I Awakened to a Farming TALENT

**Chapter 87: Time to Set Up a Stall?**

With some free time before any customers showed up, Jiang Tingyun started frying some crispy fish chunks.

The name *baoyu* sounded like it might be something fancy — abalone, maybe — but it wasn‘t even close. No seafood here.

It was just the cheapest, most ordinary river fish — silver carp or grass carp — sliced up, then marinated overnight in basic seasonings like scallions, ginger, light soy sauce, salt, sugar, pepper, and a few others.

When you took it out, you dusted the pieces lightly with cornstarch and deep-fried them until golden.

Jiang Tingyun’s mom used to make this fried fish for her every Spring Festival. Just two or three silver carps would fill several of those yellow enamel basins with crispy fish.

You’d dip the fish in a special sweet-and-salty sauce. The fried fish was crunchy and crispy, the sauce was savory and sweet — perfect with rice or noodles.

She’d just finished one batch when Zhu Lili poked her head through the kitchen doorway.

“Sect Master! We’ve got customers — four of them, all want the pea shoot soup.”

Jiang Tingyun smoothly switched to another pot and started making the pea shoot and crispy pork soup.

The crispy pork and pea shoots were already prepped, so the soup came together fast.

She minced some garlic and sautéed it in hot oil, then added water and brought it to a boil. She tossed in the pre-fried crispy pork and let it simmer.

Meanwhile, she washed the pea shoots she’d picked and cleaned earlier.

The crispy pork was already cooked, so it didn’t take long before the skin softened and puffed up. That’s when she threw in a big handful of pea shoots, swishing them lightly in the soup.

No more than thirty seconds — the bright green shoots slowly wilted and sank into the broth, releasing a fresh, clean vegetable aroma.

Pea shoot soup was all about that fresh, sweet flavor. No need for too much MSG or chicken powder before serving. Just a little salt and pepper.

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Zhou Zhongming and his crew felt like they’d barely sat down before each of them got a bowl of pea shoot and crispy pork soup, piled high and steaming.

“Smells amazing!” one of his friends said, picking up his chopsticks eagerly. “Are pea shoots good? I’ve actually never had them.”

Zhou Zhongming had already taken a happy sip of the soup. “So fresh and sweet! If you get tender pea shoots, they taste great no matter how you cook them.”

Xu Weiguang had been curious about Qionghua Restaurant’s food for a while. His friend Zhou Zhongming had recommended it repeatedly, saying the flavors were fantastic. He’d even worked with Boss Jiang on that live stream, but this was his first time actually eating at the restaurant.

He went straight for the main event — scooping up a big chopstick-full of pea shoots and popping them into his mouth.

One taste and he was genuinely surprised. How did these pea shoots grow? The texture was incredibly delicate, and that special, refreshing sweetness instantly filled his mouth.

“So tender!”

Xu Weiguang had eaten pea shoots before. At other restaurants, the pea shoot dishes were pretty good, but neither the texture nor the flavor came close to the fresh, tender, clean taste of Qionghua Restaurant’s.

He tried a piece of crispy pork next. The pork had softened in the soup, soaked through with the light, fragrant broth. The flavor was unique — no greasiness at all, just a lingering savoriness.

A bite of crispy pork, a bite of pea shoot, then a few happy gulps of the hot soup — this was one of winter’s simple pleasures.

Before they knew it, everyone was quietly focused on their bowls. The table fell silent.

Not until each soup bowl was nearly empty did Zhou Zhongming finally pull out a napkin, wipe his mouth, and say smugly, “So? Pretty good, right?”

“This is interesting,” another friend said. “Those pea shoots were delicious. First time I’ve ever thought vegetables tasted better than meat.”

Xu Weiguang let out a satisfied sigh. “The food here really is good. No wonder they can be so bold — serving just this one pea shoot soup.”

They were still chatting happily when Jiang Tingyun walked out of the kitchen carrying an enamel basin in each hand. Both basins were full of crispy fried fish chunks.

Zhou Zhongming’s sharp eyes caught it immediately. “Hey, Boss Jiang! What’s that you’ve got there?”

“Huh? Crispy fried fish,” Jiang Tingyun said, turning around with a blank look.

Xu Weiguang’s eyes lit up. He’d worked in the city of Suchow when he was younger and had grown to love the crispy fried fish they made there. Not many people around here ate it, so seeing two big basins of it got him a little excited.

“Boss Jiang, that’s not fair. You made all this fried fish, but today’s menu is only pea shoot soup?”

Jiang Tingyun quickly moved the basins out of sight.

“No, no — this isn‘t for sale. We’re keeping it for ourselves before the New Year. Hehe.”

Xu Weiguang sighed in disappointment.

Zhou Zhongming smiled and said, “Boss Jiang, sounds like you‘re staying in Phoenix for the New Year. Your accent doesn’t seem local, though — I thought you might go back to your hometown.”

How could he tell? She’d always thought her Mandarin was perfectly standard. And yet someone could still hear an accent?

Jiang Tingyun smiled and answered, “Not going back. Nothing to go back to. I’ll be here for the New Year.”

She’d come from Suchow to Phoenix Town, moving almost everything she owned. There was no family left back there. Of course she wouldn’t return.

Come to think of it, she’d never really figured out the situation with the other Qionghua disciples‘ families. No one ever mentioned their relatives. She wondered if they’d go home for the Spring Festival.

At the very least, Pei Jingmo and Uncle Liu would be here for New Year‘s. Pei Jingmo had grown up with just his grandfather, and Uncle Liu had no family left except some distant, long-lost relatives.

When Xu Weiguang heard that Boss Jiang was staying in Phoenix Town for the holiday, he thought for a moment, then spoke up.

“Boss Jiang, do you have any plans for New Year‘s Eve?”

Jiang Tingyun looked confused. “New Year’s Eve? What plans would I have... watch the Spring Festival Gala?”

Xu Weiguang leaned in eagerly. “You know Phoenix Temple is right next door, right? Every New Year‘s Eve, tons of locals and out-of-towners come to burn incense there. It’s packed — like a sea of people.”

“Huh? Isn’t incense burning supposed to be on New Year’s Day?” Jiang Tingyun asked, puzzled.

“It is New Year‘s Day! It’s just that everyone tries to burn the first incense right at midnight. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are busy people — the earlier you burn your incense, the more sincere you look! That way they’ll remember you.”

Jiang Tingyun pretended to understand, then asked suspiciously, “But I don’t burn incense. What does that have to do with me?”

Xu Weiguang perked up immediately. “Here’s the thing — every New Year‘s Eve, Phoenix Temple gets incredibly crowded. So this year, the Phoenix government teamed up with us at the tourist sites to organize a New Year’s Eve Snack Night Market on the plaza west of the temple, near the entrance to Phoenix Film Studio.”

“We’re still looking for food stall vendors for New Year‘s Eve. No stall fee, and we provide water and electricity. Boss Jiang, do you want to join? I’ll save you a good spot!”

“Set up a stall?!”