Jun Qingmeng: "Hubby, hubby, hubby! I miss you. I shared the bread you gave me with my coworkers. They loved it and are all singing your praises."

Jun Qingmeng: "Are you busy? Tongtong just shared the bread with over thirty kids. Our Tongtong is getting more and more like you. Oh, right, Tongtong was the center of attention today. All the other kids were playing around her."

Jun Qingmeng: "Boo hoo, you haven’t forgotten about your big cutie, have you! (crying emoji)"

Jun Qingmeng: "I wish the three of us could be at the shop together. That way, I could hug you whenever I miss you."

Jun Qingmeng: "Having lunch! Today is stir-fried cabbage. Tongtong was being cute and whiny, asking me to get her fewer greens. She doesn’t like them."

Jun Qingmeng: "We discussed it and came to a unanimous decision! We want shrimp ball soup for dinner!! And stir-fried tuna with chili peppers. It sounds so good! Hubby, can you make it for your two little cuties tonight?"

Jiang Liu finished reading the messages and checking the timestamps.

He felt a pang of guilt. He’d seen them that morning but had forgotten to reply. He’d been busy until now, and the matter had completely slipped his mind.

Jiang Liu replied: "Just finished with work. I haven’t had a chance to look at my phone. If Tongtong doesn’t want to eat her vegetables, don’t spoil her. She needs a balanced diet."

"You want shrimp ball soup and stir-fried tuna with chili peppers, right? I’ll make them for you when I get back."

"I have something to tell you. I bought the storefront next door."

After sending the message, Jiang Liu checked his total savings.

Including this morning’s earnings and the new store’s revenue of over 300,000, minus expenses, he now had over 3.1 million in hand.

Jiang Liu decided to save it for now. He would likely have many uses for the money in the future.

Taking advantage of the lull, Jiang Liu poured himself a glass of sweet watermelon juice and sat down, opening the surveillance feed for the new store.

He casually checked on the situation.

On screen, business was booming.

Every table in the store was full.

Hu Yongfa was busy in the kitchen, and the servers were working with a clear division of labor.

Jiang Liu nodded, both satisfied and gratified.

He opened WeChat.

Just now, Hu Yongfa had sent him two résumés to look over.

One was a chubby apprentice, Xiao Zhang, a high school graduate with two years of apprenticeship experience.

The other was a waitress, Zhang Yali, a girl who had graduated from a second-tier university. She was average-looking with a lively personality.

Jiang Liu replied to Hu Yongfa on WeChat: "You make the call. I have no objections to these two. Hire them for now."

"Once you have enough people, split them into two shifts. One shift is too exhausting."

Hu Yongfa didn’t reply. He was swamped with work. With Yue Longfan gone, the entire burden had fallen on his shoulders.

But he had no complaints. ’If I work hard and follow the master,’ he thought, ’I’ll definitely make a name for myself one day!’

「Meanwhile.」

「Kun City, Ba District.」

Over a hundred people were lined up at the Jiang’s Buns stall. It was noisy and chaotic, with fights occasionally breaking out over spots in the line.

The scene was absolutely wild.

The other stalls had only a handful of customers left.

Old Wang, like the other stall owners, wore a sour expression, but that sour face only made his business even worse...

"Five shrimp and corn buns, three chive and egg, and two three-delicacy buns!"

"I’ll take ten shrimp and corn buns."

"I never thought our Ba District had buns this delicious. I’ve decided I need to eat them twice a day from now on, or I’ll be drooling in my sleep."

"I feel awful if I miss a day! These damn buns aren’t made by human hands; they’re too good. Hey? How come I’ve never heard of such amazing buns in our city before?"

Jiang Daifu arrived at the intersection with Jiang Qian and a few of her university classmates.

"Qianqian, where’s your cousin’s stall?" Jia Yan asked, looking around curiously.

"Who cares? I don’t know!"

Jiang Qian’s face was cold. She had already braced herself for embarrassment.

The other two classmates smelled the fragrant aroma wafting from the stalls, and their stomachs started to growl.

They planned to humor Jiang Qian for a little while, then find a good place to eat nearby. Especially some stinky tofu—a college student favorite! They had to get some.

As for buns? Who even eats that stuff anymore?

"Where is your cousin’s stall?"

"Dad, hurry up and ask for directions. Let’s see it and get out of here."

Jiang Qian pushed Jiang Daifu impatiently.

Jiang Daifu didn’t get angry. Passing a stall, he asked the owner, "Hello, excuse me, where is Jiang’s Buns?"

Hmph, another one looking for Jiang’s Buns... The stinky tofu vendor replied with an impatient look, "Don’t know. Find it yourself."

"What a guy." Jiang Daifu clicked his tongue.

"Hey!"

Jia Yan suddenly exclaimed, "Look what’s going on up ahead! There are so many people! Is it some kind of event? Should we go check it out?"

"Maybe not. We’re here to support Qianqian’s cousin. Business before pleasure," said the girl with the round-framed glasses, trying to be pragmatic.

"Right, right, finding Jiang’s Buns is more important."

Jiang Daifu glanced at the three girls and explained softly, "Let’s find your cousin’s stall first. He’s a stranger in a strange land here, so he’s bound to have a hard time... After all, your cousin is the only male heir of our Jiang Family."

’...There’s that line again! Always favoring boys over girls. All day it’s ’cousin this, cousin that.’ It’s so annoying! What’s so great about him...’

Jiang Qian grumbled unhappily.

Ever since she was little, her dad had been going on and on about Jiang Liu—how he graduated from a top-tier university, how he was so mature, and all sorts of other praise.

Out of jealousy, Jiang Qian had developed a deep-seated disdain for this cousin she had barely ever met.

Jiang Daifu asked a few more vendors.

Finally, someone casually pointed him in a direction.

Jiang Daifu quickly pulled a reluctant Jiang Qian along with him.

He already had a plan. No matter how bad the buns tasted, he had to support his nephew. He’d even bring relatives and friends over another day.

As they walked on, the expressions on the four of them gradually grew strange.

In this direction, besides a hand-pulled pancake stall and an old man’s stall, there was only the one with a line of over a hundred people.

Jiang’s Buns was surrounded by a massive crowd, packed so tightly you couldn’t see what was happening from a distance.

"Did we go the wrong way?"

"This is the end of the row. Did we pass it?"

Jiang Qian glanced at the anxious Jiang Daifu and seized the opportunity. "Dad, since we’re already here, let’s go see what they’re selling over there."

"I think we should take a look."

Her two classmates had looks of anticipation on their faces.

With so many people up ahead fighting to buy something, it had to be an incredible delicacy!

As for supporting Jiang Qian’s cousin’s business... that could wait.

Jiang Daifu was torn, but seeing his daughter’s classmates standing on their tiptoes to get a better look, he could only say, "Alright, let’s go have a look. With that many people, we definitely won’t be able to buy anything. After we see, we’ll hurry up and find your cousin’s stall."

"Let’s go!"

The group excitedly went to join the crowd.

As soon as they got closer, they heard an excited middle-aged woman say, "This Jiang’s Buns is really doing our Ba District proud! Buns this good, I hope they stay open for decades. Maybe Ba District will even become a tourist attraction because of them!"

’Jiang’s Buns? Did I mishear?’

Jiang Daifu was baffled.

Jiang Qian and her classmates were petrified on the spot.

...