Chapter 69: How Dare You Charge This Much?

Chapter 69: What Makes It Worth This Price?

After arriving at Yaori International High School in J City, Jiang Yingxue found an empty spot near the school gate and pulled over.

As soon as she stopped, a middle-aged couple rode over on a tricycle. The middle-aged woman, seeing her usual spot taken, immediately scowled and angrily said, "Hey, this is my spot! You need to move and give me my spot back!"

"Chirp!" Xiao Zhao sensed the woman's hostility and was about to breathe fire to teach her a lesson when Jiang Yingxue gently closed its beak with her hand.

Jiang Yingxue said, "Xiao Zhao, let's not stoop to her level."

It was her first day setting up a stall outside Yaori International High School in J City, and she didn't want to get into a squabble over a spot on day one. Such disputes could drag on endlessly, and involving the police would just be a waste of time—it wasn't worth the trouble. So, Jiang Yingxue turned her tricycle around, crossed the street, and found a somewhat secluded spot on the opposite side of the road.

"Hello, ma'am, may I ask if anyone usually sets up a stall here?" To avoid another incident of "taking someone's spot," she decided to ask a nearby vendor before settling in.

"No one does, but girl, this spot is really out of the way." Ou Suzhen, 36 years old, had a daughter, Ou Wenyuan, who was a freshman at J City No. 2 Middle School on the next street. Her own stall was already in a remote location, and Jiang Yingxue's spot was even further behind hers, making it even more isolated.

Reassured that the spot was unclaimed, Jiang Yingxue parked her tricycle and smiled. "It's fine. Once I'm here, it won't be out of the way anymore."

Ou Suzhen was amused by Jiang Yingxue's words. "I hope so."

High school let out at 11:30 a.m. Before that time, Jiang Yingxue had her stall all set up.

The "Xuehe Nutritional Snacks" sign emitted a faint glow under the natural light. The snacks on the stall were laid out neatly. The chickens and ducks on the grill rotated automatically on iron racks, cooking evenly while giving off an enticing aroma. In front of the stall, a pot of blooming Spiritual Flowers in various colors added a nice touch.

The tempting aroma of roasted chicken and duck, along with the fragrance of the Spiritual Flowers, wafted with the breeze, reaching everyone nearby.

Ou Suzhen took a deep breath and said, "Girl, that smells amazing. You're a great cook."

Jiang Yingxue handed a whole roasted chicken to Ou Suzhen and smiled. "Thank you for the compliment, ma'am. Here, have one to try." Ou Suzhen was a friendly person, and Jiang Yingxue knew her roasted chicken was irresistible. Especially since the stall was right next to Ou Suzhen's, she would be able to smell it the entire time. It would be torturous to only smell it without tasting it, so Jiang Yingxue offered her one to satisfy her craving.

Ou Suzhen quickly waved her hands in refusal. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly. You should keep it to sell." She glanced at the price—a whole chicken cost 500 yuan. It was too expensive; she couldn't bring herself to buy it, and she felt awkward accepting it as a gift.

However, seeing Jiang Yingxue's sincere gratitude for her earlier help and her genuine offer to let her taste it, Ou Suzhen declined a couple of times before finally accepting. She took a bite and was instantly invigorated, completely won over by the delicious flavor.

She gave Jiang Yingxue a thumbs-up and said, "Girl, I believe what you said earlier now. With you here, this spot really isn't out of the way anymore."

Jiang Yingxue smiled faintly. "Thank you for believing in me, ma'am."

Outside the umbrella, the sun was bright, while under the umbrella, a gentle breeze blew through the stall. Xiao Zhao was also happily munching on roasted duck. After finishing a whole duck, it let out a burp.

It transmitted its thoughts to Jiang Yingxue: "Sister, I'm sleepy."

Jiang Yingxue found Xiao Zhao's custom hammock from the tricycle compartment and set it up inside. "Come and sleep here."

"Okay." Xiao Zhao lay down in the hammock, closed its eyes, and fell asleep instantly.

Jiang Yingxue smiled gently and pulled a small blanket over Xiao Zhao's waist.

Soon, it was time for school to let out. The street closer to the school gate, lined with snack stalls, quickly drew in students. However, since Jiang Yingxue's stall was in a more remote location, few students wandered over unless they had to pass by on their way home.

Qian Jiale, who was at the school gate about to get into his car, suddenly stopped and asked his driver, "Uncle Liu, do you smell that amazing smell?"

Uncle Liu shook his head. "No."

After a pause, Uncle Liu added, "Well, maybe a little."

Qian Jiale said, "Uncle Liu, wait here for me. I'll be right back."

Uncle Liu replied, "Yes, young master."

Qian Jiale was a senior in high school and a day student. His driver picked him up every day after school to go home for lunch and brought him back to school before classes started.

Although his senior year workload was heavy, and he could have bought a place to live near the school, he refused. The reason was that he was tired of the food options around the school, and the cafeteria wasn't good either. He preferred going home for meals every day.

But now, this aroma was too enticing, making Qian Jiale's heart itch with curiosity. He was determined to find its source.

Following the scent, Qian Jiale walked until he stopped at a remote corner. He slowly looked up and saw the "Xuehe Nutritional Snacks" sign, a "No Bargaining" sign, and a chicken rotating on a grill.

He thought to himself: This is it! This aroma is coming from that roasted chicken! And there's a special, fresh fragrance too—could it be flowers? Probably not; flower scents don't carry that far.

This place was indeed quite a distance from the school gate.

Qian Jiale pointed at the roasted chicken and asked, "Boss, how much for this roasted chicken?"

Jiang Yingxue replied, "Half for 250 yuan, a whole one for 500 yuan."

She pointed to a large blackboard hanging in the air to the left of the stall. "This lists all the food items and their prices. You can take a look first."

Qian Jiale followed her gesture and looked over. The contents of the blackboard came into view:

"Nutritional Snacks

Rice Balls: Shrimp Seaweed Rice Ball 100 yuan/serving, Fish Ball Seaweed Rice Ball 100 yuan/serving

Grilled Items: Chicken/Duck, Half 250 yuan, Whole 500 yuan

Juices: Qiong Peach Juice (sweet), Buddha Lotus Seed Juice (slightly astringent), Spirit Hawthorn Juice (sweet and sour), Small Cup 20 yuan, Large Cup 50 yuan; Immortal Brew Honey Water 200 yuan/cup

Nutritional Boxed Meal: 2000 yuan;

Cookies: Spirit Thorn Flower/Dream Butterfly Flower/Shatang Flower/Mist Water Flower Cookies, 500 yuan/box each.

Candy: Xia Yu Flower Candy 500 yuan/box"

Although there were many items on the blackboard, they were categorized logically, and the handwriting was clear, making it easy to understand at a glance.

After spending half a minute reading the prices on the blackboard, Qian Jiale's eyes widened in surprise. His first thought was that the prices were unreasonable.

He often dined out with friends and family at restaurants where dish prices were similar to or even higher than these. But the issue was, those were established restaurants with proper premises, so such pricing was normal. This, however, was a roadside stall. How can a little stall like this justify these prices? And with a "No Bargaining" sign hanging up too.

He didn't understand it.