Chapter 5: Qin Youran Arrives

Amidst the lively discussion, Yan Yueqing brought Tang Tang down to the foot of the mountain.

Perhaps noticing that the village chief was struggling to maintain his composure, Yan Yueqing stopped asking tourists for performances after earning 30 yuan. Instead, she knocked on the door of a nearby farmhouse.

Vegetables in the countryside are generally cheap, and those grown by the farmers themselves are even cheaper.

The elderly couple were honest people. With 30 yuan, Yan Yueqing traded for a large pile of fresh vegetables and some crucian carps the old man had caught.

The house they drew was the worst this season, lacking even the most basic cooking seasonings besides essential living supplies.

After eating only porridge for a day or two like the original owner, Tang Tang looked rather pitiful!

After thinking it over, Yan Yueqing asked the old lady if she could use their stove to cook a big pot of rice for everyone.

The family rarely had visitors, so the old lady happily agreed.

The crucian carps were cleaned, oil was heated, and ginger slices and fish were added to pan-fry until golden. Spring water was added to boil until the broth turned white, then a few blocks of tofu were put in to cook.

Tender bamboo shoots were sliced and soaked, then stir-fried in a pot releasing a mouthwatering aroma. With just a few simple seasonings, the dish already smelled divine.

Freshly picked Toon sprouts are a seasonal delicacy. After being rinsed, chopped, and blanched, they were stir-fried with fluffy eggs, making the crew’s stomachs growl hungrily.

The viewers watching the live stream began to cry:

[Yan Yueqing is so capable! Cooking over the fire while chopping veggies and stir-frying at the same time? Such seamless transitions? Is she a master of time management?]

[F*ck, she knows how to cook, yet she let Tang Tang drink porridge for two days?]

[It’s not her fault; she’s just making the best of what she has. Their house only had a pot, and they had to trade for all their ingredients and seasonings! If they couldn’t get any, porridge was their only option!]

[Tofu and crucian carp soup, stir-fried bamboo shoots, toon shoots with egg, shredded veggie salad, stir-fried garlic sprouts… Mom, how did she make this whole table of dishes? Camera guy, why are you zooming in?! I’m drooling already!]

[Looks really delicious! Tang Tang’s expression wouldn’t lie!]

[Meanwhile, a hungry man opens his Meituan delivery app]

The farmer’s bowls were huge. A few dishes were served on the table, and the big pot of steamed rice was ready too.

Yan Yueqing tidied up around the stove: “Tang Tang, go call grandpa, grandma, uncles and aunties over for dinner.”

Hearing this, the crew froze.

They had been hungry for a while, but they knew they had to wait until the livestream ended before they could take down the equipment and eat their boxed meals.

Heaven knew how excruciating it was to film Yan Yueqing cooking while they were starving!

It was like watching A Bite of China (food documentary) while starving.

But now…Yan Yueqing was inviting them to eat together?

“Dear, what are you up to? It smells so good!” The old lady came over, warmly welcoming the crew, “Come on kids, it’s getting dark.”

Tang Tang went over to the village chief: “Village Chief Uncle, come eat with us?”

Her cute, whiny voice sounded soft and adorable.

The village chief was in a dilemma.

He really wanted to eat!

But his task was to stop Yan Yueqing from gaining popularity!

He had gone to great lengths to block her from the top of the mountain to the bottom, but her livestream popularity kept increasing instead of decreasing?

If he joined them for this meal, wouldn’t that be openly supporting her?

How could he explain this to the higher-ups? QAQ?

But…

A man may be made of iron, but food is steel, and this meal smelled heavenly! [3]

The village chief steeled his expression, about to refuse adamantly, when he caught sight of Yan Yueqing bringing out the last dish—stir-fried garlic sprouts with cured meat.

The vibrant green garlic sprouts, paired with paper-thin slices of cured meat, each piece exuding an irresistible fragrance.

“Grrr…”

His treacherous stomach rumbled loudly.

The village chief threw caution to the wind and waved a few crew members over: “Let’s eat first!”

He could talk to the higher-ups about the livestream later. At worst, he’d lose this job!

He didn’t want to lie on his deathbed at 80, with grandchildren asking if he had any regrets, and feebly lament: “Not eating that meal Yan Yueqing made back then!”

Finally getting the village chief’s nod, the crew swiftly put down their equipment and dashed over like sprinters to grab bowls and chopsticks.

The freshly made cured meat had a different texture than the old kind, tasting more like salted pork with a soft, light flavor. The thin slices melted in their mouths. The toon shoots were stir-fried until extremely tender, mixed with eggs that were almost bite-your-tongue soft.

The bamboo shoots were crisp and juicy, the garlic sprouts soft and velvety. Another mouthful of the rich, fragrant crucian carp soup, and everyone exclaimed it tasted heavenly!

While they were eating, there was a knock at the door.

Yan Yueqing opened it to find Qin Youran with Li Hao.

“Yueqing, after discussing with Hao Hao, we realized that while the village chief said we couldn’t share the ingredients, he didn’t say we couldn’t share our food. So…”

Qin Youran trailed off as she noticed the lively scene in the courtyard out of the corner of her eye.

Yan Yueqing smiled: “Thanks, please come in.”

Qin Youran entered, stunned.

Earlier while cooking, she had overheard the crew mention Yan Yueqing’s livestream popularity exploding, surpassing all other guests combined.

Qin Youran was baffled!

According to her previous life’s memories, after Yan Yueqing fainted from the fall, she seduced Director Tang in the hospital, while Qin Youran herself invited the lonely Tang Tang to dinner at the filming site.

The stark contrast between the two situations had made fans favor Qin Youran.

This was supposed to be her comeback moment!

But now everything had changed?

As Qin Youran entered, the livestream’s chatroom once again became lively.

[Sister Youran is so kindhearted and beautiful. Their group didn’t rank high, and they only got eggplants and corn as ingredients. But look at her basket; she brought all the food over.]

[She means well, but it looks rather pathetic in comparison, haha!]

[Youran did it by the book, Yan Yueqing created from scratch – the difference is clear.]

[Just praise Yan Yueqing, why bring up our Sister Youran? It’s not right to praise one and put down the other.]

[Qin Youran just doesn’t have Yan Yueqing’s cooking skills, that’s a fact!]

Regardless of the heated comments, the people in the courtyard were quite friendly towards Qin Youran.

Especially the village chief, whose mood brightened upon seeing her arrival.

The higher-ups hadn’t decided yet whether to promote Li Manman or Qin Youran in this episode. But either would be better than Yan Yueqing dominating alone!

Qin Youran placed her ingredients on the table. Out of courtesy, everyone sampled each dish.

Then their chopsticks unanimously went for Yan Yueqing’s dishes.

—

Notes:

[3] “人是铁，饭是钢，一顿不吃饿得慌.”

English translation: “Man is iron, food is steel. Skip a meal and you’ll feel the pangs.”

Meaning: This Chinese proverb emphasizes the vital importance of food. It suggests that while humans are strong like iron, food is even stronger, like steel. Just as steel is tougher than iron, the need for food is more pressing than human endurance.

English equivalent: “An army marches on its stomach” or “You can’t work on an empty stomach” or “an empty sack cannot stand upright”