Chapter 8.2

The grand crab feast finally began. Ying’s father and mother also loved crabs. Ying’s father even brought out some of his treasured aged baijiu and poured it into small cups to drink with the crabs, which also helped ward off the cold. People who truly loved crabs didn’t need any specialized crab tools—by the time others had just started using them, they would already be finished eating.

Su Ying grabbed a steamed crab, cracked it open at the leg joint, and the shell lid came off easily. It was filled with crab roe, and the golden oil began to drip out. She took a big slurp—her mouth was instantly full of rich crab flavor. She set the shell lid aside for last, then started pulling out the legs one by one, nibbling them like sunflower seeds. Starting at the base and working her way up, the fresh legs easily yielded their meat from the cracked openings.

Next, she broke the crab body into two halves, removing the inedible heart and lungs. She first scooped out the roe in the middle, then bit into the body, pushing most of the meat out with a single bite. The rest was just a matter of chewing. Finally came the best part—the crab lid. Removing the crab stomach, she scooped out a big mouthful of crab roe. Absolutely delicious!

There was also Su Ying’s signature spicy crab dish. The fragrant, spicy aroma filled the air. The crispy sweet potato coating wasn’t too thick, giving just the right crunch, and the spice was perfect with a bowl of rice. It was so good that everyone unconsciously ate a few more mouthfuls of rice. Around the table, the only sounds were the family cracking and devouring crabs. Once they were full, the table was covered with crab shells—a true display of the strength of Chinese foodies.

After cleaning up the messy table, Ying’s father brought out some ginger soup he had been simmering in the kitchen. He added brown sugar and gave everyone a bowl to drive away the chill. The sweet, spicy ginger soup warmed them from mouth to stomach.

Su Ying went back to her room and took out the design renderings she had prepared, sitting up a little straighter. Ying’s parents guessed she had something to say. Ying’s mother turned off the TV, and both parents sat up properly.

Su Ying said, “Mom, Dad, I want to renovate the house before the New Year. First, we haven’t done a major renovation in years, and second, since I’m running this account, it’s also great content for videos.”

Using work as an excuse made it easier for her parents to accept. Su Ying watched her parents’ expressions and saw no signs of objection, so she quickly laid out the different design options she had prepared. Ying’s parents didn’t actually oppose the idea of a renovation. They huddled together over the renderings and thought they all looked great, unable to decide right away.

Seeing that her parents weren’t against it, Su Ying became bolder and shared her own opinion. She preferred the second option: simple European style. It was easy to clean, had an artistic atmosphere, and didn’t require major structural changes.

After weighing the pros and cons of the plans, her parents agreed with Su Ying’s choice. The decision to renovate was settled. Ying’s father asked, “How much will it cost? We have the money.”

Su Ying shook her head. “No need, Dad. I’ve already budgeted for it. But I will need you and Mom to help me with the packing.”

“Hahaha, that’s great news! If we can finish before the New Year, it’ll feel like living in a brand-new house!” Ying’s mother said excitedly. With that reassurance, Su Ying felt confident to move forward.

The first place to renovate was Su Ying’s bedroom. Her room wasn’t small, but the old flooring always looked dusty no matter how clean it was. The first task was to empty it out. Fortunately, the house was spacious, and they could move everything to the main hall for the time being. During the renovation, Su Ying would stay in the same room as her parents.

Once everything was cleared out, the room looked much larger. The old windows wouldn’t even close properly anymore, so they decided to completely replace them. They also noticed peeling walls and other problems that weren’t obvious before—leaky eaves, broken windows, and dusty old floors.

It took an entire afternoon just to clear the room. That was enough work for the day. Su Ying set up her work in the main hall and posted the lunchtime crab feast video, which immediately attracted a flood of foodies discussing how delicious the crabs looked.

Next, she edited the hours of footage from the afternoon cleanup. In the intro, Su Ying explained to her followers why she was starting a renovation and showed the different design styles she had considered, finally revealing the chosen style. The first room she planned to renovate was her own bedroom.

She filmed the current state of her room. It wasn’t filled with complicated furniture—just a bed, desk, wardrobe, and a long bookshelf. Yes, Su Ying’s room had an entire bookshelf filled with the books she had collected from childhood until now. Her parents had never thrown any of them away. The bookshelf was a makeshift piece and not very even, but it was full of her textbooks and books from over the years.

After showing the room, the video moved to the packing process. Su Ying sped up the footage, showing herself boxing up her belongings. Each shelf’s books were placed in order and labeled on the boxes. Clothes from the wardrobe were packed into large bags, tied up, and moved to the main hall. Finally, it was time for the furniture. Su Ying appeared on camera for the first time. Although she wore a mask, it was clear she was a beautiful young woman.

With her father’s help, the furniture was moved out, leaving the room completely empty. Su Ying and her mother swept and mopped the floors clean. As the sun set, golden rays filled the room, casting a warm glow on Su Ying’s tall figure. It was an unexpectedly beautiful scene. The video ended at this moment with a “To Be Continued” screen.

The video was incredibly satisfying to watch. After Su Ying posted it, it went unexpectedly viral. Many viewers were captivated by that final shot of her in the sunset. Within the first hour, the view count surpassed ten thousand and was still climbing steadily. Su Ying was shocked by how well the video was performing, but after a full day of work, she was so tired that she quickly fell asleep in her parents’ heated brick bed.

The next morning, when Su Ying opened her eyes, it was already past ten o’clock. She grabbed her phone and saw that her notifications were overflowing—likes, comments, and alerts were endless. She had to mute the notifications before opening her account. The “house teardown” video she posted yesterday had exploded: over ten million views and still growing, more than two hundred thousand likes (more than the total likes of all her previous videos combined), and over fifty thousand comments.

She opened the comments section and found people discussing how the last shot was filmed—some from a technical angle, some from an artistic one, and some just pure admirers. Not only did the house-clearing content grab attention, but Su Ying’s first appearance on camera also sent her fans into a frenzy.

[Confirmed, she’s a fairy!]

[Ahhhhh, why didn’t the blogger appear on camera earlier?!]

[The blogger is so tall. That last shot was stunning.]

[It felt like the world stood still in that moment.]

[So many books in the blogger’s room!]

[My parents also kept all my old textbooks. Flipping through them brings back childhood memories, including the little doodles I used to make.]

The comment section was buzzing with activity. This was the first time Su Ying’s video metrics were this good. Who would’ve thought tearing down the house would unlock the “traffic code”? Many people were now eagerly following her account, liking her posts, and waiting for updates on the renovation.

Ignoring her sore muscles, Su Ying got up early to accompany her father to the town, where they brought back all the materials needed for the renovation. Her official house renovation journey had begun.