Chapter 68 Chicken Wings So Good They Almost Transport Your Soul! “My Mom’s a Rich Lady!”
At 11:55 AM, in Starlight Kindergarten Cafeteria, the kids were sitting neatly in rows, starting their lunch. As soon as Lu Xiyao opened her lunchbox, it immediately caught everyone’s attention.
One by one, little heads turned, spoons and chopsticks in hand, all staring at the food in her box. Teacher Li walked around, gently turning each curious head back towards their own plates.
“Stop eyeing Xiyao’s lunch. Eat your own food,” she said helplessly.
Curious herself, Teacher Li glanced at Xiyao’s lunchbox.
“Wow, Xiyao, did your dad make something new?”
“Yup! Daddy said this is called Imperial Chicken Wings. They’re super delicious!”
“Really? They look so glossy and vibrant. Very tempting!”
Imperial Chicken Wings?
The little heads that had been turned away all swivelled back again.
“I love chicken wings!”
“Wow, I really want some!”
But with only three wings in Xiyao’s lunchbox, the kids knew they wouldn’t get any, no matter how much they drooled. All they could do was watch, envious, and swallow hard.
“Teacher Li, do you want to try one?”
“Well… yes, I mean no! No, I shouldn’t!”
Teacher Li nodded and shook her head at the same time. She was the teacher, after all—how could she take food from a child? It would be embarrassing if word got out.
But… she really wanted to try one.
“Here, Teacher Li, have one!”
With some difficulty, little Xiyao picked up a wing with her chopsticks. The wings were large, her chopsticks were long, and her tiny fingers didn’t have much strength, so it was a wobbly effort.
Most of the other kids were either clumsily using spoons or fumbling with their chopsticks, dropping half their food along the way—it looked like their chins had holes in them.
Afraid the wing might fall to the floor, Teacher Li quickly took it with her hand.
“Well… okay then. Thank you, Xiyao!”
Taking a bite, Teacher Li’s eyes widened. She felt like her soul was leaving her body. The wing was so juicy!
Tender, flavorful, and with a faint hint of lychee—absolutely perfect. It was so good that Teacher Li nearly chewed up the bone too. The taste was just too irresistible.
Meanwhile, one of the kids, Zhong Shuyi, scooted closer to Xiyao.
“Xiyao, can I try your tomato and eggs?”
Xiyao, mid-bite, looked up with rice grains and oil around her mouth.
“You’ve got tomato and eggs in your lunchbox too,” she pointed out, glancing at Shuyi’s box, which had tomato and eggs, braised beef with potatoes, and stir-fried tofu with peppers.
“I want to try the ones your dad made!”
“Alright then, just one bite!”
“Ahh-woo!” Shuyi took a bite.
“Can I try yours?” Xiyao asked.
“Sure, you can have all of it!”
“No, just one bite!” Xiyao tasted Shuyi’s tomato and eggs and immediately frowned.
“This isn’t good at all!”
Shuyi shook her head.
“It’s because your dad is too good at cooking!”
“Okay, I guess that’s just how it is!”
Xiyao continued eating until her lunchbox was clean. Her belly was so full it was bulging.
She tilted her little head, her face glowing with satisfaction. The other kids looked on enviously, wishing they had a dad like Xiyao’s.
When Teacher Li went to the restroom, she scrolled Douyin for two minutes and saw a trending video. After watching it, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew, so it was just a false alarm. I really thought Xiyao’s dad got arrested.”
“Daddy got arrested? What’s going on, Teacher Li?”
Right then, Xiyao came out of the restroom, overhearing Teacher Li’s muttering. She asked anxiously.
Teacher Li paused to organize her thoughts and gave Xiyao a brief explanation of the situation.
“Why don’t you call your dad and check where he is?”
“Okay!” Xiyao nodded and pulled out her little smartwatch to call him.
Lu Xiyao hurriedly initiated a video call.
“Daddy~! Did the police really take you away?”
“No, sweetie. They just invited me for tea. Nothing to worry about.”
“My daddy is a good person! The police would never take good people away!”
“That’s right. Daddy is at home now, making mung bean smoothies and getting ready for the afternoon. Did you eat lunch?”
“Yes! I ate it all! My tummy is so full! Daddy, Uncle Chef from Zhong Shuyi’s house made tomato and eggs, but it wasn’t good at all. Yours are way better! Did you eat lunch?”
“I ate two bowls of rice. I’m full.”
“Daddy~! I can’t wait for school to end so I can see you sooner!”
“Play with your friends at kindergarten. Time will pass quickly.”
“But don’t work too hard when you set up the stall! If you’re tired, just stay home and rest, okay?”
“If I sleep all day, where will the money come from to buy food for my little foodie?”
“I have New Year money! Lots of it! And I can ask Mom—she’s a rich lady!”
Lu Qin raised an eyebrow.
“Who taught you the phrase ‘rich lady’?”
“The TV! From Destined to Love You, the one with the domineering CEO!”
Lu Qin paused for a second before replying, “From now on, only cartoons for you.”
“It wasn’t me! The cartoon ended, and the TV played it by itself!”
“Alright, let’s talk later. You take your nap, and Daddy needs to get to work.”
Ending the call, Lu Qin set the mung beans to cook and then looked into setting up a child lock on the smart TV. Youth mode seemed like a necessity.
At 2:45 PM, Lu Qin finished his preparations and set out to set up his food stall. Before leaving, he used the sunscreen face wash he had won from the system lottery.
After washing, his face felt noticeably refreshed. When he stepped into the sunlight, it didn’t feel harsh on his skin, and he could keep his eyes open without squinting. The system’s products were never disappointing. This sunscreen face wash was both effective and gentle.
Lu Qin checked his Street Vendor Map app. The best spot for foot traffic was at the entrance of Gulin Scenic Area in Yue District, 6 kilometers away, with a flow of 2,000 people.
But he chose the People’s Square pedestrian street instead, with a smaller crowd of 1,200 people but only 2.7 kilometers away. This way, he wouldn’t be late picking up his little girl from school.
He posted his location in the QQ group, noting that today’s menu included the new dish— Imperial Chicken Wings.
As soon as the notification went out, the group’s foodies erupted in excitement. Drivers on the road made sudden U-turns, heading straight for People’s Square. Cyclists pedaled harder, turning their electric scooters into speed demons, hitting 50 km/h.
At an intersection, a traffic cop raised a hand to stop one rider, only to be high-fived as the scooter zoomed past, leaving the officer bewildered. Someone in a restroom hurriedly cut their business short, pulled up their pants, and bolted out the door.
Dog walkers saw the QQ notification and started sprinting, dragging their huskies along. One poor husky smacked its head on the curb, ending up with a dozen bumps.
By the time Lu Qin arrived at People’s Square, he didn’t even need to find a spot. A line of over 50 people had already formed, stretching down the street like an unstoppable force of nature. The scene was so imposing it could be spotted from 100 meters away.