At the entrance of the alley.
Liu's Stir-Fried Rice Noodles.
Chef Liu's Stir-Fried Rice Noodles were the most popular in the University District. Sometimes, the line was so long you had to wait.
Right now, six or seven customers were already waiting in front of his stall.
"Chef, you flip that wok so smoothly! Graduated from New Oriental Culinary School, huh?"
"I only eat Chef Liu's noodles. Spicy and flavorful—come here every couple of days."
Hearing the praise, Chef Liu beamed with pride and started flipping the wok even more energetically.
Flames danced high.
He wiped the sweat off his forehead and laughed. "New Oriental Culinary School? Please. When I was younger, I traveled all over. I learned this stir-fry from an old master in Shantou. He spent his whole life perfecting it—the taste is naturally top-notch. I inherited his full legacy!"
"No wonder! My girlfriend loves your noodles. I always have to come fetch them for her."
Chef Liu chuckled, "If you love them, come every day. But don't be fooled—Stir-Fried Rice Noodles might look simple, but there's a lot of skill involved. Like whether you fry the egg first or the noodles first…"
He kept bustling about as he enthusiastically rambled on.
Just then, a group of eight or nine excited customers came running over.
"Is it this alley? Which noodle stall is it?"
"This is the place! There's a super handsome guy making noodles—his stir-fry is amazing!"
Chef Liu was stunned for a moment before grinning, "You lovely folks must be talking about my noodles! Please line up—five orders ahead of you!"
"Uncle, don't joke—it's not your stall."
"This one's okay, but it's definitely not as tasty as the handsome guy's."
Chef Liu frowned. "What? I don't know about other places, but in this University District, who could possibly make better Stir-Fried Rice Noodles than me?"
"It's way tastier—and the guy running the stall is seriously good-looking."
Chef Liu scoffed. "Super handsome? More handsome than me?"
Pffft!
Someone drinking water spit it out from laughter.
That group didn't stick around—they hurried deeper into the alley.
The four or five customers originally waiting at Liu's stall saw the excitement and started getting antsy too.
"Chef, you haven't started mine yet, right? I'll pass."
"Me too. Cancel mine."
"Hey—hey…"
Chef Liu stood there holding his spatula, a little flustered. What was going on?
Two customers who had already paid reluctantly stayed—otherwise, they would've followed the crowd too.
Could there really be a better stir-fried noodle somewhere deeper inside?
Chef Liu looked at them and tried to persuade them, "Trust what's right in front of you, something you've actually tasted. Don't just go chasing trends. You might be disappointed."
The two exchanged looks and nodded. True, chasing trends might just lead to disappointment—it was safer to stay.
Deeper in the alley.
The oden stall uncle shook his head at Lu Qin. "You're late today—missed the prime spots at the alley entrance. Let's just pack up. Doesn't look like business is picking up."
He'd been running his stall here for three years and was clearly used to this sort of thing. When it was slow in the back, it really meant no business.
Lu Qin checked the time—8:30. He thought about it. His little one usually went to bed around 9:30. It was a bit early, but if there weren't any customers, they might as well head home.
The nice thing about running a food stall: freedom.
Lu Qin thought, From now on, I'll try setting up in the daytime, and spend evenings with the little one.
"Yaoyao, it's getting late. Let's pack up."
"Huh? Daddy, it's only 8:30!"
The little one was very into the food stall life and didn't find it boring at all.
Plus, she was waiting to get hungry again so she could sneak another bowl of her dad's Stir-Fried Rice Noodles.
Because Daddy's noodles were super delicious!
"You've got kindergarten tomorrow—it's Friday. Can't go to bed too late."
A slow first day's business was within Lu Qin's expectations. After all, when you're just starting out with no reputation, how could sales be good?
Just as he was about to pack up, a group of people—men and women—rushed over.
"This is the one!"
"The hot guy! And he's got a kid with him!"
Lu Qin paused, surprised by the sudden group.
"You all are…?"
"Boss, you're packing up already? That's too early!"
"You haven't closed yet, right? Hurry, give me one order of Stir-Fried Rice Noodles!"
"Same here—actually, make that two orders!"
…
The unexpected customers stunned even the oden stall uncle next door.
What the heck? Why are there suddenly so many people lining up for Stir-Fried Rice Noodles?
"Hey, good-looking people, want some oden?"
"No thanks—just noodles."
"……"
Lu Xiyao was overjoyed to see so many people.
"Big brothers and sisters, you have to line up~ No line, no noodles!"
The little one put her hands on her hips, striking an official pose. Her antics made the whole crowd laugh.
Customers started scanning the QR code to pay, and Lu Qin fired up the wok.
Under everyone's watchful eyes—noodles, vegetables, diced meat, and sauces were tossed expertly into the wok.
High flame stir-fry.
Those paying attention noticed how smooth and precise his movements were. He flipped the wok repeatedly, yet not a single strand of noodle flew out.
It showed his complete mastery over force and technique—muscle memory honed to perfection.
The flames leapt inside the wok.
The sight was stunning—like watching a painting unfold—and the customers waiting in line were visibly impressed.
"Wow, that's some skill. Definitely a real chef."
"Boss's moves are so cool. I'm in love!"
"Can I get one stir-fried noodle… plus the boss to go?"
Soon, the aroma spread around the stall, and the sound of people gulping down saliva filled the air.
Lu Qin poured the noodles out—each batch made three portions.
When portioning them into boxes, he flipped his wrist once and—perfect, clean, and even servings.
Another detail: even while boxing the noodles, not a single piece spilled. It was oddly satisfying to watch.
He wore an apron and a transparent plastic face mask. Every ingredient on the counter was neatly covered with clean gauze cloths. Seasoning containers were all properly lidded and lined up in order.
His tidy and hygienic setup was a stark contrast to other stalls—greasy and scorched.
"Wow, this is so clean and neat. It feels safe to eat here."
"Boss and his little helper look clean and cozy too. It smells amazing—must taste great!"
Smart and well-behaved, Lu Xiyao was already helping with packaging.
"Daddy, you keep stir-frying! Yaoyao will handle packing!"
With her soft little hands, she mimicked what she saw earlier. She grabbed a plastic bag by the ears and gave it a shake, placing it neatly on the counter.
Then she carefully placed the noodle box inside. Though she was slow, she was thorough—double-checking the lid before nodding to herself in satisfaction.
The young customers watched the little girl's clumsy seriousness and waited patiently, amused.
She was so cute and soft—no one could take their eyes off her.
She then added napkins and disposable chopsticks, and even tied the bag with a double loop knot just like Lu Qin.
"Big bro, this one's for you!"
"For me? Thanks, sweetie!"
Little Xiyao leaned forward to hand over the noodles—but suddenly pulled her hand back.
"Big bro, did you scan the QR code yet?"
The young man laughed, "I did!"
He even showed her his phone with the payment screen.
"Alright, here you go." Lu Xiyao said in her soft, milky voice, then reached out and handed over the rice noodles.
Her actions made the customers waiting in line behind them chuckle in amusement.
"Haha, what a sensible little one—already knows how to do business!"
"Such a clever girl! She even knows to check if the payment was made!"
"This little girl is just wonderful! Truly one of those 'model children' everyone talks about—pretty and well-behaved. Not like mine, that little maniac—I wish I could toss him in the trash sometimes!"
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]