Setting Up Stalls – Chapter 1
by Little PandaWho Made Her Be My Crush
When Sun Miao woke up and found she had transmigrated, this couldnβt be counted as anything good.
When Sun Miao woke up and found she had transmigrated, this couldnβt be counted as good news, because she actually didnβt want to transmigrate at all.
Although she was an orphan, before transmigrating she already had her own small businessβshe ran a breakfast shop. While it was tiring, she could rest in the afternoons, and she earned quite well too.
At this rate of earning money, if she worked hard for about ten years, she could find a chance to lie flat [θΊΊεΉ³ | tang ping | to step away from the competitive, often stressful, cycle of working hard to climb the corporate ladder or pursuing societal standards of success].
She didnβt know why she had transmigrated, maybe it was because she ran a breakfast shop that matched well with the cheat ability.
Yes, she had a cheat ability.
But honestly, the moment she transmigrated, Sun Miao thought she might as well have died instead, because after transmigrating she was truly penniless. Literally, frighteningly poor.
Cramped in a tiny rental room costing six hundred yuan monthly, surrounded by noisy neighbors scolding their children, this life was even worse than before she transmigrated. Fortunately, the system arrived timely, giving her a cheat abilityβthe Random Food Stall System.
However, after reading through the system instructions, Sun Miao thought: goodness, this isnβt even as good as her breakfast shop.
The so-called Random Food Stall System meant finding a place every day for her to set up a stall. The system would prepare a food cart and daily menu, and would train her in advance within the system space. Besides that, she had to prepare everything else herself.
Including fuel, rice, oil, salt, sauces, vinegar, tea, and disposable bowls and chopsticks.
Sun Miao looked at the mere thousand yuan left in her bank account and could only immediately accept tomorrowβs task.
γDing! Dear host, hello! Your first stall task is: Tomorrow from 8 AM to 8 PM, set up your stall at the second lamppost west of the South Gate No. 3 of the City Hospitalβs Inpatient Department. You will sell egg fried rice. As a beginnerβs task, you must sell at least one portion. (Note: This task will last for one week.)γ
Sun Miao raised her hand to ask: βWhat if I get caught by the City Management?β
This matter was so important that Sun Miao didnβt even have time to complain about who would buy food from a stall that only opens after 8 AM, how working 8 AM to 8 PM completely defied human nature and deserved hanging from the lamppost, or why the location had to be precisely at the second lamppostβ¦ she just asked the most crucial question.
She had set up stalls before and had her goods confiscated by City Management twice.
So this question, in Sun Miaoβs view, was particularly important.
The system thought for a moment, then told her: γPlease rest assured, host. We have prepared a stall permit. Your food cart definitely wonβt be confiscated.γ
Only then did Sun Miao feel at ease, and she very quickly prepared the necessary items. Some equipment she needed but couldnβt afford, but looking carefully, she found that the system had placed a beautiful food cart in the empty space outside, equipped with the necessary toolsβan extra-large electric rice cooker and a large refrigerator.
Sun Miao was even more satisfied. She bought some basic ingredients, put them in the food cart and locked it up, then returned to her rental room to receive the systemβs trainingβhow to cook egg fried rice.
She originally thought cooking egg fried rice should be very simple, but she was trapped in the system space for exactly three months before mastering it. Good thing the system spaceβs time flow was different from the outside, otherwise the landlord would have called the police to look for her.
After leaving the system space, Sun Miao immediately made herself a portion of egg fried rice to fill her stomachβand she had to admit, it was really delicious.
Sun Miao now felt she was the God of Egg Fried Rice.
However, since the rice hadnβt been pre-processed yet, the taste hadnβt reached its peak. With the stall opening at 8 AM tomorrow, Sun Miao immediately cooked rice and stuffed it in the refrigerator. For egg fried rice, you need overnight riceβfresh rice just canβt achieve that flavor!
Sun Miao was full of confidence. She had always been a rather cheerful and optimistic person, so even though she had changed worlds, she could still lie down and get a good sleep. Though she had some trouble falling asleep at night, she discussed with the system about changing the food cartβs sign.
After discussion between Sun Miao and the system, βMiao Miaoβs Mobile Food Barβ was freshly launched.
Early the next morning, Sun Miao drove her electric three-wheeled food cart toward the location specified by the system. When Sun Miao checked her phoneβs navigation, she saw it was over twenty kilometers away, and thought the system was being a bit ridiculous.
It was now April, the weather wasnβt hot and carried a hint of coolness. Early in the morning, Sun Miao wrapped herself up warmly before setting out.
When she arrived and looked around, there wasnβt a single other stall in sight. Sun Miao still felt nervous: βI really wonβt get confiscated by City Management?β
γNo, host, please rest assured.γ
Only then did Sun Miao completely relax, set up her food cart, and took out a small blackboard to write up egg fried rice and its price. The system had set the price at twenty yuan per portion. Besides scallions and eggs, there were no other side dishes.
Although the price was a bit high, Sun Miao felt that considering her three months of specialized training, it wasnβt unreasonableβshe was worth this price!
However, reality dealt her a heavy blow. Though her food cart was decorated quite cutely, with βMiao Miaoβs Mobile Food Barβ specially designed to look very adorable, and while quite a few people were attracted to come look at her cart, not a single person placed an order.
Because her egg fried rice⦠was too expensive.
The small fried rice shop next door only charged eight yuan for a portion of egg fried rice, while she was charging twenty.
From 8 AM to 5 PM, no one showed any interest. By 7 PM, still no one had bought anything. As the hospitalβs outpatient department finished for the day, surrounding shops were packing up and leaving. Sun Miao sat on her small stool, feeling restless, and asked the system:
βWhat happens if I donβt complete the task on the first day?β
γHost will be punished by washing dishes in the system space for three days.γ
Sun Miao drew in a sharp breath, and began calling out her wares with renewed vigor. Just then, she welcomed her first customer.
At 7:30, a hurried customer stopped in front of her food cart. Her hair was meticulously pinned back, she wore professional attire with high heels, and carried a bag. When she saw Sun Miaoβs food cart, her stomach made a growling sound.
The customer, who looked like a career woman , hesitated for a moment before walking over.
The cartβs small light cast a soft glow on the customer, and Sun Miaoβs eyes lit up: Wow, so beautiful, she really liked her.
This customer hit every point of Sun Miaoβs aesthetic preferences, though she didnβt show it at all. Becauseβ¦ she was a lesbian. And the cool and graceful sister across from her was clearly straight. Her gaydar didnβt register anything at all, so no matter how much Sun Miao liked her, she couldnβt show it at all.
She was afraid that if one day she developed real feelings for a straight girl, she might happily dress up and even deliberately match the otherβs outfit, only for the straight girl to go home and complain to her girlfriends: βUgh, what a copycat.β Even she would be crushed by that!
The first rule of being a lesbian: never fall for a straight girl.
Sun Miao put on her business smile, unconsciously speaking more gently than usual: βWould you like a portion of egg fried rice?β
The womanβs entire outfit looked expensive. Though Sun Miao, new to this world, didnβt recognize clothing brands, she could tell quality fabric. This fabric and cut wouldnβt be anything cheap. The woman looked at her sign and asked: βEgg fried rice? Is there anything else? Like noodles, wontons [ι¦ι₯¨ | hun tun], or something?β
As soon as she spoke, Sun Miao knewβthis person preferred light flavors and didnβt like seemingly greasy foods like egg fried rice. In reality, when people make egg fried rice at home, they donβt use much oil, but outside, especially at street stalls, when you order egg fried rice, it often drips with oil.
Sun Miao knew she didnβt want anything too greasy, so she said: βNothing else, but I use less oil, so it tastes light and wonβt be too greasy. Iβll also include a bowl of egg drop soup. If you donβt like it, you donβt have to pay.β
βItβs not about the twenty yuanβ¦β the woman still hesitated, looking around once more before finally saying: βAlright, Iβll have one portion of egg fried rice.β
It was now 7:40 PM, with twenty minutes left until Sun Miaoβs closing time. At this moment, Sun Miao was especially grateful to this customer. If not for her, she would have had to wash dishes in the system space for three days!
Sun Miao smiled, set up a small table, took out a folding stool, wiped it clean and placed it on the ground nearby: βHave a seat, itβll be ready soon. Would you like it to go or eat here?β
βIβll eat here.β
The woman was indeed hungry, her stomach growling audibly. When Sun Miao came closer, her stomach growled again. She felt a bit embarrassed and used her bag to partially cover her stomach, though her expression remained unchanged. She answered with feigned indifference, specifically reminding Sun Miao: βNo chili please.β
βAlright.β
Sun Miao turned around and began preparing her first sale in this world.
A simple portion of egg fried rice.
Sun Miao was skilled at making egg fried rice. She had battled through three months in the system space, and these three months were different from three months in real life. It was three months without any breaks!
Three months, 90 days, 2,160 hoursβshe hadnβt stopped once, continuously making egg fried rice until she was sick of it. How to make egg fried rice was practically engraved in her DNA now. Now she just had to think about what to do, and her body would move on its own.
Taking out a single portion of rice, then two eggs, preparing the chopped scallions; with her other hand, simple seasoningsβthis was the most basic egg fried rice.
The preparation of egg fried rice was quick too, taking no more than three minutes from start to finish. She placed it in a disposable container, then started making the egg drop soup. The ingredients were leftovers from tonight that she had originally planned to use for a meal tomorrow.
Now she was dedicating them to her customerβafter all, who made her be her crush?
LP: Sun Miao is already so relatable
The system is so shady and confusing from the get go: It only said to serve one portion of the designated dish to complete the tasks within one week but then suddenly impose a daily qouta or else get a punishment? That is one unprofessional system, though I guess I already had a hunch since earlier on given how the Mc interacted with it before setting up the stall.
An interesting start… :D
I really like novels where they have a business! Looks already promising although the system is indeed very hard!