CHAPTER 142: CHAPTER 141: WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF ME

Fried chicken became explosively popular, selling unbelievably well, and word of mouth drew countless people from other streets to come buy it.

But it was just the two of them, and Jiang Yuan wasn’t greedy, selling a fixed amount each day, adjusting based on her and Jiang Tianrui’s stamina and time.

Some people wanted to learn how to make it at home, but upon seeing such a large oil pot, needing flour and eggs and so much oil, they gave up.

Why not just buy it ready-made?

Buying a chicken to make fried chicken is both troublesome and expensive, and without the sauce, it might end up tasting bad and be a waste.

Within a few days, Jiang Yuan and Jiang Tianrui mastered the process completely. Except for the exhaustion that made them want to crawl home every day, they were smiling like flowers, with the joy of making money being unparalleled.

Cheng Yuan recently didn’t have much time to come every day to study, the clothing store needed periodic restocking, so her mother could only visit the market, leaving Ye Manman to have Cheng Yuan do worksheets at home and save up the mistakes for her to explain all at once.

The three of them became busy, with no time for anything else. Each day was extremely busy and fulfilling.

Until one day, a tall and thin figure appeared among those buying fried chicken.

"Boss, I’d like an order of boneless fried chicken."

Liu Jitong was very tall, at least one meter eighty-five, with a unique demeanor. Busy Jiang Yuan hadn’t reacted when she heard his voice, reflexively agreeing with an "okay."

Then she looked up to collect the money, meeting Liu Jitong’s appreciative gaze.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Jiang Yuan almost forgot to take the money, feeling a bit dazed, until Jiang Tianrui nudged her to snap her out of it.

"Quick, take the money, what are you standing there for?"

Liu Jitong had queued to purchase, apparently coming deliberately to support them, and since there were people behind him, they couldn’t just not take his money.

"Oh, oh, okay."

Jiang Yuan’s face turned slightly red as she awkwardly took the money Liu Jitong handed over. When she touched his long fingers, she almost shuddered and tossed the money away.

Liu Jitong didn’t seem to notice her embarrassment, naturally striking up a conversation with them.

"Your fried chicken is truly popular. My farm that raises chickens and ducks even gets pushed by employees every day. Yesterday, I tried a piece the employee took home, and it was indeed delicious. Can you add more sauce for me later?"

He glanced around the entire Love Vine Sweet and Spicy Duck shop, with a look of deep appreciation.

On the left side of the store was a transparent glass cabinet neatly displaying various sweet and spicy duck products and sweet and spicy flavored braised dishes. Occasionally, someone walked over to weigh a couple of pounds, with He Chen sitting behind the counter.

Not far behind He Chen was a small table where Ye Manman sat quietly reading a book, occasionally writing something in a notebook beside her.

The right side housed Jiang Yuan and Jiang Tianrui selling fried chicken. Their area wasn’t large, not blocking people from entering or exiting the store. In front of them was a table with an oil pot and a place for packaging fried chicken, with a long table behind them holding prepared fried chicken.

Everything was arranged just right, not cramped, but full of lively energy.

Liu Jitong was a supplier for the store, with the chickens and ducks coming from his factory, yet he chose to queue up to support them anyway, making it hard not to have a good impression of him.

Ye Manman saw him when she was resting her eyes. Liu Jitong happened to be assessing the entire store, and when their eyes met, they exchanged polite smiles.

Jiang Yuan packed up the fried chicken he ordered, having gathered the courage to act natural, but her hands still trembled slightly when handing it over.

"Y-your fried chicken."

"...I added extra sauce for you."

Her face was red, too shy to even look him in the eye.

Seeing her like this, Liu Jitong couldn’t help but chuckle when taking the fried chicken.

"Am I really that scary? Why are you so afraid of me?"

It wasn’t unreasonable for Liu Jitong to think this way. Jiang Yuan’s face was flushed, but her actions were more like one fearing contact, avoiding eye contact as if he were some frightful monster.

Liu Jitong assumed she found him novel and would soon lose interest, becoming shy about her earlier actions. He didn’t expect Jiang Yuan to be so nervous and afraid, unable to even touch him.

He couldn’t quite figure out if she was shy due to lingering interest, or embarrassed by previous behavior because she had lost interest.

He Chen, who was good friends with him, naturally wouldn’t let him leave after just buying something, inviting him into the shop.

The table in front of Ye Manman, usually shared with Cheng Yuan, was large enough for Liu Jitong to sit without awkwardness or crowding.

"I heard you provide the technique for this fried chicken?"

Liu Jitong ate a piece of freshly cooked fried chicken, the crisp, saucy flavor was so splendid it made him squint his eyes in delight.

"This fried chicken is definitely best when fresh. They were right about that."

Ye Manman wasn’t very familiar with him and hadn’t spoken much, but he seemed pleasant to her. She nodded, pulling out a can of ketchup.

"You could also try the fries with this ketchup; it’s quite good too."

The fries are part of the third set meal, and many initially don’t try it, thinking fried potatoes aren’t anything special. However, once someone tries them, they often return for more.

Liu Jitong munched on the fried chicken at a leisurely pace, curiously watching Jiang Yuan and her brother sell fried chicken.

"Are fries just fried potato sticks? They seem to sell well too. Is it because of the ketchup that they taste good?"

In these times, potatoes were a staple in every household, and Liu Jitong had known impoverished days in his youth, finding it hard to imagine potatoes being very tasty since he grew sick of them as a child.

"No, the raw material might be potatoes, but the fries are deliciously fragrant and crisp, paired with the sweet and sour ketchup for a fantastic flavor."

Ye Manman wanted to encourage more interaction between him and Jiang Yuan. After all, a best friend’s lifelong happiness is no small matter. She called out to busy Jiang Yuan.

"Jiang Yuan, when you fry some fries later, bring some over, okay? Let Boss Liu try them. He doesn’t seem to believe how tasty potatoes can be, so give him a good demonstration of the fries’ deliciousness."

Jiang Yuan visibly stiffened for a moment, the chicken-frying in her hands slightly awkward.

She nodded with a quiet "Okay," not daring to glance their way, silently setting aside some fries on the countertop.

Jiang Tianrui heard their conversation, quietly placing the fries into the oil pot.

After the fries were cooked, Jiang Yuan was too embarrassed to bring them over herself, shyly whispering to Jiang Tianrui.

"Hey, bro, can you take the fries over to him?"

She couldn’t speak loudly, frightened of being overheard, unsure of whether Liu Jitong was watching them, making her extremely nervous.

Unfortunately, Jiang Tianrui was very busy.

"You go, I’m occupied here and need to watch this batch or it’ll burn."

After being turned down, Jiang Yuan grew more anxious; she packed the fries but hesitated to turn around.

Ye Manman noticed her apprehension and, pretending to write, casually said aloud.

"Hey, seems the fries are ready. Can you grab them? Jiang Yuan seems to have packed them, and those two are quite busy just now."