Chapter 62 - 57: Satisfied Neighbor

Chapter 62: Chapter 57: Satisfied Neighbor

Shortly after Leitel’s group left, the residents of the Fourth Ring also began returning from work.

It was hard to withstand such freezing weather by just drinking nutrient paste, so most people would buy some cheap hot food. Many children who had been hiding in the shelter also ran out to look for food with the adults.

The thermal tent quickly became lively, even getting a bit crowded.

All the food stalls opened for business, their owners calling out to customers. Ning He’s stall was in the back row and wasn’t very noticeable. Moreover, since no one had ever heard of the dishes on her sign, not many people stopped to ask about them.

Holding his parents’ hands, Knight glanced around. When he spotted that familiar figure, his eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

"Mom, I want to eat that!"

Knight’s parents looked in the direction he was pointing, and the smiles on their faces instantly froze.

Living in the same residential area, they naturally knew Ning He, which immediately put them in an awkward position.

"Let’s check out some other stalls, okay? Don’t you like pan-fried chive dumplings? Mom will buy you some."

Knight puffed out his cheeks. "I don’t want pan-fried chive dumplings today. I just want to try something else."

"Never mind. Since he likes it, let’s just buy some for him to try. You two wait here; I’ll go." Knight’s father patted the boy’s head and walked over.

It didn’t take long for Knight’s father to return holding two paper bags. Inside were deep-fried dough sticks, sugar cakes, and a mini fried egg. Aside from the food, a lingering trace of surprise remained on his face.

They knew this young woman worked in the academy canteen and was an excellent chef, but they had never actually tasted her cooking all these years. Upon closer inspection today, not only were these foods completely unheard of, but they also smelled incredible. They weren’t expensive, and she even offered free samples.

The young woman had also shed her usual cold and impatient demeanor, greeting customers warmly and explaining her food in detail.

After trying a sample, he couldn’t wait to buy some. The family found a spot to sit and enjoy the meal together.

It was Knight’s first time trying a deep-fried dough stick. He initially thought the sugar cake was already delicious enough, but after swallowing a bite of the dough stick, he changed his mind.

’This deep-fried dough stick is salty, savory, and crispy. It’s even better!’

The family of three feasted on the snacks alongside a bowl of hot nutrient paste, thoroughly satisfying both their taste buds and their stomachs. Knight purposely ate a little less, taking only one bite of the sugar cake and leaving the rest for his parents.

Seeing how much they liked it, Knight’s little face bloomed into a radiant smile.

A peculiar sense of pleasant surprise swelled in his parents’ hearts as well.

Three deep-fried dough sticks, two sugar cakes, and a fried egg had only cost them ten original coins, yet the taste was exceptionally good. Watching Knight eat the savory fried egg, his little lips glistening with oil, filled them with an overwhelming sense of gratification.

There was nothing more comforting to a parent than seeing their child eat nutritious food.

"Can we eat here again next time?"

After finishing their meal, Knight looked up at the two adults with eyes full of anticipation.

His parents exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.

This exact scene was playing out in other corners of the tent as well.

Knight and his friends had all dragged their parents over to Ning He’s stall, becoming her very first batch of customers.

The delicious, affordable food slightly altered their impression of the young woman. Some even took the initiative to recommend her stall to people they knew.

Customers gradually trickled into Ning He’s stall, and her inventory was eventually almost sold out. When Juan arrived with his two younger sisters, they polished off the rest of the food for dinner.

Since they had to start work at the canteen the next day, they left the cleanup to the three kids. Ning He and Connie Ahui returned to the shelter to seize whatever time they had to rest.

Ning He slid into her sleeping bag, but sleep eluded her. She pulled up the system interface to check on her task progress.

There was no new progress on the Compendium task. Her reputation value had gone up a bit, but it was just a drop in the bucket and could essentially be ignored.

Back in the hospital, she had made a bold promise to Leo on impulse. Although it seemed like an unattainable dream, she had to try anyway. After all, she still had a cheat.

However, this cheat couldn’t display much power at the moment, making it feel rather useless.

At present, the resources the system provided her were various seeds, seasonings, black mud, and the pollution-free planting soil stored in her system space.

If she made good use of the first few items, earning a fortune wouldn’t be a problem. However, trying to change the rules of how this world operated with them was impossible.

Her best hope lay in the pollution-free planting soil, which she hadn’t yet found a use for.

According to the system’s standards, as long as a species’ collection rate reached 90%, she would receive ten cubic meters of planting soil. If things went smoothly and she accumulated enough of it, she might even be able to dabble in agriculture.

Planting soil was as rare as gold within the Alliance. Once she had enough chips on her side, she might finally have a chance to try her hand at it. For now, however, she still needed to focus on making money and gathering her strength.

At 1:30 AM, Ning He and the other two boarded their chartered car on time and set off.

The roads were wet, so the car drove slowly. Ning He looked out the window at the snow-covered world. It was so beautiful it felt slightly surreal, like a snowy town straight out of a fairy tale.

Yet behind this beauty lay a cruel reality.

The television news updated the death toll every few hours.

Not everyone had managed to enter the shelters safely.

The elderly living alone, the mobility impaired, and those without sufficient winter supplies would all succumb during this protracted cold wave. Even in the heated Third Ring, there were still fatalities caused by collapsed roofs while shoveling snow.

This natural disaster had become a form of natural selection. Those who weren’t strong or lucky enough would be ruthlessly eliminated.

Maintaining the safe operation of this city had already exhausted all available manpower and resources. There was nothing left to spare for these unfortunate souls.

That was the cruel truth.

In the past, she could treat herself as an outsider and heartlessly push these things to the back of her mind. Her only goal had been to complete her system tasks and return home as soon as possible.

But now, after having her own life hang by a thread, she realized she couldn’t just remain detached. Her perspective had completely shifted.

Ning He lowered her eyes, remaining silent for the rest of the journey.

Although their slight injuries had slowed them down, the three of them rushed and managed to finish all the prep work before mealtime.

The rice wine in the incubator hadn’t been ruined, thanks to Old Wood helping them store it in the refrigerator in time. The sweet fermented rice series could be supplied as usual.

The academy’s heating system was excellent. However, the students had all been dragged out to clear snow around the campus this morning. After freezing in the ice and snow for an hour or two, they desperately craved something hot and boiling.

The first student to notice their return practically sprinted over in cheers. The breakfast stall, which had been closed for a few days, was met with an enthusiastic welcome. The sweet fermented rice balls and sweet fermented rice oatmeal became the best-selling items, completely selling out in less than fifteen minutes.

All their ingredients were sold out in half an hour. Ning He discussed it with Connie, and they decided to increase their daily supply of sweet fermented rice. It was guaranteed to sell well, at least throughout the duration of the cold wave.

Ning He submitted an application to Old Wood for an increase in their daily ingredient quota. Looking at the numbers on the form, Old Wood couldn’t help clicking his tongue in amazement.

"This is the first time I’ve ever seen a Zero-level stall sell this much every day. If you keep this up, an upgrade is only a matter of time."

Ning He smiled faintly. "I hope so. It’ll be the beginning of the month in a few days, and my new products are already finalized. I’ll bring some over for you to try then."

"That’s wonderful. I’ll be waiting."

After leaving Old Wood’s office, she bumped into Wendy from the neighboring Level 1 Stall. Ning He wasn’t very familiar with her, so she just gave a polite nod and kept walking. However, a cold scoff reached her ears. When she turned to look back, Wendy was already gone.

She was sure she hadn’t misheard. The woman was clearly harboring some resentment towards her.

As for the reason...

It was actually quite easy to guess.

Her stall’s business was simply too good. She offered soups, deep-fried foods, and sweet pastries. Aside from the second-level and Third-level Stalls, whose meat and egg dishes were irreplaceable and thus remained unaffected, all three Level 1 Stalls had taken a massive hit.

This was the natural law of market competition. There was no such thing as a guaranteed profit in business. If one didn’t have that kind of awareness, they shouldn’t even bother setting up shop.

If she wanted to compete, she needed to show some real skill. Resting on her laurels with the same few signature dishes all year round meant her elimination was only a matter of time.

Ning He didn’t take it to heart. She returned to her stall to finish preparing the sweet fermented rice. Once everything was packed up, she headed back to the shelter.

In the afternoon, just as she finished setting up her stall, Ning He bumped into an acquaintance:

The bespectacled middle-aged man from the foodie group who wielded a scalpel.