novelslam Chapter 545 Breaks Voting Record
Chapter 545 Breaks Voting Record
"The results of this competition are already in my hands, and I would like to start by announcing the first place winner."
Hong Tao's gentle voice echoed in the private room through the TV speakers.
The old man squinted his eyes, took a sip of wine, and then picked up a piece of stir-fried sea cucumber with chives with his chopsticks, putting it in his mouth to suppress the spiciness brought by the alcohol.
Upon hearing the sound, he immediately turned his head and looked at the television screen.
Although everyone already knew Lin Yourong's ranking in the competition, the dinner table, which was originally full of laughter, became somewhat quiet.
Everyone stared intently at the television screen.
Lin Zhixuan's expression turned slightly serious as he muttered under his breath, "He's gone straight to the point..."
Hu Haiquan was also visibly nervous at this moment, his lips were tightly pursed, and he blinked hard.
Chen Yufan, sitting next to him, also had a blank expression, his focus evident.
Even as the tense atmosphere created by the program intensified, everyone ate and drank as usual, after all, they were quite hungry after a long journey.
On the television screen, Hong Tao glanced down at the phone in his hand.
Then, solemnly and deliberately, he said, "Today's first place winner has broken our record for the most votes since the start of the competition..."
The words are not finished yet.
Qingjie quickly swallowed the food in her mouth, exclaimed excitedly "Wow!", and enthusiastically repeated, "Yourong! You've broken the voting record since the start of the competition!"
"Out of 497 valid votes from the audience, she received 453 votes!"
The camera then switched to Shen Mengchen.
Her face was full of amazement, her eyes wide open, and she raised her hands high, gesturing excitedly.
At the same time, two eye-catching slogans popped up in the lower left corner of the screen:
First place in this match
'An unbelievably high vote share!'
The camera then returned to Hong Tao.
He smiled faintly and asked the singers, "Is there any suspense about who will win first place?"
The singers and their managers shook their heads almost simultaneously and replied in unison, "No."
In fact, every viewer who watched the entire show probably had no doubt about this.
"Lin Su!" Hong Tao raised his voice and uttered the name with conviction.
Lin Su on the television and Lin Yourong in front of the television both smiled gently.
However, Lin Yourong was holding chopsticks in her hand, picked up a deep-fried meatball, took a small bite, and her expression was quite calm.
"This is a record-breaking achievement! Everyone has to celebrate for You Rong!" Sister Qing suddenly raised a glass full of coconut juice high, her face full of joy.
Duan Yue also quickly put down his chopsticks and followed suit, picking up the drink from his side.
He turned to look at Yu Huan, who was putting a piece of braised pork intestine into his mouth, and said with a smile, "To the unsung hero behind the scenes, Mr. Y! Cheers!"
"Heh!" Yu Huan chuckled softly, chewing as he clinked glasses with the others.
After the crisp, pleasant clinking of glasses.
Sister Ru took a big gulp of coconut juice, a teasing smile on her face, and said, "Su Su's achievements today are truly thanks to Yu Huan, the man behind her! He's gone to great lengths for Su Su!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan quickly waved his hand and replied humorously, "There's no need to say all this! I'll cherish my own wife, it's no big deal for me to put in a little effort, isn't it just the right thing to do!"
A burst of laughter erupted in the private room.
Sister Qing patted Duan Yue on the shoulder and said half-jokingly, "Did you hear that? You should cherish your own wife. You should learn more from Yu Huan!"
Duan Yue nodded solemnly, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing: "I really need to learn more. In terms of sweet talk, I need to learn a lot from Yu Huan."
The old man was amused and laughed heartily, saying, "There's an old saying that goes, 'When husband and wife are of one mind, their strength can break metal!'"
Sister Ru stood up with a smile, carrying a large bottle of coconut juice, and poured it for everyone around her.
As she added coconut juice, she said, "Grandma Yu is right, let's raise another glass to 'husband and wife united'!"
With a gentle smile on her face, Lin Yourong heard this and immediately raised her hand, playfully patting Sister Ru's lower back.
Sister Ru didn't take it to heart, and just chuckled.
Everyone raised their glasses again, the crisp, melodious clinking echoing through the private room...
The next morning.
After yesterday's long journey, everyone slept exceptionally well that night, as if all the fatigue accumulated throughout the day had dissipated in a deep sleep.
Yu Huan slowly woke up to the sound of the alarm clock, reached for her phone next to her white pillow, and skillfully turned off the alarm without even opening her eyes.
At this moment, Lin Yourong's head was buried on his shoulder. She had obviously been woken up by the alarm clock. She mumbled something indistinctly, and her long legs wrapped around Yu Huan's waist tightened even more unconsciously.
Yu Huan opened her sleepy eyes, and a hand from under the covers reached out to pinch her soft, plump buttocks, giving them a light pinch, and whispered:
"Get up, honey!"
Lin Yourong whimpered as she was pinched, her voice still tinged with drowsiness, "My alarm is for 7:30, I'll sleep for another half hour..."
"Then let go of me first. I still need to get to the car after I finish washing up," Yu Huan said, both amused and exasperated.
"Oh," Lin Yourong replied.
Yu Huan yawned silently, raised his hand and gently stroked her hair. The smooth strands of hair slid through his fingertips, feeling as silky as satin.
next moment.
He felt the long, slender legs slip from his waist under the covers, then he leaned back against the headboard and stretched out a big yawn.
Feeling refreshed, Yu Huan thought for a moment and then asked, "Wife, what do you want to eat for breakfast? I'll bring it to you."
"Hmm... bring me a bowl of noodles with soybean paste, and buy one for Sister Ru and the others too..."
"Okay." Yu Huan nodded, and without delay, got up and dressed.
After washing up, he walked briskly out of the deluxe king room, quickly down the corridor to find the old man.
Just as I knocked on the door, within moments, with a slight click of the lock opening, the door was pulled open from the inside.
The grandfather and grandson exchanged glances.
The old man's eyes were bright, and he twisted his waist with great energy, while slightly raising his chin and asking with a smile, "Why did it take you so long to come to see me?" Yu Huan looked at the old man, who was full of vitality, and replied with a smile, "Just woke up."
"I just got up too. I woke up as soon as it was light and have been lying in bed dozing off. I didn't want to disturb your sleep, so I didn't call to urge you." The old man gently shook his head.
“Rongrong is still sleeping. She gets up at eight o’clock. Grandpa, get ready, we’ll go get the car and come over for breakfast.”
"Okay." The old man quickly turned around and went back to his private room.
Yu Huan stood quietly outside the door for a while, but when the old man didn't come out, she stepped inside.
As soon as you enter and turn the corner, you can see the old man standing by the bed folding the quilt. His slightly bent back looks very neat.
Yu Huan couldn't help but laugh and joke, "You even made the bed so neatly yourself when you stayed at the hotel. When the staff comes in, they'll probably think this room has never been used before!"
The old man continued working, skillfully smoothing out the wrinkles in the sheets, and said without turning his head, "It's a personal habit."
“This is obsessive-compulsive disorder,” Yu Huan said with a gentle smile.
"Whatever the ailment, as long as you can keep things neat and organized, that's a good ailment!"
Faced with the old man's pedantic and pedantic remarks, Yu Huan could only smile and nod in agreement.
They booked a hotel near Beihai Park, which was about a kilometer away from Fuchengmen.
This area is all within the Second Ring Road, and you can feel a lot of the old Yanjing style by walking through these streets and alleys.
The rows of Chinese scholar trees along the roadside are now just bare branches, standing forlornly in the chilly morning breeze, adding to the desolate atmosphere.
The old man walked with even lighter steps than Yu Huan, clearly very familiar with this place.
As he walked, he looked around and clicked his tongue, saying, "Although the buildings on both sides have changed quite a bit, probably because they've been renovated, as soon as I step into this area, I feel like a kite being tethered to a string, and I immediately know which way is which."
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan, speaking in a broken Beijing accent, said half-jokingly, "Grandpa, there's a saying that goes, 'Put on your socks before your shoes, be a grandson before you're a grandfather.' If you had stayed in Yanjing back then, you'd definitely be a big shot in Beijing now!"
The old man burst into laughter, turned to the side and flicked his eldest grandson on the head, laughing and scolding, "You little rascal, you're such a chatterbox! If I had stayed in Yanjing, where would you be now!"
"Yeah, right." Yu Huan rubbed his forehead where he had been tapped, and his gaze inadvertently fell on the sign of a douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) shop across the street. He gestured towards it with his lip and asked, "Sir, would you like to try some douzhi?"
The old man followed his gaze and shook his head without hesitation: "Forget it, forget it, the smell is too strong, it's disgusting! Not to mention your grandma, only your most pretentious great-uncle likes to drink it, he can even taste the aftertaste of this stuff."
Yu Huan chuckled and chimed in humorously, "You'll regret coming to Yanjing if you don't try douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), but you'll regret it even more if you do!"
The old man agreed wholeheartedly and nodded emphatically.
Just then, the old man spotted a braised pork offal and baked wheat cake shop not far ahead, and his eyes lit up instantly. He rubbed his hands together with great interest.
"Let's have braised pork offal again, it's really good, I haven't had it for years."
"Grandpa, you liked this kind of thing back in Yanjing?"
"Sigh! Back then, meat was very expensive, but offal was worthless. Dishes like mutton soup, braised pork offal, and tripe were considered the 'poor man's delights.' Eating offal could at least satisfy a meat craving. Now, many offal dishes are more expensive than meat!"
Yu Huan listened and nodded thoughtfully.
The 1960s were indeed a time of extreme material scarcity and hardship.
The old man sniffed the aroma of braised pork wafting through the air, and his pace quickened unconsciously, as if he couldn't wait any longer.
Yu Huan, unhurriedly thinking that it wasn't far from her cousin's house, reached into her pocket, took out her phone, and called Duan Yue to ask if he wanted to come over and eat braised pork together.
On the other end of the phone, my older cousin was clearly still half asleep, his voice groggy as he yawned and said, "Oh... I haven't gotten up yet. You guys eat, call me when you get there. I'll come downstairs to bring you the car keys, then I need to catch up on some more sleep..."
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan didn't press the matter and replied with a smile, "Alright, I'll hang up now!"
After hanging up the phone, Yu Huan quickly walked a few steps to catch up with the old man.
The two arrived at a braised pork offal and baked wheat cake shop. The shop was not large, but the business was quite good, with most of the customers seated.
The grandfather and grandson finished their braised pork offal with great satisfaction.
The old man patted his firm belly, stepped out of the door, and turned to look at Yu Huan beside him.
He asked with concern, "Aren't you going to bring some breakfast for You Rong and the others?"
Yu Huan silently burped and said with a smile, "Sure, when we drive back, we'll bring each of them a bowl of noodles with soybean paste."
The old man glanced at a noodle shop diagonally across the street and suggested, "Then go and drive the car over, I'll go across the street to buy it, so you don't have to wait too long."
Yu Huan thought about it for a moment and decided it was feasible.
He nodded immediately, reaching into his pocket for his wallet: "Okay, I'll take it—"
"I have money on me." The old man interrupted him before he could finish speaking and stepped off the curb.
Looking at the old man's straight and upright back, Yu Huan hurriedly called out, "There are so many cars coming and going so early in the morning, be careful when crossing the road!"
The old man didn't turn his head, but raised his hand and waved to indicate that he had heard.
His eyes scanned the road conditions from left to right, patiently waiting for the traffic to thin out a bit before he swiftly crossed the road.
Upon arriving at the noodle shop, the old man paused briefly to take a good look at the interior.
Since it was for his granddaughter-in-law's breakfast, he felt reassured and pushed the door open to enter, seeing that the place was relatively clean and tidy.
Compared to the braised pork and wheat cake shop, the noodle shop was much more lively, with every seat filled.
After all, Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste) is more widely accepted, and the air is filled with the tempting aroma of the soybean paste and noodles.
"Young man, give me three servings of Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste), all to go." The old man said with a smile to the young man who was busy cooking noodles behind the stove, speaking in fluent Beijing dialect.
The young man looked up at the sound, still skillfully scooping noodles with his hands, and replied enthusiastically, "Alright, sir! Please wait a moment. We have a lot of customers today. Why don't you find a place to sit for a while?"
The old man nodded, found a stool in the shop, and instead of taking up a table, moved to a spot against the wall to sit down.
He looked around at the lively scene, smelled the familiar aroma of Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste), and his thoughts drifted away, recalling some past events.
After a while, the old man stood up again, walked to the door, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag.
Wisps of smoke rose before his eyes, drifting leisurely away on the wind...
After a while.
Yu Huan drove over in Duan Yue's Volkswagen Passat.
He noticed people coming and going at the entrance of the restaurant, and the old man was smoking on one side of the door. He rolled down the car window and called out loudly, "Grandpa, is it ready?" (End of this chapter)