Cooking System: Street Food Rules

Jiang Feng, carrying a bucket and a stool, shouldering his fishing rod, and accompanied by Little Black, found a suitable spot by the riverbank.

Fishing involves many nuances, and choosing the right spot is one of them. For instance, there are usually more fish in the bends of a river, and areas with lush aquatic plants also tend to attract more fish.

But the prime spots were almost all taken, so he could only settle for a decent spot.

However, with his skills, Jiang Feng didn't need to be overly concerned about the fishing spot.

Jiang Feng hadn't prepared any groundbait, as many anglers were already generously chumming the waters. Bait was scattered by the basinful. This place had essentially become an all-you-can-eat buffet for the fish; there was no need to add much more.

The fellow anglers nearby recognized Jiang Feng as soon as he arrived.

"Executive Chef Jiang, you're here to fish too?" someone greeted him.

"Yes, just here to relax for a bit," Jiang Feng replied while adjusting his fishing rod.

"Have you done this before?"

"It's my first time fishing. I was curious and wanted to give it a try."

"First time? Then you'll need to be careful. The fish in Moon River are especially cunning; sometimes they just nibble the bait without taking the hook. They're getting harder and harder to catch."

"I'll just try my luck."

Jiang Feng responded amicably to the person next to him.

Though he said he was just trying his luck, his hands were already busy setting the float and judging the water depth. He had a small basin of bait beside him. He added some water from Moon River, let it activate for a while, then rolled the mixture into a ball. When it was time to fish, he would simply pinch off some bait and attach it to the hook.

Little Black stayed by Jiang Feng's feet. This was the wilderness, and with no children or elderly people around, the rules were different from the city; there was no need for a leash. The little dog didn't run off, content to stay active near Jiang Feng's feet.

After securing his fishing rod, Jiang Feng glanced behind him.

Four feral cats were searching for fish: two large orange ones and two Li-Hua cats. The cats here weren't afraid of people; on the contrary, they were quite friendly.

They had mastered the art of interacting with humans. First, they would see if a person could catch any fish. If so, they'd approach. Then, they'd observe the person's expression. If he seemed to like cats, they would snuggle up and beg for fish. If he didn't, and shooed them away, the cats would leave and try their luck with someone else.

The anglers were used to these feral cats, since most of the fish caught were small, just the right size for feeding them.

A few cats watched from nearby, like ancient overseers. At that moment, it was as if the anglers were working for them.

Little Black lay at Jiang Feng's feet, also looking over at the cats. It wagged its tail, wanting to make friends, but the cats clearly weren't interested in engaging with it.

Just then, Jiang Feng's float suddenly twitched.

A fish! A surge of excitement went through him, and he immediately began to reel in his line. He hadn't expected a bite so quickly. It isn't so hard after all, he thought.

The other anglers turned their heads to look in Jiang Feng's direction.

Soon, Jiang Feng reeled in his line. It was a small fish, a bleak.

The bleak is often the bane of anglers, yet also their last hope. This type of fish is relatively easy to catch, but it's small and tends to create a nuisance in the fishing spot. Anglers have a love-hate relationship with them.

"Wow, you caught one! Not bad!"

"You got a fish so quickly!" the nearby anglers exclaimed in surprise.

"Luck, just luck," Jiang Feng replied modestly with a smile.

Just as he landed the fish, he saw a Li-Hua cat two meters away, head tilted up, staring at him. Jiang Feng turned to look, and their eyes met for a few seconds. A look passed between them; he was the one.

The cat, sensing Jiang Feng was a cat lover, immediately trotted over. It rubbed against his leg, nuzzling its head against him affectionately.

A smile touched Jiang Feng's lips. This little feline is quite cheeky, he thought. But I like this kind of cheekiness.

He unhooked the small bleak and tossed it onto the ground. The Li-Hua cat immediately pounced on it and began to eat greedily.

As it ate, three or four other cats gathered around, squatting beside Jiang Feng and watching him. Two of them even let out eager MEOWS.

Jiang Feng had been feeling quite leisurely, but with the arrival of these feline "overseers," he inexplicably felt a bit of pressure.

He quickly baited the hook again and cast his line back out.

Fortunately, the water depth he chose was just right, and since his fellow anglers loved to chum the spot, he only needed to wait a little over twenty seconds before the float began to jiggle slightly, sending ripples outward.

The anglers next to him were dumbfounded.

What the heck? What's going on? Another one already? We've been sitting here for half an hour catching nothing, and you just sat down and—WHOOSH—you're pulling them in one after another! This is outrageous!

With practiced movements, Jiang Feng reeled in the line and unhooked another palm-sized small bleak. He then tossed it to the nearby cats.

The delighted cats immediately surrounded the fish to eat. Very quickly, they devoured it.

This emboldened the cats, and eager to get their share sooner, two of them approached Jiang Feng directly.

One cat walked right up, lay down on his shoes, and rested its head against his calf. My Virtual Library Empire (M-VLEMPYR)

The other cat was even bolder. It jumped directly onto Jiang Feng's lap, glanced at him, then settled down comfortably, tucking its little paws under its chest.

Sitting on his small stool, Jiang Feng hadn't expected the cats to be so adept at currying favor.

These cats act as if they've had professional training! Who could possibly resist this? Using the 'kitten temptation' card, are they? So astute!

Jiang Feng hurriedly baited his hook again and cast his line.

This was Jiang Feng's first time fishing, and his style was a bit different from the other anglers. Most anglers, due to constant exposure to wind and sun, had somewhat dark and rough skin. Jiang Feng, looking fair and clean-featured, appeared quite refined in contrast.

Jiang Feng guessed there was likely a school of bleak causing a commotion, meaning many of them were feeding on the bait in this spot. These fish were small and not too clever, so it wasn't long before Jiang Feng's float began to move again.

The anglers beside him watched with growing alarm. More heartbreaking than catching nothing yourself was watching the person next to you constantly pull in fish.

Damn, another one? one thought, his eyes practically bulging with envy. Are we even fishing in the same river?

The cats, on the other hand, became immediately excited. They reacted quickly; the moment the float trembled, they all stood up, looking toward it.

Only then did Jiang Feng start reeling in.

Sure enough, it was another small bleak.

Though the fish weren't impressive, Jiang Feng was enjoying himself. Fish like these were perfect for feeding the cats. He unhooked the bleak and tossed it to them.

The cats once again began eating the fish.

By now, the clowder of cats could clearly distinguish who was just an angler and who was the master angler. They all gathered around Jiang Feng. Some stayed right by his feet, while others lay beside the fishing rod, their eyes all fixed on the float.

It wasn't just the cats; the surrounding anglers were also watching Jiang Feng's float. Even people on the opposite bank of the river had noticed him. He was on fire, pulling in one fish after another.

Jiang Feng, however, was quite content.

"Executive Chef Jiang, you're amazing, constantly catching fish!" the angler beside him exclaimed.

"It's my first time fishing. Don't they say beginners have good luck? I guess I'm just fortunate today," Jiang Feng responded with a smile.

In reality, he possessed fishing techniques, and this spot was teeming with fish, so catching them was quite normal.

In no time, another fish was on the line. Several cats gathered around his fishing rod. Jiang Feng unhooked the fish and quickly tossed it to them.

With this constant stream of catches, fishing almost feels like a day job, he mused. What a strange feeling. Still, since I keep catching fish, it's pretty enjoyable.

Jiang Feng felt the fish were on the smaller side, so this time he added more bait, securing it firmly to the hook. More bait was also more likely to attract bigger fish. He adjusted the depth of his float, increasing the distance to the hook, wanting to test the conditions in deeper water.

Then, Jiang Feng cast his line out again.

After that, he waited calmly.

It seemed the old adage among anglers held true: beginners often possess a strange kind of luck. There was something inexplicable at play.

Soon, Jiang Feng's float began to bob violently. This time it wasn't a slight tremble but an intense movement, and the rod bent sharply in an instant. If Jiang Feng hadn't reacted swiftly and grabbed the rod, it would have been dragged into the water.

He immediately stood up, grasping the rod, and began to play the fish.

The people around noticed this scene and all turned to look.

"Look over there, a big one!"

"It's definitely a big fish!"

"He'll need a landing net for that, or he won't be able to bring it in!"

"Damn, that chef is incredible! He just keeps catching them non-stop!"

"This guy really is something else!"

"That chef isn't studying cookbooks; he's studying Sun Tzu's Art of War!"

Moon River wasn't that large, so whenever someone hooked a big fish, everyone around would notice almost immediately. Several people even came over to Jiang Feng's side, ready to help at a moment's notice. Some even offered advice from afar.

"Slowly, slowly! Let it run for a bit first, don't rush to reel it in!"

"That's right, just like that!"

Jiang Feng simply followed his own methods, battling the fish little by little. When the fish pulled strongly, he held firm, letting it tire itself out. When its strength waned, he began to reel in the line. This was all part of the experience of catching big fish.

His rod wasn't designed for large fish, but thanks to his skill, it wasn't too difficult for Jiang Feng to manage.

Soon, the fish was guided into the shallows, and people could see its large form in the water.

"It's a grass carp! Damn, it's huge!"

"Must be seventeen or eighteen pounds, at least three years old!"

"Incredible, catching something like this on his first day!" the anglers exclaimed in admiration.

The grass carp is one of the Four Major Chinese Carps, renowned for its delicious flavor. Records show that the largest grass carp can grow up to 70 pounds, but in most cases, they reach their peak size at around 30-odd pounds. A grass carp of over 30 pounds, however, probably wouldn't taste very good.

In contrast, the grass carp Jiang Feng had caught was large and powerful, precisely at its most flavorful stage.

"Executive Chef Jiang, that's amazing!" someone beside him praised.

"Just lucky!" Jiang Feng replied, still calm.