Chapter 302: Ye Lingqing's Letter
"Sir, thank you for your patronage!"
Ye Lingqing accepted the diner's payment, a smile appearing on his face.
This was already the 198th customer of the night.
It was the first time he had ever had such a large number of customers, and he was feeling a bit overwhelmed.
But even with business booming, he couldn't help but silently count the number of diners in his mind.
Close to 200 customers, each ordering a portion of Mo Wu Tuan priced at five copper coins—that meant about 1,000 copper coins, which could be exchanged for ten gold coins!
After deducting the costs, he would still make a profit of around two gold coins!
Having traveled all the way from Zhilán Village to Shrek City, he had spent nearly all his savings—along with the funds the village elder had given him—on purchasing the raw ingredients for Mo Wu Tuan.
It was a rather impulsive move, but when he first arrived in Shrek City, he had been filled with ambition.
He had since realized his recklessness. That morning, he had regretted making so much Mo Wu Tuan, worrying that he wouldn't be able to sell it all and had wasted his money. But now…
Scooping around in the large barrel where he stored Mo Wu Tuan, Ye Lingqing's face showed an expression of inevitability.
Only a bit of broth remained in the barrel—there wasn't a single Mo Wu Tuan left.
He had prepared exactly 200 portions today.
The entire morning, he hadn't sold a single one. Instead, he had used up two servings for Qi Han to taste-test and modify the recipe based on his suggestions.
So in reality, there had only been 198 portions available for sale.
He had thought selling out within three days would be wishful thinking, but now… they were already gone.
Looking at the long line of people still waiting, Ye Lingqing blinked, feeling a little panicked.
He was out of Mo Wu Tuan. What was he supposed to do now?
At the very front of the line stood Zhou Long.
He was already a huge fan of Exploding Honey Badger Intestines, so after finishing his meal at Han Shi, he followed Qi Han's hand-drawn map here to try the Mo Wu Tuan, which was said to be somewhat similar.
Now that it was finally his turn, he eagerly placed his order. "One Mo Wu Tuan— no, make it two."
After waiting in line for so long, he felt that the food from Han Shi had already begun to digest—he could definitely eat an extra portion.
During the wait, Zhou Long had been inhaling the strange, pungent aroma of Mo Wu Tuan. Initially, he had found the smell repulsive, but as time passed, he started to feel a strange attraction to it.
It was undeniably a foul odor, yet it made him want to keep sniffing.
Just as Qi Han had said, this dish was truly unique.
Watching the other diners at the stall enjoy their Mo Wu Tuan with expressions of pure bliss, Zhou Long's appetite grew even stronger—he could hardly wait to try it himself.
"Uh…" Ye Lingqing's face showed an awkward expression. "I'm really sorry, but I've completely sold out of Mo Wu Tuan…"
"…Huh?" After a brief moment of silence, Zhou Long's face twisted into an expression of disbelief.
His muscular frame made his reaction all the more imposing. Though he had no malicious intent, his odd expression—combined with his Tang Sect uniform—made him seem rather intimidating.
Ye Lingqing, who had never encountered such a situation before, instinctively shrank back in fear, taking a small step backward.
"S-Sorry, sir— It's really all sold out—"
Uh…
Zhou Long had initially planned to complain, but when he met Ye Lingqing's gaze and saw the nervous fear in his eyes, he fell silent instead.
"Are you coming back tomorrow?" After a brief pause, Zhou Long asked in a softer tone.
"Yes, I'll be back in the afternoon around two o'clock to sell again," Ye Lingqing quickly replied.
"Then you'd better prepare more tomorrow," Zhou Long chuckled. "Otherwise, you'll sell out again."
He turned his head, activated his spirit power in his throat, and his voice boomed across the alley, reaching every corner.
"Alright, folks, disperse! The Mo Wu Tuan is sold out! Come back tomorrow at 2 PM!"
If Ye Lingqing had to explain the situation to each person individually, it would take quite some time. Worse yet, if he encountered a customer with a bad temper, he'd likely have to apologize repeatedly. But with Zhou Long's loud announcement, the crowd turned to glance at him. After confirming the news was true, they quickly left without much fuss.
Most of the people in line were regulars at Han Shi, accustomed to waiting in long queues. They were reasonable and understanding.
As for those who had lined up just out of curiosity, seeing that no one else was complaining, they had no excuse to complain either. They could only chalk it up to bad luck and decide to try again tomorrow.
Watching this unfold, Ye Lingqing finally realized that the towering man before him wasn't a troublemaker but rather a warm-hearted person. His eyes filled with gratitude. "Big brother, thank you. Tomorrow, let me treat you to a Mo Wu Tuan."
He didn't have much, and this was the only way he could think of to express his thanks.
"No need, no need," Zhou Long laughed. "I can tell this is a small business—it's not easy making a living."
Before Ye Lingqing could insist, Zhou Long waved him off and turned to leave.
"Remember, make more Mo Wu Tuan tomorrow!"
"Mm!" Watching Zhou Long's departing figure, Ye Lingqing nodded firmly, full of gratitude.
Once all the customers had finished their food and left, Ye Lingqing started cleaning up his stall.
After some thought, he grabbed a wooden board from the side and used a charcoal pencil to write a note explaining that Mo Wu Tuan was sold out for the day and would be available again at 2 PM tomorrow.
If more customers came following Qi Han's recommendation, they would see the sign and leave on their own.
Today… he was truly grateful to Qi Han.
As he cleaned the area around his stall, a small smile appeared on Ye Lingqing's face.
Shrek City was truly enormous. Back in Zhilán Village, a tiny place, there was no way business would ever be this bustling.
After stacking the cleaned tables and chairs in the corner of the alley and carefully packing up his pots and utensils, Ye Lingqing slowly pushed his cart away.
To save on housing costs, he was staying in an inn on the outskirts of Shrek City, far from the bustling food street. By the time he pushed his cart back, nearly two hours had passed.
The innkeeper was a kind elderly woman who had set aside a space in the backyard's storage room for him to park his cart.
After securing his cart, Ye Lingqing returned to his small, cramped room, lit a candle, and took out a sheet of letter paper from his backpack. Under the dim light, he began writing.
"To the Honorable Village Chief:
I am doing well in Shrek City—"
He spent several hundred words embellishing his situation, placing particular emphasis on Qi Han's generosity and assistance. With a contented smile, he folded the letter neatly and sealed it in an envelope.
He would mail it out tomorrow morning.
With that thought, he hurried through his nightly wash-up and lay down in his warm bed.
Tomorrow, he would have to wake up early, push his cart to the food street, then visit the market to buy the necessary ingredients for Mo Wu Tuan. He would need a few hours to prepare everything, which meant he'd be busy until around 2 PM before he could start selling again.
So, he needed to rest early.
With that in mind, Ye Lingqing slowly closed his eyes.
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