The news of Jiang Yi’s pregnancy caused a huge uproar, almost leading to a major falling out between the two families and making their relationship more strained than ever.

However, a few days later, Gu Yanqing received news that Jiang Yi was not actually pregnant.

It turned out that the pregnancy test might have been faulty, but the truth remained uncertain.

Qiao Wanqing urged Gu Yanqing to contact Huang, the head of the reality show team, as soon as possible to prevent them from actually having a baby in a short time.

Getting a spot on this reality show was extremely difficult, and everyone in the industry knew that Jiang Yi wouldn’t be foolish enough to force a marriage and give up this opportunity for fame just to have a child.

…

After the wedding, the New Year followed, and then the honeymoon.

By the time everything returned to normal, Lantern Festival had already passed.

Life after marriage was no different from before, except for the fact that they were officially married and registered in the household register.

Tang Yueyue eventually decided to join Qiao Wanqing in running the Taobao store.

They rented an office in City C and launched their “Open Mouth Crispy Operation Center.”

They divided the work: Tang Yueyue mainly handled operations, while Qiao Wanqing was in charge of sourcing products and creating product detail pages.

In addition, they hired a customer service representative because outsourcing customer service could be problematic.

Sometimes the outsourced service couldn’t answer questions and would provide random answers.

With their own customer service, they could handle after-sales issues directly.

However, in terms of operations, even when Qiao Wanqing used to casually manage it, they had sales of fifty to sixty items a day, excluding the dozens of fake orders, leaving a pure sales volume of thirty to forty.

Now, trying to scale up and seriously boost sales was not so easy.

They had a big budget and wanted to expand, so they invested about 4000 in daily promotions and driving traffic.

This led to selling around 200 items, but after deducting costs, their profits were not better than their losses.

Creating a bestseller was not easy; it either required luck or the “mudslide” method, but the mudslide approach didn’t always work.

The so-called mudslide method actually means selling at a very low price.

Since Qiao Wanqing and her team were not focused on making a profit, they took risks and pushed forward, unwilling to engage in low-price sales.

Last year, Qiao Wanqing’s spring bamboo shoots sold so well that it seemed like she had a stroke of good luck.

For now, though, she would have to take things slowly.

Qiao Wanqing was responsible for sourcing and shipping, so she spent most of her time in Dongyang Village.

The office in City C was rented just for Tang Yueyue and the customer service team.

Last year, the store manager told Qiao Wanqing that a big eater known as “Yogurt Milk Tea” wanted to film an episode.

They had planned for New Year’s Day, but a nationwide cold snap and snow prevented it from happening.

It was only this year that they finally found time.

On the day of the filming, Qiao Wanqing took Kouko to see Yogurt Milk Tea.

In person, Yogurt Milk Tea looked small and slim, much smaller than she appeared on camera.

It was hard to believe she could eat so much.

“This is our vegetarian restaurant’s owner, Miss Qiao,” the store manager introduced.

“Hello, Miss Qiao,” Yogurt Milk Tea said warmly and politely, likely because of the filming. “Wow, the boss is so young and beautiful. Can we get a shot of you for our camera?”

Qiao Wanqing agreed and waved at the camera with a smile.

“This little boy is your child? He’s so cute. Hello, little one.”

Kouko, shy in front of the unfamiliar woman, smiled shyly and said, “Auntie, hello.”

“Wow, so polite! Can I give you this gift?” Yogurt Milk Tea said as she took a small lobster-shaped pillow from her staff.

Kouko, a little foodie, brightened up at the sight of the pillow but looked at his mom to see if he could accept it.

Qiao Wanqing patted his head and said, “Say thank you to the auntie.”

“Thank you, auntie!” Kouko received the pillow with a loud, clear voice.

Yogurt Milk Tea was charmed by the cute little boy and crouched down to be at his level. “Auntie really likes you. Can you give Auntie a kiss?”

Kouko was put in a difficult spot.

After a moment of hesitation, he pushed the lobster pillow back to Yogurt Milk Tea and said, “No kisses~”

Everyone laughed at Kouko’s response.

Yogurt Milk Tea playfully acted hurt, saying, “How terrible, I’m being rejected by a little boy.”

Yogurt Milk Tea was just teasing Kouko.

She didn’t force him to give a kiss; it was up to the child whether he wanted to or not.

However, Kouko had already linked “kisses” with “lobster pillow” in his mind.

Once he refused the pillow, he wouldn’t accept it again, no matter what.

Even Yogurt Milk Tea found it amusing.

After this little incident, the filming in the private room was ready to start.

Yogurt Milk Tea went in to record the show and ordered every signature dish from their menu, plus a vegetarian hot pot.

The entire table was piled high with food.

Their private room had a large round table that could seat ten people.

Normally, a table full of dishes would be enough for ten people, but Yogurt Milk Tea managed to eat it all by herself.

Everyone was amazed.

As the boss, Qiao Wanqing had the privilege to observe.

Qiao Wanqing thought these so-called big eaters were mostly show-offs and that the recording, not being live, might involve some tricks like inducing vomiting or taking breaks.

However, she was quickly proven wrong.

Yogurt Milk Tea was actually eating live on stream!

She interacted with the audience while eating and finished the entire table of food in two hours.

She didn’t go to the bathroom or make any excuses; she just ate everything.

What was even more incredible was that Qiao Wanqing checked her stomach and didn’t see any sign of it being stretched.

Wow!

This was beyond human limits.

Qiao Wanqing was completely stunned. It felt like this situation was what people meant by “there’s always a bigger sky.”

After finishing the last dish, Yogurt Milk Tea began her review. “Overall, the vegetarian dishes at Doudan Vegetarian Restaurant are much better than I expected. Usually, people think vegetarian food is lacking because it doesn’t have meat, but their dishes don’t leave that feeling. They taste like something you don’t usually get with vegetarian food. In short, it’s delicious. If I had to give a score out of ten, I’d give it a nine.”

Yogurt Milk Tea’s review was extremely positive.

As a popular influencer with millions of followers, her endorsement was like free advertising for the restaurant.

Qiao Wanqing waived the bill and gave her some dried fruits and persimmons as a gift.

“Thank you, boss. You’ve been so generous,” Yogurt Milk Tea said, taking the gifts with a bright smile, looking far from having overeaten.

Qiao Wanqing couldn’t help but ask, “I’m curious, aren’t you full?”

Yogurt Milk Tea rubbed her stomach and said, “Not really. It’s not too filling. Vegetarian food is easier to digest. When I eat meat, I get fuller.”

Qiao Wanqing was astonished. “Do you eat this much at every meal?”

“Only during filming. I watch my diet carefully otherwise. If I ate this much all the time, I’d become overweight.”

Impressive.

After a brief rest, Yogurt Milk Tea and her team got up to leave.

Before she went, she waved a Peppa Pig toy in front of Kouko and asked, “Do you want this Peppa Pig toy? If you have it, you’ll be a social person.”

Kouko didn’t understand what a “social person” meant, but he was already annoyed with the auntie who wanted to exchange kisses for the toy.

He firmly shook his head, saying, “Kouko doesn’t want it!”

“Not even if it’s for a kiss?”

“No, no, no!”

Kouko shook his head so vigorously it looked like a rattle drum.

Afraid he might get dizzy, Qiao Wanqing reached out to steady him and said, “You shouldn’t be so rude.”

Kouko pouted and turned his back on Yogurt Milk Tea, showing his stubborn little figure.

Everyone was amused by Kouko’s behavior.

Qiao Wanqing was still curious about Yogurt Milk Tea’s capacity.

She looked it up online and found that some people’s stomachs are different; they can stretch to several times the size of an average person’s stomach, filling up their entire chest cavity.

“Do you think that’s true?” Qiao Wanqing asked, showing her phone to Gu Yanjing.

Gu Yanjing glanced at it and said, “It’s not surprising. It’s just the limits of human capacity.”

“Don’t they feel uncomfortable when they eat so much?” After all, for ordinary people, eating a lot can make them feel like their stomachs are not their own.

Gu Yanjing handed her phone back, held her in his arms, and asked, “Did you feel exhausted when you first moved from the city to the countryside?”

“…That’s a bit of a leap in topics, but I’ll answer,” Qiao Wanqing said, “Yes, it was tiring. In the beginning, my arms couldn’t lift anything for days because of using a hoe.”

Thinking back to that time, Qiao Wanqing felt a bit nostalgic.

She had come with nothing but determination, and despite the physical strain, she felt mentally at ease.

Gu Yanjing asked, “Do you still feel tired now?”

“No,” Qiao Wanqing finally understood his point, “You mean, she, like me, has gotten used to it?”

Gu Yanjing nodded. “In every profession, it’s like that. Some people are naturally good at eating, just like some people are born artists or businesspeople.”

“So what’s my talent?” Qiao Wanqing thought for a moment, “Farming?”

Gu Yanjing: “…”

---

Soon, Yogurt Milk Tea’s episode was edited into a video and posted online.

As a popular influencer with millions of followers, the video gained a lot of views and quickly became a hit.

With Qiao Wanqing’s permission, the video included clips of Kouko and Qiao Wanqing. Unexpectedly, Kouko became a hit.

The segment where Kouko rejected Yogurt Milk Tea’s attempt to kiss him and returned the plush toy was edited with effects and subtitles, making it very funny.

Yogurt Milk Tea was portrayed as a “strange aunt,” while Kouko was shown as a clever little boy.

Yogurt Milk Tea’s fans found the video hilarious and praised Kouko for being cute and smart.

Initially, it was only a small-scale hit on the video platform, but someone edited a humorous video and posted it on Weibo.

It unexpectedly gained traction and was shared by several major influencers, making it a trending topic.

Then it completely went viral.

Some people even took screenshots and made several meme images.

The most famous one was of Kouko returning the pillow to Yuzu Milk Tea, who handed it back again, only to be refused by Kouko.

Somehow, a netizen captured a particularly exaggerated expression of Koko.

Yuzu Milk Tea caption: “Give me a kiss, and this pillow will be yours.”

Kouko caption: “Don’t come near me~”

These meme images were widely used by netizens, and Qiao Wanqing was bombarded with these memes from various friends, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

She never expected it to become so popular.

But it was harmless; after all, she wasn’t a public figure and lived deep in the mountains, often traveling between Dongyang Village and City C, so people couldn’t find her or see Koko.

Once the buzz died down, everyone would go back to their own lives and forget about Kouko.

That’s how trends are; they come and go quickly.

The biggest gain was that her vegetarian restaurant saw a significant spike in popularity.

After people learned about the video’s origin, many came to try the vegetarian food, mainly hoping to see Kouko.

Of course, Kouko wasn’t there to be seen; Qiao Wanqing usually didn’t go to the restaurant.

Kouko had no idea she had become popular and continued to live her carefree life happily.

One day, at the village market, Qiao Wanqing took Koko out shopping and saw some fresh reservoir fish for sale.

She bought a large one to take home.

Since Kouko had a sweet tooth, Qiao Wanqing decided to make it into a squirrel fish.

Squirrel fish is a complicated dish, especially cutting the fish; skill is key.

Since it was her first time making it, she even had Gu Yanqing, who never entered the kitchen, help out to get the squirrel fish done.

She seemed to have a natural talent for cooking, and the squirrel fish she made on her first try looked as good as those in pictures online.

After the fish was done, Qiao Wanqing also stir-fried two other dishes, and the family sat down to eat.

Kouko had just had a bit of the squirrel fish sauce in the kitchen, and he loved the sweet and sour taste.

Sitting in his high chair, he was clamoring for more to be served to him.

Gu Yanqing served him some, carefully checking for any small bones to make sure there were none before giving it to him.

Kouko ate happily, and Gu Yanqing tried a bite himself.

The squirrel fish was not only visually appealing but also tender, crispy, and delicious.

Even someone like him, who wasn’t particularly fond of sweet flavors, praised it.

“Wife, you’re amazing,” Gu Yanqing complimented her.

However, Qiao Wanqing had little desire to eat.

She forced herself to take a bite but nearly gagged.

“Why does it taste so fishy?” Qiao Wanqing frowned; she had marinated it with a lot of ginger.

“Fishy?” Gu Yanqing took another bite, “It’s fine.”

The fishy taste was within the acceptable range for seafood.

Moreover, the sour flavor had mostly masked the fishiness, making it not unpleasant to eat.

“Maybe I’ve got a bit of an aversion after being smoked by the oil stove for too long,” Qiao Wanqing said.

Squirrel fish needs to be deep-fried, and during the process, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the smell.

“Then drink some soup,” Gu Yanqing offered to serve her some soup.

“No need, I’ll just eat the meal,” Qiao Wanqing said, picking up some spicy and sour chicken giblets with her chopsticks. “This is good.”