The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 47

The finished small buns were sent out one after another.

At that time, An Xiaoping was already at school. He called Jiang Tingzhou and sent him screenshots of the fans’ comments one by one, saying, “They like it very much, brother. They like you too.”

Jiang Tingzhou received the messages while tending the yard. The sun was bright that day, and he felt in a good mood.

After watering the vegetables in the afternoon, someone knocked on the door. It was Grandpa Li from next door.

Jiang Tingzhou made Dongpo pork the day before, which happened to be Grandpa Li’s favorite. He ate a big bowl of it. Grandpa Li said he would bring something over the next day, and that was why he came then.

Jiang Tingzhou saw Grandpa Li carrying a lemon tree. It wasn’t very tall—only about a meter—but it was full of lush fruits.

“I got this from an old friend and am giving it to you,” Grandpa Li said. “This is a good variety, lots of fruit and few pests. It’s a scented lemon with a great taste. I think the weather will warm up soon, and when the lemons grow, you can pick them to make lemon honey paste or soak them in water. It’s refreshing to drink. You can also pick the lemon leaves for cooking.”

Jiang Tingzhou thanked him.

His yard was already quite full, with nearly a quarter of the land planted. Besides the fast-growing green vegetables, Jiang Tingzhou grew some long-term crops. When neighbors heard about it, they waved it off, saying they could just dig some from their own yards and transplant them for him since they couldn’t eat it all anyway.

At that point, the eggplants, mint, basil, zucchini, and okra in his yard were all transplanted by neighbors. They gradually adapted and grew well. Jiang Tingzhou shared the delicious food he made with everyone.

He grew used to that leisurely, comfortable life and felt much better than before.

The neighbors were glad to see him receive such gifts and kept sending more.

Grandpa Li was still strong at his age. He carried the lemon tree down and placed it in the yard by himself, refusing Jiang Tingzhou’s help. While doing so, he said, “I also watched the video of your small buns. It was filmed very well.”

Jiang Tingzhou smiled, “You even go online to watch these?”

“Who doesn’t play with their phone nowadays?” Grandpa Li said. “To be honest, I spend more time online than you do.”

The lemon tree obviously came from somewhere else and was well cared for. Small flowers appeared on its surface, along with a few tiny green fruits.

Jiang Tingzhou recently wanted to plant some fruit trees. He already dug a hole and planted a grape seedling, still thin and not yet grown. He was about to move the lemon tree into that hole when Grandpa Li stopped him.

“No rush. Just cut off the extra parts first,” Grandpa Li said.

Jiang Tingzhou took out scissors and asked, “Do we have to do the same with tomato seedlings—cut off the early flowers?”

“That’s not an early flower,” Grandpa Li smiled. “When transplanting, you have to remove the flowers, leaves, and fruits. Go ahead.”

Jiang Tingzhou cut a few times, but Grandpa Li said it wasn’t enough. “Don’t be sorry. These are all excess. Cut all the edges off, leave only the main trunk and root system—especially the roots. Be careful not to damage them. That’s the key to survival when transplanting. It needs to adapt to the new environment. Extra flowers and leaves are a burden. Cut them all off, and once it adapts, it will naturally grow better flowers, leaves, and fruits.”

Jiang Tingzhou did as instructed, cutting the crown cleanly.

At first glance, the lush branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits were gone, leaving only bare branches and roots. But that was the condition it needed to grow better.

Jiang Tingzhou asked, “Does it always have to be like this when transplanting fruit trees?”

“Yes. The bigger the tree, the more it needs to be done,” Grandpa Li said. “As long as you keep its core and important parts, the rest doesn’t matter.”

“When will new leaves grow?”

“Very soon. It will adapt to the new environment, the roots will take hold, and new leaves will sprout quickly,” Grandpa Li said. “Xiao Jiang, look, the weather’s been good lately—warm, with sunshine and rain. It’ll grow fast.”

Jiang Tingzhou looked up at the blue sky. Not a cloud in sight—this season truly was perfect for growth.

Grandpa Li had honey lemon paste at home. After soaking it in water, he gave some to Jiang Tingzhou, saying that drinking it in that weather would soothe his throat.

“Lemons can bear fruit several times a year, and I think it’ll be useful for your baking in the future.”

“Well, you could also make lemon-flavored cakes,” Jiang Tingzhou thought.

After transplanting the lemon tree, he wiped his sweat and took a sip. It was sour and sweet, very delicious.

Then Grandpa Li said, “I see you don’t have other hobbies. You don’t grow flowers or anything. You grow vegetables—all for eating.”

Many neighbors thought he was unlike a typical young man—what a pity, they’d say. Jiang Tingzhou was a born chef; cooking was his foundation and constant joy.

Jiang Tingzhou smiled without replying. Then his phone buzzed—probably An Xiaoping.

Whenever he messaged, he sent a barrage, and the notifications wouldn’t stop. Jiang Tingzhou opened it and saw several new messages, all chatter.

【“Brother, that account you had on the platform before—I think you should keep using it.”】

【“Everyone loves to watch you. I saw you chatting with them in the live broadcast last time. It was so fun. You could keep doing that.”】

【“If you don’t want to manage it, I can help post videos. I have tons of material here. You can chat with fans sometimes, like last time. Isn’t that great?”】

An Xiaoping meant the account he registered earlier. Like his Weibo, it posted cooking videos without showing faces and got many likes. Some videos were clips from CCTV competitions, mostly showing dishes. But it didn’t have much popularity.

Jiang Tingzhou’s account went a long time without updates. It gained a surge of followers during the hospital dispute with Manager Yang. Though it was a different platform, they were interconnected. Later, once the truth came out, many people still waited for updates.

But so far, no one realized that the “big brother” in An Xiaoping’s videos and the chef criticized by big V accounts at Gongyan were the same person.

Many records of the verbal battles were deleted by Lu Baiyu. Back then, celebrity fans photoshopped many sharp and ugly pictures of him. Those images and the real Jiang Tingzhou now were two completely different people. No one would ever link the two.

An Xiaoping never mentioned the past internet drama, and the head chef’s resignation at Gongyan was never publicized online. Jiang Tingzhou just seemed like a laid-back country guy at home, so fans wouldn’t guess it was the same person.

That account only had a small number of fans—not many. What was special was that Jiang Tingzhou won the CCTV food program championship, and the platform gave him an official certification. Anyone checking could see his award record.

【“Brother, what does that account have to do with the Jiang family? You created it yourself,”】 An Xiaoping kept sending messages. 【“I still have a lot of behind-the-scenes footage to post. It’s a pity not to. What do you think, brother?”】

An Xiaoping never meant to split off and create a separate identity for him.

Jiang Tingzhou was his favorite person to film—his muse. Since his brother agreed to be filmed, An Xiaoping was determined to keep shooting Jiang Tingzhou for life. The account was originally created at Jiang Tingzhou’s suggestion.

He thought of this when he saw so many positive comments about Jiang Tingzhou in the comment section.

Plenty of creators ran multiple accounts—one for main videos, one for daily life, etc. And since An Xiaoping often came home on weekends, he could keep collecting content. Posting outtakes or extras would be easy. Plus, with Jiang Tingzhou’s verified account, they could earn platform rewards—a decent monthly sum. That money could cover food expenses.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t spend much on himself, but he was generous when buying ingredients. He always chose the best—and that stuff wasn’t cheap.

An Xiaoping didn’t accept the money Jiang Tingzhou once tried to give him. When he first got the incentive money, he mentioned the account, but Jiang Tingzhou vaguely said he forgot the password.

With his memory, how could he forget?

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t want to touch it before, and An Xiaoping understood. But now it was different.

There were so many people who liked him. He didn’t have to work hard for business or for climbing up—just for his own happiness.

Jiang Tingzhou saw the messages An Xiaoping sent, then the screenshots of many fans.

He stayed silent for a moment and took a sip of water.

The water made from the lemon paste was delicious. When the tree in the yard grew new fruits, he could make it again.

He replied with two words: 【“I know.”】

Jiang Tingzhou opened his phone and logged into the short video platform. He quickly found his account. When he first logged in, he followed An Xiaoping and saw the current comments.

The normal comments were all about the small buns. The lottery link was still there. The lottery was about to be drawn. Although 500 packs were a lot, many people probably wouldn’t win, so they were all talking about it below.

【“I’ve never won anything in my life, but I really want to try these buns, please.”】

【“I want to eat it even more because I received it and tried it. I went to the old bakery and they said it was specially customized and is not for sale. The ingredients were specially ordered by the client. I had to buy the regular version, The difference is huge. I really want to eat it again. Can you please send me the link?”】

【“Link please +1. Can’t win the draw.”】

【“I’m out of province and didn’t get to try the buns, but can we also get the link for the improved red date walnut candy? My roommates ate them all, they’re not too sweet, very soft, not sticky, and now there are only two left. I only have two pieces left and can’t bear to eat them.”】

Aside from those, Jiang Tingzhou never saw so many cutesy emojis and whining comments.

He thought everyone was exaggerating—the small buns weren’t that delicious—but the fans insisted.

It was a pity the old sugar factory didn’t have enough brown sugar to make more, and Jiang Tingzhou really liked that flavor. No wonder Li Shuyan and An Xiaoping were obsessed with it whenever they mentioned it.

Among the comments asking for links, some were discordant. Jiang You’s fans were still stirring up trouble and quarreling with passersby, truly unyielding.

Lines like:

【“I warn you not to say that anymore. Those photos are all side profiles. They may not be Xiao You. Even if it is, there must be something fishy about the hot search not being removed yet. He must have been framed. It’s not your turn to add insult to injury!”】

【“That’s right. You’re still whining here while eating small buns and walnut candy. You people only deserve to eat such cheap things.”】

【“Xiao You has many powerful friends. I heard he’s about to be on the A Bite of China. Deputy Director Sun’s comments are still up and not deleted. Are you worthy to talk about him?”】

【“You think the Lu family won’t care about Young Master Lu? If you have guts, keep scolding him. When the Lu family acts, you little bloggers will wait. Don’t think you’ll be spared by diverting attention with these things!”】

That kind of talk was too much for normal people to bother with. No one even bothered replying to that nonsense anymore.

Lu Jiahe, whom Jiang You’s fans were waiting for, was now in a difficult spot. He had millions of fans online, but his account was silent. It was said he was cooperating with police investigations—but he’d reappear soon.

Many Jiang You fans waited for him to clarify strongly, but after a long wait, he made no move—until that day.

Under the attention of many fans, the first thing he did was forward the Lu family’s clarification statement, again saying he was framed and had no improper relationship with anyone. Although many didn’t believe it, at least it was a direct response, and it helped calm the storm a bit.

However, the statement didn’t mention Jiang You at all, as if he didn’t exist.

Soon after, Lu Jiahe, still under heavy attention, quickly followed An Xiaoping’s account and liked several videos—all of them featuring Jiang Tingzhou.

Then, on the giveaway page, a new verified user joined the draw—none other than Lu Jiahua.

Everyone saw it.

Moments later, the draw results came out.

—Of course, Lu Jiahe didn’t win the lottery. He wasn’t that lucky.

It wasn’t fake, nor did it look like a hacked account. Most fans had no idea what was going on.

Comments full of question marks flooded in: ??? 【“What is he doing?”】

Soon, An Xiaoping posted a short video saying the prizes would be sent soon. Then he happily shared a piece of good news: Jiang Tingzhou opened his own account.

“Actually, it’s an old account my brother already had, and he’ll update other content there later,” An Xiaoping smiled at the camera. “He’ll chat with everyone there from time to time. My brother isn’t a professional blogger, and the live broadcast times aren’t fixed. Just treat it like chatting with a friend~”

Fans were surprised and followed as he said. The account was just renamed to “Resting at the Foot of the Mountain,” and the old videos were still there.

The important key was that verified badge. Fans were shocked.

【“Big Brother, you were the champion? Oh my god—you’re actually that amazing?”】

【“Why do these videos look so familiar? I think I’ve seen them somewhere before.”】

【“Wait, brother, your surname is Jiang, not An?”】

The platform’s award certification clearly listed his full name—Jiang Tingzhou.

“What’s with that second young master Lu? Isn’t he Jiang You’s friend? Why is he paying attention to this little blogger here? Where are Jiang You’s fans? Come explain!”

Suddenly, all the loudmouthed Jiang You fans went completely silent.

Because the moment Jiang Tingzhou opened that account, Lu Jiahua immediately followed and liked tons of his videos. They were all visible on his profile—he made no attempt to hide it.

Netizens were baffled. 【What was going on?】

But not long after, Lu Jiahua realized—Jiang Tingzhou blocked him.

Just like he blocked his phone number before—completely, without a shred of courtesy.

When Lu Jiahe realized he was blocked, he was stunned. He confirmed it multiple times, then went to An Xiaoping’s account, and after a while, he was blocked there too.

“…”

Did Jiang Tingzhou dislike him that much?

He held back his anger, but unlike before, he didn’t vent directly. Instead, he suppressed it and turned to register a small account.

Qin Rushuang saw his serious expression and asked, “Jiahe, what are you doing?”

Lu Jiahe said, “Doing something important.”

Right then, he couldn’t do much else. But that—this—was the one thing he couldn’t stop thinking about. So it was the only important thing that mattered.