Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

It was already past 8 p.m., the busiest time of the night market.

Li Chunsheng's stall was surrounded by layers of people.

"Boss, is my noodle ready yet? I've been waiting for ages!"

"What's the rush! I haven't even had my turn yet, you just wait!"

A good-natured laugh came from the crowd.

Li Chunsheng stood in front of the cutting board, smiling and reassuring everyone as he pulled noodles.

"Here we go!"

With a flick of his wrist, Li Chunsheng sent the final stretch of noodles into the boiling water. He stirred it with long chopsticks, sending steam billowing up.

Ramen making proficiency +1

The numbers on the system panel were constantly changing, but Li Chunsheng couldn't pay attention to them at the moment.

Drain the noodles, put them in a bowl, pour a spoonful of rich chicken bone broth over them, then top with a thick slice of pork belly, a spoonful of bright red chili oil, and finally sprinkle a handful of bright green scallions on top.

A striking mix of red, white, and green, steaming hot.

"Your chicken broth ramen! Be careful, it's hot!"

Li Chunsheng handed the bowl of noodles to a laborer in front of him who was rubbing his hands and stamping his feet in anticipation. The man was already impatient and, ignoring the fact that it was too hot to drink, picked up the bowl and took a big gulp of soup.

"Ha!" The man exhaled a puff of white air, a satisfied look on his face. "A sip of this soup on such a cold day, I wouldn't trade it for anything, not even a god!"

"Should we switch fairies or not?" a few teasing voices came from the crowd.

"That depends on how beautiful the fairy is."

Hahahaha.

[Received heartfelt praise from diners, quest progress: 5/5]

[Mission Completed: Sold 10 bowls of ramen at the night market and received praise from five customers.]

[Mission Reward: Physical Enhancement, Ramen Making Skill Proficiency +50.]

In an instant, Li Chunsheng felt that the soreness in his arms and back, which had been a bit aches from eating ramen at high intensity, had miraculously subsided.

This system can even enhance physical fitness? That's a great feature. In an era where the average lifespan is only 30-35 years, having a good physique is extremely important.

"Brother Li, the bowl has been brought back." A soft voice sounded from behind.

Li Chunsheng turned around and saw Ya Ya walking over carrying two empty bowls. The little girl's small body was wrapped in his big old cotton-padded coat, looking like a funny penguin. Her face, which had been blue from the cold, had regained its color because of her busy work and the warmth of the stove.

"Yaya, you're great." Li Chunsheng took the empty bowl, then casually picked up a small piece of fatty meat from the already cooled plate beside him and stuffed it into the little girl's mouth. "Are you tired?"

With meat in her mouth, Ya Ya shook her head vigorously and said indistinctly, "I'm not tired! Brother Li, this is much better than sitting outside at home. It's warm here, and there's food to eat."

Li Chunsheng felt a pang of sadness and reached out to tuck her messy hair behind her ear: "Okay, let's keep going! When we close up shop, I'll boil you an egg!"

"Mmm!" Ya Ya nodded heavily, then turned around and ran back to wipe the table.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and before we knew it, it was 10 p.m.

The pedestrian flow patterns in Dashilan and Qianmen Street have begun to subtly change.

Most of the laborers who carried heavy loads had already gone home to rest, and in their place were the wealthy people who had just finished watching operas at Guanghe Tower or emerged from those dance halls.

Shunzi finished the last sip of soup in the bowl in one go, not even letting go of the tiny bit of chili oil, and wiped his mouth with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

"Manager Li," Shunzi stood up, tightened his worn-out cotton-padded jacket, and put on his old felt hat that he had worn for who knows how long. "I have to go. It's closing time now. If I'm lucky, I can get a few long-distance jobs, which will be worth half a day's work."

"Brother Shunzi, the road is slippery, be careful," Li Chunsheng warned.

"Alright! You're busy!" Although Shunzi was a rickshaw puller, he was honest and kind-hearted. Before leaving, he helped Li Chunsheng move the slop bucket to the side before pulling his rickshaw and disappearing into the night.

Not far from Qianmen Street, in Zhushikou, the theater entrance was brightly lit.

Although it was late at night, this place seemed to be a completely different world from where ordinary people lived.

Modern women in cheongsams with permed hair, gentlemen in suits carrying briefcases, and old men in long gowns and mandarin jackets playing with walnuts in their hands—all strolled under the neon lights.

Shunzi parked the car in the shade by the roadside, stamping his feet to warm them up while the alert second-generation scouts the crowd coming out of the theater.

He was waiting for work, but he didn't dare to get too close. Those high-ranking officials and dignitaries with nice cars had their own drivers. Only those people who had some status but weren't rich enough to be considered the top tier of the wealthy were his customers.

Just then, a middle-aged man wearing a dark gray long gown and gold-rimmed glasses walked out of the theater.

The man was around forty years old, slightly thin, and carrying a worn leather briefcase. Unlike the others who were chatting in groups of three or five, he kept his hat brim pulled low and stood alone.

He stood by the roadside, looking left and right, as if confirming something, or perhaps avoiding something.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and the man couldn't help but shrink his neck and cough softly twice.

"Sir? Need a ride?" Shunzi, with his sharp eyes, quickly pulled his cart over to greet him. "The car has thick mattresses and a windproof curtain; it's warm inside!"

The man was slightly startled by Shunzi's voice, but relaxed after recognizing him as an honest-looking rickshaw driver.

"Go to Xuanwu Gate." The man's voice was a little hoarse.

"Alright! Get in the car outside Xuanwu Gate!" Shunzi pressed down on the handlebars.

Just as the man was about to get into the car, his stomach betrayed him with a loud rumbling sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet night.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across the man's face.

His name was Zhou Zhengnan, and his public identity was a Chinese language teacher at Beiping Normal University.

"Sir, you haven't eaten yet, have you?" Shunzi was a kind-hearted man, and since he had just eaten Li Chunsheng's bowl of noodles and was still warm from it, he said, "It's so cold outside, traveling on an empty stomach must be unbearable. Why don't you have something to eat first?"

Zhou Zhengnan hesitated for a moment; he was indeed so hungry that his stomach was aching.

But he also had some concerns.

"Any clean places around here?" Zhou Zhengnan adjusted his glasses and asked in a low voice. "I don't like greasy food, and I don't want to go to those noisy restaurants."

If you want to ask about something in Beiping, the best way is to ask a coachman. They know all the main roads and alleys in Beiping and are the most well-informed.

"Hey! You've come to the right person!" Shunzi slapped his thigh. "There's a Li's stall right outside Qianmen. The young owner is a connoisseur; his chicken noodle soup is absolutely authentic! You know Mei Lanfang, right? He ate there yesterday!"

"Mr. Mei?" Zhou Zhengnan was taken aback.

Mr. Mei was known in Beiping for his pickiness about food. Only roadside stalls could meet his standards.

"I'd be a fool to lie to you!" Shunzi patted his chest and assured him. "I just finished eating too. Go check it out. If you don't like it, I'll take you all the way to Xuanwumen for free!"