Chapter 95
Yesterday, when Madam Huo was playing mahjong at Sister Huang’s, she smelled the tempting aroma of roast duck coming from Aunt Wang’s stand. Since then, she couldn’t stop thinking about that roast duck. Today, she had arrived early with her bodyguard to join the line.
When she saw Aunt Wang in the queue, she didn’t think much of it and, with her bodyguard, joined the line as well. But in the middle of the wait, she received a call from a business partner. She left her bodyguard in the queue while she took the call in a quiet spot.
During that short phone call, everything changed. When she returned, the entire queue had transformed!
To her surprise, the line she had been waiting in for so long was for Zhu Yuan Roast Duck. Madam Huo nearly lost her composure.
As a top client of Zhu Yuan, if she wanted their roast duck, all it would take was a phone call.
But the roast duck she craved wasn’t Zhu Yuan’s—it was the “Xiao Lan Roast Duck” she had been obsessing over since yesterday!
Meanwhile, the queue she had been in had dwindled to only a few people, while a long new line had formed across the street.
The rich, familiar scent of roast duck from across the street gradually filled the air—inviting and mouth-watering. Just smelling it made people’s stomachs growl.
The people in the queue started talking:
“That aroma is so irresistible. I wonder what kind of ingredients Xiao Lan’s roast duck has. It has that delicious hot oil scent, the roasted duck fragrance, and even the aroma of fruitwood…”
“Yeah, we were foolish earlier. That Zhu Yuan Roast Duck over there doesn’t have this kind of smell. I can’t believe we stood in line for so long.”
“Aunt Wang, you’re so unreliable, leading all of us astray!”
“It’s not just us. I’ve seen a lot of big shots still waiting over there too.”
“We’re not too late, are we? Do you think we’ll get some?”
Madam Huo couldn’t resist looking toward the front of the line to see what the ‘Xiao Lan’ owner looked like.
At the front of the line was a small tricycle, but unfortunately, it was blocked by the crowd, so she couldn’t see the vendor’s face.
In contrast to the quiet Zhu Yuan Roast Duck stall, the new line on the other side of the street had already grown to dozens or even hundreds of people, with many familiar faces in the crowd:
The young girl from the Xu family, the eldest from the Mu family, and of course, Aunt Wang, who had turned down her offer to buy a roast duck for one million just yesterday…
Madam Huo even spotted her younger son with her grandson.
Huo Ran and Huo Yan, the older and younger of the pair, were clearly visible in the queue.
…Huo Yan had just been kidnapped yesterday and made the news, but fortunately, a kind-hearted person had called the police in time, and he wasn’t hurt.
Who would have guessed that the kid seemed completely unaffected by it. After being kidnapped yesterday, today he was casually out on the street buying roast duck.
“Boss Xiao Lan said he’d give me a free roast duck,” Huo Yan said proudly, puffing out his chest. “I’ve got connections!”
Huo Ran smiled and patted his nephew’s head, thinking that the kid was just imagining things because he wanted roast duck. He didn’t take it seriously.
Unlike his older brother Huo Ye, who frequently visited Zhu Yuan, Huo Ran had never been particularly obsessed with roast duck. He had come mostly to accompany his nephew. As the most indulgent uncle, he usually granted Huo Yan any request.
Though the smell was tempting, he most likely wouldn’t eat such greasy food himself.
Around them, several people recognized their faces and, noticing Xu Shishi and Mu Mingqiu at the front of the line enjoying their roast ducks, couldn’t help but marvel—
“No wonder so many big shots are willing to queue for this roast duck. It really smells so delicious!”
Everyone eagerly craned their necks, their eyes full of longing.
At the front of the line, people had already started eating their roast ducks.
For example, Mu Mingqiu.
He was beaming with joy, having just received a roast duck from Boss Xiao Lan, and immediately dug in, taking large bites!
The crowd watched enviously and jealously as he took a big bite. The crispy, reddish-brown skin of the roast duck cracked loudly, and the oil that had been rendered from the duck during roasting dripped down, exposing the tender duck meat inside.
After just one bite, his expression was filled with intense shock—
The roast duck he had tasted before had already been impressive, but this one was even better, taking the experience to a whole new level!
The skin of the roast duck was thin and crispy, releasing a rich, savory flavor with each bite. The duck meat inside was incredibly tender, juicy, and not at all dry. It had the perfect, slightly chewy texture, with every bite releasing juices. The rich flavor was complemented by the smoky fruitwood aroma, and the duck was flavorful without being greasy—making people want to keep eating.
There were no extra seasonings; just the natural aroma of the roast duck and the texture of the meat was already more than satisfying.
Without a care for her usual elegant image, Xu Shishi, too, ate enthusiastically.
Since she bought several roast ducks and stocked them in her fridge, she had been eating roast duck almost every day for all three meals. Whether wrapped in spring pancake, dipped in sweet sauce, or even mixed with leftover duck fat and braised sauce over rice, it was always delicious and hard to believe.
Even the chefs at the Xu family were stunned.
—The young lady was usually very picky about food, yet this roast duck had her eating it for all three meals without getting tired of it!
Of course, the method Xu Shishi most enjoyed was simply grabbing a whole roast duck with her hands and taking big, satisfying bites.
She would never forget the first time she ate the roast duck, the overwhelming feeling of satisfaction—tender duck meat paired with crispy skin, the aroma she smelled, and the sizzling sounds of hot oil from the oven…
There was nothing more enjoyable than this!
So, just like Mu Mingqiu, Xu Shishi eagerly took the roast duck from Boss Xiao Lan and immediately began eating it.
They both ate with abandon, not caring about their image. The scene was almost too much to watch.
But, because they both had stunning looks, and the joy on their faces as they savored the roast duck seemed so genuine, the sight wasn’t off-putting. Most importantly, the roast duck they were holding—the golden, crispy skin, the glistening oil, and the tender duck meat—was irresistible.
The people in line couldn’t help but watch in envy, their stomachs rumbling.
“So even the rich young master and young lady eat roast duck this way, without caring about their image.”
“It must really be delicious.”
“I can’t resist anymore, seeing them eat so happily. I want some too!!”
“This live eating broadcast is torturing me! I can’t watch anymore, or I might just jump up and steal a roast duck.”
Yes, Xu Shishi and Mu Mingqiu’s live eating of roast duck was almost like a live broadcast.
However, unlike many fake or edited eating broadcasts online, they were genuinely eating in front of everyone. They were savoring every bite, chewing and swallowing loudly, and everyone could see the delicious, golden exterior of the duck and smell its rich aroma…
Who could resist that?
Since the line was long, many of the people near the back couldn’t see what was happening at the front, and with the wait likely to be an hour or more, many had been debating whether to leave.
But seeing how delicious the roast duck looked as Mu Mingqiu and Xu Shishi devoured it, along with the tempting aroma, everyone immediately decided they couldn’t leave.
A worker in the line wiped away a tear and said:
“Damn it, I’m going to be late for work, but seeing this delicious roast duck right in front of me, I just can’t move… My boss won’t fire me, will he?”
Someone nearby quickly reassured him:
“Just text and say you’re stuck in traffic; your boss will probably understand. Besides, even if you lose your job, you can find another one. But if you don’t eat this roast duck today, who knows when you’ll get another chance!”
“Exactly, exactly.”
“My little convenience store is just over there, and there’s a crowd today, but I just shut it down and came straight here to queue. Priorities, you know! There’s no profit like the aroma of roast duck.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Life is meant to be enjoyed!
Everyone was used to the grind of work, commuting from home to office, day in and day out. Now that they’d found something that truly delighted them, how could they pass up the chance?
The best things in life are in those moments, like that one perfect bite!
Many people in the line had made up their minds: they would stay in line no matter what. If they didn’t get to eat this delicious roast duck, they would regret it for the rest of their lives!
Meanwhile, on the other side, Madam Huo, like everyone else, had noticed Xu Shishi and Mu Mingqiu eating the roast duck without a care for their image.
As soon as she saw them, her eyes reddened.
She was seething with jealousy!
…This aroma was the same as the one that had made her stomach growl yesterday.
If she hadn’t queued up in the wrong place, she could have been the one enjoying this roast duck right now.
But now, seeing the line grow longer and longer, Madam Huo felt a mixture of sadness and anger.
Although she didn’t know much about the kitchen’s operations, she could tell by the small tricycle at the front that there were probably only twenty to thirty ducks at most.
Even if she joined the queue now, it was unlikely she would get any.
Upon thinking this, Madam Huo coldly glanced at the Zhu Yuan Roast Duck stall set up by Old Song from the Zhu Yuan.
“If it weren’t for them setting up a stall here and causing confusion, I would never have queued up in the wrong line. It’s all Zhu Yuan’s fault…”
Of course, this resentment had no basis; it was purely misplaced anger.
But Madam Huo was at a level where, even if she was venting her frustration, so what?
After all, there was no one else she could blame other than Zhu Yuan. Could she blame Aunt Wang for leading her astray? But that wouldn’t affect Aunt Wang in the slightest. Could she blame her bodyguard for not giving her a warning? They didn’t know either.
Madam Huo certainly wouldn’t blame her own judgment error—after all, she was the head of the powerful Huo family, known for her command and decision-making.
“Notify them to cancel all sponsorships from the Huo family to Zhu Yuan and pull out all investments,” Madam Huo ordered coldly to her secretary.
The secretary quickly agreed.
In their heart, they lit a candle for Zhu Yuan.
This time, it seemed like Zhu Yuan might really not survive; they were in serious trouble…
Meanwhile, at the front of the line for Xiao Lan’s Roast Duck:
Ye Qingquan held up his phone and addressed the viewers in the livestream:
“Hello, everyone! I don’t know why, but suddenly a lot of people tagged me to start a livestream.”
Ye Qingquan had only just created the baby-sharing account a few days ago, and today he had received numerous private messages and tags.
To protect Lan Lan and also because he was drawn in by the color and aroma of the roast duck, most of Ye Qingquan’s attention was focused on the roast duck stall ahead. He hadn’t paid much attention to anything else, even missing Old Hu from Zhu Yuan, who was live streaming with his phone across the street.
So… he had no idea how much traffic was about to flood into his small livestream, thanks to Zhu Yuan’s failed show-off.
One of the main reasons Ye Qingquan started the livestream was because of many comments and reposts questioning him:
[@MyBabyIsThreeAndAHalf, blogger, can your three-year-old really sell roast duck at a stall? I don’t believe it! Are you just imagining things because you want your child to be successful? If it’s true, prove it to us live.]
Someone actually dared to question the cooking skills and stall setup abilities of his baby, Lan Lan. This immediately triggered Ye Qingquan’s rebellious side.
If they wanted to see it live, then fine, he’d show them. It couldn’t be fake.
Ye Qingquan casually switched to the rear camera and continued speaking:
“Many people have been questioning whether my baby, who is only three, could make delicious roast duck, so today, I’ll show you all…”
While speaking, Ye Qingquan absent-mindedly thought to himself, being a new account in such a competitive field of baby bloggers, even if he went live, only a few hundred people would watch.
Then, in the next moment, he glanced at the terrifying number of viewers in the top-right corner…
So Ye Qingquan going showcase Jian Yunlan’s roasting the ducks in the oven or him chop the roasted ducks in half?