Chapter 105: Longan Red Date Goji Berry Tea
Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Longan Red Date Goji Berry Tea
The rest of the skewer sales went extremely well. She was busy until the very last day, at which point she feigned blindness and fled from the tearful onslaught of her many customers.
’Oh my god, it was terrifying.’
The customers were an endless stream, and every day they clamored for her to work overtime.
The amount of food she prepared increased daily, but it still wasn’t enough for that pack of animals. Even the soup base was completely gone.
If she hadn’t single-handedly held down the fort, even her huge iron pots would have been swiped.
After seven days of non-stop work, she felt like she’d lost several pounds.
Once she finally closed up shop for good, Lu Wu just laid around her residence like a corpse.
After a few days of lazing around, snow began to fall in Hong’an City.
The heavy snow came unusually early this year. In just one night, the cityscape of tightly packed buildings was covered in a flawless layer of white.
From a distance, the horizon and the snow blended into one, and a serene quiet settled over the world.
In the small courtyard, Huohuo and Dahuang were romping about. Having never seen heavy snow before, Huohuo bounced around excitedly, leaving behind a trail of tiny footprints.
With a snowball in its mouth, Gou Aotian dodged a sneak attack from the boss, its tail whipping around like a propeller.
WOOF WOOF!
’This is fun, this is fun, this is so much fun! Getting hit on the head by the boss is the best!’
Lu Wu caught a snowflake on her palm and then gently blew it away, a soft smile on her face.
With nothing better to do, she decided to watch the snow and brew some tea.
Longan, red date, and goji berry tea—delicious and nourishing.
Beneath the teapot, the Glazed Fire swayed its graceful form.
Inside the transparent teapot, the red dates, longans, and goji berries tumbled about. As the water temperature rose, the natural color of the dates began to infuse the water. The dark brown sugar started to melt, and the tea’s hue deepened from light to dark.
The dried longan flesh greedily soaked up the tea, becoming plump and rehydrated. The goji berries, like scattered jewels, looked all the more brilliant as they dotted the shimmering, colorful liquid.
When the time was right, Lu Wu withdrew the Glazed Fire and opened the lid. The tea within was a magnificent, date-red color, thick and lustrous.
A sweet fragrance wafted through the air. Inhaling it deeply seemed to drive the very chill from one’s body.
"I think you could turn this into tea bags and sell them. You’d definitely make a killing."
Lou Xiaotian, who had only emerged from seclusion after Lu Wu’s mission was completely over, sat in the small courtyard sipping from his teacup, goading her to keep slaving away.
He wore a look of pure enjoyment.
A cup of nourishing tea on a day this cold was simply divine.
Lu Wu, playing deaf, didn’t react in the slightest.
’Sell tea bags?’
’Not a chance.’
’She barely made enough for herself to drink.’
She lifted her cup and took a delicate sip. The silky liquid rolled over her tongue and into her stomach, spreading waves of warmth.
The sweetness was perfectly balanced, carrying the crisp fragrance of the fruit. It was soothing to drink, with a pleasant aftertaste that left her mouth watering.
’You can’t escape middle age; one day you just find yourself putting goji berries in your thermos.’
Lu Wu was still young, but given her work intensity, she felt she needed to start looking after her health as a precaution.
"Ah, so relaxing."
Lou Xiaotian stretched out in his chair, gazing at the snow-covered courtyard, and lazily asked.
"Boss Lu, where are you planning to set up your stall next?"
Ever since he’d emerged from seclusion, he’d seen the descriptions of the Night Fragrance skewers on the Bun Sect forums and One World Communication. He had made up his mind then and there: wherever Boss Lu went, he would follow.
’Cultivation and all that can wait. The priority is to eat my fill.’
And so, here he was, having snuck out without even telling his parents.
"I’m not sure yet."
Lu Wu shook her head.
She was also waiting for a message from the system.
For the past few days, the system had actually given her a break. But after a few days of leisure, Lu Wu was starting to feel restless.
She felt antsy all over, uncomfortable if she wasn’t on the move.
’Don’t tell me I was born with a workaholic’s fate?’
Lu Wu cursed her own "servile" nature.
"In that case, Boss Lu, how about we go check out the Heavenly Prodigy Grand Tournament? It’s the Southern State’s biggest event, held only once a decade."
Lou Xiaotian inquired.
And as if the four words "Heavenly Prodigy Grand Tournament" were some kind of keyword, the system’s voice rang out in Lu Wu’s mind.
Lu Wu fell silent for a moment, then gave Lou Xiaotian a long, hard look.
’A mole!’
’He must be a mole sent by the system.’
’She was just feeling a little restless, but she wanted to keep lazing around!’
’But since the mission was here, there was no way she could refuse.’
[Current Mission: Sell two thousand Savory Fried Crepes within seven days.]
[Designated Location: East entrance of Little Sea Village in Yuanhai City.]
[Designated Time: early Mao hour to Late Chen Hour.]
Five to nine in the morning. For a habitual night owl like Lu Wu, that time slot was brutal.
’And two thousand Savory Fried Crepes?’
’The system must want to work her off her feet.’
As for Yuanhai City, Lu Wu had been seeing it mentioned frequently on One World Communication lately.
This year’s Heavenly Prodigy Grand Tournament was to be held in Yuanhai City, which was home to Bihai Building, one of the great Sects of the Southern State. Bihai Building was also hosting the tournament.
Any Cultivator from a Southern State Sect under the age of fifty could participate.
The Heavenly Prodigy Grand Tournament was also a decennial test of strength for the great Sects of the Southern State. The Sect that took first place would be considered the foremost Sect in the Southern State for the next decade.
Qin Zhan had stayed for a few days to buy skewers before rushing back to his Sect, precisely to prepare for the imminent tournament and bring glory to his people.
Besides the honor, the rewards were also extremely generous.
When the rewards for the top-ranking participants from previous years were revealed, even Lu Wu felt a pang of envy.
It couldn’t be helped; she was a bit poor lately.
After coming out of the Fire Secret Realm, she had started developing her Pocket World Blessed Land. She had invested two-thirds of all the Spirit Stones she’d earned from her stall just to upgrade it to the Intermediate level.
The space had expanded, and her diversified farm was beginning to take shape.
She had planted basically every kind of vegetable you could find at the market, and it wouldn’t be long before she could become self-sufficient.
She had also dug a few fishponds to raise freshwater fish and shrimp.
But that brought up a problem. A farm that large needed people to manage it. She was only one person, toiling in the fields day in and day out. The constant work was starting to give her a complex.
So, she had recently looked up some tutorials and was now learning a Spell called the Puppetry Technique from a teacher on One World Communication.
This Spell could turn inanimate objects into puppets that could understand simple commands.
It was perfect for managing the farm.
The only problem was, it was quickly draining her savings.
And Yuanhai City, situated on the shores of the South Sea, was rich in resources.
The South Sea, still untamed by humans, held countless hidden treasures.
If she could get her hands on even a little of it, she’d be rich.
"Alright, I’ll go."
Lu Wu made up her mind.
As he took another sip, letting the sweet, warm tea flow through him, Lou Xiaotian stealthily stuffed the few tea bags from the table into his pocket.
Then, like a thief with a guilty conscience, he kept his head down and focused on drinking his tea, not daring to look at Lu Wu.
As for this, Lu Wu continued to feign blindness.
The tournament was in five days, but Lu Wu’s mission started two days earlier.
After mastering the basics of the Puppetry Technique and freeing her hands, she took her two little beasts and headed for Yuanhai City.
Cang, who had woken up early hoping to mooch some tea, stared at the deserted courtyard. Words could not describe his desolate bitterness at that moment.
It was a pain that pierced his very heart.
His beloved Boss Lu, how could she just be gone?
Just which seductive little demon had lured Boss Lu away?
Yuanhai City: Big brother, I didn’t mean to. Besides, you can’t stop Ms. Lu from running off to a better place, can you?
Your little brother here will help you take good care of Ms. Lu. I’ll make sure she’s having so much fun she’ll forget all about going back. You don’t need to worry, big brother.
Hong’an City: So it was you, you little green-tea demon.
Hah! Take this, you demon!