He paused, rubbing his beard, "Even now, with his new personality, I'm not rushing into anything. It's not been long enough to see if the change is permanent. But I have to admit, it's the first time I've seen a cultivator take an interest in business— especially one like a street stall. Most cultivators don't see beyond selling pills or beast parts, and they usually keep to their sects or clan. So, I really want to see what Chen Ren aims to achieve with this. Even if the man is—or was— a wastrel, he's still a cultivator. It's quite unusual for someone like that to end up selling something as simple as these noodles. It suggests something major has happened to him. I know of his clan and they are an aggressive bunch, so him being a merchant is just going against everything his clan stands for."
Tang Xiulan slowly took in those words. Her master wasn't wrong. Since Cloud Mist City was the closest place to Soaring Sword Sect, a guardian sect, there were a good number of cultivators in the city and out of all of them, Chen Ren had slowly turned the strangest.
"I'll keep being with him and keep an eye out, Master."
The old man gave a small smile and nodded. "Good. But tell me, are the noodles actually good? I've heard from the servants that they are, but it wouldn't be proper for the head of the Tang Clan to line up at a stall to eat." He chuckled softly.
Tang Xiulan suppressed a smile, a bit of amusement flickering in her eyes. Of course, she thought to herself, the master was a gourmet. She bowed again, hiding her amusement. "I'll make sure to bring some for you, Master."
Tang Jihao nodded, satisfied. "Good. I look forward to trying them. Now, go on, and let me know if you notice anything else strange with Chen Ren."
Tang Xiulan bowed once more before leaving the room, a small smile tugging at her lips. For all his sternness, Master Tang could never resist good food.
***
The next day, Chen Ren was up early, ready to start the stall once again. Thanks to the foresight of soaking the additional rice he had brought from Tang Yuqiu yesterday, he was able to open earlier than yesterday.
A part of him was eager to catch the morning crowd— those on their way to work or leaving their homes for various errands. He wanted to see if he could attract some early customers with his noodles.
As always, Old Man Tian was already there, a constant presence in the early hours. He gave a short bow to Chen Ren when he saw him strolling up with Tang Xiulan by his side.
Chen Ren returned the gesture with a nod but didn't say much. Instead, he busied himself setting up the stall, arranging the bowls and preparing the ingredients for the day.
Once everything was ready, Chen Ren sat down, waiting with calm patience. Occasionally, he would call out to people rushing by who cast curious glances at his stall. His voice was friendly but firm, a gentle nudge to consider stopping for a bowl of noodles. Despite his efforts, the morning was slow.
Throughout the early hours, he managed to sell only two bowls, far fewer than the other stalls nearby.
Still, a smile lingered on Chen Ren's face as he waited, his eyes occasionally drifting to the street, watching the flow of people. Tang Xiulan noticed this and tilted her head, puzzled. "Why do you look so happy, young master?" she asked, getting more casual with him by the day.
Chen Ren turned to her, his smile widening slightly. "I'm just anticipating lunchtime," he replied. "Things should start to change then if I'm right. From what I know, a lot of people go out to eat at local restaurants and stalls during lunch, at least those who don't own their own shops in their homes. And if the marketing from yesterday worked as expected, then they'll be looking to try my noodles today."
As he spoke, he could feel a sense of anticipation bubbling in his heart and nerves. This was the moment he had been waiting for— the real test of his efforts.
The free food wasn't just to spread word of mouth in the common public. He had deliberately sent the kids to areas where a lot of people worked together such as the places with big forges, the city lord offices and other similar areas. If he was right, then if even a few of his customers from yesterday had done what they promised, he would be quite busy as the day went by.
He glanced at the sun climbing higher in the sky, marking the approach of midday.
Please, don't let me down.
***
Liu Wen stretched his arms above his head, feeling the tension release from his shoulders as lunchtime finally arrived. He bent further and heard his spine crack— ah, the relief! Soon, it turned into embarrassment when his stomach rumbled, a clear sign that it was time to find something to eat.
He made his way out of the office where he worked, joining the steady stream of people leaving their own workspaces in search of a meal.
Everyone who worked in the city lord's office had specific things they liked during lunch. Some would bring their own lunch, but most would go out to eat in nearby restaurants and stalls. There were also those who were loyal to specific places and would eat similar things everyday.
He wasn't one of them, liking to savour different kinds of food.
As Liu Wen moved down the street, he found himself walking beside a group of fellow workers, deep in discussion about lunch plans. Zhang Wei, Lin Feng and Yuang Bo — a close friend trio that would always hang out for lunch were talking very loudly.
"Should we try something different today?" Zhang Wei suggested, his eyes twinkling with the thought of lunch itself. "I heard there's a new place by the river that serves amazing dumplings."
Lin Feng, who walked in the middle, shook his head. "I'm in the mood for something simple," he said, his tone decisive. "How about the chicken skewers from the stall on the corner? Can't go wrong with those."
"Or maybe some hot buns? I heard they have a new filling today!" Yuang Bo's excitement was palpable, and he rubbed his hands together, imagining the taste.
The three continued their animated debate, tossing around different ideas until Liu Wen felt that they noticed him walking quietly beside them. "Hey, Liu Wen!" Yuan Bo called out, grinning. "Where do you want to go for lunch?"
Liu Wen paused, suddenly remembering what the noodle stall owner had told him the day before about promoting his new stall. And truth be told, after tasting two bowls, he has been craving noodles ever since he started thinking about lunch. "Actually," he began, trying to keep his voice casual, "there's a new stall I heard about that's selling some kind of eastern tribe delicacy. They call it noodles. Supposedly, it's really good."
At this, Zhang Wei's eyes widened with interest. "Noodles, you say? An eastern tribe delicacy?" he repeated, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I've never had anything like that before. Could be worth a try."
"Yeah, why not? I'm up for something different today. Lead the way, Liu Wen."
Yuan Bo was practically bouncing on his feet. "An adventure for the taste buds! Let's do it!"
Liu Wen smiled, pleased with their enthusiasm. As everyone was agreeable about trying out a new delicacy today, he found himself moving to the centre of the group.
He led them toward Market Street, where the noodle stall was set up. As they approached, he noticed something surprising: the area around the stall was already bustling with people, all eagerly slurping down noodles. The sight took him aback since he hadn't expected the stall to start doing such business in just a day.
Just yesterday, they were giving out free noodles in a bid to attract people.
"Looks like we're not the only ones who heard about this place," Zhang Wei said, grinning as he took in the crowd. "This must be the real deal."
Liu Wen nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Looks like these noodles are going to be a big hit," he said aloud.
His eyes moved towards the owner of the stall who was handing out the bowls one by one with a smile on his face. "Everyone please get in a queue! It's first come, first serve. All of you are going to get noodles today, so just stand for a while and prepare your stomachs for the best dish you will ever eat."
As Liu Wen and his group joined the line, the rich smell of freshly made noodles filled the air, and he could practically taste the delicacy all over again.