The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Death is Just a Matter of Time

The small disturbance passed, and Shen Lu’s business gradually improved.

This time, there were no more fierce customers like Xue Can.

After all, Superpower Users were a minority. Most citizens were ordinary people and couldn’t detect the mint water’s subtle benefits.

Everyone was quite satisfied with the taste of the mint water. However, people would often sigh with pity, remarking on how difficult her life must be.

At first, Shen Lu didn’t think much of it. Then someone pointed at Fu Cheng and said, "One look and you can tell your brother was injured on the front lines. The follow-up treatment costs must be very high."

’Her brother?’

It slowly dawned on Shen Lu. ’So the customers think Fu Cheng is my brother?’

’Well, that’s not so bad. Brother and sister is better than husband and wife.’

Shen Lu went along with the assumption quite naturally. With a look of determination, she said, "No matter how much it costs, I have to get my brother cured!"

Someone was moved by Shen Lu’s resolve to never give up on Fu Cheng. In this cold and indifferent society, few people were capable of such devotion. Even immediate family would abandon a relative who had become a burden, finding some reason or another to do so.

Moved, the person offered to buy another cup of mint water to support her.

Shen Lu reluctantly refused.

’I’d love to sell another, but it’s just not worth it.’

As the sun began to set, Shen Lu finally sold all of her mint water. She packed up the empty bucket and sign and pushed Fu Cheng back to the Seventeenth District.

[DING DONG. Detected sale of mint water 10/10. Task completed. Rewarding one Lottery Ticket.]

As Shen Lu struggled with the wheelchair, she silently requested the lottery draw.

[Congratulations, Host, on drawing blind box prize #118: one Sweet Egg Waffle Maker.]

[Sweet Egg Waffle Maker: Never worry about burning your food again! A 100% success rate means even a total kitchen novice can make perfect egg waffles!]

Shen Lu: ’...Well, that’s not bad. I can sell another kind of snack tomorrow.’

’It’s just... I’ll have to scavenge for junk to trade for the ingredients. Just thinking about it is exhausting.’

Shen Lu spent 100 Star Coins to rent a small, ground-floor apartment in the Seventeenth District. It was only ten square meters and had some simple furniture, but its biggest advantage was its proximity to Gold Street, which made setting up her stall convenient.

The room had a strange, musty smell that had built up over the years. It was awful. Shen Lu opened the only window, trying to air the place out.

She used every last bit of her strength to drag Fu Cheng onto the small single bed. Then she collapsed onto the severely sagging old sofa, resting for a good while before catching her breath.

’So tired...’ Shen Lu was too exhausted to care how uncomfortable the old sofa was. She fell into a deep sleep right then and there.

The sun had completely set. The unlit room was pitch black, with only a few patches of blurry light shining in from the window.

Fu Cheng silently opened his right eye, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room.

’I’m actually in a room,’ he thought. ’I expected to be dumped on the side of the road.’

His feelings grew complicated as he looked at Shen Lu, fast asleep on the sofa.

He knew Shen Lu had fed him the mint water. He also knew she had brazenly taken the gauze and saline solution from his folding medical kit. Then, she had saved him from being gnawed on by rats and taken him with her to sell things on the street. Their very first customer was a ruthless mercenary, and she had almost been killed.

It was he who, at the risk of worsening his injuries, had used his superpower to intimidate the mercenary.

The moment he used his superpower, his body felt as if it were being ripped apart. His Spiritual Sea churned in a violent, chaotic storm.

Using his superpower was extremely dangerous for him in his current state, which was why he hadn’t reacted at all when the rats were gnawing on him.

The rats would, at worst, eat some of his flesh, but they wouldn’t kill him. Using his superpower, however, would accelerate the spread of the spiritual poison in his system, leading to immediate death.

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