Upon hearing this, Angel’s face immediately filled with distress.
“How could such delicious food end up on the ground?” she exclaimed, her voice full of genuine regret. “you are far too careless!”
She then turned to Ai Ning and added earnestly, “This is truly delicious—nothing like those dirty, tasteless things from back home.”
Not long ago, her elder brother had imported a batch of Chinese braised duck and pork delicacies (luwei—meats slowly simmered in soy sauce, spices, and aromatics, a traditional street and banquet food in China). At the time, her reaction had been exactly the same as Ai Ning’s—skeptical, even repulsed. Yet after tasting them, she had fallen completely in love.
They were simply too delicious. She had never eaten anything like them before.
“Beautiful lady,” Xu Ying asked with curiosity and polite restraint, “how did you come to know about our braised food?”
Angel smiled shyly, a hint of embarrassment appearing on her delicate face.
“Do you remember my rude and unruly brother? He has always been like that. Beautiful sister, please don’t take offense at his behavior.”
“Anthony?” Xu Ying exclaimed in surprise.
She truly hadn’t expected Anthony’s younger sister to be this beautiful. It was clear they had inherited excellent genes—both siblings were striking in appearance.
As for temperament, however, the difference was enormous.
Anthony might have a terrible temper, but he was also someone who could make her money. Naturally, Xu Ying had no reason to look down on him.
“I certainly won’t hold it against your brother,” Xu Ying replied calmly. “Although his temper is bad, he has a very sharp eye. He recognized the value of our food at first glance. That speaks volumes about his discernment. People who are short-sighted, on the other hand, naturally wouldn’t be able to see its appeal.”
As someone who frequently traveled to China, Ai Ning had picked up more than a few four-character Chinese idioms, and she immediately understood the implication behind Xu Ying’s words.
This woman was criticizing her—calling her tasteless.
Yet Angel treated Xu Ying with obvious respect. From her words, it was clear that her brother Mr. Anthony had some form of business dealings with this woman.
Anthony—renowned as the most talented, handsome, and prosperous man in their country—was naturally the dream lover of countless women.
Ai Ning was no exception.
She had always admired Mr. Anthony, and now, seeing Xu Ying in this position, fury churned inside her chest.
She found herself unable to advance—or retreat.
If she apologized now and softened her attitude toward Xu Ying, wouldn’t that mean admitting she had been wrong from the very beginning? Where would she put her pride then?
But if she refused to befriend this woman, what if Anthony found out later? Would he be displeased?
Anthony’s family business was flourishing. If she were to marry him in the future, she would inevitably help manage the enterprise.
If she offended Xu Ying and caused her to withdraw cooperation, wouldn’t all the blame fall on her shoulders?
Her lower lip trembling, Ai Ning stared at Xu Ying for a long moment before finally stepping forward.
At that moment, Ellie asked curiously,
“Angel… is it really that delicious?”
She had initially been drawn over by the aroma, but upon seeing the ingredients—duck necks, gizzards, pork offal (organ meats commonly consumed in Chinese cuisine but often avoided in Western diets)—she had grown hesitant, despite how fragrant it smelled.
While she was still wavering, her sister had accidentally knocked everything over.
Now, hearing Angel praise the food so highly, Ellie’s appetite was reignited.
Angel nodded without hesitation. “It’s delicious. You probably haven’t tried it yet. My brother’s braised duck and pork products are selling extremely well.”
Of course, business hadn’t gone smoothly at the beginning.
Many people felt disgusted when they saw these items displayed openly—foods they would never normally eat.
But later, when her brother served the same braised dishes at a formal banquet, the guests, out of respect for his reputation, reluctantly tasted them.
Just like Angel, they were won over after a single bite.
“Would you like to try some?” Xu Ying asked Ellie politely.
Ellie nodded immediately.
“Prepare some braised food for them,” Yang Nan said stiffly, his tone restrained—mainly because these foreigners had gone too far earlier.
Ellie, fully aware of her mistake, stepped forward and bowed deeply toward the group.
“I’m very sorry.”
Yang Nan’s expression finally softened a little.
From the side, Ai Ning’s face turned green with rage.
What did Ellie mean by apologizing to them?
Wasn’t this equivalent to slapping her in the face?
Everyone knew she had been the one to stir up trouble earlier. Now Ellie’s apology only made her look even more unreasonable.
Why hadn’t Ellie apologized earlier? Why wait until Angel arrived to put on this performance?
Ai Ning clenched her fists.
She knew very well—Ellie was interested in Anthony too.
Meanwhile, Ellie tasted the braised duck and exclaimed in delight,
“It’s really delicious!”
“I told you so,” Angel said proudly, her tone bright, as though she had accomplished something remarkable.
Meanwhile, inside the food factory, Factory Director Li sat comfortably in his office, leaning back in his chair while leisurely sipping tea.
A satisfied smile spread across his face. As soon as his subordinate entered, he couldn’t wait to ask,
“Well? How did it go? Did that girl get into a fight with those foreign women?”
He snorted.
“Braised duck, braised pork offal—it’s all internal organs. Those foreigners are extremely particular about food. I’ve heard they don’t even eat these things.”
“If those foods were put in front of them, they must have exploded with anger.”
Director Li knew exactly how troublesome those foreigners were.
Every year during the diplomatic exchange conference, the factory’s products were always looked down upon. He was painfully familiar with their pickiness.
That young girl was arrogant as well—so proud of her abilities despite her age.
He had been waiting for her to embarrass herself.
So young, yet already so full of herself.
“Hmph!”
Director Li was so immersed in his own rant that he failed to notice the increasingly awkward expression on his subordinate’s face.
Seeing the silence drag on, he finally sensed something was wrong.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” he demanded. “Didn’t it turn into a scene?”
His subordinate swallowed and replied stiffly,
“It did… but Miss Angel arrived. She tasted the braised duck and seemed to like it very much.”
“That group… they’re eating the food in front of that girl’s stall right now.”
Director Li’s face darkened instantly.
The teacup in his hand twisted and warped under the force of his grip.
“How could this be?”
Had those foreigners gone mad?
Xu Ying finished packing up her stall at exactly seven in the evening.
Although she hadn’t secured any orders, at least more foreigners had now learned about their food.
These people were valuable resources.
A single mention from them could attract countless others.
Even if no orders were placed today, simply being discussed within the diplomatic exchange center would draw attention to their products.
That alone would create future opportunities to participate in exchanges.
On the way back, Qian Yuanyuan, exhausted and irritated after the long day, couldn’t help but complain.
“ Director Xu, didn’t you say foreigners would cooperate with us as long as they tasted our products?”
“They clearly thought it was delicious. So why didn’t anyone place an order?”
Xu Ying replied calmly,
“Not every businessman works in the food industry. Everyone has different interests.”
“We’re doing this to build our reputation.”
“What good is reputation?” Qian Yuanyuan muttered. “It’s tiring—and expensive.”
At that moment, Qiao Yuzhu’s eyes lit up. She understood immediately.
“This is only the first day,” she said reassuringly. “Orders will definitely come later.”
“I think Director Xu’s tasting event was an excellent idea.”
“Once we establish a reputation, securing orders will be much easier. If we do nothing, then we truly won’t have any business at all.”