Lu Qin also washed the plastic baskets for ingredients, insulated foam boxes, and other items, then placed them in a ventilated area to dry.
He liked cleanliness. Especially when it came to food-related things, they had to be sanitary so customers could eat with peace of mind.
Most snack stalls nowadays had poor hygiene. The visible surfaces were covered in grimy black grease, let alone the hidden corners.
There were also plenty of news reports about people getting food poisoning from street food.
Then there were various studies claiming that eating roadside food could easily cause cancer and the like. Lu Qin believed the first issue was poor hygiene, and the second was unhealthy ingredients and raw materials.
Most starch sausages, squid, fried meat skewers, and similar foods came frozen and prepackaged, bought at very low prices.
After stall owners took them out to thaw, they even added plenty of chemicals to make the ingredients look fresh.
Lu Qin would never do such a conscienceless business.
Nor would he set up his stall beside a major road. With cars constantly passing by, the food would end up full of dust.
After cleaning up, Lu Qin took a shower and lay comfortably on the bed.
It was nearly ten o'clock.
Listening to the crickets chirping outside the window, Lu Qin began to feel sleepy.
He checked his Zhi Fu Bao and WeChat wallets. Combined, his profits from the stall had reached around 10,000 yuan.
That was only the income from last night and the entire day today.
The earnings were extremely impressive, and Lu Qin was very satisfied.
He no longer had to worry about everyday living expenses, and each day felt fulfilling.
His system points had reached 628.
Just as Lu Qin was about to draw a prize, his phone chimed with a WeChat notification.
Lu Qin opened his phone and checked it. His brow lifted slightly—it was his ex-wife.
Shen Muyan.
Shen Muyan: Lu Qin, is the little one asleep?
Lu Qin had not deleted his WeChat chat history with Shen Muyan.
In the past, Shen Muyan's messages had always been inseparable from the word "busy."
"Working overtime tonight. You two go to sleep first, don't wait for me."
"I'm going on a business trip to Hai City today. I'll be back in three days. Sorry to trouble you with taking care of the little one."
"There's an important meeting. I can't attend the little one's kindergarten singing performance. Tell her I'm sorry for me."
"I might not be around for Yao Yao's birthday. I've already ordered the cake, and I'll make up for the gift when I get back."
Lu Qin did not blame Shen Muyan. Maybe she really was busy. As a CEO managing several five-star hotels, she was under a lot of pressure too.
He could only be the one to keep their daughter company, acting as both father and mother.
He and Shen Muyan were divorced, but they were not strangers. She was still the child's mother.
Lu Qin typed a reply: The little one is already asleep.
A few seconds later, his phone vibrated.
Shen Muyan: Where are you living? Have you gotten used to living after moving out?
Lu Qin: Chengnan Old District. The place is pretty good, and the surroundings are nice too. The little one isn't picky about beds, so she can sleep fine.
In the villa.
The spacious room was lavishly decorated, yet cold and empty.
Shen Muyan lay on the bed in a dark gray silk nightgown. Beneath the thin blanket, her graceful curves formed a beautiful silhouette.
Her fair, slender fingers held the phone as she considered what to send.
At work, she could be decisive and composed, giving precise instructions to hundreds of employees.
But when facing Lu Qin, the ex-husband she had already divorced, she did not know what to say.
The father and daughter were renting a place in Chengnan Old District.
The place was pretty good?
The surroundings were nice too?
Shen Muyan did not think so. The houses in that area had to be twenty or thirty years old. Could living in an old house really be comfortable?
Lu Qin was putting on a brave face.
He had fallen so far as to run a stall. How could life be good?
The little one probably was not used to living there either.
Shen Muyan frowned slightly, but held herself back and continued sending messages.
Shen Muyan: Have you found a job? It isn't easy to find work after being out of school for so many years. If you need help, just say so.
Lu Qin: I have a job. The income is good, so don't worry. It won't affect the little one's life, schooling, or growth.
Running a stall counted as a job? The income was good?
Shen Muyan believed Lu Qin was putting on a brave face. She could not press further, either. If they kept talking, they would surely tear away the last veil and hurt his pride again...
Shen Muyan felt a little irritated. She did not know how to deal with this.
She could not possibly let Lu Qin keep taking the little one out to run a stall for a living. At this rate, he might not even be able to afford her kindergarten tuition next semester.
Shen Muyan sighed and changed the subject.
Shen Muyan: Tomorrow is the weekend. The little one's Grandpa and Grandma are returning to the country, and they want to see her...
Lu Qin thought for a moment, then sent her a location pin.
Before their divorce, they had agreed that as long as the child was willing, she could go to her mother's place every weekend.
Lu Qin: That's fine. Send someone to pick up the little one at nine tomorrow morning.
Shen Muyan: Okay, thank you.
Lu Qin: No need.
After that, neither of them had anything else to say.
Shen Muyan did not know how to continue the conversation either.
She thought for a long time before finally sending another message.
Shen Muyan: There are still a lot of the little one's toys she didn't take.
Lu Qin: Leave them there. She already took plenty of toys, and there isn't enough room here for so many.
Shen Muyan: Oh.
Shen Muyan felt a little uncomfortable. There was a room in the villa specifically for storing the little one's toys and plush dolls.
After the father and daughter moved out, Shen Muyan discovered that she had barely taken any of the gifts Shen Muyan had bought for her.
She had only taken the things Lu Qin bought for her.
Shen Muyan reflected on herself. She truly had cared too little about the little one. What girl would like toy cars?
Fang Ya Discovered the University Town Fried Noodle Stall! Master Three-Wheeled Vehicle Driving Technique!
Elsewhere.
Fang Ya reviewed the edited food short video, then uploaded it to her Douyin account.
She had more than fifteen million followers on both Weibo and Douyin.
The food videos she had recently filmed had all been rather underwhelming. Most foods had already been covered, and genuinely delicious food was becoming harder and harder to find. She could not keep filming the same things over and over.
Sigh, I can only stop updating for a while.
Fang Ya swiped her finger as she boredly scrolled through Douyin.
After a beauty video, the next one was a casually filmed street-food video.
This fried noodle stall is absolutely amazing! It's so delicious I could cry!
The video showed a close-up of someone wolfing down fried noodles. A young woman ate while giving a thumbs-up.
The account owner only had a few hundred followers, yet the video had four or five thousand likes.
Fang Ya opened the comment section, which had more than a hundred comments.
Is this the fried noodle stall in the narrow alley at Changlin Road University Town? I ate there yesterday, and the fried noodles were insanely delicious!
It really is that place. The stall owner is a handsome young guy, and his fried noodles taste incredible! There's no way to describe it!
There were just too many people eating there. The line was way too long, and I did not even get to order. I only had a cup of Mung Bean Paste. After drinking his Mung Bean Paste, I don't even like milk tea anymore!
I didn't get any either. I'm going to line up early tomorrow!
Before you continue