MRIFAOTW Chapter 28

“Dumplings, a traditional delicacy in Huaguo, originated from ancient famous physicians and now can be found in almost every household in the country. These small dumplings have deeply integrated into the daily lives of the people in Huaguo.

Besides being closely associated with customs and sentimental value, the taste of dumplings is naturally exceptional.

Thin dough wraps around savory meat filling, bouncing up and down in boiling water. The snowy-white skin gradually turns transparent, revealing the dark-colored meat inside, while the rising steam brings the delightful aroma of the dumplings to the air.

The plump dumplings are served on a pristine white plate, slightly askew, but that doesn’t diminish their appearance and fragrance.

These are the leftovers from yesterday’s cooking. Though the Three Thousand Food House hasn’t opened yet, Tu Linlin is already on duty. Bai Xianzhi specially prepared two plates of dumplings, serving as lunch for both of them.

“Mmm, delicious! So delicious!!”

The snow-white rabbit ears slightly stand up from the heat, and Tu linlin’s round eyes squint as he eats the dumplings. He is both unable to bear the heat and reluctant to stop eating, so he continues to eat while making “sizzling” sounds.

“Take it easy, you might burn your tongue, and then you won’t taste anything for days.”

Hearing this, Tu Linlin slows down, and after finishing one plate of dumplings, he sighs contentedly, “It’s so tasty! I saw it online yesterday, and it already looked delicious, but eating it today, I realize it’s even better!”

“Online?” Bai Xianzhi seizes on that point.

“Yes, someone posted about eating dumplings at Three Thousand Food House yesterday and even shared pictures. Many people online said they wanted to come and try it too!”

Bai Xianzhi: “…Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

Half an hour later, his premonition comes true. The number of people coming to Three Thousand Food House has noticeably increased, and the first thing each of them says upon entering is, “I want to eat dumplings!”

Tu Linlin, responsible for welcoming the customers, has to repeat over and over again, “I’m sorry, we’re not selling dumplings right now.”

“I’m sorry, sir, we don’t sell dumplings here.”

Most people are disappointed but accept it, choosing to order other dishes from the menu since they have already made the trip. However, there are some persistent individuals.

“Why won’t you sell it to me? Is it because you discriminate against me? Clearly, someone had dumplings here yesterday, there are pictures online as evidence. Why won’t you sell to me? Is it because I’m from the Tund Race, and you think I don’t deserve to eat?!”

Tu Linlin: “It’s not like that. Yesterday, it’s because…”

The disruptive Tund Race individual: “I don’t care! Today, I must eat dumplings here. If you don’t let me, I’ll transform into my original form right here!”

The surrounding customers’ expressions change, and everyone hastens to finish their meals, fearing that the Tund Race individual might transform and disrupt their eating.

As is well known, the Tund Race is a communal species, and due to their unique preferences, their living environment is often difficult to describe in words. Moreover, the Tund Race is naturally lazy, and they even find it troublesome to clean their bodies, so many of them rarely get wet except for getting caught in the rain a few times a year.

Therefore, whenever the Tund Race appears, members of other races try to avoid them if possible. When the Tund Race remains in human form, things are manageable, but their bodies emit a distinctive smell when they transform.

The most intense aroma comes from them after they transform into their original form, which is the true display of their “fecal pit” behavior.

As this Tund Race individual threatened with his strong-smelling words, other diners immediately wanted to pack up and leave. Even Tulinlin, who faced him directly, was at a loss.

The crowd’s reaction greatly pleased the Tund Race individual. He had successfully used this tactic in dozens of restaurants. As long as he revealed his identity and made harsh statements about transforming, the restaurant would immediately meet his demands and respectfully send him away. Even if he didn’t pay, no one dared to say anything!

The Tund Race individual looked proudly at the other diners in the restaurant. So what if they regularly took baths and didn’t stink? They still had to line up and pay obediently here. Despite his own smell, it allowed him to save money and enjoy extremely respectful service in every restaurant. He may be looked down upon by these people, but he also looked down on them!

Hmph, once he receives special treatment from the owner and gets to eat for free, these people will change their attitudes towards him!

“This sir, this is a restaurant—”

“Humph, spare me the nonsense and get your boss out here!”

“I am the owner of Three Thousand Food House. What can I do for you?”

Bai Xianzhi stepped out and asked, looking at the person standing arrogantly in the aisle.

The Tund Race individual raised his head and said, “So you’re the boss. I want to eat dumplings. Cook a plate for me right now, or else I’ll transform into my original form and fill every corner of your restaurant with my scent!”

“Eww—” Some of the diners had already begun to gag upon hearing this threat. Bai Xianzhi knew what to do. He calmly replied, “I’m sorry, but our restaurant doesn’t have dumplings. Please leave.”

The Tund Race individual got angry, “No dumplings? Then I’ll transform!”

After saying this, the Tund Race individual’s face bulged with fat, revealing a disgusting smile as he was about to transform. But before he could, White Xianzhi took long strides, quickly approaching him. With a swift kick, he sent the Tund Race individual out of the restaurant before the transformation happened.

After retracting his leg and dusting it off, Bai Xianzhi calmly addressed the other diners, “Please continue with your meal.”

He called Tu linlin into the kitchen and instructed, “Remember what just happened. He might come back to the restaurant again. If he appears outside, call me immediately. We can’t let him enter our establishment.”

Tu linlin nodded earnestly, but he had a question, “Is this the right approach? After all, he’s still a customer. Won’t it affect our restaurant’s reputation?”

Bai Xianzhi reassured him, “Don’t worry, allowing him to transform inside our restaurant would have a far greater impact on our business.”

“But we could have satisfied his request,” Tu linlin whispered.

Bai Xianzhi replied with a serious tone, “Tu linlin, let me tell you, compromising with such a scoundrel will never work. Once you give in once, he’ll come back for more. Compromising with scoundrels will only lead you further into their traps.”

“… The best way to deal with such people is to be firm and resolute from the very first encounter. We don’t need to handle them rationally; we just need what works!”

Tu linlin pondered for a moment before nodding firmly, “Understood, boss. I’ll remember that!”

Meanwhile, in a spatial rift, a man and a woman were flying when a bulky figure rushed past them. After a while, a strong stench filled their noses. The two looked unhappy as they flew farther away before speaking.

“What bad luck! It’s a Tund Race!”

“So smelly! How could this Tund Race travel through the spatial rift in its original form? If it weren’t so fast, I would’ve taught him a lesson!”

“Speaking of which, aren’t Tund Races slow?”

“I don’t think they’re that fast.”

“So, why—”

Why was this Tund Race so fast in the spatial rift?

Far behind them, a Tund Race finally managed to stabilize its body. With anger, it roared, “Three Thousand Food House!”

On the other hand, thanks to Tu linlin’s continuous explanations and Bai Xianzhi’s post on the account stating that dumplings were temporarily unavailable, the number of people inquiring about dumplings at Three Thousand Food House had decreased.

As Bai Xianzhi finished cooking the last dish and handed it to Tu linlin to serve, he finally had a moment to take a sip of water. However, just as he was about to say the usual line, “We don’t have dumplings,” he looked up and met a pair of silver eyes. The words stuck in his throat as he stood up straight and said to Three Thousand Food House’s only customer, “Dumplings are a special food that can be used as a main dish. If you’re curious, Mr. Feng, I can cook a plate for you.”

The silver eyelashes trembled slightly as Feng Ye looked at Tu linlin muttering that he hadn’t had dumplings and at Bai Xianzhi, who was continuously informing customers that there were no dumplings. Feng Ye then asked in confusion, “But you don’t have dumplings, right?”

Bai Xianzhi smiled and said, “We do have some left, but not many. It’s enough for you to taste. Besides, you are our esteemed guest, so you will be treated differently.”

Feng Ye nodded. As a god, he received the utmost respect no matter which world he was in. Special treatment was common for him, so he was not surprised that he could still have dumplings despite others not being able to.

With a composed demeanor, he sat down at his dedicated table in the kitchen, awaiting the dumplings.

Bai Xianzhi placed the remaining dumplings in boiling water, counting exactly fifteen of them. The dumplings were not particularly large, so for Feng Ye, they were merely a sample.

Having cooked meals for Feng Ye for several months, Bai Xianzhi had a good understanding of his unique taste preferences. He enjoyed spicy and sweet flavors, with a strong emphasis on spiciness. Perhaps due to his frequent consumption of spicy chicken dishes, Feng Ye seemed to be developing a fondness for spicy food in the past month.

If Bai Xianzhi served him plain egg noodles, Feng Ye would definitely scoop a large spoonful of chili onto the noodles. Although only he dined at this table in the kitchen, the consumption rate of chili on the table was not much slower than that of a table in a regular restaurant. It was evident that Feng Ye had a strong affinity for spiciness.

To be honest, Feng Ye, with his silver hair and silver eyes, appeared to be icy and distant, giving off an aura that discouraged others from approaching. The stark contrast between his appearance and his preference for spicy food was quite surprising.

Nevertheless, Bai Xianzhi was more than willing to accommodate his request. He prepared a bowl of spicy dipping sauce and placed it in front of Feng Ye, smiling as he said, “Please enjoy, Mr. Feng.”

Feng Ye nodded slightly in response and then elegantly picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed it gracefully. As he looked up, his gaze met Bai Xianzhi’s, who was washing dishes. Feng Ye nodded in acknowledgment and said, “It tastes good.”

Bai Xianzhi replied, “…Hehe, I’m glad you like it.” Then he picked up the wire ball in front of him and turned back to continue washing the dishes.

——

Author’s Note: Thank you for all the lovely 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 🙂”

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