Immortal Cuisine Took the Internet by Storm, and Top Influencers Returned to the Farmhouse Courtyard!

The livestreams by Two Hundred Is Also and Tang Renjie were like a depth charge dropped into a tranquil lake.

At three in the afternoon, the shock waves reached Chen Family Village right on schedule.

The impact of the livestreams was staggering.

When the first car with out-of-town plates pulled up outside the courtyard gate, no one paid much attention.

But then came a second, a third...

In less than half an hour, the concrete road leading to Chen Lin's courtyard was jammed solid with private cars of every description.

Even more people arrived by taxi.

For a while, the entrance to the Farmhouse Courtyard buzzed with voices, as lively as a market day.

"Boss! Do you have any seats left?"

"Boss! We came after watching Second Brother's livestream! Get us a table first!"

"I heard the fish here is better than what they serve at state banquets! Is that really true?"

The crowd poured into the courtyard like an uncontrollable flood.

Li Xiaoyue, who had been handling payments and bookkeeping at the front counter, had never faced anything like this.

Hemmed in by a dense crowd, her fresh, unadorned face instantly drained of color.

Customers shouted their orders over one another, thrusting red banknotes in front of her. She was utterly overwhelmed, her mind blank and her pen trembling in her hand.

"Hello, your total... your total is eight hundred and twenty yuan..." Only after checking several times did she quote the price, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's hum.

"What? Eight hundred and twenty? Didn't I only order two dishes?" a burly man bellowed on the spot.

Li Xiaoyue flinched in fright and hurriedly looked down at the orders, only to discover that she had added the next table's bill to his.

"I... I'm sorry. I... I got it wrong..." Her eyes reddened with distress, and she wished the ground would swallow her up.

Just then, a broad, warm hand gently settled on her shoulder.

"Xiaoyue, let me handle it."

Chen Lin had appeared behind her without her noticing.

He didn't look at her, merely giving the burly man a calm smile. "Sorry about that, sir. She's new and still learning the ropes. Your bill is two hundred and ninety. I'll round it off for you-three hundred yuan!"

With that, he smoothly took the pen and paper from Li Xiaoyue, his other hand flying over the calculator. Taking orders, totaling bills, collecting payments, making change-everything flowed seamlessly, without a trace of panic.

Standing there, his tall, straight, six-foot-one frame was like a mountain, shielding her from all the noise and chaos.

Li Xiaoyue stood dazed behind him, gazing at his broad back.

In the sunlight, he wore a simple short-sleeved shirt, the muscles of his arms smoothly defined and strong. His profile was sharply chiseled. Faced with the surging crowd, he showed not a hint of impatience, only the composure of someone fully in control.

At that moment, the awkward youth in her memories, who had comforted her beside the reservoir with clumsy excuses, slowly overlapped with the mature, dependable man before her.

He had grown up.

He had become a man who could shoulder anything, someone she had never imagined he would be.

In Li Xiaoyue's eyes, dimmed for eight years, something seemed to quietly shatter. A faint but tenacious light struggled through.

Five in the afternoon.

Two black minivans appeared at the village entrance again, right on schedule.

"Holy shit! Second Brother and Head Chef Tang are back!"

"Oh my god, are they planning to make this their regular canteen?"

"Quick, quick! Let's go get pictures with them!"

The arrival of Two Hundred Is Also and Tang Renjie sent the excitement at the scene through the roof.

Countless fans surged forward, surrounding the two men. Phone cameras were thrust right into their faces, flashes lighting up everywhere.

"Tang, Second Brother, since we've run into each other again, how about sharing a table and streaming together?" Two Hundred Is Also's assistant suggested with a smile.

"Exactly what I had in mind!" Tang Renjie nodded.

Soon, both livestreams went live again at the same time.

The instant the streams started, their viewer counts shot up like rockets, both soaring past a hundred thousand in the blink of an eye.

Comments flooded the screens in a solid wall.

"Awesome! Second Brother and Renjie are back to score another meal!"

"Damn, the legendary duo is back together! Nobody leaves today until they're stuffed!"

"Send me the location. I'm flying over tomorrow, and not even Jesus can stop me!"

Viewers who had watched the lunchtime streams filled the chats like old hands, while the even larger influx of newcomers was completely bewildered.

"What's going on here? Why does a meal at a country restaurant look like a full-on banquet?"

"The way these people are eating is ridiculous. Is it really that good?"

"Why do I feel like I've stumbled into some pyramid scheme rally..."

Watching the frenzy, Chen Lin felt that intense sense of urgency surge up again.

This place was too small!

Expand! He had to expand right away!

The food soon arrived, the same hearty main dishes as before. But after passing through Tang Renjie's hands, both their presentation and aroma had risen several notches.

The viewers in both livestreams were practically drooling rivers just looking at their screens.

The excitement on-site reached fever pitch.

Many of the fans there were devoted followers who had traveled from other cities. Now that they had met their idols, they excitedly approached with drinks in hand to offer toasts.

"Second Brother! Here's to you! I've been watching since you only had a few tens of thousands of followers!"

"Renjie! I'm a diehard fan! You're the god of cooking in my eyes!"

Faced with their enthusiastic fans, Tang Renjie and Two Hundred Is Also were both a little helpless.

Without consulting each other, they picked up the teacups in front of them and held them up to the cameras.

"Guys, thanks for all the love!" Two Hundred Is Also said with an amiable smile. "But the platform's rules say we can't drink alcohol on a livestream. We'll toast you with tea instead-it's the thought that counts!"

Tang Renjie also raised his cup. "We appreciate the gesture. I'll finish this cup of tea. You can drink as much or as little as you like."

Both men were seasoned veterans. They knew that fame invited controversy, and every move they made on camera had to be careful. They could not afford to give anyone ammunition.

The revelry continued until nine that evening.

Beneath the temporary corrugated-steel canopy in the courtyard, the lights blazed, and the clamor nearly lifted the roof.

Tang Renjie and Two Hundred Is Also had eaten to their hearts' content and were ready to leave.

Before leaving, Two Hundred Is Also took Chen Lin aside and spoke sincerely. "Boss Chen, let me speak from the heart. You've got beautiful mountains, beautiful water, and even better food here! Limiting all that to this little courtyard is such a waste!"

He looked around and continued, "I think you could absolutely expand the restaurant and set up the Guesthouse too! I guarantee it would be a hit!"

Tang Renjie nodded emphatically beside him. "Exactly. Food of this quality wouldn't get old even if you ate it every day. If I didn't have work lined up next, I'd honestly stay in Yicheng for a few days just for your cooking!"

The two major influencers' suggestions aligned perfectly with Chen Lin's own thoughts, cementing his determination to expand.

After he saw the two influencers off, the customers in the courtyard began leaving one after another.

After an entire afternoon and evening of noise and bustle, the Farmhouse Courtyard finally began to settle back into peace.