3: Chapter 3 Learning and Improvement

The next morning, he was woken up by the glare of the sun.

The small window near the ceiling of the semi-basement was usually blocked by the feet of pedestrians, but today, a beam of light actually leaked in, hitting him straight in the face.

He sat up and checked his phone—9:30 AM.

He had slept too late last night and woken up late.

Rubbing his eyes, he ducked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. Cold water gushed out; he splashed his face a few times and then brushed his teeth. Staring into the mirror while brushing, he calculated his plans for the day.

Last night was a mess, and he finally understood—running a stall wasn't that simple. He had to learn, improve, and find a way.

He spat out the foam, rinsed his mouth, and returned to the room. Opening his phone, he continued scrolling through the article he hadn't finished last night. It was packed with points of caution: the location must be good, the product must be unique, the price must be set right, he had to actively greet customers, offer samples, the sign had to be eye-catching, the attitude had to be enthusiastic, and he had to be persistent. He checked himself against each point.

Location? Being right next to a trash can, who would want to stand there? He had to change it today.

Product? No problem, fire chicken noodles were one of a kind.

Price? Some people thought two thousand a pack was expensive, but he didn't want to lower it.

Active promotion? He hadn't done enough; today he had to be thicker-skinned.

Samples? He hadn't done that—today he would cook them on-site.

The sign? The A4 paper was too small; he needed to make a big one.

Attitude? He needed to be enthusiastic; he had been too nervous yesterday.

Persistence? Of course.

Closing his phone, he began to prepare.

At 10:00 AM, he went to the wholesale market near Seoul Station. He had looked it up online last night; they specialized in tableware, packaging materials, and stall supplies, and it was cheaper than the supermarket. Street vendors all came here for stock.

He made a list: a folding table—putting the noodles on the ground last night was too unseemly; a thermal container and disposable bowls and chopsticks—to prepare noodles on-site for samples; a large sign; and packaging bags.

He spent an hour browsing the market and spent thirty-five thousand won; he had bought everything.

He spent more than expected, but this money had to be spent.

He returned to the semi-basement at 1:00 PM and spread out the items to organize them. The thermal container's quality was decent, claiming to keep things hot for over six hours; he tested it, and it was indeed scalding when filled with hot water. The folding table's height was just right when opened. He then found a large piece of cardboard and wrote several large characters with a marker: "Super Spicy Instant Noodles Never Before Seen in Korea – Free Samples! No Pay if Not Delicious! 2,000 Won Per Pack."

He propped it up against the wall and looked at it, satisfied. This was eye-catching enough.

At 3:00 PM, he began preparing his stock. He took fifty packs of fire chicken noodles from the storage room and packed them into a cardboard box, then took another pack for samples. After a thought, he also took an extra box of self-heating hot pot.

Yesterday he only sold noodles, but today he wanted to try this self-heating pot—it didn't need a fire; it could heat itself just by adding cold water. Demonstrating it on-site should attract people.

He stuffed everything into his bags: fire chicken noodles, self-heating hot pots, the thermal container, bowls and chopsticks, and packaging bags.

At 5:00 PM, carrying his many bags, he arrived at the Dongdaemun Night Market.

This time, he didn't go to that trash can corner from last night, but instead found a spot with more foot traffic. However, that spot was already taken—an auntie in her forties selling spicy rice cakes, wearing heavy makeup, was stir-frying with great fervor.

He hesitated for a moment but still approached her.

“Um... excuse me, is it okay to set up a stall here?” he asked cautiously.

The auntie looked up, sized him up, and smiled. “New here?”

“Yes.”

“This is a good spot; many people fight for it. You’re late, so you’ll just have to squeeze in.” She pointed to a small empty space next to her stall. “Right there, it’s about enough for a table. If you don’t mind, set up there.”

It was about one square meter, just enough to fit a folding table. But it was better than nothing.

“Alright, thank you, Auntie.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. We’re all just trying to make a living; we should help each other out.”

He nodded, set up the table in that small corner, propped up the sign, displayed the fire chicken noodles and self-heating hot pots, and opened the thermal container to prepare the noodle samples.

The auntie watched curiously while stir-frying her rice cakes. “What are you selling?”

“fire chicken noodles, super spicy instant noodles. And self-heating hot pots.”

“fire chicken noodles?” She frowned. “Never heard of them.”

“Korea doesn't have this product yet,” he said vaguely. “I got the stock from a friend.”

“Oh.” The auntie didn't press further. “Young people having ideas is good. Good luck.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

At 6:00 PM, the night market began to fill up.

Standing behind the stall, he began to actively greet people: “Hello, would you like to try fire chicken noodles? Super spicy instant noodles never before seen in Korea! Free samples, no pay if not delicious!”

Most people hurried past without even looking. But some people stopped.

“fire chicken noodles? What are those?” a young woman asked.

“Super spicy instant noodles.” He picked up a pack to show her. “You can try some first, it's free.”

“Free?” The girl was a bit surprised.

He nodded, poured hot water from the thermal container, and soaked the noodles. Three minutes later, he drained the water, poured on the spicy sauce and sesame seaweed flakes, mixed it well, and handed it over.

The girl took the bowl and stuffed a mouthful into her mouth with chopsticks.

The next second, her eyes widened.

“So spicy!” But she had a smile on her face. “It’s so spicy, but so delicious!”

He breathed a sigh of relief. He was most afraid that people wouldn't be used to the taste, but it seemed fine.

The girl ate a few more bites and returned the bowl to him. “I want two packs!”

She took out money, four thousand won. He put the noodles into a bag and handed them over.

Before leaving, the girl turned back and said, “I’ll recommend this to my friends!”

He smiled and nodded.

At 7:00 PM, a small queue began to form in front of the stall.

The sampling tactic worked. Many people were drawn in by the word "free," and after tasting, they all said it was delicious and then paid for it.

The auntie selling spicy rice cakes also helped out quite a bit.

“Everyone, come take a look, there’s a very special kind of instant noodle here!” She would occasionally chime in with a shout, “It’s super spicy, young people will definitely like it!”

He was grateful in his heart and didn't know how to thank her, so he just helped her pass plates and collect money when she was too busy.

“Auntie, what is your surname?” he asked when he found an opportunity.

“Just call me Auntie Jin,” she smiled. “That’s what everyone calls me.”

“Auntie Jin, thank you for helping me.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. I see you’re all alone and it’s not easy, helping out is only right. Besides, your fire chicken noodles really are delicious; I secretly took a bite just now.”

He was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “Auntie Jin, if you like them, I’ll give you a few packs.”

“Well, that’s wonderful then.” She laughed heartily.

At 9:00 PM, he began demonstrating the self-heating hot pot.

He opened the packaging in front of passersby and introduced it loudly: “Look everyone, self-heating hot pot—no fire needed, just cold water, and it’s ready to eat in fifteen minutes!”

He placed the heating pack at the bottom of the box, poured in cold water, placed the ingredient tray, and covered it. A few seconds later, the box began to hiss with steam, which escaped from the hole in the lid.

“Wow—” the onlookers exclaimed.

“It really is heating up!”

“That’s amazing!”

“What’s the principle behind it?”

He explained, “The components in the heating pack undergo a chemical reaction when they meet water, releasing heat. You can eat it outdoors, in dorms, or in offices as long as you have a bottle of cold water.”

Fifteen minutes later, he opened the lid, and the aroma of beef wafted out.

He let a few people try it, and they all said it was delicious.

Sales of the self-heating pots also began to pick up.

At 11:00 PM, he closed the stall.

Counting today's income: thirty-two packs of fire chicken noodles sold for sixty-four thousand won; eight boxes of self-heating hot pot sold for forty thousand won. A total of one hundred and four thousand.

After deducting the thirty-five thousand for today's equipment and two thousand eight hundred for the subway, the net profit was about sixty-six thousand.

It was much better than yesterday.

Standing in front of the stall, clutching the bundle of change in his hand, he wasn't exactly thrilled, but he felt at peace.

This was the first time he had earned money by doing business on his own—not working for someone else, not a part-time job, but a real trade. Although it was just a small stall, the feeling was different.

He carefully put the money away and began packing up.

Auntie Jin walked over and patted his shoulder. “Business was good today, wasn't it?”

“Yes, thanks to Auntie Jin’s help.”

“You worked hard yourself,” she said with a smile. “Keep it up tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Carrying his many bags, he walked toward the subway station. Looking at the lights of Seoul's night along the way, his heart didn't feel so panicked anymore.

Back in the semi-basement, lying on the bed, he sent a text to his mother:

“Mom, I earned over sixty thousand won from the stall today. It’s not much, but it’s a start. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of myself.”

After sending it, he put the phone on the bedside table and closed his eyes.

A few seconds later, the phone rang.

“Sunyi, Mom is proud of you. Take care of your health and don't overwork yourself. Tell Mom if you have any difficulties.”

Looking at the screen, his eyes felt a bit warm.

He replied: “Mom, I will. You take care, too.”