CH 59

Is putting up these notices effective?

Watching the constant stream of elderly and children, White Xianzhi could confidently tell everyone: Not really!

At least, not for most of the elderly!

In the eyes of most elderly people, his act of posting clarifying notices is just drawing more attention to it. The more he clarifies, the more he emphasizes that there’s something special about his food!

Bai Xianzhi sighed, feeling exasperated. They say that the elderly and children are both challenging to deal with, but some elderly people become even more stubborn with age, and their mental faculties seem to regress. If young people dared to come to his restaurant with such intentions, he would have kicked them out immediately. Yet, now he was dealing with the elderly, and he felt at a loss.

Just at that moment, he realized that due to customers photographing the notices and sharing them online, the spread of this issue had broadened. Even the grandparents in Wutong Lane were starting to believe…

“Grandma Zhao, these are all rumors spread by internet users. Why do you believe it too? Three Thousand Eateries has been in Wutong Lane for so many years. Even if we count from when I came, it’s been almost a year. You’ve been to the restaurant during this time. Have you seen any improvement in Little Pang’s performance after eating here?”

“Grandpa Wu, it’s all false. My restaurant serves regular food. How could it make someone smarter or help them become a top scorer? Little Yi didn’t eat here frequently before his college entrance exams, and becoming a top scorer was solely due to his own ability.”

“Aunt Chen, you’ve watched Little Yi grow up. Think about it, was Little Yi always a good student from a young age? Achieving top scores in the exams had nothing to do with the food in my restaurant!”

…

With Bai Xianzhi’s persuasive reassurances, the grandparents, aunts, and uncles of Wutong Lane finally started to see reason. It turned out that the idea of eating something to become a top scorer was propagated by superstitious elderly individuals from outside. After all, how could people from outside know more about Three Thousand Food House than those from Wutong Lane?

At the same time, seeing Bai Xianzhi’s anxious expression, they understood that having a crowd of elderly people lining up to buy food due to the top scorer hype was a burden for him. Using Bai Xianzhi’s own words, it was important to believe in science and avoid feudal superstitions.

Observing Bai Xianzhi’s worried expression as he looked at the elderly customers at the restaurant’s entrance, this group of elderly individuals came up with a solution.

Around five or six in the afternoon, a queue formed outside Three Thousand Food House. Due to the afternoon heat, the elderly customers who wanted to buy food chose this time to come. The group of elderly individuals from Wutong Lane also decided to stroll over to Three Thousand Food House at the same time. A few elderly people waved their hands and swayed their waists while discussing:

“Oh my, Bai’s business is really thriving!”

“My grandson told me that many people online are saying that eating at Bai’s place can make you a top scorer!”

“What kind of nonsense is this? It’s already the New China era, how can people still believe in these feudal superstitions?” Grandma Zhao, who had been persuaded by Bai Xianzhi just the day before, spoke without a hint of self-consciousness.

“You don’t know this, but Yi didn’t just become a top scorer; he’s also working at Bai’s place. People see Yi and then assume that eating at Bai’s place can make them a top scorer.”

“It’s complete nonsense. Among the children in Wutong Lane, how come none of them have become top scorers from eating at Bai’s place?”

“That’s right. When Yi was in his final year of high school, he was a boarder. How often could he have eaten at Bai’s place?”

“Well, in my opinion, these are prosperous times. Look at these elderly folks, all chubby and idle. With less work to do, their minds are free to wander. It’s not as clear as when they used to work hard outdoors!”

“Well said! When Chairman Mao was still with us, who believed in these things? All achievements were the result of the hard work and struggle of the laboring people!”

….

A few elderly individuals became impassioned as they spoke, their voices growing more fervent. They recalled the times of their youth, marked by struggle.

Standing in the queue, Grandma Yan started off a bit indignant, but as she listened, her face grew redder and redder. She was about the same age as some of the elderly individuals present, making them contemporaries who had lived through the same era. If it were young people saying this, she might have thought they were simply ignorant due to their lack of experience. However, hearing these things from people of her own generation, and even from someone older than her, being looked down upon by her contemporaries made Grandma Yan feel embarrassed.

Moreover, the points those elderly folks were making seemed quite reasonable. Her grandson had been eating the food here for a few days, and she hadn’t noticed any improvement in his intelligence. If anything, he seemed to be gaining weight!

Was it still worth buying food from here?

Grandma Yan hesitated for a moment, then heard a few elderly individuals saying, “Oh well, don’t you think it’s impressive that these old folks are standing in line to buy things even in this scorching heat? Meanwhile, their grandsons and granddaughters are inside the house, enjoying air conditioning and playing games. I’d say if these old folks could stop their grandkids from playing games, wouldn’t that be more effective than trying all these remedies?”

Thinking of her grandson who played games all day at home, Grandma Yan’s resolve wavered. She quickly left the queue and walked towards the lane.

Back at home, her grandson was engrossed in a game on the sofa. Seeing Grandma return empty-handed, he asked, “Grandma, where are the packed dishes?”

Funny enough, despite knowing that the food from that restaurant definitely wouldn’t make someone smarter, the taste of the dishes was really good, and Grandma Yan’s grandson was quite fond of them.

Grandma Yan replied with a hint of annoyance, “What dishes? Those are all feudal superstitions! And you, read more books and play fewer games. That’s more beneficial than whatever you eat!”

Grandma Yan’s grandson: “…”

….

The elderly individuals in Wutong Lane seemed to have found a purpose for their retirement life. They would stroll around Three Thousand Food House entrance every day, specifically choosing times when it was crowded. They would exchange disdainful remarks, one after another, expressing strong disapproval towards those who held the notion of making their descendants top scorers. Among these elderly folks, there was a retired Chinese language teacher, a retired political science teacher, Grandpa Wu who loved reading news, and even Grandma Zhao, who used to scold everyone in Wutong Lane during her younger days. When they spoke, their words carried great influence, leaving people feeling ashamed.

As a result, a few days later, Bai Xianzhi noticed that there were significantly fewer grandpas and grandmas coming to his restaurant. He felt happy yet puzzled. Could it be that the effect of the notices took a few days to manifest?

Constantly keeping an eye on the entrance and observing for a whole day, he finally realized that it was thanks to the efforts of the elderly individuals in the lane. Warmth filled Bai Xianzhi’s heart, and on that very day, he sent a considerable amount of food to each of their homes to express his gratitude.

Later, the media caught wind of the situation and came to the lane to interview Bai Xianzhi and other residents, aiming to understand the connection between the top scorer and the restaurant. Bai Xianzhi seized this opportunity, aided by the cooperation of other residents in Wutong Lane, to finally clarify the matter.

Three Thousand Food House returned to normal, and as the initial hype subsided, the number of customers coming in started to decrease. Eventually, it stabilized at around one to two hundred people, which was more than sufficient to sustain the restaurant tucked away in the depths of the lane. Moreover, it was also generating a good profit.

…

Time flew by, and Xiao Long’s mother had already gone to the Time-Space Battlefield. During her last visit with Xiao Long, she finally brought a gift – a cute figurine of herself and a miniature version of Xiao Long. In her candid words, it was meant to accompany Xiao Long while she was on the battlefield. Just as Bai Xianzhi was thinking that Lady Ji was becoming a bit sentimental, she added that it was to prevent Xiao Long from forgetting her and that their relationship should start anew when they met again.

Bai Xianzhi: “…” Well, that actually makes sense, though the latter part could have been left unsaid.

After Xiao Long’s mother left, Bai Xianzhi carefully observed Xiao Long. Not finding anything amiss, he refocused his attention on Three Thousand Food House. The establishment in the Three Thousand Worlds had already stabilized, and Bai Xianzhi’s involvement in its affairs had reduced over time. However, there was still some work left to be done in Hua Country. Mainly, his apprentices hadn’t completed their training yet, and he needed to continue guiding them hands-on for a while longer.

Amidst juggling between the two businesses, time passed swiftly. As the thirteenth birthday of Feng Baoer approached, Bai Xianzhi specifically inquired with Feng Ye, hoping to understand the ceremonial attire. To his surprise, when he brought up the topic, Feng Ye immediately delivered three sets of clothing the next day.

One large and two small garments, all resembling ancient robes from Hua Country. The smaller ones were in black and green, while the larger one was in silver-grey. Intricate patterns adorned the fabric, giving it an opulent touch. Coupled with Feng Ye’s status, Bai Xianzhi realized that these three pieces of clothing were probably unattainable even if he tried to buy them.

His assumption was correct. These three outfits were specially ordered by Feng Ye and crafted overnight by the tailors at the Feng residence. The intricate patterns on them served more than just decorative purposes – they housed several minor formations designed to protect the wearer.

Of course, Bai Xianzhi, who didn’t fully understand the Three Thousand Worlds, was unaware of this. Plus, the two children were still quite young and hadn’t begun their schooling, so they had no knowledge of these matters either. Thus, they thought of the outfits as merely luxurious clothes.

After stowing away the clothes, Bai Xianzhi and Feng Ye sat down on the second-floor living room sofa. With more and more employees downstairs, it was no longer suitable for quiet study, prompting the change of the study location from the first floor to the second.

As of today, Feng Ye’s progress in learning Chinese had reached the level of junior high school. Bai Xianzhi decided to skip Classical Chinese and moved on to explaining modern text.

With no windows on the second floor, it was dark whether day or night. Therefore, the lights in the living room were turned on. The warm, golden light wrapped everything in a gentle curve, and the sound of clear voices flowed through the room…

“Um, is this character ‘刽’ pronounced ‘gui’ (fourth tone) or ‘kuai’ (fourth tone)?”

“‘gui’ (fourth tone) – 刽.”

“Oh, I see. Thanks.”

After speaking, Bai Xianzhi suddenly realized something was amiss. He looked at Feng Ye and blinked, “How did you know?”

Feng Ye: “…”

Bai Xianzhi widened his eyes, “Could it be you’ve already learned it? But no matter how smart you are, how could you learn the pronunciation ahead of time?”

*Cough* Clearing his throat, Feng Ye avoided Bai Xianzhi’s gaze, “Didn’t you buy me a dictionary?”

Self-learning from a dictionary? Bai Xianzhi was astonished. He placed his book in front of Feng Ye and said, “Take a look and mark the ones you already know. We can skip those to save time.”

Feng Ye flipped through the book, then put it down and said earnestly, “I haven’t encountered any of the ones in the later sections.”

Looking at him, Bai Xianzhi asked, “Really?”

Feng Ye: “Yes.”

Bai Xianzhi: “Alright, but if you learn any in the future, just let me know, and we’ll skip them. That way, we won’t waste time.”

Feng Ye nodded, and the interrupted classroom session continued.

As the lesson ended, Feng Ye said to Bai Xianzhi, “Thank you. I read a few pages of that book and found it quite beneficial. The thoughts of the gentleman named Marx in the book are quite unique. I’ll continue reading further.”

Bai Xianzhi smiled and said, “As long as it’s helpful, that’s good. This gentleman from our side is also revered by many people.”

….

Back at the Feng residence, Feng Ye went straight to the large table in the room, where a small dictionary was placed in one corner. Lin walked in and noticed this peculiar object. He asked, “Master, should I put this book on the shelf?”

Feng Ye looked at the dictionary and replied, “I’ll handle it myself.” With that, he picked up the dictionary and started flipping through it.

Lin was puzzled, “Master, you haven’t finished reading it yet.”

Feng Ye said, “I’ve finished.”

Lin responded with an “Oh,” but inwardly he criticized his master, knowing that he never reads something twice since he has an impeccable memory. Once he’s read something, it’s permanently etched in his mind, and reading it again is merely a waste of time. Lin distinctly remembered these words from when his master was ten years old. So, what’s happening today? Why is the master going through a book he’s already read?

Could it be that this book is so challenging that even the master needs to read it a second time? Lin’s eyes widened with fear. If that were true, how difficult must this book be?!!

After his initial shock, Lin looked at the thick little book with a mixture of awe and reverence. Then, he proceeded to share the purpose of his visit, “Master, Young Master Baoer’s birthday banquet is fully prepared. Do we need to limit the number of attendees from the other clans on that day?”

Without lifting his head, Feng Ye calmly replied, “No need. Let everyone come in. I and a few other clan leaders have something to announce.”

Lin nodded and lowered his head, saying, “Understood.”

…..

The Divine Realm is the most unique world in the Three Thousand Worlds. Apart from being inhabited by the most powerful divine race in the Three Thousand Worlds, its vastness and sparse population are its prominent features.

Just how vast and sparsely populated is the Divine Realm?

If someone were to overlook the entire Divine Realm, they would hardly perceive it as a world inhabited by civilized and intelligent beings. Vast stretches of primeval forests, deserts, plateaus, and oceans dominate the landscape. Various animals live leisurely in their respective ecological environments, and as far as the eye can see, it’s all pristine natural scenery. There are no buildings or humanoid creatures in sight.

However, if one were to patiently search every inch of the Divine Realm, they would find that buildings do exist, though the tallest ones are merely two stories high. Most of the architecture resembles tiled-roof houses, with very few signs of modern structures. Furthermore, the distance between one cluster of buildings and another is often measured in thousands of kilometers, and even the distance between individual houses within a cluster is considerable.

As they descended slowly from above the divine race, Bai Xianzhi was quite surprised by these buildings. He asked, “Why are these houses so sparsely distributed? A lot of land is wasted around each house.”

Guiding the three individuals to land on the ground, Feng Ye answered, “Because it’s unnecessary. The divine race population is small. Even if the area of each house were increased by a hundred times, there would still be enough space to build them.”

Coming from a densely populated country that had once been tormented by high housing prices, Bai Xianzhi sighed internally. Suddenly, there was a hint of melancholy. How did he become a real estate lamenting hero?

Regaining his composure, Bai Xianzhi led Xiao Long, who held Xiao Lu’s hand, and followed Feng Ye further inside. At the entrance, there were people in charge of receiving gifts and invitations. Bai Xianzhi placed the large cake he personally made on the table and presented the invitation.

The steward at the entrance trembled under the gaze of the clan leader. He wanted to tell the gentleman accompanying the clan leader that he didn’t need an invitation since he was brought in by the clan leader himself. However, the clan leader’s gaze was terrifying, so he dared not speak. Sob, sob, sob~

“Handle this gift with care, don’t tilt it, and make sure it’s not skewed. Deliver it to the banquet later.”

The voice of the clan leader suddenly rang out. The steward hastily nodded, his earnest attitude earning the satisfaction of the clan leader. Finally, after the gentleman delivering the gift left with the clan leader, the steward heaved a sigh of relief. Although the clan leader wasn’t cruel, he found him rather terrifying!

Among all the stewards in the Feng clan, everyone feared the clan leader. Although their bones and blood inherently instilled a dread of the divine race, the clan leader Feng Ye was even more frightening to them than the other members of the clan. Thankfully, those who usually served the clan leader only needed to follow Lord Lin, so their contact with the clan leader was minimal.

The steward watched the gentleman with the children converse with the clan leader, and he felt an infinite sense of admiration. What a hero he was!

Bai. Hero. Xianzhi was currently doing something bolder – he was declining the clan leader’s invitation. “I think I’ll pass. I can stay in the study. As for the two kids, they rarely get to go out. I want to take them out and have some fun today.'”

Feng Ye glanced at the two little ones and then replied, “Let Beier take them to play. They rarely interact with peers at the Three Thousand Food House. Beier is close to their age, and they can play together.”

This proposition stirred some interest in Bai Xianzhi. After all, it would be better for the two little ones to play with peers than to be accompanied by him.

“Alright, thank you.” Bai Xianzhi finally agreed.

Feng Ye immediately called Lin and, before long, Lin appeared with Feng Beier. When Feng Beier saw Bai Xianzhi, his eyes widened with delight. However, after not seeing him for a while, he was a bit shy and hesitant to approach.

Bai Xianzhi smiled and called out, “Beier.”

Feng Beier’s eyes lit up, and he ran over to nestle in Bai Xianzhi’s embrace, softly calling out, “Brother!”

Bai Xianzhi gave him a one-armed hug before letting go. Feng Beier looked at Xiao Long and Xiao Lu curiously, asking, “Brother, who are they?”

Bai Xianzhi introduced, “This is Xiao Long, and she’s Xiao Lu. They’re both my children.”

At this point, Feng Ye interrupted their conversation and said to Feng Beier, “Take them to play with you. They rarely get the chance to come out. They’ve never been to the Divine Realm before.”

Upon hearing that they rarely came out and had never been to the Divine Realm before, Feng Beier was immediately intrigued. He said to the two little ones, “Little brother and little sister, let’s go play!”

After exchanging an approving look with Bai Xianzhi, the two little ones held hands and followed Feng Beier to play.

Watching the three children head off, Feng Ye remarked,

“Don’t worry, they’re with Beier. No one in the Feng clan would dare harm Beier.”

Bai Xianzhi nodded in acknowledgment.

Feng Ye continued, “I’ll take you to the study and show you around the courtyard of the Feng clan.”

Bai Xianzhi replied, “Sure!”

…

Feng Lin was a member of a branch family within the Feng clan. For their branch, seeing the clan leader was a very rare occurrence, mainly because their living quarters were quite far away. The clan leader wouldn’t casually wander around, and they couldn’t easily enter the main residence. So, for members of their branch, seeing the clan leader privately was a difficult feat. They only had one opportunity during the annual clan gathering, making such an encounter a great honor.

However, the current clan leader was much more powerful than the previous one. Even as divine beings, they felt a sense of awe under his intense presence. Thus, for Feng Lin, whether he would get to see the clan leader today was a conflicted matter – a mix of anticipation and apprehension. However, anticipation largely won out, as he had never privately met the clan leader before!

In previous years, many in the Feng clan had shared the same aspiration as Feng Lin. During the clan gathering, most of the younger members would wander around the main residence, hoping for a chance encounter with the clan leader, even a brief conversation. But they all understood that this was merely wishful thinking. They had tried year after year during the clan gathering, yet none had ever encountered the clan leader. Eventually, they realized that the clan leader was well aware of their intentions and deliberately avoided being present in the courtyard on that day!

Coupled with the imposing aura of the current clan leader, many young members of the Feng clan had given up on this seemingly impossible endeavor. Only a few sporadic individuals, like Feng Lin, continued to persist.

In truth, Feng Lin didn’t hold high hopes today. It had become a habit for him to wander around the courtyard during the clan gathering, a way to pass the time.

The Feng clan’s rear courtyard was a blend of traditional Chinese palace-style and Western-style gardens. The arrangement of mountains, water, flowers, and birds was harmonious, with the neatly arranged foliage and flowerbeds in Western style complementing the overall design. Walking within it was truly an enjoyable experience.

As Feng Lin strolled through the courtyard, he felt a sense of tranquility washing over him. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two figures. Reflexively, he looked over and was immediately stunned. Could it be that the action he had attempted countless times throughout his life, an action that had eluded him and many others, had actually succeeded now?

The two figures were approaching from a distance. One had silver hair flowing down, exuding a powerful and captivating aura. Feng Lin held his breath. Was that really the clan leader? He was finally seeing the clan leader in person!

Before he could fully register his joy, a pair of sharp silver eyes scanned his location. His heart skipped a beat, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He became stiff all over.

After the two figures had moved away, Feng Lin finally exhaled heavily and regained his composure. Holding his chest, he was still trembling from the clan leader’s overpowering presence. That was truly the most formidable Clan Leader, and a single glance rendered him immobile.

After taking a moment to calm himself, a cool breeze swept by, relieving him of the sweat. Feng Lin then recalled the details of the encounter just now. After the clan leader had glanced at him, it seemed like… he had smiled. Smiled?!

Feng Lin began to doubt his memory. In his recollection, the clan leader had never smiled before. Even on the day when the two young masters, Feng Baoer and Feng Beier, were born, the clan leader had shown no expression. He had believed that the clan leader didn’t smile, yet just now, the clan leader had actually smiled!

If his memory wasn’t failing him, the clan leader had smiled at the person next to him!

Who was that person? Feng Lin was consumed by curiosity. Under the intimidating presence of the clan leader, he had completely overlooked the person beside him, only faintly remembering that it seemed to be a man.

The clan leader smiled at a man?! A feeling of unbelievable fascination surged within Feng Lin. Lost in thought, he left the courtyard.

Shortly after he left, from a thicket of dense bushes where he had been standing, a disheveled teenager of about fifteen or sixteen years crawled out. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and excitedly looked at the communication device in his hand. He had originally been trying to swat a bug, but somehow, he had struck down the clan leader! And there was a strange man who seemed quite close to the clan leader!

Thinking of the countless individuals from other divine clans who were infatuated with the clan leader, a smug smile appeared on the teenager’s face. The thing he desired might just be achievable with this video footage!

—–

Author’s Note: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrients between 2020081514:34:51~2020081614:46:13~

Thank you for the landmine: Bai Tao Oolong Duck (1);

Thank you for the nutrients: Today, Miss Chuuya (20 bottles); Worldly Nankang (10 bottles); Rabbit Doesn’t Eat Grass, Moonlight, Peach Blossom Fruit (5 bottles); Sui: Carefree Young Master (2 bottles); Xuan Shao, Zhichu, Fermented Tofu (1 bottle);

Thank you all for your support. 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 ”