"WeChat payment received: 210 yuan."
"Handsome Jiang, three orange juices, thirty fennel buns, five shrimp buns, five three-delicacy buns, and five chive and egg buns."
Wu Lingling came to eat with Chu Songrong and another pretty nurse, whose eyes were filled with curiosity.
"This place is pretty crowded, but are the buns really that good?"
The pretty nurse, Yan Manjun, mumbled uncertainly.
She was skeptical, but since the Vice President wanted to come, she decided to tag along.
"Itâll be ready in a moment. Go find a seat," Jiang Liu said, glancing up at the group.
Heâd been looking down packing orders for so long that his eyes were exhausted. When he suddenly looked up, everything seemed both near and impossibly far at the same time.
ăA moment later.ă
Tongtong came scurrying over with a plate, placing the buns on the table. "Be careful, theyâre hot~"
"Aww, the little girl is wearing a matching outfit with the owner! So cute! And sheâs adorable."
"Iâm having one next year!"
Stars appeared in the pretty nurse Yan Manjunâs eyes.
Despite Tongtongâs reluctance, Wu Lingling gently pinched her cheek. "Thank you, Tongtong. Youâre such a diligent little helper! So good."
"I know, I know," Tongtong replied dismissively, skipping back to the counter to cling to Jiang Liu.
"Everyone, letâs try the new buns."
Casting aside her Vice Presidentâs decorum, Chu Songrong immediately picked up a fennel bun to take the first bite. Once she started, she couldnât stop, praising it as she ate.
"Amazing! Delicious! I never thought Jiang Liu was hiding another talent. That guy is always keeping things to himself!"
Wu Lingling said happily as she ate her bun,
"The three of us are so lucky today. Weâre right on time for Boss Jiangâs new product launch."
"Haha, thanks for inviting me. I wouldâve missed out otherwise." Having gotten her bun, Chu Songrong was in high spirits.
A cry of surprise came from nearby.
"These buns? Theyâre this delicious?! Good heavens! I canât believe such an amazing bun shop opened in our neighborhood. Weâre so lucky!"
Yan Manjunâs jaw dropped in shock after one bite of a shrimp and corn bun.
The shrimp was piping hot, tender, and crisp. With a single bite, a savory, fresh seafood flavor flooded her mouth. The meat was exceptionally fresh and tender, with a satisfyingly crisp texture.
âThis proves the shrimp isnât just some ordinary farmed variety. The meat is so plump and firm!â
A fire ignited in her stomachâa sure sign of a ravenous, surging appetite!
Yan Manjunâs cheeks were puffed out, her mouth stuffed to the brim, and her eyes were wide with disbelief.
"See? Would I ever lead you to a bad meal?"
"Itâs incredible. I canât believe buns can be this delicious. Iâm kicking myself right now."
"Kicking yourself for what? Whatâs wrong?" Wu Lingling asked, slurping her juice.
"For not coming sooner! I missed out on three days of these buns! And three days of looking at the handsome owner! Donât you think thatâs infuriating?!"
Wu Lingling was speechless.
ăAt the entrance.ă
Jiang Liu stared in puzzlement at the skinny office worker before him.
"Huh? You again? Didnât you just get a takeout order?"
He remembered packing an order for this guy ten minutes ago.
And now, just a short while later, here he was again.
"Thatâs right. Iâm just getting back in line for a ârefresh.â You said only fifteen per person, right? So itâs fine if I line up again, isnât it?"
The young man said smugly.
âIâve really pulled a fast one,â he thought, pleased with himself.
Jiang Liu couldnât be bothered to argue and packed another order for him.
If the guy was willing to go through the trouble of lining up all over again, he was clearly a true fan.
Jiang Liu wasnât about to hold it against him.
ă12:50 PM.ă
Jiang Liu announced that everything was sold out and told everyone to come back in the evening.
The customers who hadnât been able to buy anything began to complain.
"Are you kidding me? Theyâre gone already, and I didnât get any?"
"Boss Jiang, you donât make nearly enough buns! I couldnât get any."
"Hurry up and make more! Iâll wait!"
An experienced customer, happily swinging their bag of buns, clarified for the newcomers:
"All right, whatâs all the fuss? When Boss Jiang says theyâre sold out, theyâre sold out. You think these things are pumped out by a machine on an assembly line? Just come back earlier tonight."
The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only a few stragglers waiting, unwilling to give up hope.
ăBehind the counter.ă
Jiang Liu pulled out his phone to tally the earnings.
He had sold a total of 795 bottles of juice during the lunch rush.
And 1,200 buns.
Excluding the cost of the cups, the profit on each bottle of juice was 30 yuan. The profit from 795 bottles was 23,850 yuan.
The 1,200-plus buns sold for over 2,200 yuan.
Adding in the customersâ "financial support" payments...
His net income for the lunch service was 30,259 yuan!
His total profit to date was 49,834 yuan!
âThis feels good. So damn good!â
This feeling of raking in cash hand over fist made Jiang Liu feel like he was walking on air.
"Daddy, can we go home and take a nap now?"
Tongtong yawned, her small hand reaching out to tug on Jiang Liuâs pants.
The little darling needed her afternoon nap every day,
and since sheâd been waking up early recently, she was even more tired by lunchtime.
"Okay, just give me a minute. I need to clean up the shop first."
Jiang Liu ruffled her hair.
ăHalf an hour later.ă
Jiang Liu took Tongtong and Jun Qingmeng home to rest.
He also needed to prepare the buns for the evening service.
He wouldnât make too manyâjust two hundred of each variety would do.
Even so, wrapping a thousand buns by hand would make Jiang Liuâs wrists ache.
But he was used to it; a short rest was all he needed to recover.
"Jiang Liu, I got a little sweaty today. Iâd like to take a shower before I nap. Do you have any spare pajamas?"
Jun Qingmeng slipped on some house slippers and sat on the sofa, undoing her hair and letting it fall loosely around her shoulders.
Her cascading hair partially veiled her exquisite face, lending her an alluring charm.
"Pajamas?"
Jiang Liu thought for a moment and shook his head. "I donât have any spare sets, but I do have a large T-shirt. Itâs used, but clean. I can get it for you if you donât mind."
Without hesitation, Jun Qingmeng replied, "I donât mind at all. Please get it for me."
âIâm overjoyed! Does this count as being intimate with Jiang Liu?â she thought excitedly.
"Alright, Iâll go find it for you."
Tongtongâs big eyes darted back and forth between the two adults, her little mind clearly scheming something.
"Teacher Qingmeng, can I take a bath with you?"
"Arenât you supposed to be napping with your dad?" Jun Qingmeng shot Tongtong a look.
âIâve never bathed with anyone before.â
âBeing completely naked in front of someone else, even a child like Tongtong, feels so awkward.â
"Tongtongâs all sweaty and needs a bath, or Daddy will think Iâm smelly."
"He hasnât showered yet, so why would he mind?"
Jun Qingmeng glanced towards the bedroom where Jiang Liu was resting.
"Pleeease~"
With that, Tongtong dashed into the bathroom, stripped off all her clothes, and stood there with a bashful look on her face.
The two of them stared at each other, at a loss for words.
Jun Qingmeng sighed and gave in.
"Fine. But no nonsense, and donât you dare touch me anywhere you shouldnât!"
Tongtong giggled mischievously.
A little while later, Jiang Liu returned with the T-shirt.
Tongtongâs cheerful voice drifted out from the bathroom.
"Teacher Qingmeng, hurry and get in the tub! Tongtong will wash your back for you."
"Mm, okay."
Jun Qingmeng was incredibly self-conscious, and her movements were stiff.
She kept her legs clamped tightly shut.
"Wow! Teacher Qingmeng, your chest is so big! Can Tongtong squeeze it?"
"Be quiet! Lower your voice!"
"Hehe, Teacher Qingmengâs private part looks just like Tongtongâs."
Jun Qingmeng was mortified.
âHe didnât hear that, did he...?â
âThis is so humiliating!â
ă4:00 PM.ă
The sky was dark and oppressive, growing gloomier by the minute. An occasional cool breeze offered a momentâs respite from the muggy heat, but it was just a drop in the bucket.
Jiang Liu cranked the shopâs air conditioner to its coldest setting.
Then he got to work.
Before long, it was time to open for the evening.
Business was as booming as ever.
The line at the entrance stretched all the way across the street.