Chapter 28 - Night Market Street’s Popular Food Stands Have No Line! The Streamer is Devastated!
Chapter 28 Night Market Street’s Popular Food Stands Have No Line! The Streamer is Devastated!
At Changlin Road, University Town, Night Market Street, a popular food vlogger on Douyin, known for showcasing the best spots to eat, drink, and hang out in Jiangcheng, was live-streaming with a selfie stick in hand at the night market.
“Family, this bustling street is the famous University Town Night Market Street in the southern part of the city.”
“For all you late-night snack lovers, this street is a must-visit.”
“As a genuine local foodie, I highly recommend Fat Sister’s Braised Meat Wraps. They’re tender and juicy, and just 12 yuan for a filling portion. Every time I come here, I always get one.”
“But the only downside is the line—let’s head over and take a look…”
The streamer, known as ‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’, approached the Fat Sister’s Braised Meat Wrap stall.
She froze.
Viewers in the chat started to get curious.
[Wait, didn’t you say this place always has a line? Why is there only one customer?]. [Looks like business isn’t great. Is it even that good?]. [Is the braised meat wrap really tasty?].Feeling awkward, ‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ quickly explained.
[Uh… maybe the crowd just left after buying theirs. But no worries, fewer people means we can get ours quicker! Let’s buy one and try it…].“Alright, family, as we eat this braised meat wrap, we’ll head over to grab some grilled squid. Let me tell you, that place is so good you usually have to wait at least ten minutes in line.”
As the camera followed her steps to a barbecue stand, more question marks filled the chat.
[Streamer, there’s no line here either!]. [Is it even good if no one’s buying?]. [A busy night market with no lines? That’s a bad sign!].‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ looked at the chat, then back at the stall in front of her, confused.
[That’s impossible. I came here last week, and there was a long line. How is there no line today? This is so strange.].The chat started roasting her.
[Some ‘local foodie.’ She doesn’t even know which stalls are popular, and she’s live-streaming?]. [I was going to check out this night market when I travel to Jiangcheng tomorrow, but now I don’t want to go!]. [Streamer, you’re unprofessional. None of the stalls you’ve recommended have lines. The food can’t be that good!]. [Yeah, and you’re trying to convince us to eat here? That’s misleading!].‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ watched the comments piling up, feeling on the verge of breaking down.
[Family, please believe me! The braised meat wrap earlier and this squid stand used to have long lines. I swear I’m not lying!].Some local Jiangcheng residents in the chat finally said something in her defense.
[Changlin Road’s night market does have a lot of good food. I’ve tried the braised meat wraps too, and they’re pretty decent.].‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ responded, “Family, maybe today is just a weird day. Let me take you to the next stall—Liu’s Fried Noodles are also super delicious…”
She walked towards the entrance of an alley, only to find Liu’s Fried Noodle stand was gone.
“Uh… did Mr. Liu not set up today?”
The chat erupted with more sarcasm.
[Streamer, where’s this famous Liu’s Fried Noodles? I don’t see it anywhere!]. [I’ve been watching this stream for nothing. This night market has nothing to offer. Boring!].‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ was on the verge of tears.
What is going on today?
The usual stalls with long lines suddenly have no customers.
As she puzzled over this, a group of university students hurried past the camera.
“Hurry up, the fried noodles are almost sold out!”
“Ahhh! I’ve been craving Boss Lu’s fried noodles for two days. I couldn’t get any yesterday, but I must get some today!”
“Our class rep said there’s a new dish today called Ice Crystal Cake. It’s supposed to be amazing and super limited. Let’s go check it out!”
Before ‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ could react, the chat blew up.
[Streamer, what are they talking about? Something about Boss Lu’s fried noodles? Sounds tasty—go check it out!]. [A new discovery! Is there some hidden gem down the alley? Go take a look!]. [Do you even know the area? If not, stop streaming! Follow them!].Finally realizing what was happening, ‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ turned her camera in the direction the students had run. Deep in the alley, there was a stall bustling with activity.
In stark contrast to the other empty stalls.
“Wait… which stall is this? I’ve never seen it before…” ‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ said, perplexed.
The chat grew impatient.
[Stop talking and get over there!]. [This streamer is useless. She doesn’t know any of the popular stalls, but she keeps recommending places with no customers.]. [Go into the alley! I want to see what this Ice Crystal Cake looks like!].‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ was lost, with the chat now calling the shots, forcing her to head in that direction.
“Boss Lu, do you still have any green bean soup left?”
“Sorry, it’s sold out.”
“Damn! You can’t even be a minute late!”
“Why is the Ice Crystal Cake limited to two boxes? I devoured them in under a minute and still want more!”
“The guy who ordered 10 portions of fried noodles up front is too much! Are you reselling? There’s a huge line behind you—so selfish!”
“Hey, miss, why are you cutting in line?”
“Hey there, I was late, can I cut in? I’ll add you on WeChat.”
“Flirting won’t work here, not even if you call me ‘daddy.’ Get to the back. Women only slow down my fried noodles!”
“…”
“Boss Lu, can you make bigger batches? I can’t wait anymore—I’m drooling!”
In front of Lu Qin’s fried noodle stand, there were at least 40-50 people lined up.
A long line.
Even the stall owners selling oden and sushi abandoned their own stalls to join the line for fried noodles. The scene was impressive.
‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ and her livestream audience were in total shock!
A few seconds later, the livestream chat went wild.
[This fried noodle stall has so many people, it must be amazing!]. [Oh my god, the owner is so handsome! Total heartthrob!]. [Look! His wok-flipping skills are so fast and precise, definitely a pro!]. [This place is insanely popular. How good must the food be?]. [Streamer, say something, are you stunned?]. [I’m dying of laughter. Look at how clueless the streamer is—how did she not know about this insanely popular stall?].‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ was completely baffled by what she was seeing.
When did this fried noodle stand pop up?
No wonder the other stalls were so quiet—all the business had been stolen by this one!
She ignored the chat and pushed her way forward.
“Hey, what are you doing? Lady, get to the back of the line!”
“Is she live-streaming?”
“Did the camera just catch me? Am I on TV?”
“Here, let me flash a peace sign for the noodles!”
‘Panda Loves Food & Drink’ managed to squeeze to the front of the fried noodle stall.
Her phone camera zoomed in on Lu Qin.
“Wow! This young owner is drop-dead gorgeous!”
She grabbed a customer who had just bought their noodles and asked, “Excuse me, handsome, are these fried noodles any good?”
The guy shot her a look like she was an idiot.
As if to say, With this many people in line, do you even need to ask? Obviously, it’s delicious!