Li Xiao continued his detailed introduction while waiting in line.
About ten minutes later, it was his turn to order.
This street stall only offered one item—imitation shark fin soup. Customers only needed to choose between a large or small bowl, so the line moved quickly.
Considering he still had other delicacies to try later, Li Xiao chose a small bowl of the soup.
Even the small bowl wasn’t exactly small. It was served in a container a size larger than a standard disposable soup bowl.
The bowl was filled with a rich variety of ingredients. After paying with a QR code, Li Xiao found a small table, sat down, and began to eat.
He adjusted his camera, stirring the soup while analyzing the ingredients for his audience.
"The ingredients in this soup are quite substantial. There’s shredded chicken, shredded pork, shredded shiitake mushrooms, shredded wood ear mushrooms, shredded bamboo fungus, vermicelli, and some imitation shark fin."
"The ratio of ingredients is just right—it’s neither too thin nor too thick, and the cornstarch slurry is mixed in very evenly."
The owner had already sprinkled a suitable amount of pepper, sesame oil, and Zhejiang vinegar on top when he served it.
As he took his first spoonful, Li Xiao raised an eyebrow. The texture was incredibly smooth, rich, and layered.
Although every ingredient was cut into fine shreds, they each had a distinct texture.
The shredded chicken was smooth, the shredded pork was dense, the shiitake was soft and fragrant, the wood ear was crisp, the bamboo fungus was refreshing, and the imitation shark fin was springy and chewy.
The soup base was light and savory-sweet. The owner had used a good amount of pork spine and chicken carcasses to simmer the broth.
For a bowl of imitation shark fin soup that costs only ten yuan, to use real pork spine and chicken carcasses for the base instead of just relying on large amounts of MSG and chicken powder for flavor, Li Xiao felt the owner was incredibly decent.
After all, the ingredients used in this soup were not cheap by any means.
This portion size, this price, and these ingredients truly deserved the system’s rating of "extremely high value for the money."
As he swallowed the soup, a series of notifications appeared.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 30th entry in your Food Guide]
[The unlocked food entry is: Imitation Shark Fin Soup]
[Food Rating: 86 [Good]]
[As the food rating is "Good," you receive a 3x reward]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 300,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 300,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Imitation Shark Fin Soup Recipe]
As for why this bowl of soup only achieved a "Good" rating instead of "Excellent," Li Xiao wasn’t surprised. After all, the price was a major factor.
Satisfied, Li Xiao gave a thumbs-up to the camera and praised it:
"This owner’s thirty-plus years of experience are fully reflected in this bowl of soup."
"He’s mastered the ratio of ingredients. And in this small, ten-yuan bowl of soup, he’s actually used a considerable amount of imitation shark fin."
"Even though it’s artificial, the cost still isn’t low—it’s much more expensive than ordinary ingredients."
"So, for what seems like a simple bowl of soup, the actual cost is quite high."
"The soup base is savory-sweet without being cloying. Although the ingredients are common and he hasn’t added any overly expensive components, the flavor is outstanding."
"Considering the price, portion size, and flavor all together, I give this soup a high score of 86. If you’re interested, it’s truly worth making a special trip to try it."
"But a word of warning for everyone: this owner only makes one pot of soup a day. When it’s sold out, that’s it. So any friends who want to try it need to be quick."
Li Xiao’s words were filled with genuine approval and recommendation for the small stall.
After all, while the environment was very ordinary, the price and quality truly made it worthy of his recommendation.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than complaints rose from the customers still in line:
"Uncle Zhou, why do you only ever sell one pot? Can’t you sell a couple more?"
"Yeah, seriously! Boss Zhou, what kind of person turns down money?"
"Sigh, you youngsters, don’t waste your breath. I’ve been trying to convince him for twenty years!"
"Boss Zhou, just make an extra pot next time! You can leave after selling the first one, and the rest of us can just pay by scanning the code ourselves."
"Right, right! Almost everyone who comes here is a regular. We all use QR code payments now; no one’s going to skip out on paying."
Hearing the crowd’s pleas, the white-haired stall owner chuckled and said:
"Thank you all for enjoying my soup. It makes me very happy that you like it."
"But this is just a snack, after all. If you eat it occasionally, of course it tastes good."
"But if you eat it all the time, the feeling will be completely different."
"Besides, do you think making another pot of soup is as simple as adding a little more water?"
"The process is incredibly troublesome. Just to make this one pot, I have to prep ingredients for four or five hours."
"If I were to make another pot, my entire day would be spent just prepping ingredients."
"What’s more, you all don’t have the right touch. A little too much or too little of the sesame oil, pepper, or vinegar, and the taste is all wrong."
As he spoke, he was already packing things up.
He locked his small pushcart to a nearby utility pole and picked up the stainless steel pot that had held the soup.
"Alright, see you all tomorrow at 3 PM."
With that, he carried the stainless steel pot and slowly walked out of the alley.
Li Xiao glanced at the time. ’Damn, it’s only 5:01 PM,’ he thought.
’Wow, a whole huge pot of soup sold out in just two hours.’
But considering the price, the flavor, and the portion size, it wasn’t too surprising that it sold out so quickly.
Swallowing the last of his soup, Li Xiao reminded the viewers in his stream:
"Just a heads-up for any viewers who want to come try this: make sure you check the time. It’s best to get here between 3:00 and 4:00 PM."
"After all, if you come too late, the soup will probably be sold out."
Soon, Li Xiao had finished every last drop of his not-so-large bowl of soup.
As he tossed the disposable bowl into a nearby trash can, Li Xiao noticed that his tongue was slightly numb and he was suddenly quite thirsty.
He only had to think for a moment to understand why.
Apparently, the owner had added a fair amount of MSG and chicken powder to the soup to enhance its umami flavor.
However, this was understandable. The price was just too low.
If he used nothing but genuine ingredients, the cost would likely be several times higher than it was now.
If the cost went up, the selling price would naturally have to increase as well.
Imitation shark fin soup is, after all, a common street food. If a bowl sold for several dozen yuan, far fewer people would be willing to buy it.
Because Li Xiao had arrived relatively late, by the time he finished eating, many people had already started helping to clear the tables.
That’s right, you heard correctly. The customers were helping the owner pack up the folding tables and chairs.
At first, Li Xiao thought he was seeing things.
He never would have imagined that customers would actually help an owner clean up, especially at a simple, even somewhat dilapidated, street stall like this.
Noticing the surprise on Li Xiao’s face, the middle-aged uncle sitting at the same table chuckled and explained why.