Shuize Resort Snack Street.
Today was the weekend, and as expected, it was crowded. The long queues formed a striking spectacle amidst the bustling throngs.
Weekend tourists found it quite a novelty.
"What's going on here? I didn't see such long queues last week when I came."
"It seems there's an exceptionally delicious food stall!"
"Everyone's lining up so quickly!"
"We should go and try it too."
The tourists discussed among themselves.
At this moment, the food vlogger Liu Bao had made it to the front of the line.
He looked at the sign, his eyes drawn to the delicious-looking contents of the pots.
"Boss, one pig's trotter, one spicy braised chicken, a pound of soy-braised ribs, half a pound of chicken feet, half a pound of chicken gizzards, half a pound of duck intestines, and half a pound of pork intestines," Liu Bao immediately placed his order.
His assistant was filming beside him, with about 3,500 people watching the livestream.
The viewers listening to Liu Bao's order found it amusing.
[That's Brother Bao for you, ordering so much!]
[He's going to feast and enjoy it all at once!]
[The owner's landed a big order!]
[That guy isn't the owner, right? He looks like a hired employee—so young and quite handsome.]
Jiang Feng remained unfazed, simply weighing the meat, packing it, and calculating the cost as requested.
Liu Bao took the opportunity to chat with Jiang Feng. "Boss, this place is really popular. I couldn't even get in line yesterday."
"Have you considered opening a franchise? You could build a much bigger business and earn a lot more than this!"
Hearing Liu Bao's words, Jiang Feng calmly replied, "Delicious braised meat can be found in many places. But in this business, if it's delicious, it's hard to scale up, and if you scale up, it's hard to keep it delicious."
"Some braised meat owners tried opening branches, only to find that the branches didn't taste like the original and they ended up losing money."
"Braised meat isn't just about the recipe; the preparation method is also critical. The slightest difference changes the taste."
"So, opening a chain isn't that simple."
Jiang Feng's words left Liu Bao somewhat surprised.
After just this brief conversation, Liu Bao could tell that Jiang Feng was a thoughtful person.
"Your braised meats come to a total of 328 yuan."
Jiang Feng handed over the bag.
"Okay, good."
Liu Bao paid by scanning a QR code and left the front of the line, carrying the bag.
"The ribs are hot-braised and taste best when hot; they aren't as good cold. The same goes for the braised chicken; it's best eaten while hot," Jiang Feng mentioned to him before Liu Bao walked away.
"Alright, thanks," Liu Bao nodded.
After leaving the queue, he addressed his viewers on the livestream, "This boss is pretty nice."
"I have to eat this while it's hot and taste it for everyone."
Saying this, Liu Bao and his assistant went straight back to their van, placed the braised meats on a small table, and aimed the phone camera at his face.
As professional food vloggers and eating streamers, they were well-equipped.
The number of viewers on the livestream was growing.
[Brother Bao, hurry up and taste the braised meat! What does it taste like? Why are so many people queuing for it!]
[Let us know if it's good or not! If it's tasty, I'll go buy some too!]
[Start eating already! I've got my meal ready, just waiting for you!]
His viewers urged him on.
Liu Bao opened the plastic bag and first took out a package wrapped tightly in foil.
He carefully unwrapped the foil, and in an instant, the delectable spicy braised chicken was revealed on the livestream.
"I'm going to start with the spicy braised chicken."
"I have to make a special point about this braised meat stall—it smells incredibly aromatic."
"Take this chicken, for example. Before I even start eating, the smell has my mouth watering uncontrollably."
"It feels like this braised chicken is seducing me," Liu Bao said, swallowing.
Hearing his words, the viewers on the livestream immediately laughed.
[Hahaha, this isn't just braised chicken; it's a seductive little roast chicken!]
[A roast chicken daring to seduce me!]
[You're making me want to go smell it too!]
Liu Bao put on disposable gloves, tore off a chicken leg, and took a tentative bite.
The first bite was of the savory, tender skin, immediately followed by the soft chicken meat.
The unique flavor of the braise blossomed in his mouth.
The hot braising liquid mixed with his saliva, tantalizing his taste buds.
Liu Bao closed his eyes, savoring the flavor of the braised meat.
Seeing this, the viewers on the livestream grew restless.
[Host, are you constipated? Just tell us if it's good or not! Spill it!]
[Is this some kind of performance?]
[Damn it, what does it taste like?!]
At this moment, Liu Bao opened his eyes and exclaimed with a sigh of contentment, "Delicious! Incredibly delicious!"
"The chicken he uses is very fresh; it must have been slaughtered recently."
"And the braising liquid is perfectly blended—not the kind of seasoning packet from a supermarket, but one he mixes himself, bit by bit. It's purely natural."
"The chicken is also braised perfectly, thoroughly infused with flavor, and exceptionally smooth and tender."
"From the choice of ingredients to the cooking technique, I can't find a single fault."
"No wonder so many people are queuing; this spicy braised chicken is genuinely made with heart!"
Liu Bao was a food vlogger who had tasted countless delicacies, so his critiques were very objective.
Generally, when he pointed out a dish's strengths, he would also mention its weaknesses.
For example, some dishes looked good but tasted bad. Others had poor texture but were otherwise edible.
But with this spicy braised chicken, Liu Bao couldn't find a single fault.
[Is it really that delicious?]
[Host, don't you dare lie to me!]
Some viewers, their mouths watering, began to comment.
"It's truly delicious, with an intensely fragrant flavor," Liu Bao said, tearing off another piece of chicken and putting it in his mouth as he spoke.
"However, the only unfortunate thing is..." He paused.
The viewers in the livestream chat began to wonder if there was some flaw in this braised chicken.
Then, Liu Bao continued, "The only unfortunate thing is that it's spicy-flavored."
"Those who can't handle spicy food won't be able to enjoy such a delicacy."
Hearing Liu Bao's words, the viewers in the livestream chat were left speechless.
Turns out, he was expressing regret on behalf of the viewers.
[Damn, is it really that good?]
[I'm going to queue up tomorrow!]
[I can't eat spicy, and I don't feel sorry at all. I can eat the five-spice version!]
Liu Bao contentedly savored the chicken. His assistant, after putting on disposable gloves, also grabbed a drumstick and began to eat.
The assistant ate very quickly, polishing off the drumstick in just a few bites.
"Oh!"
The assistant's eyes widened in amazement. His expression was one of awe, and he seemed quite worked up.
"Tasty, right?"
"Mmm."
The assistant rarely appeared on the livestreams, but regular fans knew him as Liu Bao's cousin, a man of few words.
Liu Bao then addressed his viewers again, "It's really good, very spicy."
"Now I'm just worried the spiciness will affect my judgment of the other braised meats, as spicy flavors can numb the tongue."
As Liu Bao was speaking, viewers saw two hands reach into the livestream frame, tear off a piece of chicken, and presumably pop it into someone's mouth.
Then, almost immediately, the hands reached in again, tearing off another fragrant, glossy, juicy piece of chicken soaked in braising liquid, and once again stuffed it into a mouth.
The assistant was eating with gusto. Liu Bao, noticing this, hurriedly said, "Hey, save some for me, will you? You're just wolfing it down!"
"It's like you've never had braised chicken before!"
Seeing this, the viewers in the livestream chat found it amusing and burst out laughing.
Then, without another word, they dug in and finished off the braised chicken. Afterward, they drank some water and sat panting, exclaiming, "So satisfying!"
After a five-minute break to let the spiciness completely subside, Liu Bao took out the soy-braised ribs.
"I'll try the ribs now."
"Everyone, look at these ribs. They look fantastic—all solid pieces of meat on the bone."
"The meat is very tender, all lean, and thoroughly soaked in the braising liquid."
Liu Bao gestured as he picked up a rib and put it in his mouth.
He tore the meat off and chewed it slowly.
The meat was stewed so tender it practically melted, falling apart with each chew.
The ribs were fragrant, tender, and juicy, his mouth still filled with that wonderful braised flavor.
"Mm, these are delicious too!" Liu Bao exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
"No wonder so many people queue up; there's really a good reason for it!"
"I don't know how he makes this braising liquid; it's not greasy at all. In fact, the more you eat, the more you crave it."
"Amazing!"
As Liu Bao spoke, his cousin picked up two small pork ribs and quietly began eating them nearby.
During Liu Bao's livestreams, his cousin rarely appeared on camera.
He had received professional training and usually wouldn't eat while Liu Bao was streaming—unless he absolutely couldn't resist.