Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Zhang Yan dressed in black and took a mask.

Upon reaching the entrance to the ghost market, he solemnly took out a mask and put it on.

Xie, the squad leader, couldn't help but say, "Lord Zhang, there's really no need for you to be so fully armed..."

They went there to eat, how could they eat while wearing masks?

Before he could finish speaking, he looked up and saw that Zhang Yan had already entered the ghost market, not waiting for him at all.

Xie Bantou was speechless; what could he do when the other man was an official?

He was just a lowly yamen runner. Although the common people would call him "sir," he was not actually an official at all.

Ugh.

He quickly jogged to catch up with Zhang Yan.

Upon entering the ghost market, Zhang Yan was completely dumbfounded by the bustling and prosperous atmosphere.

The area was lined with stalls, and in addition to the rare items that the ghost market originally had, there were also many food vendors.

Almost none of the pedestrians on the street were wearing masks; it was incredibly lively.

Zhang Yan frowned. When did the Ghost Market become like this?

"Lord Zhang, ever since Madam Shen set up her stall here, many vendors have followed her to the Ghost Market, and there are more customers coming to the Ghost Market."

"Why don't you take off your mask? It would look rather strange..."

Zhang Yan's brows were still furrowed, but he still reached out and took off his mask.

The main issue is that wearing a mask while walking down the street feels quite out of place.

But it was always the people who didn't wear masks who stood out from the crowd, so what's wrong with this ghost market?

"Where are those crystal xiaolongbao?" Zhang Yan asked.

Xie, the squad leader, quickly replied, "It's not far, just around the corner."

As soon as he turned the corner, Xie Yan took a look.

Goodness, the line is so long, you can't see the end of it.

"Sir, let's queue up here. Madam Shen's steamed buns are delicious, and her business is booming."

Zhang Yan followed instructions and lined up, glancing around casually.

Everyone's face was filled with anticipation, and they were all drooling with desire.

Those sitting nearby eating steamed buns were wolfing them down, their faces full of enjoyment.

"It smells so good! It smells so good!"

"Lady Shen is my goddess!"

"I never expected that crispy fried chicken would be so delicious, and these crystal soup dumplings are just as tasty!"

Zhang Yan looked closely and realized that the people sitting on the far side eating xiaolongbao were none other than Li Xiaoer and his group.

He scoffed, "Your men are pretty fast."

Xie, the squad leader, also saw it and hurriedly said, "I...I...I'll take you over to eat what they ordered first..."

"No need," Zhang Yan said, then fell silent again.

He wasn't interested in eating steamed buns; he only came to investigate the ghost market.

The two stood in line, Zhang Yan looking unapproachable, while Xie, the squad leader, was respectful and subservient.

After a long while, it was finally their turn.

"Madam Shen, I'd like two baskets of fresh pork and two baskets of jade shrimp," Xie the head constable hurriedly said.

Shen Qing spotted Xie Bantou, a regular customer, and smiled slightly: "You'll have to wait a bit. We still have grilled cheese and onion filling today. Would you like to try some?"

So far, not a single basket of grilled cheese and onion filling has been sold.

Xie Bantou was eager to try Shen Qing's new filling, after all, experience told him that anything made by Madam Shen was bound to be delicious.

But today, I'm accompanied by the county magistrate...

"No, I'll try it next time." It's better to be on the safe side.

Zhang Yan calmly sized up Shen Qing.

Was this the woman who first came to the ghost market to sell food?

With swift and efficient movements, she quickly removed many uniformly sized dough pieces.

Holding a small rolling pin in his right hand, he pressed, pushed, and turned it, and in just a few breaths, dozens of dough sheets were formed.

It is round like a full moon, thick in the middle and thin at both sides.

Just by rolling out the dough, you can tell this woman is an expert.

Zhang Yan couldn't help but be amazed. Upon closer inspection, he saw Shen Qing holding the leather in his left hand and rapidly twisting it along the edge with his right. In the blink of an eye, eighteen folds appeared.

The opening is very small, yet extremely tight.

The movements were fluid and graceful, as if they weren't wrapping dumplings, but playing a powerful melody, with every fold perfectly timed.

This made him actually want to try the crystal soup dumplings.

The steamed buns were steamed for only five or six minutes. When the lid was opened, large wisps of steam spread out, and a strong, fresh aroma filled the air.

My mouth started to water uncontrollably.

Zhang Yan swallowed hard, letting Xie, the squad leader, pull him to sit at a table nearby.

"Lord Zhang, please try these crystal steamed buns. They are absolutely delicious, unlike any other buns. You'll know once you taste them."

Zhang Yan tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't suppress the drool in his mouth. A voice in his head kept shouting: "It smells so good! I want to eat it! Eat it now!"

He couldn't resist picking up his chopsticks, grabbing one, and taking a bite.

puff-

Soup splattered everywhere, but Zhang Yan's eyes lit up.

Ignoring the heat, he stuffed the bun directly into his mouth.

"hiss--"

It was piping hot yet incredibly fragrant; the taste of fresh meat filled my entire mouth, and a wave of satisfaction washed over me.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he chewed with obvious enjoyment, a stark contrast to his previous serious and cold demeanor.

When Xie Bantou saw Zhang Yan's reaction, he knew that he had made the right bet this time.

Sure enough, no one could resist Madam Shen's delicious food, not even the county magistrate.

In just a short while, the two of them finished off all four baskets of crystal soup dumplings.

After savoring the taste for a while, Zhang Yan slowly spoke, "The flavor is indeed good, but there's just too little of it."

"I'll go buy more!" Xie Bantou said hurriedly.

Zhang Yan reached out and pressed down on Xie Bantou's arm: "No need."

"Although the food is delicious, we can't just set up a stall in the ghost market to avoid paying membership fees. Wouldn't that mean the government's revenue would be significantly reduced?"

He can clearly distinguish between public and private matters.

Xie, the foreman, couldn't help but explain, "Madam Shen wasn't trying to evade membership fees. Besides, there's no law that forbids selling food in the ghost market..."

Zhang Yan frowned, about to speak.

Suddenly a voice came from afar: "Brother-in-law!"

Looking up, I saw Wang Yuan and Wang Yueshu.

As the two approached, they discovered that Zhang Yan was standing next to Xie Bantou.

Wang Yuan hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting: "Lord Zhang, you've come here to eat steamed buns too?"

"What? You're here for crystal soup dumplings too?"

"Indeed, these steamed buns from Madam Shen are absolutely amazing..." Wang Yuan's mouth was watering at the mention of steamed buns, and he was about to shower them with praise, but the next moment...

Zhang Yan interrupted him directly: "As the head of the food guild, you're just letting so many food stalls come to the ghost market? Putting aside the guild's interests, what about the government's interests? How are you going to explain this to the county magistrate?"