Chapter 38: Save Up and Try to Buy a Car

Ye Muqi finished preparing everything, packed it carefully, and headed out.

It was still hard to catch a ride early in the morning.

And today she wasn’t as lucky as yesterday—there were no hitchhiking opportunities, and it wasn’t common for people from the military compound to head into town.

“I wonder if cars are expensive… If I could get one, going to town would be so much easier…” Ye Muqi muttered to herself while doing the math.

She still had a good amount of money on hand, and the side dishes she made each day all came from her space, so she didn’t have to spend extra.

If the breakfast shop’s business continued doing well and she could earn more than ten yuan a day, buying a car shouldn’t be too hard.

“Save up and aim to buy a car!”

Ye Muqi silently set a small goal for herself.

Without a ride, she arrived at the breakfast shop later than yesterday. There were already quite a few people inside, and even a line had formed. Cai Dongmei was explaining something to the customers.

Beside Cai Dongmei stood a little boy—he looked thin and frail, but was dressed very neatly. He seemed a bit timid, clutching the hem of Cai Dongmei’s clothes. He was probably her grandson.

Ye Muqi remembered Cai Dongmei had mentioned her grandson’s name was Sun Chao.

“There she is! Finally! We’ve been waiting for a while!” the customers cheered up immediately when they saw Ye Muqi arrive.

With her arrival, that delicious aroma returned to the shop. Seeing the large bags in her hands, the customers eagerly rubbed their hands in anticipation.

Ye Muqi went into the kitchen, and Cai Dongmei followed her inside right away, helping her put the prepared dishes on the stove to simmer.

“I saw you hadn’t arrived yet, so I went ahead and kneaded the dough for you,” Cai Dongmei said, pointing to the already-prepared dough on the table.

There were so many customers in the shop, all waiting for the noodles Ye Muqi made.

“Great, I’ll get started right away.”

Ye Muqi glanced over and then went back outside to update the menu. Braised beef noodles: 40 cents. Braised eggs: 20 cents. She also added rice noodles at the same price as regular noodles.

She had already brought the rice noodles to the shop yesterday afternoon. Now, she just had to take them out, soak them in a bowl of water, and begin today’s business.

With yesterday’s experience, the shop ran smoothly. Although Sun Chao was still very small, he helped clean up the dishes quickly and neatly, acting like a well-behaved little helper, which made Cai Dongmei’s workload much lighter.

“Granny, didn’t you say your grandson’s not in good health? Isn’t it too tiring for him to be helping out instead of resting at home?” Ye Muqi asked with concern after seeing Sun Chao working for a while.

There were even more customers than yesterday, but Ye Muqi had bought extra bowls the afternoon before. Now that both she and Cai Dongmei were getting the hang of things, they were able to manage the workload.

“It’s okay. We earned quite a bit yesterday, so I bought some new medicine for Xiao Chao. His condition is much more stable now,” Cai Dongmei said with a smile.

The breakfast shop’s booming business meant her beloved grandson could now afford his medication. His condition was improving little by little, and ever since the day began, Cai Dongmei hadn’t stopped smiling.

“What illness does he have?” Ye Muqi asked while continuing to work.

She wasn’t a doctor, but with knowledge from the future, she might be able to help.

“Asthma—pretty serious. Sometimes he can’t breathe properly, especially when the seasons change. I’m afraid no one at school would know how to help if something happened. He’s already this big, but he still hasn’t gone to school.” Talking about her grandson’s illness made Cai Dongmei sigh.

Still, as long as her grandson stayed healthy, school could wait.

But she was getting old. What worried her most was—if one day she was gone, what would happen to her little grandson?

Though her mood dimmed for only a moment, she quickly put on a smile and returned to serving customers.

Ye Muqi thought about it. Asthma couldn’t be cured, only managed. In this era where medical science wasn’t advanced, all they could do was try to maintain a stable condition.

She sighed quietly to herself. Misfortune always found the weakest, just like how ropes snap at their thinnest point.

…

Today’s side dishes were more plentiful than yesterday’s, but even so, they stayed busy until almost noon before it finally quieted down.

There were still some customers, but the rush had eased.

“Are you hungry?” Ye Muqi asked gently, seeing Sun Chao come in with two empty bowls and place them in the sink.

They had been busy from the moment they arrived. She hadn’t even asked if he and his grandmother had eaten anything yet.

“Mm…” Sun Chao looked a little shy and held his stomach—he was clearly hungry.

“How about a bowl of rice noodles from me?” Ye Muqi asked with a warm smile.

“Yes, please~” Sun Chao nodded gently at her kind tone, then stared longingly as she scooped rice noodles into a bamboo strainer.

She cooked a bowl of noodles for him, added some non-spicy braised pork with fermented soybean sauce, and topped it with a braised egg before handing it to him.

“There aren’t many people here now. Go ahead and eat,” Ye Muqi said.

“Thank you, pretty sister~” Sun Chao held the bowl with shining eyes, looking absolutely adorable.

Ye Muqi made a bowl for Cai Dongmei too. She had eaten breakfast at home, so she wasn’t very hungry.

“Pretty sister, aren’t you going to eat?” Sun Chao came back after eating and looked at Ye Muqi with curiosity as he set down his empty bowl.

He had only been washing dishes and got hungry already. Pretty sister had been working non-stop in the kitchen—wasn’t she hungry?

Ye Muqi secretly took out a piece of chocolate from her space, pretending it came from her pocket, and handed it to Sun Chao.

“I’m not hungry. This is for you—thanks for your help today.”

Sun Chao looked at the wrapper. His grandma had brought him some before, though it had only been half a piece. It was sweet and delicious. His eyes sparkled even more, and he couldn’t help but hug Ye Muqi.

This big sister was pretty and kind. He really liked her. If only she could always work in his grandma’s shop!

“Thank you, sister!”

“You’re welcome.” Ye Muqi didn’t know what he was thinking, but she smiled softly and ruffled his hair.

What a lovable child.

…

After noon, they finally sold out of everything they had prepared. Only a few dumplings and buns remained, which Cai Dongmei gave to Ye Muqi to take home.

After cleaning up the shop, Ye Muqi ate the buns on her way home and stored the dumplings in her space, planning to cook them for Rong Jingchen’s breakfast later.

When she got home, Ye Muqi entered her space to choose ingredients. Since she had promised to improve Rong Jingchen’s meals, meat was a must.

And she had another goal—no repeated dishes within a week!

This was her challenge as a chef!

Ye Muqi picked out a chicken, a nice lean cut of meat, a fish, tofu, black fungus, and some greens. Then she exited the space and began preparing in the kitchen.