Chapter 56.1

Attracted by the aroma, Chang Fuxiang, the owner of Fuyun Restaurant, also found his way to the scene.

His newly opened restaurant wasn’t doing well, and after hearing that barbecuing could be profitable, he decided to visit Dayong’s barbecue stand to observe. Upon arrival, he was shocked to see the place packed with customers.

A barbecue stand didn’t require much space. Simply placing tables and chairs in the small square outside was enough. It also didn’t need a skilled chef, saving a significant amount on costs. Given the high occupancy rate, the profit was likely much higher than his restaurant.

Half of the customers had ordered the grilled chicken, priced at five yuan for half a chicken. Chang Fuxiang suddenly thought of the young girl who had been promoting her products at his restaurant earlier that day. Could the chicken at this barbecue stand be sourced from her?

Chang Fuxiang had to wait a while before finding an empty seat. He ordered a whole grilled chicken and, after tasting it, regretted not having added it to his own restaurant’s menu. The complimentary stir-fried chicken offal had no trace of gamey flavor and tasted even better than the meat. He had to contact the young girl and discuss an exclusive supply arrangement.

In a hurry, Chang Fuxiang rushed back to his restaurant and asked the assistant, “Where is the address that the girl left earlier today?”

“Ah? I burned it,” the assistant replied honestly.

Chang Fuhai was furious. “What good are you, then?”

The assistant, feeling wronged, replied, “You were the one who told me to throw it away.”

“You dare talk back?” Chang Fuhai snapped. He then rushed back to the barbecue stand and ordered another grilled chicken, hoping to get Jiang Ruan’s contact information from Liang Yong.

…

Across from the barbecue stand, Cheng Xinwang brought over a grilled chicken and stir-fried chicken offal for takeaway.

Xun Li originally intended to eat at the barbecue stand, but there weren’t any available seats. Usually, it wasn’t so busy. He asked Cheng Xinwang to buy a grilled chicken to see what all the fuss was about—what could be so special about a grilled chicken?

It wasn’t that the grilled chicken had a special twist; it was the quality of the ingredients that was exceptional. After eating half a chicken, Xun Li was convinced. Jiang Ruan’s confidence was well-founded.

He remarked, “You need to negotiate exclusive supply for Jiang Ruan’s blackfish.”

Luckily, they had a bit of a relationship and learned about the quality of the products in advance. Otherwise, when her fish supply became popular, they wouldn’t be able to place any orders.

Cheng Xinwang finished the other half of the chicken. Even the chicken wing bones were crunchy and flavorful. He swallowed them down, grateful he had waited in line.

“Jiang Ruan’s chickens are indeed unique, and her fish will surely be no different,” he said. “But we still have to share profits with Mu Xuehui. I’m not happy about it at all. It’s my fault for not being able to pry any secrets out of her.”

Cheng Xinwang had been interacting with Mu Xuehui, picking up bits of information from her—like how she repaid Han Qingqing’s grievances with kindness, leveraged her stepmother Shen Yuzhen to enhance her shop’s management, and how she hid her preferences when dealing with Zhong Wenwen.

For someone so young, her cunning was impressive.

Xun Li said, “I don’t want to wrongly accuse anyone. We need to find out if she’s the one who reported your sister and me before we settle accounts. If she did report us, we still need to figure out how she found out in the first place.”

Cheng Xinwang nodded. “I’ll continue to investigate. Should we let Jiang Ruan know about Chang Fuxiang’s family situation?”

Chang Fuxiang and Chang Linyan were half-siblings from the same mother. When the family assets were divided, Chang Linyan insisted on taking the majority. As a result, she and Chang Fuxiang were not on good terms.

Xun Li said, “Qin Yan will inform Jiang Ruan. We don’t need to meddle.”

…

Jiang Ruan brought half a grilled chicken to the dorm supervisor, saying she’d just be a minute while she delivered some food to her boyfriend. The aroma of the grilled chicken was irresistible, and she easily got into the dormitory.

Inside, two other girls, Zhong Wenwen and Lu Sijing, were there.

Lu Sijing was the girlfriend of Qin Yan’s dormmate, Xu Zhongjin. She had recently reported her father and grandfather, and while she wasn’t directly affected by the family drama, her relationship with Xu Zhongjin was strained. Hoping to ease the tension, she brought two fried chickens from Zhong Wenwen’s newly opened fried chicken shop to share.

Feeling awkward about going alone, she had dragged her roommate Zhong Wenwen along.

Zhong Wenwen hadn’t wanted to visit the boys’ dorm but was curious to see Qin Yan, the younger brother of Qin Ao. Her mother had been encouraging her to pursue Qin Ao, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to do it. If only Qin Ao could be replaced with Qin Yan…

She quickly dismissed the thought, Qin Yan was too difficult to approach.

While others were happily munching on the fried chicken, Qin Yan sat with a book in hand, uninterested in the conversation or the compliments.

“Xu Zhongjin, your girlfriend is so good to you. These two fried chickens must have been expensive, right? I’ve never had such tasty fried chicken before,” someone commented.

Qin Yan glanced over at the pieces of fried chicken coated in flour, which were divided into wings, legs, and chunks. This Western-style fast food had only entered the country in the 1990s.

Zhong Wenwen had recently become close with Mu Xuehui, who had given her some tips.

Lu Sijing was feeling pleased with herself. The only ones who hadn’t eaten were Qin Yan and Xu Zhongjin, who was still holding a grudge, thinking her reporting her father and grandfather was too heartless. In an attempt to persuade him to try a bite, Lu Sijing said, “Qin Yan, why don’t you try some? I promise you’ve never had this before, and once you taste it, you’ll love it.”

Qin Yan, not even bothering to look up, replied, “No, thanks. I’m saving room for the grilled chicken my girlfriend is bringing.”

“Can grilled chicken really be better than fried chicken?”

“To me, what she brings is always the best,” Qin Yan said. “She mentioned she brought extra, so you can all try it too.”

…

Just as he finished speaking, Jiang Ruan arrived. Seeing the dorm was too crowded for Qin Yan to enjoy his meal, she left two grilled chickens for the others and took Qin Yan outside to share the remaining one and a half.

“I’ve got one grilled with honey and one with sauce. Both are delicious. Try them and see which flavor you like,” Jiang Ruan said.

Before they could taste the chicken, she whisked Qin Yan away to ensure there’d be enough for him.

Lu Sijing wasn’t pleased. She had brought fried chicken, but Qin Yan’s girlfriend had brought grilled chicken. It did smell nice, but it couldn’t possibly taste as good as the fried chicken, right?

The recipe was a secret blend from Mu Xuehui, and she had never tasted fried chicken that good before. How could Jiang Ruan’s grilled chicken compare?

The grilled chicken had been wrapped in foil, steaming as it was unwrapped. The aroma was so enticing that some people set aside the fried chicken they had just picked up.

“This grilled chicken smells amazing. Qin Yan’s girlfriend is so considerate—judging by the heat, she must have run here,” someone remarked enviously.

Unable to resist, Xu Zhongjin tore off a wing from the honey-roasted chicken. Just one bite and his eyes lit up. The flavor of the meat alone was extraordinary.

The other roommates, noticing his reaction, couldn’t help but taste the grilled chicken themselves and were immediately delighted.

“Qin Yan is so lucky. I’m so jealous that he can eat such delicious grilled chicken whenever he wants.”

Two chickens weren’t enough for the seven boys to share, especially with two girls present. They had to resist their cravings to ensure everyone got a taste.

Lu Sijing was annoyed. Her boyfriend hadn’t touched her fried chicken but was praising the grilled chicken brought by someone else. Was this deliberate? She stubbornly refrained from trying it herself.

Zhong Wenwen, however, did. The grilled chicken was so delicious that it left her at a loss for words.

She had once imagined opening fried chicken shops nationwide with Mu Xuehui. However, it now seemed that Jiang Ruan’s grilled chicken would be their biggest competitor.

Her dream of expanding before even getting started had been shaken by a rival. This left Zhong Wenwen feeling discouraged.

She asked, “Does anyone know where Qin Yan’s girlfriend buys the grilled chicken?”

Xu Zhongjin, knowing a bit more about Qin Yan and his girlfriend, said, “Qin Yan goes to the countryside every weekend. I heard she raises livestock herself, so the chickens are probably from her farm.”

Zhong Wenwen felt even more disheartened. If they knew the supplier, they could try to secure a source. But if Jiang Ruan was breeding the chickens herself, how could they compete?

Mu Xuehui’s mother had invested a lot of money and effort into the fried chicken business, aiming to expand it nationwide as planned. They could not afford to underestimate the emerging competition.

What kind of feed does Jiang Ruan use to raise such high-quality chickens?

Several people were looking for Jiang Ruan that evening, including Zhong Wenwen, Chang Fuxiang, Xun Li, and Liang Yong, who wanted to increase his order quantity.

At that moment, however, Jiang Ruan was outside the school, sharing a grilled chicken with Qin Yan. She insisted on giving the remaining half of the honey-glazed roast chicken to Qin Yan. “Go ahead, eat it. I pulled you out here just so you could eat more. If I want some, I can roast one myself when I go back to the village.”

The roast chicken was delicious, and although Qin Yan didn’t say much, he tore off pieces of chicken and fed them to Jiang Ruan, pleased to see her enjoying it.

He commented, “Your pricing strategy means you’ll only be able to target the high-end market. You’re not competing with Zhong Wenwen’s fried chicken. Her mother is a determined woman, and their fried chicken business could very well take off.”

Jiang Ruan replied, “I just think frying spoils the quality of the ingredients. If you want to get into the fried chicken business, I can expand my farming operations and lower the costs. The lower-quality chickens can be used for fried chicken, while the better ones can be for grilling.”