Chapter 2 Eating Steamed Buns with Sauce Today


It was the day to pay rent. After doing the math, Song Luo realized that he would have less than three hundred yuan left once he paid the rent.

The monthly rent for this apartment was not low. For Song Luo, who did not yet have a stable job, it was indeed a bit burdensome. In fact, he knew that sharing a flat or finding a cheaper place would be better choices at the moment. However, he prioritized his living environment over food, clothing, and other expenses.

A quiet, comfortable private space was Song Luo's most important source of comfort and security.

Song Luo sighed and unlocked his phone to check the earnings from his livestreams.

The situation was urgent, imminent. The earnings from his livestreams on site 'x' could only be withdrawn on the fifth of next month!

...So, that meant he had to survive 15 days on less than three hundred yuan?

This was a crisis!

"Impoverished Mr. Song" ASMR livestream room.

Song Luo sat at the table with two steamed buns, a dish of spicy sauce, and a plate of lettuce in front of him.

He typed on the screen: “Today I'm eating steamed buns, chili sauce, and lettuce.”

“Hmm???”
“Wait, isn't today's 'pauper gourmet' a bit too casual?”
“Are steamed buns okay?”

Seeing some doubts in the comments, Song Luo explained: “I just paid the rent, I'm broke…”

“Hahahahahaha oh my God!”
“Feel so sorry! Much love!”

Suddenly, the animations for tips exploded like colorful, festive fireworks, one after another, vibrant and lively.

"Ah ah ah ah here you go, eat something better!"

This wave of tipping scared Song Luo so much that he hastily put down the bun he had just picked up, typing rapidly: "No, no, no, we're in unusual times, everyone's income is affected, don't spend unnecessarily! Besides, the tips you guys are giving now can only be withdrawn next month..."

"...Will we be able to see you alive next month?"
"I...I should be alive, right?"

Song Luo stopped paying attention to the comments, picked up a knife, and sliced the bun in half, just like a hamburger. He spread a layer of spicy sauce, then added a piece of lettuce. He dusted off his hands, looking very satisfied with his "masterpiece".

Mr. Song: "There are meat bits in the spicy sauce, and I added lettuce today. It's important to have a balanced diet."

"Why are there tears in my eyes?"
"Crying..."
"Post your tearful eyes in the public screen!"

Song Luo took a bite of his Song's "hamburger". Eating like this had its advantages. At least, in one bite, he could taste the bread, the sauce, and the veggies all together!

The fresh bun was soft and chewy, carrying the unique aroma of wheat. With careful chewing, one could even taste a faint sweetness. The spicy sauce was fragrant, spicy, salty, and umami, with chopped peanuts and beef bits adding chewiness and enhancing the otherwise mundane bun with flavor and texture. The lettuce was crisp and juicy, bursting with a refreshing taste that nicely diluted the spicy kick of the sauce, adding a touch of freshness to the meal.

Crunch, crunch, crunch... The sound of the crispy lettuce meeting his teeth.

"I feel like no matter what the food is, Mr. Song always seems to enjoy eating!"

Song Luo quickly finished the two buns with the spicy sauce and lettuce.

"Done eating."

As usual, he slurped down a glass of room temperature water. After joining his hands in gratitude to his audience, he ended the livestream.

While tidying up the dishes, Song Luo smacked his lips, always feeling that something was missing in his mouth. He picked up a pickled garlic and chewed on it. The sour and sweet taste was intense, with a bit of the spiciness of garlic.

But still, it didn't seem enough.

Indeed... he really wanted to eat meat!

Song Luo wiped his hands on his apron, pondering that he needed to go to the supermarket later because the toilet paper at home was about to run out.

Another expense... If only humans could live without eating or drinking!

In the supermarket, Song Luo wore a mask and pushed his shopping cart through the general merchandise area. After quickly selecting the paper and other necessary daily items, he looked in the direction of the cash register and took a deep breath.

Listen, Song Luo! Our goal is the cash register. On the way to our goal, we'll pass the food section, and your task is to safely get through the treacherous food area! You're on your last legs, you can't stand the seduction of the "monsters, demons, and beautiful women" in the food area!

After encouraging himself, Song Luo lowered his head and pushed the shopping cart towards the cash register.

Don't look, don't look, all those fancy foods are the devil's bait! Eating too much will make you fat and affect your health! The main function of food is to fill the stomach. Regardless of fatty beef rolls, sweet and sour pork ribs, spicy hotpot ingredients, potato chips, sunflower seeds, QQ candy, once they enter the stomach they all turn into...

Suddenly, a sweet aroma gently floated past his nose.

It was cake!

The strands of sweet scent were like a beautiful woman half-dressed, dancing with a thin veil. The woman twirled and jumped, her gentle veil occasionally brushing against his cheek. She had bewitching eyes, passionately flirtatious yet modest. She extended a delicate finger, softly hooking up—

"Come on? Come here~"

Following the aroma, Song Luo saw a soft, freshly baked cake lying in a display cabinet.

Involuntarily, he took a step in that direction...

No! Song Luo, have you forgotten your mission? This must be a test from the organization! You must resist! The fruits of a successful revolution are right in front of you, your thoughts cannot deviate!

A righteous force surged from his tailbone straight to the top of his head. Song Luo rallied his spirits and headed straight for the cashier.

"That will be 38.8 yuan, do you have a membership card, sir?" The supermarket cashier girl's service was excellent, even with a mask on, you could see the smile in her eyes.

...Is this the joy of having a job?

Song Luo took out his phone for the cashier girl to scan the payment code. With a "ding", the phone showed the payment was successful.

His... his wallet hurts so much!

Back home, Song Luo threw himself onto the bed, reminiscing about the cake lady that he missed out on, full of regret.

The best thing would be never having met, so they could never fall in love!

"Ding dong!" His phone rang.

Song Luo listlessly picked up his phone...

"Hello, Mr. Song Luo, this is Xiao Guo! Our brand primarily produces various types of sauces. We noticed your livestream and wondered if you would be interested in doing a promotion?"

"!!!" Song Luo sat bolt upright.

Xiao Guo's spicy sauce? Wasn't that the one he used to season his noodles and smear on his buns?

It's a very niche hot sauce, not as popular as Lao Gan Ma, but with diverse flavors, flexible prices, and easy-to-match characteristics, it had won the hearts of young people who live a fast-food lifestyle.

However, because of his poverty, Song Luo had only bought the cheapest spicy beef flavor.

"Interested!" Song Luo responded quickly. "I've been eating your brand's sauce all along. I still have half a bottle in the kitchen!" After typing these words, Song Luo felt something was not quite right.

Would such eagerness make the brand think he's too noisy, lacks tact, and isn't reliable?

So, Song Luo deleted his words one by one, re-entered: "I'm interested." After pondering for a while, he sent the message.

After sending it, he regretted it again. He worried if he came across as too aloof, would it upset the brand?

Song Luo wasn't very good at socializing, it had been that way since he was a child. It seemed as though he was missing a certain knack in his brain that prevented him from reading people's facial expressions. He had offended a few people at first, but once he realized it, he consciously avoided interacting with others too much.

Soon, Xiao Guo's brand sent over the details and payment for the promotion.

The account, "Impoverished Mr. Song," had average follower count and average live stream heat, and he was a new host, so the remuneration wasn't high. However, this could already solve Song Luo's urgent needs. Moreover, there was a commission if fans made purchases on the online platform.

"Okay, the promotional product will be shipped out tomorrow. Could Mr. Song provide a delivery address?"

Song Luo copied his Taobao delivery address and pasted it, thought for a moment, then deleted the detailed door number and changed it to the collection cabinet at the entrance of the residential area.

Before going to bed, Song Luo opened the drama society of the nursing home. There was no update today, so he turned off his phone in disappointment.

How dare they delay the update!

Feeling increasingly annoyed, he went into yesterday's updated video, and indignantly wrote in the comment section, "Delaying the update shows you have no jj!"

Not long after the comment was posted, the likes notifications bubbled up nonstop, showing the overwhelming anger of the fans!

There was a knock at the door, and the person politely knocked only three times.

Song Luo put on his slippers and went to open the door. The person outside was his neighbor who had knocked on his door for help yesterday — Jiang Suihe.

Jiang Suihe was in his pajamas, the cotton top looked soft and friendly. The top two buttons were undone, revealing a hint of his collarbone and a bit of his firm chest.

He held a cream cake in his hands, it was simply and adorably shaped, and had the words "Thank You!" written in chocolate sauce.

"What is this?" Song Luo was a bit dazed.

Jiang Suihe smiled, his tone sincere, "This is to thank you for your help yesterday, please accept it."

Song Luo was at a loss, he unconsciously took a step back and declined, "There's no need, it was just a phone call, it was nothing, you really shouldn't have gone to such expense..."