That “Friday” brought a thunderstorm. The morning had started out clear and sunny, with the sun shining brightly. Just as they were packing up after selling out their breakfast, a few muffled claps of thunder rumbled overhead. It hadn’t started raining yet—just the rumbling.

“Wu-ger, I think it’s going to rain.” Jiang Yun stood inside the shop, peering up at the sky. Tang Xianling heard her too. “Let it rain, then. It’s been so hot; a little rain will cool things down.”

“How much food should we prepare for lunch, then?”

Tang Xianling thought for a moment. “Prepare seventy portions, but buy enough meat for a hundred.”

Jiang Yun was completely baffled. She assumed Wu-ger was worried about Xiangping’s pork business—since they’d ordered more every day before and cut back today, he was afraid Xiangping’s shop wouldn’t be able to sell it all. But that was one thing; buying extra for his own family would just be a waste.

If the meat were left at the butcher shop, it would sell. But in her family’s hands, it really would be a waste.

“I was thinking we could have a barbecue this afternoon,” Tang Xianling explained.

He’d always dreamed of running a street-side barbecue stall. He’d considered it once before but gave up because the grill was too expensive. But how could he not grill skewers? Tang Xianling’s appetite got the better of him, so when he thought about it a second time, he told Tieniu to order the grill.

He sketched out a design, had a mason build the grill, and ordered small bamboo skewers from a lumberyard. The day before yesterday, while his mother was at the Lu family’s banquet, all these supplies were delivered.

Tang Xianling planned to prepare seventy boxed lunches for the afternoon and call it a day once they sold out—if it rained and they didn’t sell everything, he’d pack a portion for A-Liang and Sister Tong, and give the rest to the neighbors or keep them for his own family. After all, he wasn’t going to eat them—he was going to eat grilled meat!

Hehe.

“What kind of barbecue?” Jiang Yun was confused, but before Wu-ger could answer, she said, “Alright then.”

Tang Xianling：……

His mother truly loved him. Even if she sometimes instinctively and out of habit rejected his ideas, she would soon put him first. Perhaps to make up for how she’d treated Wu-ger in the past, she was determined to change and become a loving mother who cherished her children.

Tang Xianling gave his mother a quick hug around the shoulders, then let go. Both mother and son smiled.

“Barbecue is meat skewered on bamboo sticks and grilled over charcoal. I’ve already ground the seasoning. Don’t eat too much this afternoon, Mother—let’s have a barbecue.” 

“Alright, we’ll do whatever you say,” Jiang Yun replied cheerfully.

They hadn’t even finished cleaning up the breakfast shop when the sky outside suddenly turned gloomy. The porters and street vendors on the main street were already packing up their baskets early, planning to take shelter from the rain first and see how things went—not only was it a hassle to make the trip into town, but they’d also paid their taxes, so leaving now wouldn’t be worth it.

“Wu-ger, why don’t we leave the shop open? If it starts raining, people can come in for shelter.” Jiang Yun asked. 

Tang Xianling replied, “Sure.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than rain the size of soybeans began pounding down without warning. Jiang Yun handed the shop’s cash box to Tieniu, signaling for him to take it into the courtyard. Huangfu Tieniu took the money and went into the backyard.

In just a moment, the area under the shop’s eaves was filled with people seeking shelter from the rain.

“We won’t come inside.” 

“We don’t want to get your floor dirty.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Tang and Aunt Jiang, for letting us shelter from the rain.”

The street vendors didn’t come inside the shop, afraid that mud on their feet or leaves from their baskets might dirty the floor.

Tang Xianling hadn’t said much at first—he figured everyone should just make themselves comfortable—but as the rain grew heavier, accompanied by howling winds, a thunderous “BOOM” rang out from the sky, making hearts pound with fear. The sound was so loud it seemed as though it could tear a hole in the sky.

“Come on in,” Jiang Yun called out to the vendor.

This time, no one refused, for the storm was simply too terrifying.

“Why is it raining so hard?” 

“Is the heavens angry?” 

“This rain isn’t going to let up anytime soon.”

Fengyuan City had a drainage system with canals that led to the outer moat, but now the rain was pouring down harder and harder, showing no signs of letting up. The storm raged, the wind whipping the shop banners so violently that they fluttered against the rooftops.

“Don’t worry about that for now,” Tang Xianling said.

Jiang Yun nodded gloomily, deciding to follow Wu-ger’s advice and wait until the rain stopped to clean up. “If this keeps up, no one will come for the evening meal.”

“Don’t worry about business right now. With rain this heavy, it’s only natural that customers won’t come. We’ll just lose a half-day’s profit.” Tang Xianling looked outside; the water level on the street was already rising rapidly. Even with the drainage channels, they wouldn’t be able to divert it in time.

“The shop’s going to flood, isn’t it?”

Seeing that Xianling and his mother were both worried, Huangfu Tieniu said, “Thunderstorms are common in summer. I reckon it won’t last long.”

“That’s good.” Tang Xianling listened to the rumbling thunder and thought that Tieniu was right—it was likely just a passing shower. Still, the downpour was so intense that it made him a little anxious.

Sure enough, after waiting for about half an hour, just as the water level was about to reach the shop’s steps, the rain finally let up. The street vendors taking shelter inside the shop finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s letting up, it’s letting up.” 

“That’s great.” 

“Now we’re in the clear.”

They added, “A little rain is good. We harvested the wheat over a month ago; now that the rain has soaked the fields, whatever we plant next will grow well.” 

“That’s true—we won’t be short on water now.” 

“Heaven still has mercy on us farmers.”

Speaking of crops, someone brought up how the unscrupulous grain merchants in the city had been driving down prices. Fortunately, the current price wasn’t as low as it had been when the wheat first came in—now it was three hundred and fifty or three hundred and sixty wen per catty. But others pointed out that it still wasn’t as good as last year, when it fetched four hundred wen.

As the rain eased, everyone found the time to vent and complain.

After waiting a while longer, the rain stopped completely outside. By then, it was already past lunchtime. The vendors thanked Boss Tang and Aunt Jiang. Whatever they were selling, they pulled a bunch of vegetables from their back baskets or shoulder poles and gave them to the Tang family.

“Take it—it’s not worth much money.” 

“Exactly.” 

“The streets are flooded; we probably won’t be able to sell anything today.” 

“Just sell it cheap.”

The vendors were quite warm-hearted. Since they sold produce on the main street, maintaining good relations with the local shops was beneficial. Setting aside any major financial gain, on a day like today—when a sudden downpour struck—having a place to shelter from the rain was something for which they were truly grateful.

Some shop owners even shooed people away, refusing to let them shelter under their eaves.

Tang Xianling and Jiang Yun couldn’t refuse—especially since the vegetables were so cheap. For just a wen’s worth, they accepted the offer.

The porters and vendors leaving the Tang family’s shop were all dry, but others at the far ends of the street weren’t so lucky. Some shop owners were kind enough to let them in or let them shelter under their eaves without chasing them away, while others chased them off, refusing to let them take shelter there. So they had to brave the downpour to find shelter elsewhere and were now soaked through.

“Aunt Jiang just let us in,” said one of the vendors. “The Tang family? They’re actually quite decent people.”

“Mr. Tang and Auntie Jiang are really kind people.” 

“I’ve heard Mr. Tang is quite a tough businessman.” 

“We’ve never tried it, but I hear it’s pretty pricey.”

“Whether Mr. Tang is tough in business or not, letting us take shelter from the rain this time was truly kind of him.” 

Some who were soaked to the bone sighed and said, “That sweet rice wine shop—they always seem to smile at everyone, but who would’ve thought they wouldn’t even let us take shelter under their eaves.”

“She said we were blocking the customers.”

“What kind of customers would be out in a downpour like this?”

“Who knows?”

But at the end of the day, the shop was theirs. If they didn’t want them to take shelter, the street vendors could only grumble about it—there wasn’t much else they could do to Li’s Sweet Rice Wine.

“What’s there to be afraid of? They’re just street vendors. Do you think those people would spend money on our sweet rice wine?” 

“They’re filthy and soaked from the rain. The shop will be full of muddy footprints in no time.”

“Mother’s right.”

These street vendors aren’t customers—why should they give them a friendly face? Are they supposed to welcome them in with a smile?

Tang Xianling was cooking in the kitchen. Since he’d missed lunch, he was ravenous by now, so he whipped up a quick meal. In Fengyuan City, there’s a dish called dumpling soup: made with a bowl of flour, a little water, and a pinch of salt. Mix it all together until it’s thick, but not quite doughy.

Once the water in the pot came to a boil, he stirred the dough balls into the pot with chopsticks, then added whatever vegetables he had on hand. Tang Xianling also chopped up some potatoes and shredded preserved mustard greens and tossed them in. Cook everything together in one pot; it won’t fall apart even if you let it simmer a bit longer. While it was cooking, he tossed up a cucumber salad.

Dinner was ready.

The three of them were just eating when the shop door creaked open.

“Mom, you guys keep eating. I’ll go check.” Huangfu Tieniu got up and headed to the front of the shop. Jiang Yun was worried. Who could it be? Anyone coming in through the front of the shop must be—

“Mom, Xianling, Sister Zhou is here to deliver the meat. She said the rain made her late today, and she was worried we might need it urgently.” Huangfu Tieniu came in carrying a basket of meat. Jiang Yun stopped eating immediately, stood up, and went to speak with Xiangping.

“Auntie, Mr. Tang, are you two eating?” Zhou Xiangping greeted them first, smiling as she said, “It got late because of the rain today. I saw you hadn’t come to pick up the meat and was worried you wouldn’t have time to prepare your meals, so I brought it over. I brought a little less than usual…”

Zhou Xiangping explained all at once.

Tang Xianling quickly said, “Then please save some meat for me, Sister-in-law.”

“Huh?” Zhou Xiangping froze for a moment, then quickly caught on. “It’s raining today—should I bring the usual amount?”

Tang Xianling: “I want to grill some myself this afternoon, so I’ll need more lean meat. Let’s split it three-to-seven. And if there are any pork feet, save two for me.” That way, Tieniu could have one, and he and his mother could share the other.

Most importantly, they had to save the stomach.

Zhou Xiangping hurriedly jotted it all down. “Sure, I’ll set some aside for you as soon as I get back.”

“Xiangping, don’t go yet—stay and have a bowl of rice.” Jiang Yun invited Xiangping to stay for a meal.

Zhou Xiangping naturally wouldn’t agree, but Jiang Yun insisted, “It just rained. You must have been stuck in the shop with Mr. Zhu, right? It’s already this late, and you’re delivering meat to my house—how could you have had time to eat?”

“Sister-in-law, I cooked plenty. Dumpling soup isn’t anything special.” Seeing his mother’s sincere attempt to keep her, Tang Xianling chimed in.

Later, Zhou Xiangping stayed at Tang’s shop and had a bowl of dumpling soup. To be honest, dumpling soup isn’t exactly a rare delicacy, but Mr. Tang’s version was simply delicious—

She supposed she was just hungry.

After Zhou Xiangping finished eating, she started to clear the table, but Jiang Yun snatched the bowl away. “I’ll walk you out. Don’t be so formal with me. Your husband is probably waiting for you. Let’s go.”

“Oh my, Auntie, you really are a no-nonsense, straightforward person.” Zhou Xiangping was at a loss for words, but she remembered Auntie Jiang’s kindness. This woman was down-to-earth; the owner of Tang’s Shop was just like Auntie Jiang—no nonsense, just straight to the point.

In business, dealing with people like this is actually the easiest. The key is that the goods have to be right and of good quality.

When neither side tries to pull the wool over the other’s eyes, business can last a long time.

“Well, I’ll be off then. Boss Tang, shall I bring you the meat you asked for around dinnertime?” “Sure, thanks, Sister-in-law,” Tang Xianling agreed readily.

Preparing the goods today took a bit longer than usual. By the time A Liang and Sister Tong arrived, the legs of A-Liang’s straw trousers were soaked, and Sister Tong’s cloth shoes were wet too.

“No rush. Why don’t you warm yourselves by the stove first?” Tang Xianling said, then added, “I’ve got some ginger tea brewing in the kettle. A bowl for each of you.”

The rain had stopped, but the wind was still blowing, and it felt a bit chilly even in the middle of summer.

Both protested that it was no trouble, but they still obeyed Master Tang and drank the ginger tea—they had been helping out at the Tang family shop for quite some time now. In the Tang family courtyard, especially when it came to business, Master Tang had the final say, and above all, cleanliness was paramount.

“Why did you come wearing straw sandals?” Mrs. Tong asked, then added, “If I’d known, I would’ve worn straw sandals too, so I wouldn’t have ruined my good shoes.”

Mrs. Tong was also quite perceptive.

A-Liang was a bit more talkative than when he first arrived, but he still didn’t know how to carry on a conversation, so he just smiled. The two of them got to work. It started raining again in the afternoon, though not as heavily as it had at noon.

It was almost time to open the shop. Jiang Yun looked up at the sky with a frown. “Why is it raining again?” There wouldn’t be many customers for dinner tonight; she figured there would be plenty of leftovers.

“Mother, open the door. If anyone comes, let them shelter from the rain first.” Tang Xianling looked at Tieniu. “Move the barbecue grill from the back to the front and light it up. I’ll brew a pot of ginger tea.”

Huangfu Tieniu went to fetch the grill. His husband was worried that customers might have traveled a long way only to get caught in the rain halfway there. By lighting the grill first, they could provide a warm place for everyone to dry off and warm up.

“Got it,” Jiang Yun replied.

The rain shelter in front of the kitchen and shop finally served its purpose today.

At the entrance to the Tang family shop, people on the main street were running in and out to escape the rain from time to time. The street vendors had long since packed up and gone home after selling off their wares at rock-bottom prices, leaving only a few die-hards lingering behind, now looking for shelter from the rain.

Diners hurried over to the Tang family shop, asking as they entered, “Did you open the shop early today?”

“We opened early. Wu-ger was worried everyone would get soaked on their way here.” Jiang Yun ushered the regulars to their seats, while A-Liang brought a large pot of ginger tea to the front and poured it for the customers.

“Mr. Tang said it’s on the house.”

Tea was always free at the Tang family shop, but A-Liang made a point of mentioning it anyway.

The stray vendors seeking shelter felt awkward; they didn’t go inside the shop but stood under the eaves, still afraid of being chased away. Now that business was about to start, Jiang Yun didn’t invite them in to take shelter.

The rain wasn’t heavy now—just a light drizzle—and they could stay dry under the eaves.

“A-Liang, grab the ginger tea and get some bamboo cups to pour some for the vendors to drink.” In the end, Jiang Yun couldn’t bear to see them suffer. A-Liang and Aunt Tong got to work together, pouring ginger tea for everyone to ward off the cold.

Huangfu Tieniu carried the charcoal grill out to the front of the shop and lit the coals. The customers waiting for their meals saw this, stood up, and approached with smiles on their faces. They took off their outer garments to warm themselves over the fire. “Hey, your place really is thoughtful.”

Brother Tang’s Eatery wasn’t expensive, but in these little details, it really was better than the small restaurants in the West Market. Running a takeout business here felt like overkill.

The customer, who had intended to order a dish, couldn’t help but add, “If you ever turn this into a proper restaurant, I’ll definitely come support you for at least half a month.” While saying he’d come every day would be a bit of an exaggeration, promising to come for half a month showed he’d given it serious thought.

“That’s up to Boss Tang, but if a customer suggests something, I’ll be sure to pass it on to him,” Huangfu Tieniu said with a laugh. A diner teased, “You two are practically a married couple—yet you still call him ‘Boss’ as if you’re strangers.”

“Brother Lin, you’re out of the loop on this one.” Another regular customer walked in. This one was sharp—he was holding an umbrella, though the hem of his coat was slightly damp. He closed the umbrella and said, “Brother Tieniu is just showing his respect for Boss Tang.”

Huangfu Tieniu smiled and nodded, then went to the backyard to continue his work.

Brother Lin thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “Old Tang certainly made the right choice as a son-in-law,” he said. “He’s young but not arrogant. Some people care only about saving face, yet their lives end up in shambles.”

“When husband and wife are in harmony, the home is at peace, and naturally, all goes smoothly.”

While one dried his clothes and the other sipped ginger tea, a steady stream of customers began to arrive. As soon as they stepped inside and saw the warm shop with its charcoal stove, they immediately understood.

“Mr. Tang really thinks of everything.” 

“Did the shop open early today?” 

“Look, there’s ginger tea—a bowl of that would be just the thing to work up a sweat.” 

“I’m just so hungry.”

The food was finally served.

By then, the sky had cleared up again. The street vendors thanked him, realizing they couldn’t do any business today and might as well head home. But the aroma wafting from the Tang family’s shop made their stomachs growl, and their steps quickened as they made their way home for a meal.

The road out of town was muddy and difficult to walk on after the rain; some people even took off their straw sandals and walked home barefoot.

Even though the rain had stopped, Jiang Yun didn’t breathe a sigh of relief, because there really weren’t many customers today. Fortunately, Wu-ger had only prepared seventy portions. However, the atmosphere in the shop was quite pleasant. Perhaps because there were fewer people, there wasn’t the usual rush of customers carrying trays and scrambling for seats, so those dining couldn’t help but take their time; today’s diners ate slowly and even chatted for a while.

“Another serving of yogurt, please.”

They’d finished eating but hadn’t left yet; they ordered another serving of yogurt and sat there chatting.

Jiang Yun brought over the yogurt.

Don’t let the rain fool you today—once it stopped, the sky cleared up. The sky was ablaze with red, and a rainbow appeared from behind the clouds. There were plenty of takeout meals left, but no more customers came in.

Zhou Xiangping came to deliver some meat. Her shop also wanted to close early. Seeing the worry on Aunt Jiang’s face, she immediately understood and offered comfort: “We’re always so busy; it’s rare to have a moment of peace. It’s the same at my place—after I deliver the meat, my husband will close the shop and head home early.”

Jiang Yun: “We’re still closed for two more days tomorrow.”

Zhou Xiangping: … 

She couldn’t help but chuckle. “Auntie, I was trying to cheer you up, and now you’re ruining my attempt.” Her words made Jiang Yun laugh as well.

With no customers coming in, Tang Xianling took the meat to the kitchen to prepare it. In no time, he had a bunch of small bamboo skewers loaded with meat—at this point, a special shout-out to Chef Huangfu: when it comes to skewering meat, Tieniu does it both quickly and well.

“You go ahead with that. I’ll take the seasoning station over. Once you’re done with the last batch, come out front.”

Huangfu Tieniu didn’t even look up as he agreed. Watching his husband’s hurried retreat, a hint of a smile flickered in his eyes. Though his mother often worried about the family business, his husband never showed it on his face. But now that he had the meat, he was moving swiftly toward the front—

He’s going to sell skewers. Xianling and Mother are sometimes alike.

“Mr. Tang, what’s that you’ve got there?” A sharp-eyed customer noticed Mr. Tang had brought in fresh meat at this hour and asked curiously, “Are there no customers left?”

Tang Xianling grinned. “Looks like it’s just us for now. I’m going to grill some meat—I’ve been craving this for ages. I’ll give everyone a skewer in a bit; it’s on the house.” 

First, a free skewer—I’ll make you all drool!

The evil Big Boss Tang was hatching a business scheme.

It had stopped raining outside. Tang Xianling thought the smoke and fumes from the grilling would be too choking inside, so he decided to move the grill outside. However, since Tieniu was busy skewering meat in the kitchen, he couldn’t help but pitch in himself, grabbing a rag to pad the legs of the grill.

This barbecue grill was long and slender, with four legs at the bottom. The body was coated in yellow clay, with iron rods woven through it—it cost a pretty amount of qian!

“What are you up to, Boss Tang?”

A-Liang and Mrs. Tong came over to lend a hand.

“I want to move the grill outside, over there. It’ll get pretty smoky once we start grilling.” Tang Xianling touched the legs of the grill; they weren’t hot at all, but the two of them would have to be careful when lifting it.

Seeing the husband and wife bustling about, a kind-hearted customer stood up and said, “Let me lend a hand—it’s only fair, since I’m about to enjoy the grilled meat Mr. Tang is serving.”

“That’s wonderful! Thank you so much, kind sir,” Tang Xianling said with a smile. Everyone in the shop laughed, and before long, another helpful customer stepped forward to lend a hand.

The stove was right under the eaves. A-Liang and Sister Tong moved the narrow table outside, and Tang Xianling placed the pots and pans on it. Just as they finished setting everything up, Huangfu Tieniu arrived with the grilled meat. Seeing the stove out in the open, he panicked at first, “Did you set this up? Did you get burned?”

“No, a guest helped out,” Tang Xianling quickly replied. You innocent Tieniu, why are you still holding my hand and staring at it in broad daylight with all these people around? Aren’t you embarrassed?

Huangfu Tieniu finally let out a sigh of relief, letting go of his husband’s hand, and simply said, “Next time you do something like this, just call me.” 

“I know, I know~” Tang Xianling replied, his tone tinged with a touch of petulance.

The grill and skewers had been moved outside; it was just a matter of grilling now. The diners who had already finished eating were about to get up and leave, but then they looked over—they decided to stay. Boss Tang had said he’d treat them to a skewer of grilled meat later!

Naturally, they weren’t short on skewers; they were just curious and wanted to see what it tasted like.

Tang Xianling placed the bamboo skewers over the grill, flipping them at a steady pace. The charcoal had long since stopped smoking; the temperature was just right now. The meat sizzled slightly as the fat rendered, requiring no oil at all. He tapped two skewers together, and then came his secret weapon.

Grilling seasoning. Sprinkle the grilling seasoning.

The cumin comes in two forms: one ground into powder, the other with a bit of texture. They taste best when mixed together. He sprinkled a handful of the seasoning mixed with chili powder—this one is spicy. There’s also a non-spicy version, but Tang Xianling rarely grills that way.

If you prefer the non-spicy version, which is purely savory, you have to soak the meat in salt water well in advance. When grilled, the fresh, meaty flavor combined with the salty aroma is also delicious.

“It smells so good,” 

“How can it be so fragrant?”

The diners in the shop couldn’t sit still. They had supposedly finished eating and were “chatting,” but in reality, they were waiting for the meat. They knew that whatever new dish Master Tang introduced was bound to be delicious, but they never expected it to be this fragrant!

Actually, when Master Tang started grilling, some people remarked, “Grilled meat? Nothing special.”

There are grilled meat restaurants in the West Market too, though they typically use small charcoal braziers with stone plates on top, where customers grill their own slices of fresh meat. Such places are rare—there’s only one in the West Market—and business is quite good there except during the summer.

Once the meat is grilled, you dip it in a soy sauce and vinegar mixture or garlic paste before eating.

But Boss Tang’s grilled meat is truly different from the West Market’s. Boss Tang skewers the meat on bamboo sticks—at the time, everyone thought it was just a gimmick—just like serving dishes; wealthy families might use jade plates, but what matters is the taste of the food, so it doesn’t matter what you serve it on.

Now, with that overpowering, nose-tingling aroma wafting through the air, the diners who had just said “it’s all the same” could do nothing but swallow their saliva, swallowing it frantically.

“Mr. Tang, is it ready?”

Tang Xianling: “It’s ready, it’s ready.” Swallowing hard—it smells too good. He’d always said that in the summer, you’ve got to have some grilled snacks, edamame, peanuts, and beer. With that, he casually sprinkled some white sesame seeds on top and served it up.

Especially since it’s cool today, and it’s not even dark yet—it’s only six o’clock, right? There really aren’t many customers today.

“Here, let’s pass this around so everyone can try it. I’ve been craving this so much.” Tang Xianling took a plate over and grabbed a skewer for himself as he went, “No need to wait for everyone—help yourselves. This one’s a bit spicy.”

Just talking about it made his mouth water. He finished speaking quickly, puffed out his cheeks, and took a big bite. Instantly, the sheer delight sent his soul soaring—

How could this be so delicious!!!

He’s a culinary genius—kudos again!

The skewers were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and had just the right amount of chew. The cumin and spice blended perfectly. Some of the fatty parts were so juicy they practically oozed oil—one bite felt like eating a whole packet of oil, yet it wasn’t greasy at all, because the bold flavors masked it.

Tang Xianling was so captivated by the flavor that he held up a bamboo skewer and found Tieniu, holding it right up to his lips and mumbling, “Eat up, eat up—it’s so fragrant.” Huangfu Tieniu found it amusing how adorable his husband was, practically snatching food from his own mouth.

So he took a serious bite.

“How is it?”

Huangfu Tieniu: “It’s really delicious.”

The diners in the shop were already won over—thanks to Tang Xianling’s long-standing promotion of Wu Zhu Yu dishes, most of them could handle a bit of spice and even enjoyed it. Now, tasting the grilled skewers, they were blown away by the incredible aroma.

After finishing one skewer, it wasn’t nearly enough.

Even though they’d just finished a boxed meal, they now felt as hungry as ever.

“Mr. Tang, how much are these skewers?” 

“Right, right, can you sell us some?”

The Evil Big Boss Tang: Hehe, plan successful.

“There aren’t many skewers left, but if you all like them, they’re one wen per skewer.” Boss Tang quoted the price. He’d skewered the meat a bit larger than usual, and now, out of kindness, he added, “You’ve all just had boxed meals—it might be a bit heavy on the stomach, and it’s getting late, so please just order a little.”

Diners: …Why is Boss Tang being so stingy with the food!

He’s never seen a business owner who’s afraid of making money and tells customers to eat less. Boss Tang must not have enough to eat himself.

Tang Xianling: The diners understand me, they understand me.