Running a Food Stall to Support My Deceptive Omega - Chapter 10

On the second day since crossing into this world, Mu Jinyu finally gained a tangible understanding of what pheromones were.

It was too fragrant; Rong Heng’s pheromones were so fragrant they made her head spin.

Without giving her any time to react, they drew her into a deep intoxication, leaving her unable to distinguish North from South, East from West.

It was fortunate that there had only been a slight leakage of pheromones due to their chasing and frolicking. If they were to encounter a Rut or a Heat period—when pheromones spiral out of control and diffuse in massive quantities—then the two of them would…

Mu Jinyu’s body shuddered, suddenly finding this thing incredibly terrifying.

Thought processes would disconnect, leaving everything to be governed by instinct. That feeling of being unable to control oneself made Mu Jinyu, who had grown up under the Red Flag, feel a faint sense of unease.

She patted her own head, urging herself to stay alert against this substance that was no different from a poison.

She then hurriedly climbed out of bed and headed outside.

It was already past five o’clock; the sky was gradually darkening. By six o’clock, the night market street would become lively. If she didn’t head out now to make preparations, she wouldn’t make it in time.

She had originally wanted to make a bowl of Knocked Fish Noodles for Boss Yu before heading to the market, but it seemed there was no time for that now. She would have to wait until she closed her stall to find her.

Mu Jinyu arrived in the courtyard and saw Rong Heng asleep, slumped over the stone table. Likely, she too had been affected by the pheromones.

She hesitated for a few steps in front of the stone table, wondering if she should go forward to check on Rong Heng’s condition. However, because she had just been influenced by the other’s pheromones, she felt a lingering fear of that sensation and didn’t quite dare to approach.

Ultimately, she left, walking toward the storage room to bring out the pot, colander, small stool, and water bucket.

While gathering these items, she discovered a piece of wood about the length of a forearm with a fish painted on it. Mu Jinyu studied it for a moment and guessed it was likely a shop sign.

Good. With a sign, everyone would know what she was selling.

She neatly organized the sign, fish meat, seasonings, bowls, chopsticks, and colander into the bucket, then headed out carrying the bucket and the pot.

On the way to the night market, there were many other stall owners heading in the same direction, also carrying their gear. Upon meeting acquaintances, they greeted each other warmly, creating a bustling atmosphere.

Infected by this vibe, Mu Jinyu’s heart beat a little faster, filled with a mix of excitement and trepidation.

The night market street was close. Within moments, she arrived at her stall and arranged her items neatly on the small pushcart. Then, without stopping, she rushed toward the carpenter’s shop to collect the small tables she had custom-ordered.

When she saw the vast amount of timber at the shop, she suddenly realized she hadn’t even bought firewood. What was she going to use to start the fire later?

Mu Jinyu smacked her forehead, sighing at how she had been too hasty. Sure enough, a problem had cropped up.

But time was running out. She inspected the custom tables, confirmed there were no issues, and paid the money. Carrying and lifting three small tables at once, she wobbled her way back.

By the time she finally placed the tables at her stall, she was panting heavily, and her arms felt weak and sore.

But she wasn’t done yet. She hurried back to the carpenter’s shop, carried the last table to the firewood shop, bought three bundles of wood, and paid a copper coin to have a shop assistant help transport them.

After finishing that, Mu Jinyu hurriedly took her bucket to the well at the night market to draw water.

It was nearly six o’clock. A long queue of stall owners had formed at the well, all preparing water for their own stalls. She waited for fifteen minutes before it was finally her turn.

By the time she carried a bucket of water back to her stall, her arms were so tired she could barely lift them.

In her past life, when she first started working, it was just like this. After a day of serving plates or shaking milk tea, her arms would lose all sensation, completely unable to move. If it hadn’t been for the fact that survival was difficult back then, she probably wouldn’t have gone back the next day.

Later, after years of odd jobs, her arms had become like iron, and she had grown much leaner, looking more spirited and capable.

But now, as an Alpha (Qianyuan), the original owner’s physical condition was certainly excellent. It was just that the original owner seemingly hadn’t done this kind of work with her mothers, leading to Mu Jinyu feeling as exhausted as she did during her early working days now that she was doing it for the first time.

She massaged her arms repeatedly to slightly alleviate the soreness and pain. Then, she took out the fish heads and bones, placing them in a basin with scallions, ginger, garlic, and salt to remove the fishy smell.

By this time, it was six o’clock, and the night market was gradually filling with people.

People had just finished their evening meals and were coming out for a stroll. The vendors selling various trinkets were the first to start shouting, attracting the attention of passersby.

Stall owners like Mu Jinyu, who sold food, were still in the middle of preparation.

She sprinkled sweet potato starch all over the cutting board, placed the fish meat on top, and began to “thwack, thwack, thwack” with a wooden stick.

Her novel actions caused many strolling pedestrians to glance over frequently, curiously watching what she was making. Some stopped their pace and stood about three feet away from her stall to observe.

Mu Jinyu naturally saw the people who had stopped. However, she wasn’t ready yet—the soup wasn’t boiled and the noodles weren’t made—so she felt too embarrassed to solicit customers.

In contrast, the pastry vendor next to her immediately began to shout loudly, “Come one, come all! Don’t miss out! Delicious pastries right here!”

As soon as that megaphone-like voice rang out, several customers lingering by Mu Jinyu’s stall looked toward the pastry stand. Seeing that the pastries displayed there were indeed exquisite, they walked over and began to take their pick.

Seeing this, Mu Jinyu grew anxious. Although she knew the other vendor was doing nothing wrong, they were snatching away her potential customers!

So what if she wasn’t fully ready? She had to hook the customers first!

She immediately spoke up, also raising her voice, “The one and only Knocked Fish Noodles in Louxu County! Fragrant, delicious, and with an endless aftertaste!”

“Knocked Fish Noodles?”

Many pedestrians showed confused expressions. They had lived in Louxu County for so long, and some had even been to the capital city of Bianjing a few times, yet they had never heard of “Knocked Fish Noodles.”

They looked back and forth at Mu Jinyu’s movements. They could see her holding a wooden stick, constantly pounding something. That thing seemed to be coated in a layer of powder, grayish-white, being beaten continuously into a thin, round sheet.

Several people couldn’t resist and asked Mu Jinyu, “Vendor, what is this ‘Knocked Fish Noodles’ you’re talking about?”

Hearing someone inquire, a smile lit up Mu Jinyu’s face. Her round, bright eyes and full oval face added a great deal of approachability.

The surroundings were bustling and noisy, so Mu Jinyu introduced her Knocked Fish Noodles in a loud voice. Seeing how enthusiastic, bright, and proactive the vendor was, the crowd couldn’t help but feel a sense of goodwill, asking various questions.

While answering them one by one, Mu Jinyu didn’t stop her hands. She turned all the fish meat into fish sheets and placed them over the pot to lightly roast and dry them.

Fortunately, there wasn’t much fish meat this time; it didn’t take long to turn it all into sheets. If there had been more, she wouldn’t have been able to keep up!

“Vendor, how long do we have to wait to eat this ‘Knock-Knock’ Fish Noodles?” The earliest arrival was getting a bit impatient. “Give us a definite time. If it’s quick, I’ll try it. If it’s going to be too long, I’ll come back after my walk.”

Mu Jinyu cut the fish sheets into strips while answering everyone’s questions, sweat beads forming on her forehead. Hearing the person’s question, she said, “I reckon it will take another two or three quarters of an hour (30-45 minutes).”

Mainly, simmering the fish soup took time; the flavor had to be drawn out before the noodles could be added.

Upon hearing it would take that long, the pedestrian immediately said, “Then I’ll come back later.”

She didn’t linger and turned to leave. Actually, she wasn’t alone; she had intended to meet her childhood sweetheart. She had only stopped because she was curious about what Knocked Fish Noodles were. Now that so much time had passed, she was running late and worried the other person would be unhappy.

She hurried off to meet her sweetheart, and together they wandered the night market for a long time, tasting various snacks. She was quite satisfied.

However, the more she ate the usual night market food, the more she couldn’t get the image of Mu Jinyu pounding fish meat with a wooden stick out of her mind. She hadn’t tried that kind of novel food yet.

The more she thought about it, the more she craved it.

As the girl walked, she suddenly stopped and slapped her hands together, “Oh no! What if that thing is really delicious? If I go too late, it’ll be all gone!”