"Why are there so many people in line?"
Tongtong and Xiaoqi were taken aback when they arrived at the second cafeteria, seeing the crooked, snake-like line in front of them,
"It's only just five o'clock, why are there so many people? Isn't it supposed to open at 5:30?"
"Tongtong, are you sure you didn't get the time wrong?"
Xiaoqi was also a bit annoyed, thinking about having to queue for a long time to eat the delicious soup dumplings made her unhappy.
"How could I get it wrong? I specifically came to the store to ask."
Tongtong was also upset. She took out her phone and showed Xiaoqi the chat records from the QQ group,
"Look for yourself, several groups say it opens at 5:30. Even if I remembered wrong, there's no way everyone did."
"Forget it, let's get in line quickly, or we'll end up even further back."
Xiaoqi had no choice either; she had a slight aversion to food, and when the weather got hot, she couldn't eat much.
Now that she'd finally found something she could eat, and it was delicious too, she couldn't miss it. Maybe over time, her aversion would disappear.
As soon as they got to the back of the line, they heard a commotion outside the cafeteria. Turning around, they saw a huge crowd, so dense they couldn't count them all.
"Why are so many people coming to the second cafeteria all of a sudden?" Tongtong asked, surprised. "It's not even the peak mealtime yet."
Xiaoqi said softly, "Do you really need to ask? They're probably here for the soup dumplings."
The dumplings are so tasty, who wouldn't want to try them?
She had a hunch when she saw the messages in the groups before, that once the reputation of the soup dumplings spread, more and more people would line up to buy them. Eventually, it would just get harder to get a taste, and not even guaranteed by waiting in line.
This is just the beginning.
Such anxiety!
...
"This place's business is pretty good, huh? So many people in line!"
Once inside the cafeteria, feeling the cool air conditioning, Lu Shuwu was in a better mood. He didn't let his sister wait alone, standing beside her to chat,
"We in the South don't eat as much pastry; rice is the staple. For a place like this selling soup dumplings to be this busy in the evening is rare."
"Doesn't that just prove how delicious the dumplings here are?"
Lu Shuyao's lips curled up into a smile, her eyes turning into crescents, "Brother, the dumplings here are about the size of my fist, with eight in a steamer basket. How many do you want?"
Lu Shuwu was taken aback; he rarely ate dumplings, and the idea of eating them until full had never crossed his mind. He wasn't sure how many he could eat.
After thinking a bit, he hesitated and said, "Um, one steamer basket should be enough for me."
A basket with 8 dumplings—he'd never eaten that many at once before. Even if they're really good, 8 should be enough, right?
If he wasn't full, he could still try some of Jiangzhou's specialty foods outside. Although he snuck out from home, he shouldn't waste the trip.
"Really just one basket?"
"Yes, one is enough."
"Alright, I'll have one basket too, so we'll just get two baskets."
Lu Shuyao nodded, smiling broadly, "Brother, don't call me stingy; it's you who only wanted one. If it's not enough later, don't come for mine."
Lu Shuwu chuckled and said, "Don't worry, when did I ever take your stuff?"
Lu Shuyao looked unimpressed, muttering softly, "You've never taken it before, but we'll see later..."
"..."
Just as Lu Shuwu was about to say something, he suddenly heard a noise behind him. Turning around, he saw a group of students crowding around a corner of the cafeteria, all excited and craning their necks to see something in the middle. He had no idea what was going on.
"What's going on over there?"
"I'm not sure either; do you want me to go ask?"
...
"Wow, Lao Jiang, the line is getting longer and longer, looks like there are more people than at lunchtime!"
Even before 5:30, Hu Zhihai was feeling bored as he sat on the high stool by the window, watching the line get longer while chattering away like a talk show host,
"You'd better hurry and make more dumplings, otherwise there won't be enough to sell.
Oh, and remember to set some aside for us, or we'll be crying if we end up with none after we're done serving everyone else!"
"Got it!"
Jiang Yu answered, stacking a pile of freshly filled steamer baskets and putting them into the boiling pot,
"You've been sitting here babbling for over half an hour, aren't you getting thirsty?"
"What does it matter if my mouth gets dry when business is booming?"
Hu Zhihai raised his eyebrows proudly, clearly in a good mood, "Lao Jiang, I think you should start hiring soon. If it's just the two of us, we might get overwhelmed in a few days!"
"Yeah, let's talk about it after we close tonight."
Jiang Yu agreed. The small shop had only been open for two meals, each busier than the last, and with just him and Hu Zhihai helping out temporarily, it was indeed tight.
While they could still manage, hiring one or two people soon would give them time to get trained.
"Oh, why did so many people suddenly show up?"
Just as Jiang Yu was musing about this, Hu Zhihai shouted from the window,
"Lao Jiang, look at this, the betting group from the campus forum has arrived!
Ha, I thought they were just messing around, but they really came. This is gonna be fun!"
Jiang Yu was busy, no time to watch the fuss, but it didn't stop him from being curious while making dumplings:
"How do you know it's the group from the forum?"
"Don't you know?"
Hu Zhihai turned back with a smug smile, "I don't know who the poster is, but the guy betting with him is a North student I know.
His name is Zhu Youfeng, a junior in the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Not only is he tall and handsome, but also generous and amiable—a popular figure in the college.
So, when he placed a bet, wouldn't it catch everyone's attention?"
"Really? I hadn't noticed."
Jiang Yu nodded; he wasn't interested in the bet. What bothered him was the sudden spike in customers tonight.
Such a prominent figure betting would surely draw a lot of attention, and even some students not interested in dumplings might be tempted to try them.
That meant he'd probably have to make a lot more dumplings tonight.
This is...quite the pressure!