"Are you sure?" Wang Yao stared at Qinghe suspiciously.

"I'm sure." Qinghe nodded emphatically.

"Just fried rice with egg and seaweed and egg soup?" Wang Yao asked again.

"Um...we also need some side dishes, side dishes are very important." Qinghe glanced around and added.

This is the entrance to the Xiangyang Road vegetable market in Ziqiang County. Wang Yao brought Hui Shuo here for breakfast last time. Early Sunday morning, people came to buy vegetables in an endless stream. Some of them went in groups, while others went alone. The market was noisy with the sounds of chickens and ducks, bargaining, and laughter.

"Just fried rice with egg, seaweed and egg soup, and side dishes?" Wang Yao blinked.

“Hmm…” Qinghe nodded emphatically again.

They had been in Ziqiang County for three days, spending half a day each day at the vegetable market until Molupo carried his load home and most of the vegetable vendors packed up their stalls before leaving.

In the afternoon, they wandered around the small Ziqiang County, visiting not only Laobie Mountain where Molupo's family lived, but also the county's hospital and police station. In three days, the immortal and the fox demon basically got to know Ziqiang County inside and out.

Upon hearing Wang Yao's "Lone Wolf" mission details, especially his requirements for himself, Qinghe initially resisted, because the matter was far too troublesome. After all, what Wang Yao wanted was not for Molupo to become interested in Qinghe, but for him to develop desire for the entire group of women.

This is an effect that Qinghe could not achieve by simply using her charm.

However, Qinghe did not refuse outright. She asked Wang Yao to rent a storefront in the Xiangyang Road vegetable market, not far from Molupo's stall, and planned to sell some food there. What kind of food? It was the "egg fried rice" that Wang Yao had just confirmed with her.

Wang Yao didn't understand how selling "egg fried rice" could change Mo Luopo's mind about dying alone. However, since Qinghe was so enthusiastic and he didn't have any serious business to attend to, what difference did it make where he tried to arrange a marriage? So he didn't object to Qinghe's whimsical idea.

The two first dressed up as mountain people from the vicinity of Ziqiang County. Wang Yao changed into a wrinkled, cheap Western-style suit, which darkened his skin and added deep wrinkles to his hands, face, and neck, making him look exactly like a dull middle-aged man.

Qinghe also put on the kind of green dress that local village women often wore, with a bright red sweater underneath. Her body became much more bloated, and she had a chubby, round face with rosy cheeks. She looked about the same age as Wang Yao after his makeover.

The main reason for this change of appearance was that Wang Yao was afraid that Mo Luopo would recognize him, so he wanted to change his appearance and pretend to be a father and daughter with Qing He. However, Qing He was unwilling and insisted on dressing up as Wang Yao at about the same age. According to her, Wang Yao could only be the older brother, and it was absolutely impossible for him to be Qing Ning.

After thinking it over, Wang Yao went along with Qing He. After all, Qing Ning was no good demon, and it was best not to do it if possible.

In the mountainous county, storefronts are not as scarce as in big cities. Wang Yao and his team quickly selected one, paid the fee, and quietly opened for business. Wang Yao was in charge of purchasing and cooking, while Qinghe was responsible for making fried rice with eggs, seaweed and egg soup, and side dishes.

There are more than one stall selling fried rice at Xiangyang Road Market, but only Wang Yao's family specializes in selling fried rice. Qinghe seems to have planned it out in advance: fried rice is 5 yuan a bowl, and seaweed and egg soup and side dishes are free.

Especially the side dishes, Qinghe actually came up with more than ten different kinds. Take the chili peppers for example, select the red and thick ones, marinate them quickly, cut them into small pieces, and they are crisp, bright red, which makes people's appetites soar.

Cut green peppers into strips and stir-fry them with dried bean curd strips to make another appetizer. You can also make a bright red chili sauce from the peppers. When eating fried rice with eggs, scoop a spoonful and mix it with the rice. It's incredibly savory, fragrant, and spicy, and makes the rice even more delicious.

Tofu, radish, chili pepper, cowpea, pickled mustard greens... Although they are all vegetables, the side dishes they make are very popular. On the first day of opening, Wang Yao cooked two large pots of rice, which were sold out in no time. Molupo hadn't even noticed their shop yet.

After closing the shop and doing the math, he found that he had actually made more than 20 yuan in less than half a day. Although Wang Yao hadn't planned to make money from the shop, making money was still a happy thing. Wang Yao couldn't help but look at Qinghe with new respect.

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​opening this fried rice specialty store?" Wang Yao asked curiously.

“We’ve been to every stall in this Xiangyang Road vegetable market for the past three days. Didn’t you notice what customers wanted the most?” Qinghe asked smugly.

"Fried rice with egg?" Wang Yao replied in surprise.

"That's just a side dish!" Qinghe glared at Wang Yao. "Fried rice is the next best thing."

“I’ve noticed that people here really love side dishes. They eat them with fried rice, fried noodles, porridge, steamed buns, and even break open steamed buns to eat with side dishes. So I decided that if I were to open a shop here, I would have to focus on side dishes!” Qinghe said.

"But...aren't your side dishes free?" Wang Yao was a little confused. In fact, when you think about it, they spend the most time and money on the side dishes. Since Qinghe is so sure, why doesn't she just sell side dishes and instead makes fried rice?

"There are stalls selling side dishes right in the market, can't you see how their business is?" Qinghe glanced at Wang Yao disdainfully. "People here love to eat side dishes, but they don't like to spend money on them, understand?"

"Oh, so..." Wang Yao suddenly realized.

"Fried rice is simple. It's easy to make, and you can get a bowl in no time. It's also easy to eat; you can finish it in a few bites. It's filling without taking up much time. How could you expect those vegetable vendors to sit here, brew a cup of tea, and slowly savor it all morning?" Qinghe said confidently at the end.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!