Late at night, Yang Sisi was driving, I was in the passenger seat, and Zhou San was in the back. Our destination was the restaurant where we could eat yak hotpot. Zhou San had obviously never ridden in such a high-end car before. After looking it over for a while, he asked me, "Brother, is this your car?"

I smiled and replied, "Would you be disappointed if I told you I borrowed it from a friend? ...Do you think I'm not the successful person you imagine, and that following me might not lead to a bright future?"

Zhou San repeatedly said, "No, no, brother, don't misunderstand me."

After a brief pause, he continued, "Even if it's not yours, you must be someone special to have a friend feel comfortable lending you such an expensive car. When I was in school, nobody wanted to lend me a bicycle... They just didn't trust me, or maybe they didn't think it was worth it."

“San San, don’t let your past self crush your present self… From today onwards, you need to learn to discover your strengths… In my eyes, everyone has value as long as they aren’t lazy… Especially a young man like you, who has persevered in this family environment and even earned a master’s degree, is already far superior to the average person. All you lack is a platform… Don’t blame society for being too materialistic. It’s meaningless for us, who earn a hundred dollars a day, to criticize those who earn a million a day… Because when people truly reach that level, they don’t care about idle gossip. Their very existence is a value… They don’t need anyone’s approval, nor do they need others to give them self-respect. So, do you understand what I mean?”

On Wednesday, after thinking for a moment, he nodded.

Yang Sisi picked up where I left off, and exclaimed, "You're so patient with Zhou San... I've been feeling confused too, but I've never heard you give me a bunch of lectures like that."

"He's confused about survival... What about you? Today, you're confused because you're missing a lipstick shade, tomorrow you're confused because you don't know which restaurant's food suits your taste... There's no comparison between the two. Tell me, what reason can I give you?"

"There's no comparison. My confusion is much easier to resolve than Wednesday's... You should quickly buy me a set of Queen's Scepter (a lipstick brand) to appease me, all the shades... I promise I won't mention the word 'confusion' to you until I've used them all up."

"A complete set of 'color' shades would cost tens of thousands... How about I just give you my kidney?"

"No sincerity... I hate you confused young people the most. You light a cigarette, look up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, feeling resentful and indignant, as if the whole world has wronged you... But you don't even look at yourselves, what's so great about yourselves!"

"What's wrong with me? I've already told you I'd give you my kidney, but you're the one who's afraid to take it."

"Come on, stop talking nonsense..."

Watching Yang Sisi and I bicker, Zhou San in the back row also chuckled... That's Yang Sisi's ability; she can always put people at ease with a few words. At least at this moment, I could no longer see the repression and despair in Zhou San. He had completely blended into the atmosphere between Yang Sisi and me, and was just grinning like an idiot.

...

The restaurant that serves yak hotpot is located in the old town. Shangri-La's old town was once very popular, but since it was burned down by a fire that year, although it has been rebuilt, it has never been able to regain its former popularity.

Normally, there aren't many people in the ancient city, let alone at this late hour.

After we got off the bus, we walked along the deserted stone-paved road into the ancient city. In some places, we even had to turn on our phone flashlights to see the road. So, when I said that Yang Sisi lived for food and drink, it wasn't just a figment of my imagination. As long as it was related to food and something she wanted to eat, she would unleash a fighting spirit that was hard for ordinary people to match.

I don't understand this at all, but as long as she's happy, and I'm not in a bad mood myself, I'll go along with her.

...

Luckily, the restaurant owner was still awake. When we arrived, he was entertaining some friends, serving yak hotpot with local barley wine. The wine and meat smelled delicious, and the aroma alone was very appetizing.

Yang Sisi rubbed her hands together, sat down in the seat closest to the stove, and then handed me the menu with a smile, indicating that I should treat her.

I took it from her, looked at it, and then asked the owner of the next table, "How many kilograms would it take for the three of us to feel full?"

The owner was very welcoming. He smiled and replied, "It depends on your appetite. Three jin will definitely fill you up, but two jin is hard to say... I'll give you some side dishes... We're closing up shop, so I'll also give you a bottle of barley wine to warm you up... You must be from out of town? You need to adjust to the climate in Shangri-La this time of year!"

"Then give me three pounds... It's really cold here. I bought thick clothes but they didn't help. I still haven't recovered."

"You all sit down quickly... I'll have my wife make you each a cup of ginger tea to warm you up first."

As the boss spoke, he came over to us, turned the fire up even brighter, and then told his wife to arrange food and drinks for us.

I think that, regardless of the taste of the yak meat, just having such a boss in charge of the shop means that its reputation can't be too bad... At least, in this little restaurant with a stove and ginger tea, I felt a touch of home, and I like the boss's hospitality.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!