Chapter 52
4:00 PM.
After returning home from buying ingredients, Jian Yunlan began preparing the ingredients and getting ready to set up his food stall.
The beef tripe he bought had already been soaked in edible alkali, so Jian Yunlan only needed to cut it open, peel off the oil film, and slice it into pieces suitable for hotpot.
As for the other ingredients, the process was similar to the previous days. Today, Jian Yunlan decided to introduce a new flavor, “Spicy Mixed,” not because of anything special, but because he was craving it himself. Yes, compared to spicy hotpot, Jian Yunlan actually preferred spicy mixed, without the broth, the thick sesame sauce coating the ingredients… Mmm, just thinking about it made his mouth water.
While Jian Yunlan prepared the ingredients, the mansion’s butler and servants were helping out, and Taotie and Hu Dangui were also chopping and washing vegetables.
Today, the mansion’s atmosphere was livelier than ever.
Aunt Wang, who previously would only repeat, “The young master hasn’t smiled like this in a long time,” was now chatting with Aunt Li and Xiao Li about household matters and the perm that the hairstylist had ruined.
Meanwhile, Taotie would occasionally glance at Jian Yunlan, the towering beast standing at nearly 1.9 meters, feeling a little pitiful as he trailed behind him:
“Human, what is that fruit salad? Is it delicious? Why doesn’t this lord have any? Everyone else has some, but I don’t. Am I not worthy…?”
Hu Dangui didn’t directly ask but looked at him with sad, pleading eyes.
Jian Yunlan waved his hand: “I’ll make it for you both after work.”
Their eyes sparkled once again!
*
6:30 PM.
Jian Yunlan packed up the ingredients and loaded them into the cart, while Mao Mao had already gracefully jumped into the back seat, and Hu Hu nestled into the lotus lantern.
Everyone was ready, and it was time to set up the stall!
At the entrance of Lotus Pond Community.
Jian Yunlan hadn’t arrived yet, but the hotpot stall had already gathered quite a crowd: the Song family of three, Xu Lijun and Song Lanzhen, and, of course, a few others who had once vowed to lose weight but sneaked out of the gym.
They all craned their necks, eagerly waiting.
At 7:00 PM, the familiar tricycle appeared on time.
But this time, it didn’t come from outside the community, but rather from inside…?
The crowd was confused. Had Jian Yunlan moved to Lotus Pond Community?
Before they could think too much, the first person in line had already gone to meet him, the dance-averse but food-loving Xu Lijun and Song Lanzhen. They warmly greeted him:
“Boss Jian! You finally came~”
“Same as usual, we’ll each have one, extra spicy and medium spicy!”
The other customers quickly chimed in:
“Boss Jian, we’ve been waiting for you so long! I missed out yesterday, I was craving it so much…”
“Yes, yes!”
“Wow! Smells so good! Are there two soup bases today too?”
As Jian Yunlan’s tricycle came to a stop, customers rushed up to him, and he barely found space to get off.
Jian Yunlan swiftly unfolded the extension table, laid out the ingredients one by one, and turned on the lights. Taotie jumped out from the back seat and started checking the line, handing out number tags in order, while Hu Hu’s lotus lantern also lit up.
While preparing, Jian Yunlan smiled and said:
“Yes, we have two soup bases today—spicy soup and original broth. We’ve also introduced a new spicy mixed flavor, welcome to try it!”
Wow, spicy mixed!
The crowd exchanged looks. They had only ever tried Jian Yunlan’s hotpot before, with that delicious beef bone broth that never got boring, both spicy and fresh, perfectly complementing the ingredients cooked to just the right tenderness.
But if it was Jian Yunlan’s cooking, the spicy mixed should be just as good, right?
They were a bit conflicted.
Just as they were debating, Jian Yunlan finished his preparations. The array of ingredients gleamed under the light, and the two soup pots were opened, releasing a thick steam and fragrance…
No more time to hesitate! The customers made their decisions on the spot:
“One mild spicy, please, thank you Boss Jian~”
“I want it extra spicy, with lots of garlic!”
“I’ve always wanted to try the spicy mixed, I’ll have one of those.”
It was Song Jing’an speaking. He had always been a fan of spicy mixed. Although hotpot was also delicious, the flavor of spicy mixed was richer, offering a completely different, new experience.
Yes, today Song Jing’an, Lu Ling, and Song Shixia’s family of three were also here to enjoy the hotpot.
To eat the hotpot, Lu Ling had even asked for leave from his law firm to get off early. Otherwise, he would’ve had to work overtime until eight or nine, and by then, Boss Jian would have already sold out and left.
Hearing that his dad ordered spicy mixed, Song Shixia chewed on her finger for a while and then chose the spicy mixed too, while Lu Ling opted for a mildly spicy hotpot. He had tried the original broth yesterday and wanted to see how the spicy version tasted.
Soon, the first six customers received their baskets to choose ingredients and began selecting items in front of the stall. Behind them, another ten or so customers were waiting eagerly in line.
“Three skewers of beef tendons, more fatty beef and beef tripe, wow, there’s beef tripe today! I’ll definitely get three or four skewers of that hehe.”
“The process of picking ingredients is so therapeutic.”
“Four skewers of handmade beef balls, this potato is huge and delicious, give me more, also some enoki mushrooms, shepherd’s purse, tofu puff…”
After selecting their ingredients, the customers took their number tags and waited, while Jian Yunlan took the baskets and skillfully dipped the ingredients into the boiling red oil soup pots. The fresh ingredients quickly changed color, and the rich, spicy aroma of the hotpot filled the air.
The small spicy hotpot stall quickly became bustling with activity. As the warm lights spread, the atmosphere became lively, attracting a lot of attention.
Other snack stall owners watched enviously, feeling both jealous and greedy.
Not far away, in the square.
The aunties performing the square dance moved in sync with the music. On the surface, their movements were calm, but underneath, tensions were brewing.
Everyone exchanged glances.
“Sister Li, you missed a step, didn’t you?”
“That’s a joke! I think it’s you who’s distracted, thinking about the hotpot, huh?”
“I don’t even like spicy hotpot!”
Hmph, a stubborn old goose.
— The aunties were subtly throwing daggers in their words. In just a few exchanges, they had already exchanged some sharp words, with tensions rising.
Meanwhile, Aunt Han, who had once been the lead dancer, looked pale, her face holding a faint, powerless smile. She had already stepped back to a corner, no longer leading the dance.
Yesterday, Aunt Han’s excuse for going to the bathroom was exposed as she secretly went to queue for the hotpot, and with that, her long-standing reputation in the square dance group had been destroyed.
Taking advantage of this, Aunt Li had taken the opportunity to oust her and became the new lead dancer.
With the new role, Aunt Li wasted no time establishing a rule: “Anyone who secretly sneaks off to eat spicy hotpot will be expelled from the dance group and banned from participating in next week’s community competition!”
This rule made everyone uneasy.
While dancing, the aunties kept a watchful eye on each other:
They were now eager to see who would be the first to give in to the temptation and sneak off to eat the hotpot.
At first, the aunties’ willpower remained strong.
But as the hotpot stall was set up, the pots heated up, and the tempting aroma began to drift in the wind…
The scent of the spicy hotpot wafting over, the aunties’ dance movements gradually started to falter.
…Damn, why does it smell even better today than yesterday?!
What kind of spicy hotpot is this? Did they add some kind of magic ingredient?
At first, Aunt Chen missed a step, then Aunt Wang’s mouth began to water as she danced, and Aunt Wu nearly twisted her waist when she turned, unable to stop glancing at the hotpot stall.
The aunties’ attention was slowly drifting away from their square dance.
Especially Aunt Han, who, after being ousted yesterday, felt like she had given up on herself. When the hotpot tricycle appeared, she immediately claimed she had a “stomach ache,” no longer pretending, and dashed straight to the stall.
…The aunties watched her go with envious eyes.
So tempting.
They also wanted to follow Aunt Han.
“Well, the first traitor!” New lead dancer Aunt Li snorted.
Aunt Li wasn’t about to let the morale of the group crumble. With her stern expression, and under the contrast of her big, frizzy hair, she exuded an intimidating presence. As she danced to the rhythm of the square dance, she said passionately:
“Everyone, wake up! Why did we come down here? Not to eat junk food and waste time!
“We came to exercise, set an example for the younger generation, and to participate in the competition and bring glory to our community. Have you all forgotten that?!”
Her booming voice temporarily brought the aunties’ rationality back.
Aunt Li nodded in satisfaction, but just after a short while of dancing, the most respected aunt in the group, Aunt Wu, suddenly stepped out of line. She was pale and gasping for air, saying, “My foot hurts… Sorry, I’ll rest over there.”
Aunt Chen immediately said, “I’ll accompany Aunt Wu to rest, everyone continue, don’t mind us!”
With Aunt Chen’s help, Aunt Wu hobbled toward Lotus Pond Community.
The aunties watched them suspiciously.
From Aunt Wu’s initial limp, to tossing aside her cane, standing straight, and walking normally, to finally jogging at full speed, it took her only two minutes.
Her final sprinting speed almost outpaced an Olympic champion!
The aunties: “…”
It was a medical miracle!
Aunt Wu and Aunt Chen disappeared into the crowd in front of the hotpot stall.
Once the two of them left, the morale of the square dance group began to falter. Soon, another aunt stepped out:
“Ah, my back! It’s gone out again…”
“My granddaughter is crying, I need to go check on her, sorry Sister Li.”
“Sister Li, there’s something at home, heh, my husband has his period, I need to go take care of him.”
Aunt Li: “???”
The other excuses were alright, but this one… This aunt was a Beta, and her husband was an Alpha.
What’s going on? Is your husband jumping on the transgender trend, planning to rejuvenate and follow the national policy to have a third child?!
Aunt Li was speechless.
Soon, the once orderly and synchronized square dance group had been gradually lured away by the hotpot, and in the end, only Aunt Li and her trusted aide, Aunt Tong, remained.
Aunt Tong trembled as she said, “Your Majesty, our country… has fallen.”
Just yesterday, they had staged a coup and ascended to the throne, and today, the world was collapsing.
Aunt Li sighed deeply, her eyes filled with weariness and sorrow.
In the end, had they been eliminated by the times?
The music continued to play through the loudspeakers, “The vast horizon is my love,” and Aunt Li danced with determination. Her movements under the moonlight appeared so solitary, as if she were the last ruler of a dying dynasty.
“The emperor dies with the country!” Aunt Li shouted.
After finishing her dance, drenched in sweat, she turned around and said, “Sister Tong, I—”
But there was only emptiness behind her.
Even Aunt Tong, who had walked side by side with her, bearing countless grudges and loyal to the core, was gone!
Aunt Li looked into the distance and saw Aunt Tong laughing and chatting in front of the hotpot stall.
Aunt Li wailed.
She lowered her head, packed away the radio, leaving behind a lone figure for the world to see.
“The tide of the new era cannot carry this old boat of mine anymore?” Aunt Li laughed bitterly to herself, “If that’s the case, let the torrent crush me…”
And so, Aunt Li turned and walked toward the hotpot stall.
The addition of the square dance aunties had made the hotpot stall even more bustling.
In the blink of an eye, there were already forty to fifty people lining up at the stall!
Many passersby had never seen a snack stall with such a crowd and thought it was some community event or maybe distributing free eggs or something. Upon inquiry, when they found out it was a spicy hotpot stall, they all looked confused.
What kind of hotpot is this, to be this popular?!
In the line, Xu Muran thought the same.
Xu Muran was a full-time online novelist. She started writing ten years ago in college, and now she had achieved some success. Several of her novels had been sold for film and television rights, and she had already achieved financial freedom from writing. She had bought a villa in Lotus Pond Community and was living with ten cats and five dogs!
Life was blissful.
But the one small flaw was her mother, Xu Lijun, constantly pressuring her about marriage.
Her mother had very traditional views; for most people of her generation, marriage was the only path for an Omega. No matter how successful your career was, if you didn’t find an Alpha partner, you were a failure. Although Xu Muran didn’t think this way, she couldn’t ignore her mother’s persistent urging.
However, two days ago, her mother suddenly sent a message saying she would no longer inquire about her love life. Xu Muran initially thought her mother was using a strategy of retreat to advance, hoping to trap her into marriage with even more intense pressure later.
…But two days had passed, and Xu Lijun really hadn’t brought up marriage again!
Xu Muran’s world had become peaceful.
She found out that her mother had recently become obsessed with the hotpot stall at the entrance of their community. She was so content she had forgotten about marriage altogether. Not only had she stopped asking about it, but she also stopped going to her beloved square dance. Every time, she was just squatting in front of the snack stall!
So that evening, Xu Muran couldn’t resist her curiosity and went to the entrance of the community.
By the time she arrived, the square dance aunties hadn’t yet joined, but there were already a dozen or so people in line at the stall. She had to wait almost half an hour before it was her turn.
As a novelist with a million-strong following, Xu Muran’s time was precious, and she still hadn’t finished her update for the day!
“This hotpot must be really good to be worth this half-hour wait,” Xu Muran mumbled to herself.
Soon, Xu Muran reached the front of the line. By now, there were over twenty customers sitting at nearby tables, enjoying their food with smiles on their faces. The hotpot stall was brimming with a unique bustling atmosphere.
A moment ago, Xu Muran had been typing away on her phone, but the next moment, she heard the snack stall owner’s warm, clean voice: “Hello, what kind of spicy hotpot would you like?”
Xu Muran looked up, stunned by the good looks of the stall owner!
How could there be such a handsome hotpot vendor!
The “heart-stoppingly beautiful” descriptions she wrote about in her novels were real!
“Uh, I’ll have… a medium spicy hotpot,” Xu Muran stammered, her face flushing slightly.
It wasn’t for any other reason, just that such a handsome guy standing in front of her, who wouldn’t stammer?
But, when it came to street food, she always thought that younger people made it pricier and worse, while older uncles and aunts seemed more reliable and affordable.
And this hotpot cost 100 yuan, which was indeed expensive.
Xu Muran handed over her chosen bamboo basket to Jian Yunlan, standing by as a steaming hotpot was soon served. The beef bone broth was incredibly fragrant, filled with Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, and a layer of crispy garlic and crushed peanuts on top. The smell was intoxicating.
Xu Muran picked up a piece of yellow throat.
The yellow throat was cut into thin, flower-like slices, curling up from the heat. It was soaked with red oil, and sprinkled with white sesame seeds, garlic, and green onions, the red oil dripping down.
She took a bite, and Xu Muran’s eyes widened!
So crunchy, so tender!
The surface of the yellow throat was smooth, yet chewy, cooked to perfection with a crisp sound between her teeth. The beef bone broth and red oil made the yellow throat even more flavorful and spicy, and as she chewed, the juice flowed out…
Xu Muran had ordered the medium spice, but after just one piece of yellow throat, her forehead was covered in sweat, unable to stop sticking out her tongue from the heat. But this kind of spice was the kind that made you crave more—the spicier it got, the more she wanted to eat.
She was a fan of yellow throat, always ordering it whenever she went for hotpot. However, in the city, few hotpot restaurants offered yellow throat that had the right texture—fresh, crunchy, and tender. Even if they did, it was hard to control the cooking time at home; it was easy to overcook it and make it tough.
But the yellow throat in front of her, in terms of texture, freshness, the flavor of the broth, and the owner’s control of the cooking time, completely surpassed all the hotpot restaurants she had ever been to.
In just a few bites, Xu Muran finished all the trachea, and then she regretted it:
“Why didn’t I get more skewers of trachea?!”
But soon, she stopped regretting.
Because she picked up a piece of beef tripe.
The same fresh and crunchy beef tripe, larger than her palm, soaked with broth, and when she bit into it, the satisfying splatter of red oil was absolutely amazing. There were also the potatoes, soft, glistening with oil on the surface, but melting in her mouth. Not to mention the duck intestines, which were thin slices that got more flavorful with each chew. The taste in the rich, spicy broth was extraordinary…
Xu Muran glanced at the snack stall owner, who was wearing an apron among the crowd, and her gaze immediately changed.
How ignorant she had been, to ever doubt the value of this hotpot stall!
It was at that moment that Xu Muran’s phone vibrated; it was the alarm she had set. It was already 7:30 p.m., time for her to update her novel.
There was no time to hesitate. Xu Muran quickly typed on her phone while eating the hotpot and finished her chapter update, hitting send.
At 7:30 p.m., many readers across the country received an update notification and immediately opened the app to read the latest chapter of the popular BL novel “Wildfire” by the author “Mo Ran.”
This was the most popular BL novel on the platform, a new work by the famous author “Mo Ran.” Although it was only about 100,000 words long, it had already attracted nearly a million readers and had even sold several adaptations, including audiobooks and comics.
Wildfire was a bittersweet campus love story with a touch of melodrama, featuring two Alpha protagonists in a forbidden love that defied societal norms. Mo Ran’s delicate and realistic writing style often struck emotional chords, making readers weep as they devoured each chapter, eagerly awaiting the next.
In Chapter 30, after the update, many readers clicked on the new chapter, excited to read.
“Oh my, this is so bittersweet. The tension between the two protagonists is incredible… It’s so beautifully written…” The readers devoured the pages, but as they reached the latter half of the chapter, the tone suddenly shifted.
—The protagonists, about to fight at the school gate, suddenly stumbled upon a hotpot stall where the owner was an extraordinarily handsome man. Enticed by the aroma, the protagonists ended up eating a delicious bowl of spicy hotpot.
In the story, Mo Ran even “kindly” described the hotpot in great detail, with vivid depictions of the yellow throat’s crisp and spicy flavor, the tempting fragrance of fatty beef, and all the delicious elements of the dish.
In the end, the protagonists were so immersed in the food that they reconciled with each other.
Readers: “…”
Readers: “???”
Soon, hashtags like #MoRanHacked? #WildfirePlotTwist and #IsHotpotReallyThatGood? quickly trended on Weibo.
It turned out that the author’s mental state had a huge impact on the plot.
—Mo Ran, wake up! You were writing a high-tension, melodramatic BL novel, not a food blog!!!
Next time, can you not spend 300 words describing the taste of hotpot in such detail?
Sure, padding the word count is one thing, but it’s late at night, and we’re all hungry. It’s not friendly to our wallets…
Unable to resist, some readers even cried as they opened their food delivery app.
*
At the entrance of Lotus Pond Community, Jian Yunlan roughly counted that, after only half an hour of opening the stall, over forty orders had already been sold. The majority of them were spicy hotpot, while five or six customers chose spicy mix, and three or four ordered the original broth. Many customers also bought several portions, packing them up to take home to their families.
Today’s most popular ingredients, in addition to fatty beef and beef tripe, also included yellow throat. Jian Yunlan had bought a lot of yellow throat, but with the enthusiastic customers, the large basket was already down to only half full.
At this rate, she would sell out of the 100 portions before 8:00 p.m.
Jian Yunlan was actually a bit sad because the system required him to stop once he sold a hundred portions. But his life goal was to run a street stall, and only being allowed to set up for one hour a day was so painful.
He really hoped that one day he could run a stall without the system’s restrictions, and set up for as long as he wanted! He would set up for three whole days and nights!
Thinking this, Jian Yunlan kept working, and soon another serving of spicy hotpot was ready.
Today, Jian Yunlan was very popular with the aunties who danced in the square.
The aunties, while enjoying the delicious food, also chatted with Jian Yunlan:
“Ah, Boss Jian, your cooking skills are amazing. How about coming to my house to be my son-in-law?”
“Too bad I only have one Alpha… But AA relationships are quite trendy now, Boss Jian, think about it?”
“You look so handsome, and your pheromones smell… so unique, hehe.”
Jian Yunlan smiled slightly and shook his head, “I’m focusing on my small food stall business right now, and I won’t be considering relationships for the next hundred years.”
The aunties: “…Wow.”
Such dedication to his food stall! No wonder his hotpot tasted so good!
The food-loving dog, however, was in a bad mood.
The dog, which had been full of energy yesterday when handing out number tags, now lazily held a number tag in its mouth, looking somewhat disheartened. It listlessly handed a number tag to a customer, had no smile for the photo, and let its tail droop—its whole demeanor was a bit off.
—Yes, along with the popularity of the hotpot stall in Lotus Pond Community, the dog, named Maomao, known as the “food stall bodyguard dog,” had also become famous.
Many people originally came to buy hotpot just to see how the dog handed out the number tags. Some children even came just to take a photo with Maomao.
“Is Maomao mad?”
“Who dared to make Maomao angry?”
At the entrance of the community, several children around seven or eight years old, who had just finished dinner, were playing games downstairs. The leader of the group, Chen Shuoshuo, was a confident little boss. He wore a baseball cap, dungarees, and even had an Ultraman transformation belt hanging from his waist, looking very proud.
Suddenly, one of the kids shouted:
“Wow, a dog!”
The kids all looked toward the entrance of the community and, sure enough, saw a very handsome and majestic dog. Its silver fur and graceful figure looked like something straight out of a cartoon.
Chen Shuoshuo’s eyes lit up.
This was the most impressive dog he had ever seen. Compared to the soft, weak Pomeranians and Chihuahuas his uncles and aunts had, this dog was a real man’s dog!
“You guys don’t understand, don’t talk nonsense,” Chen Shuoshuo said seriously, “This is not just any dog. This is the… Moon Divine Beast! If you take a picture with the Moon Divine Beast, you can absorb its moon essence and transform into a Moon Superhero.”
The kids’ eyes sparkled with excitement.
Recently, a cartoon called Sun and Moon Superheroes had become very popular at school. Both boys and girls were eager to encounter a divine beast like the ones in the show and transform into superheroes.
“Follow me, let’s worship the Moon Divine Beast!”
With Chen Shuoshuo’s command, the kids immediately rushed toward the food stall.
They all knelt in front of Maomao, shouting: “Moon Divine Beast, grant me power~”
Everyone: “…”
Maomao, in a dignified manner, tilted its head slightly and calmly accepted the children’s worship.
These human cubs had some good taste.
When Maomao destroyed the world in the future, it might leave them a way out. Maomao thought with satisfaction.
“Boss, can we touch the Moon Divine Beast?” One of the kids asked Jian Yunlan.
Before Jian Yunlan could respond, the other customers quickly explained:
“No, you can’t touch Maomao, it’s an employee, and you can’t touch employees.”
“You can take a photo with Maomao if you buy hotpot,” said Feng Danqing, who had just finished work and came to join the line. She raised an eyebrow, “But one portion of hotpot costs 100 yuan. Do you have that much money?”
She remembered when she was a kid, her pocket money was only 15 yuan a month.
A 100-yuan hotpot, these little brats probably couldn’t afford it, right?
The adults in the group nodded in agreement.
Yeah, the hotpot was already competitive enough, and now these little kids wanted to join the fun? They probably couldn’t afford a 100-yuan portion!
However, when they heard this, Chen Shuoshuo, the leader, gave a disdainful expression:
“Only 100 yuan?”
He casually bought an Sun and Moon Superhero belt for two to three thousand yuan.
Chen Shuoshuo scanned the hotpot stall’s QR code and transferred 300 yuan: “I’ll treat my brothers to hotpot and get a picture with the Moon Divine Beast. Is that okay?”
Following Chen Shuoshuo, the rest of the kids also took out their smartwatches, scanned the QR code, and paid with the same calm expressions as if they were buying bubble gum at a convenience store.
Jian Yunlan: “…”
Everyone: “………..”
What’s going on?
How are these kids so rich?!
Is this even reasonable?!
*
The Multiverse Livestream
As time ticked closer to 8 o’clock, most of the streamers perked up.
The original novel Dark River, Bright Light clearly wrote that the group of children attacked by thugs were the same ones encountered around 8 o’clock in the southern corner of Lotus Pond Community, where they were harassed by a group of thugs.
Although everyone assumed that the “Yu Ming gland injury” was a plot device, they still had to make the necessary efforts. What if they could stop everything from happening?
But in Jian Yunlan’s live stream room:
[Boss Jian is still setting up his stall despite the weather! Spicy hotpot, I want to eat it, I want to eat it, show it off in my mouth! Ahhhh!]
[Haha, Yu Ming really went to Yang’s stall. Did the smell of spicy hotpot from Aunt Song really have such an impact on him?]
[How do these kids have more money than me? I’m jealous (slowly kneels down).]
[Emmmm, Chen Shuoshuo, that name sounds a bit familiar.]
[Wait, Chen Shuoshuo, could it be…?]
