C19 A Little Famous

Zhang Jiali was not only beautiful but also shared content that was refreshingly unique, which earned her a substantial following.

She snapped a photo of herself savoring soup dumplings and shared it on Weibo, complete with a caption.

"These soup dumplings are simply divine. Too bad they're a tad pricey."

Her post quickly garnered a flurry of comments of all sorts.

What's wrong with enjoying the evening breeze? Just how pricey is 'a tad'? More expensive than a chicken?

I'm practically invisible: Divine, huh? Count me in next time. Dinner's on me.

Others were less focused on Zhang Jiali's culinary adventures.

Wanderer of the Martial World: A beauty who appreciates soup dumplings? That's a rare sight.

Bubble Tea Must Be Large: Hey beauty, fancy a skewer barbecue sometime? I know a spot that's truly a slice of heaven.

The Free-Flying Bird: Nice view. Where's this spot, blogger?

These were just a few of the public comments, not to mention the numerous private messages. Zhang Jiali sifted through and responded to some of the more intriguing ones.

As the conversation flowed, she shared her experience at Du Binn's small eatery with everyone.

Word of Zhang Jiali's story spread quickly, and Du Binn's eatery became increasingly popular.

Curiosity is human nature, and with Du Binn's village nestled in the city's suburbs, many office workers took the opportunity to visit his shop on their days off.

By early the next morning, Du Binn's storefront was swarming with customers eager to taste his soup dumplings, spurred on by the delectable images Zhang Jiali posted online.

Du Binn had just stepped outside when he heard someone holler, "Boss, why isn't the shop open yet? The sun's high in the sky!"

Hearing this, Du Binn couldn't resist glancing skyward, only to see the sun had barely risen, far from being three poles high.

With a laugh, Du Binn called back, "What are you on about? The day's just begun!"

As Du Binn spoke, he swung open the door.

To his shock, a dark mass surged towards him, prompting Du Binn to leap back. "Hold on, hold on! There are too many of you. My little shop can't handle everyone at once. Please, form a line and come in one by one," he called out urgently.

Du Binn was baffled by the crowd before him. How had so many people shown up overnight? He was clueless as to the reason.

But now wasn't the time to ponder, as the throng was pushing their way in. "Everyone, please line up and hear me out," he implored.

At Du Binn's request, the crowd fell silent, eager to listen. "I appreciate everyone's support, but the shop isn't open for business just yet. I ask for your patience," he announced.

His words set off a commotion. "What do you mean it's not open? What time do you call this, not open yet?"

"Yeah, boss, you're opening way too late," another chimed in.

The crowd had been waiting for what felt like an eternity, growing restless. They had finally seen the doors open, only to be told by Du Binn that service hadn't started, leaving everyone disgruntled.

"We're not late; we're opening right now," Du Binn assured them, sensing the urgency to move things along.

An elderly gentleman at the front of the line then suggested, "If the doors are open, let's go in order, shall we?" With that, he stepped inside, followed by the rest in an orderly fashion.

Du Binn's yard was spacious, but with limited seating, it quickly filled up, leaving many still queuing outside. Du Binn had never seen such a turnout before, with a line stretching all the way to the terraced fields.

Turning to the first customer, an old man, Du Binn asked, "What brings you here so early, Grandpa? What are you in the mood for?"

"I've heard great things about your Dragon Bao. I came especially to try them," the old man replied.

"They'll be ready shortly. Just a little longer, please," Du Binn informed him.

The grandpa nodded, showing no sign of annoyance, unlike some of the other patrons who were starting to show their displeasure.

One of the men glanced at Du Binn with a hint of annoyance and said, "What? Not ready yet? Boss, you're really dragging your feet with this business."

Du Binn, noticing the man's poor attitude, let his smile fade. "What's all the fuss about? I just said we'd be opening soon, not that we're open already. If you can't wait, feel free to try another place."

"How can you talk like that? Do you think you can retain customers with that kind of attitude?"

The short man hadn't expected Du Binn to be so blunt, and he felt his temper flare.

"Whether I keep customers or not is my concern, not yours."

"You..." The short man was so infuriated by Du Binn that he was at a loss for words for a moment. That's when the tall man accompanying him, also named Du Binn, tugged at his arm and coaxed, "Calm down, we came here specifically to taste these steamed buns."

Pointing to the long line outside, the tall Du Binn added, "We've waited a long time to get here. Let's not be hasty."

With that, the tall man turned to Du Binn with a smile and inquired, "Could you tell us how long we'll have to wait for your steamed buns to be ready?"

Seeing the tall man's courteous demeanor, Du Binn's irritation subsided significantly.

"About twenty minutes," he replied.

Du Binn then distributed menus to each table, announcing, "The restaurant is now officially open for business. You may start placing your orders."

The crowd was taken aback by the menu prices. Some blinked hard, thinking their eyes were playing tricks on them, while others let out astonished gasps.

"What? This expensive? Three hundred and twenty yuan for a serving of Xiaolongbao? Boss, this feels like daylight robbery."

"This place is a rip-off. That girl on the internet must be in cahoots with him," the short man grumbled, still not convinced.

Everyone had learned about Du Binn's eatery online and knew that the steamed buns were pricey, but they were shocked by just how steep the prices were.

A serving of Xiaolongbao for a whopping three hundred and twenty yuan? And to think he had the nerve to call it 'slightly expensive.'

The crowd was abuzz with everyone talking over each other, giving Du Binn a headache from the racket.

"Let's not bicker, folks. My buns are absolutely worth your cash, and I guarantee you'll be pleased."

"Talk is cheap. If they're as tasty as you claim, great. But if they don't live up to the price, what then?"

The short man seized his chance and pressed Du Binn for an answer.

Du Binn just let out a cold laugh and responded, "If the price isn't an issue and you're not interested in eating, kindly step aside for others. Thank you."