Setting Up Stalls – Chapter 290

The Weather Turns Cold

With her first bite, Shen Yiqiu deliberately scooped up a piece with extra Zhe’ergen¹. The flavor instantly flooded her mouth. She was a massive fan of Zhe’ergen, and she loved potatoes just as much.

The Langya Potatoes had a completely different feel from a Yangyu baba². The Yangyu baba was softer, more like a potato pancake, while the Langya Potatoes was deep-fried, giving it a much crispier exterior. A Yangyu baba was a single patty, whereas Langya Potatoeses were cut into individual, bite-sized pieces.

And because they were bite-sized, it was easy to lose track of how many you’d eaten. In what felt like no time, Shen Yiqiu had devoured a large serving. When she got to the bottom, she used her bamboo skewer to scrape up every last bit of Zhe’ergen left in the bowl and pop it into her mouth.

It was just too good. She was so engrossed she completely forgot to ask Sun Miao for a little more chili.

After she finished, she had to admit that Sun Miao had a better grasp of her spice tolerance than she did. This level of heat was absolutely perfect. Any more, and the chili would have been overwhelming, even unpleasantly bitter. Any less, and it wouldn’t have had that satisfying kick that made beads of sweat form on her forehead.

As she ate, she started to feel warmer and warmer. It was already October 21st, and the days were gradually cooling down. The mornings and evenings were especially chilly. Sun Miao had set up her stall at four, and by the time Shen Yiqiu got her food, it was five-thirty. The temperature had definitely dropped.

Shen Yiqiu had put on a jacket long before, a thin knit cardigan that was surprisingly warm—even better than some windbreakers. But after just a few bites, the spice had her breaking out in a light sweat. Her whole body felt fiery hot, so she had to slip the cardigan off and lay it across her lap, careful not to let it fall to the ground.

Even after finishing the Langya Potatoeses, a pleasant warmth lingered. With her cardigan draped over her arm, she said goodbye to Sun Miao, tossed the disposable container into a trash can, and walked away. Back in her car, she was still thinking. Is the Zhe’ergen chili sauce³ at home almost gone? Once I’m done with this project at work, I’ll have to shamelessly go to my daughter’s place for a meal… and snag a couple of jars of that sauce to bring back.

Shen Yiqiu had no idea that her worry-wart of a daughter was secretly plotting to hoard that very same Zhe’ergen chili sauce for herself.

If Su Ruixi could actually stand the taste of Zhe’ergen, Shen Yiqiu’s chili sauce would have probably already ended up in her stomach.

Sitting in her car, Shen Yiqiu savored the memory of the taste. Zhe’ergen is just so delicious, especially with potatoes. It’s so crunchy, a perfect contrast to the soft potato center. It adds this unusual flavor that makes the Langya Potatoes even better.

Whoever invented using Zhe’ergen as a seasoning was an absolute genius! No, I can’t think about it. The moment she thought of Zhe’ergen, she remembered Sun Miao’s Zhe’ergen stir-fried cured pork⁴. That was another masterpiece, and just thinking about it made her mouth water all over again.

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Sun Miao’s routine was the same as always. When the time came, she packed up her stall and headed home.

By the time she finished cleaning up, it was already six-thirty. The sun had set, and the temperature had plunged. Sun Miao opened a drawer in her food cart and pulled out the windbreaker Su Ruixi had bought for her. She unfolded it and put it on.

The weather was getting seriously cold, especially when she was riding her electric tricycle. The wind whipped against her face. Thank goodness for the windbreaker from Su Ruixi; it kept her from getting chilled to the bone. Sun Miao zipped it up, put on the helmet Su Ruixi had also bought her, and hopped onto her cart, heading for home.

It wasn’t freezing yet, still bearable. But she figured that in another few weeks, around mid-November, she’d have to buy a wind-blocking quilt⁵ for the tricycle. Without one, the wind would just pour in, and it would be impossible to endure.

In the city where they lived, spring and autumn were fleeting. In early October, people were still in short sleeves, but by the end of the month, you needed a windbreaker. The long-sleeved shirts wouldn’t last long, either. Soon enough, it would be time for heavy winter coats.

Sun Miao didn’t know any of this, of course. It was her first time spending a winter in this city. Luckily, Su Ruixi knew everything and had already prepared all sorts of clothes for her. Being loved felt completely different from how things used to be.

In the past, no one ever asked Sun Miao if she was cold. The Director⁶ had so many children to look after; how could she possibly have time to check on every single one? It was only after getting together with Su Ruixi that she could finally enjoy the feeling of being on someone’s mind.

The thought alone warmed her.

Of course, it would be nice if Xitong⁷ were still here, she thought. It might have pulled some strings, given me a special privilege, and upgraded me to a little food cart with built-in air conditioning. Sun Miao had spent the last while figuring out the things Xitong had left her. This specialized cart for deep-frying Langya Potatoeses was something she had configured herself.

But it was a budget version, a far cry from what Xitong could control directly. It was enough for her needs, but the functionality was definitely limited.

Sun Miao thought of Xitong again. The bittersweet longing she used to feel was mostly gone now. Her life was stable, not all that different from when Xitong was around. The main reason was Su Ruixi. With Su Ruixi by her side, what should have been a hazy path forward was now brightly lit.

Thinking of this, Sun Miao started humming a song as she drove her little food cart.

The songs Sun Miao hummed while driving were usually tuneless melodies she made up on the spot. As long as she liked the sound of it, that was all that mattered. Before long, her little cart passed through the main gate of the Cui Ting Ya Yuan⁸ residential complex. A little farther, and she was home.

Before Sun Miao could even get her key out, the door swung open. Su Ruixi was there to welcome her in. She reached out immediately, wrapping her hands around Sun Miao’s. Sun Miao’s fingertips were cold, and Su Ruixi frowned with regret. “I forgot to buy you gloves. I’ll order them right now; they’ll be here tomorrow. You can sign for them. Don’t forget to wear them when you come home tomorrow night.”

Sun Miao didn’t feel cold. Her body was warm, completely protected from the elements. Besides, the temperature wasn’t that low yet, still in the fifties. Her hands were only chilly from the wind; they weren’t actually cold. But Su Ruixi was worried about her, and Sun Miao smiled, her eyes crinkling. She was clearly enjoying the attention. “Okay, thanks, Susu-jie.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Su Ruixi chided her gently. Once Sun Miao’s hands had warmed up, she led her to the table. Just like yesterday, Su Ruixi had already done some simple prep work. Even the vegetables were washed and ready, just waiting for Sun Miao to get home.

Sun Miao didn’t stand on ceremony. She tied on an apron and got to work.

Watching from the side, Su Ruixi couldn’t help but say, “Miaomiao, why don’t you teach me how to cook a few things? That way, if you come home late, I can have dinner ready. You shouldn’t have to come home after a long day and go straight into the kitchen.”

Sun Miao, holding the spatula, glanced back at Su Ruixi for a moment before turning back to the stove. She didn’t look at her again, but her voice carried over. “Susu-jie, what are you talking about? The last thing I need is you blowing up the kitchen.”

Su Ruixi huffed, annoyed, and poked Sun Miao in the small of her back. Sun Miao dodged. “Susu-jie, don’t mess around. I’m cooking.”

That one joke made it clear to Su Ruixi: Sun Miao didn’t want to teach her how to cook. She didn’t know why, but the idea of learning had been a sudden impulse. Her concern for Sun Miao was real, though. It was late, and Sun Miao still had to cook for both of them. Was she some kind of Zhou Bapi⁹?

But since Sun Miao wasn’t willing, Su Ruixi didn’t press the issue.

Sun Miao genuinely didn’t want Su Ruixi to learn. Who was Su Ruixi? A genuine thousand-gold big miss¹⁰, someone who had likely never done a day of hard work in her life. It was one thing for her to wash a few dishes or prep some vegetables now that they were together, but she couldn’t possibly let her start cooking, doing laundry, or making the bed, could she?

Being with her shouldn’t mean Su Ruixi had to lower her standard of living.

Besides, she was more than happy to cook for Su Ruixi. She would do it willingly, no matter how late it was. She wanted to take good care of the person she loved.

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In the days that followed, Sun Miao’s life fell into a comfortable rhythm: set up the stall, close the stall. Whenever her days off coincided with Su Ruixi’s, the two of them would travel to a nearby city. They went hiking in the mountains, strolling through gardens, and even visited a theme park.

The old Sun Miao had been focused solely on making money and had never really gone out for fun. She used to feel a little lonely about it, wondering when she’d save up enough to travel on her own. But now, she felt that never having gone anywhere was actually the right decision.

Because of it, every trip with Susu-jie was a brand-new, exciting experience.

Her life was so regular that Sun Miao lost all sense of time. She only noticed that the weather was getting colder day by day, and only special occasions really registered. Like today, for instance. It was Christmas Eve¹¹, December 24th.

The holiday itself wasn’t particularly important to Sun Miao; she wasn’t one to celebrate Western festivals. But with Su Ruixi in her life, things were different. After all, every foreign holiday that came to their country was basically turned into another Valentine’s Day¹².

So Christmas Eve, Christmas Day—they were no different from Valentine’s Day now.

And if it was Valentine’s Day, you had to spend it with your valentine.

Unfortunately, it was a Monday, so Su Ruixi still had to work. This morning, Sun Miao was selling Jianbing guozi¹³, setting up her stall early in the frigid air. The weather was brutally cold, so much so that even Hip-hop Mei from the usual duo had been forced to change her style.

Hip-hop Mei almost always wore cropped tops, but she’d finally surrendered to the intense cold front and switched to a thick, fleece-lined version.

And both she and Yabi Mei were masters of layering.

Hip-hop Mei wore a pair of wide-leg cargo pants, a short down jacket, and had a blue-and-green plaid shirt with white stripes tied around her waist. On her feet were a pair of cashmere platform shoes. She leaned in and whispered to Sun Miao, “I’m even wearing thermal underwear. My older sister tried to force me into long johns before I left. Good thing my cargo pants are big enough to hide anything,” she added with a sly laugh.

She wore a baseball cap over her dazzling red hair. You had to admit, in this cold weather, the hair color actually looked kind of warm.

As for Yabi Mei, her style was already built on layering, so today she was wearing even more than usual. But what really caught Sun Miao’s eye was her bare-leg artifact¹⁴. They looked surprisingly realistic; you couldn’t even tell she was wearing anything.

Yabi Mei noticed Sun Miao’s gaze and spoke up directly. “Little Boss Sun, you want the link?”

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