Chapter 91

Summer could tell that the old man was referring to food coupons.

Though she wished she could let him enjoy a bowl to satisfy his craving, she couldn't bend the rules of their state-run business. Just like she couldn't eat the watermelon from his cart without coupons.

So they sat there, each craving what the other had.

However, Summer's longing for watermelon was nowhere near as intense as the old man's desire for the noodles.

She smiled and fanned herself, saying, "I'll be here every market day. Whenever you have coupons, come try a bowl with meat. I promise it'll be worth it."

Hearing this, the old man looked up at the sky, smacking his lips in even more longing.

Seeing him like this, Summer couldn't help but laugh again.

While she was laughing, a white object suddenly appeared in front of her.

It was a cream popsicle, still frosty.

She followed the popsicle up to Logan's expressionless face.

Seeing her in a daze, Logan asked, "Aren't you going to eat it?"

Snapping out of it, Summer quickly replied, "Yes, I will," and took the popsicle, biting into it.

Logan set down the basin of dishes on the table and sat on a small stool next to her, taking her fan to cool himself.

Summer was so focused on the popsicle that she didn't notice Logan taking the fan.

With two bites of the creamy treat, she felt a refreshing chill throughout her body.

Then she remembered something and asked, "Did you buy this for me?"

Logan, fanning himself, casually replied, "No."

He explained, "The lady selling popsicles only had this one left. Seeing that I seemed decent, she insisted I buy it. Just put it on the tab."

Summer took another bite, now eating more comfortably.

If Logan had bought it for her, she would have had to figure out how to repay him. But now she could eat it without worry.

After finishing the popsicle, Summer felt the air around her turn sweet and cool.

The afternoon market was very quiet, with hardly anyone around. Some vendors napped beside their stalls, while others packed up and left.

Summer and Logan stayed, deciding to wait until after dinner before heading back. Every extra bowl sold was a win, and they didn't want to miss the next market day a week later.

The watermelon vendor also stayed.

After their break, the vendor leaned against the wall with his hat over his face, taking a nap.

After napping through the sluggish afternoon, everyone slowly got up to watch their stalls.

Summer had dozed off at the table. When she woke up, Logan was still lying on the cart, showing no signs of waking up.

With no customers, Summer let him sleep.

Sitting on the stool, she shook off her drowsiness, and the watermelon vendor started chatting with her again.

His attitude towards Summer had completely changed.

He enthusiastically asked her where she was from. Hearing she was from Washington, he bombarded her with questions about the city and famous personalities, satisfying his curiosity about the capital.

After their chat, the old man suddenly asked, "You two aren't married, are you?"

Summer knew he was referring to her and Logan, so she shook her head, "No, we're classmates."

The old man glanced at Logan, who was still lounging on the cart, and said to Summer, "Good thing. That guy seems stingy. Bought a popsicle and put it on the tab instead of treating you. No way he'd make a good husband for someone like you."

Summer couldn't help but laugh.

Meanwhile, Logan, who had been awake on the cart, frowned and shot a glance at the old man. This chatty old guy...

Neither Summer nor the old man noticed Logan's reaction.

They chatted for a bit until Summer remembered something and asked the old man, "Are there any big markets coming up?"

Weekly markets didn't attract as many people. A big market would mean more people and better business.

The old man thought for a moment and said, "Not anytime soon. Since the market opened last year, we've only had big markets during the Mid-Autumn Festival and before the New Year."

Summer nodded. Making money these days wasn't easy.

As they chatted, evening arrived.

The sun set, bringing cool breezes that made the street feel even more refreshing.

A few more people trickled into the market, though it wasn't nearly as busy as the morning.

At the head of the market street, a young couple walked in.

The young man said, "Weren't we going out to eat? Why are we here?"

The young woman turned to him, "I heard there's a new noodle stand with amazing food. You said I could choose, and I want noodles."

The young man looked reluctant. "The state-run cafeteria has noodles too. Why eat here? Proper chefs work in restaurants. What can a small stand offer?"

Just as he finished, a delicious smell reached them. He sniffed and looked around but couldn't pinpoint where it came from.

The young woman, already ahead, said, "Hurry up, I can smell it."

The young man followed reluctantly.

When they reached the corner, they saw the noodle stand.

The stand was simple, nothing like the state-run cafeteria.

Still hesitant, the young man thought he was paying for a decent meal, and this place didn't look impressive.

But the young woman was already seated and ordered, "I'll have a bowl with meat."

The young man had no choice but to sit with her, though he didn't order.

The young woman asked, "Aren't you eating?"

He replied, "You go ahead. I'll just watch."

He still felt it wasn't worth spending money here.

Seeing his attitude, the young woman got annoyed. "Forget it, I'll pay for myself."

He had agreed to let her choose, and now he was being difficult.

The young man was about to speak when her noodles arrived.

She ignored him and began mixing her noodles.

The young man watched as she ate. Though he tried to act nonchalant, he couldn't help but keep swallowing.

Watching her eat, he felt more and more tempted.

Eventually, he could barely sit still.

He had dismissed the stand initially, but now, smelling and seeing her enjoy the food, he was salivating uncontrollably. Looking away didn't help; his eyes kept returning to the noodles.

The young woman noticed and said, "They weren't lying. This is really good. Want to try?"

The young man stubbornly replied, "No, thanks."

Ignoring him, the young woman continued to eat, savoring each bite.

Regretting his words, the young man sat there, struggling between his pride and desire.

As she finished the last bite, he nearly opened his mouth instinctively.

When she put down her chopsticks, looking satisfied, he swallowed hard.

She ignored him and cheerfully said to Summer, "This is the best noodles I've ever had!"

Summer smiled back, "Thank you, I'm glad you liked it."

The young woman was genuinely happy. The satisfaction from the meal made her feel the 40 cents was well spent, with no regrets.

She pulled out money and coupons to pay.

The young man quickly intervened, "I said I'd pay."

She insisted, "You didn't eat. I'll pay."