As time passed, it was soon lunchtime, and the flow of people became increasingly dense, surging like a continuous tide towards the Snack Street.
And Wang Hao's business seemed to be under a spell, with a constant stream of customers.
His mere four small tables now seemed exceptionally cramped, already far from being able to satisfy the ever-increasing number of customers.
Every seat was occupied, and there were even many people standing and waiting for empty seats—a scene Wang Hao could not have imagined before.
In desperation, Wang Hao could only abandon his meticulous approach and instead pursue efficiency, starting to fry two portions at a time.
"Congratulations, Intermediate Cooking Skill proficiency +1, current proficiency: Intermediate Cooking Skill 186/1000."
Indeed, making two portions at once only yielded one point of proficiency. Wang Hao was mentally prepared for this; otherwise, if he were allowed to exploit such a loophole, the speed of proficiency breakthrough would be too fast. It seemed the system wanted him to work steadily, step by step.
After an entire morning of non-stop busy work, they finally made it through the meal rush, and only then did the two of them have a chance to rest for a moment.
At this moment, Wang Hao's clothes were soaked with sweat, his shirt sticking tightly to his skin;
His originally somewhat neat hair was even more disheveled, damp, and matted, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.
Wang Hao admitted that this was the first time he had encountered such a scene since he started his stall.
Customers seemed endless, coming one by one or two by two, non-stop.
Wang Hao pondered to himself, "This is merely the Intermediate Cooking Skill level, and it's already like this. If it upgrades to a higher Cooking Skill level in the future, wouldn't it be even more astonishing?
Cooking Skill had only upgraded yesterday afternoon, and the news of the fried noodles' flavor upgrade had not yet spread. Wang Hao did not receive many customers, and the overall feeling was still manageable.
But looking at today's scene, the news had already spread, known to everyone, and the pressure instantly surged.
Even someone like him, who had been setting up street stalls for years, felt somewhat overwhelmed at this moment. One or two days would be fine, but over a long period, it would be unbearable.
Perhaps, it truly was time to seriously consider and plan for the future."
Looking at Wang Lan, although she was better off than Wang Hao, the fatigue on her face was still visible.
After all, an entire morning of non-stop greeting and sending off so many customers, and having to shout loudly to attract business, even a young person's body would feel a bit overwhelmed!
Now that she finally had a little free time, Wang Lan quickly found a place to sit down and rest for a moment, wiping the sweat from her face while looking at her brother, her eyes full of shock, and softly said:
"Brother, too many people came today. Look at you, your entire shirt is soaked with sweat!"
Wang Hao had a smile on his lips and said in a relaxed tone, "It's nothing."
He casually picked up a towel, quickly and simply wiped his hands, and then continued to busy himself.
His movements were skilled and fluid; he had done these things countless times and was very familiar with them.
He carefully organized the almost-used side dishes and ingredients and promptly replenished the necessary materials.
Every step seemed so natural, without the slightest delay or hesitation.
After completing all the preparatory work, Wang Hao finally sat down beside his sister and began to chat with her.
"Xiao Lan, how do you feel? If you're too tired, go home and rest.
Anyway, there aren't many customers right now, and I see that half of the ingredients are gone. I can handle this amount by myself entirely."
Wang Hao looked at his sister with a face full of tenderness, gently persuading her. His eyes revealed a look of care and affection for his sister.
"It's nothing, I can still hold on. I'll be fine after sitting and resting for a while. Brother, our fried noodles are so popular! I heard so many people praise them. How did you do it?"
Wang Lan looked at Wang Hao and asked curiously. The fish and soup made for dinner last night, and the grand scene of selling fried noodles today, made Wang Lan feel somewhat disconnected from the past, and her brother's image seemed to have become mysterious.
Wang Hao pondered to himself, he couldn't possibly reveal the secret of the system. That would be a bit too far-fetched, and it was too important; the fewer people who knew, the better. This matter should just rot in his heart!
Then he casually made up an excuse, saying that he had learned some skills and methods by watching videos online recently and had achieved his current progress through continuous practice.
Although the excuse was a bit far-fetched, it at least avoided arousing his sister's suspicion.
Wang Lan, hearing this, did not doubt him and then got busy again.
The entire afternoon was relatively much more leisurely, with customers coming occasionally, similar to Wang Hao's peak customer volume before. Unconsciously, it was six o'clock in the afternoon.
"Congratulations, Intermediate Cooking Skill proficiency +1, current proficiency: Intermediate Cooking Skill 324/1000."
As the final prompt flashed, Wang Hao reluctantly realized that the two hundred-plus portions they had prepared together this morning were already sold out. This meant they finished work an hour earlier than yesterday, even more luxurious.
"Let's go, Xiao Lan, we're closing the stall!"
Although life is full of hardships and challenges, for every worker striving to make a living in this complex society, being able to finish work early is always a joyful thing.
Wang Hao, after so many years of hawking, deeply understood how difficult this was, so his tone revealed an undeniable sense of ease and pleasure.
The two dragged their tired bodies back home. After Wang Hao simply tidied himself up, he walked with light steps to his sister, who was washing up at the sink.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and a hint of cunning flickered in his eyes as he softly said to his sister, "Xiao Lan, guess how much we earned today?"
As Wang Hao spoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at Wang Lan, his face beaming with an undisguised smile.
His expression seemed to tell Wang Lan that the number would surely surprise her.
And intelligent as Wang Lan was, how could she not understand her brother's expression at this moment? Yet, deep down, she couldn't help but be curious about the results of their hard work all day.
She stopped what she was doing, looked up, met her brother's expectant gaze, and after a moment of thought, replied, "Hmm... I think it should be a few hundred yuan? After all, we were quite busy today."
However, Wang Hao just shook his head and smiled without speaking. This made Wang Lan even more curious. She frowned and pressed, "Is it more than a few hundred yuan? Is it one thousand? Two thousand?"
Seeing his sister guessing higher and higher, Wang Hao quickly stopped her and revealed the answer: "Haha, we sold a total of two hundred and thirty-five portions of fried noodles today, for a total income of 2350 yuan. After deducting the roughly eight hundred yuan in procurement costs, our net profit today is..."
"1550 yuan!" Before Wang Hao could finish, Wang Lan blurted out. When she realized what she had said, Wang Lan's eyes widened in disbelief.
She stared at her brother, half-believing, half-doubting, and asked, "No way? Is it really that much?" Wang Hao nodded proudly, and Wang Lan's jaw dropped in astonishment.
She exclaimed excitedly, "One thousand five? Oh my goodness! We actually earned so much!"
This number far exceeded her expectations. To think this was just what they earned in one day; theoretically, it would be forty-five thousand yuan in a month. Although it was only theoretical, it was enough to make her feel both excited and satisfied.