As time stretched on, the duck in the pot simmered, its aroma deepening, then suddenly, powerfully, it wafted through the kitchen, then through the entire restaurant. Every customer who walked in looked around, curious, noses twitching, inhaling the fragrant air.
“Master Xu, what delicious food did you cook today? Why does it smell so good!” exclaimed a regular customer, a loyal patron since Xu Ying began cooking at the restaurant. This unique fragrance instantly stirred the hunger within him.
Xu Ying’s face lit up with a smile. “You can try the braised duck I made today for free. I’ll bring you some more later.”
The man’s eyes widened with delight. “Then I’d like to thank Master Xiao Xu first!”
“Master Xiao Xu, you can’t play favorites! I want a taste of this duck too!” another voice called out.
“Me too! Me too!”
“Hey, no cutting in line! I was here first!” Others, fearing they would miss out, quickly pressed forward.
Seeing the overwhelming curiosity for her duck, Xu Ying felt a surge of happiness. “Don’t worry, everyone will get a taste!” She glanced at the clock, turned off the fire precisely on time, and worked for another half an hour, fearing she would delay everyone’s work. She quickly brought out the duck products: duck wings, duck feet, duck head, duck intestines, duck esophagus, and many vegetarian dishes. Since it was a free trial, Xu Ying had prepared a generous amount.
As soon as she presented the food for tasting, Gao Guihua could no longer contain herself. She looked at Xu Ying with disdain and sneered, “Look at her, doesn’t she look just like those capitalists who ran businesses in the old days? You’d say their family isn’t capitalist, right?” With a flick of her tongue, Gao Guihua placed a massive, damning label directly on Xu Ying’s head.
Xu Ying’s smile hardened. “Is it ‘capitalist’ for me to kindly offer everyone food? Should I be like you, looking like a landlord, a rich despot, yelling at people who come to eat? If that’s the case, then your family must not be a wealthy landlord, right?”
“That’s right! Master Xiao Xu is kindly giving us food, why are you yelling here?”
“Looking at her, she’s exactly like those landlords and wealthy people who wanted to exploit us common folk to death!” The words ignited a fiery anger in some who had suffered under such oppression in the past. They turned their gazes to Gao Guihua, ready for a verbal brawl.
Gao Guihua had no idea how her words had incited such public outrage. Everyone was now labeling her a wealthy landlord. Terror seized her face. Landlords and wealthy people were far more terrifying than capitalists; the former had brutally squeezed and exploited the common people, while the latter, at least, made money through business.
“Xu Ying, stop spouting nonsense! You’re the wealthy landlord!” Gao Guihua’s face flushed crimson as she retorted angrily. “I am not a wealthy landlord! If I were, I wouldn’t be working in this restaurant!”
Xu Ying looked at her, a glint in her eye. “Sister Gao, why such a strong reaction? Could it be that I hit the mark?”
“You fart! Our ancestors, for generations, have all been farmers! Good roots, pure blood! Stop talking nonsense!” Gao Guihua shrieked.
Xu Ying’s eyes turned cold for a moment. “Am I talking nonsense, or are you? Our ancestors, for generations, have all been farmers, with good roots and pure blood! My dad is still the captain of the Xujiacun production team. He wholeheartedly considers the villagers! Yesterday, he was praised by the leaders and awarded certificates and bonuses! Could it be, Sister Gao, that you are questioning their leaders? If that’s truly the case, I will report it to the secretary and let him know just how dissatisfied you are with his decision, Sister Gao.”
The threat struck terror into Gao Guihua’s heart. Offend the secretary? She could be fired with a mere word! Her arrogance crumbled, and her face instantly turned pale. “Xu Ying, I was just talking nonsense! I apologize to you. This matter, please, don’t take it to the secretary.”
Xu Ying snorted coldly, her gaze sharp. “Then, Sister Gao, you’ll have to watch your mouth. Otherwise, say the wrong thing and you’ll end up at the police station, and no one will save you.”
Gao Guihua, utterly cowed, nodded quickly. Gao Xianghong looked at her with disgust. “Sister-in-law, if you insist on talking so much, our whole family will almost be ruined by you.”
“Little sister, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. It’s all Xu Ying, with her sharp tongue,” Gao Guihua stammered, her teeth still chattering. The thought of how close she had come to upsetting the secretary left her numb.
Xu Ying began distributing the duck products: half a duck wing and a few pieces of vegetarian vegetables for some, half a duck foot and a few pieces of vegetarian vegetables for others. The duck portions were smaller, the vegetarian dishes more abundant.
With one bite of the braised duck, a burst of flavor exploded on the tongue. The marinade was exquisite, the meat delicate and fragrant, yet not greasy. The braised duck feet, with their bright red skin and dark red meat, released a rich aroma with every sniff. One bite, and the bones were crispy, the meat tender, oily yet not greasy, sweet and spicy—an utterly delightful sensation. The braised duck wings were even more delectable, their color vibrant, the meat tender and flavorful. The more one chewed, the more fragrant it became, spicy and utterly satisfying. And the other braised dishes? All equally delicious, beyond words.
It was a pity that everyone’s portion was so small. Because of this, everyone was left wanting more, their hearts itching with a delightful greed. They now looked forward to the full sale of duck products next Monday with even greater anticipation.
Some, unable to contain their impatience, couldn’t help but complain, “Master Xiao Xu, aren’t you torturing us? Why not sell it today? We have to wait until Monday! That’s days away!”
Seeing how much everyone enjoyed it, Xu Ying smiled. “It’s not that I don’t want to make it for everyone to eat now, but the main reason is that it takes time to transport the ingredients needed for these duck products. Thank you for your likes. When everyone comes to eat on Monday, I will send you a small plate of vegetarian dishes for free.”
The man, who had been joking, was suddenly caught off guard by Xu Ying’s unexpected offer of free vegetarian dishes. He immediately burst into laughter. “Okay, we’ll all come then! Master Xiao Xu, you need to prepare more vegetarian dishes, so you don’t run out!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll make sure each of you gets these vegetarian dishes,” Xu Ying replied, chatting happily with the crowd.
Gao Guihua watched from the sidelines, fuming. Xu Ying was just giving away food, acting as if the restaurant belonged to her. Angrily, she stormed into the kitchen and confronted Chef Ge. “Chef Ge, you’re in charge of the kitchen! Look, Xu Ying is completely walking all over you, and you don’t care! We run restaurants, not charities! If Xu Ying gives away all these dishes, how will we make any money? What will we do if the boss blames us?”
Chef Ge, disliking her petty complaints, saw through her thinly veiled attempt to drag him into her squabble. “Gao Guihua,” he said directly, “you just said I’m in charge of the kitchen, and I haven’t said anything. Why are you so excited? If you want to take over, I’ll tell you now: I’ll make way for you.”
Gao Guihua was so enraged she almost fainted. What was wrong with these people? Every single one of them seemed to have drunk some kind of enchanted soup, showing such blatant favoritism toward Xu Ying.