Chapter 35: Made Over Ten Yuan on the First Day

More and more people were coming into the shop—some were drawn in by the enticing aroma wafting from inside, while others were curious after seeing Ye Muqi hand-pulling and slicing noodles.

Even though Ye Muqi was quick with her hands, it was impossible to keep up with the growing crowd. The shop soon filled up, and the line stretched all the way outside.

“This is so spicy—so satisfyingly spicy!”

“The meat is really fragrant. The ribs are stewed perfectly and aren’t hard to chew at all.”

“The soy-braised pork is delicious too.”

All the tables were packed. Watching the customers devour their food, each one eating with gusto and not leaving a single scrap, it was clear just how tasty the food was.

Ye Muqi was very satisfied. For a chef, nothing is more affirming than seeing customers nearly swallow their bowls whole.

Those in line were full of anticipation for their upcoming meal, eager for their turn.

Even with such a long wait, not a single customer left.

Even when there were no more seats inside, people were happy to stand outside holding their bowls to eat. This attracted the attention of many passersby, who grew curious about the small, shabby breakfast shop.

Ye Muqi never stopped moving in the kitchen, and Cai Dongmei was equally busy collecting dishes and handling the money.

When they realized there weren’t enough bowls, they had to take turns washing dishes. Both were so busy that the dough, kneaded earlier, was visibly shrinking, and the stewed side dishes were nearly gone.

Since it was their first day, Ye Muqi hadn’t prepared a large amount. And bringing too much alone would’ve been difficult—what if she hadn’t caught a ride?

The wontons Cai Dongmei prepared were sold out, leaving only a few steamed buns.

“We’re out. All the side dishes are sold,” Ye Muqi announced helplessly to the remaining customers in line.

There were more customers than she had anticipated, and while the feedback was great, unfortunately, she had underestimated the quantities.

Those who didn’t get to buy any looked disappointed. They had been craving the food for a while, especially those at the front of the line who were just about to order when they found out it was all gone.

“I’m really sorry. Why don’t you come back tomorrow? We’ll prepare more food and even offer new side dishes!” Ye Muqi quickly reassured them.

Seeing how successful the day was, she planned to prepare more for the next day and expand the variety of side dishes.

After all, most of the customers were locals. If the menu stayed the same, people would eventually get tired of it. Offering a variety would help keep them coming back.

She decided to add rice noodles to the menu the next day.

She had rice noodles stored in her space, and with the right side dishes, they’d taste great—completely different in texture from wheat noodles. She had always planned to sell them, but with the rush of the first day, she forgot to bring them out.

Hearing this, both the customers who had eaten and those who hadn’t were now looking forward to tomorrow.

Only after the last customer left did Ye Muqi and Cai Dongmei begin to clean up. There were piles of used dishes to wash and the entire shop needed tidying.

Even though everything sold out quickly, the clean-up took until noon.

“We need to buy more small stoves, and this long table should be replaced too. Even if we’re not serving dry dishes yet, we can use it to hold condiments,” Ye Muqi said while munching on leftover buns as her lunch and surveying the shop.

They had condiments on each table, but with the crowd today, some customers who couldn’t get a seat found it difficult to add seasonings.

Fortunately, people in the 1980s were kind and accommodating—they would let standing customers come over to add condiments and would even squeeze together to make room. But still, the shop didn’t have enough chairs.

“We need more chairs. Even if they don’t have a table to sit at, at least they won’t have to stand or squat to eat,” Ye Muqi thought to herself.

After finishing her bun, Cai Dongmei brought out the money they had earned and began counting. The large box of cash was more than she usually made in two days.

Although they were busier than usual, Cai Dongmei felt it was still easier than her normal routine. After all, Ye Muqi handled all the kitchen work—she only needed to collect money and clean up.

“We made over thirty yuan just today!” Cai Dongmei was stunned as she counted the money.

On a good day, she normally made about ten yuan—typically around seven or eight yuan a day. But today, just one day of working with Ye Muqi brought in over thirty—and that was even with many customers left unfed.

Overjoyed, Cai Dongmei split the money evenly into two piles and handed one to Ye Muqi.

Even without counting, it was obvious both piles were the same amount.

“Granny, didn’t we agree on a 60-40 split?” Ye Muqi immediately tried to take a portion out to return to her.

Cai Dongmei shook her head. She had originally suggested a 50-50 split, but Ye Muqi didn’t agree. At the time, considering her grandson’s medical bills, she accepted the 60-40 arrangement.

But now, even with a 50-50 split, she was earning more than she used to on her own. This was all thanks to Ye Muqi. Cai Dongmei felt guilty even about splitting it equally, let alone taking a larger share.

Even if Ye Muqi didn’t care, she herself wouldn’t feel right.

“If it weren’t for you, we couldn’t have made this much. And all your side dishes use meat—meat is expensive!” Cai Dongmei didn’t let her continue counting. “From now on, we split everything 50-50!”

“…”

Seeing how firm Cai Dongmei was, Ye Muqi didn’t argue further and quietly accepted the money.

“This is a key to the shop—I had it copied yesterday,” Cai Dongmei said, handing over a key. If she’d had a spare, she would’ve given it to her earlier.

Ye Muqi took it, thinking it was perfect—now she could buy supplies in advance and stock the store, saving herself the trouble of hauling everything in each morning.

After splitting the money, Cai Dongmei went home to her young grandson.

Left alone in the shop, Ye Muqi boldly took out a lot of supplies from her space and stocked the shop. If Cai Dongmei asked tomorrow, she’d just say she bought them today—no need to worry about exposing her secret.

She also went out and bought the small stoves and tables and chairs, then brought them back to the shop. Only after everything was in place did she finally close up and leave.

This small, run-down breakfast shop was beginning to change little by little—it was only a matter of time before it became something more.

Ye Muqi was already thinking that once they made more money, they could get a better sign for the store—and maybe even expand the space.

But that was all for later. For now, she needed to go home.

She had made over ten yuan today alone—about the same amount that Rong Jingchen gave her that morning. While it couldn’t compare to her salary in the future, the times were different. This was her first bucket of gold—an auspicious start. Things would only get better from here.

She made up her mind: Tonight, they’re having a feast!