Chapter 26 - 25: The Reasonable and Unreasonable Aunties

Jiang Liu raised an eyebrow from behind the counter. ’This woman looks so proper, but she eats so crudely.’

Bored, he lowered his head and opened TikTok, where a food blogger’s video popped up on his feed.

Jiang Liu watched with interest.

In the video, a woman grabbed a pig’s trotter slathered in red chili oil and tore off huge mouthfuls, getting chili sauce all over her face.

’Is it really that good? Or is it just for show...?’

Jiang Liu clicked on her profile and was surprised to find the food blogger had 1.2 million followers.

"Whoa! That’s a lot of followers."

He was surprised for a moment, then a thought suddenly struck him. ’Could I become an internet celebrity, too? I could start by gathering my most loyal customers and getting them to follow me.’

’Not only would I get more followers and build a reputation, I could also create a group chat to post announcements. If something came up and I had to close for the day, it’s not like I could just run back to the shop to post a notice on the door, right?’

’This plan is worth a try. I’ll think about it more this afternoon...’

Just then, he heard a commotion from far down the street.

A group of aunties was huddled together, looking all around.

There were about twenty of them in total. They paraded down the street in a massive throng, and passing cars didn’t even dare to honk, creeping along slowly behind them.

"So this is Yangzhai Street. Where’s that shop Old Niu was talking about? I don’t see it. Where is it?"

"He wasn’t just pulling our leg, was he?"

Suddenly, one of the aunties shrieked, "Aah! There it is! Over there! Isn’t that it? You lot must be going blind in your old age!"

Following the direction the auntie was pointing, everyone’s spirits lifted.

The memory of the delicious buns still lingered in their minds, tugging at their empty, rumbling stomachs.

A moment later, the formidable group of aunties swarmed into Jiang Liu’s shop.

Wang Han and Chu Songrong looked up in surprise. ’So it’s true,’ they thought. ’Quality speaks for itself.’

Jiang Liu, still holding his phone behind the counter, looked completely baffled.

He worried, ’These aunties can be both reasonable and utterly unreasonable... They’re not here to tear my shop down, are they?’

"Ahem. Hello, big sisters. Are you here for buns?"

That "big sisters," combined with Jiang Liu’s handsome face,

earned him appreciative nods from the aunties.

The auntie at the very front—who had long, straight black hair, makeup that made her face deathly pale, and was wearing a white, traditional-style qipao—shouted excitedly:

"Handsome young man, give us fifty chive and egg, fifty three-delicacy, fifty pork and scallion, and seventy-five shrimp buns! And make it quick!"

She rapped impatiently on the table.

Before Jiang Liu could say a word, someone behind the long-haired auntie suggested, "Sister Hu, better safe than sorry. Haven’t you seen all the scams on TikTok? We should order a few to taste first."

"Right, right. Shushu, you’re right to remind us."

"Let’s just buy a few first. I’ll taste-test them for everyone."

"Get out of here! You get to the back. I’m the veteran here, so I’ll lead the charge!"

"Young man, give us one of each kind of bun. We’ll try them first to see if they’re any good."

Jiang Liu didn’t show any dissatisfaction and kept a smile on his face.

"Alright, please wait a moment."

"Hurry, hurry! A young man like you should be quick on his feet!"

The aunties were dying of impatience.

They stared with longing eyes; some even glued their gazes to Wang Han’s plate.

Wang Han huffed and subtly shielded her plate with her hands.

Chu Songrong suddenly spoke up. "You don’t need to try them. This place’s buns are incredibly delicious. Also, I’m a doctor, and I can responsibly tell you that the ingredients are excellent and very healthy. You can eat them without any worries!"

He had already taken on the role of the little shop’s loyal customer.

The aunties’ eyebrows shot up.

"Well, listen to you! A mere pharmacy clerk, a half-baked hack, trying to tell us what to do?"

"Nowadays, both online and in real life, people put on a white coat and think they’re some great doctor."

"What’s it got to do with you? Can’t you just eat your food and keep your mouth shut?"

"This is what we call being smart. What the hell would you know?"...

Chu Songrong was quickly drowned in a flood of verbal abuse.

Jiang Liu placed a plate with four buns on the counter.

He cast a sympathetic glance at the dark-faced Chu Songrong.

"These are the four flavors of buns. Please, have a taste."

Jiang Liu made a welcoming gesture.

The few aunties leading the group picked up the buns and took a bite.

Instantly, they let out a forceful "Mmm~."

"How is it? Is the taste right?"

The aunties in the back asked anxiously.

"Yes! No doubt about it! This is the flavor! It’s so damn good, so damn good!"

"This shrimp and corn bun—it’s my first time trying it, and the texture is to die for! Compared to the shrimp buns I’ve bought before, it’s a night-and-day difference!"

She spread her arms wide, gesturing wildly to describe it.

Jiang Liu explained at the right moment, "Big sisters, all the ingredients in my buns are the best quality. You can eat them without any worries."

"Okay! Young man, you seem like a good person, so we’ll all trust you! Come on, bring us what I ordered before! If they’re good, we’ll all support you!"

"We’re not short on money, young man. Our pensions are several thousand a month!"

A tall auntie with short, dyed-blonde hair patted the tip box, hinting.

His traitorous heart couldn’t help but speed up a little.

"Right away, my fairy big sisters."

That "fairy big sisters" sent all the aunties into a state of ecstasy.

Their gazes toward Jiang Liu grew even softer.

"Hey, you young man, you have such a sweet tongue. Are you married?"

"If you don’t have a girlfriend, I can introduce you to someone!"

"No thank you, auntie. Not right now." Jiang Liu politely refused. He didn’t dare let an auntie set him up; they were liable to find him any sort of weirdo.

"Fine, fine. This young man is so good-looking. It’s a shame about the Wang Family’s second daughter."

"Sister Jiujiu, that girl you’re talking about... she committed suicide a while ago..."

"Ah, oh, is that so? Old Wang didn’t tell me."

The auntie glanced awkwardly at Jiang Liu and was relieved to see him enthusiastically packing the buns.

By now, seven tables in the shop were occupied.

The aunties sat four to a table.

Soon.

Jiang Liu served forty-five buns to each table.

"My dear big sisters, you can count them. There are forty-five buns on each table."

"It’s fine, no need, no need! We trust you."

"This young man looks so honest. Where did you graduate from?"

"Yeah, how many people are in your family? What do your parents do for a living?"...

Jiang Liu wiped away non-existent sweat.

For a moment, he didn’t know how to answer the dozen or so questions.

Just then, two hair stylists in technician uniforms, their permed hair a brassy yellow and sticking up, arrived at the door accompanied by three beauticians.

They peered into the shop.

"When did a food place open up across the street?"

"Look, their shop is pretty full. I wonder how the food is."

"Hey, boss! Boss! What do you have to eat here?"

Hearing new customers arrive,

Jiang Liu breathed a sigh of relief. He excused himself to get back to work and rushed to the door as if his pants were on fire.

"Hello, everyone. We just opened, and right now we only have buns."

"Oh, buns..."

The beauticians, wearing miniskirts and heavy makeup, pursed their lips in disappointment.

"Forget it, let’s go eat somewhere else. I’m not a big fan of buns. No matter where you get them, they all taste the same."

"Buns are disgusting. I’ve been eating them for over twenty years, what’s so good about them?"

The two stylists tried to persuade them, looking troubled:

"Let’s just eat here. There’s not much else around, unless you want to order delivery?"

"Let’s just fill our stomachs. I have a client coming in for a perm and color soon, and they’re going to renew their membership card. I’m eating here, so you guys should too. Stop being so picky."

The three beauticians dithered for a moment before finally agreeing.

"Fine."

"Alright, let’s eat here then. I don’t think I can eat more than a couple, anyway. Buns always have that same old filling taste. Just thinking about it makes me lose my appetite!"

the beautician complained contemptuously.

One of the stylists said to Jiang Liu, "Boss, give us four buns each. One of every kind."

"Alright." Jiang Liu pointed to a table. "Please have a seat."

"Hey, you got it." The two hair stylists were the first to sit down inside.

"Boss, it’s a little hot in here. Why don’t you have the AC on?"

While taking plates out of the sterilizer cabinet, Jiang Liu replied, "The shop just opened, I haven’t gotten around to it yet."

He decided he would go buy an air conditioner that very afternoon.

’How can I have customers eating buns while sweating buckets?’

"Oh, okay. Then we’ll get it to go... Ah, never mind. The smell of buns is too strong, we can’t eat them back at the salon. We’ll just eat here."

The stylist immediately dismissed his own idea.

One of the beauticians, who was slightly chubby, leaned back in her chair and called out:

"Hey handsome boss, I don’t want four. Just give me two shrimp buns."

"Me too."

"Me too! I have to watch my figure."

The other two beauticians raised their hands.

Jiang Liu glanced up at them. "Got it. So it’s two shrimp buns for the three of you, right?"

"Mhm."

"That’s right, boss."

Even though they didn’t like buns, there was the old saying "a feast for the eyes." Chatting with a handsome guy didn’t seem so bad.

If he’d been some ugly slob, they definitely wouldn’t have been so pleasant.