Chapter 22 - 21: Initial Word-of-Mouth

"What’s this about opening a gourmet shop? The food business isn’t easy these days. Nine out of ten of them fail!"

Jiang Dahai said angrily, tossing his hat onto the back seat of the car.

"What are you looking at? This is all your fault..."

SLAP! The voice cut off abruptly.

Lin Qiu didn’t put up with him for a second, landing a solid slap across his face.

Jiang Dahai cupped his face, stunned.

Lin Qiu stood with her hands on her hips, spittle flying as she yelled:

"Feeling pretty proud of yourself, are you? You dare to have an attitude? No matter what our son does wrong, you, as his father, bear the greatest responsibility!

And now you’re blaming me? Let me tell you, if our son goes down a path of failure, you can just forget about getting into my bed ever again!"

Jiang Dahai opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to retort with some masculine bravado.

But then he thought of that old, worn-out washboard and decided to endure it for now.

Jiang Dahai grumbled with a hostile tone:

"I’ll go check out his shop some other day. When I do, I’m going to give him a serious lecture!"

"Don’t you go too far, either. Just make him realize there’s no future in this. Liu’er knows what he’s doing."

Jiang Dahai nodded dismissively and started the car...

...

「Ten o’clock.」

There weren’t many people around at this hour.

Jiang Liu sat bored in his shop, fanning himself.

The summer heat was making his chest feel tight.

He suddenly realized he needed to buy an air conditioner. Otherwise, surviving this summer would be tough.

He checked his [Good Review Points] and saw he had over two thousand.

The twelve-thousand-point mark didn’t seem so far away anymore.

Just then, the CLICK-CLACK of leather shoes sounded from outside.

Zheng Qiang, his hands behind his back, walked smiling to the entrance of Jiang Liu’s shop. He craned his shiny, bald head to take a look inside:

"How’s business today? Not many customers, I bet?"

Jiang Liu glanced up at Zheng Qiang,

then curled his lip and replied nonchalantly:

"It’s alright. Made over a thousand this morning. I’m expecting a surge in revenue around lunch and dinner."

"It’s normal to have no revenue... huh?" Zheng Qiang started to deliver his prepared lines but froze midway. He asked suspiciously, "You said you made over a thousand??"

"Yep."

"HAHAHA!"

Zheng Qiang couldn’t help but point at Jiang Liu and roar with laughter:

"You said you made over a thousand?"

"Oh, man! You’re killing me."

"I say, my friend, are you still half-asleep? Why don’t you close up shop, go home for a nap, and then come back to open?"

"You don’t believe me?"

Jiang Liu casually opened his phone, navigated to the payment received page, and held the screen up to Zheng Qiang. "Here. Who’s the one dreaming now?"

"What’s this?" Zheng Qiang squinted and leaned in. The moment he saw it, his heart seized.

The screen showed today’s total revenue: [1306] yuan!

Over a thousand?? ’Holy crap!!’

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! This has to be fake, right? Who are you trying to fool!?"

Zheng Qiang shook his head vigorously, his face a mask of disbelief.

He had only made a few hundred. How could this kid possibly have made over a thousand?

Just then,

A red electric tricycle carrying dust-covered workers pulled into a parking spot on the concrete ramp across the street.

Six workers jumped out,

and the large group headed straight for Jiang Liu’s shop.

They were all wearing jeans. A single glance at their hands revealed calluses, scars, and even some split fingernails.

"You have arrived at your destination. Navigation has ended."

"World’s Second-Best Gourmet Shop. Yep! This is it, that’s right."

"Old Zhang, Huang Yunfeng said the buns here aren’t cheap. Let’s just buy a few and have a taste."

"Alright. It’s not easy to make money these days, after all."

Old Zhang nodded, wiping the sweat from his face.

Zheng Qiang, standing at the entrance, saw the group of six walking toward them and couldn’t contain his delight.

He took a few steps forward to greet them:

"Gentlemen, what can I get for you? My shop has all sorts of buns, drinks, congee, and noodle dishes. The prices are great. Why don’t you come on in and have a seat?"

Old Zhang’s face was etched with weary wrinkles, and his eyes were cloudy. He sized up Zheng Qiang and asked politely:

"Hello, are you Boss Jiang from this shop?"

Old Zhang had a thick accent, and Zheng Qiang didn’t hear him clearly. He was only focused on tricking the men inside.

"Ah, yes, yes, I’m the owner of the knife-cut noodle shop. Everyone, please come inside. We have air conditioning, hehe."

"The noodle shop owner?" Old Zhang impatiently pushed him aside. "Who wants your knife-cut noodles? We’re here for Boss Jiang’s buns."

One of the workers waved his hand with a disgusted look:

"Nobody’s interested in your food. Everyone knows the deal. Eat your stuff and you get... you know. We’re here for Boss Jiang’s buns."

’So these people are actually here for Jiang Liu?’

’Bullshit! On what grounds?’

Then, he smiled. He’d figured it out.

’Actors. They have to be actors. Does he take me for an idiot? His shop has only been open for a few hours, and he already has this many repeat customers?’

’Isn’t this a blatant insult to my intelligence??’

’I’ll just watch and see how you all perform!’

He stood at the entrance with his arms crossed and one leg shaking, ready to watch the show.

Jiang Liu quietly observed the farce at the entrance.

As the men walked in, he greeted them with a smile:

"Hello, gentlemen. I’m Jiang Liu. Are you all here for buns?"

"You’re Boss Jiang?"

Hearing it was him,

Old Zhang’s expression immediately changed,

his smile becoming as friendly as could be.

"Ah, Boss Jiang! We came on Huang Yunfeng’s recommendation. He said your buns are one-of-a-kind, praised them to the high heavens! Said even President Wang was amazed after eating them, so we all wanted to come and have a try."

"Alright, alright." Jiang Liu nodded with a smile. "Please, have a seat."

He personally pulled out chairs, gesturing for them to sit.

The men were taken aback by the courtesy.

"How many buns would you like?"

A young worker nudged Old Zhang and whispered, "Let’s not get too many. We’re just here for a taste."

They had done their homework with Huang Yunfeng before coming.

They knew the prices weren’t exactly cheap, even if the food was delicious and worth it.

Old Zhang hesitated, fidgeting with the dirty corner of his shirt as he spoke sheepishly:

"Um... there are six of us. Let’s have six chive buns, six three-delicacy buns, and six pork and scallion buns."

Jiang Liu raised an eyebrow. "That’s only three per person. You probably won’t be full, will you?"

"It’s enough, it’s enough. We’re just trying them out, haha."

"Yeah, you should savor good food. Can’t eat too much all at once."

"It’s fine, boss. We had boxed lunches before coming, so we’re not that hungry."

Watching the group laugh awkwardly to hide their financial constraints,

Jiang Liu suddenly understood. ’So they’re worried about spending too much money.’

It was no wonder, what with having elders to support and children to raise.