Su Ruyi finished the last bite of her Rou Jia Mo, leaned back contentedly in her chair, and began drinking her local soda.
The local soda tasted quite good—icy cold and particularly refreshing on such a hot summer day.
"Satisfied! The flavor is truly excellent. I feel like I could take on ten people now without breaking a sweat."
Su Ruyi felt grateful she had brought Wang Huiting along. To make a quick exit, they had randomly boarded a bus they saw.
Yet Wang Huiting still knew exactly where to get off to find a small restaurant with great taste and affordable prices.
Su Ruyi was somewhat directionally challenged; even with navigation, she often took wrong turns. Once, she nearly drove her car into a field while following GPS directions.
Having Wang Huiting as a living food map made things incredibly convenient.
Though she had only been here once before, Wang Huiting could rival any local—her innate skills were fully maxed out.
Su Ruyi had been eating nonstop alongside Wang Huiting. It was already mealtime, and she was naturally hungry, but after exerting herself so intensely earlier, her hunger had become even more fierce.
Having such strength came with side effects: whenever she used excessive force, her stomach would grow unbearably empty. She guessed it was because energy was being converted into physical power.
With her slender arms and legs, possessing such great strength while maintaining an ordinary person's appetite didn't seem logical at all.
It was genuinely expensive. Su Ruyi recalled how much money she had just spent and struggled to keep a straight face.
In the past, Su Ruyi thought staying full was quite easy for an average person. Even if she weren't a Landlady but just an ordinary migrant worker drifting through the city, she wouldn't worry about starving—though eating well might require careful budgeting.
Now, things were different. If she didn't work hard to earn money, relying solely on the meager income of an ordinary person each month, she would genuinely go hungry!
To avoid discomfort, Su Ruyi couldn't skip any of the meat, eggs, milk, carbohydrates, fruits, or vegetables—otherwise, she'd feel low on energy and weak.
But this also gave her some peace of mind. How could one obtain such a significant golden finger without any cost? This arrangement seemed just right.
Except, she needed to earn money.
Wang Huiting was now utterly stunned. Over the past two days, she had witnessed Su Ruyi's appetite, but today still left her astounded.
"Sis, were you never full at home?"
Su Ruyi had just consumed five bowls of noodles, five Rou Jia Mo, five vegetable pancake sandwiches, five baskets of mutton buns, and three bowls of mutton offal soup.
This single meal alone had cost nearly fifty yuan!
She had been thrilled about those fifty yuan all night, feeling uneasy just carrying them in her pocket, and now Su Ruyi had devoured it all in one meal.
Initially, Wang Huiting had intended to pay, but she soon realized her finances didn't permit it.
Fortunately, they had been eating their way through various spots and hadn't consumed so much at one single restaurant; otherwise, Su Ruyi would have been stared at like a freak.
Even so, she had already astonished quite a few people.
"I don't need to eat that much every meal. It's just that I exerted myself earlier, so my stomach emptied out. When I'm at home doing nothing, I don't burn that much energy."
Su Ruyi had now figured out the pattern: her baseline diet was about three to four times what it used to be. Her appetite was large but not excessively so—comparable to some big-eating adult males.
However, whenever she used strength beyond her original capacity, she needed food to replenish her energy. It was like owning a car: it needed fuel to run when driven.
She had lost control of her strength earlier, which was why the depletion was so severe.
Wang Huiting found this explanation reasonable. "Sis, when I start earning money someday, I’ll buy you delicious food!"
"Sounds good." Su Ruyi patted her shoulder. "I’ll be counting on you to support me then."
The two of them packed their backpacks in the shop, filling them with fruits for Zhang Laoyezi and pastries made by Li Mei—both items being quite delicate.
Some of the items were damaged, but fortunately not many. After discarding the spoiled ones, there was still plenty left.
Su Ruyi ended up eating the crushed fruits and pastries, leaving Wang Huiting utterly speechless.
Su Ruyi, however, felt a tinge of regret. If only there were mukbangs or, at the very least, competitive eating contests around, she could monetize her appetite right away.
"Are we going to the Zhang family now? Didn’t you say you wanted to buy new clothes?" Wang Huiting asked nervously.
Before they left, Li Mei had reminded Wang Huiting that the Zhang family was not ordinary and that she must behave properly and follow the rules there.
Though Wang Huiting had seemed composed throughout the journey, as someone from a small county town, she still felt intimidated and somewhat insecure around stylish city dwellers.
Moreover, they were about to meet someone of high status. Being a teenage girl with little exposure to the world, it was natural for her to feel apprehensive.
"Grandpa Zhang knows my family’s situation. There’s no need to put on a show in front of him. Besides, what I’m wearing is perfectly fine—clean and tidy, nothing to be ashamed of."
To Su Ruyi, current clothing styles felt retro. As long as they were neat and modest, they carried their own charm.
What she was wearing could even be considered custom-made—tailored for her by the best local seamstress, as requested by her mother.
A white shirt paired with army-green trousers, loose and somewhat reminiscent of military uniforms from the past.
This outfit had once been the dream of many. But perhaps because people had seen and worn it too often back then, colorful styles had become the trend, making her current look somewhat outdated.
It was similar to her previous life, where some young people, tired of vibrant colors, returned to minimalist tones. Seeing aunts and older women draped in colorful scarves felt jarring to them.
Su Ruyi was open to all styles. Even if she didn’t particularly like something, she was willing to give it a try. Wearing the same type of clothing for too long bored her—she preferred rotating constantly, with her wardrobe housing every possible style and trend.
Thinking of her extensive collection of clothes, Su Ruyi felt a pang of heartache.
In her over-500-square-meter home, more than 300 square meters were dedicated to walk-in closets—one for hats, shoes, and bags, another for clothes, and accessories and cosmetics stored in the dressing room.
Her actual bedroom was relatively small because she disliked sleeping in spacious rooms; waking up in the middle of the night in an empty space gave her the creeps.
"Sis?"
Noticing Su Ruyi’s troubled expression, Wang Huiting grew concerned.
Su Ruyi snapped out of her thoughts, brushing them aside. She was here now—dwelling on the past would only upset her.
"It’s nothing. I’d like to make a phone call first."
Wang Huiting said, "I know where there’s one. I saw a small shop with a phone booth while we were on the bus."
Su Ruyi gave her a thumbs-up. Despite the crowded bus, Wang Huiting had managed to notice details along the road—her observational skills were impressive.
The phone rang a few times before it was answered.
"Hello?" A middle-aged woman’s voice came from the other end.
"Hello, may I ask if Grandpa Zhang is home? I'm Su Ruyi, daughter of Su Ying from Xiangli Village."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Please wait a moment, I'll go get Old Master Zhang right away."
When Zhang Laoyezi heard it was Su Ruyi calling, he immediately put down what he was doing and picked up the phone.
"You little rascal, you finally called me! If you hadn't called soon, I would have come looking for you myself."
Hearing this familiar and affectionate voice, all the apprehension in Su Ruyi's heart melted away.
The two families had maintained contact over the years, and Su Ruyi's first phone call was always to Zhang Laoyezi.
However, having not seen each other for so long, it was inevitable to feel somewhat distant.
When Tong Aihua had gotten into trouble earlier, Su Ying worried it might affect Su Ruyi's college entrance exams, so she kept it hidden from her. Only after the exams did she quickly send her to check on the situation.
During this period, it had been Su Ying who maintained contact with Zhang Laoyezi, so Su Ruyi hadn't spoken with him for quite some time.
Su Ruyi laughed, "Grandpa Zhang, I'm here now, aren't I? I still remember you promised to treat me to a big meal – you can't go back on your word now."
When Su Ruyi was little, she loved most when Zhang Laoyezi would talk about all kinds of food, as if opening a door to a new world, showing her how many wonderful things existed in the world.
Zhang Laoyezi was a red capitalist – his family had been quite wealthy in the past, so there wasn't any delicacy he hadn't seen. Fooling a country girl came naturally to him.
Their friendship gradually warmed through these fantasies about food. Although Su Ruyi felt somewhat unfamiliar with Zhang Laoyezi now, those culinary memories remained vivid.
"Are you in the provincial capital now? Where exactly? I'll send my driver to pick you up."
"No need, I'll take the bus over in a while. I just wanted to check if you're home and if it's convenient for me to visit."
Zhang Laoyezi deliberately lowered his voice, "What do you mean by that? Still being formal with your grandpa? Have you forgotten how you used to ask me to help bring your poop home?"
Su Ruyi's face turned red, "Grandpa Zhang! How can you say that? It doesn't suit your status at all!"
In the countryside, manure was valuable fertilizer, and Su Ruyi had been taught since childhood not to let fertilizer benefits flow to outsiders' fields.
But when she was little and couldn't hold it in while playing outside, unable to make it home yet unwilling to waste it in the wilderness (while also finding it smelly), she would seek Zhang Laoyezi's help. She got spanked several times by her mother for this.
Perhaps because of this, her interactions with Zhang Laoyezi didn't attract gossip – people probably thought she was "bullying" him, making Zhang Laoyezi accept reformation rather than colluding with him.
Zhang Laoyezi laughed heartily, remembering that the past wasn't entirely bitter.
"You're no fun now that you've grown up, talking to me about status. Is that how your mother taught you? Don't pick up bad habits from outsiders."
"Yes, yes, Grandpa Zhang, I know I was wrong. Let me give you my address so you can send someone to pick me up. But don't you come – I have my younger sister with me, and it would be hard to arrange seating."
Zhang Laoyezi snorted, "Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't personally go pick up even your mother."
When Wang Huiting heard that someone was being specially sent to pick them up, she grew even more nervous.
What kind of family was this? Having a car was one thing, but they actually had a dedicated driver too!
When she saw the car, she became so nervous she forgot how to walk properly.
Wang Huiting wasn't familiar with car brands, but she could still tell quality – this car in front of her clearly wasn't cheap.
The driver stepped out of the car in a crisp uniform and opened the door for the two of them.
Su Ruyi remained perfectly composed, leading Wang Huiting as they naturally accepted the service without finding it unusual.
After all, decades later, even luxury ride-hailing services would offer similarly impeccable treatment.
Yet when they entered the Zhang family mansion, even someone as worldly as her was left astounded.
She truly understood the meaning of that saying: "My home is in the forest, but some people's homes are the entire forest."
Author's Note: