Chapter 27: Sorry, Purchase Limit

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Sorry, Purchase Limit

Dazed and confused, Nan Zhi and Nan Yi were escorted to their spot, where they set up the food cart.

The crowd that had been crammed at the night market’s entrance followed her every move, quickly forming a long line in front of the cart.

Their fragmented chatter, a chorus of voices, drifted into Nan Zhi’s ears:

"You saw the show too? Hey, me too."

"It wasn’t far from my place, so I figured I’d come try it. It looked so beautiful on the show!"

"Quick, take a few more pictures of me! I’ll upload them online later!"

"What are you guys doing? Me? I was just passing by. Saw the huge line and got curious, heh heh."

"You better not disappoint me! I rode the subway for an hour to get here!"

"..."

’Huh? Seems like some odd people have mixed into the crowd.’

Gradually, it began to dawn on Nan Zhi—

All these people had seen the show and come specifically for her Golden Egg Fried Rice!

’Did the episode that just aired yesterday really get this popular?’

...Up to this point, Nan Zhi hadn’t gone online even once.

She wasn’t a masochist. Knowing full well what a terrible mess the Tactician had left behind, she had no desire to go looking for abuse online.

But because of this, she had also missed just how much of a commotion her Golden Egg Fried Rice was causing on the internet.

Of course, this wasn’t just because the variety show was beautifully shot, transforming the childcare program into something resembling a Taste of China food documentary that made everyone’s mouth water.

The credit also went to Zhu Jin and Yang Nick, who were working behind the scenes. One was a renowned food critic with countless followers, and the other was a major blogger with over a million fans.

Professionalism plus internet traffic—they had definitely cracked the code for going viral!

Just then, a young woman at the very front of the line suppressed her excitement and asked Nan Zhi:

"Boss! Boss! When are you opening for business?"

Nan Zhi snapped back to reality, took out the "Golden Egg Fried Rice" sign, and hung it up!

Then, she said nonchalantly:

"Now."

Flames licked the bottom of the wok as the golden fried rice emitted a powerful aroma.

A gust of wind carried the scent in all directions, creating the most direct form of sensory stimulation!

In the long line, countless people were inhaling deeply and constantly swallowing their saliva.

Just from the smell alone, they knew their trip hadn’t been a waste.

This fried rice wasn’t just beautifully filmed; it was the real deal.

So...

"Just how much longer until it’s my turn?!"

A series of murmurs rose from the crowd, everyone finding the wait to be an agonizing ordeal.

Fortunately, Nan Zhi was very fast.

With only Golden Egg Fried Rice on the menu, she could cook up to three servings at once in a single wok.

This greatly increased her efficiency.

"Boss, give me ten orders!"

The young man who shouted this immediately received a volley of angry glares.

He instinctively shrank back, but after taking another whiff, he felt his confidence return.

He nodded and repeated:

"Yep, ten orders!"

The people behind him grew anxious, worried there would be none left by the time it was their turn.

But before they could start grumbling and cursing...

Nan Zhi pointed above her head and said calmly:

"Sorry, there’s a purchase limit."

The young man’s eyes widened. Only then did he notice a line of small text on the "Golden Egg Fried Rice" sign—

Limit 2 orders per person, per day.

The young man wailed in despair:

"No, Boss! Please!"

Nan Zhi’s heart was like stone; she was completely unmoved.

The people behind him burst out laughing.

However, when it was their turn, they weren’t laughing anymore. They pleaded pitifully:

"Boss, can you sell me one more? Just one!"

Nan Zhi just shook her head.

The customers left, dejected.

Soon, as more and more people tasted the Golden Egg Fried Rice, their dejection vanished, replaced by the sheer joy of good Food!

With the very first bite, countless people were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes!

"Delicious! This is so delicious!"

"The moment I ate it, I felt like I could die with no regrets!"

"Heavens, what have I been eating all this time? Pig slop?"

"What am I going to do if I can never eat Golden Egg Fried Rice again? My wonderful character, my kind soul... it’s all going to be ruined, SOB SOB SOB!"

"Boss, you should quit acting and retire from showbiz! Becoming a god of cooking is your ultimate destiny!"

Someone in the crowd shouted this, voicing what many were thinking.

The crowd erupted in thunderous laughter.

Even Nan Zhi couldn’t help but smile.

Nan Yi swelled with shared pride, secretly puffing out his chest to make the sign with the payment QR code more conspicuous.

He stood on a small stool in front of the food cart, methodically taking payments and calculating change.

With a blink of his eyes, he could remember all the numbers perfectly, never making a single mistake in his calculations.

Many people secretly took photos of his small figure.

Nan Yi caught them out of the corner of his eye and huffed, but he didn’t object.

"Wait!"

Nan Yi’s sharp eyes spotted a young man in a baseball cap and called out to him.

The young man looked completely bewildered:

"Me? What’s wrong?"

Nan Yi put on a stern expression and said righteously:

"Mister, you’ve already bought some once."

The young man’s expression froze, and he stammered a rebuttal:

"I-I have not!"

Nan Yi pointed to the toy keychain on the young man’s bag:

"You’re the same guy from before who wanted to buy ten orders. I recognize you."

Even though the young man had changed his jacket and put on a hat, Nan Yi recognized him instantly by the keychain.

After a closer look, the surrounding crowd chimed in:

"Yeah, yeah, that’s him! I remember!"

"Wow, the little guy has such a good memory!"

"Our Yiyi has a super brain, you know!"

"That’s right, our dear Yiyi can even catch thieves! He’s amazing!"

"..."

Nan Yi blushed and touched his face, then deliberately put on a solemn expression and said:

"D-Don’t call me ’dear’!"

Two young women in line immediately broke into laughter:

"Okay, dear. No problem, dear."

Nan Yi: "Hmph."

The exposed young man turned and walked away, disappointed and dejected.

His forlorn figure also dissuaded many others who had been thinking of getting back in line.

When they turned around, they saw the entire night market, full of a dazzling array of food stalls, right behind them—

Previously, because Nan Zhi’s fried rice stall was so explosively popular, the entire flow of the night market had converged on her. The other stalls were more or less deserted, including some that usually did good business.

It was impossible for the other stall owners not to be green with envy.

Stealing someone’s business is a grievous offense.

But now, with Nan Zhi’s "purchase limit" in effect, the situation changed dramatically.

Some people, after finishing their fried rice, wanted to eat something else for a change of pace.

Some had bigger appetites, and the fried rice only served as an appetizer, so they needed to eat something else.

Others figured that since they were already there, they might as well buy some other food to go with it.

...

Soon, these once-deserted stalls became lively again, their business even better than on a typical day!

The faces that were once filled with resentment now beamed with brilliant smiles, many of them full of gratitude toward Nan Zhi!

Some other stall owners even saw that Nan Zhi was overwhelmed and came over to lend a hand!

Nan Zhi took in all of these changes.

She smiled gently, not at all surprised.

Because this had been her goal all along.