VFGRC Chapter 40

TL: Moonlit

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Yu Bai saw the appearance of Xing Xing being scalded by the crispy and delicious chicken strips. He felt both distressed and amused.

“Hurry and spit out what’s in your mouth.” Yu Bai took out a tissue from his pocket. “Don’t burn your mouth.”

Spit it out? No way!

Although the chicken strips were hot, they were within Xing Xing’s tolerance level.

The aroma and crispiness of the fried chicken were so irresistible; how could Xing Xing bear to spit it out?!

When the chicken strips seasoned with pepper and plum entered his mouth, the outer layer of sour-sweet plum powder melted on his tongue first.

The sour and sweet plum powder successfully opened Xing Xing’s appetite, followed by the slightly salty and spicy pepper powder, blending with the crispy coating and juicy chicken in his mouth. The chicken juices, complemented by the pepper powder, made it even more delicious.

Wuwuwu! The fried chicken strips were so delicious!

Xing Xing’s little hand covered his mouth, and he shook his head at Yu Bai.

Xing Xing’s plump cheeks moved. In the blink of an eye, he swallowed the whole piece of fried chicken.

Xing Xing pointed to his open mouth and said, “Ah—I’ve already eaten it!”

Yu Bai checked Xing Xing’s mouth and saw that it wasn’t burnt by the chicken strips, so he felt relieved.

“Next time you eat fried chicken, you can’t wolf it down like that, understand?”

Without even lifting his head, Xing Xing said repeatedly, “I know, I know…”

His round ink-black eyes were already fully focused on the bag of fried chicken in his hand.

Xing Xing licked his lips, and his pink and plump lips looked even more sparkling in the evening sun.

The pepper and plum powder from the fried chicken had accidentally rubbed onto Xing Xing’s lips when he ate earlier.

So now Xing Xing’s lips also tasted like pepper and plum.

Oh dear! His lips became delicious too! But… the hot and crispy fried chicken was even better!

Xing Xing’s two little hands quickly rubbed the paper bag containing the chicken strips, and he squeezed out another long piece.

“Crunch!”

The freshly fried chicken strip was exceptionally crispy. With every bite Xing Xing took, the viewers in Qian Kangkang’s live broadcast room could hear the clear and crisp sound of him chewing the fried delicacy.

“Kacha Kacha, Kacha Kacha…”

One after another, the fried chicken strips gradually disappeared into Xing Xing’s tiny mouth, dropping into his slightly bulging tummy.

After finishing each chicken strip, Xing Xing would lick his lips, cleaning off the remaining pepper and plum powder stuck on them.

When Xing Xing indulged in eating the chicken strips, he would squint his round ink-black eyes, and his plump cheeks would be filled with a blissful expression.

The viewers in Qian Kangkang’s live broadcast room were mostly food enthusiasts.

One common trait among these food-loving viewers was that they not only enjoyed watching food exploration videos but also loved watching mukbang streams.

The more they saw Xing Xing in Qian Kangkang’s live stream, eating the hot and delicious fried chicken strips non-stop, tears of satisfaction involuntarily flowed from the corners of their mouths.

[At first, I was attracted by the child’s cuteness. Now I’m drawn to the fried chicken strips in the child’s hands…]

[Save me! Save me! Watching this live stream makes me crave fried chicken strips too!! But I’m on a diet this week!!!]

“Daddy, have some fried chicken strips!”

The well-behaved Xing Xing always loved sharing food with others.

Yu Bai picked up the fried chicken strip that Xing Xing offered and chewed it.

“Well, it’s quite tasty.”

Yu Bai’s expression remained unchanged because he had become accustomed to being fed by Xing Xing from time to time.

Yu Bai reached out and patted Xing Xing’s little head, and Xing Xing, in turn, nuzzled his head into Yu Bai’s hand, like a cute little kitten seeking affection from its owner.

The father and son engaged in their daily interaction, making the viewers in the live broadcast room envious and jealous!

[Oh my goodness! This child actually takes the initiative to share snacks with family members! Is such a well-behaved child for real?]

[Why does my child always fight me for meat every day? Sob, can I exchange for a well-behaved child with just one click?]

[“He actually voluntarily nuzzled his dad’s hand! Sob, sob, sob! This child is just too well-behaved!”]

After feeding Yu Bai, Xing Xing lifted his round eyes slightly.

After a brief eye contact with Ji Rongyu, both of them quickly looked away.

They seemed to dislike each other at first sight!

Xing Xing deliberately ignored Ji Rongyu, turned around, and extended his short and chubby little arm, raising the chicken strip towards Qian Kangkang.

In his sweet voice, Xing Xing said, “Uncle, would you like to taste the fried chicken strip too?”

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[The appearance of this fried chicken strip is slightly different from the snowflake fried chicken strips near my home! I’ve never eaten such golden fried chicken strips before; I wonder if they are delicious?]

[Judging by the child’s reaction… I think the taste should be good!]

[Kangzi, why don’t you also order a portion of the fried chicken strips to taste and give your review?]

After seeing such comments in the live broadcast room, Qian Kangkang did develop a curiosity about the fried chicken strips and wanted to buy a bag to try.

Just as Qian Kangkang was hesitating about which flavor to buy, he didn’t expect the child standing in front of him to ask him if he wanted to taste the fried chicken strip.

Qian Kangkang had a Ragdoll cat named “Cat Fairy” at home—a cute and adorable cat with round eyes and a small face that would meow with a sweet voice.

Therefore, how could Qian Kangkang refuse the child’s kindness, especially when Xing Xing was even more charming and well-behaved than his cat?

Qian Kangkang replied, “Sure!”

Qian Kangkang, who usually maintained a tough image, couldn’t help but soften his tone when facing Xing Xing.

Qian Kangkang’s fans were shivering at the sight of their “tough guy” talking softly to a child…

Who could handle a manly man imitating a cute child’s coquettishness!

Qian Kangkang bent down slightly and ate the fried chicken strip that Xing Xing offered.

The crispy and juicy texture of the fried chicken strip was as expected. Moreover, Wang Mei’s seasoning and cooking were impeccable, making the dish even more delightful.

“This is really delicious!” Qian Kangkang couldn’t help but say.

“Yeah! I also think the fried chicken strips are especially tasty!” Xing Xing chimed in.

Wang Mei’s fried chicken strip stall was brought to Qian Kangkang by Xing Xing, so now when he heard Qian Kangkang praise the chicken strips, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips, and the two dimples on his cheeks were faintly visible, showing a proud and pleased look.

Qian Kangkang said to Wang Mei, “Give me a small portion of each of the three flavors of fried chicken strips…”

Now, Qian Kangkang was almost certain that the snack stall that Song Qing had secretly recommended to him must be this fried chicken strip stall at Sanjiaokou in J City!

The top and upper-middle food bloggers on Douyin were basically acquainted with each other. Qian Kangkang and Song Qing, along with a few other food bloggers who liked exploring on their own, were good friends.

A couple of days ago, Song Qing highly recommended a snack stall in Sanjiaokou, J City, which she had just tried recently, to Qian Kangkang’s small group chat.

According to Song Qing, this snack stall served the most delicious snacks she had ever eaten in her life, and anyone who didn’t try it would regret it!

However, when others asked Song Qing about the name of the snack stall, she coyly refused to reveal it, saying that they should discover it themselves for a more thrilling experience.

With Song Qing’s words, everyone became intrigued.

Qian Kangkang bought a ticket to J City early on because he wanted to explore “Qiaozi Snacks Store.” Coincidentally, when he saw Song Qing mention a “particularly delicious” snack stall at Sanjiaokou, he became the “pioneer” in their small group, exploring and testing whether Song Qing’s recommended snack stall was truly delicious.

Qian Kangkang thought that Song Qing was probably right. The fried chicken strips at this snack stall were both delicious and reasonably priced, and the stall owner’s skills were impeccable, even earning the approval of Qian Kangkang, who had been a chef for over a decade.

Unfortunately, due to competition with the internet-famous shop, “Qiaozi Snacks Store,” this fried chicken strip stall’s business was now very slow.

“If the business at the stall doesn’t improve… you can consider moving to another location. With your skills, no matter where you go, you will make money!” Qian Kangkang said to Wang Mei as he left the snack stall, “I really like your cooking. The fried chicken strips you make are the most delicious ones I’ve ever had…”

Xing Xing chimed in, “They are my favorite fried chicken strips too!”

These days, Wang Mei’s business was getting worse and worse.

Watching her regular customers line up at other shops to buy snacks, Wang Mei began to doubt her own skills.

Were her fried chicken strips not tasty anymore? Was that why her regulars weren’t coming to buy them?

Praise is always the best source of energy when someone is in a low period.

The simple compliments, like a refreshing dew, poured onto Wang Mei’s gradually wilting heart.

Wrinkles filled Wang Mei’s face as she showed a sincere smile from her heart.

For Xing Xing, who had a tiny belly, consuming a large bag of fried chicken strips was too challenging!

After finishing half of the fried chicken strips, Yu Bai put the rest away. Holding Xing Xing’s hand, they took a leisurely stroll, heading toward the mall at the end of the street.

When they left Sanjiaokou, Yu Bai and the three others bid farewell to Qian Kangkang.

After wandering around Sanjiaokou for a while, Qian Kangkang stopped in front of the sugar-coated hawthorn stall where he first met Yu Bai and Xing Xing.

He remembered that Xing Xing had bought the sugar-coated hawthorns from this shop.

He wondered if their sugar-coated hawthorns were delicious.

Qian Kangkang said, “Give me two skewers of sugar-coated hawthorns. One with strawberry flavor, and the other with glutinous rice hawthorn. Please pack them up.”

As he waited for Yu Dong to pack the hawthorns, Qian Kangkang struck up a conversation with him.

“What happened to the fried chicken strip vendor over there? I just bought a few packs of fried chicken strips from her and thought they were pretty good…”

Yu Dong: “In the past, most people who liked to come here were students. Recently, because it’s the end of the semester and students are busy with exams, not many of them are coming. The internet-famous shop selling crispy chicken strips took away most of the customers.”

Qian Kangkang: “What a pity. This snack stall used to be the most popular one in Sanjiaokou…”

Qian Kangkang said this and noticed that Yu Dong was giving him a strange look.

Qian Kangkang was puzzled, “Did I say something wrong?”

Why did the sugar-coated hawthorn stall owner look at him so strangely?

“You didn’t say anything wrong,” Yu Dong explained, “A few months ago, this snack stall was indeed the most popular one in Sanjiaokou…”

“Recently, another snack stall selling teppanyaki opened in Sanjiaokou. Since then, the business of the fried chicken strip stall couldn’t compete with the teppanyaki stall… The teppanyaki stall is now the best in taste and business in Sanjiaokou!”

Qian Kangkang was shocked.

There’s also a teppanyaki stall here? How did he miss it!

Moreover, the sugar-coated hawthorn stall owner said that the teppanyaki stall has better taste than the fried chicken strip stall.

Could it be that the teppanyaki stall is the one Song Qing mentioned…

Qian Kangkang quickly asked, “Where is the teppanyaki stall? Where is the owner?!”

Yu Dong was taken aback, “You don’t know who the owner of the teppanyaki stall is?”

Qian Kangkang replied, “I don’t know.”

“…”

“The owner of the teppanyaki stall is the father of the child who went to the fried chicken strip stall with you just now!”

 

Author’s note:

Qian Kangkang: A big shot is right beside me???

PS: The updates on Saturday and Sunday might be delayed.

Today’s chapter will be shorter, ORZ.