This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 161 Business is booming
At 6:30 in the evening, after dinner, the four people and the cat set up their stall together.

Our destination was still the Xijiang River, which was bustling with activity during the holiday.

Li Wanyin rode an electric tricycle, while Chen Shi'an rode a bicycle; the two best friends took a walk.

When she came to a banyan tree, Li Wanyin stopped her stall cart and started setting up her stall.

I've been setting up my stall for a while now. Although I don't own a stall with fixed ownership, most stall owners have their own preferred locations. Except for relatively busy areas where many people are vying for a spot, the stalls in other areas are relatively fixed.

Li Wanyin's usual stall location is under this big banyan tree.

"Is Xiao Li not selling sweet soup today?" the barbecue stall owner next to him asked curiously.

"Yeah, they switched to selling milk tea."

"That's great! It's an industrial upgrade! What kind of milk tea do you offer?"

"We have four kinds of whole-leaf fresh milk tea and four kinds of fruit tea, which are the specialties of our stall."

"Oh? You can't get it anywhere else?"

"I can't get any!"

"Then I'll have to try it out and see what it's all about."

"Haha, thank you for your support, Brother Wu. Let me set up my stall first..."

"Master Chen is here today too? While you were away these past few days, your fans have been waiting here every day!"

"Really."

Chen Shi'an smiled when he heard this. At this point, it didn't matter whether he was there or not. The group of fans who loved traditional culture had spontaneously formed a small group gathering. They chatted like old men in the park. Every day at this time, when they had nothing to do after eating, they would come to the West River to communicate with their fellow enthusiasts.

It's somewhat like the author's fan group that Xiaozhile mentioned. The author has never been seen to participate, but the fans are chatting away happily.

There was no opening ceremony. Chen Shi'an helped Li Wanyin park the stall cart, set up the shed, and prepare the materials. After working efficiently for about ten minutes, the 'Cha Guo Fang' milk tea stall was officially open for business.

Having built up her popularity from her previous experience selling sweet soups, Li Wanyin's milk tea stall was now frequented not by passersby, but by familiar stall owners from the surrounding area. Since everyone was running different businesses, there was no competition between them. In fact, thanks to the siblings' popularity, her own business had also increased significantly.

Wu Jiayun and Yan Yufei also strolled over here. Seeing that the siblings had already set up their stall, the two best friends immediately went up to place their orders, wanting to be the first customers.

The two best friends had already tried Li Wanyin's sweet soup. As for milk tea, Li Wanyin had actually made it back in college. Having a roommate who was both skilled and loved to cook was a real blessing.

However, Wu Jiayun and Yan Yufei, both milk tea enthusiasts, have never even tasted or seen the tea products that Li Wanyin is currently selling.

"Wanyin, tell me honestly, is it just a name you're using?" Wu Jiayun asked her in a low voice.

"What the heck? This is Shi An's recipe. You'll know how delicious it is once you drink it."

"Shi'an, you can even make milk tea?!"

"What would you two like to order?"

Chen Shi'an rolled up his sleeves and, like Li Wanyin, put on a transparent catering mask.

"Then I'll have a Seven Fruit Drink! I heard Wanyin say it's super delicious!"

"I'd like a cup of grapefruit-infused cloud-shaped tea!"

"it is good."

Chen Shi'an started making the Seven Fruit Drink, while Li Wanyin started making the Pomelo-Dyed Cloud Tip.

The name of this milk tea is really unique and pleasant to hear, and it looks really beautiful too. The oolong tea is blended with a special ratio of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and pulp, and the tea soup is infused with the aroma of grapefruit, making it refreshing and not greasy.

Li Wanyin was no longer a novice. She had practiced making these teas a lot these days. She had memorized the procedures and recipe proportions that Chen Shi'an had taught her. It would be an exaggeration to say that she could do it with her eyes closed, but her movements on the workbench were smooth and effortless. Plus, she was beautiful, making her a delight to watch.

Needless to say, Chen Shi'an could do it even with his eyes closed.

The sight of the siblings making tea together at their stall became a unique scene, attracting curious glances from many passing tourists.

Soon, the Seven Fruit Drink and Pomelo-Dyed Cloud Tip that Wu Jiayun and Yan Yufei each ordered were ready.

Freebies, no money required!

But the two best friends didn't forget to support and advertise for them, drinking right in front of their stall.

After one sip through the straw, both pairs of eyes widened in surprise!
The various promotional slogans that had been prepared to help promote the event ultimately amounted to nothing more than two mechanically repeated words:
"Delicious! So delicious!!"

"Wow! This is amazing! Wanyin, you've got this skill! Why were you even selling sweet soup before?!"

"Feifei, my seven-fruit drink is absolutely amazing!"

"My grapefruit-infused Yunjian tea tastes the best!"

"Let's switch..."

The two best friends each pulled out their straws and inserted them into each other's tea drinks. Although the mixed flavors slightly affected the taste, they could still appreciate how delicious the other's drink was.

Wu Ge from the barbecue stall next door, who had just said he wanted to order, also came over and ordered two cups of milk tea during his free time.

"Hey Li, I'd like a 'Pear Blossom in the Pine Breeze' and a 'Autumn Osmanthus in Jade', medium size is fine, extra ice... I've already paid, can you bring them to my stall later? I have to go back and get busy."

"Okay! Thanks for your support, Brother Wu!"

After Angkor Wat, many familiar stall owners from the neighborhood also came to support the business. Compared to sweet soup, milk tea is obviously a more convenient product to drink. Whether you are shopping or working, you can pick it up and take a sip when you are busy, without delaying your work at all.

For young people in particular, milk tea is often more than just a beverage; it also has a certain social aspect. High-value packaging, attractive appearance, and a stylish name are all indispensable factors. If you can also add the fact that it tastes really good, it will definitely be very popular.

As dusk fell, more and more pedestrians appeared along the Xijiang River. The milk tea stall, which was originally frequented only by acquaintances, gradually attracted many passersby who were taking a stroll.

Not to mention that there were quite a few fans who came specifically for Chen Shi'an.

The siblings' milk tea stall suddenly became lively. That's how business is; popularity is the foundation of everything. Whether it's good or bad, when a large number of people gather, most bored people will come over out of curiosity, and after looking around, they can't help but order a cup.

"It tastes really good! Boss! Could you please pack two more large cups of Seven Fruit Drinks to go?"

"Boss, is my 'Autumn Osmanthus Floating Jade' ready yet?"

"Boss, could you please add extra ice to my 'Yunhua Yingxue'?" [Take a picture of the milk tea][Post it on WeChat Moments][Caption: I never thought I could find such high-quality milk tea on the street! The presentation is absolutely amazing!]
[Take a selfie, with a high-quality milk tea as a prop][Post it on WeChat Moments][Caption: Haven't been to the Xijiang River in a long time]
[Comment: Is this a new product from some store? It tastes good, and it looks so pretty!]
……

Li Wanyin never expected that her first time selling milk tea would be so lively!
They're so busy they don't even have time to talk to the guests anymore; they're just mechanically repeating the same thing over and over:

"Sorry to wait a moment! There are quite a lot of people!"

"Finish your work, then do yours, then do yours again... almost done!"

The customers were amused by her frantic appearance and took out their phones to film her.

In a time of economic downturn, a girl who is so beautiful yet still works hard to earn money with her own hands is exactly the kind of person audiences love to watch.

Oh!
Master Chen is here too!

Like Li Wanyin, Chen Shian is too busy to greet her fans now, her hands flying across the counter as she prepares various drinks ordered by customers.

Those practiced movements don't look like those of a high school student at all; you could easily believe they're the work of a professional milk tea vendor who's been practicing for eighteen years!

Unlike sugar water, which is made from pre-made ingredients, milk tea is made on-site. Chen Shi'an can make a cup every two minutes on average, and Li Wanyin can make a cup every four or five minutes on average, which is quite fast. It's just a pity that the freshly squeezed juice ran out, and the extra time spent preparing fresh fruit for juicing slowed down the process considerably.

"Sister Wanyin, go prepare the juice first, I'll take care of things here."

"it is good."

Overwhelmed with work, Li Wanyin could no longer be polite with Chen Shi'an. Fortunately, he was there to help her; otherwise, she would have been completely overwhelmed with so many guests.

Wu Jiayun and Yan Yufei were also busy. They took the initiative to help pack milk tea, hand out straws, and handle the cashier duties, as well as help Li Wanyin remember the order of the customers' orders.

If we're talking about the most idle person, it's probably Fei Mo...

The fat cat was still lazily lying on the small chair next to the stall, its long tail hanging over the outside of the chair, twisting it from time to time, and occasionally stretching out its little paws to wave, acting as its lucky cat.

It's really thanks to Shimo that many customers waiting in line went to play with the cats and take pictures of them, which relieved a lot of the discomfort of waiting.

……

When you're busy, time always flies by, and before you know it, it's past nine o'clock at night.

At this hour, the banks of the Xijiang River are at their busiest. Instead of the number of people at Li Wanyin's stall decreasing, a large number of new customers have poured in.

For the first time, Li Wanyin experienced what it meant to feel both pain and pleasure...

She sadly discovered that she hadn't prepared enough ingredients! The first thing to run out was the bucket of ice. If she ran out of other ingredients, she could just stop making the dish, but if she ran out of ice, she couldn't continue. After all, the taste was very different with and without ice, and 99% of the customers wanted ice.

It should have been a pity, but Li Wanyin breathed a sigh of relief. After handing the last customer an iced milk tea, she quickly waved her hand and loudly told the customers still waiting in line:
"I'm so sorry everyone! I'm so sorry! We don't have enough ingredients today! We're out of ice, there's not much tea left, and we're almost out of fresh fruit!"

"I'm so sorry everyone! Please come again tomorrow! I'm really sorry that we weren't well prepared today!"

"Boss, are you sure you're out? Don't slack off! Why do I see you looking like you're secretly laughing?"

"No, no! There really aren't any more!"

Li Wanyin picked up the empty thermos. Sure enough, apart from some melted water, there wasn't a single piece of ice left.

"Boss, next time I'll get an ice maker, you just need to provide the power supply."

"Okay, I'll definitely do it next time! I'm really sorry about today! We have to pack up and close up shop!"

"Boss, I don't want it iced. Just make me a hot milk tea, the Autumn Osmanthus Jade Tea, I want it at room temperature!"

"..."

Ugh! Can't I just catch my breath?!
……

In any case, today's situation is much better than Li Wanyin had expected. Perhaps there was an element of luck involved, but she firmly believed that the milk tea flavors Chen Shi'an had developed would definitely make those who tasted them natural advertisements for 'Tea Fruit Formula'.

Relying on good looks or gimmicks to gain popularity is not a sustainable business model. Only the competitiveness of the product itself can form the foundation of this type of beverage business.

After Li Wanyin lowered the canopy of her stall and turned off the night market light, the crowd gathered in front of her stall gradually dispersed.

She set up her stall at 6:30, and it's only 9:50 now. She's been making milk tea non-stop for over three hours without even having time to drink water. This is the first time Li Wanyin has experienced such a bustling scene, and she's exhausted to the point of feeling like she's falling apart...

The main issue is that I haven't had time to process the emotions involved. After all, it was my first time experiencing such a surge in popularity. Looking back now, I realize that I have many shortcomings and many areas that need improvement.

"call--!!"

"Wanyin, are you made of iron? Feifei and I were standing until our legs were sore from packing, how can you still stand?"

"Oh, thank you so much, Yunyun and Feifei, we're so grateful to you both today..."

"Now you know we're together?... Holy crap! Shi'an's a real iron man!"

The three girls looked at Chen Shi'an, while the little Taoist priest leisurely drank a cup of milk tea. Apart from being very busy just now, he showed no signs of being tired.

To be honest, Chen Shi'an did the most work because he was quick to produce; he could make about two cups for every one cup Li Wanyin could make.

Wu Jiayun and Yan Yufei were both a little scared. It's really typical of an all-boys high school; now they should be worrying about whether Wanyin can handle it...

"Is Sister Wanyin alright?"

"Mmm! Shi'an, thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, I don't know how I would have handled it..."

Exhausted, Li Wanyin didn't know how to say thank you. It seemed that no matter what she said, she couldn't express the gratitude and emotion she felt for Chen Shi'an.

He provided the recipe, he helped set up the stall, he helped share the workload, and even this booming business is all thanks to him...

"All Wanyin does is say thank you! Can't she have any traditional virtues?" Wu Jiayun scolded.

"What traditional virtues?" Feifei asked.

"If all else fails, I'll use my body... Ughhhhh!!!"

Li Wanyin blushed and covered Wu Jiayun's mouth, not giving her any air at all.

(End of this chapter)