Chapter 228 continues
As night fell, more and more stalls appeared in the square, but Su Yingxue's stall remained the most popular.
Chen Mo's hands ached from cooking noodles, and sweat dripped down his chin, but he got more and more energetic as he cooked: "Sister Su, ten more bowls, please! And these three gentlemen over here, please make them extra spicy!"
Su Yingxue put the food into the pot, while Shen Yu packed up the braised dishes. The two worked together seamlessly.
Xia Paopao interviewed diners with a microphone. In the video, a sanitation worker who had just finished get off work held a bowl of noodles, slurped up a mouthful of hot soup, and had a slightly red eye: "After a busy afternoon, I just wanted something hot to eat. These noodles are just what I wanted."
The live stream was flooded with gifts and comments, and even local grain and oil suppliers sent private messages saying they were willing to provide rice and flour for the show for free.
The sponsors who had previously hesitated have now agreed, saying, "We are willing to support such a heartwarming program."
Hu Xiaoguang stood not far away, looking at the lively yet orderly scene before him, forgetting to take his walkie-talkie.
His face couldn't hide his satisfaction—the show that almost got cancelled back then has now become a popular and down-to-earth hit.
As it was almost time to close up shop, Chen Chen counted the money in his QR code, his voice trembling with excitement: "Sister Su, Sister Shen Yu, we made 6,800 yuan tonight! More than last time at the industrial park!"
Everyone stopped what they were doing, exchanged smiles, and their fatigue was instantly replaced by a sense of accomplishment. Xia Paopao jumped up and hugged Lin Qiao tightly: "We did it! The show is on track!"
Su Yingxue looked at her companions, at Chen Mo who was still humming a song while tidying up the tables and chairs, and at Chen Chen who was packing up the leftover braised food for customers, her eyes filled with tenderness.
The warm light of the lamps carried the lingering aroma of food, and the wind blowing across the square brought laughter and cheerful voices from afar.
She picked up a bowl of freshly cooked hot soup and handed it to Shen Yu beside her: "A toast to us, a toast to the warmth of human life."
Shen Yu took the soup and gently touched the rim of the bowl with her: "A toast to us, and to every down-to-earth effort."
The steaming soup warmed both the stomach and the heart. The last frame of the live stream captured the smiles of everyone sitting together.
A line of text slowly floated across the screen: "This is the true meaning of winning—not defeating anyone, but staying true to our original aspirations and warming each other's hearts."
The second episode was scheduled to be filmed on the pedestrian street in the old town, but the weather turned bad. A biting northwest wind started blowing in the early morning, and the temperature plummeted to minus two degrees Celsius.
When Su Yingxue and Shen Yu arrived at the scene, they found that the food supplier they had contacted in advance had not arrived and could not be reached by phone. The insulated shed was swaying precariously in the wind, and Chen Chen and Chen Mo were holding on to the frame tightly, their faces red from the cold.
"There seems to have been some trouble with the supplier en route,"
Shen Yu rubbed her frozen hands, her brows furrowed. "We only have enough dough to make fifty bowls of noodles, and we only have half the amount of braised food. If there are more customers, it won't be enough to sell."
Xia Paopao, wrapped in a thick coat, stamped her feet and breathed on them: "The wind is so strong! The power cord of the heater is swaying, and when I tried to cook noodles just now, the flame almost went out."
Lin Qiao squatted by the stove, using cardboard to block the wind, sweat beading on her forehead with anxiety: "If this continues, let alone doing business, we won't even be able to keep the stall afloat."
Su Yingxue looked up at the sky. The cold wind swirled with withered leaves and stung her face. She gritted her teeth and said, "Let's stabilize the stall first! Chen Chen and Chen Mo, go to the nearby hardware store and buy some reinforcing ropes to nail the four corners of the insulation shed securely."
Lin Qiao, you and Paopao go to the stall next door to borrow a few windbreaks, and while you're at it, ask them if they have any extra ingredients they can share with us;
"Shen Yu, let's take stock of the available ingredients and adjust the set meal combinations to ensure that customers who arrive can have a hot meal."
The division of labor had just been finalized when they heard arguing nearby. It turned out to be the owner of the wonton stall next door, who felt that their stall was encroaching on the aisle.
He was arguing heatedly with the volunteers who were helping to set up the tent, his face flushed and his tone getting increasingly aggressive: "Your tent is practically sticking out of my way! With this strong wind, you're blocking all the customers, how are we supposed to do business?"
Shen Yu quickly stepped forward, smiling as she handed him a cup of freshly boiled hot water: "Brother, I'm so sorry, the wind was too strong and I didn't notice the location. We'll move the shed right away to make sure it doesn't affect your business."
She turned to Chen Chen and winked, "Let's move half a meter to the east, and we'll trouble you two brothers to lend a hand again."
Su Yingxue also chimed in, trying to smooth things over: "We're all small business owners, we'll run into each other all the time. It's windy today, let's all be understanding. When our noodles are ready, we'll bring you a bowl to try and warm you up."
The stall owner took the hot water, and seeing the group's lips, which were turning purple from the cold, and their sincere attitude, his expression softened a bit: "Alright, move over quickly, don't really block the way."
Just after resolving the stall dispute, the food supplier finally called, his voice filled with apology: "Mr. Su, I'm so sorry! The roads are icy and there's a traffic jam, the ingredients won't arrive for at least another two hours."
After hanging up the phone, everyone felt a bit deflated. Just then, the wonton stall owner next door suddenly spoke up: "I have a lot of fresh shepherd's purse and pork here. If you need them, take them first. Consider it my investment. You can pay me back when you make a profit."
An aunt selling steamed buns nearby also came over: "I have two bags of flour here, and I can share some of the freshly steamed buns with you!"
Xia Paopao's eyes lit up: "It's 'mutual support'! Just like what Director Hu said before about the co-governance of the night market, where everyone helps each other out!"
Su Yingxue was both surprised and delighted, and quickly thanked them, "Thank you so much! We will definitely settle the accounts after we close up shop, and we'll even share the profits with you!"
With the help of the neighborhood stall owners, the food crisis was easily resolved. Su Yingxue immediately adjusted the menu and launched a warm winter set meal of "shepherd's purse and pork noodles + hot steamed buns". Shen Yu added more ginger slices and pepper to the soup to dispel the cold and warm the stomach.
Chen Mo covered the windshield completely, and Chen Chen found some wire to fix the heater. The orange light enveloped the aroma of the noodles, making it especially tempting in the cold wind.
Citizens gradually arrived and gathered around the steaming stalls.
An elderly man, holding a bowl of noodles, slurped up a mouthful of soup and repeatedly praised, "These noodles warm my heart! Your stall may be small, but it's more thoughtful than a big restaurant." In the live stream, viewers were touched by this unexpected warmth.
[The stall owner next door is so kind, I could cry! This is what a night market should be like!]
Su Yingxue's group is so adaptable; they remain calm and collected when faced with problems, and they can also help each other with their neighbors.
The warmth of everyday life amidst the cold wind is most touching; watching them build a tent together and share ingredients makes me feel inexplicably warm.
Two hours later, the supplier's ingredients finally arrived, and their dough and shepherd's purse had just sold out.
Shen Yuqing counted the sales figures, her face full of smiles: "We've already sold over five thousand! With the ingredients we'll replenish later, we'll definitely break eight thousand today!"
As night deepened, the wind gradually subsided. The owner of the wonton stall next door specially brought over a bowl of steaming hot wontons: "I don't need your share of the profits. Let's look out for each other in business from now on; that's better than anything else."
Su Yingxue took the wontons and shared them with her friends. The warm soup went down her throat, and the warmth spread from her esophagus to her whole body.
Hu Xiaoguang held up his camera and recorded the scene, his eyes welling up with tears. He finally understood that the show's revival was not due to celebrity popularity, but rather to the most basic kindness and mutual support among people.
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