great idea! A lot of girls love sweet porridge. A bowl of hot sweet porridge on a winter’s day warms you right up."
Lu Shuwu nodded and followed him into the prep room, smiling as he spoke,
"Besides, making porridge isn’t a big deal. It’s just about knowing what ingredients to add at different tis. When Feng Leqing cos tomorrow, I’ll have him keep watch."
"Yeah, but you’ll have to handle the seasoning. Xiaofeng lacks experience and might not get it right. It doesn’t matter much for sweet porridge, but too much salt in a savory porridge makes it undrinkable."
Jiang Yu turned to glance at Lu Shuwu, giving him a reminder. Feng Leqing had never properly cooked before, so he wouldn’t be as skilled as Lu Shuwu in seasoning, even if he had talent.
There’s an old saying that goes: good mory doesn’t beat a bad pen.
The sa logic applies to cooking as well. No matter how talented you are, without enough practical experience, it’s pointless.
Culinary skills aren’t conjured out of thin air; they’re honed dish by dish through cooking.
Lu Shuwu nodded and said, "Don’t worry, I wouldn’t trust such an important task to anyone else lightly."
With fewer people in the kitchen, everything becos much more convenient, whether it’s talking or working.
"The dishes in the dining hall shouldn’t change too frequently in the future. After all, every al has more than a dozen dishes for everyone to choose from, which is quite a lot. Seasonal vegetables can change with the season."
Jiang Yu continued to speak while chopping at, "The most important thing is that the secret recipes I taught you cannot be leaked. They are passed down from my ancestors."
"Yes, yes, I surely understand. To make such delicious dishes, these recipes are priceless. I’d have to be crazy to tell anyone else."
Lu Shuwu nodded repeatedly, saying seriously, "Boss, don’t worry. I won’t even tell my grandpa!"
"It’s not to that extent. I’ve told you, so it’s considered given to your Lu Family as long as you don’t pass it on further."
Jiang Yu waved his hand, smiling, and continued,
"When the second floor starts operating, the first-floor dining hall will depend on you. If I’m not busy, I’ll co down and teach you so more dishes."
"I’ll definitely handle the dining hall matters well."
Lu Shuwu responded, thought for a while, but couldn’t help saying,
"Besides, Boss, you’re not going far, just upstairs. If there’s really sothing, I can shout from downstairs, and you’ll hear ."
Jiang Yu: "..."
Do I not know I’m just upstairs? The problem is, if both upstairs and downstairs co to , how will I get anything done?
I just want to sneak in so laziness; is that not allowed?
Exhausted!
The two chatted idly, but their hands didn’t stop working, continuing to be busy until almost eleven o’clock when Jiang Yu and Lu Shuwu took a break and went upstairs to rest.
...
Early the next morning, as soon as the sky started to lighten, a noticeable number of students began to appear outside Seventh Dining Hall, most holding a book in their hands. At first glance, people couldn’t help but be impressed:
Students at Jiang University are so diligent, coming out to study early in the morning!
But with a bit of careful observation, you’ll find these students are rely using the guise of morning study to co early and wait for the dining hall to open for breakfast.
Look at them; the books in their hands flip a page only occasionally, while their eyes frequently glance toward the nearby Seventh Dining Hall. Under the dim streetlights, their eyes seem to be glowing green...
Who knows how long it was before a crisp "clang" suddenly ca from Seventh Dining Hall, the door opened.
In an instant, the students were like sprinters on the starting line hearing the starter’s pistol; their speed went from 0 to 100 in just 0.03 seconds, as fast as a gust of wind, appearing at the door of Seventh Dining Hall in the blink of an eye.
A large crowd squeezed in through the door like people rushing to catch a train during the Spring Festival, then quickly ran to the serving window to start lining up.
The line of students waiting to be served grew longer, in the blink of an eye reaching the dining hall entrance.
"We ca so early, yet still ended up at the entrance; these people just rush too fast!"
Linlin, slightly out of breath, had a faint sweat on her bright white forehead despite the weather still being a bit cold, showing how hard she ran earlier.
"It’s good enough to be at the entrance; there aren’t many people ahead anyway. Plus, there are no outsiders at Seventh Dining Hall now, everyone can get breakfast, sooner or later doesn’t really matter."
Liu Sili was standing right behind Linlin, seemingly not out of breath, whether it’s due to regular exercise or just not running hard earlier.
"Huh? Sili, you don’t seem hurried at all? Are you tired of the food at Seventh Dining Hall?"
"How could anyone tire of such delicious food?"
Liu Sili glanced at her, speaking sowhat puzzled, "I just think there’s no use in rushing, better to take it easy with peace of mind, right?"
Linlin shook her head in slight frustration, murmuring softly:
"I don’t understand your thinking; it’s always kind of quirky, not at all like a cute girl."
While the two talked, the food line began to move forward.
"Two baskets of soup dumplings! I haven’t had them for a month, been craving them!"
"You’re just craving dumplings? I love the hot braised options! I want four duck wings, two duck heads, two duck feet, and a big bowl of congee!"
"Wow! Senior Brother Jiang is so considerate! There are so many types of congee today, including my favorite sweet congee!"
"..."
As more students arrived for breakfast, the Seventh Dining Hall, which had been quiet all winter break, suddenly beca bustling again.
The once sowhat empty hall had a hint of chill in the air, but now it’s filled with steam, like a fairyland shrouded in mist.
The students were all very excited because Seventh Dining Hall added several types of congee, giving them more options.
What is this? This is Seventh Dining Hall and Senior Brother Jiang showing care for the junior students!
Such a considerate Senior Brother Jiang, who wouldn’t love him?
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