Shen Lu walked to her spot from yesterday and quickly set up.
It was nearing noon, and the sun was brutal. There weren't many people on Gold Street.
This area was busiest at night. At noon, only a few scattered restaurants were open for business. The other shops had their doors shut tight and probably wouldn't open until the afternoon.
[Ding-dong~ New quest issued: Please sell 15 cups of mint water and 5 egg waffles.]
The system's voice suddenly rang out in her mind, making Shen Lu jump.
The quest was harder than yesterday's, but Shen Lu was confident she could complete it.
The people coming to Gold Street at this time were mostly looking for lunch. Shen Lu placed the egg waffle maker on a metal stool, poured in the right amount of batter, and closed the lid.
Before long, the incredibly fragrant aroma of egg waffles wafted out, hooking every person who passed by Shen Lu's small stall.
A little boy swallowed hard and pulled his mother over.
"What's that? It smells so good!" the little boy asked, curiously pointing at the operating egg waffle maker.
"Egg waffles. Fragrant, delicious egg waffles," Shen Lu said, bending down to introduce them to her little customer with a smile. "They're a very fragrant, sweet, and soft snack. They're delicious!"
"I want one!" The little boy's mind was clouded by the overpowering aroma of the egg waffles. He shook his mother's arm. "Mom, I don't want a meat bun anymore, I want this!"
The little boy's mother frowned, glancing at Shen Lu and then at the egg waffle maker.
She had never seen this kind of food before, nor had she ever smelled such an aroma—one so fragrant it could make a person lose their reason.
She suddenly remembered a news report from a few days ago about an additive circulating on the market called a "flavor enhancer." Even the most disgusting food would become intensely aromatic and whet one's appetite if you just added it.
Flavor enhancers contained small amounts of toxins. They weren't lethal, but eating too much would have side effects. The government didn't encourage their use, but they didn't seem to have any intention of dealing with the problem, either. They just reported on it in the news, letting citizens be careful on their own.
"Eat what?!" The boy's mother smacked him on the back of the head and dragged him away. "That thing is obviously full of flavor enhancers! You can't eat it!"
"WAAAH! I wanna eat it! I have to eat it!" the little boy wailed. If he couldn't eat such a fragrant egg waffle, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night.
But he was no match for his mother. The little boy was still dragged away, earning a hard slap across the face for his troubles.
Shen Lu pursed her lips and tilted her head slightly.
'Flavor enhancer?'
'What is that? An additive?'
'I'm a perfectly scrupulous vendor. My ingredients are all-natural and pollution-free. Why would I use additives? If I did, I wouldn't eat them myself.'
'Is it my fault the egg waffles are too fragrant?'
Shen Lu felt truly wronged.
Noon passed quickly, but Shen Lu's business wasn't good. At least thirty or forty people had passed by, yet she had only sold two cups of mint water and one egg waffle.
The customer who bought the egg waffle even wore an expression like a hero marching to his death, as if he was certain it contained flavor enhancers. But it was just too fragrant, and he was just too greedy, so he braved the risk of being poisoned to satisfy his craving.
Shen Lu was left speechless.
At two in the afternoon, during the most brutal part of the day, Shen Lu was waiting in the shade when a plump auntie holding a somewhat worn black umbrella walked over.
Shen Lu's eyes lit up. 'Just from her build, I can tell she loves to eat,' she thought. 'This sale is in the bag.'
"Ma'am, would you like an egg waffle? Paired with an ice-cold mint water, it's a double delight."
The auntie glanced behind her. "Are you running the stall by yourself today?"
Shen Lu hadn't expected this to be the first thing the auntie said. She froze for a moment, then nodded.
The auntie was suspicious. "For real? You didn't just dump your brother, did you?"
"Of course not, why would I dump him?" Shen Lu waved her hands dismissively. When she saw the gold bracelet on the auntie's wrist, she suddenly remembered.
This auntie had also bought mint water yesterday. Her attire was different today; she hadn't been carrying an umbrella or wearing a mask, which was why Shen Lu hadn't recognized her at first.
Luckily, Shen Lu still remembered the gold bracelet on the auntie's hand.
At the time, she had secretly asked the system in her head how many ingredients the auntie's gold bracelet could be exchanged for. The system had listed over ten items, making Shen Lu's mouth water.
"You didn't dump him, but you dare to leave him all alone?" The auntie clearly didn't believe her. "He's so badly injured. If no one's watching him constantly, he could stop breathing at any moment!"
Shen Lu was baffled.
'Wait, aren't people in this wasteland world supposed to be cold, heartless, and mind their own business?'
'Isn't this auntie being a little too kind?'
Shen Lu said uncertainly, "I... don't think so?"
'According to the plot I know, Fu Cheng is supposed to live until the final chapter. But this part of the story I'm experiencing now... I don't know the specific details. I don't know what kind of opportunity Fu Cheng encountered after the original owner abandoned him that allowed him to not only survive but also gain immense power and considerable influence.'
'Now that I've picked him up, have I altered the original plot? Will he miss his fated opportunity and just die?'
'After all, Fu Cheng's injuries looked extremely serious. There were many times I couldn't even see his chest rising and falling, and I'd start to suspect he was already dead.'
"Young lady, you just don't understand these things." The auntie sighed. "Take some advice from your auntie: you'd better bring your brother with you. Don't regret it later."
She'd had a similar experience when she was young. Her six-month-old daughter got sick. She bought medicine and gave it to her, then left for work. When she came back, her daughter's body was already cold.
The auntie blamed herself deeply. She knew her husband was unreliable, so how could she have expected him to stay home and watch the child just because she told him to?
She should have taken the child to work with her.
Later, she divorced her husband over the matter, met a benefactor, and her life improved considerably. She even had a new family, but her deceased daughter became her eternal regret.
"I'll watch your stall for a bit. You go and bring your brother over," the auntie said, walking up to Shen Lu and urging her on. "Don't worry, I'm not interested in these little things of yours. I won't steal them."
Shen Lu was speechless. She really didn't want to move. Even though Fu Cheng was severely injured, he was over six feet tall and a real pain to move.
But the auntie had an expression that said, "I'm helping you with this today, no arguments." The refusal on the tip of Shen Lu's tongue was hard to voice.
"Alright."
Shen Lu could only go back to her rented room, get Fu Cheng onto the handcart, and push him over.
The auntie's eyes were filled with pity. 'Look at this boy,' she thought. 'He probably doesn't have many days left. Even though being moved around all the time isn't good for his recovery, for someone who's not going to live long, having family by his side is more important.'
She understood this feeling all too well.
The auntie bought a cup of mint water and an egg waffle, then walked off briskly under her umbrella.
Not long after the auntie left, another customer came and bought a cup of mint water.
Soon, two girls, attracted by the aroma of the egg waffles, came over and said they wanted to buy two.
Business suddenly picked up. Shen Lu was a bit flustered at first, but after a moment to adjust, she became methodical.
After she finished preparing all the customers' orders and placed the two egg waffles into the girls' own lunchbox, Shen Lu was about to take a breather when a familiar pair of leather boots appeared.