CH 47

After Zhuo Long’s birthday party, the child went missing, or rather, he left a message saying he had something to do and assured everyone not to worry. He said he would be back in at most half a month.

Though they were worried, the good thing was that the Tongtong Machine could still be contacted. Apart from refusing to disclose where he went and what he was up to, Zhuo Long gave straightforward answers to other questions. However, it seemed that these answers didn’t help much in finding Zhuo Long.

However, at the other end of the Tongtong Machine, Zhuo Long’s voice sounded normal. Bai Xianzhi and Tu Linlin didn’t pry further. Although the missing person made their tasks heavier, since the restaurant now operated on an appointment basis, they could manage the workload even with two people working overtime. Because of this, Bai Xianzhi gave Tu Linlin a raise, increasing her monthly pay from ten thousand temporal coins to fifteen thousand.

With the raise in place and the two little ones writing and playing with the Tongtong Machine every day, life was peaceful and warm. However, Bai Xianzhi couldn’t let go of his worries. The reason was that he still couldn’t find any way to enter the Three Thousand Worlds. He felt anxious at the thought that if anything happened to the two little ones and they were taken away, he wouldn’t even have the chance to catch up. Raising children wasn’t easy!

It was another day off, and the two little ones were writing at the kitchen table. Bai Xianzhi once again launched a full search of the Three Thousand Food House.

Not finding any information about how to enter the Three Thousand Worlds on the Tongtong Network, Bai Xianzhi shifted his focus to the Three Thousand Food House. If anyone had achieved the state of freely traveling between the Three Thousand Worlds and Hua Nation, it was undoubtedly Three Thousand Food House.

He even called Liu Qingshan to inquire. He learned that the houses in Wu Tong Lane were built thirty years ago, and the facade of the Three Thousand Food House was also constructed at the same time. There was nothing special about the construction workers; they were just ordinary workers.

Since there were no issues with the building itself, Bai Xianzhi turned his attention to all the items in the Three Thousand Food House, especially the small room that kept the food fresh. He meticulously checked the floor and wall tiles inch by inch, but he found nothing. Today, as he focused on the outer area, ready to inspect it during the day off, his phone in his pocket suddenly rang. Taking it out and looking at the caller ID, it was a call from Liu Qingshan.

“Hello, Qingshan, what’s up?” Bai Xianzhi answered the call.

Liu Qingshan’s voice on the other end carried delight, “Xianzhi! Hehehe, I found a girlfriend!”

Bai Xianzhi paused his actions and laughed, “Congratulations!”

Liu Qingshan chuckled, “Well, I wonder if I could bother you today. Can you cook for us?”

Bai Xianzhi replied directly, “Sure, tell me what you need. Cooking a few dishes won’t be a problem, but cooking for several tables is a different matter.”

Liu Qingshan hurriedly said, “No, no! A few dishes will be enough. A few days ago, I established a relationship with Xiao Ling, and tonight, I want to treat her friends to dinner. The best food I’ve ever eaten was at your place, so I was wondering if we could order a table of dishes from you. Of course, the price will be doubled since it’s your day off.”

Bai Xianzhi smiled, “Money is not an issue. Since you found a girlfriend, I’ll consider it a celebration!”

Liu Qingshan quickly declined, “No, no!”

Bai Xianzhi insisted, “It’s settled then. When will you all come in the evening? I’ll get everything ready.”

Liu Qingshan said with a chuckle, “Hehehe, around six in the afternoon. After dinner, we want to go karaoke!”

Bai Xianzhi agreed, “Alright! Be here on time!”

Hanging up the phone, the two little ones looked up at him, “Uncle, are people coming tonight?”

Bai Xianzhi rubbed their heads, “Yes, it’s one of my friends, someone you’ve met before—Uncle Liu Qingshan.”

The two little ones nodded. They had indeed met Liu Qingshan before because they lived in the Three Thousand Food House and couldn’t completely avoid the people in Wutong Lane. So, Bai Xianzhi decided to expose them to the people’s sight. Besides, they couldn’t see Xiao Long’s horns, and as for Xiao Lu’s green hair and eyes, they simply said she was a mixed-blood child. Therefore, many people in Wutong Lane knew about the two little ones, and the two little ones had naturally seen Liu Qingshan, who came to the restaurant frequently.

Having accepted Liu Qingshan’s request, Bai Xianzhi immediately asked the two little ones to wait upstairs. He closed the door and went to the market to buy groceries. Although he hadn’t found any problems with the food stored in the small room in Hua Nation, on the contrary, Liu Qingshan’s family’s health had been improving, Bai Xianzhi felt that if there was no need to use the space rift, it was better not to use it. Moreover, there weren’t any space rifts on Earth that required traveling through.

Since he had two children at home, Bai Xianzhi quickly bought groceries. The maximum number of people at one table was ten, so he bought chicken, duck, fish, pork, and beef, as well as some vegetables. He hurried back to the restaurant and called the two little ones downstairs. It was almost three o’clock, and some dishes needed stewing, so he had to start preparing.

While shopping for groceries, he had planned the menu in his mind. He would make a big bowl of braised pork belly, another bowl of steamed spare ribs, sour radish and old duck soup, white-cut chicken, stir-fried beef with scallions, and the fish he bought was just ordinary grass carp, which he would make into coral fish. He had enough main dishes, so he also made a cabbage and tofu soup and stir-fried lettuce with oyster sauce. The table was set with all these dishes.

Having reviewed the cooking steps for several dishes in his mind, Bai Xianzhi picked up his chopping knife and started cooking.

…

Liu Qingshan’s girlfriend’s name was Zhou Ling, and she graduated from the Art College in S City. Currently, she was working as a part-time teacher at a training institution, where she happened to be Liu Qingshan’s art teacher.

Their acquaintance was very ordinary, with no exciting or love-at-first-sight moments. Liu Qingshan wasn’t particularly handsome, and Zhou Ling wasn’t exceptionally beautiful. For two average-looking individuals like them, a dramatic love story probably wouldn’t happen in their lives. It was only through time spent together that feelings between them grew, giving them the possibility of love.

Zhou Ling came from a humble family background, a common trait among children from less privileged households. She felt somewhat inferior and had a shy and reserved personality. As a result, she was currently working only as a part-time art teacher. Though the salary wasn’t high, she enjoyed the job. She never expected to meet her significant other there, which was an unexpected joy.

A few days ago, the two of them confirmed their relationship. Zhou Ling wasn’t good at pretending, and when she moved into a shared rental, her roommates figured out her boyfriend was a local guy from S City. They teased her to have her boyfriend treat them to dinner. Despite her repeated refusals, they ignored her and kept pushing. In the end, she had to call Liu Qingshan to tell him about it. She originally thought he would join her in refusing, but unexpectedly, Liu Qingshan readily agreed.

On the agreed day, Zhou Ling changed her clothes and, urged by her two roommates, went out. As she stepped downstairs, she saw a Mercedes-Benz parked by the roadside. One of her roommates, Ai Jiayun, smiled and said, “My boyfriend is here to pick me up. You guys can come with me.”

The other roommate, Zhang Zhang, pointed to a slowly approaching BMW and said, “No need. My boyfriend is here too.”

Ai Jiayun casually glanced at the BMW and then looked at Zhou Ling, “Xiao ling, do you want to come with me?”

Zhang Zhang also chimed in, “Xiao ling, there’s space in my car too.”

Feeling awkward, Zhou Ling waved her phone, “Why don’t you guys go first? It’s in Wutong Lane. Just park the car outside the lane in the mall. My boyfriend is on his way.”

Ai Jiayun smirked, “Alright, I’ll leave first. You and your boyfriend should hurry up!”

Zhang Zhang didn’t say anything else and left after getting into the car. Seeing both of them drive away, Zhou Ling breathed a sigh of relief. Her relationship with her two roommates wasn’t good. Although they all had jobs, it was clear they were not on the same page. If it weren’t for Liu Qingshan readily agreeing, she wouldn’t have accepted this arrangement. But now that it had come to this, she just hoped to get through tonight as quickly as possible.

Just as she was thinking about this, Liu Qingshan arrived, and when she saw him, Zhou Ling scolded, “It’s all your fault!”

Liu Qingshan stopped the car and looked confused, touching his face, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Ling gave him a stern look but didn’t say anything, and she directly sat on the backseat of the electric scooter.

Not bothering to explain further, Liu Qingshan quickly put this matter aside and, being with his girlfriend, felt even happier than winning a competition.

The electric scooter sped all the way, and they were about to reach Wutong Lane when they encountered a traffic jam. At this moment, the advantage of the electric scooter immediately came into play. Easily squeezing through gaps the sedan couldn’t pass, the electric scooter weaved through the traffic, making turns left and right. Surprisingly, it managed to get out while the long queue of cars was still moving at a snail’s pace.

Liu Qingshan laughed heartily, “Xiaoling, you see, this is where big cars can’t compare to small ones!”

Zhou Ling also found it amusing and sat on the backseat, grabbing Liu Qingshan’s clothes, laughing non-stop.

In the long queue behind them, a black Mercedes-Benz suddenly spoke up, “Isn’t that your roommate?”

Ai Jiayun raised her head to look and immediately sneered, “Tsk, turns out to be a poor guy. He claims to be a local, and I thought he had a lot of money.”

Her boyfriend wasn’t surprised by her remark; instead, he chuckled, “There are poor people even among the locals in S City. How could they all be wealthy?”

At that moment, both of them looked down on the upcoming small dinner gathering.

….

It was already 6:40 PM, and Liu Qingshan and Zhou Ling arrived early at Three Thousand Food House. The food was already on the table when Ai Jiayun and Zhang Zhang arrived late.

Liu Qingshan hurriedly invited them to take a seat. Ai Jiayun looked at the small, run-down restaurant with disdain and reluctantly sat down.

Liu Qingshan said, “You’re all Xiao ling’s friends, which means you’re my friends too. Thank you for taking care of Xiao ling. Let’s not talk too much. Let’s all try the dishes. My brother’s culinary skills are even better than those of the chefs in five-star hotels!”

In her mind, Ai Jiayun sneered, thinking that this place was just a back-alley restaurant, and it was absurd to compare it with a five-star hotel. She thought it dared to compete and wasn’t afraid of making a fool of itself. Although she thought this, she didn’t say it out loud. Picking up her chopsticks, she wiped them with tissue paper before finally picking up a piece of coral fish and putting it into her mouth…

Sweet, crispy, with no fishy taste—leaving a lingering fragrance in her mouth!

Ai Jiayun was surprised, not daring to believe that she could taste such delicious coral fish in this shabby restaurant. The taste was even better than what she had experienced in five-star hotels!

When she turned her head, she saw her boyfriend, the one who didn’t like the food in many high-end restaurants, already enjoying the meal heartily. Coral fish, braised pork, stir-fried beef—he was piling one piece after another into his bowl. Zhang Zhang and her boyfriend were also engrossed in their meal, paying no attention to her. As for Liu Qingshan and Zhou Ling, Liu Qingshan was finally able to see the large table of dishes Bai Xianzhi prepared, and he was so focused on serving himself and his girlfriend that he had no time to notice others. Nobody noticed her momentary loss of composure, so she was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw a young man walking out of the kitchen. He placed two bottles of coconut juice on the table and said to Liu Qingshan, “Qingshan, these are drinks.”

Liu Qingshan mumbled a response, and the young man paid no attention as he disappeared back into the kitchen. Ai Jiayun felt a bit regretful. This young man was handsome! She never expected that the food in such an inconspicuous little restaurant could taste this good, nor did she expect the young man in the restaurant to be so handsome. He was much more attractive than her boyfriend!

With a sigh, she turned her head and noticed that many dishes on the table had disappeared. When she looked at the others’ eating manner, Ai Jiayun lost interest in the handsome guy. She picked up her chopsticks and quickly started eating.

…

In the end, the six of them were too full to continue eating. They drank some coconut juice and reluctantly looked at the remaining dishes on the table. Liu Qingshan, who was used to eating, was slightly more composed than the others. He stood up first and said, “Let’s go, I’ve also arranged for us to go to KTV. We’ll digest our food and walk there.”

The group got up and left. The taste of the food was indeed excellent, but Ai Jiayun still looked down on Liu Qingshan. “Digesting food” was just an excuse for not having a car. Of course, she wouldn’t dare to show off her small electric scooter in front of them. With this thought in mind, as they walked and chatted along the way, Ai Jiayun would occasionally boast about her boyfriend, talking about their recent travels and the places they had eaten at. Zhang Zhang and Ai Jiayun never got along, but now Zhang Zhang joined in the conversation, bragging about their wealthy boyfriends. Liu Qingshan and Zhou Ling, sandwiched between the two, felt especially awkward.

When they arrived at the KTV, it was on the lower floor of a standalone building that looked quite luxurious. The parking lot in front was filled with luxury cars. It seemed like a nice place. Ai Jiayun casually asked, “This place must be expensive, can your boyfriend afford it, Xiao ling? Should we go somewhere else?”

Zhou Ling smiled awkwardly, and Liu Qingshan glanced at Ai Jiayun and just then, one of the parking attendants at the entrance shouted, “Is Brother Liu here to collect rent again? Didn’t you collect it not long ago?”

Liu Qingshan chuckled, “I’m not here to collect rent. Today, we’re here to have fun.”

The parking attendant glanced at the people behind him and respectfully invited them in.

Collecting rent?

Ai Jiayun was extremely doubtful of her own ears, and Zhou Ling was also confused. She had always thought that Liu Qingshan’s family was not well off, so she asked, “Qingshan, where is this place?”

Liu Qingshan casually replied, “Oh, this building is owned by my family. I guess you can call me their landlord.” He glanced at Ai Jiayun and added, “Several buildings around here also belong to my family. If you come here to play in the future, you can find me, and I can give you a discount.”

Ai Jiayun looked at the dazzling lights outside the door, swallowed her saliva, and asked, “Several buildings? Isn’t this the commercial area outside?”

….

In Three Thousand Food House, Bai Xianzhi finished washing the dishes and closed the door. He took the two little ones upstairs together to watch a children’s program produced by Three Thousand Food House. They happened to see a segment in the program where a father was taking his son out for a walk. The two little ones looked at him and asked, “Uncle, can you take us out to play on the next rest day?”

Bai Xianzhi hesitated and replied, “…Let’s see… Let’s see how it goes.” If he could take them out, he would definitely do so, but he couldn’t help feeling uncertain about it.

….

On the battlefield of the time and space, it was time for the veteran soldiers to take a break. A group of veterans would return to their homes tomorrow to rest for a month. The atmosphere at the base was particularly eager. A petite girl clung to a tall woman and said, “Sister Ji, tomorrow we’re all leaving through the spatial rift. I heard that Three Thousand Food House inside the rift has exceptionally delicious food. Let’s go and try it!”

Ji Lan replied, “Three Thousand Food House? Isn’t that a place where the impoverished replenish spatial energy? We have the military’s provisions, so there’s no need to go there.”

The girl persistently pestered her, “Come on, come on! I’ve already made a reservation. The food there is incredibly good, and it’s on the way. I promise you won’t regret it!”

Ji Lan shrugged, “Alright then.”

Meanwhile, in the distant Dragon Realm, Ye Yan was dragging his feet and hesitating. Under Shali’s countless roars, he finally made up his mind to go out. However, he had already made a reservation at Three Thousand Food House for tomorrow, planning to have a meal before setting out on his journey. He decided to tell his mother about this plan. Shali waved her hand, indicating that it didn’t matter where he went as long as he left the Dragon Realm.

At that moment, Ye Lin, who was eavesdropping nearby, lit up with excitement – Three Thousand Food House! The little dragon!

Author’s note: I don’t know what to say, but I truly thank all the lovely readers who have supported me until now!!

Although this piece of writing is not the first story in my life, it is indeed the first one I signed with. In this regard, I am considered a newcomer. There are certainly many shortcomings in controlling the story and setting the plot. Honestly, it is the support of these lovely readers that has given me confidence. I will finish this story well. Thank you all for your support!!

Special thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution between 2020080314:37:54~2020080415:01:51~

Thanks to the nutrient solution from the following little angels: Taohua Guoguo (5 bottles), 227760822 (bottle), and a big mandarin orange (1 bottle).

Thank you very much for all your support, and I will continue to work hard!

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ”