Ximing woke up with an unusual feeling.
He had an idea.
And judging by the expression on his face, Kael already knew this was dangerous.
"What are you thinking about?" Kael asked.
Ximing slowly turned toward him.
"Business."
Kael sighed.
"We have chickens."
"I know."
"We have a farm."
"I know."
"We have a perfectly good house."
"I know."
"So why do I feel like you're about to create another problem?"
Ximing smiled.
"Because I am."
A Simple Experiment
Ximing had been thinking about the village for several days.
The people liked his cooking.
The children liked visiting his home.
The villagers were curious about the foods he made.
And there was something else.
The village had no proper restaurant.
There were food stalls and small family kitchens, but nowhere comfortable where people could sit down, eat, and spend time together.
Ximing looked at Kael.
"What if we opened a small restaurant?"
Kael blinked.
"A restaurant?"
"Yes."
"But you said you wanted to retire."
"I still do."
"Then why open a restaurant?"
Ximing shrugged.
"I like cooking."
Kael stared at him.
"You realize running a restaurant involves work?"
"That's why we'll hire people."
Kael paused.
"...You thought this through."
"Of course."
The First Menu
That afternoon, Ximing entered his private space and began experimenting.
He wanted food that would be familiar enough for the locals but still different.
He prepared several dishes.
A rich vegetable stew.
Soft bread.
Grilled meat.
A fragrant rice dish.
A noodle soup.
Fresh fruit drinks.
And finally, a simple sweet dessert.
Ximing tasted everything carefully.
"Hmm."
He took another bite.
"This needs more seasoning."
He adjusted the recipe.
Kael tasted it.
His eyes widened.
"This is good."
Ximing smiled.
"Really?"
"Very."
"Which one do you like best?"
Kael pointed toward the noodles.
"That."
Ximing nodded seriously.
"Then noodles are going on the menu."
A Name
The biggest problem came next.
"What should we call it?"
Kael thought for a moment.
"I don't know."
Ximing looked around.
The restaurant wasn't even built yet.
"We need something memorable."
He started writing names.
The Golden Rooster.
"No."
The Green Garden.
"Too ordinary."
Ximing's Kitchen.
"Absolutely not."
Kael looked at him.
"What's wrong with your name?"
"I don't want customers screaming my name every time their food arrives."
Kael laughed.
Eventually, Ximing wrote one final name.
The Garden Table
He looked at it.
"Perfect."
Kael nodded.
"I like it."
Starting Small
Ximing didn't want a huge restaurant.
Not yet.
He wanted something warm and comfortable.
A wooden building.
Large windows.
Plants around the entrance.
Simple tables.
A kitchen large enough for several cooks.
And a small garden outside.
He sketched the design.
Kael looked at the drawing.
"This is much bigger than I expected."
"It's still small."
"Ximing."
"What?"
"You have ten tables."
"Exactly."
"That's not small."
"It is compared to a palace."
Kael rubbed his forehead.
"Fine."
A Clothing Idea
That night, while Ximing was drawing the restaurant plans, another idea suddenly came to him.
Clothing.
He had always loved fashion.
And this world had beautiful fabrics and unique styles, but he noticed that many formal outfits were rather similar.
Ximing picked up a piece of fabric.
"What if..."
He began sketching.
A structured coat.
Elegant sleeves.
A fitted waist.
Decorative embroidery.
A long flowing outer layer.
The design looked sophisticated without being uncomfortable.
Kael looked over his shoulder.
"What's that?"
"Clothes."
"You're making clothes too?"
"Maybe."
Kael smiled.
"You really can't sit still."
Ximing looked offended.
"I am retired."
"You're building a restaurant and designing clothes."
"That's called retirement with hobbies."
Kael laughed.
One Dream at a Time
Before going to bed, Ximing placed the restaurant plans beside his clothing sketches.
He looked at them for a long moment.
He had never expected his second life to turn out this way.
He had expected peace.
A home.
A garden.
Maybe a family someday.
He hadn't expected businesses.
But strangely...
He didn't mind.
Because this time, every decision was his.
Nobody was forcing him.
Nobody was controlling him.
If he wanted to stop, he could stop.
If he wanted to continue, he could continue.
That was what freedom meant.
Ximing smiled.
"Maybe I'll build the restaurant first."
He looked at the clothing sketches.
"And then the clothing business."
Then he looked toward the bedroom he had prepared for his future children.
"And eventually..."
His smile became softer.
"...my family."
Outside, General the rooster gave one loud crow.
Ximing stared at the window.
"Why are you awake?"
Another crow.
"It's midnight."
Silence.
Ximing sighed.
"Tomorrow, we're discussing your retirement too."
Kael laughed from the other room.
And Ximing smiled.
His peaceful life was becoming bigger than he had imagined.
But for once...
Bigger didn't mean harder.
It meant there was simply more to love.