It was a boy with glasses.
His tone was partly self-deprecating, partly scornful.
"You don't want this?" Shen Lu asked, looking up at him.
The boy didn't answer. He just gave her a condescending glance, and then—SLAM—he shut the window forcefully.
Shen Lu was completely bewildered by his sudden temper.
'I was being friendly,' she thought. 'I didn't do anything to offend him. What's he so angry about?'
But he was just a stranger, so she quickly put it out of her mind and went back, carrying the flowerpot.
Now that she had a ready-made pot and soil, she was determined to see if she could grow something.
'The soil is so dry it's cracked. Maybe things couldn't grow simply because it lacked water?'
The system's shop had seeds, and they were cheap—much more cost-effective than buying vegetables directly.
Shen Lu didn't know much about planting, but she had grown low-maintenance things like scallions, garlic, and peppers on her family's small balcony before.
So, she redeemed some scallion seeds from the shop.
They were easy to grow, had a short growth period, and she could use them right away. It was the best choice.
She sowed the seeds according to the instructions, watered them, and placed the flowerpot on the windowsill.
Then she grabbed some clean clothes and went to the Fifteenth District to shower and do laundry. After returning, she prepared the ingredients for her stall, bustling about without a moment's rest.
Fortunately, these were all familiar tasks, so they weren't difficult.
The mission was issued right on cue.
[Ding~ Mission issued: Please sell 40 cups of mint water, 30 egg waffles, and 30 servings of malatang.]
Around eleven o'clock, Wang Daguo arrived, and the two of them pushed the cart out to set up their stall.
From a distance, she could already see people waiting at her usual spot.
They were her stall's loyal customers!
Shen Lu felt an indescribable joy. People waiting for her before she even set up meant her food was good and had earned everyone's approval.
And it was true; her popularity value had been rising quite fast recently, already over 400.
Shen Lu set up her things as quickly as possible and served the customers one by one.
At one point, two people started arguing over their place in line, but before Shen Lu could intervene, Ma Laosan—who had appeared out of nowhere—resolved the issue.
Ma Laosan approached with a fawning smile. "Boss Shen, it's been a few days. You've added quite a few new items to your stall."
There was a soup simmering in a metal box, containing daikon radish, tofu skin, kelp, and konjac tofu. He'd been lucky enough to try it once at a new year's party.
'What was it called again?'
Ma Laosan couldn't remember, but he recalled that it was delicious.
'That metal box must have been arranged by Xue Can,' he thought. 'And these ingredients too. Xue Can is the leader of the Gale Mercenary Corps; of course he has the power to get these things. Shen Lu definitely couldn't have gotten them on her own.'
You don't hit a smiling man, as the saying goes. Although Shen Lu disliked Ma Laosan, she wasn't in a position to be rude, so she replied with a few polite platitudes.
"Are you here to collect the management fee today, Brother Ma?"
"Yeah, I was just passing by." Ma Laosan rubbed his hands together. "How much is this? Can I get a serving?"
"No need to pay. It's on me, Brother Ma." Shen Lu moved deftly, scooping one of each ingredient for him.
"How can I do that? I'll pay. I must pay."
Of course, Ma Laosan wanted it for free, but he was afraid Xue Can would find out and come settle the score.
'It's only a few dozen Star Coins. Might as well just pay up.'
There were still many customers behind him, so Shen Lu didn't waste time going back and forth. She just told him the price.
Ma Laosan paid and stepped aside to eat. Suddenly, a sports car with sleek lines and a stunning design drove into Gold Street, stopping precisely in front of Shen Lu's stall.
"That's the same sports car from the recent hit movie, *Dog Hero*! It costs over a million Star Coins!" Ma Laosan explained to his underlings while eating his malatang. "I thought you'd only get to see one on Gold Street at night if you were lucky. I didn't expect to see one during the day."
After all, Gold Street was busiest at night. Even people from the Upper City District who wanted to have some fun would only choose to come in the evening.
The million-Star-Coin sports car captured everyone's attention, and Shen Lu was no exception.
She had been here for almost a week, and this was the first time she had seen such a flashy car.
The driver's side door opened, and a shapely leg emerged. A girl with a mane of big, black waves got out of the car, a pair of sunglasses covering most of her face.
But Shen Lu still recognized her.
More accurately, the face matched one from the original owner's memories.
Bai Wanwan. The original Shen Lu's arch-nemesis since kindergarten. Whenever they met, they would bicker and snipe at each other, constantly in competition.
The Bai Family's background was slightly better than the Shen Family's, so for a long time, Bai Wanwan had held the upper hand.
That was until the original Shen Lu became engaged to Fu Cheng, finally putting Bai Wanwan in her place.
Bai Wanwan was furious about this and had even pestered her family to find her a fiancé better than Fu Cheng.
But who could have predicted the sudden turn of events? Not long ago, the Shen Family's true daughter returned, Shen Lu, the child who had been switched at birth, was kicked out of the Shen Family, and the Fu Family subsequently cast aside Fu Cheng.
Bai Wanwan lifted her chin slightly, nudged her sunglasses down a bit, and shot Shen Lu a sidelong glance, a contemptuous and arrogant smile spreading across her face.
"It really has been a long time, Shen Lu."
The girl who once loved to wear dresses and lavish outfits was now dressed in a common set of a short-sleeved shirt and pants. She wore no jewelry at all, looking astonishingly plain.
Shen Lu felt no shame at being seen in her down-and-out state by her nemesis. After sizing up Bai Wanwan, she lowered her head to continue her work and replied blandly, "It has been a while."
Seeing her indifferent attitude, Bai Wanwan felt a flash of irritation.
After all, they had met once before, right after the news broke that Shen Lu was a fake heiress.
At the time, Bai Wanwan had mercilessly mocked Shen Lu, calling her a common pheasant who had usurped the cuckoo's nest.
"So what? Even if Shen Lan is back, I'm still the one engaged to Fu Cheng."
"The Fu Family promised me that as soon as Fu Cheng returns from the front lines, we'll have our engagement ceremony. Then, I'll be the Fu Family's prospective daughter-in-law."
Back then, Shen Lu had clung to Fu Cheng as her last lifeline. Even when everyone mocked her for being a fake heiress who should crawl back to the slums, she gritted her teeth and held on.
Until... something happened to Fu Cheng.
It was a devastating blow to Shen Lu, and she lost all her confidence.
She dropped out of school, leaving the Imperial Capital Advanced Academy. Later, the rumor was that she was kicked out of the Shen Family for stealing.
Bai Wanwan cleared her throat, affecting a particular tone. "We're old classmates, after all. Can't you put down your shabby little work and catch up with me?"
Shen Lu gave a faint "mm," and said, "We can catch up. Please wait."
"Wait? Do you have any idea how valuable my time is?"
Shen Lu shot her a glance, a cryptic smile playing on her lips. "Oh? Is that so?"
Bai Wanwan was a typical spendthrift heiress, a third-generation rich kid. Her days were spent either squandering money or on her way to squander more money.
According to the original owner's memories, at this time of day, if Bai Wanwan wasn't here looking for her, she'd be getting a beauty treatment or having her nails done.
The girl got her nails done at least twice a week. She loved the gaudy, nouveau-riche style—huge diamonds embedded in her nail beds that could blind anyone nearby when they caught the light.
"What kind of attitude is that?!" Bai Wanwan immediately understood the meaning behind her cryptic smile. Her willow-like brows shot up as she launched into a tirade of mockery and sarcasm.