Wang Daguo wasn't the only one feeling anxious; Shen Lu was also on edge.
She had hurried off to buy the biggest umbrella she could find. It was ridiculously large, big enough for ten people to stand under.
But it was very light; Shen Lu could open it with just one hand.
'High-tech is really something else,' she thought.
Shen Lu mused to herself as she hurried back to her rented room.
From a distance, she saw Wang Daguo squatting by the door, his burly frame nearly as wide as the doorway itself.
"I'm back," Shen Lu said, panting slightly. With a WHOOSH, she opened the umbrella and fixed it to the cart. "Let's go together."
Shen Lu went inside, placed the water bucket and egg puff machine on the cart, then pushed the malatang station out and locked the door.
The malatang station had four small wheels at the bottom, so it could be pushed along as long as the road wasn't too rough.
Wang Daguo grunted, grabbed the handle of the cart, and pushed it forward with a slight effort.
They moved slower in the rain. It took about twenty minutes for Shen Lu to reach her spot.
Wang Daguo parked the cart and helped her unload the water bucket and other items.
Shen Lu adjusted the large umbrella to make sure everything and everyone was sheltered from the rain before paying Wang Daguo.
"Around four this afternoon, if you're free, come check on me. If I've sold out, I'll need you to help me move my things back, just like you did now."
The moment the money was in his hand, Wang Daguo finally believed that such a good deal really existed.
Just for moving a few things, he got 20 Star Coins.
He'd never earned such easy money in his entire life.
"Okay." Wang Daguo nodded seriously. "I'll definitely be here at four."
'This money is as good as mine.' he thought.
Wang Daguo stuffed the Star Coins into his pocket, turned and left the shelter of the umbrella, and quickly disappeared into the light rain.
On a rainy day, even fewer people came to Gold Street around noon.
Shen Lu took off her raincoat and casually draped it over Fu Cheng.
His spot was near the edge, and rain would occasionally drift in. The raincoat would provide some extra protection.
'Business is going to be terrible today, isn't it?'
Shen Lu was a little worried, subconsciously glancing at Fu Cheng behind her.
'Will the power of my "Lucky Cat" be weakened by the rain?'
"Hey." As Shen Lu was bent over pouring batter, someone called out to her rudely. "This is your little stall?"
Shen Lu calmly and steadily finished pouring the batter and closed the lid of the egg puff machine. Only then did she lift her head and nod her chin toward Zeng Xiaodao.
"Don't block the light. Come stand under the umbrella."
Zeng Xiaodao was about to snap back, 'I'll block the light if I want to. So what?'
He wasn't the type to be obedient, especially not to someone he'd only met twice.
But the hot, rich aroma that wafted over smelled so good it caught in his throat.
It smelled so good.
Just smelling it made Zeng Xiaodao's mouth water.
The insufferably arrogant teenager obediently moved and simply squatted down next to Shen Lu.
"Hey, what are you selling?"
"These are egg puffs, this is mint water, and that is malatang." Shen Lu ladled out a cup of mint water. "What do you want to eat? Or do you want to try a bit of everything?"
"Try a bit? Can't you just give me all of it?" Zeng Xiaodao said shamelessly. "I saved your life, you know."
Shen Lu gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "If I give it all to you, what will I sell today? Besides, do you know the difference between being full for one meal and being full for every meal?"
Zeng Xiaodao licked his lips. "Cut the crap. Didn't you say I could try some? Hurry up and get me a bowl."
'So rude,' Shen Lu thought.
She rolled her eyes at him but still handed him the mint water before turning to prepare the malatang.
"Do you eat spicy food?"
"Spicy? I'll try it."
'Sounds like he's never had it before.'
So, Shen Lu simply gave him one piece of radish and two pieces of seaweed from both the clear broth and the spicy broth, then ladled some of the clear broth over them.
Zeng Xiaodao had already finished the cup of mint water. The moment it went down, he felt something wonderful.
He was also a Superpower User, but unlike Xue Can's Fire Ability, his power enhanced his legs.
Although his rank was low, only Level 1, the side effects of his superpower couldn't be ignored.
The muscles in his calves would ache and throb from time to time, and the pain was even more pronounced when he used his superpower a lot.
Now, after finishing the mint water, he felt a cool, soothing sensation flow through the meridians in his calves, calming the agitated muscles.
Zeng Xiaodao's brows furrowed. He glanced at the girl, who was working as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Pressing his lips together, he said nothing and reached for the bowl of malatang resting on the bucket lid.
In the bowl were two pieces of radish and four pieces of seaweed, half-submerged in a slightly pale broth. Wisps of a spicy aroma wafted into his nostrils, whetting his appetite.
"Here, use this to eat," Shen Lu said, handing him a small fork she had bought along with the umbrella. They were cheap—two for one Star Coin. She had bought five Star Coins' worth specifically for her malatang customers.
Zeng Xiaodao took it but didn't rush to eat the radish and seaweed. Instead, he took a sip of the broth.
The broth looked thin, but it was actually made by simmering chicken stock and large pork bones. It was incredibly savory on its own, and after simmering the radishes, it took on a hint of their subtle sweetness, making it even more delicious.
Zeng Xiaodao had never tasted anything like it. He was completely won over after the first bite.
If the mint water was a pleasant surprise, then the malatang was an absolute stunner.
The teenager devoured it all in a flash. Even as he hissed from the spiciness of the radish and seaweed that had been simmered in the spicy broth, he didn't stop eating.
After drinking every last drop of broth from the bottom of the bowl, Zeng Xiaodao boldly held it out to Shen Lu. "Another bowl!"
Shen Lu was busy explaining the malatang to a customer. Without turning her head, she tossed a single word back at him: "Wait."
'Bringing Fu Cheng was definitely the right move.' She had only been set up for ten minutes, and a customer had already arrived, even in this dreary, rainy weather.
Shen Lu smiled and invited the customer under the umbrella to keep him from getting wet.
"One serving of malatang is 20 Star Coins. You can choose one piece of radish and one piece of seaweed, or two pieces of radish, or two pieces of seaweed. We have non-spicy and spicy options, which you can mix and match however you like."
It was indeed a bit more expensive than the mint water and egg puffs, but radishes were vegetables and seaweed was a marine product. In this world, neither of those things was cheap to begin with.
Strictly speaking, for the price and quality she was offering, Shen Lu was practically running a charity.
The customer was a pot-bellied man in his thirties, wearing glasses. His clothes were relatively neat and clean.
"I'll have a non-spicy radish and a spicy seaweed. And ladle some of the clear broth over it for me."
"Okay, please wait a moment."
Shen Lu grabbed a clean plastic bowl, prepared the food according to the customer's request, and handed it to him.
"Careful, it's hot."
The man swallowed hard, blew on it quickly, and took a loud slurp of the broth. The eyes behind his glasses immediately lit up.
Delicious, so delicious!
He declared this was the best soup he had ever tasted.
The man wolfed it down, finishing it all in the blink of an eye.
"Give me another 60 Star Coins' worth of malatang. I want four pieces of radish and two pieces of seaweed, half spicy and half non-spicy. Still with the clear broth."
Shen Lu looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, but everything at my stall is limited to one per customer."
There was no other way. She didn't just need to earn Star Coins and complete missions; she also needed to earn popularity value. The purchase limit was a must.