appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Fran Lu

A Chinese boy with a remarkable talent for engaging customers at his family’s restaurant in central China has gone viral, drawing entertaining reactions from both domestic and international netizens.
The four-and-a-half-year-old child gained overnight fame after a Serbian expat in China posted a video of him being approached in front of a diner in Huangshan, Anhui province, on his account @saitie, on September 12.
In the video, the young boy skilfully attracted customers in front of his family’s Anhui cuisine restaurant.
He exhibited no stage fright while interacting with a foreigner, politely asking: “Would you like to dine in our restaurant?”
Initially, Saitie declined, as it was 3pm and he had already eaten. The boy took the rejection in stride, quickly turning to engage another passer-by.
Without hesitation, he responded “yes” when Saitie asked if he was the restaurant’s “little boss.” When queried about his recommended dish, he enthusiastically replied: “Anything you want.”

The kind-hearted vlogger eventually stepped into the restaurant and ordered fried rice, wanting to avoid disappointing the little boy.
He remarked that the boy provided him with “five-star service,” preparing the tableware, offering a complimentary soft drink, and gently reminding him to eat slowly with the small bowl, saying: “If you eat this rice too fast, isn’t there nothing left to eat?”
Saitie expressed his admiration for this “baby boss,” praising him as kind and adorable.
The video attracted 260,000 likes on a Chinese short video platform and was also shared on an international platform under the account @sj_china_vlog, where it received 50,000 reposts.
Viewers responded with heartwarming and humorous comments.
“Bro got rejected and instantly locked in on another target,” one commented, to which Saitie humorously replied: “He mastered the art of rejection.”
“He is the one who drops his parents off at work and then goes to school. He doesn’t cry when getting a shot; he holds the doctor’s hand to comfort them,” joked another.
A netizen in China praised Saitie as well, stating: “Saitie is a lovely person who dined at the restaurant even when he wasn’t hungry, just to avoid disappointing the boy. He also tolerates the boy playing at his table.”

The boy’s mother later responded on the restaurant’s social media account, clarifying that they had never taught him how to engage customers; he learned it from observing adults.
She explained that his motivation came from wanting to be “a little adult” and help his family.
He would offer complimentary drinks and buns to customers and assist in setting their tables.
The mother also commented on the boy’s adeptness at handling rejection, noting that he sometimes invited those who turned him down to “come back tomorrow.”
She expressed her gratitude for Saitie’s kindness towards her son.


Chinese woman in her 70s wakes up in coffin before dying for good 2 days later

Chinese Good Samaritan arrested for manslaughter after kindness leads to fatal accident

Chinese man sues AI firm after chatbot’s ‘auspicious’ date suggestion leads to disaster

People in China earn between US$7 and US$15,000 by licensing faces to AI content producers

Trending in China

‘Baby boss’ in China wins hearts after clip shows him playfully courting customers outside eatery

A four-and-a-half-year-old boy has stolen the online spotlight in Huangshan after a video of him playfully drawing a customer into his family’s eatery went viral. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo

His mother says he loves to help out like a little adult, and the photo above shows him mopping the floor. Photo: Jiupai News

A Chinese netizen praised Saitie’s kindness for dining just to please a young boy and letting him play nearby. Photo: Jiupai News

‘Lazy economy’: US$15 monthly rubbish services in China gain popularity, benefitting elderly

A new convenience service is emerging in China, with providers offering doorstep rubbish disposal for just 3 to 5 yuan per trip, or a monthly rate of around 100 yuan (US$15). Photo: QQ.com

According to one provider, the ultimate key to the business model’s success and rapid adoption is affordability. Photo: QQ.com

Strict community rubbish collection hours make this service a lifesaver for busy, overworked professionals. Photo: Shutterstock

Residential complexes serve as the most lucrative client base for waste disposal service providers due to their high volume and centralised locations. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese students ‘eating homework’ to relieve exam stress draws amused public reactions

A bizarre new viral trend has emerged in China, where students are quite literally “eating their homework” to cope with intense exam stress. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

Designed to look like real school workbooks for different subjects, the packaging features bold, promotional labels like “stress reducer.” Photo: Baidu

Stress is deeply embedded in China’s education system, impacting students from primary school through secondary school while forcing parents into constant supervision. Photo: Shutterstock

Clever marketing slogans even promise students they can “consume” their most disliked subjects by eating these novelty, edible homework sheets. Photo: Baidu

China Porsche owner covers car with 90 missing-child flyers, successfully reuniting a family

A Porsche driver in Yunnan covered his luxury vehicle with over 90 missing-child flyers from the Baby Come Home charity, successfully helping to reunite a missing child with their family. Photo: Sohu

Responding to criticism that he was merely seeking attention, Du noted that the more eyes on his car, the higher the chances of someone recognising a missing child. Photo: Sohu

For many Chinese parents, the search involves agonising public appeals, from holding banners to driving custom poster-covered vehicles. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

On October 12, 2010, at Zhengzhou’s Erqi Square, a parent held up a banner plastered with photos of missing children. He hoped to gather leads for his own missing child and those of 2,000 other families. Photo: CYOL.net

Viral ‘then and now’ photos of Chinese woman reunited with family spark trafficking debate

Viral “then and now” photos contrasting the past and present of a Shandong woman went viral after she was reunited with her family 26 years later. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Weibo

The contrasting photos of Sun have reignited a fierce human trafficking debate, drawing intense public attention to the shattered lives of trafficking victims. Photo: Douyin/Weibo

Under Chinese law, abducting, kidnapping, selling, buying, or transferring women and children carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Severe cases can escalate to life imprisonment or the death penalty. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese woman’s search for kind former foreign tutor sparks flood of shared memories

A Shanghai woman’s search for the foreign teacher who tutored her for free 20 years ago has deeply moved Chinese social media. Photo: QQ.com

Beyond his regular teaching duties, Evans invested his own money to set up a small photo studio in the reception area, capturing cherished memories for his students. Photo: QQ.com

A colourful glimpse into Evans’s classroom, where desks were arranged in a circle to give students a central stage for singing, speeches, and magic tricks. Photo: QQ.com

A class in session with Evans, the teacher Wang credits with changing her outlook on life through his constant encouragement and support. Photo: QQ.com

News

People & Culture

Expat diner praises boy’s ‘five-star service’ for setting the table, gifting drinks, and encouraging slow eating


Expat diner praises boy’s ‘five-star service’ for setting the table, gifting drinks, and encouraging slow eating.


Children in China

‘Baby boss’ in China wins hearts after clip shows him playfully courting customers outside eatery

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Expat diner praises boy’s ‘five-star service’ for setting the table, gifting drinks, and encouraging slow eating

Expat diner praises boy’s ‘five-star service’ for setting the table, gifting drinks, and encouraging slow eating