Seeing the ornaments and décor inside, untouched and undamaged, Mu Qingfeng and Jun Buyan nodded in satisfaction at the same time.
It was good. Everything they needed could be found here.
But that also created a problem, how were they supposed to haul it back?
The sky was already dimming. There was no time for a second trip, and after finally finding what they needed, leaving it behind felt wrong.
“I think I saw a three wheeler on the way in,” Jun Buyan said, not fully confident. It was probably a three wheeler, but it looked different from the ones he had seen before.
“A three wheeler?” Yao Zhien scratched his head, but chose to trust him anyway. “I don’t remember, but fine.”
“Boss, you wait here,” Yao Zhien said. “Jun Buyan and I will go check.”
Mu Qingfeng nodded and stayed behind to sort through the items they would take.
A moment later, Yao Zhien’s laughter rang out from outside.
“Aiyo, oh my goodness, this is a donkey cart!” he howled. “Jun Buyan, you actually thought this was a three wheeler. I’m dying!”
Jun Buyan stared at him with a blank expression. “What’s a donkey cart?”
Yao Zhien laughed even harder. “A normal three wheeler has the driver in the front, facing forward. A donkey cart has the seat in the back, you face the cargo bed. You look like you’re riding backward, so people call it that.”
Jun Buyan half understood, but he did not want to keep talking about it. Brother Mu was still waiting. “Got it. Hurry up.”
Yao Zhien pedaled, and Jun Buyan, who had never ridden anything like this, gripped the edge of the seat with both hands, terrified he would get flung off. In the end, he could not stand Yao Zhien’s riding anymore. He gave up on dignity, crouched in the cargo bed, and braced himself.
“Jun Buyan, you look like a mushroom right now,” Yao Zhien said cheerfully.
Jun Buyan rolled his eyes. “Shut up. Pedal.”
The words came out through clenched teeth. Yao Zhien finally had the sense to stop talking.
When they got back, Mu Qingfeng had already selected most of what they needed and lined it up on the clear floor space.
“Check if you’re missing anything,” Mu Qingfeng said as they entered. “Take what you want. I’ll start loading the cart.”
When Mu Qingfeng carried the first load outside and saw the donkey cart waiting there, he fell into brief silence. He did not complain though. A vehicle was a vehicle.
He was only worried about one thing.
“Boss, we’re ready,” Yao Zhien said.
“Brother Mu, we’re ready,” Jun Buyan echoed.
Everything was prepared, except for the rider.
“Boss,” Yao Zhien pleaded, pitiful, “I really don’t want to pedal anymore. You ride for a bit, I’ll switch back later, alright?”
Mu Qingfeng answered with one sentence, and Yao Zhien had nothing to say.
“If I pedal, where do you and Jun Buyan sit? We’ll flip before we’ve gone a hundred meters.”
That was what Mu Qingfeng had been worried about. The donkey cart was not stable, and the size difference between Yao Zhien and Jun Buyan was too big. If they shifted wrong, it would tip.
Jun Buyan turned his head away so Yao Zhien would not see him smiling.
In the end, Yao Zhien gave in. He pedaled the whole way back, groaning dramatically at every bump.
“We’re already here,” Mu Qingfeng said, puzzled. “Why are you still sulking?”
“Boss, you’ve never ridden one, you don’t get it,” Yao Zhien whined. “It rubs like crazy. My precious parts feel like they’re shooting sparks. How am I supposed to smile?”
They had been gone half the day. By the time they returned, it was already around dinner.
“Rest here,” Mu Qingfeng said. “Jun Buyan and I will go hand in the task.”
Yao Zhien waved weakly, too drained to argue.
He Lingyu came downstairs and immediately spotted Yao Zhien’s drooping, defeated look. She walked over and asked gently, “What’s wrong, Mr. Yao… did you come back empty handed? It’s okay, you can’t find things every time. Don’t be sad.”
Yao Zhien lifted his head. “No, we found a lot. I’m just tired. It’s fine, I’ll recover after a break. Also, don’t call me Mr. Yao. It sounds weird. Just call me Fatty.”
Tired was easy to fix.
He Lingyu smiled. “If you’re tired, that’s fine. We’ve got a cure for that. Wait here.”
She went to the ordering area, thought for a second, then ordered a bowl of plain noodles, plus a whole roast duck, and finally filled a cup with spring water. Noodles did not feel right with juice.
“Here,” He Lingyu said, placing the tray down. “Fatty, this is a soul revival medicine. Eat it and you won’t be tired.”
Yao Zhien chuckled, assuming she was joking.
Then the aroma hit him and his stomach started protesting.
“Then I won’t hold back!”
He grabbed his chopsticks and slurped a huge mouthful of noodles. “Ah, so good!”
Two bites of duck, another slurp, then a sip of broth. It was like the taste went straight through his bones.
“This is amazing,” he sighed. “Boss, everything you serve is good.”
Then he froze.
Something felt off.
He shifted his shoulders, stretched his legs, and blinked. The soreness was gone. The exhaustion was gone. He felt like he could pedal another lap around the town.
He stared at He Lingyu. “Wait, I really don’t feel tired anymore. What did you put in this?”
He immediately realized how that sounded and worried he had offended her.
But He Lingyu did not react at all. She answered seriously, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “Nothing weird. After the restaurant upgraded, the dishes come with buffs. They remove fatigue and restore stamina.”
Yao Zhien wore a face that clearly said, you’re kidding, but also, you’re not kidding.
He Lingyu laughed softly. “A normal person might not notice much, but ability users should feel it clearly. I wonder if we’ll get dishes that restore abilities someday.”
That last part was her thinking out loud, but Yao Zhien looked even more shocked.
Then he sprang up, fired up again. “I’ve got to finish my quest. I’m joining the restaurant too. Boss, save spots for me and Jun Buyan!”
He rushed out toward the inn.
When he arrived, Mu Qingfeng and Jun Buyan were standing at a room doorway, talking in low voices, both looking unusually serious.
Jun Buyan was saying, “I used to be confused when she talked about upgrading, but looking at this now, it feels like we really did meet someone incredible.”
Yao Zhien charged up to them. “What are you two talking about? Also, did you know the food restores stamina? I ate and instantly revived!”
Mu Qingfeng and Jun Buyan exchanged a look. In that glance, there was agreement.
Their guess was right. He Lingyu was not ordinary, and neither were the dishes she could provide. Her “upgrades” were not normal upgrades either.
They still could not see the truth at the root of it, but one thing was certain. If they became employees, helped her level up, and stayed close, the benefits would be enormous.
Jun Buyan spoke quietly. “Brother Mu, that means the thing you want to do has a higher chance of succeeding.”
Mu Qingfeng nodded. “Yes.”
Yao Zhien frowned. “Hello? Are you two even listening to me? Why do I feel like an outsider here?”
Mu Qingfeng pointed toward the pile of materials set aside. “Your materials are there. You have to move them into the room yourself. We tried, we can’t do the final step for you.”
“Why do I have to move them into the room?” Yao Zhien stared. “Shouldn’t we wait until renovation time? Won’t it get dirty?”
“Move them in and you’ll understand,” Mu Qingfeng said.
Yao Zhien did not understand, but he trusted Mu Qingfeng’s orders. He always had, and he had never regretted it.
So he hauled everything in, panting and sweating, and dumped it all inside.
When he turned to leave, he felt something shift behind him.
He spun around.
The room had changed completely.
The materials were gone. The walls were freshly painted. The décor was installed. The rug was laid. The whole space looked like it had been transformed in the blink of an eye.
He turned back to Mu Qingfeng and Jun Buyan, and they both wore faces that said, of course.
That was when Yao Zhien finally understood. “You knew this would happen and you didn’t tell me. You scared me half to death!”
Jun Buyan’s tone was flat. “If we told you, would you understand? This way you can see it.”
Yao Zhien knew he was right, but the delivery still annoyed him. “Jun Buyan, I’m older than you. I’m basically your brother. Why do you respect the boss but always roast me? Call me brother once, let me hear it.”
Jun Buyan rolled his eyes and walked out without answering.
“Hey, what kind of temper is that?” Yao Zhien called after him. “Where are you going?”
Mu Qingfeng followed, speaking as he passed Yao Zhien. “He’s going to eat. You ate, but we didn’t. And you should stop teasing him. If you didn’t poke at him all the time, he wouldn’t snap back like that.”
Yao Zhien scratched his head and hurried after them, laughing. “I can’t help it. He’s so young but always acts like he’s carrying the world. I just want to get a reaction out of him.”
Back in the restaurant, He Lingyu looked at the three of them and smiled, pleased.
“Good work. Come eat.”
She genuinely felt satisfied. What kind of new employee worked so hard they forgot to eat?
Apparently hers.
After Mu Qingfeng and Jun Buyan finished, they both felt the renewed strength surging through their bodies. They exchanged a glance, and their earlier certainty solidified even more.
“We’ll finish the rest of the quest later,” Mu Qingfeng said.
He Lingyu immediately stopped him. These were the employees she had just recruited, she could not afford any accidents.
“It’s already late,” she said quickly. “This is when zombies get active. The quest can wait, we can do it tomorrow.”
Jun Buyan replied gently, “Sister He, it’s fine. We only need some wood. It’s nearby, nothing will happen.”
Yao Zhien immediately protested. “Jun Buyan, you call her sister but you won’t call me brother. My heart is broken.”
He Lingyu stiffened in embarrassment. Why did this suddenly feel like some weird jealousy drama?
The three of them kept talking as they headed outside, and He Lingyu watched, uneasy.
She only hoped they would come back safe.
T/N: This is what a three wheeled “donkey cart” looks like.