Setting Up Stalls – Chapter 1
by Little PandaWho Made Her Be My Crush
When Sun Miao woke up and found she had transmigrated, this couldnโt be counted as anything good.
When Sun Miao woke up and found she had transmigrated, this couldnโt be counted as good news, because she actually didnโt want to transmigrate at all.
Although she was an orphan, before transmigrating she already had her own small businessโshe 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 [่บบๅนณ | 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 didnโt 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 abilityโthe Random Food Stall System.
However, after reading through the system instructions, Sun Miao thought: goodness, this isnโt 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 tomorrowโs task.
ใDing! 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 Hospitalโs Inpatient Department. You will sell egg fried rice. As a beginnerโs task, you must sell at least one portion. (Note: This task will last for one week.)ใ
Sun Miao raised her hand to ask: โWhat if I get caught by the City Management?โ
This matter was so important that Sun Miao didnโt 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 lamppostโฆ 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 Miaoโs view, was particularly important.
The system thought for a moment, then told her: ใPlease rest assured, host. We have prepared a stall permit. Your food cart definitely wonโt be confiscated.ใ
Only then did Sun Miao feel at ease, and she very quickly prepared the necessary items. Some equipment she needed but couldnโt afford, but looking carefully, she found that the system had placed a beautiful food cart in the empty space outside, equipped with the necessary toolsโan 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 systemโs trainingโhow 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 spaceโs 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 stomachโand she had to admit, it was really delicious.
Sun Miao now felt she was the God of Egg Fried Rice.
However, since the rice hadnโt been pre-processed yet, the taste hadnโt 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 riceโfresh rice just canโt 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 cartโs sign.
After discussion between Sun Miao and the system, โMiao Miaoโs Mobile Food Barโ 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 phoneโs navigation, she saw it was over twenty kilometers away, and thought the system was being a bit ridiculous.
It was now April, the weather wasnโt 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 wasnโt a single other stall in sight. Sun Miao still felt nervous: โI really wonโt get confiscated by City Management?โ
ใNo, host, please rest assured.ใ
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 wasnโt unreasonableโshe was worth this price!
However, reality dealt her a heavy blow. Though her food cart was decorated quite cutely, with โMiao Miaoโs Mobile Food Barโ 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 riceโฆ 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 hospitalโs 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:
โWhat happens if I donโt complete the task on the first day?โ
ใHost will be punished by washing dishes in the system space for three days.ใ
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 Miaoโs food cart, her stomach made a growling sound.
The customer, who looked like a career woman , hesitated for a moment before walking over.
The cartโs small light cast a soft glow on the customer, and Sun Miaoโs eyes lit up: Wow, so beautiful, she really liked her.
This customer hit every point of Sun Miaoโs aesthetic preferences, though she didnโt show it at all. Becauseโฆ she was a lesbian. And the cool and graceful sister across from her was clearly straight. Her gaydar didnโt register anything at all, so no matter how much Sun Miao liked her, she couldnโt 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 otherโs outfit, only for the straight girl to go home and complain to her girlfriends: โUgh, what a copycat.โ 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: โWould you like a portion of egg fried rice?โ
The womanโs entire outfit looked expensive. Though Sun Miao, new to this world, didnโt recognize clothing brands, she could tell quality fabric. This fabric and cut wouldnโt be anything cheap. The woman looked at her sign and asked: โEgg fried rice? Is there anything else? Like noodles, wontons [้ฆ้ฅจ | hun tun], or something?โ
As soon as she spoke, Sun Miao knewโthis person preferred light flavors and didnโt like seemingly greasy foods like egg fried rice. In reality, when people make egg fried rice at home, they donโt use much oil, but outside, especially at street stalls, when you order egg fried rice, it often drips with oil.
Sun Miao knew she didnโt want anything too greasy, so she said: โNothing else, but I use less oil, so it tastes light and wonโt be too greasy. Iโll also include a bowl of egg drop soup. If you donโt like it, you donโt have to pay.โ
โItโs not about the twenty yuanโฆโ the woman still hesitated, looking around once more before finally saying: โAlright, Iโll have one portion of egg fried rice.โ
It was now 7:40 PM, with twenty minutes left until Sun Miaoโs 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: โHave a seat, itโll be ready soon. Would you like it to go or eat here?โ
โIโll eat here.โ
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: โNo chili please.โ
โAlright.โ
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 hoursโshe hadnโt 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 seasoningsโthis 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 customerโafter 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!