Nearby supermarkets had experienced shortages of goods and several had already closed.

So, Lin You had to go to a farther place.

It was already getting dark, and the streetlights had come on.

However, there were more people on the road today.

More people were out, and the street vendors were more willing to come out.

As she walked along the street, Lin You noticed that the night market stalls had been set up again.

Though not as big as usual, the vendors were still enthusiastically trying to attract customers, and their faces were a little less anxious than before.

Perhaps influenced by the news about goods being transported into the city, people were finally seeing some hope.

However, due to the shortage of ingredients, there were very few snack stalls along the way, with no barbecue stalls, stinky tofu stalls, or takoyaki stalls to be seen.

Instead, there were more stalls selling clothes, toys, rubber bands, and even old books.

Lin You walked through the stalls, feeling as though she had returned to the past.

She lowered her head and stopped in front of an old bookstall.

There were all kinds of second-hand books displayed here.

Most of them were famous works, essays, and there were also textbooks and exercise books from middle school grades.

Lin You crouched down, picked out a few books, and selected two essays and one novel.

She looked up at the elderly man and asked: “Old man, how much for these books altogether?”

The old man laughed heartily and held up five fingers: “Five yuan.”

He seemed to be in a good mood, and his health looked fine.

Lin You gave him the small change she had on her and asked, “Aren’t you resting at home?”

The old man looked at her and smiled, “I’ve been home too long, I came out for some fresh air. Besides, the news says transportation has started to return to normal!”

Lin You nodded and replied, “Yes!”

After chatting with the old man for a few more minutes, Lin You took her books and left the stall.

Because of these scattered small stalls, the entire street had regained some of its lively atmosphere.

As she walked, Lin You thought, it seems the news about the new transportation route had a significant uplifting effect on the citizens.

It didn’t matter how much was being transported, what mattered was that goods from other cities could now be brought in.

At least, people were no longer waiting passively, but actively looking for a way out.

But according to Shang Zhisheng, the external transportation of goods was still limited, only able to meet the citizens’ immediate needs, not a long-term solution.

So, Lin You could imagine that if her breakfast shop had an endless supply of ingredients to offer the citizens of Ancheng, it would definitely boost their confidence.

Thinking this, a sense of responsibility arose in her heart.

So, as she walked, Lin You began planning. In addition to the plates and bowls, she wondered if she should also replace the trash bins on the floor. There were also the cutting boards, chopstick holders, and small glass jars for chili… In short, any equipment she could think of should be replaced with something better.

Of course, she also needed to think about finding some helpers.

Lin You already had some ideas about this.

Now, it just depended on whether she agreed.

After making up her mind, Lin You walked through the alley, took out her phone, and made a call.

The phone was quickly answered, and Tong Lan’s voice came through:

“Youyou, I was just about to tell you, my leg injury has healed!”

Lin You was happy for her, not expecting that those ingredients only needed to be cooked once to have such a noticeable effect: “That’s great!”

After they talked about the recovery of her leg, Lin You got straight to the point:

“Tong Lan, now that your leg injury is healed, are you thinking about finding another job? If my breakfast shop needs help, would you be willing to come?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the other side suddenly fell silent.

After a moment, Tong Lan spoke her true thoughts: “Going back to work right now is really not realistic. Most companies in Ancheng are laying people off, and there are very few companies hiring.”

She hadn’t been away from her last job for long, and the shadow left by that company was still on her mind.

The constant revisions to plans, the pressure of managing several big projects at once, the exclusion from those in leadership positions, and the constant scapegoating had drained her mentally.

Her original plan was to stay home and rest for a while.

As for the biological mutations and the leg injury, they were unexpected events.

Once her mindset was adjusted, she would probably look for a new job.

After all, besides the business skills required for her current industry, she didn’t know much else. Switching industries wasn’t that easy.

So, when Lin You mentioned the need for help at the breakfast shop, Tong Lan was indeed momentarily tempted.

She really envied Lin You’s current lifestyle—

She no longer had to worry about being interrupted by sudden calls from her boss while trying to sleep, and when eating with friends, she didn’t have to worry about whether a proposal would pass the review… Everything was arranged by herself, and life was much more organized and carefree.

However, Tong Lan’s only concern was that she couldn’t cook, and she worried that she would be a burden to Lin You.

She honestly told Lin You about this concern.

Lin You, on the other hand, wasn’t bothered: “Making breakfast isn’t difficult. I can teach you!”

Tong Lan explained, “I’m worried that even if you teach me carefully, I still won’t be able to learn.”

Lin You reassured her, “It’s okay, you can come and try it here first.”

Tong Lan thought for a moment and said, “Alright, I’ll give it a try. If I can’t help, I’ll leave voluntarily and not cause you any trouble.”

Lin You agreed.

So, Tong Lan would come over tomorrow.

Actually, Lin You wasn’t worried about Tong Lan making breakfast.

She had already prepared all the ingredients the afternoon or evening before, so Tong Lan only needed to process them.

For example, when making wontons, the wonton wrappers and fillings were ready, and Tong Lan’s job was just to wrap them.

Lin You thought to herself, this was something she should be able to do.

Of course, Lin You had considered inviting Tong Lan for a long time.

Why not hire someone else? Mainly because new people wouldn’t be familiar with each other and wouldn’t know their backgrounds.

If it was just selling breakfast, it wouldn’t matter much, but it also involved the future food supply for Ancheng.

Food supply was the most important matter for Ancheng.

And the more important something was, the more valuable it became, which made it easier for people to have bad intentions.

She couldn’t rule out the possibility that someone might approach these supplies with greedy motives.

For example, trying to tamper with the goods during transportation or storage, hoarding vegetables, and secretly reselling them at higher prices to make a profit from the crisis.

This was something she had thought about, and Shang Zhisheng had also reminded her.

The people in the shop had to be trustworthy, ideally someone she had worked with before and knew well.

So, Lin You immediately thought of Tong Lan.

.

After walking for a long time, she finally found a supermarket that was still open.

Lin You pushed a shopping cart and went inside.

She went straight to the kitchenware section and stopped in front of various bowls and plates.

As a seasoned food lover, Lin You knew that the choice of bowls and plates should actually be quite meticulous, as they were very important for presenting food.

For example, when serving porridge, it’s especially beautiful to use a translucent glass bowl that reflects natural light, which makes it very appetizing.

For small wontons, using a small round wooden bowl makes it appear very cute and rounded, which feels much better than using a large, wide cone-shaped bowl.

However, the breakfast shop was originally more of a fast food model.

People would stop by for a quick bite on their way to work, so they wouldn’t stay long.

Therefore, having enough ingredients, being clean, and being able to turn over tables quickly became very important.

Corresponding to this was the use of some easy-to-clean utensils.

Therefore, Lin You simplified the kitchenware and tableware, using matching white porcelain bowls and plates, mainly focusing on the flavor of the food.

But now, it was different.

Since the small shop had become a designated spot by the authorities, there would definitely be more customers coming to buy breakfast, and perhaps lunch and dinner would need to be served in the future.

Moreover, the meals made from fresh meat and vegetables in the freezer and baskets tasted excellent. Without better bowls, plates, and dishes, they would look ordinary at a glance.

Now, the items she was purchasing were meant to complement the new ingredients.

So, Lin You spent a long time picking out various tableware from the shelves and finally placed several different sets into her shopping cart.

Trash cans, fridge magnets, and plastic wrap were also available on the shelves.

These items weren’t particularly useful to stock up on at home, so very few people were buying them.

Thus, Lin You bought a large quantity.

By the time she left the supermarket, she was carrying a large pile of bags in both hands.

The distance from here back home wasn’t far, but it was not easy to catch a cab, especially since there were very few taxis on the road.

Lin You thought to herself, since she had walked here, it would be better to walk back, and if the bags were heavy, she could just take it slow.

However, just after taking a few steps, she looked up and saw a familiar face.