"Fine, you all don’t have to eat. I’ll eat them myself!"

The woman said deliberately.

She picked up a bun and popped it into her mouth with a look of pure enjoyment.

The plump, crisp shrimp filling was crushed between her teeth, and savory juices flooded her tongue.

"Delicious! The texture of this shrimp is still top-notch. Fellow Jiang’s buns are always this good!"

The woman’s daughter, Nana, smelled the shrimpy aroma wafting from her mother’s mouth.

She swallowed hard.

She quickly grabbed a "Three Delicacies" bun and took a bite.

The savory fragrance of the scalding-hot mushrooms filled the air.

The tender suckling pig, a perfect blend of fat and lean, melted in her mouth!

"Mmmph!! How can it be this delicious?!"

"Can a bun even taste this good?"

She was shocked.

Her earlier disdain vanished without a trace.

Right then, she only wished her mom had brought her here sooner.

When Nana’s gaze landed on Jiang Liu again, it held a strange new quality.

’This man... it’s like he’s glowing...’

"Nana, are you putting on a show now, too?"

"Forget it, I’ll try one."

The other two relatives saw Nana devouring the bun, her mouth glistening.

They couldn’t resist taking a bite of a bun themselves.

The next moment, both of them froze on the spot in perfect unison.

They were dumbfounded.

HOLY SHIT!!

This flavor...

It’s unbeatable!!!

Seeing their boorish expressions,

Nana didn’t look down on them. Instead, she remarked with a sigh,

"I finally get why he has a limit. To think we can get buns like this in our South City... I bet you’d be hard-pressed to find buns of this quality even in Jing City!"

"Say no more, I’m coming back tonight."

"Together?"

Their mother smiled, gratified.

...

「12:45 p.m.」

"No way, they’re gone again??"

"I knew it. I’m used to it."

"Damn it! It’s all that woman at home’s fault for insisting I work a little longer. Well, great. Now there’s nothing to eat."

"Let’s break it up. We’ll queue up again tonight. Sigh..."

Jiang Liu hung up the "Temporarily Closed" sign.

He pulled the rolling shutter door halfway down.

He sat inside, discreetly tallying his income.

He had more time in the morning, so he always prepared twice as much juice for the lunch rush as he did for the breakfast one—800 cups for lunch compared to 400 for breakfast.

’Awesome. Another thirty thousand yuan.’

Jiang Liu bundled the cash he received, planning to go to the bank to deposit it later.

"Xiao Jiang, you busy?"

Xue Guang ducked under the half-open rolling shutter and entered the room.

The light inside was dim.

"Busy counting money," Jiang Liu said jokingly.

"How much did you make today?" Xue Guang asked curiously.

"Tens of thousands."

"Tens of thousands??!"

Xue Guang was startled. "Good heavens, tens of thousands in a single morning! You should just rename this place the number one gold mine in South City."

He was secretly astonished.

But he wasn’t jealous, only envious.

He still remembered how green Jiang Liu looked when he first opened. And now, has it only been five days? He’s already made a name for himself in West City.

"Impressive!

The new generation really does surpass the old!"

Jiang Liu looked up with a chuckle but didn’t continue the conversation. Instead, he said,

"Uncle Xue, you must be hungry. Here, I saved some buns for you. Take them home to eat with Aunt Hua."

While Xue Guang was still processing, Jiang Liu had already pulled out two bags of buns from behind the counter.

"You get me, haha. If you need help with anything, just ask. Your Uncle Xue still has a few connections."

Xue Guang patted Jiang Liu’s shoulder, paid for the buns, and left happily.

Jiang Liu shook his head and smiled.

「Thirty minutes later.」

The room was tidied up.

Jiang Liu planned to go buy a car.

The first car of his life. His very own.

From now on, gusting winds, pouring rain, scorching sun, and deep freezes would have nothing to do with him. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He locked the door with an excited heart.

He also brought forty buns and five cups of juice with him.

One of which he kept for himself.

The rain had passed, and giant white clouds drifted across a clean, piercingly blue sky.

The sun peeked out, baking the damp earth.

Today’s air wasn’t scorching dry, just endlessly muggy.

Like a sauna at thirty-five degrees.

"Driver, to Brocade District, please. Step on it, and I’ll add ten to the fare."

Jiang Liu was generous for once.

’This feels amazing.’

’Making tens of thousands every day is just the best feeling.’

His previous worries were gone without a trace.

Now Jiang Liu’s only worry was how to plan his future.

’Also, I need to save up for a cozy little house.’

’I can’t go without a home. Otherwise, I’d just be a bum, wouldn’t I?’

Hearing the promise of an extra ten yuan, the driver was too delighted to even take a sip of his water. He stomped on the gas and sped out of Yangzhai Street.

He only made a little over a hundred a day, so a ten-yuan tip was a pleasant surprise.

In less than eight minutes,

Jiang Liu arrived at Brocade District.

This district wasn’t exactly high-end, but it wasn’t run-down either.

It was just average.

’Oh, right. I should buy some medicine for Jun Qingmeng. What should I get... Ah, whatever, I’ll just grab some basics.’

Pharmacies were everywhere on the street.

Jiang Liu went into Yabao Pharmacy to buy medicine.

He knew the drill.

No matter what the salesperson said when he walked in, he kept his mouth shut.

Pharmacies these days were all the same, so desperate they’d practically skin their customers alive.

Jiang Liu bought some Vitamin C, cold medicine, and fever reducers, picking only the state-regulated brands that were reasonably priced.

"How much?"

The clerk in the white lab coat looked like he’d eaten shit. "Sixty-five."

To the clerk’s utter astonishment, Jiang Liu pulled two thick wads of cash from his bag.

He casually pulled out a few small bills and handed them over.

The clerk couldn’t help but ask, "Buddy, why are you carrying so much cash around?"

"Oh, this? Just earned it, haven’t had time to deposit it yet."

Jiang Liu explained briefly and left.

He left behind a clerk questioning his own existence. They were around the same age, so why was he only making eighty yuan a day...?

Arriving at the district entrance,

Jiang Liu was stopped because he was an unfamiliar face and didn’t have a key card.

The elderly security guard stopped him. "Hey, handsome! What’s your business here?"

Jiang Liu smiled gently. "Sir, my friend is sick. I’m delivering some medicine to her."

As he spoke, he lifted the plastic bag in his hand, which was printed with "Yabao Pharmacy."

The old guard looked Jiang Liu up and down. He decided the young man had an honest, handsome face and a bright disposition—not like a troublemaker. He pressed a button and waved him through. "Go on, go on. Oh, right, you need to sign the register."

"Okay."

In less than two minutes,

Jiang Liu took the elevator to the door of 708.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

He knocked on the door.

From inside, he heard the sound of slippers hurrying across the floor.

The door opened.

A pleasant scent of gardenia wafted out.

Jun Qingmeng poked her head out, and their gazes met for a brief moment.

Her full lips curved up slightly into a beautiful, enchanting smile.

"You came all this way. Come in, have a seat."

"Okay."

"Here, you can change into my slippers."

Jun Qingmeng enthusiastically brought over a small stool and handed Jiang Liu a pair of cute, googly-eyed sandals.

They were a little tight.

They were a bit uncomfortable, but Jiang Liu didn’t say anything.

He walked into the apartment and looked around.

It had a three-bedroom, one-living-room, one-bathroom layout.

It was very cozy, filled to the brim with all sorts of feminine things.

Jiang Liu said, "I picked up some more medicine for you on the way. See if there’s anything you need."

"You can keep the rest for later, just in case."

Jun Qingmeng glanced at Jiang Liu and took the bag, her heart filled with a sweet, happy feeling.

"Thank you for going to the trouble, Jiang Liu. Please, sit down. I’ll get you a glass of water."