CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 67: IS THE YOUNG BOSS BACK?!

"Attention, attention! Last opening of the Little Boss’ Steamed Bun Shop. Familiar recipe, familiar taste, familiar place. Hurry up and buy; once you miss this chance here, there won’t be another!"

Old Liu was heading home when he casually took out his phone and sent a message to the Penguin group.

That message was like dropping a Dongfeng-41 into a calm lake, instantly stirring up waves of excitement as messages flooded in.

"What the heck?! Really?!"

"Is the Little Boss really back? The one who sells steamed buns?"

"Oh my, hurry up, Old Liu must’ve sent this out only after buying out the stock. If we don’t rush, we won’t even get the bun wrappers!"

"!!! I’m out visiting relatives right now!!! How does this happen suddenly?! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone out today! Can anyone help me buy 100 yuan worth?!"

"Thank goodness I’m taking the train back to my hometown tonight, hahaha. I’ll buy some of the Little Boss’ buns for the train, I’ll definitely be the star of the carriage."

"Everyone, bring your shopping trolleys! There’s no limit today; buying is winning. Buy extra and freeze them in the fridge. The Little Boss says he probably won’t be back after today as he’s going to another province."

After sending the last message, Old Liu put away his phone. The bun in his hand was waiting to be savored.

...

The three young men had arrived at Wang Fan’s stall.

Liu Hongwei especially loved listening to comedy sketches, particularly Sun Yunpeng’s mischievous style. Given Sun Yunpeng’s enthusiastic recommendation of this bun stall, he naturally felt obliged to fulfill his fan duties.

Second Uncle cheerfully greeted the three: "Hey, handsome ones, want to try a few buns? Guaranteed delicious; if they’re not, it’s free."

Before coming to the stall, some buns had already been steamed at home. After selling to Old Liu, Aunt Wang, and Professor Jiang, there were still some left.

Liu Hongwei looked at the round, plump xiaolongbao and felt quite appetized.

Smelling the wheat aroma, he realized he was really a bit hungry.

Normally, Liu Hongwei didn’t eat much beef, always believing it’s tough and easily gets stuck between teeth, unlike the texture of lamb and pork. But to support his idol, he didn’t overthink it.

"Give each of us 6 Cumin Beef Buns and 5 Mapo Tofu Buns."

"Alright, just a moment."

Second Uncle quickly got to packing buns for the three, thoughtfully including a bit of chili oil in a plastic bag.

Liu Hongwei took the buns but wasn’t in a rush to leave. He was curious if the bun was truly tasty or if Sun Yunpeng’s subjective bias tainted the judgment.

He squeezed a xiaolongbao; the soft bun skin felt like squishing fluffy cotton candy.

The neat, tight bun folds looked unexpectedly adorable.

Right in the center of the bun folds was a coin-sized spot of red oil skin, stained red by the meat juices from inside, just seeing that red made his stomach growl.

The bun skin was a bit hot, but in the cold winter, it provided warmth. Liu Hongwei hesitated to bite into the warm bun.

He gently split the bun open. Upon seeing the fillings, the three couldn’t resist swallowing hard.

Liu Hongwei swore he’d never encountered buns so appetizing in his life.

The saucy brown beef glistening with oil, its faintly red juices soaked halfway into the inner bun skin—a visual impact no foodie could ever refuse.

Huaxia cuisine emphasizes color, aroma, and taste. Without addressing taste, just color and aroma alone make me, Liu Hongwei, call this the mightiest bun!

If this bun is already a rule-breaker in ’color,’ then in ’aroma,’ it’s like it’s hacked the system.

First comes the savory aroma of beef, closely followed by the intense fragrance of cumin.

Magically, the cumin scent doesn’t overshadow the beef aroma but instead accentuates it.

There are faint traces of Sichuan pepper and scallion scents, boosting the beef aroma without feeling greasy.

Liu Hongwei wasn’t sure about others, but he couldn’t resist.

He grabbed half a bun and stuffed it into his mouth.

Liu Hongwei could clearly feel the soft bun skin brushing against his teeth—a delightful sensation.

Soon, the unique beef flavor conquered his taste buds.

With a gentle bite, he felt no toughness from beef tendons nor its typical texture.

Soft, tender, deliciously juicy as small onion pieces burst with beef flavor in his mouth, releasing waves of savory juices—an exquisite taste that left Liu Hongwei feeling on cloud nine.

Watching Liu Hongwei’s blissful expression, Chen Shu couldn’t help but cringe. Holding back for a moment, he couldn’t resist complaining to his companion: "Liu Hongwei’s look just from eating a bun—how can he look so sleazy..."

Chu Tian nodded in agreement: "That expression is as saucy as it gets. Should we capture it? He’d die of embarrassment for a week if he saw it..."

Chen Shu shook his head: "Forget it, let it be. Spare him by not taking photos, let’s just record it."

As they spoke, they took out their phones, switched to photo mode, and aimed at Liu Hongwei.

After recording for a few seconds, they discreetly put away their phones and casually started eating a bun.

Liu Hongwei slowly recovered, feeling like he had a blackout moment as if he’d drunk too much alcohol.

Upon regaining sense, his mouth was still filled with the savory taste of cumin beef.

He looked up to see his companions, Chen Shu and Chu Tian, with charmingly vile expressions while eating buns.

Quietly, Liu Hongwei took out his phone and discreetly recorded a video of the two.

After recording, he put away his phone and told Wang Fan, who was packing buns, "I’m impressed, Boss! Your skill is truly remarkable. I’ve never tasted such delicious buns in Beijing...no, in my entire life. No wonder Sun Yunpeng, the foodie, wrote your stall into his comedy—it’s explosively good!"

Wang Fan smiled and said, "Thank you," while continuing to pack buns.

Second Uncle listened with pride, declaring proudly, "Our buns are indeed tasty; they’ll make you crave more. Want some more? Miss this chance and there won’t be another."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hongwei immediately said, "I’ll take 30 more Cumin Beef Buns. These delicious buns must be taken home for my parents to try."