The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland novel Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: He’s So Foolish, Really

Boss Cao had never been so motivated. He found an acquaintance and bought a simple stove the very next day. He already had pots, pans, bowls, and plates; the new owner hadn’t wanted them when he transferred his old shop, so Boss Cao had just hauled them all home. He never expected they’d come in handy now.

He’d thought about the price for his noodles and decided on 50 Star Coins a bowl—10 Star Coins cheaper than even Shen Lu’s fried rice and noodles.

This left him with a profit of only 5 Star Coins per bowl, but at least he wasn’t losing money. For a man as consumed by revenge as Boss Cao, this was perfectly acceptable.

He even regretted not doing this sooner.

’I was so stupid. I really was.’

’I spent all that money pulling strings, and it didn’t do jack shit. I should’ve just set up a stall next to Shen Lu from the start and squeezed her out.’

’It would’ve cost less, and I wouldn’t have been humiliated in front of everyone yesterday.’

’I was just too concerned with my pride at first. I didn’t want to resort to such a classless tactic.’

’Goddammit, we’re all from the Lower City District. Who gives a damn about pride?’

Having reached this epiphany, Boss Cao felt like a new man. Even his attitude toward his customers became amicable.

He stopped boiling the noodles until they were mush. He started adding a small spoonful of soy sauce to the broth, and he even stir-fried his only topping, pickled vegetables, in oil. It didn’t change the flavor much, but it added a hint of fragrant oiliness.

A bowl of noodles like this, while not nearly as delicious as what Shen Lu made, had its own merits: it was cheap, it was filling, and it was a great value.

Boss Cao puffed out his chest and shot Shen Lu a provocative glance.

’You’re angry, aren’t you? Your heart must be twisting, like it’s being clawed by a cat.’

’Just take it, you little bitch. You stole my business just like this. Now I’m just giving you an eye for an eye, letting you taste your own medicine.’

Shen Lu didn’t stay long. She just confirmed that the stall was indeed run by Boss Cao, noted what he was selling and for how much, and then headed back.

To say she wasn’t bothered would be a lie; she was, a little.

She hadn’t expected her customers’ loyalty to be so fickle. When she’d run into trouble with her stall before, plenty of people had spoken up for her. Many of her old regulars had come to her grand opening yesterday, too. Even though not many participated in the event, Shen Lu understood.

But now, just one day later, they were flocking to Boss Cao’s noodle stall simply because she wasn’t selling fried rice anymore.

’I guess it’s best not to get too personal when you’re running a business.’

When she returned to her shop, Shen Lu saw a dozen or so new people in the fast-food section. A closer look revealed they were from the Gold Street management office.

Shen Lu thought for a moment before bringing each of them a glass of mint water. After all, her shop was still under the jurisdiction of Ma Laosan and his colleagues; it was never a bad idea to stay on their good side.

Back when Shen Lu had her stall on Gold Street, only Ma Laosan and his Ma Zai had stopped by to eat a few times. Old Xu, the director, and the others had never tried her cooking.

They’d considered a street stall beneath them.

But now that Shen Lu had opened a proper shop, they decided to come for a taste. It had been too chaotic for them to drop by during the crayfish competition yesterday, but today was the first official day of business.

The first bite left the director and his men stunned. They’d heard Ma Laosan praise Shen Lu’s cooking, but they never imagined it would be *this* good.

The braised pork was a perfect, square-cut piece of belly, with distinct layers of fat and lean meat. You had to be gentle when picking it up with chopsticks; a little too much pressure and it would fall apart. It truly melted in your mouth, leaving a rich, savory aroma behind.

Having received a complimentary glass of mint water from Shen Lu, none of them held back their praise.

"Xiao Shen’s cooking is good enough to open a shop in the Upper City District," the director said, his voice thick with the pomposity of a petty official. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Shen Lu listened, sensing an ulterior motive in his words.

She smiled sweetly. "The second young master of the Bai Family says the same thing. He’s mentioned several times that he wants to partner with me and open a shop in the Upper City District."

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