The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 15

An Xiaoping’s home at the foot of Guanyin Mountain was close to the morning market, about a ten-minute walk along a small path.

While the sky was still dark, the lights of Yongqing City’s oldest morning market began to flicker on.

The breakfast stalls at the market entrance were always the first to light up. The diligent stall owners got up as early as two or three in the morning to prepare.

These small shops had been running for years. There were no fancy signs. The storefronts were old and modest, with a few plastic chairs scattered around. As the stalls began to cook, steam rose with a hiss, and the aroma of noodles, fried goods, and various soups and porridges filled the air.

The first fried food stall at the alley entrance smelled the best.

Jiang Tingzhou bought a fried dough stick and a fried shrimp cake. The enthusiastic owner recommended, “Try a taro bun too! The taro’s really good—my wife picked it out herself at the market! Guaranteed delicious.”

“Alright, I’ll take one too,” Jiang Tingzhou replied.

The stall owner quickly handed him the freshly fried dough stick, shrimp cake, and taro bun—picking out a large one for him. In the cold morning air, the warmth of the fried food felt comforting in his hands.

Jiang Tingzhou crossed the street and sat down at a tofu pudding shop. He ordered a bowl of fresh tofu pudding, propped up his chin, and started calculating how much money he had left.

He had begun working as an apprentice at seventeen and worked his way up until age twenty-two. All his savings then amounted to just over one million yuan.

After dropping out of high school and falling out with his family, he stopped using any money from the Jiang family. His savings were entirely self-earned.

It wasn’t a large amount. Despite being Jiang’s biological son, he started out as an ordinary cook and worked his way up to head chef at Gongyans. His salary and bonuses were modest—even lower than average in the industry. The one million included the bonus he received after winning a CCTV cooking competition. He lived frugally and saved nearly everything.

His biggest expense was probably the watch worth over 200,000 yuan, which he had given to his ex-boyfriend not long ago. Now it sat on Lu Baiyu’s wrist.

It was a gift—there was no reason to take it back.

While he mulled over what assets he still had, the tofu pudding arrived, steaming hot—perfectly timed to be eaten warm.

Yongqing had a unique food culture. The city had many immigrants, so tastes were flexible—sweet or savory, either worked. A pot of sauce sat on each table for customers to help themselves.

Jiang Tingzhou preferred savory. This shop insisted on handmade tofu pudding, which was soft and silky. It was topped with their house sauce—just chopped scallions, seaweed, and soy sauce—paired with a bit of pickle. The sauce was light yet flavorful, highlighting the rich soybean aroma of the pudding itself.

The tofu pudding melted in his mouth. The fried dough stick, no longer too hot, still let out a crisp crackle when bitten into, with a soft center. It wasn’t greasy, especially when eaten with the tofu pudding.

Jiang Tingzhou was still deep in thought, but one bite of breakfast pulled his mind back to the present.

He alternated bites—first the dough stick, then a spoonful of tofu pudding, then the shrimp cake.

The shrimp cake differed from the airy dough stick. It was a flat, round pancake packed with flavor. Yongqing wasn’t a coastal city, so the cakes used local river shrimp—small, flavorful, and fried to a crisp. The thin batter was dense and satisfying, and the rich aroma of hot oil filled his mouth.

But what surprised him most was the taro bun he bought on a whim.

The taro really was excellent. Unlike the mashed taro fillings popular elsewhere, this bun was made the old-fashioned way—with shredded taro. The shell was crisp and fragrant, and the filling mixed mashed and shredded taro for a chewy, textured bite. The seasoning was savory and slightly spicy, bursting with flavor.

These were common breakfast items in Yongqing, but the old market’s method was still special. No pre-frozen goods like the chain stores. Everything was fresh, made with traditional craftsmanship. Eating it while it was hot truly woke you up.

After counting his money, Jiang Tingzhou’s first thought was: I’m really poor.

Not long ago, at thirty-two, he held controlling power in Jiangshi Foods—valued in the billions. Compared to that, a million yuan seemed like nothing.

But if you were just trying to live—really live—you didn’t need that much.

The old Yongqing market might have been shabby, but it had its charm. For one, prices were low. Three fried items and a bowl of tofu pudding cost only five yuan. In the new district, the same would cost twice as much—and wouldn’t taste half as good.

Jiang Tingzhou finished breakfast slowly, watching the sky grow brighter.

Mondays used to be busy for him.

When he managed the restaurant, even though it didn’t open for breakfast and only started at 10:30 a.m., he still had to arrive by 6:30 a.m. to check the day’s fresh ingredients, hold morning meetings, and begin prepping the time-intensive dishes. He worked nonstop from morning to night.

Later, after moving into Jiang’s management, the workload became even heavier. He got used to rising early, and that biological clock never changed.

Today was a new beginning.

His fever had fully subsided. He felt no discomfort. After a hearty breakfast, his strength was restored.

He knew—he was truly recovered.

He bought another round of breakfast and headed home for An Xiaoping.

When he returned, An Xiaoping was just waking up, yawning and washing his face.

An Xiaoping was still in college. His first class on Mondays started at ten, but it took nearly three hours to get to Shangying City, so he had to leave early.

He stuffed his face with breakfast while throwing on his coat. One bite of the shrimp cake and he exclaimed, “Wow, this is amazing! Way better than our cafeteria.” Then he asked, “Brother, are you heading out now too?”

Jiang Tingzhou checked the time. “Yeah. Let’s go together.”

This was one of the oldest neighborhoods in the old city. Many original residents had already moved away. But the air at the foot of Guanyin Mountain was fresh and sweet. The mountain was lush and green, and now that the sky was brightening, you could see the ancient tower of Guanyin Temple through the morning mist—peaceful and serene.

It was the time when Guanyin Temple rang the morning bell. The sound wasn’t loud—it quieted the heart.

A perfect place for retirement.

At the end of the gravel path, two Maybachs were parked—completely out of place here.

Jiang Tingzhou recognized them instantly. They were from the Lu family.

The driver standing beside the car was someone he knew. It seemed they had been waiting for a while. The driver opened the door and said, “Mr. Jiang, I’ll be taking you to the board meeting. The car behind is for your friend.”

Jiang Tingzhou said, “I’ll take a taxi.”

“It’s hard to get a taxi here. You’re going to the board of directors. This is business. It’s only natural for me to pick you up,” the driver said with a bow. “Please don’t make it difficult for me. I’m just an employee. If I can’t pick you up this time, I won’t be able to report to my superiors when I go back.”

The words were already said, and the road was narrow. The two cars were parked there. Even if a taxi could come, it couldn’t turn around and leave. Jiang Tingzhou and An Xiaoping didn’t have time to argue, so they got in the car in the end.

Jiang Tingzhou was very familiar with this car. Lu Baiyu basically used it to pick him up. The car’s aromatherapy was his favorite scent. His coat was placed on the back seat, and he remembered his emergency laptop was on the seat.

He thought for a moment and reached out to take the laptop.

Through the rearview mirror, the driver saw him typing for around twenty minutes before he closed the laptop. So he asked, “Young Master Jiang, working on something? Been busy lately?”

“Not too bad,” Jiang Tingzhou replied. “Just putting together some board meeting materials. Please drive steadily.”

“Got it,” the driver responded.

Originally, he planned to sort this out at Jiangshi Foods, but now it was already done. He leaned his head to the side and dozed off briefly.

When they arrived at the Jiangshi Foods office building, it was 8:40 a.m.

He was still half-asleep, hair tousled, woken by the driver. He ran a hand through his hair as he stepped out of the car, his gaze a little unfocused.

As soon as the car door opened, he saw Manager Yang standing there like a door god, with a wooden expression. Looking closely, Jiang Tingzhou noticed a wound on his face.

When Manager Yang saw Jiang Tingzhou, his eyes lit up.

He walked up quickly and handed Jiang Tingzhou something he had been clutching tightly—a palm-sized, spoon-shaped medal.

“I found it,” he said. “Mr. Jiang, return it to its original owner.”

The way he looked—disheveled and battered—he probably didn’t find it but fought to get it back, like it was some kind of life-saving elixir. His attitude toward Jiang Tingzhou was now far more respectful.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t care about the process.

The spoon-shaped medallion was crafted like a piece of handheld art. The front looked like white jade, glowing with a soft sheen. The handle was a heavy aged-gold tone. A cord was tied to the middle so it could be worn around the neck.

Jiang Tingzhou wrapped the rope around his wrist, held the medal neither lightly nor heavily, and continued forward.

Manager Yang pressed the elevator button first, followed closely, and said, “There are many people here today. People from the Lu family are here. Mrs. Lu brings Lu Jiahe, and even your mother comes.”

Jiang Tingzhou was stunned. “My mother?”

“Yes,” Manager Yang said. “She says she wants to see the materials prepared for the board meeting in person, including the first quarter sales of the two stores. President Jiang couldn’t stop her. But I hear from people in the company that the winner is… Jiang You. I guess many directors know it. After all, your mother hasn’t intervened in company affairs for many years. She may not understand the problem. Even if she sees it, can she make a scene at the board meeting? Tingzhou, I think you have to be mentally prepared for what will happen at the meeting.”

Jiang Tingzhou nodded. “Yeah.”

The elevator went straight up to the meeting room floor.

The board meeting hadn’t officially started yet. Everyone was in the lounge next door.

Jiang Tingzhou took a few steps when he heard voices and recognized Jiang You’s soft voice.

“… Jiahe, don’t say that. Uncle Lu has always been demanding. Everyone knows that. You just joined the company. This is already a good result. There will be more opportunities in the future.” He sounded like he was comforting someone. “I believe in you. You still have me. We, a group of friends, will help you, Aunt Qin, don’t you think so?”

Then another familiar voice spoke loudly.

It was Lu Jiahe, Lu Baiyu’s half-brother. Jiang Tingzhou heard him clearly even from the door.

“Xiaoyou, fortunately you’re still here. The online advertising you found for me isn’t bad. Otherwise, I’d have been scolded to death by my dad,” Lu Jiahe complained. “It’s okay for him to say a few words to me. Anyway, he has despised me since I was a child. He always compares me with my brother and doesn’t even think about whether I can catch up to my brother, the god.”

The 40% shares of Jiang’s held by the Lu family were registered under Lu Jiahe’s name. Naturally, he attended the board meeting.

He sounded unhappy. Some small directors in the meeting room flattered him, saying, “Yes, yes, friends help each other. When Jiang You becomes vice president, he’ll definitely be able to help more. Our cooperation will last even longer!”

After hearing this, Lu Jiahe’s expression eased a little, and he patted Jiang You’s shoulder. “Okay, after this meeting, let’s go out for dinner, just as a celebration banquet.”

The board meeting hadn’t even started, yet the outcome seemed predetermined. The atmosphere was cozy, harmonious—especially between Jiang You and Lu Jiahe.

Jiang Tingzhou, who’d lived through all this once already, still didn’t understand it. They used to be this close, yet when Lu Jiahe eventually came around, he not only publicly admitted their relationship but even defied his family to be with Jiang You.

In the end, though, they still broke up—far more bitterly than his own unspeakable relationship with Lu Baiyu.

Life was unpredictable.

Thinking all this, Jiang Tingzhou pushed the door open and broke the calm of the room.