If you want to praise someone, praise Boss Shen
"Of course. No matter how good someone makes it sound, how could that compare to trying it yourself?"
The middle-aged man looked up and suddenly noticed that this customer was eating his pancake layer by layer. He was still nibbling at the outermost layer, and the man immediately felt he was wasting a perfectly good thing.
"You can't eat a scallion pancake like that. You have to do it like me: take a big bite, get all four layers in your mouth, from the outside to the inside. Only then can you appreciate the charm of the boss's scallion pancakes."
The customer didn't think there was anything wrong with it. "I like peeling my food apart layer by layer and carefully savoring the differences between each one."
As he spoke, he tore another bite from the second layer with his teeth. Just one layer in, it felt completely different: crisp yet soft, with rich, savory bits of scallion.
He kept peeling it apart layer by layer. When he reached the fourth layer and tasted that delicate sweetness and tenderness, he suddenly felt like crying again.
"I actually missed out on two whole days of scallion pancakes this good. The more I think about it, the more I feel I've lost out. Even if I eat four in one go today, I still didn't have any yesterday or the day before."
The middle-aged man looked like a levelheaded sort, and he went straight to the heart of the matter. "You'd better think about how you're going to buy them from now on without taking time off work. You can't take leave every day."
The customer: ...
He instantly lost all desire to chat.
This guy really had no idea how to talk to people!
Wen Yang's fans also got their scallion pancakes one after another. Their fragrant crispness and delicious, savory flavor reshaped everyone's understanding of scallion pancakes in the shortest possible time.
Actually, some fans hadn't initially believed a scallion pancake could taste good enough to warrant such a long line. After all, scallion pancakes were just a common snack. There really wasn't much to be curious about.
However you made them, they used the same few seasonings. No matter how good they tasted, they would still just taste like scallions and dough.
Perhaps Wen Yang simply liked pancakes like these, and these happened to taste pretty good, which was why he'd been so happy to share them with others.
When it came to food, everyone had different tastes.
So some of the more rational fans had come to the food street just to join in the fun.
It was rare for Linyang to have something new to eat. With it so close by, not coming to try it would have felt like something was missing.
There were also loyal fans of Wen Yang who had come to check it out because they trusted his taste. Cui Xiaobo was one of them. A local, he had tried many of the places Wen Yang recommended, and they had all suited his palate very well. Their tastes and preferences were very similar, so after coming across the video last night, he had headed straight over today.
He had arrived early and gotten his scallion pancakes even before Wen Yang.
Now, standing off to the side, Cui Xiaobo's expression changed after his first bite.
The scallion oil flavor, delicate sweetness, savory saltiness, and wheat fragrance blended together, giving the scallion pancake a progression of flavors, every bite bringing an almost unbelievable surprise.
Holding his scallion pancake, Cui Xiaobo smacked his lips, his eyes filled with the excitement of finding a delicious snack, along with bewildered disbelief.
"I've never had a scallion pancake this good. Isn't it just a scallion pancake? How can it be so delicious? What did he add to make it so full of flavor?"
Several people beside him eating scallion pancakes were also Wen Yang's fans, and they chimed in.
"There's definitely some secret recipe. My guess is he used stock when mixing the dough. I've had hand-pulled noodles made with stock before, and those noodles tasted especially good."
"I'm guessing some secret ingredient was kneaded into the scallion pancakes. That's why the bottom layer has that delicate sweetness. In this scorching summer weather, once that sweetness comes through, there's no greasiness left at all. All you notice is how good it tastes."
"That makes sense. A secret recipe with different proportions would make them completely different from everyone else's. Doesn't his sign say 'God of Cooking's Fragrant, Crispy Scallion Pancakes'? Maybe it's a family recipe."
Whenever Wen Yang visited eateries and ran into fans, he would chat with them. He also liked analyzing what had been added to a dish to make it taste better than other places' versions.
Under his influence, his fans were all eating like Holmes now, discussing just how such delicious scallion pancakes were made.
Old Master Zhao, who was eating a scallion pancake nearby, listened as their wild guesses grew increasingly far-fetched and interrupted with a laugh. "It's not nearly as mysterious as you're making it sound. I've seen it. He just adds a little salt and pepper to the dough, along with scallions."
"It's that simple?" Cui Xiaobo took another bite. That rich flavor was still so delicious it made his taste buds tremble.
"That's what a little pepper and salt can do? You've got to be kidding." The other fans didn't believe it either.
Old Master Zhao was a chatterbox. Whenever someone spoke, he wanted to join in. Still chewing his scallion pancake, he spoke indistinctly.
"It really is that simple. Boss Shen makes his scallion pancakes fresh to order. I've watched from the side several times, and I even recorded a video specifically so I could make them at home. But with the same things and the same ingredients, the flavor came out completely different."
"How should I put it? If you want those layers, you can't get it this thin. If you get it this thin, you don't get those layers. Anyway, the texture is worlds apart."
Old Master Zhao sighed helplessly as he spoke. Getting to eat these scallion pancakes really wasn't a simple matter.
"If you've got time, go up front and watch Boss Shen make them. The whole process is out in the open, hygienic and safe."
At Old Master Zhao's words, Cui Xiaobo and a few others whose curiosity had been piqued actually went up front to watch Shen Chuan make scallion pancakes. There, they happened to run into Wen Yang waiting for his.
"Brother Yang, you're amazing! You even managed to find something this delicious!"
"Exactly! I live in the residential complex right beside the food street, and even I didn't know about it. I've really been missing out!"
"Thanks for sharing, Brother Yang! I can't imagine how bleak my life would have been if I'd missed these scallion pancakes!"
Faced with his fans' sincere, heartfelt gratitude, Wen Yang's lips curved into a smile.
Back when he had made his first video, hadn't he simply wanted to share delicious food with everyone? As time passed, he had actually grown numb to it, already treating his videos as tasks to complete.
Now, receiving his fans' thanks face-to-face, he felt a warmth kindle inside him, as though all the blood in his body were boiling. He was so happy he could barely stop grinning.
Mindful of his image, he still kept his laughter restrained. Just then, his scallion pancakes were ready. With a modest expression, Wen Yang pointed at Shen Chuan, who was busy making pancakes at the stall, and praised him:
"I'm just sharing the delicious snacks I've tried with you. If anyone deserves the credit, it's Boss Shen here. He can make something this delicious from such simple ingredients. If you want to praise someone, praise Boss Shen."
His fans realized it too. They had been so busy praising Brother Yang that they had forgotten to praise Boss Shen. What an oversight!
"Hahaha, Boss Shen's skills are incredible! We already gave him a round of praise just now, and we've even posted pictures on Moments to spread the word."
"Exactly! If I'd known, I'd have bought more. Two scallion pancakes don't feel like enough!"
"..."
Faced with this scene, Shen Chuan's eyes shifted, and a line for showing off had already been successfully retrieved from his mind.