The line of customers moved at a steady pace as they were being given bowls of rice noodles one after another. Chen Ren felt the stall buzzing like a hive with the people who continued to come and go— making his grin grow wider.
Every time someone grabbed a bowl of steaming hot rice noodles, the sound of coins clinking into his hands was a sweet melody— the gratification of his hard work to make those dishes. What made it even sweeter was the sight of Tang Xiulan glancing at him from time to time, all the while something akin to admiration sparkled in her eyes.
Even Old Man Tian, who never treated his idea of running a stall seriously, stood frozen at a distance, mouth slightly opened while staring at the crowd gathered around his stall.
Although Chen Ren took pride in what he had done in such a short time, he didn't let the attention he received swell his ego. With each bowl he served, he flashed a welcoming smile, heartfully thanking every customer and urging them to spread the word about his stall.
"Please tell your friends about the stall," he said with a chuckle. "Come back tomorrow if you like it. I'll have more ready!"
Some nodded at his words, while others, lost in the flavour of the noodles, barely acknowledged him. But none left disappointed, a fact he didn't miss. He knew that regardless of their gratitude or the way they showed it at the end, he gained profits by selling the noodles and in return, the customers' hunger satiated— that was all that mattered.
As he reached for the next bowl, he recognised someone from yesterday— there, standing before him, was the scholar who had bought an extra bowl from him. The one who he had requested to spread the word. Behind the scholar was a small group of people, clearly drawn by his recommendation.
The scholar's knowing smile didn't go unnoticed by Chen Ren.
"Ah, it's you again! Welcome back!" He said, his eyes lighting up as he gave a subtle nod towards the small group behind the scholar. "Looks like your words worked wonders!"
The scholar gave a polite smile.
"I just told the truth. Your noodles speak for themselves."
"Ah! Thank you anyway. So, one bowl of rice noodles today?"
"Yes, here's… five coppers." He pulled five coppers from his pocket and handed them over.
As Chen Ren handed the scholar a bowl and collected the money, a strange warmth flooded in his chest. It wasn't just any warmth— he felt his qi stirred, pulsing within his dantian in a way he hadn't felt before. He blinked, the sensation catching him off guard, but quickly shook it off.
"Thank you."
The scholar's voice pulled him out of his thought process. Chen Ren nodded with equal enthusiasm and focused on the rest of the crowd. Soon after, he found himself back to distributing bowls one after another.
As the lunch crowd thinned, more satisfied customers left the stall with full bellies and content laughter. Each time Chen accepted their payment, the surges in his qi became more frequent, swirling stronger with every interaction.
The energy in his core felt… alive, almost reacting to the success of his little business.
It was an odd feeling altogether because he didn't know why it was happening, and what triggered his qi to swirl inside him like that. But there wasn't time to dwell on whatever was happening.
By the time the rush ended, Chen Ren had sold nearly two dozen bowls. Wiping his brow, he turned to Tang Xiulan, who was covered in sweat, brows raised but he didn't miss the satisfied smile on her face.
"Good job today," he said, patting her on the shoulder. "We've got a bit of a break now before the evening crowd rolls in. Let's take it easy until then."
"Your trick worked better than I expected, young master."
Chen Ren laughed. "If it didn't, I would've had to try something else. But this is only the beginning. We've got to keep it up."
As he spoke, movement caught the corner of his eye. A few kids stood nearby, watching the stall with wide eyes from an alley. They seemed hesitant to approach him but they were firmly fixated on him.
Those were the same kids whom he had asked for help before, the ones who agreed to spread the word in return for free food.
He waved them over with a grin. "Hey, you all up for helping out again today? Same deal as tomorrow."
Their eager nods were all the answer he needed.
***
As the evening rolled in, the crowd grew larger than the day before.
"Please give me a bowl!"
"Is this the 'noodle' stall I heard about?"
"Some kids had been shouting about it all over town, talking about how it's an eastern delicacy.
"Let's try and see how it is!"
People gathered around Chen Ren's stall, eager to try his noodles— some were new faces, while others had returned for a second helping. Word of mouth was spreading like water ripples in a still pond, touching everyone in the path and the kids he had recruited earlier were doing a great job promoting his business. Their lively voices rang through the city, calling out praises for his noodles, bringing in even more customers.
He felt relieved as he watched the growing line. If things continued like this, he'd be able to chip away at his debts sooner than he thought. Of course, that was still a distant goal, but he was finally beginning on something and it had even started to work.
Chen Ren believed that one simply needed to focus on their present and the future would change accordingly to that. With that belief in mind, he kept at the stall.
By the moment they reached evening, they had sold an additional forty bowls, far exceeding his expectation. In fact, they ran out of noodles much earlier than planned, forcing them to close the stall and heavy-heartedly rejecting a few customers who had been waiting in line.
It couldn't be helped since he hadn't bought the rice in bulk, not wanting to make such a big investment when the stall was still new. Though, now he could finally consider it.
As Chen Ren began packing up, his eyes wandered around Old Man Tian's stall across the way— except it wasn't Old Man Tian manning it. A younger man who shared similar features with the skewer stall owner was tending to the customers. Probably his grandson.
Curious, Chen called out. "Hello," he said. "Where's the old man today?"
The young man glanced up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, he's sick. Told me to cover for him."
Chen Ren smiled, wondering if Old Man Tian had run away out of dejection from doubting him, but it wasn't a big deal. He would return tomorrow and at that time, he wondered what sort of expression the old man would wear on his face. For now, there was nothing more to be done besides this small talk.
He returned to his stall, making sure to feed the kids who had helped with the advertising. Their eager faces lit up as they slurped the leftover noodles, and he was glad to share this with them. They had been the most helpful, aside from the customers who were so pleased with the noodles that they spread the word on their own, without Chen Ren having to ask.