Running a Food Stall to Support My Deceptive Omega - Chapter 12

Behind Mu Jinyu’s small stall, every seat was taken, and a new crowd of onlookers had gathered in front of her.

After counting exactly how many bowls of noodles had been ordered, she tossed the “Knock-fish” noodles into the pot with a series of quick, rhythmic movements.

The fish noodles cooked quickly; they only needed to tumble in the boiling water for a few breaths. When she scooped them out, they had transformed into a snow-white, crystalline, and translucent state.

Next, she threw a handful of lettuce into the pot. By the time all the fish noodles had been served into the bowls, the lettuce simmering in the pot was also cooked.

She added several stalks of lettuce to each bowl. The mixture of snow-white and emerald green created a vibrant and appetizing contrast of colors.

She served the ten bowls of noodles one by one to the people sitting behind the stall. They could not wait to begin eating; the steam drifted slowly toward the sky, eventually vanishing from sight.

The people crowded in front of the stall were also impatient, jostling one another as they placed their orders with Mu Jinyu.

The quantity of twenty bowls of noodles was still too small; it took Mu Jinyu no time at all to sell out completely.

There were even several customers walking over from the various streets and alleys, asking with great anticipation, “Boss, what kind of food are you selling? It smells so fragrant! I could smell it from far away.”

They craned their necks to look at Mu Jinyu’s small pushcart, glancing left and right, yet they couldn’t quite tell what was being sold.

By now, the group of customers sitting behind her had changed to a new batch. She placed the very last bowl of noodles on the table before finally replying, “I am selling noodles.”

“My noodles are very different from others. They are made from fish meat. One bite of that flavor is so fresh it will practically make your tongue drop off!”

Hearing that she was selling noodles, a hint of disappointment inadvertently flickered across the faces of those inquiring.

What’s so good about noodles? Aren’t they all the same?

Besides, I’ve just finished my evening meal; why would I come here to eat noodles?

Some customers left, and after a while, someone else came to ask what Mu Jinyu was selling.

She answered them one by one.

A man walked up and looked behind Mu Jinyu. Watching the people buried in their bowls, slurping their noodles loudly, he felt they were making a mountain out of a molehill. It was just a bowl of noodles; even if it were delicious, surely it wasn’t worth eating with one’s head down like that?

The man didn’t hold high hopes for the taste, but since he had already walked over following the scent, he felt he had to try it regardless. “Fine, fine, since I’m already here. Boss, give me a bowl. How many copper coins do you charge for a bowl?”

“Ten coins per bowl.”

Upon hearing this price, the man, who had intended to eat, changed his expression. He retracted his offer, saying, “Are you robbing people? Not eating, not eating.”

Ten coins was considered a high price among the food stalls in the entire night market street.

He felt there was no need to spend so much money here just to eat a bowl of noodles.

Mu Jinyu was using a cloth to wipe down the cutting board, the knife, and the surface of the pushcart. She was just about to explain that the noodles were sold out for the day.

But before the words could leave her mouth, a person rushed to the front of the cart and said loudly, “Boss, if he won’t eat them, I will! I want two bowls!”

The girl who had left at the very beginning had finally arrived back at the cart with her childhood sweetheart. She held up two fingers, waving them in front of Mu Jinyu’s eyes.

As soon as she entered the street, she had smelled a rich aroma of fish, and she knew instantly it was the scent of the Knock-fish noodles.

She hadn’t expected the noodles to be this fragrant; the girl regretted even more that she had left so early.

“Boss, your fish noodles are so fragrant. I’ve never smelled noodles this good before. They must be delicious!”

The girl was full of anticipation and couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.

Meanwhile, the man who had just gone back on his word and said he wouldn’t eat looked a bit dark-faced. He felt he had been insulted by this girl. He muttered under his breath, loud enough to be heard, “More money than brains.”

As soon as these words came out, the girl’s eyebrows shot up. She looked at the man and reacted quickly with a sarcastic retort, “Struggling and hesitating over a bowl of noodles, one minute you’re eating and the next you’re not—some people just like to make trouble out of nothing.”

Seeing that the two were on the verge of starting a fight, Mu Jinyu immediately leaned out from behind the cart, using her arms to create a barrier between them.

She tried to smooth things over, saying, “Honored customers, honored customers, today’s noodles are already sold out. There will be more tomorrow.”

“The fish I use here is high-quality fish. Ten coins ensures you eat something delicious and get your money’s worth.”

“Everyone comes to the night market to have a good time. There’s no need to let a small matter weigh on your heart. It’s not worth it, not worth it.”

Today was her first day of business, and Mu Jinyu naturally did not want any accidents to happen at her stall. She spent quite a while persuading them before she managed to separate the two who were about to argue.

The girl stood to the side, no longer looking at the man, and said to Mu Jinyu, “Boss, what time do you set up shop tomorrow? I’ll be sure to come early and wait.”

“Thank you for your patronage, miss. I will set up at the fourth quarter of the hour of the Rooster (approx. 6:00 PM) tomorrow.”

“I’m going to come too, just to see exactly how good your noodles are!” the man chimed in. Having said his piece, he turned and left without looking back.

The girl unceremoniously rolled her eyes. After bidding Mu Jinyu farewell, she pulled her childhood sweetheart away.

Having settled the matter, Mu Jinyu continued packing up her stall.

During this time, people came by to inquire, and Mu Jinyu took the opportunity to tell them she would be out at six o’clock tomorrow, hoping they would come to support her.

Because she hadn’t prepared enough today, it wasn’t even nine o’clock when she finished packing. For a night market street that stayed lively until midnight, this was far too early.

Once all the noodle-eaters had left, she wiped the small tables clean and placed the small stools underneath them, not intending to carry them back home.

Stepping out of the bustling night market street, the surroundings suddenly became quiet. The roads without lanterns were pitch black, making it difficult to see clearly.

Carrying her bucket and holding her pot, she kept her head down and walked toward home through the darkness.

When she was halfway there.

With the fading lights of the market behind her, a thin, weak meowing of a kitten suddenly came from ahead.

“A cat?”

Mu Jinyu stopped in her tracks and looked left and right, wondering if she had misheard.

“Meow…”

The faint sound of a kitten’s cry rang out again. This time, certain it was a real cat, Mu Jinyu set down her bucket and pot and began searching carefully in the direction of the sound.

Both sides of the street were lined with blue-tiled houses, with trees occasionally growing in the courtyards of some families.

The light was too dim. Mu Jinyu bent her waist, scanning the base of the walls carefully. It took a long time before she spotted an inconspicuous tortoiseshell kitten in the darkness.

There were many food vendors on the night market street, so naturally, there were many cats and dogs. They hid in various corners, coming out when they had the chance to scavenge for food.

Some vendors were friendly to the animals and would feed them a little something.

But other vendors found them filthy and felt they affected their business.

Mu Jinyu looked at the kitten before her. It looked to be only two or three months old. There was a gash on its hind leg, blood staining half its body, and it was huddling against the wall, at its last gasp.

One didn’t need to guess to know that this kitten had definitely been treated with hostility.

She imitated a cat’s call and carefully crouched down in front of the kitten.

But even so, it frightened the kitten. Using its only three functional legs to prop up its body, it puffed out its fur and hissed at her.

It was trying to protect itself.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”

The tortoiseshell was “ugly-cute,” and with its fur standing on end, it looked like a sea urchin.

Mu Jinyu took the items out of the bucket and moved most of them into the pot.

Afterward, she used her sleeve to wrap her hand. In a flash, she pinched the kitten by the scruff of its neck, lifted it up, and placed it into the bucket.

The depth of the bucket was too much for the kitten in its current state; it couldn’t jump out at all.

It could only turn in circles inside the bucket in a panic, meowing piteously.

Mu Jinyu carried the bucket and shouldered the pot. Replacing her previous leisurely pace, she hurried toward home with quick steps.

In less than fifteen minutes, she arrived back at the house.

In the courtyard, Rong Heng moved away from the door to put some distance between herself and Mu Jinyu, her eyes scanning her up and down with curiosity.

She couldn’t quite figure out why there was a “meow meow” sound coming from her body.

It wasn’t until Mu Jinyu set her things down and scooped a small kitten out of the bucket.

Rong Heng’s gaze lingered on the kitten for a long time before she attempted to speak for the first time, asking simply: “Are you going to kill it?”

Mu Jinyu: ???

Tortoiseshell Kitten: ???

Mu Jinyu quickly covered the kitten’s ears: A little kitten shouldn’t hear such talk.