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Chapter 13 - Acquiring the Street Vendor Map App!
Chapter 13 - Acquiring the Street Vendor Map App!
Chapter 13 Acquiring the Street Vendor Map App!
At the gate of Sunshine Elementary School, Lu Qin didn’t expect to see a final wave of customers—his old neighbors from the old neighborhood, led by his next-door neighbor, Grandpa Ge.
“Hey, Xiao Lu, we came to support your business! We came all the way here to try your stir-fried noodles.”
“It’s been ages since I’ve had stir-fried rice noodles. Let me have a serving to taste.”
“Wow, Xiao Lu, you’ve had quite a busy morning! You’ve already sold out several baskets of noodles, haven’t you?” Grandpa Ge noticed several stacked plastic baskets beside the cart, but he didn’t quite grasp how much Lu Qin had actually sold. He assumed that, given the morning rush near the school, business must’ve been pretty good.
Lu Qin smiled and asked, “Not bad! Grandpa and Grandma, do you have any dietary preferences? Should I skip the spicy stuff?”
Grandpa Ge raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, who do you take me for? Give me extra spice! Stir-fried noodles are meant to be spicy!”
“I can’t handle spice. Could you make mine with less oil too?”
“Make me three portions, normal style, for my family to try. We can handle some spice.”
“Got it, I’ll start cooking right away.”
Lu Qin lit the fire, scooped a spoonful of lard into the wok, and began stir-frying the noodles. The elder folks chatted away nearby.
Three of the elder women huddled together, whispering and gossiping about Lu Qin.
“Let me tell you, Xiao Lu is quite the catch! He’s handsome, no doubt, but he’s also hardworking. The only thing is, he’s raising a kid.”
“What’s wrong with that? These days, even single dads are in high demand! Have you seen his little girl? She’s adorable—so pretty and polite. Who wouldn’t love her?”
“So what, Wang Guifen, are you trying to play matchmaker for him?”
“Why not? If word gets out, even younger women will be lining up to marry him!”
“Guifen, hold your horses. I’ve got a single niece on my side of the family. Let me check in with her first.”
A nearby old man couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted with a cough.
“You ladies should stop. You’ve only known him for two days, and now you’re matchmaking? Shouldn’t you at least ask if he’s even interested?”
“You don’t understand…”
Suddenly, the aroma from the wok filled the air. The group stopped chatting, took a deep breath, and turned towards the cart.
“Hmm? Why does it smell so good?”
The elder folks stopped talking and stared at the wok. Golden noodles tumbled in the wok, mixed with cabbage, bean sprouts, onions, ham, and other ingredients. It looked incredibly appetizing.
With precise movements, Lu Qin lightly tapped his spoon into the condiment boxes, adding just the right amount of soy sauce, salt, and sugar, all while stirring.
Once everything was well-seasoned, he quickly flipped the noodles five or six more times, added a splash of fragrant oil, and served them up. The entire process was seamless, his movements smoother and more skilled than even a professional chef’s.
The elders were in awe, and after a long moment, they all started murmuring with admiration.
“Wow, who knew Xiao Lu had these skills! He’s a real pro!”
“Yeah, no joke! His stir-fry technique is better than the chefs!”
“Did you see that? Watching him cook is like watching an art performance—so impressive!”
Lu Qin finished stir-frying the three portions and packed them into boxes. Grandpa Ge quickly chimed in, “Xiao Lu, don’t worry about packing just yet. Let’s taste it first while you keep cooking.”
With that, he picked up one of the boxes, and the glistening noodles made Grandpa Ge, who hadn’t had breakfast yet, even hungrier.
“Let me have a taste first!”
Grandpa Ge picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of the stir-fried noodles, chewed, and swallowed. The other elderly folks watched him intently.
“Old Ge, how is it? Is it good?”
“Of course it’s good! You can smell the aroma from here!”
Soon, Grandpa Ge’s eyes lit up with delight.
“It’s fragrant! Chewy! Soft! Crispy! And refreshing!”
“Wow! These stir-fried noodles are incredible! Absolutely delicious!”
With that, the others couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Let me try too!”
Grandpa Ge handed out a few disposable chopsticks, and they all shared the three portions of noodles, taking turns to dig in. Before they knew it, they were hooked and couldn’t stop eating.
“Yes, it’s really good!”
“Oh my, I’ve lived for over half a century, and I’ve never tasted stir-fried noodles this delicious. They’re not oily or greasy, and they’re so satisfying to eat. Absolutely amazing!”
“Xiao Lu, add two more portions for me! No, make that three!”
“Give me two more as well!”
“I’ve never been able to finish a serving of stir-fried noodles in the morning, but these noodles make me hungrier with every bite!”
Originally, Grandpa Ge and the other neighbors had just come to support Lu Qin, thinking they’d help out his new business. But now, it was clear that with noodles this good, Lu Qin didn’t need their help—his business was bound to thrive.
After trying his stir-fried noodles, they weren’t just coming to show support anymore—they’d be regular customers. No, they’d be coming every day.
After finishing his portion, Grandpa Ge burped in satisfaction, nodding in approval. His view of Lu Qin had completely changed.
“Xiao Lu, where did you learn to make stir-fried noodles this good? No other noodles can compare.”
Lu Qin, while packing up the extra orders, replied, “I didn’t really learn from anyone, just figured it out on my own.”
“Well done, well done!”
Grandpa Ge nodded in admiration.
Even though Lu Qin had packed the stir-fried noodles with a discount in mind as a thank-you for the elders supporting his business, they insisted on paying the full price, refusing to take any discounts.
“Xiao Lu, you can’t charge less for these noodles—they’re worth every penny,” Grandpa Ge said.
With their stir-fried noodles in hand, the elderly neighbors happily left.
By 9:10 a.m., Lu Qin finished cleaning up his cart and rode away.
That morning, he had sold around 130 servings of stir-fried noodles, and all the mung bean soup was sold out, making around 2,000 yuan.
After deducting costs, his profit was roughly 1,500 yuan—a great start.
Thanks to the system’s fatigue-reducing aura, even after cooking over 100 servings of noodles, Lu Qin didn’t feel tired—just a little sweaty.
While waiting at a traffic light, Lu Qin checked his system. He had accumulated 268 points.
The points didn’t seem to have any use other than for the lottery, so he decided to draw twice.
[Congratulations! You’ve received a ‘Clear Sky Card.’ Use it to ensure a sunny day—no rain, snow, or hail—for your outdoor vending needs.]. [Congratulations! You’ve received a ‘Street Vendor Map App.’ The app has been automatically installed on your phone. Open it to find the best local spots for street vending. The app is tied to your account, so it will transfer to any new phone you get.].Curious, Lu Qin unlocked his phone and saw the new app icon on the home screen. When he opened the app, the interface resembled a typical map app, with a search bar at the top.
After clicking the search button, the map displayed several red dots.
On the right was a list of available spots, and when he clicked on them, he could see various options.
[Old Street Alley near Guomao South Gate: Current foot traffic 400, distance 1.3 km]. [Tianhong Bridge, Jiefang Road East: Current foot traffic 750, distance 2.8 km]. [People’s Square Pedestrian Street: Current foot traffic 1,650, distance 3.2 km, stall fee 20 yuan].…
After studying it for a bit, Lu Qin realized that the app showed foot traffic at various times, making it a useful tool for finding the best vending spots.