The next evening, as darkness was about to fall but had not fully descended, a few early stars twinkled in the dusky blue sky.
Many diligent farmers had just set down their work in the fields to head home, carrying their hoes. Passing by the riverside, they discovered a new small food stall.
There were three or four tables and chairs, a pair of sturdy charcoal stoves, a tung oil lantern placed beside the chopping board. In the corner, neatly stacked were greens, green onions, ginger, and other items, and on the ground were several soup pots with lids, so one couldn't see what was inside.
The stall looked tidy and efficient, and a few especially curious folks stopped in their tracks, craning their necks to look over.
