Chapter 83: Covering Your Face? Totally Unnecessary

The canteen at the orphanage wasn’t exactly noisy.

Most of the sound came from people quietly digging into their meals.

Of course, there were also whispers from the kids chatting among themselves.

And the voice of streamer Qiqi interacting with her viewers.

When she first sat down with her tray of food, Qiqi managed to resist the temptation long enough to share her favorite dishes with her audience.

She described the dishes on her tray—how they smelled, how they looked.

Then she held up her first bite to the camera, offering it to the viewers.

But the moment she took that first warm bite, she lost all interest in chatting.

Time was precious!

With such a delicious spread in front of her, she wanted to taste every single dish.

With food this good, who in their right mind would waste time talking?

Every moment spent chatting was one less bite she could enjoy.

Shen Qingxue: 【Qiqi, mind your image! You’re a beauty, not a starving ghost!】

Xian Shi-yi: 【At first, Qiqi said, “You guys eat first, I’ll follow.”】

Xian Shi-yi: 【Now she won’t even lift her head. Just eating and eating. Viewers? Who? Outta the way, don’t interrupt my meal.】

Qiqi Is Mine: 【Babe, slow down! Don’t choke!】

Qiqi the Prettiest: 【Eat like a boss, live like a boss! You need a giant iron bowl, Qiqi. That tray’s too small. I’ll custom-make you a bucket!】

Mo Li: 【Pfft, troll alert. A bucket? Why not just put her in a wok and let her eat from there?】

Smiling at Pear Blossoms Flying Across the Sky: 【I’m starving! Why isn’t it lunchtime yet? I’m so hungry I could gnaw on my desk. Waaaah!】

Qingcui Yuhua: 【Our streamer is giving us a live demonstration of just how good that food is~】

Qingcui Yuhua: 【Now I’m dying to know—how delicious is the food in that canteen, really?】

“It’s amazing, guys. I’m not exaggerating. This canteen food is hands down the best I’ve had in years.”

“Every dish has soul, its own unique flavor.”

“The seasoning is just right—any more would be too much, any less would be bland.”

“The veggie dishes are fresh and sweet, the cold dishes are tangy and appetizing, and the meat dishes are juicy and tender.”

“I seriously want to run over and ask the chef how they made that cold dish. Is there some secret recipe?”

“And the meat dishes—no trace of gaminess, and the texture is incredible. Not greasy at all.”

“The chef must be a culinary god. These dishes are just too good!”

“And that sweet and sour pork someone mentioned earlier? Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, perfectly balanced flavor.”

“The moment you bite into it, you hear that satisfying crunch.”

“Is that the sound of eating meat? No—it’s the sound of the gates to happiness opening.”

“And those salt and pepper mushrooms, and the deep-fried yellow croaker—oh my goodness, I’m absolutely enchanted.”

“If I could buy mushrooms and croaker this good outside, even if they were 30 to 50 yuan per jin, I’d buy them without hesitation.”

“In short—delicious. Absolutely delicious.”

“Okay, enough talking. I need to go get more.”

With that, Qiqi didn’t even bother picking up her phone. She grabbed her tray and hurried off to get seconds.

She was afraid if she moved too slowly, the dishes she liked would be gone.

After all, food this good? No way she was the only one who liked it.

Who wouldn’t?

Sure enough, the moment Qiqi got there, she had to queue up again.

Everyone was getting seconds!

Qiqi smacked her forehead in frustration.

Ugh, if she’d known, she should’ve gotten her second helping first, then gone to chat with her viewers!

Total miscalculation!

The chat exploded: “???”

Qiqi Is Mine: 【Qiqi, don’t leave! (Erkang hands) Did you forget something?】

Qingcui Yuhua: 【Shocking! A certain streamer abandoned tens of thousands of viewers just to get more food. Is this the collapse of morality or the distortion of human nature?】

Qingcui Yuhua: 【To this kind of streamer, I have only one thing to say… Where is your bottom line? And more importantly, where is the address? Drop it now, thanks!】

Mo Li: 【Streamer, did you forget you’re a news anchor, not a mukbang host?】

Mo Li: 【This is torture. You’re making us all unbearably hungry!】

Mo Li: 【That’s it. I’m having sweet and sour pork, shredded pork in garlic sauce, salt and pepper mushrooms, spicy lotus root slices, and shredded tofu for lunch.】

Too Many Knights to Count: 【Who can relate? I was trying to diet, but I just caved and ordered a ton of food. Qiqi, you’re outrageous!】

…

Everyone was thoroughly satisfied with the meal.

There was a wide variety of dishes.

Sour, sweet, spicy, mild, meat, vegetarian—everything was covered.

There were grains and fruits too.

Even the staple foods were plentiful.

Even picky eaters could find something they liked.

One guy who loved noodles ate twelve bowls of sour soup noodles in one go.

The stack of bowls wasn’t huge, but piled up, it looked seriously impressive.

Someone else, after finishing a bowl of zhajiang noodles, heard the stir-fried dishes were amazing.

Holding his belly, he went and got a sample of every dish.

And after eating…

*Burp~*

Too good.

He couldn’t help himself.

He was stuffed!

Ahhh, he hadn’t even touched the fruit.

Or the soup.

But he just didn’t have room anymore.

Waaaah!

What kind of divine chef was this?

He seriously wanted to kidnap the chef and bring him home!

Seeing everyone’s “battle results,” Master Zhao grinned so wide it nearly reached his ears.

Don’t ask why. He was just happy. Absolutely overflowing with satisfaction.

As a chef, this was his favorite kind of moment.

It meant his skills had leveled up again!

Everyone really loved his cooking!

Hehe, stay humble, stay focused.

Later, he’d keep experimenting with new dishes.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Soup, Wensi Tofu, Yangzhou Lion’s Head… he wanted to try them all.

No doubt about it—Master Zhao was now in peak working condition.

In the past, he just made basic home-style dishes.

His mood was average, nothing special, no surprises.

Now, he was fired up, full of ambition, and ready to take on national banquet-level cuisine.

…

Jiang City Loving Heart Orphanage made it onto the local trending list.

The official tag for thank-you messages and charitable donations ranked thirty-sixth.

The tag #Jiang City Loving Heart Orphanage Food Is Amazing# ranked twenty-sixth.

#What Food? I Had to Eat Twelve Bowls Myself# ranked seventeenth.

#Outrageous! A Man Sent 12 Luxury Spaceships in a Livestream Just for a Box of Leftovers?# ranked ninth.

Beneath those tags, tons of people were sharing food photos they took.

Not just the people who ate at the orphanage.

Their families were posting too, along with plenty of over-the-top praise.

Because the kitchen had made so much food that day, even with everyone eating their fill, there were still leftovers.

Not wanting to waste anything, someone timidly asked if they could pack some up.

After Master Zhao gave the green light, everyone went wild.

Not just the leftover dishes—people even packed up the untouched soup, the zhajiang sauce, the sour broth from the noodles, everything.

Watching the now-empty stainless steel food bins, Master Zhao turned his back, covered his face with his arm, and let out a pig-like squeal of laughter.

Liu Xiang: “…”

Seriously? Was that really necessary?

That laugh was so unhinged, covering his face didn’t help at all.

Maybe… this was the perfect chance to film a video?

Hmm, not a bad idea!

Next time his uncle’s in a bad mood, he could just play this video on loop to cheer him up!

— Translator’s Notes —

– (Erkang hands): ‘Erkang hands’ is an internet meme originating from a famous scene in the Chinese TV drama ‘My Fair Princess’, where the character Erkang dramatically reaches out his hand. Online, it represents desperately reaching out for someone or something.

– mukbang host: ‘Mukbang’ is an online broadcast in which a host eats large amounts of food while interacting with viewers. The term originated in South Korea and has become popular in China and elsewhere.

– zhajiang noodles: ‘Zhajiang noodles’ (Zhajiangmian) is a popular northern Chinese noodle dish topped with a savory stir-fried soybean paste sauce, sometimes with ground pork and vegetables.

– Buddha Jumps Over the Wall: ‘Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’ is a famous, complex Fujianese soup that contains many luxury ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, and dried scallops. Its name implies a fragrance so enticing even a Buddhist monk would jump over a wall to eat it.

– Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Soup: ‘Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Soup’ (Shang Tang Bai Cai) is a renowned Huaiyang cuisine dish famous for its clear, rich broth and delicate preparation, elevating simple cabbage to gourmet status.

– Wensi Tofu: ‘Wensi Tofu’ is a Huaiyang dish where tofu is meticulously cut into hair-thin shreds and cooked in a delicate broth, renowned for the chef’s knife skills and the soup’s clarity.

– Yangzhou Lion’s Head: ‘Yangzhou Lion’s Head’ refers to a dish of large, tender pork meatballs stewed with greens, popular in Jiangsu cuisine. The name refers to the meatball resembling a lion’s head and the greens as the mane.

– Luxury Spaceships in a Livestream: In Chinese livestream platforms, viewers can buy and send virtual ‘gift’ items (such as ‘Luxury Spaceships’) to streamers as a form of appreciation. Sending such high-value virtual gifts is seen as an extravagant show of support.