Chapter 174 Our company is short-staffed.

It felt like something had hit my heart hard, a mix of soreness and numbness. An unprecedented sense of panic and restlessness instantly swept over my entire body, and my cheeks began to burn uncontrollably.

She turned her head away almost as if electrocuted, avoiding his gaze. Her hands instinctively gripped the tongs, and she pretended to be intently focused on the boiling oden pot. Her voice trembled slightly as she raised it and called out to the thugs, "Hey... brothers, your oden is ready!"

As soon as she spoke, she realized that her throat was a little dry and hoarse.

The moment she turned her head, Lu Zheng quickly withdrew his hand and the towel, returning to his "assistant" position as if nothing had happened.

But his hand, hanging by his side, twitched slightly, and his ears belatedly felt hot.

The thugs were completely focused on the food and didn't notice the brief but subtle interaction between the couple running the stall.

They chuckled as they accepted the large cups of oden, slurping it down as they continued their indifferent conversation, gradually walking away.

The area in front of the stall was temporarily calmed down.

Su Xiaonuan, however, could not calm down for a long time.

The anger towards those thugs still burned in her chest, but another, more unfamiliar and turbulent emotion was bubbling up like hot soup in an oden pot, making her panic and afraid to delve into it.

She secretly glanced at Lu Zheng, who was silently busy beside her, out of the corner of her eye. He still looked "sickly" as if the man who had gently wiped her sweat and looked at her with heartache just now was just a hallucination she had in her extreme anger.

However, the lingering warmth on the back of her hand and the unfamiliar flutter in her heart clearly told her—

What just happened was real.

The good weather over the past few days has made the old street market even more lively.

There was still a queue of moderate length in front of Su Xiaonuan's stall. The aroma of oden wafted through the cool air, making people's mouths water.

As lunchtime approached, a familiar figure appeared in the crowd—purchasing specialist Wang Bo.

Unlike his businesslike and critical attitude yesterday, Wang Bo had a cheerful smile on his face today. He strolled over with his hands behind his back, his eyes sweeping over Su Xiaonuan's stall. Especially when he saw the steaming pot of oden with relatively inexpensive ingredients, the last trace of doubt in his eyes seemed to disappear.

After he returned home yesterday, he still had some doubts in his mind. Could this young girl be a hidden culinary master, or does she have some other connections, since she is so skilled in cooking?

But today, I noticed that the food they were selling had changed from roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) to oden (Japanese stew), which has a lower cost. This is clearly the norm for low-level vendors who run small businesses, rely on the weather, and sell whatever sells well!

"Boss Su, have you changed the menu today?" Wang Bo walked up to the stall, his tone much more amiable than yesterday, even carrying a hint of elder-like concern.

Su Xiaonuan was serving radishes to a customer when she heard the voice. She looked up and gave a tired but still hardworking smile: "Brother Wang, you're here. Yes, meat prices have risen sharply these past few days, and the cost is a bit too much to bear, so I'm selling some other things instead."

As she spoke, she subconsciously raised her hand to rub her seemingly sore lower back, the movement natural and fluid, without any trace of acting.

Wang Bo noticed her subtle movements, which confirmed his suspicions even more.

It's not easy, it's really not easy.

"Give me one of everything, a little bit of everything, and extra soup." Wang Bo ordered with a smile, and when paying, he didn't fuss over the price like he did yesterday.

"Okay, please wait a moment." Su Xiaonuan replied, her hands moving quickly.

While Su Xiaonuan was busy, Wang Bo discreetly observed the two "star-crossed lovers".

Although Su Xiaonuan was quick and agile, her face was indeed a bit pale and unhealthy. Occasionally, when she turned her back, a few suppressed, low coughs could be heard.

Her "sickly" husband sat silently on a small stool next to her, head down, occasionally helping to hand her a cup or collect money. His movements were slow, and he certainly looked like he was suffering from a long-term illness and was weak and listless.

Wang Bo's last bit of suspicion vanished completely, replaced by a sense of superiority and satisfaction at "discovering a promising talent."

It seems that the couple's "misery" is real, and the young girl's cooking skills are also real.

This is practically a "potential stock" tailor-made for the Sacred Heart!

When Su Xiaonuan handed over the packaged oden, Wang Bo did not leave immediately.

He took the bag, then sighed as if he had suddenly remembered something, his tone full of sympathy: "Xiao Su, I see you two working so hard every day, from dawn till dusk. Your husband's health... sigh, this stall isn't a long-term solution, being exposed to the wind and sun like this."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaonuan's forced smile vanished instantly. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the edge of her old apron, her voice weak and barely audible: "...There's no other way, Brother Wang, we have to...we have to live."

Seeing her like this, Wang Bo became even more certain.

He looked around, lowered his voice, and spoke with a mix of mystery and condescending generosity: "Actually... I see you're having a tough time, so I can point you in the right direction. Our company is short-staffed, especially the cafeteria. They're desperately short of skilled cooks like you. It's a stable job, sheltered from the elements, and you even have medical insurance. It'll also be good for your husband's health."

Su Xiaonuan suddenly raised her head, her eyes instantly flashing with an incredulous light mixed with surprise and longing, like a drowning person grabbing the last piece of driftwood: "Re...really? Brother Wang! You...you're telling the truth?" Her voice trembled slightly with excitement.

Lu Zheng also raised his head at the right time and looked at Wang Bo. In his originally dim eyes, a faint flame of hope seemed to have been ignited. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a few more violent coughs.

Wang Bo took in their reactions and felt reassured.

He nodded in satisfaction, his tone becoming even more "amiable": "Of course it's true. However, there's a process to follow to get into our company. So, prepare a resume, briefly outlining your personal information, work experience, and so on. I'll come and pick it up tomorrow."

"A resume?" Su Xiaonuan's face showed a timely look of confusion and embarrassment. She scratched her head sheepishly, a simple blush rising on her baby face. "Brother Wang, to be honest, we...we're not very good with computers, so that resume...may take a little while to complete. Please don't mind..."