Spring Noodles and Heavenly Silkworm Potato 2

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Qiao Shishi stared at the steaming bowl of simple spring noodles, carefully picking up a strand with her chopsticks and taking a cautious bite. The noodles, soaked with broth, retained a firm chewiness, allowing her to taste the repeated kneading and refining in every bite. She then bit into the golden-fried egg, which oozed a bright orange yolk that mingled with the fragrant soup, making her unable to stop.

She had never tasted anything so delicious before. Head down, Qiao Shishi devoured the noodles mouthful by mouthful, drawing curious glances from several students who had just entered the cafeteria. As they approached, an enticing aroma they had never encountered wafted from her direction.

“Hey, what are you eating, classmate?” one asked.

Qiao Shishi said nothing, merely withdrawing her hand to point toward Wen Jiu’s food stall. Having finished the noodles, she was now slowly sipping the broth. Wang Dalong and his friends watched her drink the soup, swallowing hard in envy.

They stepped to Wen Jiu’s stall and inquired, “Did that girl buy her food here?”

Wen Jiu nodded and replied, “Spring noodles are 20 Star Coins a bowl, and silkworm potato is 15 Star Coins a portion.”

Neither name was familiar; the cafeteria usually served burnt potatoes, dark hollow vegetables, or undercooked fried chicken with leaking juices.

Yet Wang Dalong paid without hesitation via his smart ring. “Give me one of each!”

The other two hesitated slightly, unfamiliar with Wen Jiu and wary of being scammed. But seeing Qiao Shishi eat so delightedly convinced them otherwise. They happily paid and awaited Wen Jiu’s dishes.

Wen Jiu worked swiftly, impressing the three greatly. Initially worried she was the only one at the stall and they'd wait forever, they were surprised when she quickly prepared three bowls of spring noodles and three portions of silkworm potato. Wang Dalong and his friends eagerly took their food and hurried to a table.

Seated, Wang Dalong looked at the golden silkworm potato, decisively picked up a piece, and ate it. The texture was crisp, perfectly complemented by the spicy oil and fragrant scallions, instantly capturing his palate.

Delicious! Wang Dalong had never tasted anything so good in his life!

The flavor was astonishing; he grabbed another piece. The chili’s heat surged on his tongue, making his nose sweat, yet the sensation was exhilarating.

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Beside him, one friend couldn’t stop eating the noodles, while the other kept devouring the silkworm potato. By the end, all three had reddened lips from the spice but were thoroughly captivated by the thrilling taste.

The spring noodles’ aromatic broth was equally irresistible. The chewy noodles released a continuous fragrance in their mouths.

When Wang Dalong finished the last sip of soup and set down his bowl, the two friends had already returned to Wen Jiu’s stall to order more.

Surprised, Wang Dalong stared at the empty bowls on the table before rushing back to Wen Jiu. “Chef! Another round for each — no, make that two! Two portions of everything!”

Since Wang Dalong and his friends sat nearest Wen Jiu’s stall, ravenously eating, many students drawn by the aroma began flocking there at mealtime. Initially curious, some even suspected the food was artificially flavored.

But after tasting Wen Jiu’s cooking, each quickly finished and dashed back to order more.

Soon, the line in front of Wen Jiu’s stall grew longer and longer. After finishing her spring noodles and two portions of silkworm potato, Qiao Shishi voluntarily went to help Wen Jiu in the kitchen.

Wen Jiu focused on cooking, while Qiao Shishi handed the finished dishes to waiting students.

“I want two portions of silkworm potato!”

“Three bowls of spring noodles, please!”

“Five of each! Don’t push! What’s the rush?”

“Can you really eat that much? How about letting those of us who only want one go first?”

The usually quiet cafeteria buzzed with rare noise. Qiao Shishi hurriedly called out, “Please, everyone, remain calm and wait patiently!”

Wen Jiu heard the commotion. With so many orders, she could now prepare five portions of silkworm potato at once. She worked deftly while counting the remaining ingredients.

“Shishi, about thirty-four portions of silkworm potato and eighteen bowls of spring noodles left,” Wen Jiu said to Qiao Shishi. “Count the people coming. Once we run out, no more sales today. Tell them to come early tomorrow.”

Qiao Shishi immediately announced outside, “Attention, everyone in line! We have thirty-four portions of silkworm potato and eighteen bowls of spring noodles remaining!”

Upon hearing this, those at the end of the line panicked.

“Fairy! Can the chef please be kind? We haven’t eaten yet!”

“Yeah, yeah! How come it’s selling out so fast?”

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Qiao Shishi looked at Wen Jiu, unsure what to do. The crowd’s noise grew louder. Wen Jiu, cooking noodles, shook her head at Qiao Shishi.

She wanted to sell more and earn more, but she had only prepared so many ingredients today; making handmade noodles took nearly an hour.

So Qiao Shishi said again, “We’ve run out of ingredients for today. Please come early to line up tomorrow!”

With that, those further back had no complaints, only hoping the people ahead would buy fewer portions.

As Wen Jiu busied herself, Zhou Sen and Yu Ruman arrived at the cafeteria. Yu Ruman had initially wanted to expel Shi Gang from the student department but, unable to find leverage against his influential relative, the compromise was for Wen Jiu to run a separate stall, splitting earnings directly with the academy. Shi Gang and his group continued managing other student workers but were forbidden from extorting protection fees.

Though this seemed to shield Wen Jiu from bullying, she was still vulnerable. As a newcomer running a solo stall, who would buy from her? Moreover, Yu Ruman didn’t even know if Wen Jiu could cook.

After finishing her own tasks, Yu Ruman hurried to the cafeteria, coincidentally meeting Zhou Sen, who was also there to support Wen Jiu. They decided to come together.

“Ah, I don’t know if Wen Jiu can even cook,” Yu Ruman fretted on the way, feeling she hadn’t secured enough rights for Wen Jiu.

Zhou Sen comforted her, “Even if she can’t, we can secretly find a student who can cook to help her.”

Both were worried as they entered the cafeteria, searching for Wen Jiu’s stall.

After looking around, they found no sign of Wen Jiu, only a long line in front of one stall.

“Isn’t Wen Jiu here?” Yu Ruman asked, confused.

“She should be. I saw her clock in at the student department,” Zhou Sen replied.

They circled again and returned to the crowded stall.

Pushing through the crowd to the glass window, they finally saw the small figure cooking noodles inside—it was Wen Jiu.