Judging by the number of frenzied shutter-happy onlookers, the celebrity must surely have been gracefully exiting a stretched limousine. But she wasn’t. She was getting out of a bread van. But on her face was still the same smile of thanks for her adoration.
No one expected that a ¥10 lunch box would turn Chen Libing and Wang Rongya in Hefei, capital of our neighbouring Anhui Privince, in to internet celebrities almost overnight. But by 15 August, photos of the two and their operation had surpassed 10 million online views.
And no one in turn could really believe that the lunch box was in fact a complete buffet, comprising some 35 dishes, served up daily by Chen and Wang Rongya on Hefei’s Zhanghuatai Lu for over 7 years. Essentially, “all you can eat”, for just ¥10.
No wonder the crowds have started showing up of late, adding to the burden of work for the couple. Wang has stated that she and her husband had recently slept only 1 hour for 4 consecutive days. “We are too tired now. We can’t rest well; it’s just too much pressure!”, Wang told QQ News.
But as well as those who come to take photos and just eat, there have also been many willing to come and lend a hand, for free.
Wang Ji is one such volunteer. He told reporters that he had learned of this lunch box on social media and planned to taste the food before helping them with some work. This he did on 15 August, but there were too many people and much chaos on site. Wang Ji decided not to eat and took the initiative to help until around 14:00.
Then there is Mr. Xiong, described as being a Hefei video anchor, who has also been volunteering for the increasingly-popular couple in recent days.
He told reporters that 16 August was even more popular, with various media outlets turning up and even more customers coming to eat. Xiong, together with other video anchors, as well as about a dozen resident volunteers, helped Chen to pacify the crowds and close up in the mid afternoon. “Now it’s much better, with us volunteers helping to maintain order and help him close the stall”, said Xiong.
While Wang Rongya and Chen’s original intention in opening the stall was to ensure that nearby manual labourers can have reliable and affordable fast food, the current situation has also brought about difficulties for those who truly need to eat.
It’s also made the couple tired. Really really tired. “We have decided to take a break for half a month first, to go with our child’s summer holiday. [But] we will be back to cook the lunch box for everyone on 2 September”, the two said. “Don’t miss it! And thank you all for your support.”
