CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 034: MY DEAR XU BAO, I FEEL SO SORRY FOR YOU! LET ME TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE A SOUP!

"Oh, you came! You really didn’t need to bring a gift."

Lin Xu took the Braised Pork Rice he had set aside for Shen Jiayue from the insulated box and handed it to her.

"Give this to my mom when she arrives. You should eat first. If you want Chicken Feet or Lotus Root, just ask Chezai. I need to get busy."

Upon seeing Lin Xu, Shen Jiayue’s gloomy mood instantly brightened.

"Okay!"

She took the Braised Pork Rice, ordered five Chicken Feet and a plate of Ginger Lotus Root, then found a spot near the kitchen to sit.

This way, I can eat while watching Lin Xu.

After being forced to go on blind dates all afternoon, my Xu Bao still looks the most handsome and is the easiest on the eyes!

As evening approached, the number of customers in the restaurant grew.

Everyone thought placing the cash register at the entrance was a good idea. That way, those eating inside wouldn’t be bothered by the customers waiting in line.

"I’ll take ten Chicken Feet and a plate of Ginger Lotus Root, to go."

"I want twenty Chicken Feet, also to go."

"I want two large bowls of Tomato Cubes Noodles, six Chicken Feet, a plate of Ginger Lotus Root, and four bottles of beer."

"I’ll have three small bowls of Tri-combo Hand-pulled Noodles, a plate of Ginger Lotus Root, and three bottles of North Pole."

"..."

Some customers got their orders to go, planning to share the delicious food with their families, while others dined in.

When the restaurant was almost full, Wu Kexin stopped her live stream and offered her seat to a customer. Panda also returned to drinking beer with Yue Liyue.

"It’s just past five in the afternoon, everyone, look at how packed the restaurant is! It’s absolutely booming. So, if you plan to come eat, make sure to arrive early."

After filming the bustling scene of customers filling the restaurant, Wu Kexin moved closer to the kitchen to film Lin Xu making hand-pulled noodles.

"Oh my god! Boss Lin’s noodle-making skills are incredible, aren’t they?"

"Totally! He makes it look so effortless."

"It must be really tough for Boss Lin to make noodles for so many customers all by himself."

"Panda mentioned earlier that Boss Lin has to get up at four in the morning to buy ingredients. The business looks like it’s booming, but it’s all built on sheer hard work."

"There’s no such thing as effortless success in this world."

"Yeah, but I still want to say, Boss Lin, you’re making us all swoon!"

Although Wu Kexin wasn’t eating anything at the moment, and wasn’t even showing her face, the popularity of her live stream continued to soar. Her fans were not only discussing Lin Xu’s noodle-making technique and the restaurant’s business, but some even idly started counting how many servings of noodles Lin Xu was preparing.

Around six o’clock, Wu Kexin, still holding her phone, said goodbye to Shen Jiayue, "Lady Boss, I’m ending my live stream now. I’ll come hang out with you guys again when I have time."

Shen Jiayue smiled at her, "If you’re not busy, you can come do live streams anytime. We might be adding Braised Pork Rice to the menu in the next couple of days. He said it’s even tastier than what we had today."

Hearing this, Wu Kexin instantly felt a craving.

Today’s Braised Pork Rice was already perfect. If there’s something even better, I can’t imagine how good it must taste! I’m so excited!

After stepping out of Lin Ji’s Food, the beautiful streamer showed her fans the long line still waiting outside. Only then did she contentedly say goodbye to everyone.

"Xinxin, we did it! It was a huge success! At its peak, your live stream hit fifth on the overall charts. You’ve never reached such heights, not even when you were exploring five-star hotels!"

Right after she ended the live stream, Agent Weiwei called. Wu Kexin was also surprised by this result.

"It was all thanks to Manager Chen’s excellent planning. Her arrangements helped me rediscover my initial passion and the motivation I had when I first started live streaming. Weiwei, please thank Manager Chen for me. I’ll work hard from now on."

Agent Weiwei on the other end of the line was silent for a moment.

Did Manager Chen’s arrangement really have such a profound meaning? Wasn’t it just because her cousin begged for some publicity that she asked Xinxin to stream at that restaurant?

At seven fifty in the evening, the restaurant’s ingredients were once again completely sold out.

"Tiantian, tell the customers waiting outside that we’re all out of ingredients. Ask them to please come back tomorrow."

Lin Xu called out to Song Tiantian, then took off his chef hat. His hair was completely drenched in sweat, as if he had just stepped out of a shower. He wiped the sweat from his head and face with a towel, then stripped off his soaked chef’s uniform and changed into a clean one.

Shen Jiayue, who had been watching him the whole time, looked at him with deep concern.

He’s sweating so much. He must be exhausted, right? My poor Xu Bao!

"Hm? Why are you still here?" Lin Xu only noticed Shen Jiayue was still there as he was putting the towel away. "You ate so much tonight. Aren’t you planning to hit the gym?"

Shen Jiayue was speechless. ...

Why do I suddenly have the urge to smack his stupid head? I’m not going to feel sorry for you anymore! Work yourself to death for all I care!

Chen Meijuan, who was helping Chezai clear the tables, glanced at her son. "Little Yue has been waiting for you for ages, and what do you do? The moment you’re done, you try to send her home... Little Yue, would you like some of Auntie’s Egg Soup? Wait right here, Auntie will make it for you now."

The restaurant had ready-made chicken soup and ingredients, so making Egg Soup was quite simple.

Lin Xu said, "Mom, you just stand by and guide me. I’ll make it. This is a good chance for me to learn. What if you leave and I crave it? I can’t just hop on a late-night high-speed train back to our hometown, can I?"

His words made Shen Jiayue’s heart flutter.

He must be so eager to learn because he knows I like it, right? That darn Xu Bao, always knowing how to make me happy. My four years of plying him with snacks weren’t in vain!

Chen Meijuan wiped her hands and said, "It’s good for you to learn. You can make it for Little Yue. Little Yue, if you want some in the future, just ask Lin Xu to make it for you. If he refuses, you tell me, and I’ll call and give him a piece of my mind!"

Shen Jiayue’s heart was overflowing with sweetness.

Aww, Auntie is so nice! I, Shen Jiayue, am definitely going to be your daughter-in-law!

Soon, under his mother’s guidance, Lin Xu began making the traditional Egg Soup. He beat the eggs, then mixed some starch with water to create a slurry.

"In the past, we used flour, similar to how you make Bump Soup. It’s more filling that way, but it doesn’t look as appealing, so now we use starch instead."

Once Lin Xu had everything ready, he placed the wok on the stove, poured in the chicken soup, and began to heat it. When the chicken soup came to a boil, he added a little Dark Soy Sauce for color. Then, he slowly poured the beaten eggs into the pot in a circular motion. The egg mixture immediately transformed into delicate, cloud-like strands in the chicken soup, making it instantly look beautiful. Next, he added some salt and pepper. After adjusting the seasoning, he stirred in the starch slurry.

"When you first add the starch, the soup thickens," Chen Meijuan explained, sounding like an expert as she guided Lin Xu. "But if it cooks for too long, the starch breaks down, and the soup will become thin again. That’s why you should add it last."

After stirring in the starch slurry for a few moments, he turned off the heat. He placed some seaweed and dried shrimp skins (rinsed with cold water) into bowls, ladled the hot soup over them, and finished with a few drops of Sesame Oil. The traditional Egg Soup was ready.

The moment it was done, Shen Jiayue eagerly scooped a little with a spoon, blew on it gently, and took a taste.

Lin Xu watched her and asked, "How is it?"

After savoring it for a moment, she said, "It’s not as good as Auntie’s."

"Then give it here!"

"Nope!" Shen Jiayue clutched her bowl of soup and went to a corner to enjoy it.

Lin Xu ladled out the rest of the soup, sharing it with the staff and a few customers who hadn’t left yet. He wanted everyone to taste it and give their opinions, to see if this soup would be a good addition to the menu.

Old Mr. Gao, who had just returned from his walk, was also given a small bowl. He tasted the soup Lin Xu had made and then said, "This soup is good, but it’s too rich and fragrant for the restaurant... Boss Lin, if you don’t mind, I could teach you how to make a different soup."