Running a Food Stall to Support My Deceptive Omega - Chapter 30.1

After finishing their evening meal, Rong Heng sipped her tea, cleared her throat, and while smoothing her sleeves, placed both hands on her knees.

She said to Mu Jinyu, “Come here. Dress me.”

Sitting across from her, Mu Jinyu didn’t hear clearly and asked, “What?”

“Dress me.”

Dress her?

Mu Jinyu had never heard such a formal term from Rong Heng’s mouth. Besides, didn’t Rong Heng usually dislike applying powder or wearing veils? Why was she so proactive today?

Filled with doubt, she brought out the supplies from the room. She pressed the pearl powder into Rong Heng’s hand, letting her apply it herself. Meanwhile, she walked behind Rong Heng, rubbed her fingers together a few times, ran a comb through that satin-like hair, and used a green hair ribbon to tie it all together.

Once Rong Heng finished applying the powder, Mu Jinyu flicked the veil into the air, let it spread out over Rong Heng’s face, and tied a knot at the back of her head. The styling was simple—unthinkably so—and clearly not very beautiful.

Sitting upright on the stone bench, Rong Heng was dissatisfied. “Do it properly.”

Mu Jinyu, who had been about to leave, froze. She didn’t know whether to stay or go, and her hands felt useless against Rong Heng’s hair. How was she supposed to do it “properly”? Truthfully, she wasn’t very good at styling hair. She usually just braided her own hair into two plaits hanging in front.

Should she give Rong Heng two braids as well?

Thinking of Rong Heng’s sharp face, upturned eyes, and thin lips, Mu Jinyu felt she wasn’t suited for that look. After pacing through her thoughts and failing to find a style, her hesitation grew. Her hand rose several times to touch Rong Heng’s silken locks, only to retreat.

Ultimately, she untied the veil and ribbon and took the comb to start over. The black, glossy hair was like water; the comb glided from root to tip without a single snag. The quality of the hair was incredibly fine.

Gathering all the hair into her hands, Mu Jinyu’s fingers moved nimbly, dividing it into three strands and crossing them over one another. Before long, she had braided an honest, simple three-strand plait.

Rong Heng, of course, could feel the movements of the fingers. Her face darkened as she felt the braid taking shape. With a “tch,” she stood up, took the veil and ribbon, and walked away.

“Hey!” Mu Jinyu called out, confused. The braid was almost finished, just missing the ribbon—why did she leave? Usually, Rong Heng was happy with whatever she did. How did she become so hard to please after becoming “clever”?

Mu Jinyu scratched her forehead and ran the comb through her own hair twice. After smoothing it, she casually braided two plaits in front, and she was done.

Inside the house, Rong Heng sat before the dressing table mirror and unraveled the three-strand braid. She then divided her hair into two layers. She coiled the top layer into a circular bun at the back of her head, letting the bottom layer drape over her shoulders.

She reached toward the drawer of the dressing table, intending to take a hairpin. But the items inside were the belongings of Mu Jinyu’s late mother; Rong Heng’s hand paused, and she didn’t touch them. She tied the ribbon securely around the bun and put on the veil.

The white ribbon fell softly amidst the waterfall of black hair, and the two thin ties of the veil dangled in the center, creating layers that broke the monotony of the black hair, decorating it like mutton-fat jade. She looked slender, elegant, and dignified. Only then did Rong Heng feel she looked proper.

Her gaze drifted casually out the window, where she saw Mu Jinyu standing in the courtyard with her head down, braiding her own hair. After the two braids were done, Mu Jinyu specifically pulled out a few stray strands at the top and by the temples, letting them wind around the other hairs like fine-petaled chrysanthemums climbing a parasol tree.

Rong Heng huffed, yet she didn’t look away.

Once they were both ready, they carried their things toward the night market. Mu Jinyu walked fast, leading the way to get the items onto the pushcart and fetch water. It would be inconvenient once the crowds arrived.

Rong Heng wasn’t in such a hurry. She followed behind at a leisurely, unhurried pace, her steps steady and upright. She watched Mu Jinyu’s back, and as Mu Jinyu drew further ahead, Rong Heng retracted her gaze and casually kicked two pebbles from the ground.

With a shush, the pebbles flew toward the house behind the stalls, leaving two deep gouges on the pillar under the eaves. Without breaking her stride, she continued forward.

Mu Jinyu walked quickly to her stall. After setting everything down, she turned back to find Rong Heng. Although the sky hadn’t fully darkened, lanterns were already lit at every stall, dots of faint yellow in the twilight guiding her like fireflies.

Spotting Rong Heng in the moving crowd, their eyes met. Mu Jinyu took the things from Rong Heng’s hands and said, “Walk faster, it’s time to open the stall.” She grabbed Rong Heng’s wrist and led her through the throng.

Rong Heng’s eyes blinked in surprise as she looked at their joined hands. Her calm pace was forced to match Mu Jinyu’s large strides, pulled into her rhythm.

Soon, they arrived at the stall. Mu Jinyu handed the stall over to her, grabbed a bucket, and rushed off to get water. Mu Jinyu’s stall was very orderly; everything was arranged neatly, and the surfaces were wiped clean. One look told you the owner was a meticulous and gentle person.

Rong Heng walked behind the fish cake stall and opened the steamer lid. Steam swirled upward. Looking at the fish cakes—already sliced thin with a golden exterior and jade-like body—she picked up a skewer and lifted a piece. The thin slice bounced in the air, tender and soft, emitting a unique fragrance.

She looked at the people bustling back and forth in the night market and could only begin skewering the fish cakes, setting them aside. She knew what these fish cakes tasted like; she had tried them when she had amnesia. But she didn’t consider that as “truly” tasting them.

The night market became busy very quickly. By the time they were barely ready, many people were already lined up by their stall, waiting.

They began to work. In the past, seeing such good business would have made Mu Jinyu greet customers cheerfully, finding joy in the labor. But tonight, though she made no mistakes, her smile was strained. She was still troubled by the evening meal. She couldn’t understand why, in just one afternoon, Rong Heng had stopped liking the food she made.

The two stood behind their respective pushcarts. Since the carts were side by side, it was obvious they were a pair. Some customers asked if she had hired a new helper. Mu Jinyu, lost in thought, only nodded vaguely. She answered but didn’t chat.

Seeing the usually exuberant Boss Mu looking so worried today, the customers didn’t know what to say. They sat at the small tables eating their noodles, their conversations becoming much quieter.

Rong Heng at the fish cake stall didn’t speak much either. When customers came, she just looked at them, waited for them to say how many fish cakes they wanted, skewered them, took the copper coins, and handed over the food. Because neither of them spoke, the stall lacked its usual lively atmosphere. Customers exchanged glances, looking at one another.

Because she had skewered fish cakes the day before, Rong Heng was very adept today and didn’t make any mistakes. However, her movements were slow and leisurely, showing no sign of urgency.

The customers at the front of the line were fine; they didn’t wait long. But those at the back were dissatisfied. They were already far back and had to wait much longer than the ones in front. This new person Boss Mu hired was so slow—how long would they have to wait?

The people at the back grew anxious, craning their necks to look forward and counting how many people were left. Whispers urging Rong Heng to hurry started popping up from various corners—small, but Rong Heng heard them.

Her hand paused for a moment, and when she moved again, her speed increased significantly. She wasn’t naturally a hasty person, but since she was at the night market selling things, she knew she couldn’t act as she used to.

Still, customers at the very back would inevitably accumulate resentment due to the long wait. When more than half the fish cakes were sold, a stout man dressed in relatively wealthy attire deliberately pulled his hand back as Rong Heng handed him a skewer.

The fish cake fell between them and hit the ground with a splat.

The man immediately roared, “What is wrong with you? If you can’t do the job, don’t do it! Not only are you slow, but your hands are shaky!”

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?!”

The other customers in line behind him didn’t know exactly what happened. But their pent-up frustration from waiting, combined with the sight of the fish cake on the ground, naturally led them to assume the newcomer was unskilled. They began to echo the stout man in low voices.

“Yeah, exactly, how long have we been waiting?” “Is she capable or not? How much longer until we eat?” “Hurry up, hurry up.”

Seeing so many people on his side, the stout man grew bolder. Pointing at Rong Heng, he said, “Not only are you slow, but what kind of unlucky white outfit is that? It looks like a funeral!”

“And wearing a veil!? You must have a guilty conscience, afraid of being caught!”

Such rude words.

Standing behind the stall, Rong Heng’s hand tightened, a vein pulsing at her temple. Her sharp, upturned eyes fixed on the man. It seemed she might strike at any moment. The atmosphere turned instantly hostile.

The stout man, seeing the veiled Rong Heng staring at him so fiercely, felt a flash of panic. He took a step back, wanting to distance himself. But with so many people behind him speaking up for him, he couldn’t just walk away. He braced himself and stood his ground, shouting with false bravado, “What are you glaring at? I’ve never seen someone do business like this!”

Beside them, Mu Jinyu, who had been absent-mindedly boiling noodles, was jolted back to reality by the commotion. She looked up and saw someone giving Rong Heng trouble!

She immediately stopped cooking, took a large stride, and stood in front of Rong Heng. Rong Heng was extremely “simple” and didn’t understand the craftiness of people; she couldn’t let Rong Heng be bullied.

Being shielded, Rong Heng retracted her gaze from the man and looked at Mu Jinyu’s back. Her dark eyes flickered. Mu Jinyu was only a hair taller than her and knew no martial arts, yet she dared to stand in front of her?

The light from the lanterns spilled over Mu Jinyu’s side, outlining her in a warm yellow glow. Her back was straight and firm, carrying a sense of reassurance.

Rong Heng leaned in and whispered in her ear, “He dropped the fish cake on purpose. He’s looking for a fight.”

Hearing this, Mu Jinyu put her hand behind her back and grasped Rong Heng’s wrist, patting the back of her hand to reassure her. Then she spoke up: “I am the owner of this stall. I offer my apologies first.”

“I’ll skewer another fish cake for you, free of charge.”

Mu Jinyu quickly skewered a fish cake and handed it over. “As for the wait, you knew how many people were ahead of you when you joined the line. You must have had an idea of the time. If you really can’t wait, there are other stalls in the night market selling snacks you can buy.”

As she spoke, she pushed the fish cake toward the man again. Seeing Mu Jinyu being so reasonable, the man didn’t take it. He shouted again, “What do you mean by that? It’s your fault for being slow, and now you won’t even let people speak?”

Mu Jinyu was a business owner and didn’t want to clash with customers. But this person’s constant pestering was affecting her business. She pulled the fish cake back.

She said directly, “If you’re looking for trouble because you’re frustrated with the wait and dropped the fish cake on purpose, there’s no need. There are plenty of other snack stalls in the night market that don’t require a wait. You don’t have to wait at mine.”

As she said this, Mu Jinyu unconsciously looked to the side and happened to lock eyes with the owner of the neighboring stall, Boss Zhang. His stall was cold and deserted. Boss Zhang glared at her, his face twisted with anger. He had been secretly delighted to see someone causing trouble for Mu Jinyu, but now he was furious because Mu Jinyu seemed to be mocking his lack of business.

He couldn’t understand why his stall, an established presence in the night market for years, was being outdone by a newcomer like Mu Jinyu. Ever since she started selling fish cakes, the few customers he had left were all snatched away. No one even spared a glance at his pastries anymore! He didn’t know where the gap between them lay. But he was too proud to buy her fish cakes to taste them. Wouldn’t that be a slap to his own face? Why did she have to sell fish cakes specifically? Was it on purpose?!

Mu Jinyu didn’t notice Boss Zhang’s changing expression. Her gaze had been random; she hadn’t intended to look anywhere specific.