Ch 155: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

The morning screening, although it only had thirty viewers, generated publicity as effective as if three hundred people had seen it, and all of them were eager promoters.

By the time the afternoon screening was about to start, a line had already formed outside the theater. Each person held a small, narrow ticket in hand, waiting to have it checked at the entrance.

An electronic clock was mounted above the ticket booth, and fifteen minutes before the screening began, an announcement played, instructing guests to line up for ticket inspection.

Zhu Zhu handled ticket inspections at the entrance to the screening room in the afternoon, while Wen Jian guided guests to their seats at the door.

The broadcast startled the people waiting outside; there was no one in sight, yet a clear and loud voice, speaking in authentic Liangjing dialect, instructed them to line up.

Chen Jingshan, who had been mingling at the back of the crowd, slipped in with the line but got stopped at the ticket check since he didn’t have a ticket.

Inside, the setup was even stranger than it appeared from outside, with a style unlike any theater he had ever seen. Everything seemed peculiar. Even though only Zhu Zhu, a young girl, stood at the door, he didn’t dare to barge in. Frustrated, he turned to leave, but as he reached the lobby door, he heard the clash of swords nearby—yet saw no one fighting.

Quickening his steps, he saw that a trailer was playing on the large screen in the lounge area. His eyes widened in disbelief as he watched.

After taking a moment to compose himself, he quietly moved closer to the screen, then carefully reached out to touch it, realizing the screen was indeed embedded in the wall.

It was so narrow and thin. How had people managed to get inside it?

Unable to make sense of it, Chen Jingshan continued watching.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao was over in the concession area to the right of the ticket booth, setting up the drink and popcorn machines. Following the trial screening, the cinema was set to officially open tomorrow, and she wanted to introduce cola and popcorn.

The caramel and butter popcorn recipe was specially crafted at the snack shop, richer and more delicious than any other popcorn she had tasted in other theaters. And there was the cola—both were iconic movie snacks. Although people from the Great Wu Dynasty might not be accustomed to the taste and pairing, she planned to test it out since the cost was low.

She filled the drink machine with cola, then poured the oil and corn kernels into the preheated popcorn machine. In just a few minutes, the aroma began to spread.

With a “pop, pop, pop,” the popcorn began spilling from the machine, filling the lobby with a sweet, delicious scent.

Chen Jingshan wrinkled his nose, following the aroma. When he saw Lu Yao and the popcorn machine still churning out popcorn, his eyes widened again, and he quickly approached her. “Is this bólóu?”

Liangjing did have something similar to popcorn, typically made with glutinous rice and called “bólóu” or puffed rice. But this smelled different, much sweeter.

Chen Jingshan was especially curious about the machine that kept popping the corn automatically; it seemed far more convenient than the traditional way of making bólóu.

Lu Yao had noticed him earlier as he studied the advertisement screen, deep in thought, sometimes looking puzzled, with expressions that changed quite often.

“Yes, this is popcorn made from corn, and it tastes especially good. Eating popcorn and drinking cola are the standard snacks for watching a movie.”

Chen Jingshan pointed toward the screen in the lounge, “Movie? You mean that?”

Lu Yao nodded again, “Yes, today we’re having a trial screening, but tomorrow The World’s Greatest will officially be showing at the theater. I saw you were interested in the screen, but it only shows a preview here. The full film lasts about an hour; you can come tomorrow and buy a ticket to watch it.”

“You sell tickets here? How much is one?” Chen Jingshan asked, intrigued.

One batch of popcorn finished, and the machine automatically stopped. Lu Yao opened the clear cover, releasing a whiff of fresh, sweet fragrance. Across from her, Chen Jingshan unconsciously swallowed, his eyes glued to the freshly popped popcorn.

“Tomorrow’s screening of The World’s Greatest will be thirty wen per ticket.” Lu Yao scooped a small portion of popcorn into a cup and handed it to Chen Jingshan, “Freshly popped popcorn has the best flavor. Try some.”

Thirty wen?

Chen Jingshan was stunned by the price; it was unexpectedly high. He glanced down at the popcorn offered to him. The warm, sweet aroma wafted up, tickling his nose.

Slowly, he extended his hand to take the popcorn bucket, discreetly taking a deep breath. “Thank you. How much is this… uh, popcorn?”

Lu Yao replied, “Two wen for a bucket of popcorn and one wen for a cup of cola.”

“What’s cola?” Chen Jingshan felt like he was falling deeper into this strange place filled with unfamiliar things.

Lu Yao poured a cup and handed it to him. “This is cola—a carbonated drink.”

The dark brown liquid, with bubbles clinging to the sides of the cup, had an unfamiliar, slightly tangy scent. It didn’t smell like alcohol or tea. Chen Jingshan glanced at Lu Yao, then took a sip, eyebrows raising at the prickling sensation on his tongue—a mix of sweetness and coolness.

He didn’t particularly enjoy the taste but found it fascinating. Lu Yao, watching his reaction, sensed he wasn’t used to the cola’s unique flavor.

After setting the cola down, he tried a bite of the popcorn, and his expression softened. “This popcorn is pretty good!”

The popcorn was crispy, sweet, and had a hint of caramelized aroma with a subtle creaminess rarely found in Liangjing’s cuisine—different from the usual puffed rice he knew.

Chen Jingshan placed three wen on the counter, took his popcorn and cola, and sat down at one of the tables in the lounge. While snacking, he continued watching the movie trailer. Before he knew it, he had eaten half the popcorn, and the cola was almost gone.

Shaking his half-empty cup, he turned to Lu Yao. “Boss, what time does the movie start tomorrow?”

Since the Great Wu Dynasty enforced a curfew around 8 p.m., with no one allowed outside at night, Lu Yao could only manage five screenings a day in the single auditorium, which could hold thirty people per session.

“Tomorrow, screenings will run from the hour of Chen to the hour of Xu, around five sessions throughout the day.”

Satisfied, Chen Jingshan rose with his half-eaten popcorn and cola and left. He planned to return bright and early to catch a full screening—he couldn’t put his curiosity to rest.

Meanwhile, Le Han, the owner of Chunxi Lou, arrived late, spotting Chen Jingshan at the entrance. He glanced at what Jingshan was holding, walked inside, and was immediately greeted by a sweet aroma that led him to the popcorn machine.

“How much is this?” he asked, fiddling with a small purple clay teapot, his gaze discreetly assessing Lu Yao.

Just as rumored, the female owner was dressed in attire so unconventional it seemed even more daring than foreign garb.

Lu Yao, who had only prepared one batch of popcorn, was surprised by the interest. She served up a bucket of popcorn and a cola for Le Han, already considering the need for a menu and a concession staff.

Le Han took his popcorn and cola, checked his ticket, and walked into the screening room.

The movie had already started, showing the scene of young Ye Qingzhou hiding in a rice barrel, watching his mother be killed. The audience was completely engrossed, and Le Han’s shadow in the dim aisle startled those seated nearby, causing a few to almost jump.

Raising his eyebrows, Le Han was visibly impressed by what he saw on the screen.

No wonder that old fox Rong Shenghua had insisted he see it himself. This was not something easily described.

He found his seat and, noticing the cup holder on the armrest, placed his cola in it, fitting snugly. This holder seemed specifically designed for the drink.

The material of the seat was unusually smooth and soft, even more comfortable than the cushions in the private rooms at his tea house.

With both the cola and his teapot on the armrests, Le Han freed his hands to eat his popcorn, the crispy crunch echoing faintly in the darkness, the rich, buttery aroma filling the air.

Other audience members were torn between watching the movie and being drawn to the food Le Han was eating, unsure where to focus.

The guest next to Le Han, a regular at Chunxi Pavilion, couldn’t resist asking, “Boss Le, where did you get that? It smells incredible.”

Le Han replied, “It’s just outside in the lobby—quite a good flavor.”

He held out the popcorn bucket, and the guest took a handful. After one bite, he suddenly sat up straight, as if about to stand, but then settled back into his seat, unwilling to miss the movie. He ate the popcorn in tiny bites, savoring each one.

The popcorn was crisp and flaky, seasoned to perfection. It wasn’t just sweet or crunchy; there was a subtle, slightly bitter, caramelized flavor with a unique creamy undertone. For the people of the Great Wu Dynasty, this taste was a delightful surprise.

Lu Yao left half of the popcorn in the machine, packaging the rest in small sets along with mini cups of cola. Each package was placed in illusionary packaging brought from Dreamland, set to last seventy-two hours before vanishing.

Stepping outside, she spotted a group of young beggars in an alley between the cinema and Rongxi Bookstore and gestured for them to come over.

The eldest of the children approached her cautiously. “What can we do for you, boss?”

Though Lu Yao had only been here a few days, she noticed the beggars were often chased away by nearby businesses. Because she didn’t disturb them, they had started lingering around her shop. Orphans by circumstance, these children survived by begging and occasionally running errands for small fees.

“I need your help with something,” Lu Yao said, “and the reward is one pearl.”

At the mention of a pearl, the boy’s dirt-streaked face lit up. “What do you need us to do? We’ll get it done!”

Lu Yao led them back to the cinema’s entrance, handing them a box of popcorn and cola sets. “Just spread the word on the nearby streets about what I just told you, then distribute these to people you pass by.”

The children’s eyes widened, disbelief and excitement clear on their faces.

“That’s all?”

Seeing the young ones eyeing the popcorn with growing curiosity, Lu Yao handed each of them a box. “Go ahead, have some. Once you know the taste, you’ll know what to say.”

The kids, slightly embarrassed, rubbed their grimy hands on their worn clothes before accepting the popcorn boxes. The smallest child couldn’t wait and began eating right away, quickly losing himself in the taste.

“Gouzi-ge, this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten!” the youngest one exclaimed, his dirt-smeared face lighting up.

The boy known as Gouzi, the eldest of the group, took a bite himself, then carefully closed his box and tucked it safely into his shirt. He took the large box of popcorn and cola sets from Lu Yao, determination evident in his eyes.

“We’ll get it done, boss,” Gouzi promised, leading the others away. As they walked, they chanted a song in a playful, lively rhythm.

Lu Yao had asked them to announce that the cinema would officially open tomorrow, with the premiere of the martial arts film The World’s Greatest. She had them spread the word that each ticket purchase would come with a “joyful viewing” set: a complimentary cola and popcorn package.

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