Novel Full Chapter 86: Launch Announcement
Chapter 86: Launch Announcement
My esteemed readers, the moment of truth has arrived!
Tonight at midnight, this little rundown shop of a book is going premium.
Tonight, I’m begging for your first subscriptions~!!
The last time I wrote a premium announcement was for my book *Dad’s Restaurant* back in 2018. Seven years have flown by in the blink of an eye.
Times have changed. Food-themed novels have become a niche genre.
Thanks to all of your generous support, a book like this little rundown shop—niche in both theme and writing style—has been able to make it this far. Qingyu bows in gratitude.
After meandering for the past few years, I finally came back to writing a food-themed novel.
When I started this book, a friend was shocked. He said you don’t see food-themed novels on the charts anymore, that the genre’s time has passed, and that basically no one reads them now.
I refused to believe it. I wanted to add a touch of the warmth of daily life to a food novel, a bit of cozy, healing comfort.
I wanted to write a historical slice-of-life that didn’t rely on cartoonishly awful relatives and disgusting villains. Instead, I wanted to write about the little things in life, about people helping each other, and about Zhou Yan focusing on running his restaurant and building his own small business.
It’s very difficult to write. A single Chapter can take two or three hours, followed by endless, endless nights of staying up late...
But when I finish certain scenes, when an interesting bit of story just pops out, I get so excited. I can’t help but share the joy of that creative breakthrough with my wife.
And seeing your Chapter comments, I know that you all have felt that joy too.
When words create a resonance between author and reader—that’s probably the ultimate motivation for any creator. It’s more invigorating than strong tea in the dead of night.
It’s all thanks to you guys.
...
Let’s talk about why I chose to write about Sichuan, and specifically Leshan.
Because I, Qingyu, have been living in Sichuan for eight years now. I married a fiery "Sichuan and Chongqing T-Rex" (haha) and have settled down here.
I find the spirit of the Sichuanese people to be very special. Online, people call it ’god-tier,’ but I think it’s more of a profound sense of being laid-back.
Their attitude toward life makes you feel that living well in the present is the most important thing. Their collective optimism makes life feel comfortable and at ease.
Even the Sichuan dialect is full of wit and wisdom, which is why I’ve used a lot of it, along with two-part allegorical sayings, in the book.
As for why I chose Leshan as the starting point, I went there four times last year. It’s rare for a city to make me want to go back again and again just for the food, with new surprises every single time.
Suji Kneeling Beef, Linjiang Shanshi, Bobo Chicken, Sweet-Skinned Duck, Niu Hua Chuan Chuan, Fresh-Braised Beef, Braised Pork Intestines, Malatang, Maocai, Shaved Ice...
The list is endless.
The spiciness in Leshan is gentle. The various local delicacies have distinct characteristics, mostly fragrant and spicy, but many also have a touch of sweetness, which my delicate stomach can handle more easily.
So when I decided to write a food-themed novel, Leshan was constantly on my mind. In the end, I chose Suji as the entry point.
As for starting with a bankrupt restaurant, that’s because my wife and I did actually open a small restaurant a couple of years ago. We ended up going bankrupt and skipping town.
I didn’t get a magical System, so I couldn’t become Zhou Yan. We were more like Zhou Liangliang and his wife—the moment the pandemic hit, we shut down immediately and ran away with our tails between our legs.
So tragic!
This is my first time writing a historical slice-of-life, so I’ve kept stacks of local chronicles and price annals by my side, and I’ve also consulted many elders.
There will definitely still be errors and omissions, so I’d like to apologize in advance.
But I, Qingyu, am not a data-hound or a stickler for historical accuracy. I care more about making the story interesting. For any small mistakes, I hope you can be forgiving.
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And now, for the acknowledgements:
Thank you to my readers, who are the absolute best in the universe!
Thank you to my chief editor, the great Mung Bean, and my editor, the great Good Luck!
Thank you to my wife—the great Fishing Fire—who, during this time, has helped me fix typos, stayed up late discussing the plot with me, constantly soothed my anxiety, and even took care of all the housework.
She’s actually an author herself. We met in an author’s group chat during a writing sprint. I came all the way from Zhejiang to find her, and ended up settling down in Sichuan.
My friends, even across a journey of thousands of miles, anything is possible.
So why wouldn’t it work out for Zhou and Xia?
They’re more outstanding than we are, and have more courage, right?
I hope you all also have the courage to face life with a smile!
Don’t worry, life is always full of small, beautiful moments.
And if not, please go online and search—
You know how to use a smartphone!
...
Emmm...
I didn’t expect writing this announcement would be so much fun. I’ve already written over seven hundred words in a flash, much faster than writing the actual story!
(ｷ｀ﾟДﾟ´)!!
...
And now for the most important part, the update schedule:
In the one month and seven days of the new book period, I, Qingyu, have written 230,000 characters!
I write slowly, but I’ve been updating frequently, which means my stockpile of saved Chapters is completely gone. Now, I’m betting it all.
Tonight at 12:00 AM, I’ll start by releasing four Chapters, for a total of over 10,000 characters!
Tomorrow, during the day, there will be at least two more Chapters!
That’s six Chapters in total!
After going premium, I’ll maintain a schedule of two Chapters per day, with a guaranteed minimum of 6,000 characters.
As for the rules for bonus Chapters:
For every 500 monthly tickets, I’ll add a bonus Chapter!
For every new Alliance Lord, I’ll add two bonus Chapters!
For a Silver Alliance Lord, I’ll add twenty bonus Chapters! (I have to write this down, even if I don’t get any!)
I still owe six Chapters from this month’s monthly ticket goals, and I’ll make sure to deliver them after we go premium!
In short:
My esteemed readers, please give Qingyu your support!
After midnight.
I’m begging for your first subscriptions!
I’m begging for your monthly tickets!
I’m begging for your donations!
This little rundown shop, let’s go!!!
I want to give the New Book Monthly Ticket Chart a real shot!