After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 26

Upon arriving at their destination, Lin Sang opened the small door, took out his tools, and began to light a fire, set up a pot, heat the soup, and bake pancakes… The family worked together, busy but not chaotic.

As the mutton offal soup in the large iron pot began to bubble and boil, rich steam carrying the aroma of milk and meat filled the air, mingling with the smoky fragrance of flatbread baking on the nearby griddle. Like an invisible hand, it whetted the appetites of the hungry people at the dock in the early morning.

“It smells so good! What is this smell?”

“A new stall opened over there? What does it sell?”

“Let’s go, let’s go take a look.”

Gradually, people were drawn by the aroma and gathered around. Lin Sang, wearing a clean apron, greeted them with a graceful demeanor: “Gentlemen, freshly made mutton offal soup, hot and comforting! You can also add extra chili, and the crispy baked flatbread is delicious! Today is our opening day, buy a bowl of mutton offal soup and get a free flatbread!”

“Lamb offal soup? How much is a bowl?”

“Six coins a bowl! And a flatbread is included!” Lin Song added quickly and loudly.

A bowl of meat soup for six coins, plus a generous flatbread? That’s incredibly affordable at the dock! Immediately, someone was tempted: “Give me a bowl to try!”

“I want a bowl too!”

“I want extra chili peppers in mine!”

Lin Sang was in charge of serving soup and seasoning, Wang was in charge of collecting money and replenishing ingredients, Lin Bo took care of the heat and making pancakes, and Lin Song ran around helping to carry bowls and clean up.

The family worked together seamlessly, and a small queue quickly formed in front of the stall. People squatted or stood, enjoying the cool morning breeze at the dock, slurping up hot soup and munching on flatbread. The scalding soup, mixed with the warmth of chili peppers, dispelled the chill, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads. Everyone showed a satisfied expression.

“Hey! This soup is really good! It’s flavorful!”

“The pancakes are delicious! Six coins is such a good deal!”

The overwhelmingly positive reviews attracted even more people, and the small stall suddenly became a bustling success.

When the first wave of customers subsided and the stall could finally catch its breath, Zhou Han led a group of managers who were dressed noticeably more respectably over. Lin Sang, with her sharp eyes, immediately put on a smile and said, “Managers, you’ve arrived! Please have a seat! Today is our first day of business, and I appreciate your support of our stall. This meal is on me, so please eat as much as you like!”

Upon hearing this, the managers all laughed and teased Zhou Han: “Hanzi, look, the young boss has stolen your thunder! Shouldn’t you thank him properly?”

Before Zhou Han could speak, Lin Sang smiled and interjected, her gaze sweeping over Zhou Han frankly: “Mine is the same as Brother Zhou’s, it doesn’t matter who pays!”

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback at first, then burst into even louder laughter, their eyes darting ambiguously between Zhou Han and Lin Sang.

Hearing this from the side, Wang’s face turned bright red with embarrassment. This girl had no sense of propriety at all! Zhou Han was completely stunned, the phrase “Mine is the same as Brother Zhou’s” echoing repeatedly in his mind. His heart was pounding like a drum. What… what did that mean? Did it mean what he thought it meant?

He ate his meal absentmindedly, unable to taste even the delicious mutton soup. Only one thought occupied his mind: he had to find out! He couldn’t keep guessing!

No matter how absent-minded Zhou Han was, the managers ate to their hearts’ content. Anyone would be in a good mood eating in the cold weather, sweating profusely.

One of the managers stepped forward to thank Lin Sang for her hospitality today, and then said to her seriously, “Little boss, you can rest assured that you can set up a stall here at the dock. If any fools come to cause trouble in the future, or if you encounter any difficulties, come and find us brothers anytime! I dare not say anything else, but in this small area of ​​the dock, we can still say a few words to each other.”

“That’s right! Just say the word if you need anything!” the others chimed in.

Lin Sang was just hearing those words. She immediately put down her work, stood up straight, and bowed respectfully to the managers, a grateful smile on her face: “With your kind words, I can truly rest assured! Thank you all so much!”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, her tone becoming even warmer: “Since you gentlemen are so kind, then I won’t stand on ceremony. From now on, all you managers who come here for mutton soup will get a 50% discount! And all you can eat will be free of flatbread! As long as you don’t mind how simple my stall is, feel free to come anytime!”

Upon hearing this, the managers immediately beamed with joy. Half-price mutton soup, and all-you-can-eat flatbread? This was a truly generous offer!

“Wow! This young boss is so generous!”

“Haha, we’re in for a treat from now on!”

“Sure! Just because you’re so straightforward, we’ll definitely be a regular customer!”

The group teased Zhou Han a few more times, saying things like, “Hanzi, you’ve got quite the influence,” and “We’re all benefiting from your fame.” Zhou Han’s ears turned a little red, and he finally said goodbye, satisfied, and went about his business.

Zhou Han did not leave immediately. He quietly helped clean up the dishes and even planned to wash them.

Wang quickly stopped him, saying, “Oh dear, Zhou boy, this won’t do! How can you let a guest do the work?” With that, she took the bowl and chopsticks from his hands and quickly went to wash them herself.

Zhou Han stood still, looking at Lin Sang. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t know how to start. His face showed a rare hesitation and nervousness.

Lin Sang noticed his embarrassment and thoughts, so she took the initiative to walk over, pulled him to a less crowded place, looked up at him, and asked softly, “Brother Zhou, what’s wrong? Is there something you want to ask me?”

Zhou Han took a deep breath, as if he had mustered up his courage, his voice was a little tight: “Just now… just now you said ‘Mine is the same as Brother Zhou’… what did you mean by that? Miss Lin, I… I will take it seriously, I will misunderstand,” his gaze was fixed on Lin Sang, filled with expectation, but also with fear and disappointment.