24: Keep an appointment

"It's delicious! This stinky tofu really smells awful, but after you eat it, it feels like your hearing, smell, touch, taste, and sight all disappear at once. The whole world is left with only the fragrant tofu and soup in your mouth!"

"Brother, you're quite the wordsmith! This taste is truly amazing, I've never eaten such delicious stinky tofu in my life!"

"Ah ah ah ah! I regret only buying one bowl!! Speaking of which, Little Boss, can you really not let me cut in line and make me one more bowl, no, two bowls, no no no, three bowls? I really can't wait!"

"Hey hey hey, Little Boss, don't listen to him, go by the payment order. Listening to them describe it, my saliva is almost soaking my shirt!!!"

...Listening to the anti-fake blogger and others shouting and screaming in front of the stall, Worker Meng and his colleagues all gave a wry smile.

"I suddenly regret agreeing to let the Little Boss treat us. This makes me too embarrassed to go and squeeze in with them, for fear of delaying the Little Boss from making money."

"I'm just afraid that once it's sold out, we won't get any to eat. Look behind you, those who were originally watching the fun have also started to queue up."

"We can only bear with it a little longer. Don't worry, the Little Boss is an honest person. He said he'd treat us until we're full, so he'll definitely save some for us."

"But it's really hard to bear. Just thinking about having to wait who knows how long to eat such delicious stinky tofu, I feel like the gluttonous worms in my stomach are starting to stir!"

Perhaps it was only being able to watch others eat, even Qi Yuan, Li Qihong, and Zeng Yucheng, who usually had boundless energy, were now as wilted as eggplants.

"This is too tormenting!"

Qi Yuan leaned weakly on the armrest of the wooden stool, on the verge of tears.

"Food that you can only eat after a long wait often increases in deliciousness by several levels."

Old Chen, however, looked calm and even had the presence of mind to comfort Qi Yuan.

But looking at him gripping his trousers tightly, with veins popping out on the back of his hands, it was clear that his heart was not at peace either.

At this moment, Leng Hui had already led his brothers to do push-ups in an open space not far away.

"The process of waiting for delicious food is agonizing? Then train your body, use physical pain to cover up psychological pain."

"One hundred push-ups, ready!"

---

9:30 PM.

Zhang Xiaoya, a female clerk who had just gotten off work, was pulling her best friend along the green pedestrian walkway outside Yinhua Mountain Park, looking for something.

"Xiaoya, you've always avoided greasy and salty snacks, haven't you~"

Bu Huihui, her best friend, thought Zhang Xiaoya had invited her to stroll in the park, but it turned out they were going to snack stalls. She immediately asked in disbelief.

"Your body management, are you not continuing it~"

After speaking, she pounced on Zhang Xiaoya, wrapping her hands around her slender waist, as if saying a final farewell, her face full of regret, almost bending down to kiss it.

"Hehehehe, that tickles, stop messing around."

Zhang Xiaoya, caught off guard by her best friend's sudden move, struggled helplessly.

Two beautiful women playfully bickering on a busy sidewalk attracted a lot of curious attention.

Perhaps those gazes were too intrusive, so Bu Huihui settled down and quickly pulled Zhang Xiaoya away from their spot.

"Didn't I tell you, a boy came to the store during the day, and he called me 'Jiejie' (older sister), so I got a bit impulsive and agreed to patronize his business."

Zhang Xiaoya lightly patted her waist, batting away her best friend's mischievous hand.

"Oh, I see~ Our Xiaoya is indeed very kind-hearted~"

Bu Huihui immediately nodded and also started helping to search for the stall.

"Quickly tell me, what kind of food does your younger brother sell? I'll help you look~"

"He told me it was... stinky tofu?"

Zhang Xiaoya tapped her chin, thought for a while, and then remembered.

"stinky tofu? Ugh~ I don't like that, the smell is too strong. I won't be joining you then~"

As soon as she heard it was stinky tofu, Bu Huihui immediately pinched her nose, her face full of disdain.

How could a beautiful woman eat stinky tofu!

If she were to eat it, it would have to be somewhere private~

"Alright, alright."

Zhang Xiaoya looked helpless.

Her best friend was good in every way, except she was too image-conscious.

Sometimes, when she tried to persuade her best friend to be more carefree, she would get lectured in return.

Saying things like, "Girls who are too sloppy won't get married," "When you're out and about, you make your own impression," "If you can't even manage your image, how can you manage your life?" — incomprehensible words like that.

It was simply too ridiculous, 'smida'!

The entire hundred-meter-long green pedestrian walkway was almost entirely occupied by vendors.

Why 'almost'? Because there was a small section near the middle that was completely empty.

Not only were there no vendors, but there were no pedestrians either.

In short, when Zhang Xiaoya and Bu Huihui saw this scene, they were very surprised.

"Hey, old man, excuse me! Is that section of the road not allowed for stalls?"

Bu Huihui was too curious, so she immediately asked an old man who was setting up a stall nearby.

"Oh, you mean that spot? You can set up there, but no one wants to. As for why, you'll know if you go take a look. I guarantee it'll surprise both of you."

The old man chuckled, even encouraging the two to go investigate.

Bu Huihui, not suspecting anything, immediately pulled Zhang Xiaoya and excitedly walked over, her face filled with the tension of discovery.

But when they arrived at the spot...

A sudden, indescribable stench immediately assailed their nostrils.

"Ugh!" "Ugh!"

Two dry heaves escaped them.

Startled, Bu Huihui immediately pulled Zhang Xiaoya back a few steps, and they breathed in fresh air again.

"That rotten old man is so mean!"

Bu Huihui stamped her foot.

"It's so stinky, no wonder no one wants to set up a stall in such a good location, and pedestrians would rather take a detour."

Zhang Xiaoya also helplessly held her forehead.

"That's strange, it wasn't like this when I used to come here. Where is this stench coming from?"

At this moment, a young vendor nearby had just finished his business. Hearing this, he indignantly chimed in.

"It's all because for the past two days, some guy has been selling stinky tofu near the public restroom. Selling it is one thing, but he makes it so stinky."

As soon as the young vendor finished speaking, the auntie stall owner opposite him also took over the conversation, and once she opened her mouth, complaints spewed out like a machine gun.

"Exactly, it's too inconsiderate. It's bad enough that such a good spot can't be used for stalls, but now everyone has to repeatedly brace themselves just to use the toilet! This brat, I don't know what kind of stinky tofu he makes, but so many people like to eat it. I think, most likely, he put something in it..."

Once the auntie opened her mouth, she couldn't stop.

Everything, relevant or not, poured out in a rush.

And the auntie, while talking, was also spitting everywhere, scaring the two slightly Mysophobia (cleanliness-obsessed) girls into standing a few steps back.

Just then, another old man stall owner suddenly joined the debate.

The old man's way of speaking was also very distinctive; he wasn't on the same 'track' as the auntie, speaking at a very slow pace.

It was just too slow, making people feel like they were in a lecture.

Watching the old man's mouth open and close, Zhang Xiaoya and Bu Huihui couldn't help but yawn.

What to do... I don't know either... Should we go take a look... It's so stinky, I don't really want to go... But we're already here... Alright, alright, you're my sister, I owe you... The two communicated with their eyes, and finally decided to bite the bullet and go through with it.