As lunchtime approached, the moment the first wisp of aroma escaped from the kitchen's huge wood-fired pot, the entire courtyard fell eerily silent.
The aroma was simply overpowering.
Rich and full-bodied, it carried a primal magic that burrowed straight into the depths of the soul and awakened the instinct of hunger.
In the courtyard, the online visitors who had still been arguing red-faced over a tomato or a chunk of sweet potato all froze at once.
Beside the fish pond, the anglers who had switched to their "Dragon-Slaying Sabers" and were rubbing their hands in anticipation of a three-hundred-round battle with the water monster suddenly lost all interest in their monster-fishing rods.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed with difficulty.
That sound was like a signal.
The next second, everyone went wild.
"Holy shit! What is that smell? How does it smell so good?"
Gao Qisheng reacted first, bellowing at the top of his lungs, "Guys, girls, don't just stand there! Grab a seat!"
Before he had even finished speaking, he was already charging toward the living room at the head of the pack.
The others snapped out of their daze and sprinted into the house.
The anglers were even more outrageous. Without so much as a glance at their expensive fishing rods, they tossed them onto the grass and ran faster than rabbits.
What giant blue water monster?
Who? Sorry, never heard of him!
In moments, more than thirty people flooded into the living room and swiftly occupied the four large round tables.
Every one of them craned their neck toward the kitchen. With those looks and postures, if the kitchen doorway hadn't been so narrow, they would have charged in, clung to the chef's legs, and called him Daddy.
Amid the commotion, Director Wang Gang walked in with Li Shishi and the crew.
At the sight of the packed living room, a spectacle worthy of a rural banquet, Director Wang Gang was utterly dumbfounded.
"Did Mr. Chen... take a booking from a tour group?"
Before he could figure it out, someone in the crowd had already recognized Li Shishi.
"Holy shit! It's Li Shishi!"
"She's here in the flesh! She's even prettier than on TV!"
A bold, outgoing young man squeezed straight over and waved enthusiastically. "Shishi, my wife! You're here!"
A girl joined in. "My wife Shishi is so beautiful in person!"
Li Shishi had never encountered anything like this. The sudden, enthusiastic cries turned her pretty face bright red, and for a moment, she didn't know what to do.
A few visitors who had watched her livestream stepped forward and explained with smiles, "Don't worry, Shishi! We all watched your stream yesterday and came here especially to 'debunk' it!"
Only then did Li Shishi understand. She smiled graciously and patiently posed for photos with each of the fans who came up to her.
Just then, Chen Guofu and Uncle Qin began serving the dishes.
First came a large steamed sharp-snout fish.
Emerald-green slivers of scallion and bright-red strips of chili lay across the snowy-white fish. The instant the piping-hot oil poured over it, a sharp sizzle rang out, and the freshness of the fish, the fragrance of scallion and ginger, and the richness of the sauce merged into an arrow of aroma that shot straight up their noses!
Second came a large braised carp.
The glossy red sauce was thick and clung tightly to the plump fish. Its color alone was enough to make mouths water.
Third came the Chopped Chili Fish Head!
Before all the dishes had arrived, someone at Gao Qisheng's table could no longer hold back.
A chubby guy grabbed his chopsticks, picked up a large piece of piping-hot fish, and stuffed it into his mouth. It burned so badly that he sucked in sharp breaths, yet he couldn't bear to spit it out.
Once someone took the lead, the scene spiraled completely out of control.
The clinking of chopsticks against plates, the sounds of ravenous chewing, and the muffled exclamations of praise came together in a chaotic yet harmonious symphony of life.
Peeking out from her private dining room, Li Shishi first smiled knowingly at the madness in the main room.
Then her eyes lit up.
Wasn't this a ready-made recipe for going viral?
She quickly took out her phone, aimed it at the main room, and hit record.
She captured it all exactly as it was: faces contorted by delicious food and brimming with primal happiness, diners sweeping through the dishes like a whirlwind and leaving nothing behind.
The one-minute video needed no editing at all.
She added a cheeky caption: "Guys, can you believe this? These viewers actually refused to trust my recommendation and insisted on coming here to expose me. And then..."
Tap. Post.
"Hey, leave some for me!"
As soon as she posted the video, Li Shishi looked up and discovered that half the food on her own table was already gone.
She immediately abandoned all concern for her goddess image, cried out, and decisively joined the battle.
An hour later, Chen Lin let out a long breath of relief.
At last, the rush was over.
These people were practically reincarnated starving ghosts. Their fighting power was even more terrifying than Zhao Jie and his group yesterday.
The thirty-odd diners had managed to eat enough for eighty people. Toward the end, they had added another six or seven dishes to each table on the fly, barely managing to fill everyone up.
"Handsome Mr. Chen! Time to pay my advertising fee!"
A sweet, playful voice rang out behind him.
Chen Lin turned to find Li Shishi standing prettily before him, a hint of mischief on her face as she held out her fair little hand.
Chen Lin didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Here! Take this!"
He turned around, brought a small plate of freshly washed, gleaming cherry tomatoes out of the kitchen, and put it straight into her hands.
"You're such a cheapskate... mmph... sho good!"
Li Shishi had just started complaining about Chen Lin's stinginess when she casually picked up a tomato and popped it into her mouth. The rest of her sentence instantly became a muffled exclamation.
The explosion of sweet-and-sour flavor made her eyes narrow with bliss.
Chen Lin chuckled, left her to it, and returned to the kitchen.
Inside, Chen Guofu, Liu Shuqin, Uncle Qin, and the three aunties who had helped out were eating around a small table.
Seeing Chen Lin enter, Liu Shuqin was about to get up and serve him some rice, but he stopped her.
"Auntie, keep eating. I'll help myself."
Chen Lin picked up a bowl and chopsticks, filled the bowl to the brim with rice, then grabbed a piece of fish and dug in.
"Good heavens, this fish is so fresh!"
"I know! I've lived more than half my life and never eaten anything this good!"
Uncle Qin and the women all wore looks of disbelief.
As Chen Lin looked at them, an idea formed in his mind.
Today's bustling scene was only the beginning. As word of the farm restaurant spread, the number of visitors would only grow.
Uncle Qin was the best in the village at cleaning fish, both quick and skilled.
The other three women, Aunt Zhang, Aunt Wang, and Aunt Li, were not only quick with their hands but excellent cooks too. It was thanks to them that things hadn't descended into chaos today.
These were all talented people!
He set down his bowl and chopsticks, his expression turning serious. "Uncle Qin, aunties, I have an idea."
Everyone stopped eating and looked at him.
"I'd like to hire you to help here long-term. I'll pay you a salary."
Uncle Qin grinned and agreed without a second thought. "Sure! I'm just a lonely old man. Wherever I go, I'll be working anyway!"
The three women, however, hesitated.
Rubbing her apron, Aunt Zhang spoke with some embarrassment. "Xiao Lin, it's not that we don't want to. It's just that we still have fields to tend, and we need to go home and cook for our husbands and children."
Chen Lin smiled.
He held up one finger and dropped a bombshell.
"Eight thousand a month, a year-end bonus, and meals included."
"Hiss-"
A chorus of sharp gasps filled the kitchen.
Chen Guofu and Liu Shuqin were stunned on the spot.
Eight thousand a month! In the village? That was practically a fairy tale!
After all, the average salary in Yicheng was only a little over four thousand. They could work themselves to the bone farming for an entire year, and after expenses, having twenty thousand left counted as a blessing from heaven.
The three women's eyes widened into circles, and even their breathing quickened.
They exchanged glances. Not a trace of hesitation remained on their faces.
Hesitating for even a second would be an insult to eight thousand a month plus a bonus!
"We're in!"
"No question!"
"Don't worry, Xiao Lin! We'll come every day from now on!"
As for feeding their husbands and children?
Was that even a problem?
They could take home some leftover rice and dishes every day. Would their families dare complain?
Before you continue