Chapter 34: Have You Forgotten Daming Lake’s Innocent Little Meat Bun?
Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Have You Forgotten Daming Lake’s Innocent Little Meat Bun?
"Alright!"
Wang Er didn’t suspect a thing. He just assumed the pork knuckle was his wife’s handiwork and reached for it with his chopsticks.
"GULP!"
That was the sound of Little Fatty swallowing his saliva.
The Little Fatty’s eyes were red. After several failed attempts to sneak a bite, his lips were pursed and he was on the verge of tears.
’He was the one who brought this delicious food home, so why couldn’t he eat some first?’
"SMACK!"
That was the sound of Aunt Wang instinctively slapping Wang Er’s chopsticks away.
"Honey?"
Wang Er was baffled.
"Ahem, let our son eat first."
Aunt Wang made an excuse and placed a large piece of meat in the red-eyed Little Fatty’s bowl, then scooped another big piece into her own.
"Alright now."
Aunt Wang gestured for Wang Er to go ahead.
Now, all that was left in the serving bowl was a piece of fatty skin and a bit of lean meat clinging to the bone.
To preserve the pork knuckle’s optimal texture, Aunt Wang had been keeping it warm with a Spirit Stone, so none of its deliciousness was lost.
Wang Er didn’t mind. His family had big appetites, so he figured there was plenty more pork knuckle in the pot.
With that thought, Wang Er picked up the piece of pork skin and put it in his mouth.
The flavor, so different from the usual, was a delightful surprise for Wang Er.
Before he even had a chance to chew it properly, the skin slid down his throat.
Wang Er smacked his lips, picked up the remaining lean meat, mixed it into his rice, and then took a huge mouthful.
In an instant, Wang Er’s eyes lit up.
The sauce was rich and packed with flavor. It coated the distinct grains of rice in an appealing color. Once in his mouth, the rice, now infused with the meaty fragrance, became even softer and more savory.
Wang Er felt that he could eat several large bowls of rice with just this sauce alone.
He poured the rest of the sauce into his bowl. Already famished, Wang Er was in no mood to savor it slowly.
He wolfed it down, and in just a few dozen seconds, the bowl was empty.
"Honey, go get some more pork knuckle."
He called out, but when he looked up, he saw his wife and son eating very slowly, their faces full of reluctance to finish.
"There’s no more."
Aunt Wang rolled her eyes at Wang Er and said irritably.
"What do you mean, no more?"
’Surely his family wasn’t so poor that they could only afford one pork knuckle for a single meal.’
When Wang Er finally understood what had happened, he was filled with regret.
His stomach was still growling with hunger, but after tasting that pork knuckle, how could he possibly bring himself to eat the unappetizing vegetable dishes?
A thin layer of sauce remained at the bottom of the serving bowl. Wang Er vigorously mixed his rice into it, trying to absorb every last drop, while casting a mournful gaze at the meat in his wife’s bowl.
"I know Boss Lu. She used to have a stall over on Yanliu Street. I’ll go check it out tomorrow."
"I’ll buy several, so the three of us can eat our fill."
After forcing down another bowl of plain rice with that tiny bit of sauce, Wang Er wiped his mouth and discussed it with Aunt Wang.
"Okay. We’re not short on money, so buy plenty."
Under Wang Er’s envious gaze, Aunt Wang popped the last little piece of meat into her mouth, a blissful smile blooming on her face.
When it came to the culinary arts, she, Aunt Wang, only respected Boss Lu.
Delicious. Absolutely loved it.
...
After her usual routine of browsing One World Communication for drama and then getting a full night’s sleep, Lu Wu woke up the next day feeling refreshed and energized.
Same as always, she lit the fire and started her pots.
With the foundation she’d laid yesterday, Lu Wu was confident that other customers would soon catch wind of her stall and come flocking. Today, she had doubled her food prep.
Several large pots of pork knuckle had to be slow-stewed, and Lu Wu was run off her feet.
It was a massive undertaking.
Once the first pot was ready, Uncle Li appeared again as if out of nowhere.
The sauce in the pot was still bubbling away. The meaty aroma filling the air made Uncle Li take a deep breath, and he was instantly invigorated.
Lu Wu was used to this and prepared a large pork knuckle for Uncle Li.
"Xiao Lu, where did you set up your stall yesterday?"
Uncle Li asked tentatively.
Yesterday, he had been so focused on eating that he forgot to ask Lu Wu where her stall was.
When the sect disciples came looking for him, he had no information to give them.
As the Great Elder of the Bun Sect, he had been too derelict in his duties.
Though he was asking a question, his eyes never left the pork knuckle. Uncle Li blew on it, and once it was cool enough, he took a huge, impatient bite.
’This is the stuff.’
Last night, he’d had a wonderful dream. In it, the pork knuckles transformed into beautiful women and spent a passionate night with him.
He had been woken up by hunger.
He had been waiting ever since Lu Wu lit her lamps, periodically climbing the wall to check on her progress.
Uncle Li, once a great figure in his own right, had now fallen so low as to become a "gentleman on the beams" just to eat some pork knuckle.
"I’m setting up at the entrance to the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons."
Lu Wu didn’t hide it.
"Are you setting up for seven days this time, too?"
"Yes."
Uncle Li nodded. He had intended to share this news with the sect disciples, but then an idea struck him, and he tapped open a private message window.
There were many Outer Disciples now, a motley crew with quite a few spies mixed in.
’If I spread the news, all these people will compete with me for food.’
’But as the Great Elder, I can’t just do nothing.’
So, Uncle Li simply sold the information to Lou Xiaotian and Qin Zhan, two Inner Sect Disciples.
He had vetted these two personally.
One was the Town Lord’s son, the other a sect disciple. Both had good character, so he figured they would understand his intentions for messaging them privately.
Lou Xiaotian understood. He understood perfectly!
As one of the first people to eat Lu Wu’s buns, he knew exactly how crazy the foodies of Xiaohe Town would get if news about Boss Lu got out.
Not wanting to face purchase limits again, Lou Xiaotian and Qin Zhan tacitly agreed to keep the news to themselves.
’There are still six days left, right? We’ll enjoy it for a while and tell the other disciples about Boss Lu in the last two days.’
"Paying a high price for Boss Lu’s location."
"Does anyone know if Boss Lu has made any new delicacies?"
"Where is Boss Lu’s stall now? Has anyone run into her?"
Numerous messages scrolled by in the sect chat, and Lou Xiaotian revealed a mysterious smile.
’Sorry, my brothers.’
’For the sake of my own happiness, I’ll have to sacrifice you.’
"Old Jiang, I challenge you to a battle today!"
Having obtained the location of Lu Wu’s stall, a confident Qin Zhan issued his challenge.
He, Qin Zhan, would crush Jiang Yunhe today and become the head disciple of his generation.
"Bring it on!"
Jiang Yunhe, who was already waiting outside the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, showed that he wasn’t afraid in the slightest.
Meanwhile, after finishing all the pork knuckles, Lu Wu stretched her stiff limbs, took a short break, and got ready to head out to her stall.
On her way out, Lu Wu ran into some of her previous customers. They seemed to be searching for something all over the streets. Lu Wu had wanted to greet them, but when she saw they paid her no mind, she silently walked past.
In truth, these people hadn’t noticed Lu Wu at all. In their eyes, she was just a stranger.
Trailing behind Lu Wu, Uncle Li, who had hidden his contribution and fame, let out a sinister "JIE JIE JIE" laugh.
’With me here, no one can track Boss Lu’s whereabouts.’
Wisps of poisonous mist drifted in the sky above the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.
The weather was nice today. Sunlight pierced through the clouds and mist, falling upon the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, and the golden rays made one feel warm inside.
When Lu Wu arrived and saw the group of customers waiting, a strange look appeared in her eyes.
’Why are there so few people?’
’Could it be that those foodies have already forgotten about the innocent little meat buns by Daming Lake?’
Completely unaware that someone was sabotaging her from behind the scenes, Lu Wu set up her stall amidst Zhang Xiu’s simple, honest smile.