Everyone couldn't stop thinking about the delicious pork they had eaten.
Liu Chef was puzzled that the pork he bought from the market just wasn't as tasty as the one they had that day.
Fortunately, they still had some ribs, pork knuckles, and trotters left. Next time, he'd have to prepare them carefully.
Liu Chef said to Shen Wei, "Can you take me to see the pig farm?" Chef Chen happened to overhear this.
Chef Chen said, "Let's go together," with a hint of caution.
After all, there was the precedent of the vegetable garden.
Liu Chef really liked to show off his things.
The vegetables were one thing; they'd grow back after being picked, and they had more than they could eat. They could give the excess to fans or students' parents.
Liu Chef meant well, but who knew this would unleash such trouble.
Ever since people had tasted their vegetables, they became fixated, constantly wanting to buy them.
The more they couldn't buy them, the more people wanted them.
Over time, it became like a luxury item.
Colleagues in the culinary world had heard about it and jokingly asked if they could send them some.
The vegetables weren't that precious.
They could be sent.
But the quality of their vegetables was undeniable.
They were afraid people would get addicted and want more.
What started as a kind gesture had created countless troubles.
Liu Chef and Shen Wei left when it was only 8 o'clock.
Jiang Xun was keeping an eye on things in the kitchen. His cooking was also delicious, so Liu Chef felt at ease leaving him in charge.
Liu Chef was now preoccupied with the pig farm.
After eating the pork, he increasingly felt that Shen Wei was really onto something.
Previously, a single vegetable garden had already won over so many people.
Now there was a pig farm too.
Liu Chef couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from turning up.
Shen Wei took Liu Chef and Chef Chen to see the farm together.
These two were the people most interested in the pig farm.
Previously, when Shen Wei wanted to set up a pig farm, it was Chef Chen who had made connections, finding his own relatives to help out.
Now the pigs were being raised in excellent condition.
Just by looking at how fat the pigs were, you could tell they had found the right people for the job.
This also put Shen Wei's mind at ease.
On the way, Shen Wei had already told them that the pig farm was quite substantial, with 202 pigs.
These pigs could mate and produce even more piglets.
Liu Chef's heart was burning with excitement, wishing he could teleport to the pig farm instantly.
The farm was located in the suburbs, about an hour's drive away.
When they arrived, they headed straight for their destination.
The two chefs found that the place was built very nicely and was quite large.
It was also very clean, so while there was some smell, it was tolerable.
Not at all the overpowering stench they had imagined.
The feeding system was very modern.
There was even straw bedding where the pigs could roll around.
As soon as they entered, they saw pigs of all sizes crowding around their food troughs, eagerly burying their snouts in the feed.
The couple running the farm saw Shen Wei and Chef Chen arrive and immediately came over to greet them.
Shen Wei said, "We're just here for a casual look, please carry on with your work."
They were still holding large pots of cooked pig feed, which made it inconvenient to come over.
Cooking food for so many pigs was quite tiring.
However, the couple running the pig farm were both capable workers. Cooking pig feed was laborious, but the pigs ate well and were less likely to get sick.
Seeing the pigs grow fatter day by day, the couple was satisfied.
Liu Chef's eyes were fixed on the pigs.
He looked at one, then another, thinking all the pigs were wonderful.
Remembering the taste of the pork they had eaten yesterday, he became increasingly excited.
He even started salivating as he thought about various specialty dishes.
Chef Chen didn't miss a single one of Liu Chef's reactions.
Chef Chen said from the side, "You won't be sending these out to people left and right this time, right?"
Liu Chef replied, "Of course not, don't worry about that."
Now Liu Chef was regularly receiving all sorts of calls from people asking for vegetables.
Many were old customers or people he couldn't afford to offend.
He had gradually realized the trouble his impulsive actions had caused.
For good vegetables like tomatoes, Chef Chen would freeze any excess.
Tomatoes were sweet and sour, easily releasing juice when stir-fried, and no matter how they were prepared, they tasted more like real tomatoes than those sold in the market.
Even freshly picked tomatoes could be eaten as fruit, full of juice, quenching thirst and refreshing.
Other vegetables had their unique uses too.
In Chef Chen's view, Liu Chef's habit of giving them away was simply wasteful.
This time, Liu Chef apologized sincerely.
Chef Chen gave a cold snort without answering, clearly not believing him.
Liu Chef felt embarrassed.
Afterwards, Chef Chen chatted with his relatives for a while about the pigs. He said if they couldn't reach Shen Wei, they could contact him instead.
Initially, when Shen Wei wanted to build the pigsty, it was Chef Chen who had taken the lead.
Chef Chen felt an inexplicable sense of responsibility.
Seeing Chef Chen say this, the relatives immediately agreed.
They were earning several hundred thousand a year here, all thanks to Chef Chen.
They also had two helpers working under them, earning more than before and with less effort.
They were certainly committed to doing a good job.
So the couple running the pig farm thumped their chests, promising to take good care of the pigs.
As they walked out, they saw the big pigs, and Liu Chef wanted to eat pork again.
But remembering what Shen Wei had said, these pigs could grow up to 800 jin (400 kg).
They were only halfway there now, still half-grown pigs?
The meat wouldn't be as flavorful as that of fully grown pigs.
If he wanted to eat it, he'd have to wait a while longer.
Calculating the days, those two big pigs would need another half year before they could be slaughtered.
Liu Chef repeatedly reminded Chef Chen's relatives to call him when it was time to slaughter the pigs.
This time, he said, they must pay the butcher.
They couldn't let him take away the offal.
With pigs this delicious, the offal would be top-notch too.
Moreover, the pig's blood could be used in cooking.
There were many ways to prepare it, making it neither fishy nor greasy.
The dishes made from freshly slaughtered pigs were truly priceless.
Just seeing the pigs, he had already thought of countless ways to cook them.
He was still excited on the way back.
Even Chef Chen couldn't help but smile.
This showed how well Shen Wei could manage her subordinates.
A vegetable garden and a pig farm were enough to captivate two master chefs.
After all, cooking was easy, but finding suitable ingredients was difficult.
At Starry Sky Kindergarten, they could freely exercise their culinary skills and be praised by everyone.
Chefs who came to Starry Sky Kindergarten easily became immersed in their work.
They wouldn't want to leave even if offered higher salaries elsewhere.
Here, chefs were given the utmost freedom.
As long as they cooked well, everything else was taken care of.
When Liu Chef returned, he washed his hands and went back to the kitchen to help. To his surprise, Jiang Xun had already taken care of everything.
Liu Chef took a look and frowned, "Red-braised pork again!"
They usually varied their menu every day.
Now they had made red-braised pork for two consecutive days.
Yesterday was unavoidable.
Everyone had been clamoring for red-braised pork, so they made an exception.
Even the most delicious dish would become tiresome if eaten for three days straight.
The reason the pop-up restaurant didn't change its menu was that it had different customers every day.
Few people would buy tickets for two consecutive events.
So they could get away with it there.
But at Starry Sky Kindergarten, there was no way to slack off.
Jiang Xun said everyone wanted to eat red-braised pork.
Liu Chef tasted what he had made.
It was fatty but not greasy, neither dry nor tough, very delicious.
But he repeatedly instructed the kitchen staff that no matter what anyone said, they couldn't make this dish again tomorrow.
Among the staff at Starry Sky Kindergarten, some were outgoing and spoke their minds about what they wanted to eat.
Others were introverted but had their own preferences.
They couldn't just cater to the outspoken ones.
And ignore the silent majority.
This was Liu Chef thinking of everyone's interests.
