Chapter 34: Have You Forgotten the Innocent Little Meat Bun by the Daming Lake?

"All right then!"

Wang Er had no suspicions, assuming the braised pork knuckle was his wife's own handiwork, and reached out with his chopsticks.

"Gulp!"

That was the sound of the chubby little boy swallowing hard. With red-rimmed eyes, the boy had tried to sneak a bite several times to no avail, and now his mouth was puckered as if he were about to cry. It was clearly the delicious food he had brought home, so why couldn't he eat it sooner?

"Slap!"

That was the sound of Mrs. Wang instinctively swatting away Wang Er's chopsticks.

"Wife?" Wang Er was baffled.

"Ahem, let our son eat first." Mrs. Wang made an excuse, picking up a large piece of meat for the red-eyed boy, then scooped another generous portion into her own bowl.

"All right." Mrs. Wang signaled for Wang Er to continue. Now, only a piece of fatty skin and a little lean meat clinging to the bone remained in the bowl. To maintain the best texture, Mrs. Wang had been keeping the knuckle warm with a spirit stone, so the delicious flavor remained completely intact.

Wang Er didn't mind; his family had a big appetite, and he figured there were plenty more knuckles in the pot. Thinking this, he picked up the piece of skin and popped it into his mouth. The flavor, unlike anything he had tasted before, took him by surprise. Before he could even chew it properly, the meat skin slid down his throat.

Wang Er smacked his lips, picked up the remaining lean meat, mixed it into his rice, and took a massive mouthful. Instantly, his eyes lit up. The meat juices were rich, and every grain of rice was coated in the appetizing sauce; once in his mouth, the rice, infused with the fragrance of the meat, became even softer and more flavorful.

Wang Er felt he could eat several large bowls of rice with just this sauce. He poured the remaining juices into his bowl, and being ravenously hungry, he didn't have the patience to savor it slowly. He shoveled it in, and within seconds, the bowl was empty.

"Wife, go get some more of that knuckle." He called out, but upon looking up, he saw his wife and son eating very slowly, their faces full of reluctance.

"It's gone," Mrs. Wang said, rolling her eyes at him, sounding quite annoyed.

"How could it be gone?" His family wasn't so poor that they could only afford one knuckle a meal. When Wang Er finally understood what had happened, he regretted it deeply. His stomach was still growling, but having tasted the knuckle, how could he ever look at those unappealing vegetable dishes again?

The bottom of the bowl was still coated in a thin layer of sauce. Wang Er stirred his rice vigorously, striving to absorb every last drop, all while shooting resentful glances at the meat in his wife's bowl.

"I know Boss Lu; she used to set up a stall over by Yanliu Street. I'll go check it out tomorrow." Wang Er wiped his mouth after forcing down another bowl of plain rice with the leftover sauce and discussed it with his wife. "I'll buy several more when I go, enough for the three of us to eat our fill."

"Fine, we're not short on money, buy plenty." Under Wang Er's envious gaze, Mrs. Wang popped the very last bit of meat into her mouth, a happy smile blooming on her face. When it came to cooking, she only admired Boss Lu. It was delicious, and she loved it.

...

Having spent the day catching up on gossip and watching the drama on the World Link, then sleeping soundly, Lu Wu woke up the next day feeling refreshed. As usual, she lit the fire and set up the pot. With yesterday as a foundation, Lu Wu believed other diners would soon hear the wind and come, so she had doubled her prep work today.

Several large pots of knuckles had to be stewed slowly, and Lu Wu was busy to the point of exhaustion. It was a massive project.

As soon as the first pot was ready, Old Man Li appeared out of nowhere. The sauce in the pot was still bubbling, and the aroma of meat permeating the air made Old Man Li take a deep breath, instantly feeling invigorated. Lu Wu was used to it and served him a large knuckle.

"Little Lu, where did you set up your stall yesterday?" Old Man Li asked tentatively. He had been so focused on eating yesterday that he forgot to ask where she was, and when his disciples came looking for him, he had no information. As the Grand Elder of the Bun Sect, he had been very derelict in his duties.

Although he asked, his eyes never left the knuckle. Old Man Li blew on it, and once the temperature was just right, he took a fiery, eager bite. This was the taste. He’d had a wonderful dream last night where these knuckles turned into beautiful women and spent the night entangled with him. He had woken up hungry. Since the lights went on at Lu Wu’s place, he had been waiting, occasionally peeking over the wall to check the progress. The once-great figure, Old Man Li, had now degenerated into a peeping tom just to eat a knuckle.

"I was at the entrance of the Myriad Poison Valley," Lu Wu replied without hiding anything.

"Are you setting up there for seven days this time too?"

"Yes."

Old Man Li nodded. He originally wanted to tell his disciples, but then he hesitated and poked at his private chat box. There were many outer sect disciples now, a mixed bag, including quite a few spies. If he let the news out, these people would fight him for food. But as the Grand Elder, he couldn't do nothing.

Old Man Li decided to sell the information to the inner sect disciples, Lou Xiaotian and Qin Zhan. He had vetted these two. One was the son of the town mayor, the other a sect disciple; both had good character, and he thought they would understand his intentions in a private message.

Lou Xiaotian understood, perfectly! As one of the first people to eat Lu Wu's buns, he knew exactly how crazy the diners in Xiaohe Town would become once news of Boss Lu spread. Not wanting to face limits on his purchases again, Lou Xiaotian and Qin Zhan tacitly kept the news to themselves. There were still six days left, so they figured they would eat their fill, and then tell the disciples about Boss Lu on the last two days.

"Offering a high price for Boss Lu's location."

"Does anyone know if Boss Lu has made any new food?"

"Where is Boss Lu setting up her stall now? Has anyone encountered her?"

Numerous messages scrolled through the sect channel, and Lou Xiaotian wore a mysterious smile. Brothers, I’m sorry. For the sake of my happiness, you’ll have to be sacrificed.

"Old Jiang, let's duel today!" Having obtained Lu Wu's location, Qin Zhan confidently issued a challenge. He, Qin Zhan, would suppress Jiang Yunhe today and become the first senior brother of this generation.

"Bring it on!" Jiang Yunhe, who had been waiting outside the Myriad Poison Valley early on, indicated he wasn't afraid.

Back at the house, once all the knuckles were prepared, Lu Wu stretched her stiff limbs, rested for a bit, and prepared to head out. On the way, she encountered some of her previous customers. They seemed to be searching for something, and although Lu Wu wanted to greet them, she noticed they didn't pay her any mind, so she remained silent and passed them by. In truth, these people hadn't noticed her existence at all; in their eyes, she was just a stranger.

Following behind her, Old Man Li, hiding his accomplishments and fame, chuckled to himself. With him around, no one would be able to track Boss Lu.

Above the Myriad Poison Valley, wisps of poisonous mist drifted by. The weather was nice today, and the sunlight pierced through the clouds, landing on the valley. The golden light warmed the heart.

As soon as Lu Wu arrived and saw the group of diners waiting, she wore a strange expression. Why were there so few people? Could it be that those diners had forgotten the pure, innocent meat buns by Daming Lake?

Completely unaware that someone was sabotaging her, Lu Wu set up her stall amidst the simple, foolish grin of Zhang Xiu.