Doting Marriage: Return Of The Real Miss Gu

As the sun rose, the city came alive.

The sky lightened, and the streets began to bustle. Wanwei Lou, Gu Mianmian's new noodle shop, was the talk of the neighborhood.

People were curious about her story, especially after the flyers the boys handed out did their job well.

"I heard she's serving breakfast noodles first.." a young stylist whispered to a customer at a local salon. "You want to go after this?"

The customer nodded, intrigued. "I've been craving good noodles all week. Is it true she makes them by hand?"

"Yeah, I heard she's using the good stuff, salted pork from the butcher, fresh scallions... She's not skimping on quality..." the stylist replied.

Inside the shop, Mianmian moved efficiently, preparing for the day. Her nerves were on edge, but her hands were steady. She didn't expect miracles, but she hoped to be noticed.

Meanwhile, Lu Yanchen was busy in his office uptown, dealing with work issues. He glanced at the envelope with Mianmian's handwriting and thought about visiting her shop later.

At the Gu household, tension was high. Mianmian's family was upset about her opening the shop, feeling embarrassed and threatened.

"She thinks opening a little noodle shop makes her better than us?" Gu Xuelan sneered, throwing the flyer on the table.

"It's probably funded by some backdoor money..." Madam Gu sniffed. "She wouldn't have enough on her own."

Gu Shi, Mianmian's father, remained silent, staring at the flyer with a mix of concern and pride.

Outside Wanwei Lou, the street grew busier, with people bringing flowers and leaving notes of support. By 8:15 AM, a line had already formed, and Mianmian opened the door, ready to face the day.

"Welcome to Wanwei Lou!" she said with a smile, greeting the first customers in line.

The warm scent of broth and fried scallion oil spilled out as the doors opened.

A few neighbors who had been lingering across the street stepped forward eagerly, tugging their jackets against the morning chill.

The first customer was an elderly woman from the next alley.

She adjusted the silk scarf around her neck and smiled at Mianmian. "Your mother used to make noodles just like this when she was young."

Mianmian bowed slightly, her eyes crinkling. "Then I hope mine live up to hers."

More customers followed, some drawn by the scent, others by the gossip.

A pair of young men from the hardware store took a seat by the window, chatting about how clean the place looked.

"She put a lot into it," one of them whispered, admiring the wooden shelves stacked with preserved vegetables and pickled lotus roots.

"It's the good kind of vinegar too. I smelled it.." the other said, sniffing the air like a dog.

The open kitchen was in full view, and people were watching.

Mianmian knew it. She moved with purpose, pulling the noodles through her fingers with practiced ease, her hands swift but graceful.

The soup simmered behind her, rich and fragrant.

At a small tea shop down the street, the owner shook his head as he read the flyer again. "That girl... not bad at all. Bet her stepmother's foaming at the mouth."

"You heard what Madam Gu said?" a neighbor replied, sipping her tea. "She told everyone Mianmian would be crawling back home in a month. Said no man would marry her now."

"Well, she clearly hasn't seen that line outside."

Back in the shop, a little girl peeked up over the counter, her eyes wide at the steaming bowls being carried past. Mianmian noticed her and smiled gently.

"One bowl of noodles with extra egg for the young miss..." she called to the girl.

The girl's mother tried to protest, fumbling for coins, but Mianmian waved her off. "It's my opening day. Let her eat well."

By mid-morning, Wanwei Lou was packed.

The tables filled.

People stood outside with their sleeves rolled up, waiting patiently. Some passed around stools.

Others just leaned against their bicycles.

Mianmian smiled, things were going well so it would time to introduce the takeout method, so the line could more freely.

She stepped out from behind the counter briefly and clapped her hands once.

"If anyone can't stay to sit and eat, you can now order takeaway!" she called. "Each takeout box is just one yuan extra!"

The announcement rippled through the crowd like a dropped pebble in water.

"Only one yuan?" someone echoed near the back.

"That's cheaper than the bus fare!" laughed a delivery man, raising his hand. "I'll take two to go!"

Mianmian nodded, quickly signaling to one of the boys outside to bring in the stack of plain takeaway boxes she'd bought the day before.

They weren't fancy, just simple folded paper but she'd stamped the name Wanwei Lou on each one with red ink and care.

Inside, the shop bustled with the sound of chopsticks tapping bowls, stools shifting, and conversation overlapping like music.

"I'll take one spicy and one mild.." said a woman in a nurse's uniform, holding a thermos under her arm. "Make it fast, I have to be back at the clinic in ten."

"Got it.." Mianmian replied, tying the first two takeaway bags quickly.

At the corner table, an old man held up a bowl, licking his lips. "This tastes like something I haven't had in thirty years. Girl, you've got real skill."

Mianmian smiled briefly, not pausing from the ladle in her hand.

Outside, someone pulled out a notebook and began scribbling.

"I'm writing this into my column..." said a young man in glasses, adjusting his coat. "If the food tastes even half as good as it smells, she's going in next week's 'Top Ten Bites in the District.'"

The crowd only grew. A few of the nearby shopkeepers sent their apprentices down to grab takeaway.

Soon, the sidewalk was full of people holding warm white boxes, steam still seeping from the cracks.

"This the girl the Gu family disowned?" someone muttered while biting into a pork and scallion flatbread.

"Well.." his friend replied, mouth full. "She might be their biggest embarrassment, but she's the neighborhood's new favorite."

Back inside, Mianmian's forehead was damp, her fingers stained with vinegar and chili paste, but her face never lost its calm. She moved smoothly, barely stopping for breath.