Gourmet: The Master Chef Just Wants to Leisurely Set Up a Stall - Chapter 25

As a vehicle marked with the city management logo arrived from the other end of the alley, surrounding vendors looked on in confusion.

Though this street hadn’t officially designated stalls, it was customary, and city officials had never come by before.

Thus, none of the vendors moved, pausing their activities to watch silently.

Four individuals alighted from the vehicle, heading directly for Zhao Xiaojing’s stall. They waved to disperse customers immediately.

“Clear out! This skewer stall is operating illegally—move along!”

“Illegal operation? What do you mean illegal?”

Parents exchanged puzzled looks, bewildered by the constant disruptions while buying skewers.

“Illegal means illegal! Are you obstructing enforcement? Are you trying to obstruct enforcement?!” The leader wielding a law enforcement recorder shouted fiercely, waving it around at customers blocking their path.

Some children were frightened, hiding tearfully behind their parents.

Nearby vendors stopped their own work, watching gleefully.

Since this skewer stall’s arrival, she’d nearly monopolized business on the street. Sellers of congee and desserts fared alright, but others barely scraped by!

Seeing Zhao Xiaojing’s misfortune, glints of excitement danced in their eyes.

“Sir, you say I’m operating illegally. Shouldn’t there be a reason? City management enforcement requires factual basis too,” Zhao Xiaojing stood firm, frowning at the arrogant man before her.

“Let’s not discuss anything else. Operating without a license tops the list! Selling food requires permits—you didn’t know?”

“How do you know I don’t have permits or licenses? You arrive, accuse me without inquiry—is this proper enforcement?”

Zhao Xiaojing retorted coldly.

“Right, city management has procedures too! Enforcement isn’t about arbitrary accusations!”

“Exactly! Is this standard procedure? Acting tough with a recorder?”

Several parents, seeing Zhao Xiaojing enter combat mode, sent their kids to safety and joined the argument.

“Someone reported your unlicensed operation! Do you have a food business license, health certificate?!” The leader sneered with raised chin.

Zhao Xiaojing calmly opened her stall’s storage box, retrieving two documents to display before him.

“Do you have a business license?!”

He ignored the papers, rolling his eyes before questioning further.

Zhao Xiaojing turned to present another document.

These were all mysteriously arranged by the system, ready on her first stall day.

Vendors at the back glimpsed her paperwork and exchanged nervous glances, craning their necks to observe more closely.

“…Chef certification, fire safety procedures?” The man hesitated before continuing his barrage.

“Do you know the difference between a street stall and a restaurant? When are these certificates needed? Does a street vendor require chef certification and fire safety procedures?”

Recognizing his deliberate provocation, Zhao Xiaojing understood immediately, as did the furious parents.

“You’re targeting us! Ask around—what street vendor has fire safety or chef certifications?”

“Forget those—none of them even have the three documents the boss just showed! Why aren’t you checking them?”

“Yeah, why aren’t you checking them? Only grilling the skewer stall?”

Parents pointed loudly at vendors lurking in the back.

The vendors shrank, ready to slip away, realizing they’d bitten off more than they could chew.

“Reports targeted the skewer stall; other stalls aren’t our jurisdiction!” the leader asserted smugly.

The vendors, already retreating, straightened and smirked triumphantly.

“Once more—do you have chef certification, fire safety procedures?” Seeing Zhao Xiaojing unable to produce them, he taunted again.

“Let me ask once more—do you know which documents a street vendor needs versus a restaurant? Are you truly official city management?” Zhao Xiaojing countered confidently.

Astute parents guided their children aside, leaving one atop a table filming with a phone.

Seeing the leader’s expression darken, his three silent companions grew uneasy, looking to him for guidance.

“If not, it’s unlicensed operation! Enough nonsense—clear out! Confiscate the stall and ingredients! Obstructing us means obstructing enforcement!”

He motioned aggressively.

“Confiscate everything! Seize that phone recording—delete the footage!”

The three men stepped forward to act.

“Hold on!”

“Hold on!”

Two voices rang out together: one Zhao Xiaojing’s, the other from Wen Zhiyi among the crowd.

Startled, Zhao Xiaojing scanned the gathering as parents parted to make way for him.

“Grandpa! You’re here—sorry about this…” Zhao Xiaojing said awkwardly, unsure how to explain such a scene to Wen Zhiyi right upon his arrival.

“Who authorized you to seize others’ stalls? Is Huang Laowu training you like this?!”

Wen Zhiyi gestured reassuringly to Zhao Xiaojing, turning to address the city officers with unexpected sternness.

“What Huang Laowu or Heilaowu—you trying to obstruct enforcement?!” Dismissing him as an irrelevant old-timer, the leader threw another accusation.

“Huang Quanan! Don’t recognize Huang Laowu?” Wen Zhiyi raised an eyebrow, eyeing him incredulously.

“Who are you? Must I know every Tom, Dick, and Harry³ you mention?” scoffed the leader.

Wen Zhiyi lifted his phone to speaker mode:

“Xiao Huang, heard them?”

“Yes sir. Apologies, Grandpa—I’ll be right over.”

Call ended.

“Huang Quanan, your ‘Tom, Dick, and Harry’ is Yangcheng City Management Bureau’s Chief of Administrative Enforcement! Ignorant of him—what kind of city officers are you? Where are you really from?!”

Wen Zhiyi barked sharply.

The leader flinched visibly, exchanging panicked looks with his three companions before attempting escape.

Standing upfront, Zhao Xiaojing reacted swiftly, tripping him with a foot.

“Block them!” As he fell, Li Donglai shouted, prompting parents to converge and surround them.

—

Footnote ³ Tom, Dick, and Harry/ 阿猫阿狗 (ā māo ā gǒu) : In the context of the text, “阿猫阿狗” literally translates to “cats and dogs” in English. It is an idiom used to refer to insignificant or random people, often dismissing individuals as unimportant or not worth recognizing, similar to “Tom, Dick, and Harry.”