Crossover Anime: Randomly Setting Up a Stall with Binchotan Charcoal

While waiting, she sighed as she touched her empty wallet. Overspending on breakfast meant she wouldn't have enough money for beer that night.

Hey,

What's the point of life if you can't get a chilled beer after get off work?

Soon, the aroma of perfectly proportioned shumai wafted from the microwave.

Shizuka Hiratsuka was completely absorbed in the experience, and for a moment she felt that the meaning of life had returned.

If I could eat such delicious shumai every morning, beer would be a thing of the past.

"Ding~"

The microwave oven beeped, indicating the shumai was ready.

Taking out the shumai, Hiratsuka Shizuka quickly closed the lid of the lunchbox and sneakily left the office with it.

She heard from the security guard that a student buying shumai this morning was almost robbed.

The shumai smelled so good; once that tempting aroma wafted out, some shameless colleague might be tempted to snatch it. Although everyone maintained a certain distance, she didn't want to gamble on human nature.

At this time of day, she knew of a perfect, empty spot for dining.

She ran to the Service Club activity room.

The door opened and closed in one smooth motion.

Picking up the shumai, Hiratsuka Shizuka took a bite, both eager and cautious. The taste was still so perfect that she squinted her eyes in delight.

"Damn it~ It's still so delicious!"

This time, she ate slowly. The afternoon was perfect: one person, one shumai, and a cup of coffee.

She chewed slowly and carefully, then picked up the next shumai. Just as she was about to start eating, the door to the service department opened again.

Dango and Yukinoshita walk towards us.

"Oh, Ms. Jing is eating here too. It smells delicious. What are you eating, Ms. Jing?"

"Where did you buy the shumai, teacher?"

As soon as Tuanzi entered the door, she was startled; she smelled a familiar scent.

Although Yukinoshita didn't speak, her gaze was impolitely fixed on the shumai in Hiratsuka Shizuka's hand. The aroma was exceptionally enticing, and as a lady, she tried hard to suppress the urge to swallow.

Hiratsuka Shizuka froze, realizing she couldn't enjoy lunch alone.

"You're eating here too?"

"Teacher, the shumai vendor at the school gate is back again? He's so cunning! We can't get out, boohoo~"

"Teacher, could you buy two for us? Yukinoshita, let me tell you, these shumai are delicious, blah blah blah."

Tuanzi looked excited when the topic of shumai came up.

Hiratsuka Shizuka made a face and said, "Say what you will, but stop staring at my bowl with that longing look in your eyes."

"I bought these this morning. Would you mind if one of each of you tried them?"

Suppressing her heartache, Hiratsuka Shizuka said tremblingly, "If I had known you were coming, I should have eaten faster."

Six shumai weren't enough for her.

However, clinging to a sliver of hope, she gambled that Yukinoshita wouldn't accept it. After all, Yukinoshita was a well-educated and high-quality student from a wealthy family, and she certainly wouldn't take advantage of a poor teacher like her, right?

"it is good!"

"it is good!"

Yukino and Dango said in unison, each taking out their own chopsticks and picking up a shumai to eat.

Hiratsuka Shizuka's face darkened when she saw that her lunchbox was missing two shumai.

Dango is one thing, but Yukinoshita, how could you be like this? Where has your dignity, your pride, your noble bearing gone?

To maintain her dignity as a teacher, she had to force a smile.

“It’s delicious!”

With one bite, the four perfectly blended fillings burst open in your mouth, and Yukinoshita's eyes widened instantly. Shrimp, greens, pork, and egg—a perfect combination in proportion. The taste was beyond imagination.

Compared to this shumai, my own bento box made with premium ingredients is practically pig swill.

At that moment, Yukinoshita understood why Yui didn't want to eat lunch.

After eating these shumai, I really can't eat any other food.

"This is so delicious! So this is what a perfectly proportioned shumai looks like. I couldn't get any this morning, boohoo~"

I had intended to savor the dumplings slowly, but the moment I put the shumai in my mouth, I lost all reason. How could I possibly resist something so delicious?

While watching them eat the shumai, Hiratsuka Shizuka picked up the remaining three and wolfed them down.

She was afraid someone else would try to take it from her.

By the time the two girls snapped out of their daze from the delicious food, their teacher in front of them was nearly choking to death.

"Water, water, water~"

The two were in a flurry of activity when Yukino handed them a bottle of mineral water, which saved their teacher's life.

They exchanged a glance, both speechless.

Teacher, are you going to go to such lengths? Are you afraid we'll snatch them and you're going to eat three shumai in one bite?

"Teacher, can't you eat slower? We're not going to be able to steal it from you."

"I'm not exaggerating, no one can resist these shumai. I heard from the security guard that a student bought some this morning and almost had them snatched away by commuters outside."

Tuanzi: "......."

Was that student talking about me?

You're definitely talking about me, aren't you?

Have rumors become this terrible?

Seeing that the shumai was all gone, Yukino opened her bento box apologetically. "Teacher probably hasn't eaten enough. Would you like to try our bento? It's not as good as the shumai, though."

"Yes, yes, teacher, please try my bento too."

When invited by her students, Hiratsuka Shizuka waved her hand, saying that she really didn't have an appetite for anything else today.

"Damn it, I'm going to quit drinking starting today, and I'll use the rest of my money to buy shumai."

"The shumai from the young man is a bit expensive, although it's great value for money, but I can't buy it many times with my spare change."

Tuanzi also looked dejected.

Yukino looked completely bewildered. "Are you all so poor that you can't even afford a shumai?"

"Um, these shumai are sold at the stalls outside our school, right? How much are they?"

“I bought two three-flavor egg shumai this morning, which cost 1000 dan.”

Yukinoshita: "......"

It's not expensive at all. Although it's twice as expensive as other shumai, if you take this kind of taste to a big restaurant, people will buy it even if you add a zero.

"These shumai are made with high-quality ingredients. The cost of each one is 100-200 Dan. With his skill, selling them for 500 Dan is not expensive."

Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded in agreement: "That young man has it tough too. He set up his stall early in the morning, and he brought along a young sister. The little girl looks so pitiful. Let's buy more to support them."

"Tomorrow, I need to get up early and buy both kinds of shumai."

"You have to order early. Everyone who's tried these shumai will definitely think the same thing tomorrow. The competition is fierce."

The three of them, who were on lunch break, agreed to meet at the school gate tomorrow.

Chapter 8 Little Binchotan Eats Mapo Tofu

There are two sides to this...

Summer has arrived, and it's mealtime here too.

"Brother, the rice is ready."

Little Binchotan gave Xia Tian a sweet smile and held up the rice cooker inner pot.

"Okay, wait over there for a moment, let your brother cook first?" Xia Tian patted the little guy's big head.

"Yeah~"

The little girl carried her little stool back to Xia Tian's room and sat down by the door so she could see her little wooden house while watching Xia Tian busy in the kitchen.

She likes to look at her 'lively' home like this.

In summer, put the inner pot in place and plug in the rice cooker to cook rice.

Take the prepared ingredients out of the refrigerator.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the little guy sitting obediently at the door of the room. In that instant, Xia Tian seemed to realize that the little guy was still a bit lonely.

The little guy needs at least one companion to play with at home, so maybe we should buy him a dog?

He remembered that the little guy had a dog; had he just not met him yet?

quickly,

On a small wooden table in the main hall of the small binchotan charcoal shop were a plate of stir-fried water spinach, a plate of Mapo tofu, a plate of clam and tofu soup, and a plate of scrambled eggs with chives and white rice.

"Gulp!" Little Binchotan swallowed hard. He said he wasn't hungry, but he couldn't resist the aroma of the food. "Brother, do we eat like this every day? Can we eat it three times a day?"

To be honest, she was really afraid of bankrupting her kind-hearted boss brother.

"Pretty much. Breakfast will be simple, and lunch and dinner will typically consist of three dishes and a soup," Xia Tian said with a smile. "Tan Tan, can you handle spicy food? This dish is a little spicy."

“I can eat, I can eat.” Little Binchotan nodded repeatedly. “I’m not a picky eater.”

While serving rice, Xia Tian said, "Hmm, let's try it and see. If we can't handle it, we won't make spicy dishes anymore."

"Okay, thank you, brother. I'm starting now!"

With his hands clasped together in prayer, Xiao Binchotan happily began to eat.

Upon seeing Mapo Tofu, Xiao Binchangtan was eager to try it and couldn't wait to eat it.

The Mapo Tofu looked and smelled delicious, and Binchotan swallowed hard after smelling the aroma.

In the summer, he scooped a spoonful into the binchotan charcoal bowl and said, "Try it."

The small binchotan charcoal mixed with rice was shoveled into his mouth.

Her little mouth immediately puffed out, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"It's spicy, but delicious."

Little Binchotan opened her big, bright eyes wide with surprise, as if she had discovered the most amazing thing in the world.

Summer didn't touch her chopsticks; she just quietly watched the little one eat.

Next, Xiao Binchotan quickly scooped up a few mouthfuls of rice to neutralize the spiciness, and began to chew vigorously, his little mouth constantly moving, his satisfied expression making people unable to help but smile.

"So spicy! So spicy!"

"Delicious! Delicious!"

Xiao Binchotan mumbled, "It's my first time eating Mapo Tofu, and I just can't stop eating it."

"Charcoal, you can't eat too much spicy food. Eat some other dishes too."

It's clear the little one really likes spicy food, but she hasn't had much of it before. Seeing her enjoying it so much makes Xia Tian feel quite accomplished.

Let's set a small goal: to make this girl gain ten pounds in a month.

"Yeah~"

Xiao Binchangtan couldn't wait to pick up some water spinach again, eating it with relish, his face full of happiness and joy.

She also likes vegetables. A few days ago, she even went to pick bracken to eat, but the bracken was bitter and not as delicious as the vegetables her brother made.

"Brother, these dishes are all delicious."

Xia Tian smiled and said, "Eat slowly and have a bowl of soup."

"Hmm~".