Setting Up Stalls – Chapter 200

A New Dining Spot

Sun Miao didn’t even need to answer. The surrounding regular customers had already started their passionate recommendations¹: “Sir, trust me, it’s delicious! There are no better dumplings in this world!”

“They’re really good! Sir, if you’re going to buy, buy quickly. We’re all waiting in line behind you!”

Then there was one who took the opposite approach: “They’re not good, really not good at all! Sir, you should leave. Her price of 88 per serving is a total scam!”

“…” Everyone turned to look at the person who had spoken against it, their eyes filled with condemnation. What’s wrong with you, how could you deceive an old comrade? Just so you can make him give up his spot and buy them for yourself, right?

The old man hesitated for a long time, still unable to make a decision. The people in the line behind him were getting anxious. At that moment, Sun Miao spoke up: “Sir, whether you buy or not, please step to the side for a moment. I’ll still consider you first in line. You can watch from the side for a bit. If you decide you want to buy, just say the word. If not, you don’t have to say anything at all, just feel free to leave.”

After she finished speaking, she looked toward the Hip-hop Yabi duo behind him. “How many servings today?”

In truth, the old man’s behavior was a bit unexpected for Sun Miao. She had never encountered this kind of situation, not even in the system space. Most of the time, the customers in the system space were primarily there to find fault and be picky. There were also some small scenarios set up by the system, like what to do if a customer forgot their money or lost their wallet.

However, there had never been an elderly man like this, standing at the very front of the line, so conflicted about whether to buy or not.

All one could say was that the system’s AI still couldn’t completely replace humans. The things one encountered in real life could be far more absurd than the thousands of scenarios the system had simulated.

The old man really did as Sun Miao said and shuffled to the side. The Hip-hop Yabi duo nodded at the old man, then stepped forward to buy their food for the day.

Hip-hop Mei couldn’t help but complain to Sun Miao, “I bought three servings yesterday, but I only got to eat two of them myself. Who would’ve known my older sister would be home? She just snatched two servings away. I was the one who bought them, but I ate less than she did!”

Yabi Mei was less talkative and would usually just watch the two of them speak.

Sun Miao didn’t offer much of a response, simply nodding to show she was listening. Once she was done cooking and packing, she handed the food to the two of them, concluding the transaction and welcoming the next customer.

Sun Miao’s way of doing business was largely the same. At some point, it had started that when she was cooking, customers couldn’t help but tell her a little about their own affairs. It could be anything—maybe they were stuck in traffic on the way over, didn’t sleep well last night, or had a tooth that was a little inflamed… It could even be topics like the neighbor’s cats getting into a fight.

They didn’t really need a response from her. As long as Sun Miao nodded from time to time and let out a quiet “mhm,” it was enough.

If Sun Miao wanted to respond, she would add a sentence or two when handing over the food. It was never much. At most, it might be a dozen words; at its shortest, it was just three: “Is that so.” But everyone was quite happy and didn’t feel she was being perfunctory.

Because Sun Miao’s eyes were bright.

She was genuinely listening to what they were saying. And besides, this moment also meant that the delicious food was in their hands, and they could enjoy a hearty meal.

The old man watched from the side for a long time. At first, he almost thought the people lining up in front of Sun Miao had been hired by her, specifically to create the impression that her little stall was very popular. Even though the old man had no idea what the point of setting up a stall here and faking popularity would be, he still had that feeling.

But soon, he abandoned the thought, because many people didn’t actually leave after buying. Those who found a seat sat at the small tables, and those who didn’t simply squatted on the curb to eat. The expressions on their faces as they ate clearly showed they genuinely found the food delicious.

The old man still felt that 88 was very expensive, but he also wanted to give it a try. He walked back into the line and asked, “Can I get half a serving?”

Sun Miao paused for a second, then nodded. “Sir, half a serving is 45.”

Sun Miao’s stingy streak² had emerged again. But you couldn’t blame her. Normally, she wouldn’t sell half servings, but since the old man had asked, she might as well. It was just that 44 for half a serving didn’t sound good, so adding one yuan wasn’t a problem. She could have chosen to round down and sell it for 40.

But Sun Miao truly couldn’t bring herself to do that. Selling a half portion was already a bit of a loss. If a half portion was cheaper at 40, what would the other customers think? Did they think she was a big-headed sucker³?

The old man had no issue with the price. He paid, and after Sun Miao prepared it, he carried the dumplings and walked into the scenic spot.

Some of the regular customers thought to themselves: That makes sense. We’re already here, right at the entrance to the attraction, why not go in for a stroll? But then, someone who had just gone in a moment ago suddenly darted back out. “Stop squatting on the curb to eat! As soon as you enter the main gate, there’s a small plaza with lots of stone benches and chairs. The view is great, isn’t that better than squatting?”

Hearing this, everyone was tempted.

So, one by one, the customers carried their bags into the scenic spot, sat down on the stone benches, and began to eat.

It had to be said, the scenery inside the attraction was quite beautiful. Green hills, lush trees, sitting on a stone bench under the dappled shadows of the trees while eating delicious dumplings—one couldn’t describe how pleasant it was. It was just hard on the auntie watching the gate. Seeing them carry food inside, her face was filled with worry.

The main issue was that they all had a clear objective: to go inside and eat. If a few of them lacked manners and left their trash on the tables, the auntie would have to go in and clean it all up. This scenic spot was very small, just a little garden, and there weren’t many visitors on a normal day, so the company had only assigned two or three staff members.

Besides watching the gate and selling tickets, the auntie also had to find time to tidy up the spot when no one was around.

So, the moment she saw people carrying food and drinks in, she started to worry. What’s more, it was so many people at once. The auntie stared intently, worried they would litter. But even if they didn’t litter and properly threw their trash in the bins, the auntie’s heart would still pound with anxiety.

Because the trash cans inside weren’t large. They were the small, ancient-style decorative bins you find in scenic areas. A few items would fill them up, and when they were full, trash would pile up around them, and the auntie would still have to spend ages cleaning it up.

The auntie fretted, a sense of grievance in her heart. That little street vendor at the entrance leaves punctually at nine, but with so much trash left behind, how long will it take me to clean it all up by myself?

The auntie watched with pleading eyes, only to see that after they finished eating, they all packed up their things. They even took tissues out of their pockets to carefully wipe the spot where they had eaten their dumplings. Even though they were confident that not a single drop of soup had escaped their mouths, they would still wipe the area for the sake of hygiene.

After wiping, they stuffed the used tissues into their bags, and carrying the bags, they left directly.

This was because Sun Miao had told them that there was a small garbage sorting station a short walk from the scenic area exit, which would be perfect for this. If that wasn’t an option, they could also throw it in her large trash can.

Sun Miao was a person who was exceptionally tidy and hated to cause trouble for sanitation workers. The vendors who had previously followed her to set up stalls near the research institute were all the same. Her regular customers saw this and took it to heart. If that group of vendors who only followed Sun Miao for a while could do it, how could they, the long-time regulars, fail to do the same?

So they carried the bags, now filled with trash, with their heads held high and chests out, as if they weren’t carrying garbage, but a silk banner of honor.

As they left the scenic area, the regulars even greeted Sun Miao: “See you later, Boss Sun!”

She was in the middle of boiling dumplings, so how could she have time to talk to them? She just gave a slight nod.

While Sun Miao was serving her customers, Su Ruixi also yawned and got out of bed. Last night, Father Su had sent her a message, saying she hadn’t been home in a long time and that she should come back for a visit, instead of being a stranger all day.

Su Ruixi counted the days; it really had been a while. Sun Miao had made extra Spanish mackerel dumplings yesterday. Besides the portion for Zhou Ling, she had made a lot more. Knowing that Su Ruixi was going home today, she had her take them back for her parents.

When she heard this, Su Ruixi froze for a moment before replying, “Okay.”

She had a small account⁴ lurking in Sun Miao’s foodie group chat that she would check from time to time. Among the new members who had recently joined, she had seen her own mother’s account. At first, she thought it was just someone with the same profile picture and name, but when she clicked on it, there was no mistake—it was her dear mother.

Su Ruixi could guess that after so many days, Shen Yiqiu must have developed some suspicions about Sun Miao’s identity. Bringing the Spanish mackerel dumplings over at this time would most likely confirm Shen Yiqiu’s guess.

That was the reason for her initial hesitation. She didn’t know if Shen Yiqiu had accepted Sun Miao. If she delivered the dumplings now and Shen Yiqiu found out Sun Miao was her girlfriend, she might come to dislike her. Although Su Ruixi didn’t care whether her parents accepted Sun Miao—even if they didn’t, she would still be with her, at worst they just wouldn’t see each other—

However, she still didn’t want anyone to dislike Sun Miao, especially not her own parents.

A person as wonderful as Sun Miao shouldn’t be disliked by others because of her.

After thinking for a moment, she agreed. This was because Su Ruixi greatly admired Sun Miao’s charisma. Her mom had already been buying yangyu potato cake from Sun Miao for a week and had even reminded her on the phone to take care of her. No matter how she looked at it, Shen Yiqiu probably liked Sun Miao a lot too.

Su Ruixi’s viewpoint was: Sun Miao is so wonderful, the whole world should love her.

A love brain, what can you do?

After Su Ruixi got up, she washed up, opened her phone, and saw a message Sun Miao had sent in the middle of her busy morning. She said she would probably sell out quickly today too and would be back soon. Su Ruixi replied: “Then wait for me for lunch.”

There was no reply from the other side. She was probably busy cooking again, or perhaps already on her way back.

Su Ruixi ate a few bites of the breakfast Sun Miao had prepared, leaving some room in her stomach. Carrying the already-cooked dumplings and the frozen ones from the freezer, she drove off to her old home.

That’s right, Su Ruixi had no intention of staying at her parents’ house for long. What was so interesting about being with her own mom and dad? Besides, her mom’s cooking wasn’t very good. She would much rather come back and have lunch with Sun Miao.

The fact that she was willing to eat half a breakfast with them was already a testament to her being an exceptionally filial daughter. If it were Hip-hop Mei, she definitely would have eaten her fill before heading home.

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