Chapter 36 - 35: Setting Up the Stall Again

Chapter 36: Chapter 35: Setting Up the Stall Again

With everything settled, Ning He began her preparations.

The main ingredients were rice and flour. On Thursday, as soon as she received news that her application was approved, Ning He hurried to take advantage of the food festival’s discounts. She went to the market and bought a hundred pounds of flour, as well as ample amounts of oil, salt, and sugar. She also scoured the second-hand market for two round, flat-bottomed aluminum pans suitable for making flatbreads. The little savings on her card were instantly wiped out.

The items were delivered to Connie’s house and loaded onto the food cart. After the three of them tested everything and found no issues, all that was left was to set off.

Business at the cafeteria had been stable these past few days. Even the group of students who previously had a terrible impression of Ning He couldn’t resist the waves of recommendations on the forum and the mouth-watering descriptions. They too had joined the masses rushing to get in line.

Her customer base grew steadily, and even though Ning He prepared an extra twenty to thirty pounds of ingredients each day, she still sold out quickly.

Furthermore, her dishes all had mainstream appeal. Even if some people didn’t find them absolutely stunning, they wouldn’t find them inedible either—something they’d have to force down their throats like torture. So, for the time being, she hadn’t received any negative reviews.

The situation was very stable, so Ning He and the other two could attend the food festival with peace of mind.

On Saturday morning, before the sky had brightened, Ning He arrived at the designated intersection carrying two large baskets of fresh vegetables. Connie and Ah Huai were already waiting.

Black Stone Lane was far away, and walking would take too long. So, they had asked Uncle Zhang—the man who drove them to the academy every day—to give them a ride in his "Chopped Chili Fish Head" cart.

The three-meter-long food cart was hitched to the back of the small vehicle. Connie helped Ning He secure the vegetable baskets. Uncle Zhang stepped on the gas, and the vehicle, pulling a tail bigger than itself, slowly set off.

"What about Ding Xiang and the others?" Ning He asked.

"They’re still sleeping. Juan will bring them on the bus later," Connie said.

Juan was Connie’s third sibling, fourteen years old and still in school. In Beiluo City, children received compulsory basic education until the age of fifteen, after which they could start working. Families with the means would arrange for their children to attend higher-level vocational academies to learn skills like cooking, mecha repair, tailoring, or basic agriculture, which would lead to better jobs. However, these schools charged tuition, and it wasn’t cheap.

As for people like Qiu Luo, the original owner’s first love, they were talents specially selected and cultivated by the schools. From the moment they entered the Mecha Academy, they were destined to walk a path different from ordinary people.

Juan was interested in mechanics and did well in school, so Connie planned to send him to learn a trade later on.

The more Ning He learned about Connie’s family situation, the more she admired the woman.

So many brothers and sisters to feed, educate, and care for when they were sick. ’If it were her, she might not have been able to handle the pressure and would have just thrown in the towel and run away one day.’

After all, they weren’t blood siblings.

Connie, Ah Huai, Juan, Ding Xiang, and Susan were all children adopted by the former owner of the noodle shop.

As for why the noodle shop owner adopted so many children, Ning He didn’t know. But the fact that both Connie and Ah Huai had graduated from a culinary academy and inherited the craft of making pastes and sauces was proof enough that the man had been, at the very least, a very competent and respectable parent.

"That’s great. I heard the food festival has a lot of activities for kids too. They can have a blast today."

By the time they reached the vicinity of Black Stone Lane, the sky was just beginning to lighten. Ning He and her group pushed the food cart, following the signs to East Square.

The wide-open plaza was already decked out with the food festival’s colorful decorations and lights. Some stalls had arrived even earlier than them and were already bustling with activity. Other areas were also gradually getting ready, and uniformed staff could be seen bustling about.

The familiar stall administrator appeared again. After checking Ning He’s registration, he gave them a number plate. The trio pushed their cart to a spot near the center and immediately began their preparations.

While they were busy, the stalls in the food area gradually filled up. Billowing steam and the clatter of pots, pans, bowls, and cutting boards could be seen and heard everywhere.

Ning He finished simmering the sauce, Connie mixed the batter, the youtiao dough was kneaded and left to proof, and the vegetables were all prepped. The two of them left the stall to Ah Huai and decided to go buy some breakfast from the other vendors.

They were new to the Fifth Ring, so this was a good chance to get familiar with their peers.

The food festival had indeed attracted many vendors, and the variety of snacks surpassed Ning He’s expectations.

There were multigrain flatbreads, corn cakes, sweet mixed bean congee, steamed flour cakes, fried dough leaves, and fried corn chips. There were also aromatic chive pancakes, transparent rice-paper vegetable rolls, clear vegetable broth with rice noodles, spicy fried noodles, steamed rice with potatoes, and fried tofu cutlets. Ning He even saw tofu pudding.

Although the ingredients were simple, the air was filled with an aroma that whetted one’s appetite.

In the end, the two of them bought tofu pudding, chive pancakes, rice-paper vegetable rolls, mixed bean congee, and steamed flour cakes to take back. The three of them then sat down and carefully tasted everything.

The tofu pudding was sweet, drizzled with a layer of brown sugar syrup. It was smooth and tender, like a sweet pudding with a rich soy flavor. As a staunch supporter of savory tofu pudding, Ning He found her convictions wavering slightly after eating this dessert-like version for the first time in ages.

The chive pancake was also good, but she could clearly tell the chive flavor wasn’t as strong as she expected. While this could be due to a small portion of chives, quality was also a factor. For example, just a small handful of chives grown in black soil produced a very strong aroma; the difference was obvious.

Ning He shared her thoughts with Connie, who had felt something similar.

"...The vegetables you brought really do have a stronger flavor. The person who grew them must be quite skilled," Connie said.

She assumed it was thanks to Ning He’s mysterious supplier, which saved Ning He the trouble of having to come up with an excuse.

The other items were decent but not outstanding. However, their prices were reasonable, making them a good value for the money.

After tasting these few items, Ning He felt even more confident. Just then, the first wave of customers arrived at the plaza.

During the food festival, no one was more excited than the children. So, the first to arrive were families bringing their kids for breakfast, and there were quite a few of them.

Babies held in their parents’ arms clapped their hands happily to the cheerful, lively music. Toddlers held their parents’ hands, wobbling forward with all their might. Seven- and eight-year-olds were like ponies let out of a pen, bolting forward and diving straight into the stall area. They looked at this, sniffed at that, their eyes filled with happiness and anticipation.

The vendors’ calls and cries rose and fell, one after another. Amidst the growing clamor, the bustling food festival officially began.

"Youtiao for sale! Crispy, crunchy youtiao! One coin a stick! Free samples available!"

Ning He shouted with her hands on her hips, quickly attracting the attention of a few little tykes.

"What’s a youtiao?" a boy in a blue shirt, about ten years old, asked in a clear voice.

"It’s something delicious made from flour. Here, have a taste."

Beaming, Ning He brought over the sample plate and gave each of them a small piece.

The freshly fried youtiao was fragrant, crispy, and chewy. The more they chewed, the more flavorful it became. The children’s little mouths glistened with oil as they ate, their dark eyes wide with amazement.

"This is so good! I want to buy this!"

The child who spoke vanished in the blink of an eye. The other kids also made a quick getaway, and when they reappeared, they each had a few family members in tow.

After another round of samples, Ning He sold over twenty youtiao sticks right at the opening.

"Pocket bun? Interesting name. Give me one!"

Ning He was busy collecting money when a deep, heavy voice sounded from the side. She turned her head to look:

Whoa, what a mountain of a man!

’At least two hundred pounds!’

’To grow to this size in a post-apocalyptic world with scarce food, he’s definitely no ordinary person!’

Looking again, Ning He gave a small, internal ’huh?’ of surprise.

’Isn’t that the guy I saw carrying the mutated mountain goat the other day?’

An idea sparked in Ning He’s mind, and she immediately went forward to greet him.

"Hello, sir. You can choose your own vegetables for the pocket bun. The egg and shredded tofu are five coins a portion."

Johnny glanced at the baskets and racks Ning He had, raising an eyebrow.

"This is new. Alright, I don’t eat cilantro. I’ll take a portion of egg and a portion of shredded tofu."

’He’s a big spender!’

Ning He’s face lit up with a huge smile. "Great! Please wait a moment, it’ll be ready right away!"