Chapter 79 The Guest at Night
Su Yingxue didn't stop, flipping the tofu over as she smiled and replied, "You gentlemen have worked hard, it's cold on night patrol. I'll add a couple more spoonfuls of hot broth for you to warm your stomachs later."
She deftly poured on the secret braising sauce, sprinkled on minced garlic and chopped chili peppers, and added an extra spoonful of pickled radish cubes. "You two said you like spicy food, so I added a little more. Let me know if you need more."
Within two minutes, two steaming bowls of stinky tofu were ready. When Su Yingxue handed them over, she specifically reminded them, "They're still very hot from the pot, so eat slowly."
Grandpa Zhang took the bowl, eagerly poked a piece with his chopsticks, blew on it, and put it in his mouth. His eyes lit up instantly: "Hey! This tastes amazing! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the sauce is flavorful too, even better than that old-established shop at the corner store in the city!"
Grandpa Li also took a bite, nodding repeatedly. With his mouth full of tofu, he couldn't speak, but kept giving a thumbs up.
Seeing the two men eating with satisfaction, Su Yingxue felt a little warmer inside. She had originally thought that Lin Xiao would be the only customer tonight, but the arrival of these two night patrolmen had brought a touch of liveliness to the otherwise quiet night market.
The night breeze made the light cord of the snack cart sway gently. Just as Grandpa Zhang took a bite of stinky tofu, he heard a series of light footsteps behind him, accompanied by a faint sob—the sound was so light and airy that it was particularly eerie in the empty night.
"Who?!" Grandpa Li turned around abruptly, and the stun gun in his hand turned on the warning light with a "click". The eerie blue light swept across, and he saw a figure in white standing in the shadows not far away. The figure had long hair that covered half of its face, and its shoulders were trembling. The sound of crying drifted over intermittently.
Grandpa Zhang gripped the stun gun tightly, took half a step forward, and his voice was taut: "Who are you? Playing tricks on me in the middle of the night!"
Su Yingxue shrank back in fright, her hands gripping the edge of the iron plate tightly, her knuckles turning white—white clothes, loose hair, crying in the night, this scene would frighten anyone who saw it, even the aroma of stinky tofu on the iron plate couldn't suppress that chill.
"Grandpa, don't be impulsive!" Su Yingxue calmed herself down and tugged at Grandpa Zhang's sleeve. "She...she doesn't seem to mean any harm."
As soon as he finished speaking, the figure in white slowly moved over. The crying gradually subsided, and when he stepped into the light, he even raised his hand to wipe his face, revealing a pair of red eyes.
"I...I want a serving of stinky tofu." Her voice was trembling with tears and a hint of grievance. Her stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment, breaking the tension.
Grandpa Zhang loosened his grip on the stun gun a little, but still stared at her warily: "You're not a ghost?"
"I'm not a ghost!" the woman in white cried out, tucking her disheveled hair behind her ears to reveal a pretty face, though her eyes were red and swollen, making her look somewhat disheveled.
“I’m an actress named He Rongrong. The funeral home has some work lately, hiring people to play the role of mourners for families overseas. I was just practicing my wailing in that open space when I walked over and saw you all…”
Su Yingxue breathed a sigh of relief, patted her chest, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Your outfit and your crying really scared us." She quickly turned around and placed the stinky tofu on the fryer. "Wait a minute, it'll be ready soon. It's fresh out of the fryer and hot, it'll warm you up."
Rongrong nodded, walked to the small table next to her and sat down. Looking at the dark, unfinished building in the distance, she said softly, "Why are you setting up a stall here in the middle of the night? This place has been deserted for a long time. The government has given up on planning it. Few people come here during the day, let alone at night."
"Just trying to make a living," Su Yingxue replied with a smile as she flipped the tofu. "I never expected to run into such a 'special' customer like you."
The aroma from the fryer wafted out again, and the terrifying scene from before was gradually diluted by the smoky fragrance.
When Su Yingxue placed the stinky tofu, drenched in gravy, in front of Rongrong, she also handed her a tissue: "Wipe your tears. Eating something hot will make you feel better."
Rongrong took the bowl, her fingertips touching the warm paper, her eyes welling up again. She lowered her head and poked the tofu with her chopsticks. The crispy outer skin broke open, and the delicious broth dripped down her chopsticks.
“I used to be an extra on film sets, hoping every day to get a line. Later, when I stopped getting roles, I took on odd jobs everywhere.” Rongrong ate stinky tofu in a low voice. “Although it doesn’t sound good to cry at funerals, I can earn three hundred yuan a day, which is enough to pay the rent.”
She looked up at Su Yingxue, her eyes filled with curiosity. "And you? You don't look like someone who runs a stall all year round. Why are you selling stinky tofu here?"
Su Yingxue was wiping the counter when she heard this. She paused for a moment, then smiled and changed the subject: "Just like you, I'm trying to make a living. Although this place is in a remote location, it's nice to occasionally run into customers like you."
Hearing this, Grandpa Zhang couldn't help but chime in: "Young lady, with such good skills, it would be much better for you to set up a stall in the alleyway of the city than to be stuck in this desolate wilderness!"
“Stalls in the city are expensive; I can’t afford to rent one for my small business,” Su Yingxue said casually.
She paused for a moment while holding the rag—what she didn't say was that the system's task was to set up a stall here for a full month, otherwise she wouldn't even get the basic bonus.
After Rongrong finished the last piece of stinky tofu, she pushed the empty bowl aside and suddenly stared at Su Yingxue's profile for a few seconds, her brows furrowing slightly: "You... don't you look a bit like Su Yingxue who played 'Qingshan Ferry' a few years ago? I saw you once on set before, and you were discussing the script with the director."
Su Yingxue's heart skipped a beat, and she almost dropped the rag in her hand.
She turned around, trying to appear calm, and shook her head with a smile: "Miss, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm just an ordinary street vendor, how would I know any actors?"
Grandpa Zhang and Grandpa Li also came over to take a look. Grandpa Li touched his chin and said, "No way, no way. What celebrity would come here to sell stinky tofu? You must have mistaken me for someone else."
Rongrong didn't press further, but simply picked up her phone to scan the QR code and pay: "No matter who you are, your stinky tofu is really delicious. If I come here for training again in the future, I'll definitely come back."
She stood up and straightened her white clothes. "It's getting late, I have to go back, or I'll miss the last bus."
Su Yingxue walked her to the roadside and watched her figure disappear into the darkness before she breathed a sigh of relief.
After clearing away the dishes, Grandpa Zhang patted her on the shoulder and said, "Young lady, don't take it to heart. She meant well. But your stall is indeed not safe. We'll keep you company more often when we're on night patrol."
"Thank you, sir." Su Yingxue felt a warmth in her heart as she watched the two old men's figures gradually disappear into the distance, leaving her alone by the food cart once again.
The night breeze blew again, but it wasn't so cold anymore. She looked down at the remaining braising liquid on the hot plate, then looked up at the twinkling stars on the distant barren mountains—perhaps, this quiet night stall wasn't as unbearable as she had thought.
Lin Xiao came again the next day.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com