The foreman was shocked by the feeling on his tongue.

How could there be such delicious braised pork in this world??

The braised pork had a rich and mellow broth, and the braised pork itself had thin skin and tender meat, which was crisp and not broken, fragrant and glutinous but not greasy, and so delicious that it was difficult to describe in words.

The foreman couldn’t help but think of Su Dongpo.

When discussing the rise of red-braised pork, Su Dongpo was undoubtedly its most prominent fan, propelling it to the pinnacle of popularity. He once wrote a song about braising: ‘Cook slowly, use a little water, let the firewood blaze without raising any smoke. Let it cook naturally, don’t rush it; when the heat is just right, it will be delicious.”

Some people prefer lean meat to fatty meat, while others preferred fatty meat to lean meat. However, braised pork could reconcile the tastes of most people. It was fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry, and could be called a meat dish that made everyone’s mouths water.

The foreman swallowed the braised pork silently, turned to look at Xiao Li next to him, and felt a little regretful.

If he could go back in time, he would definitely not share his braised pork with Xiao Li. If he could go back in time twice as fast, he would definitely not doubt Luo Huai’an’s cooking skills!

When everyone just started eating, the exclamations in the cafeteria lasted for a long time, but soon the sounds died down because everyone was busy eating and had no time to care about anything else.

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

After they had their fill of the meal, everyone gathered around Luo Huai’an.

One worker gave a thumbs-up and said, “Wow, I never would have imagined your craftsmanship was this good!”

Another worker nodded repeatedly, “Oh my god, how do you make vegetables taste like that? What are your hands like?”

Another worker looked conflicted, “I regret eating it.”

Luo Huai’an was originally delighted to hear the sincere praises, but after hearing that one worker’s regretful words, she wondered, “What’s wrong? Is my cooking not tasty?”

Logically speaking, this was impossible! Her cooking skills were personally recognized by the Kitchen God. The Kitchen God was the ancestor of all chefs. If the Kitchen God’s recognition was not valuable, then there would be no chefs in the world who could cook delicious food.

The worker looked constipated. “After eating your cooking, how could I go back to eating the foreman’s pork stew with vermicelli?”

They were all relatives, and the contractor was usually in a good mood, so the workers were not afraid of making fun of him at all.

The contractor: “…” Ahh! So angry!

… …

After chatting for a while, everyone went back to work, leaving only the foreman behind.

Luo Huai’an liked the foreman very much. Uncle Li was really so nice. He not only introduced her to a job, but also introduced businesses to her!

The workers were also very nice, willing to spend money and all good at talking, which made her feel flattered. Although not all the vegetables were sold out, there were not many left.

She grew all the vegetables she used herself, and raised the chickens and pigs herself. If you don’t count the water and electricity cost, it could be said that she was selling food at no cost to her. She really made a huge net profit today.

Luo Huai’an was looking forward to their visit again, so she asked, “Uncle Li, will you come again tonight?

“We eventually plan to have the cafeteria open all day, from 6am to 8pm. However, the business is still too small, and we haven’t officially started operating yet. We only serve food for lunch and dinner right now, but it will be more prosperous in the future.”

“Will you still have braised pork?”

“Yes.”

The foreman nodded immediately and said, “We’ll come back in the evening.”

Luo Huai’an smiled. It seemed that she could make a lot of money again in the evening.

Hmph, those students kept saying that the Eighth Canteen was haunted and refused to come here to eat. Who cared about them! By relying on her worker friends, she could still make a lot of money.

However, at this moment, the foreman suddenly said, “What a pity! We would only be able to eat such delicious braised pork for a few days.”

Luo Huai’an: “???”

“Why?”

The foreman, feeling deeply regretful, said, “Didn’t you notice earlier? Our project is almost finished. This is a summer project, and the school deliberately scheduled it to start when most of the students are not in school. We’re already in the final stages of the construction. Based on the current situation, it should be finished in less than a week, and then we’ll be moving on to the next site.”

Luo Huai’an: “…”

After her worker friends left, Luo Huai’an, sitting on a chair with a gloomy face, began to think about how to open up the student market.

… …

Although the customers were very polite and did not leave any garbage behind, and the used lunch trays were placed in the designated place, the tables still needed to be cleaned.

Big Fish wiped the table carefully with a clean rag, feeling very unhappy.

Big Fish looked up at the metal chafing dishes behind the food window, feeling a pang of pain in his heart. The braised pork was the best-seller, and it was all gone. There wasn’t much left of the other dishes either.

Damn it, how come the boss has such a wide network of contacts! How could she be so lucky!

Just then, someone else came into the cafeteria. Chancellor Wen walked in with a group of school leaders.

Luo Huai’an looked up, a question mark hanging on her head. “Chencellor Wen, how come you’re here?”

Big Fish looked at Chancellor Wen with hope and stepped closer. He had almost forgotten that he too had connections, and they were powerful ones—the chancellor loved them! Although the chancellor was a little afraid of them before, he was now in human form, a very dashing human form. 

He shouldn’t be afraid of us anymore, right?

Hehe, maybe he could take advantage of the chancellor’s favor and take over the Eighth Canteen. He didn’t want to be a cleaner anymore—he wanted to be the boss and let Luo Huai’an work for him and do the cooking for him.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Chancellor Wen saw him, he immediately turned away, and his originally majestic figure became a little panicked. “Don’t come over here!”

Big Fish: “…” What a heartless man!

Mythical Beast Cafeteria translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

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T/N: Su Shi, art name Dongpo — ‘art name’ is the professional name used by Chinese artists, writers, poets etc. He was a renowned poet, scholar, calligrapher, and gastronome who lived during the Song dynasty. 

The dish Dongpo Pork is named after him. It’s a specific variant of the more all-encompassing ‘red braised pork’.

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Chapter 9.1 — Seduce The New Students
Chapter 9.2 — Seduce The New Students
Chapter 10 — The Only New Variable Is The Eighth Cafeteria
Chapter 11 — Eat In Front Of The Freshmen During Military Training
Chapter 12.1 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup
Chapter 12.2 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup
Chapter 12.3 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup
Chapter 13.1 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup Part II
Chapter 13.2 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup Part II
Chapter 13.3 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup Part II
Chapter 14.1 — Pepper Pancakes
Chapter 14.2 — Pepper Pancakes