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

The old beggar glanced at Shen Qing, remaining noncommittal about her words.

The delicious aroma wafted to his nose, causing his mouth to water uncontrollably; he simply couldn't resist.

How come such a fragrant thing appeared in this ghost market when I went on a long trip?

He simply reached in, picked up a small steamed bun, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Chi-

The moment the tooth struck, juice burst in the mouth.

"Hiss~"

It was piping hot, but incredibly fragrant, making it too delicious to spit out.

With each chew, the mouth is filled with the aroma of meat, complemented by a subtle hint of scallion and ginger.

The old beggar's eyes lit up; in all his years, this was the first time he had ever eaten something so delicious.

In just a few moments, a whole steamer of buns disappeared.

"Give me five more baskets! On credit, I'll pay you ten times the price another day!!"

Shen Qing smiled slightly: "Okay!"

She took two baskets of jade shrimp, two baskets of grilled cheese and onions, and one basket of fresh meat, and served them to the table with great enthusiasm.

"Not bad, not bad!" The old beggar looked quite pleased, his eyes growing brighter with each bite.

The emerald shrimp filling is refreshing, while the grilled cheese and onion filling is rich and satisfying.

The flavors are different, but all three fillings are especially delicious.

The kind of deliciousness that you'll never forget.

"It smells so good! I never thought there was anything so delicious in the world," the old beggar exclaimed, savoring the taste.

Having lived to such an old age, he has tasted everything from imperial cuisine to street food.

But today's crystal soup dumplings are so unique and novel, and incredibly delicious.

No, he needs to get some money quickly so he can come and eat here every day from now on!

Shen Qing prepared a total of 600 portions of ingredients today, more than the previous two days, but there were also more people tonight, and before long, all the xiaolongbao were sold out.

"Sorry, we're sold out for today," Shen Qing announced.

The customers in line looked on with dismay: "Oh? Sold out again?"

"Too fast! I haven't even had a taste today, I've only smelled it."

"Could you make more? So many people haven't had any."

"..."

The diners who couldn't buy any were naturally unhappy, and they all looked gloomy.

Having no other choice, Shen Qing could only say, "Let's all check out the other food stalls, especially Aunt Sun's plain noodles. They're affordable and come in big bowls. You might want to give them a try."

Everyone sighed, and no matter how unwilling they were, they could only disperse and go to other food stalls.

It smells so good, it makes your mouth water and makes your heart itch.

I feel terribly uncomfortable if I don't eat something.

The stall with the most customers was still Aunt Sun's. Aunt Sun was beaming with joy and called out loudly to Shen Qing, "Shen girl, thank you so much!"

Shen Qing gently shook her head, indicating that Aunt Sun didn't need to thank her.

It was just a matter of her talking; the main reason why Aunt Sun had so many customers was because her plain noodles were indeed cheap and delicious.

Otherwise, no matter how much she says, the diners won't buy it.

Pushing the cart home, it was already quite late.

Shen Qing tidied up her things quickly and went to bed with her mother.

The next day, the sun rose as usual, and the weather became even warmer.

At the Zhao residence, Zhao Cheng was furious, holding the results of his servants' investigation.

"Hmph, a poor boy like him dares to try and get close to my sister, and he's even two-timing her! It's outrageous!"

He took a step forward, ready to rush over and teach Song Wenqian a lesson.

Just then, Zhao Wan arrived: "Brother, about the thing I asked you to do yesterday..."

"You still dare to talk!" Zhao Cheng was furious. "Why didn't you tell me about something this big? What if Song Wenqian kidnapped you? You could hide it from our parents, but why did you have to hide it from your brother?"

Zhao Wan lowered her head. At that time, she was only thinking about waiting for Song Wenqian to make something of himself, and she also considered that Song Wenqian might have been lying to her...

"Brother, don't be angry. What did you find out?" Zhao Wan tugged at Zhao Cheng's sleeve and acted coquettishly.

"Hmph, don't try that, it won't work!"

Zhao Cheng snorted coldly, then said helplessly, "Song Wenqian is shameless. His family is dirt poor, and all he thinks about is climbing the social ladder. He tried to get close to Shen Qing before, but then the Shen family suffered a sudden misfortune and lost all their wealth. So he turned his attention to us!"

"Even if someone like that actually passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, he'll break his promise and marry someone else. Little sister, you really need to keep a clear head!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wan immediately understood.

No wonder! No wonder Song Wenqian had a relationship with Madam Shen before. It turns out that Madam Shen's family used to be wealthy, but now they've just fallen on hard times.

So that's how it is; it's all about money.

That's disgusting.

"Brother, don't worry, I will never have anything to do with him again. I won't even look at such a disgusting person again."

"This time, we have to thank Madam Shen. If it weren't for her reminder, I don't know how long I would have been fooled by that scoundrel Song Wenqian."

Zhao Cheng breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you're so sensible. I really have to thank Madam Shen."

"Speaking of which, Madam Shen is also pitiful. Her family property was taken away by her cousin, and she also encountered such a faithless man. Alas."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wan felt a pang of sympathy.

As a woman herself, she knew the hardships women faced, and therefore, she felt Shen Qing's resilience and uniqueness even more, and couldn't help but feel admiration for her.

She can certainly rely on her parents and brothers, but what if something unexpected happens one day...?

No, she needs to find a way to become more capable and rely on herself more.

Relying on mountains will lead to their collapse, relying on rivers will lead to their flow; only relying on oneself is the safest option.

"Little sister, your brother will go and avenge you right now, and make Song Wenqian return all the money he took from you!" Zhao Cheng could no longer control his anger.

His sister was spoiled by her family since she was a child, but she never expected that she would be deceived by Song Wenqian, a poor and wicked man.

And then there's Madam Shen. Madam Shen's food is so delicious; she was actually fooled by Song Wenqian before.

That Song Wenqian deserves to die!

......

Shen Qing slept until she naturally woke up.

The first thing I do when I open my eyes is to turn on the system.

[Ding—Congratulations, host, for completing the Crystal Xiao Long Bao quest. Quest completion progress (1191/1000)]

[Ding—Reward issued. Congratulations, host, on legally acquiring a mansion.]

A property deed floated lightly onto the table in front of me.

Her mansion!!

Shen Qing immediately perked up. To be honest, she had long been tired of living in this shabby little house.

[Ding—Congratulations, host, you have achieved the achievement "Unparalleled in the Ghost Market"]

Achievement? She remembered that she had previously achieved the "Nameless Stall Owner" achievement.

Is there any tangible reward for this achievement?

The system remained silent, offering no explanation.

After a while, the mechanical voice rang out again:

[Ding—Task 3: Please sell 2,000 servings of braised pork ribs at the entrance of the academy. Reward: One street-front shop]

Selling braised pork ribs at the entrance of the academy? Would those bookish scholars buy them?

Shen Qing had a moment of doubt, but she was in no mood to think about it. She just wanted to go and see her mansion as soon as possible!