In the large pot, Jiang Feng began to make tofu pudding. Large lumps of soy milk protein coagulated, gathering at the bottom of the pot. After ladling out the excess water, the delicious tofu pudding was ready. With only one stove available, Jiang Feng had also prepared an electric pot; after plugging it in, he poured oil into it, ready to fry dough sticks as well.
Today’s breakfast specialty:
Tofu pudding: 15 yuan per bowl.
The secret seasonings were all prepared. When it was ti, he would ladle a bowl of tofu pudding for a guest, sprinkle the seasonings on top, and the red chili and green scallions would create an appealing contrast on the pure white tofu pudding.
Everything was ready.
After the back mountain was opened to tourists, visitors began ascending the stairs toward it, eager to enjoy the view from the summit. The vast majority of them were unaware that a new breakfast stall had appeared at the top. Although the breakfast stall’s offerings were limited—only soy milk, dough sticks, and tofu pudding—the thought of sitting at the mountaintop, sipping warm soy milk while admiring the expansive view, felt exceptionally appealing.
「Around 7 o’clock.」
The first group of tourists reached the summit. Among them were two strong young n and one with a deathly pale face.
"Are you okay?" one of the young n in front asked.
"No problem, I’m fine," the pale-faced young man responded.
The pale-faced young man was Wu An, a self-proclaid "crispy college student." At this mont, every part of Wu An felt like jelly—only his words were tough. A man couldn’t admit he wasn’t okay. Even though he was exhausted, he pushed himself onward.
It wasn’t entirely his fault. Wu An’s physique was average, but his two classmates were total beasts when it ca to fitness. They loved working out and running on weekdays, and their weekends were often spent hiking and trekking in the mountains. Today was a weekend, and the two had dragged Wu An along to climb Mount Qingcheng. Their legs seed to have springs, moving rapidly the entire way, while Wu An could only do his best to keep up.
"The renovation work on this back mountain area is still ongoing. Who knows when it’ll be finished!" the young man in front remarked with a sigh.
"Hang in there! The summit is just a bit further. We can rest as much as we like then," the other young man consoled Wu An.
"No worries, I’m good. Let’s keep going," Wu An said, waving his hand.
The three continued forward. After just a few more steps, they sensed so activity nearby. Turning their heads, they saw, to their utter surprise, a breakfast stall open for business!
What in the world? All three were sowhat astonished.
"Am I seeing things?" exclaid the young man in the lead. He had visited Mount Qingcheng several tis before, and this area had always been quite desolate. How could there possibly be a breakfast stall here now?
"Am I seeing things?" Wu An also exclaid, genuinely wondering if hunger was making him hallucinate. A breakfast stall?
"There’s tofu pudding! They have tofu pudding here! I want a bowl of tofu pudding!" Wu An declared, refusing to walk another step. He quickly made his way towards the food stall.
Seeing his eagerness, the other two followed. They had already reached the summit, so there was no rush.
Soon, the three arrived at Jiang Feng’s stall. Jiang Feng looked familiar, as if they had seen him online sowhere. However, since they didn’t watch many short videos, they didn’t dwell on it.
When Wu An appeared before Jiang Feng, Jiang Feng was taken aback. The man’s face was deathly pale, his eyes unfocused, and his stance unsteady.
Please don’t let him collapse here!
"Are you all right?" Jiang Feng asked with concern.
"Boss, I want a bowl of tofu pudding and a bowl of soy milk," Wu An imdiately ordered. He felt quite weak at the mont and had no appetite for dough sticks. So hot soy milk and a bowl of tender tofu pudding sounded perfect.
"Okay, take a seat. Coming right up," Jiang Feng replied.
The other two ordered the sa. Sun Zhuangfei promptly went to serve three bowls of soy milk. Jiang Feng, anwhile, scooped tofu pudding from the bottom of the pot into small bowls and then brought out his secret sauce. This sauce contained chili, broad bean paste, salt, minced garlic, MSG, chicken essence, light soy sauce, sesa oil, and chopped scallions. Just looking at it was enough to make one’s mouth water uncontrollably. Pouring this mixture over the tofu pudding, the spicy tofu pudding was ready.
Soon, the three bowls of tofu pudding were also served.
Wu An was truly famished. He let the soy milk cool for a mont, then picked up the bowl and, GULP, GULP, GULP, drank it all down. The soy milk was slightly sweet, fragrant, and rich, feeling very comforting as it went down.
"Ah! Refreshing!" he exclaid, feeling himself co back to life. The warmth spread from his stomach throughout his body, making him feel a little warr. His appetite hadn’t been strong initially, but after drinking the soy milk, his stomach imdiately started to growl.
After finishing the soy milk, Wu An let out a deep breath. His palate leaned towards spicy and salty flavors, so the sweet soy milk had rely served as an appetizer. Just then, his eyes fell upon the tempting tofu pudding. It was covered with chili and scallions, glistening with red oil. It was the kind of tofu pudding one might find in a Wang Wey poem.
Wu An picked up a disposable spoon and imdiately scooped up a mouthful. The spoon held tender tofu, chili, and scallions, with red oil slowly trickling over it. He eagerly put the tofu pudding into his mouth. With one bite, the bland tofu and the fragrant, spicy seasoning exploded with flavor simultaneously. That familiar, satisfying sensation instantly spread throughout his body.
Locals loved spicy food. Whether it was grilled skewers, hot pot, or street snacks, everything had to have red chili oil and various seasonings. Only then could one truly savor the al. Tofu pudding also fit this style. It wasn’t advisable to eat anything too greasy in the morning, making a serving of tofu pudding just right. In the evening, however, when the body’s tabolism was fully active, more intensely flavored skewers would be more suitable.
"This seasoning... it’s so fragrant!" Wu An exclaid, his vitality visibly returning. His sowhat pale face gradually beca rosy. Jiang Feng’s bowl of tofu pudding was like a miracle cure, as if miracle healer Hua Tuo had returned or master physician Bian Que had been reincarnated. It had actually energized Wu An!
The other two young n also ate with great relish.
"Boss, get another bowl of tofu pudding! This is too delicious!" one of them said, having devoured his bowl in a few bites and still feeling unsatisfied.
At 15 yuan a bowl, the tofu pudding wasn’t cheap, but good food was more important. Besides, none of the three young n had girlfriends, so they had so spare cash. They readily ordered another 15-yuan bowl.
Jiang Feng quickly served them another bowl. Considering that more custors would be arriving, he quietly added a line to his sign:
Premium Tofu Pudding: 15 yuan per bowl, limit two bowls per person.
After all, the system task required a certain number of custors, so he needed to let more people have a taste.
Wu An also finished two bowls of the spicy tofu pudding. Afterward, he felt completely revitalized. His body felt like his own again.
"Ah, that hit the spot!" he sighed with satisfaction.
At that mont, several more hikers started arriving in dribs and drabs. So went straight to the peak, only coming down to the stall area after admiring the view for a while.
Wu An and his friends took a short break. His two sturdy friends turned to Wu An, and one asked with a smile, "How about it? Are you okay to keep going?"
Wu An instantly straightened up. "How could I not be? I’m full of energy!" he declared. "Let’s go, to the top of the mountain!"
All three stood up and climbed the final stretch of stairs to the summit. The summit was a large, open area of uneven terrain, overgrown with weeds. From the peak, one could gaze down at the scenery below.
Perhaps because they had just eaten breakfast, all three felt particularly energetic. The weather was clear that day, making the view below exceptionally vivid. Even though it was autumn, the mountain forests remained lush and green, seemingly untouched by the changing season.
"Eating tofu pudding and then looking at the mountains—what a great feeling!" one of the energetic young n said, stretching contentedly.
"Indeed, it’s quite enjoyable," the other athletic young man nodded in agreent, highly appreciative.
"It’s just that the wind is a bit strong, makes it a little chilly," the sowhat slimr Wu An added.
There was once a popular saying online: "Journey far to a stunning feast in the mortal world, yet eat instant noodles atop Mount Laojun." It ant that climbing to the summit of Mount Laojun, admiring the mountain scenery while eating a bowl of instant noodles, was one of life’s great pleasures. Subsequently, the top of Mount Laojun beca littered with instant noodle containers, much to the exhaustion of the scenic area’s cleaning staff. Nevertheless, this illustrated that eating sothing hot and steaming at a mountaintop, dispelling the body’s chill, was indeed extrely comforting.
That was exactly how Wu An and his friends felt now. Their bodies were warm from the inside out. The warmth ca from the soy milk, and the comfort from the spicy tofu pudding—all thanks to Jiang Feng’s little stall.
"This stall is really good. Just now, I heard soone nearby say that the owner seems quite skilled," one of the athletic young n comnted again.
"I have an impression of him too. He’s a great chef, really popular!" the other athletic young man concurred.
Wu An, who had seen Jiang Feng’s videos, chid in. "Wasn’t he selling Sichuan cuisine not so long ago? The place was so crowded it caused traffic jams.
"He’s incredibly skilled, but he just enjoys setting up stalls in different places, selling all sorts of delicious food.
"I never expected him to be up here on the summit.
"It’s all thanks to him! That tofu pudding really hit the spot!"
The three of them were overjoyed. They were a microcosm of the many hikers that day. A small stall selling soy milk, dough sticks, and tofu pudding at the mountaintop had made the final part of their climb much more pleasant. The custors enjoyed a delicious breakfast and felt a great sense of satisfaction.
This, too, could be described as:
Ascending steep stone paths of the cold mountain, eating tofu pudding on Mount Qingcheng.
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