Chapter Sixteen: Aren't You Not Jealous?

Page 1/3

Chen Zhou ran his stall as usual today. Besides the classic fresh meat buns and traditionally pickled cucumbers, two new condiments had been added to the small food cart—fragrant vinegar supplied by Tianli Vinegar Factory and chili oil he had made himself. The vinegar came in small packets, and the chili oil was neatly stored in little plastic containers. All were arranged tidily together.

Customers buying buns could help themselves to whatever condiments they liked. The only rule was to avoid waste.

As Chen Zhou handed a bun to a customer, he looked up and saw Manager Hu approaching not far away. He recalled that yesterday Hu had been in a suit, but today he wore an employee vest, making his role unmistakable at a glance.

“Here you are, Manager Hu!” Chen Zhou greeted.

“Good to see you again, Boss Chen,” Hu Zhilong replied with a smile as he came up to the cart. “How’s the vinegar working out for you?”

Chen Zhou noticed Hu subtly adjusted the condiment boxes, turning the vinegar packets to face outward. He knew the man was preparing to take photos again.

He answered the questions willingly, “The small packets are especially convenient for vendors like us who do takeout.”

“Yeah, we used about thirty or forty packets just tonight.”

“Some customers even recognized it’s Tianli vinegar..."

Hu Zhilong and Chen Zhou just needed to stand there and engage in this brief Q&A, while Zhu Lili, responsible for photography, busily moved around, shooting from every angle—left, right, front, and back.

Finally, as she was photographing the vinegar’s placement and usage scenarios, Zhu couldn’t help but ask, “Boss Chen, may I try one of your buns?”

Of course—after providing 3,600 packets of vinegar for free, Chen Zhou could hardly refuse such a small request.

He deftly picked out two buns with tongs, wrapped them up, and handed them to the young saleswoman. “Here, miss, take two first.”

“Thank you.”

After that, Chen turned to Hu Zhilong, “Manager Hu, would you like to try some as well? I can pack you a portion.”

“No, no need, thank you,” Hu said, glancing helplessly at his overeager subordinate—she had just said she craved steamed seafood but now couldn’t stop eating buns. “Answer me!”

Then he shared a story about his time working at Tianli, saying that he never wanted to eat vinegar anywhere outside of work, or be involved with it at all.

Chen Zhou nodded understandingly. Rare was the person who could truly love what they did.

Meanwhile, under the shade, Zhu Lili was already digging in without hesitation.

Page 2/3

She tore into the bun, steam trapped inside bursting forth with heat, causing her to nibble cautiously. Zhu could only start by tasting the soft white dough.

“It’s pretty soft, nicely risen,” she commented.

With her background in food science, her palate was naturally more refined than most. Soon she noticed something unusual about the bun’s skin.

“Is that a faint milky aroma? Did you put milk in the beef?”

Uncertain, she took another bite—this time from the area farthest from the filling, where the folds gathered.

Holding the bun flat in her hand, Zhu got a close look at its appearance for the first time. The folds were tight and even, spiraling beautifully at the top like a delicate piece of art.

“The craftsmanship is amazing. Did I really find this on a street stall?”

She looked at her manager with some disbelief.

“Are there actors involved? My manager wouldn’t make me act in this, would he?”

No time to ponder—once the steam subsided, she had to savor it quickly. After tasting both dough and filling, Zhu looked very satisfied.

“Unexpected, really unexpected. Chef Chen’s buns are something special.”

In front of the stall, Hu Zhilong finally noticed the expressions on his subordinate’s face. He had to admit, some people’s way of eating could be quite contagious.

Curious, he asked, “Lili, are they that good?”

“Look for yourself.”

The bun in Zhu’s hand was now just a base. Residual juice caught the sunset light, sparkling against the deep brown dough.

...This bun must have a rich, soupy filling.

Hu glanced between Chen Zhou and Zhu Lili, suddenly aware of the awkward position he was in.

He’d just spent a long time telling Mr. Chen how much ‘vinegar’ he’d drunk to climb from a lowly employee to his current position. He’d even politely refused a bun because of that.

Now, asking for one again—wasn’t that a bit shameless?

Nearby, Zhu had finished one bun and was already taking a big bite of another.

At last Hu made up his mind and said to Chen Zhou, “Well then, Boss Chen, the buns seem pretty good, huh? Look how happily our assistant is eating.”

“You’re something else,” Chen smiled faintly.

He preferred the image of Hu as the polished professional he had seen before.

Page 3/3

Yet sometimes, discretion is a virtue.

Chen Zhou packed a few more buns and handed them over. “This young lady’s been busy running around; two buns won’t be enough.”

Feeling relieved, Hu said, “Thank you so much, Boss Chen. I’ll bring these to her right away.”

Chen stopped him, “Here, take a bag too.”

“All right.”

After delivering the buns, Hu couldn’t resist keeping one for himself.

He eagerly took a bite of the plump fresh meat bun, its juicy filling rich with savory aroma. The meat was packed just right, with a slight granular texture. The taste was truly exquisite.

“No wonder Lili is enjoying it so much.”

Good food could awaken dormant memories.

Hu recalled buns from his hometown, where his father would generously pour out a dish of Chen vinegar from the company supply for everyone. Since it was free, no one cared if it went to waste.

Vinegar often splattered onto the table.

“That was a long time ago.”

This stirred Hu’s renewed craving for sour flavors and vinegar.

“I’m going to dip it in vinegar too.”

He carefully tore open the vinegar packet and poured it along the seam of the bun’s opening. The amber liquid slowly spread into the bun, its aroma carried by the steam.

“This is the taste.”

Zhu looked puzzled. “Brother Long, didn’t you say you don’t eat vinegar?”

“Ahem, this is still work-related.”

Hearing the word ‘work,’ Zhu pulled out her phone to find the best angle for a photo. “Where should I stand for this shot?”

Hu waved her off. “No need to shoot this.”

“Oh.”

After finishing the bun, Hu finally regained some dignity as a superior.

He teased Zhu, “Steam seafood later?”

“No need to treat, Manager,” she shook her head honestly. “I’m full.”

Suddenly recalling something, Hu turned and instructed, “Make sure the work log title is: ‘Good Buns Paired with Fine Vinegar.’”