Food: Senior year internship, you take over the university cafeteria

"Boss! Do you really have water chestnut and water celery filling?"

"That sounds weird... but I want to try it!"

"I'll definitely have the original flavor! I'll also try a basket of the new ones!"

"Tofu pudding and fried dough sticks are a must! And sweet taro too!"

"Don't push, everyone in the back! Let me see what the new product looks like!"

When the first batch of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) came out of the steamer, combining the sweet and crisp taste of water chestnuts, the unique spiciness of water celery, and the rich and savory flavor of black pork, the extraordinary complex aroma instantly captivated everyone's sense of smell.

The plump white steamed buns topped with a red goji berry are quite adorable.

The rising steam made the aroma even more enticing.

The first boy to try it carefully picked it up, dipped it in vinegar, and bit into it.

The scalding hot broth gushed out, still with the familiar salty, sweet, and savory base flavor. But then, a hint of the clean, crisp sweetness of water chestnuts bursted between the teeth, cleverly balancing the richness of the meat filling.

Upon closer tasting, the subtle, rustic fragrance of water celery emerges, intertwining with the aroma of meat. This not only doesn't clash but also enriches the overall flavor profile, making it more vibrant and refreshing!

"Hmm!"

The boy's eyes widened, he quickly chewed a few times, swallowed, and looked utterly incredulous.

"Delicious! It's actually...really delicious! So refreshing! Not greasy at all! And it has a unique aroma! Absolutely amazing!"

His reaction was like a signal.

The students who tried it later, whether out of curiosity or out of a sense of obligation as participants in the gamble, mostly showed similar expressions after taking a sip—

First came surprise, then delight at tasting the fresh and delicious flavor.

"The water chestnut pieces are so crunchy, what a pleasant surprise!"

"The flavor of water celery goes so well with minced meat! It's a lifesaver for cutting through the greasiness!"

"The texture is so rich! It's even more interesting than pure minced meat!"

"Eating this in autumn feels so fitting!"

"The owner never disappoints! Both the creativity and the taste are top-notch!"

The new product, "Water Chestnut, Water Celery, and Pork Xiao Long Bao," has once again been a success.

Although not as widely known as crab roe, its unique seasonal pairing, refreshing and non-greasy flavor, and the guarantee of Wang Sheng's superb skills have quickly won over the taste buds of those who want to try something new, making it another popular item after the original sweet and fresh xiaolongbao, sugar taro, tofu pudding and fried dough sticks.

Related discussion threads have resurfaced on the forum.

"Window 07 - Autumn Limited Edition: Water Chestnut, Water Celery, and Pork Soup Dumplings. I tried it myself and it's delicious! It's changed my perception!"

"As a local from Wuxi, I can say that my elders did mention this seasonal way of eating it in the old days. The boss knows what I mean!"

"I thought it was strange at first, but it was really delicious! I've added it to my must-order list!"

The bespectacled guy, who calls himself "All-in is a kind of wisdom," not only won the bet in the group and got a "meal card," but also received a basket of new-style xiaolongbao, a bowl of tofu pudding, and a youtiao from Wang Sheng.

He sat in the corner, enjoying his meal immensely, radiating happiness, while simultaneously live-streaming his "mukbang" in the group chat, drawing both groans and envy.

In the midst of his busy work, Wang Sheng looked at the bustling morning filled with delicious food and saw the light in the students' eyes as they tasted the new dishes, and felt a sense of comfort.

Inheritance without being bound by tradition, innovation without forgetting our roots.

This is perhaps the best way to respect and develop traditional crafts.

He glanced at the system panel.

Popularity: 19247

Positive reviews: 1358/1000

Let's look at the turnover.

"Um......"

Estimated cumulative operating profit: ≈ 18000 yuan

The number of views is approaching 20,000!

Positive reviews continue to grow!

Profits are steadily accumulating!

We're one step closer to unlocking the shop with 100,000 popularity points.

More importantly, this "Autumn Limited Edition" was a successful attempt.

He verified the feasibility of making minor adjustments and innovations based on his systematic skills and combined with seasonal and local ingredients.

This opened up new avenues for him to enrich his menu, adapt to different seasons, and satisfy more diverse taste preferences in the future.

The thought of "innovation is feasible" had just flashed through Wang Sheng's mind, as if it resonated with the system in some way.

【Ding! 】

[Detected that the host has successfully developed and promoted 'Water Chestnut, Water Celery, and Pork Soup Dumplings (Autumn Limited Edition),' gaining market recognition!]

[Side Quest Triggered: Innovation!]

[Task Description: While upholding tradition is valuable, the vitality of cuisine lies in keeping pace with the times. Based on existing skills, and combining seasonality, region, or inspiration, please create at least three new dishes that are widely recognized by customers (1/3).]

[Current progress: The new product, "Water Chestnut, Water Celery, and Pork Xiao Long Bao," has been approved.]

[Stage Reward: For each new product that receives genuine positive reviews from ≥100 customers after tasting it, you will be entered into a random draw to win a breakfast/snack skill.]

[Ultimate Reward: Complete three new product launches and receive ≥1000 positive customer reviews to receive a special item 'Beginner Stamina Enhancement Card (+1)' x1.]

[Note: Being a chef is physically demanding; only a healthy body can support one's grander culinary dreams.]

Stamina Enhancement Card!

Wang Sheng's eyes lit up.

After several days of intense work, he truly felt that his physical limits were approaching.

Although he was young, the system seemed to have slightly improved his stamina, but if it could directly enhance his physical strength, that would be a godsend!

Being able to support longer and more intensive operations means being able to prepare more ingredients, serve more customers, earn more money, and unlock the system store faster!

Moreover, you can enter a prize draw for every 100 positive reviews?

For him, who now easily gets over a hundred positive reviews a day, this is practically a free gift!

"This side quest... was worth taking!" Wang Sheng's spirits lifted.

Sure enough, with the hot sales of "water chestnut and water celery" xiaolongbao, positive reviews kept pouring in.

This novel and delicious combination surprised many students who tried it, and received extremely high praise.

Before 8:30 a.m., the system notification sounded crisply:

[Ding! Side quest 'Innovation' Phase 1 complete! The new product 'Water Chestnut, Water Celery, and Pork Xiao Long Bao' has received ≥100 positive reviews!]

[Reward: 1 random chance to win a breakfast/snack skill!]

coming!

Wang Shengqiang suppressed the urge to immediately draw a prize and quickly cleaned up the operating room.

Consciousness sinks into the system space.

"lottery!"

A golden turntable appeared and spun rapidly. This time, the categories on the turntable seemed to be more detailed.

The cursor hovers over "Chongqing Noodles" under the "Noodles" category.

[Wuhan Hot Dry Noodles]

[Lanzhou Beef Noodles]...and then [Guilin Rice Noodles] under the [Rice Noodles] category.

[Liuzhou River Snail Rice Noodles] [Changde Beef Rice Noodles]

……

Finally, the pointer landed steadily on a more specific subcategory within the category of "rice noodles"—"Jiangxi rice noodles".

Immediately, the light from the center of the turntable converged and solidified into a smaller, secondary turntable, unique to Jiangxi rice noodles, displaying:

【Nanchang Mixed Rice Noodles】, 【Jingdezhen Cold Rice Noodles】

【Shangrao Hot Rice Noodles】

【Jiujiang Fried Rice Noodles】

……

The pointer spun again and fell.

Falling on...