Chapter 178 Golden Beef Pancakes, Cold Rice Noodles [First Update]...

Fans are always keeping an eye on the movements of celebrities, and Su Tiantian's fans quickly found the accounts of the other celebrities.

Piecing things together, countless discussions arose about this meal.

[Malabarka: I've seen people post pictures of their meals, but I've never seen anyone post pictures of what they've finished eating. If Su Tiantian hadn't posted the pictures, I wouldn't have been able to guess what dishes were served.]

[Chen Pi: No, everyone, at least make sure your promotional photos are professional! At least show your faces! Why are you all so honest, hahaha.]

[Playing the zither: Is this the theme for the new episode? It's hard not to suspect that the production team ordered this to be released.]

[Chen Pi: It shouldn't be. I saw someone in City X that the production crew was filming there. Apparently, it's a newly developed cultural town.]

[Lucky Orange: City X... then I should be able to guess which restaurant it is.]

[Loves Egg Yolk Pies: City X, could it be that one?]

[Momo: Can you please stop with the riddles?! Seriously, I'm already drooling over the dishes Su Tiantian posted! Tell me which restaurant it is!]

Before the netizen could reply, a red dot appeared. Momo, who had asked the question, opened the message, and the celebrity himself, with a big red "V" on his badge, had replied.

[This is Wenji Private Kitchen in City X, the taste is absolutely amazing!]

Wenji?

The name sounds familiar, but the internet moves so fast that unless you're a regular on the trending topics list, no one will remember the name of a restaurant.

But the people in City X are different!

Facing the Wenji brand, which has been stamped by the celebrity himself, I felt a surge of pride and honor.

[zzz: Wow! Wen Ji! My hidden gem restaurant!]

[Zhao Yinglai: I immediately guessed it was Wen Ji, a local landmark restaurant.]

[Freedom: Oh no, I already had to queue once a day, after this, I probably won't even be able to get a table.]

[Chenpi: ...Is it really that exaggerated?]

It's just a restaurant, how delicious can it be?

Those unfamiliar with Wen Ji were skeptical, but their doubts were quickly overwhelmed by the enthusiastic responses of Wen Ji fans who had found the place by its aroma. Some, still somewhat doubtful, searched for information about Wen Ji, but couldn't find any results.

[Meow Meow: Osmanthus persimmon cakes, spicy beef noodles, mashed potatoes... Mom, my mouth is constantly raining, I can't handle it.]

[Little Sheep: The ancient Greek god of cooking, how could a small restaurant produce so many dishes? Every single one looks so delicious!]

[Gummy candy: I'm really impressed, there's not a single one I don't like.]

[Ponyo: I can't wait any longer... I've already booked tickets to City X for tomorrow. If I don't get to eat here, I'll explode the Earth!]

...

Even in a harmonious atmosphere, someone still manages to spoil the mood.

Zhou Xuanli, as a regular guest on the show, neither posted any pictures nor interacted with the other guests, which quickly aroused dissatisfaction among his fans.

[Xuanli is the best: Why? We all participated in the program, why are you only excluding Xuanli?]

[Cheering for Xiao Zhou: Yeah, what's the studio doing? Did they not take good care of Xuan Li? They're all the same guests, but Su Tiantian and the others were just guest stars and they got to participate in post-show activities, while Xuan Li, a regular cast member, wasn't even invited to meals. Are these people treating people differently based on their status?]

[Lili Hani: @Zhou Xuanli Studio, come out and explain!]

Zhou Xuanli looked at the lively comment section, his face turning ashen.

The assistant cautiously said, "I advised you before. This restaurant is a popular spot online, and the food is pretty good. They might have some marketing tricks up their sleeves."

Zhou Xuanli had been selling oil all day and was so tired that he didn't want to socialize at all. He made an excuse that he still had work to do and came straight back.

If he had known... if he had known this would happen the next day, he definitely wouldn't have left!

It's too late to say anything now. The other members of the production team have clearly become friendly over the meal, while Zhou Xuanli knows perfectly well that he has missed his chance.

The assistant advised Zhou Xuanli to give a brief reply.

"Just say something in Teacher X's comment section to reassure the fans. Don't let them get too anxious, otherwise they might say some nasty things later, and how will you get along with the other guests in the future?"

Zhou Xuanli didn't listen to a word of his assistant's advice.

He waved his hand dismissively: "There's no need for that. It's better if they make a scene; it'll give me some data to work on."

assistant:……

Zhou Xuanli put down his phone to avoid the annoyance, and complained to his assistant, "Tell me, what kind of nonsense is this? The production team is crazy. Instead of promoting their own guests, they're promoting a local internet-famous restaurant. They've got their priorities backwards!"

If it weren't for this incident, he would have been the most outstanding one in this episode.

After all, compared to the other guests' professions and appearances, only his oil seller was relatively respectable in terms of both makeup and profession.

Zhou Xuanli refused his assistant and agent's request to appease the fans, allowing the comments section to gradually escalate.

The next episode of Carp Village will be edited in another week. During this week, Wen Ji's popularity continued to rise, and Zhou Xuanli's alleged bullying by the production team became the focus of many people's discussions.

Putting aside the fan disputes surrounding Zhou Xuanli, Wenji has genuinely become a hit.

...

As soon as July arrives, Xue Yan starts planning to take her family on a trip. Although she knows that it will be crowded everywhere at this time, winter vacation is too cold, National Day is too congested, and other holidays are too short. After all, only summer vacation is long enough and the climate is more suitable.

Xue Yan originally planned to take the children to the vast Northwest, where the grasslands are lush and the scenery is beautiful. However, before they set off, her husband regretfully said that he had not been able to get leave.

"The company has started a new project, and I really can't leave. The boss only approved three days of leave for me."

With only three days off, I can't go to Northwest China.

Xue Yan, who had originally planned a road trip, had to change her plans.

Just then, Xue Yan saw online discussions about Wenji.

"How about we go here?"

Xue Yan traced her finger across the map to a city and tapped the name on it.

"You can go hiking on Qingtang Mountain. I heard there's a carp village that's really popular lately, so you can go check it out and visit some of the trendy shops."

Without hesitation, the family packed their bags and set off.

Upon arriving in City X, the family dropped off their luggage and headed to Wenji Restaurant for a meal.

But when they arrived at the destination, the long queue left them speechless.

"Want some more?"

Xue Yan gritted her teeth: "Eat!"

The Chinese people's four virtues, "Since we're already here," came into play, and the whole family managed to get into the queue.

The line was long. Xue Yan looked ahead and estimated there were still forty or fifty people.

Just as she was worrying about whether she would get any food, she saw someone come and hand out number plates.

The handsome young man handed over number thirty-seven and instructed, "This is a three-person table. Try not to leave. You'll be called a maximum of three times before your number is changed and you'll be put back in the queue."

Xue Yan nodded; getting a number meant she could get a table.

I glanced at the waiter again and overheard the girls in front of me whispering.

"So handsome, can I have your number?"

"Go ask for it."

"...Go ask for it."

Xue Yan couldn't help but laugh. It's so good to be young.

When the number plates were distributed up to fifty, the boy started to persuade the people behind him to leave. Many people listened and left, but some insisted on staying, thinking that they might be able to wait until someone ahead of them had a free number.

Ji Baiyi had just finished distributing the number tags when he arrived at the store and was given a new task by Wen's mother.

"Baiyi, take these things out and distribute them."

Ji Baiyi felt a weight in his hand, and before he could react, Wen's mother casually stuffed a piece into his mouth.

The hot meat pie had a crispy golden ring on the outside, but the first thing you tasted inside was scalding hot meat juice. Just the right amount, one big bite, almost scalding Ji Baiyi. Only after the meat juice burst between his lips and teeth and flowed down his throat did the firm texture and meaty aroma gradually emerge.

"This is……"

Mother Wen: "Xiao Fan said to share the golden beef patties with the customers."

To be honest, Wen's mother was initially disappointed that she hadn't gotten a photo together, but just one day later, when she opened the shop the next day, the first thing she saw was a long line of customers.

This sudden surge in customers instantly made Wen's mother realize what the celebrity effect was.

The queue seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see, and the entire store was working non-stop. Just after lunchtime, everything in the store was sold out.

Even so, people still call from time to time to ask if we're open at night.

Mother Wen:......

"No, we need to hire some temporary workers!"

Wen's mother acted quickly, finding several helpers and summer workers that very day.

Unsurprisingly, Ji Baiyi is among them.

Ji Baiyi seemed to have guessed that this day would come. As soon as Wen's mother posted a recruitment message on her WeChat Moments, he immediately replied and officially started working that very night.

Ji Baiyi, who officially started his job, took on most of the task of calming down the customers in line.

The weather has been too hot lately, and there are long queues. Wen's mother was worried that people might get into trouble while queuing, so Wen Fan prepared some herbal tea.

There are two large buckets of herbal tea at the entrance of the shop. One bucket is the perilla lemon water that Wen Fan made on the show, and the other bucket is a tea recipe made by Grandpa Duan next door.

With the herbal tea ready, Wen Fan also made various kinds of snacks.

Yesterday's dish was cold rice noodles, served in a small cup. It was tossed with passion fruit, tomato, minced beef, and fried peanuts, and the tangy and spicy rice noodle broth was both appetizing and visually appealing.

Many customers who were initially hesitant about whether to wait any longer instantly lost that thought after tasting the rice noodles. The rice noodles were smooth and slippery, and the sourness of the tomatoes and passion fruit combined to create a unique sweet and sour flavor. The spicy chili oil and the fruity sourness made it refreshing and not greasy. Paired with herbal tea, it instantly dispelled the summer heat.

Yesterday's cold rice noodles were a big hit, so today Wen Fan made shredded beef patties.

The meat patties are small, just the right size for a child, and just enough to whet the appetite for an adult.

Ji Baiyi distributed pancakes to each of the waiting customers, and Xue Yan naturally received one as well. Xue Yan's husband didn't like meat pancakes, saying they looked too greasy, so he gave his pancake to Xue Yan.

After being told off by her husband, Xue Yan also felt that Wenji's idea was not thoughtful enough. In such hot weather, why would they eat meat pies?

While the couple was still not making a move, the child took the lead and started eating heartily.

"Mom, this meat pie is so delicious."

With a mix of skepticism and belief, Xue Yan took a bite of the meat pie.

The golden, crispy meat pie is more like a ball than a meat pie. Shaped like a small fist, layers of golden threads coil around the surface, the crust so crisp it crumbles. The moment you bite into it, the threads snap with a crisp sound; if you didn't catch them with your hand, the pastry would have fallen off. Inside the threads is a layer of supple dough, which encases the meat filling and holds its juices. With each break in the dough, the golden pie bursts with juice.

Xue Yan stared wide-eyed at the golden beef pie in her hand in disbelief.

How could that be?

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Author's note: I've been adjusting my work schedule these past few days, and the second update will be posted tomorrow at noon.