Summer limited seaside shop
The bathroom in the cabin is very small and can only accommodate a shower, but it has complete functions, with dry and wet areas separated, and the cabinet also has a self-cleaning function. Shu Mo walked in and turned on the shower head. Soon, mist filled the entire space.
Hot and humid steam enveloped her body, and her nose was filled with the smell of wood soaked in hot water. All the stickiness and remaining smell of barbecue smoke were washed away by the water. In a short moment, when she walked out of the shower, she felt refreshed and had a clean scent of soap.
In summer, taking a shower is more comfortable than taking a bath.
The cabin was small, so no sound could be hidden. Shu Mo stepped into the corridor and just in time heard a faint voice coming from the door.
It turned out to be Gu Xiao, Yao Yonghui and a few others. They moved the small low table and wooden stools used for barbecue to the platform outside the door and sat in a circle. Each of them held a poker card in his hand, and there were melon seeds on the table that someone had brought.
The growth of animals and plants is still in its early stages, and so are the insects - there are not many mosquitoes outdoors, and when night falls at the seaside, the air drops sharply, and the evening breeze makes people feel very comfortable, which is much more pleasant than staying indoors.
Seeing Shu Mo coming over, they happily extended their hands to greet him, "Boss, want to play a round?"
"Mo Bai is too weak, you should teach him."
Hearing Mo Bai's name, Shu Mo paused, and looked at the guy next to him whose face was covered with notes and whose face could not be seen clearly. He said in surprise: "You are here too, I didn't recognize you."
There was no intact spot on the little black dragon's face.
Mo Bai opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but before he could make a sound, the breath he exhaled lifted up the paper, making a rustling sound.
Mo Bai: “…”
He closed his mouth again. Shu Mo saw the frown under the note and smiled. He rolled up his sleeves and sat next to him, throwing himself into the card game with great interest. "Come over, I'll play a hand."
The two of them sat together. Shu Mo glanced at the cards in his hand and played one with great momentum.
The night was dark, but the view was clear, with a full moon hanging above the sea. There were shadows of trees all around, and apart from the moon, the light from the cabin behind him was almost the only source of light. The sound of waves made Shu Mo feel as if he was on an isolated island on the sea.
But fortunately...she is not alone here.
They played until very late before returning to their rooms. When Shu Mo lay down, he heard the sound of cicadas in the woods in the distance.
Those cicadas were weak and their chirping was intermittent, but they still successfully set off the atmosphere of a midsummer night.
Her eyelids became heavier and heavier, and she gradually fell asleep amid the chirping of cicadas.
*
The second day after arriving in Bauhinia Town was still a sunny day.
The only difference from yesterday was that the townspeople had a little more anticipation in their preparations when they got up in the morning.
While washing, I would occasionally hold my toothbrush in my mouth and take a look at the street.
Some people simply stood on the street with a face towel in hand. They clearly looked like they had not woken up yet, but they tried hard to keep their hazy eyes open and look into the distance. Only when the towel in their hand was almost dried up did they wipe it randomly on their faces as if they had just woken up from a dream.
The child was dragged by the adults to eat breakfast, but he couldn't sit still. He would ask after two minutes, "When will that stall come?"
The adults always give the same answer: "Soon, soon."
As he spoke, he was secretly looking forward to it in his heart.
Normally I feel that time passes quickly, why does it feel so long now?
...Isn’t it eight o’clock yet?
At the seaside shop, at 7:45, Yao Yonghui set off with his cart.
Pushing a stroller on a hot day is definitely a hard physical job. When the work was divided the night before, Yao Yonghui took the initiative to undertake this job, and the mimic beast followed along at Shu Mo's command. Occasionally, when they encountered a rugged and difficult road, they would use their nose to help push the ground.
After getting used to the fast-paced Arctic Fox bus, when we switched to a cart, the speed slowed down and the man and the beast felt more leisurely.
The wooden wheels creaked as they rolled over the raised stones on the road.
When they passed the city gate, there were only a few guards left on the city wall. Perhaps they had received orders long ago, so they let them in without stopping them.
There is a small awning on the cart of the dessert stall to avoid direct sunlight. There was a metal bell hanging under the awning, which kept jingling and swinging all the way. The ringing sounded crisp. People along the road opened their windows when they heard it, and saw Yao Yonghui slowly pushing the cart past. Their eyes suddenly lit up.
“It’s selling sugar water.”
"Is that Mr. Shu's man?"
"Of course it is. There used to be no such cart in this town."
The crowd had been waiting since before dawn, and finally their wait had come. Doors of the houses opened one after another, and people rushed to the streets impatiently under the scorching sun.
Some people had work to do and couldn't spare any time, so they lowered their heads and told the children around them, "Hurry up, help run errands. Remember what I said yesterday, five servings of mung bean smoothie and sour plum soup each. Don't buy less, grandpa and grandma still need to drink it."
As he spoke, his men quickly transferred the points.
【Payment received: 80 points】
The child looked at the transfer reminder and struggled to read the number 55 using the limited words he knew. He suddenly became very nervous.
80 points! What a huge sum of money this is!
His palms were sweaty and he quickly wiped them on his trouser legs.
"Take these with you, too. Remember to tell the boss that you are bringing your own cup. You will get a 2 point discount on each one." The parents gave numerous instructions and took out containers that they had collected from every corner of the house - all kinds of things, even a stainless steel washbasin that had been passed down from before a game. It had been scrubbed clean the night before and was so shiny that it could reflect a person's face.
One bowl can hold all the smoothies, what a bargain!
The parents felt inwardly: The boss is too generous, the discounts for bringing your own cup can even be added up. They bought a lot, a total of ten, and it was a full 20 points cheaper!
How much money can be saved in the long run?
Thinking of this, he spoke proudly, "Use the rest as pocket money. Put it in your backpack after buying something. Don't keep it by yourself."
"Got it." The little boy said solemnly.
He quietly calculated in his mind: Assuming I make 5 points a day, that would be 10 points in two days... then I could buy a box of fruit candy!
Hide it under your pillow and eat one every morning and night. How happy you would be.
He began to drool when he thought of the tempting candies that his neighbor's kid brought back yesterday.
At the same time, many children in Bauhinia Town took on this exciting first errand running task.
Some players use backpacks to carry things, so there is no need to worry about spilling.
Having said that, the parents couldn't help but stick their heads out of the window and watch their children's backs gradually disappear into the distance.
Half of it was out of worry, and half of it was out of relief that “my child has grown up.”
…
"Here, your smoothie, with honey beans and grass jelly."
"Bring your own cup to get 2 points off, and two small portions of condiments total 2 points, a total of 10 points."
Yao Yonghui collected the payment skillfully and handed out the smoothie.
The prepared smoothies were placed in containers brought by the residents. A layer of frost quickly condensed on the surface, emitting bursts of snow-white cool air.
Many people were reluctant to take it home, so they stopped under a nearby roof and scooped a big mouthful directly into their mouths with a spoon.
The mung bean and milk smoothie has a delicate and soft texture, full of milk flavor but not heavy. It is mixed with finely crushed ice chips and melted by the temperature of the mouth, making it even more refreshing and heat-relief.
The candied beans have been soaked in sugar water and can be crushed into bean paste with a light lick of the tongue. The taste is sweet and dense. For residents who have not had any condiments for a long time and have always had no taste in their mouths, this little sweetness is simply heart-warming.
As for the grass jelly next to it, it still has a cool, chilled taste. When poked with a spoon, it sways gently like pudding. After being put into the mouth, it quickly slides down the throat, leaving only a cool touch and the unique sweet aroma of burnt grass jelly between the lips and teeth.
Shaojingcao is considered to be the best food for clearing away heat and relieving summer heat. Many young people have been living in games for a long time and have no idea about the effects of these foods. After listening to the popular science of the older generation, many people will order one out of curiosity, and the sales are particularly good.
Many people buy it, but they don’t actually expect it to have any special effects, they just buy it for a try.
Who would have thought that after taking a portion of the snack, I actually felt less hot on the way back.
The sun is bright and the heat is still there, but my mood is gradually calming down.
When they got home, they told their relatives and friends in amazement. They laughed and said, "Isn't this the so-called calmness that makes you feel better? You felt better after eating the smoothie, and that's why you feel less anxious."
"Really..." After hearing this, the man was still a little confused.
Is it just a psychological effect, or is the grass jelly really that magical?
In any case, he was already looking forward to the dessert in the evening.
…
The line to buy sweet soup is getting longer and longer.
Such a long queue is rare in the town once every thousand years, and it is the best publicity in itself. Some people who had not heard the news originally gathered around, curiously pulled someone over to ask, and after learning the whole story, they quickly joined the queue.
Later on, the line even stretched from the market entrance to the end of the central street.
The business hours are only one hour, and when closing time comes, there are still many people waiting eagerly behind.
Yao Yonghui was helpless, waved his hand, and said loudly: "Close the stall and go back to the store. We will continue to sell in the newly opened seaside store. Customers who need it, please follow me."
Some people thought they couldn't buy it this morning, but they were overjoyed when they heard the news and hurried to follow.
So when he returned to the store, Yao Yonghui had a long string of tails following him. It winds down the mountain road like a thin river.
Many people were holding pots and pans in their hands, which bumped into each other as they walked, like playing a strange melody.
If you don’t know, you might think it’s some lively summer party.
Shu Mo, who was startled by the strange noise, came out of the store to see: "..."
What is this, Human Billboard No. 2?
*
The sweet soup stall is like a walking billboard, attracting residents who have never heard of the seaside shop.
The store was bustling all day long, and Shu Mo took advantage of the time to draw a few more items to replenish the shelves. By the evening, Yao Yonghui and the Beast Mimic were on the road again, pushing the cart on time.
Just after a few days, they were gradually infected by the slow pace of this seaside town, and their lives became regular and leisurely.
The residents of the town have also gotten into the habit of going to the stall to buy some sweet soup once in the morning and evening as a reward for themselves.
Over time, even the errand boys learned to bargain.
They make up all kinds of excuses in the hope of getting more pocket money.
"Five points is too little! Da Zhuang next door has eight points."
"How about 6 a day? Please, mom."
"Or maybe we can have instant noodles again tonight, okay?"
They put their hands together and tried every possible means to persuade him.
——God knows how delicious the food sold in that little shop is!
And every day when you go there, you will find some different new and interesting products.
Like "popsicles" that can be broken in half and shared with friends, instant noodles with various monster and player career collection cards, blind boxes of chocolate beans with different fillings in each bean, and jam pens that can be used to draw on rice paper and then eaten in one gulp...
It’s delicious and fun, and the kids in the town are eager to catch it every day.
Now, whenever they have free time, they go to the store together, and they go several times a day.
The platform in front of the shop and the nearby woods have become the most popular gathering places for children.
The shop itself has become a pocket money harvester.
Sometimes one person's pocket money is not enough, so they pool their money to buy things. Strength lies in numbers, and they have seriously developed "new ways to eat" many snacks.
——Of course, in the eyes of the adults around them, those were just the tricks they had left over.
What about crushing the instant noodles with your palm, sprinkling seasoning powder into it and eating it as crisp noodles.
Or you can exchange cards with friends, collect a whole set of "Player Occupation" or "Monster" series cards, show them off everywhere, and play card battles...
Sometimes, parents will join the battle on a whim, or teach their children some new ways to play while drinking soda after a day's work.
The long summer nights seemed to be becoming less unbearable.
So at this moment, facing the child's pleading, they were distracted for a moment.
"Instant noodles..."
As soon as I mentioned it, I suddenly wanted to eat it again.
Nowadays, every household can boil water and cook some hot food. At this time, the emergence of instant noodles is simply a strong medicine to save the taste buds.
Not only children, but adults are also very greedy.
It is obviously the simplest food, but every step, from boiling water to sprinkling seasoning packets, is done carefully for fear of waste.
When the pot of hot and fragrant noodles comes out of the pot, the whole family gathers together and eats them up one by one with great care, not even letting go of the remaining soup.
Recalling the delicious taste, the parent silently opened the player interface and said, "Okay, then bring me a bag of spicy noodles when you go shopping..."
Yes, the shop also sells spicy strips.
Five yuan a pack, no cheating, once the pack was opened, both the adults and children next door cried out of greed.
Of course, not all parents are so open-minded.
Some people raised their eyebrows and glared at him. When they heard this, they showed their weapons in a threatening manner and sneered, "You still want to increase your pocket money? Who secretly ate my smoothie before? Don't think I can't see that half of the honey beans are missing from it!"
The boss is generous with adding extra condiments and he wants the food to overflow. But that day, after she finished her work, she picked up her smoothie with great anticipation, only to find a suspicious little hole in the honey beans.
It's really obvious who the culprit is.
She said, patting the "weapon" in her hand against the palm of her other hand.
The weapons are real weapons, but they have been slightly deviated from their original usage.
——Now that I don’t have to fight monsters anymore, the summoner’s staff is almost gathering dust in my backpack, so it’s very convenient to use it to beat children.
Child:"……"
She rushed out of the door with a cry, and went to buy sugar water with a sad face.
She still hadn’t figured it out until she crossed half of the town and arrived at the seaside shop—
How on earth did her mother see through her perfect disguise?
…
In addition to children, adults are also becoming more and more dependent on this small shop that suddenly appeared.
Unfortunately, many people in the town need to go out hunting and collecting edible plants, and often cannot buy sugar water within the two-hour stall opening time.
Sometimes when I get back to town, it's past the store's opening hours and I miss the ready-made smoothies, but that's okay.
When the smoothie melts a little, it becomes mung bean snow water. Soak it in the cool stream water and it will still be cool and delicious when you come back. Not to mention the sour plum soup, which doesn’t matter whether it’s hot or cold. After adding osmanthus, it has a subtle floral fragrance, which is thirst-quenching at any time.
After coming back from a day of outdoor work, I was sweating all over and my head was so hot that it was smoking. At this time, I picked up the sugar water that my family had prepared in advance and drank it in big gulps. I immediately felt refreshed from the inside out.
Sometimes the smoothie is not yet melted, and if you eat it too quickly, it will immediately get so cold that your temples will tighten, and you can't help but frowning. But your internal organs will feel cool to the core, and the heat brought in from outdoors will disappear without a trace.
When I went to check a few days later, I found that the dessert shop had added mango sago dew. Large chunks of fresh mango flesh were sour and sweet, soaked in sweet coconut milk. The soft and glutinous sago added a bit of sticky texture. Paired with the newly added glutinous rice balls in the condiment column, it was refreshing and filling.
For 3 points, you can get an extra portion of fruit pulp, and the small ingredients can be packaged separately or added directly in. Many people come here specifically to pack it up and treat themselves as fruit.
…
On the fifth day after arriving in Bauhinia Town, Shu Mo finally decided to go back to the hot spring.
She walked into the front hall, wondering if anyone would like to join her.
It was not yet the hottest time of the day, and the ground was filled with the smell of leaves baking in the sun. The grass and trees are lush and green, and the sunlight shines through the gaps between the leaves, outlining a lazy golden edge.
The weather was so nice that everyone was a little lazy, and the shop was unusually quiet most of the time, with only a few whispered conversations occasionally.
In such weather, Shu Mo unexpectedly saw a special guest.
Jian Xing stood in front of the shelf, bending over and looking at something intently.
She was visibly startled when Shu Mo approached.
"Want to buy anything?"
"Oh, no..." Jian Xing retracted his gaze and shook his head, "I came here to talk to you about something."
Her attitude was respectful and mature beyond her age.
Shu Mo couldn't help but recall that not long ago, two girls of the same age as her came to the store together.
The two stood in front of the freezer and picked for a long time. Finally, they took out a cola-flavored popsicle, sat on the bench, and divided the popsicle in half each.
The laughter and playfulness reflect the most carefree side of youth.
There aren’t many children of the same age in the town, so they and Jian Xing should be playmates, right?
Shu Mo was a little distracted, but when he came back to his senses, he smiled and said, "It's okay, no need to be so polite. What do you want to say?"
"That's it..." Jian Xing pinched herself secretly, and mustered up the courage to ask, "How did you transform this cabin into this?"
Afraid that Shu Mo didn't understand what she meant, she added anxiously: "I have the authority of the Lord of Bauhinia Town, but I can't change it from 'that' to what it is now in just one day."
What's more, this cabin is not even within the town, so even if Jian Xing wants to use the game system to transform it, he can't do it.
It is obvious that Shu Mo has more powerful power than her.
But...what could be more powerful and noble than being a lord?
"When my mother was here, Bauhinia Town was much more prosperous than it is now." Jian Xing said ashamedly, "If she saw the town as it is now, she would definitely be disappointed."
She is a little sad.
Jian Xing didn't know whether her mother's death was an accident or a man-made disaster. She only knew that one day her mother led a team out to hunt a boss and never came back.
In the rush before leaving, Jian Xing's grandfather only had time to ask him to secretly bring back the lord's token. Before anyone could react, Jian Xing had already become the next lord.
Her mother's concerns were not unfounded.
Not long after, players who learned of the previous lord's death rushed to Bauhinia Town like jackals smelling the scent of rotting flesh.
Among them were many familiar faces to Jian Xing. They used threats, inducements, and every other means to force the young new lord to hand over the token.
Everyone knows that Bauhinia Town has a bleak future, but this does not prevent it from being a small town with a population of thousands.
By raising taxes, they could squeeze the last bit of money out of the town before it dies completely.
“As for what will happen to the ordinary, unarmed residents of this town in the future, they don’t care.” Grandpa Jian said with a grim face.
"Don't worry, the lord enjoys supreme power within the territory. As long as you don't leave the town, you will be safe."
To comfort his granddaughter, he patted Jian Xing's shoulder again.
I don’t know if the words I said out loud can be considered as comfort.
After a long while, he finally sighed, "It's just... I'm sorry for putting you in such a difficult position."
After that day, the two of them lived in seclusion and never left the town.
Gradually, the players who were eyeing the game eagerly disappeared.
Taxes in Bauhinia Town are kept at an extremely low level, allowing residents to eke out a living with limited map resources.
Jian Xing did defend the town, but that was all.
After a few years, the town inevitably fell into decline.
"My strength is still too weak." Jian Xing twisted the corner of his clothes and said in a low voice.
It seemed that for a moment, she was immersed in memories of the past, but soon, the little girl raised her head with hope.
"So, can you teach me? Everyone is obviously much happier these past few days since the store opened."
It would be great if there were a few more shops like this in town!
The young lord's gaze was so scorching that it was difficult to look directly at it.
Shu Mo was slightly surprised.
She didn't expect that Jian Xing would come to her for this.
However, the renovation of wooden houses relies on the system, and the products are also produced by the system. At this point, no matter how hard Jian Xing tried, it would be impossible for her to create a second seaside shop.
But who says we have to follow the path that others have taken?
Shu Mo looked thoughtfully at the branches of flowers sticking out of the city wall in the distance. After a while, he made a friendly invitation: "Jian Xing, do you want to go to Nuan Nuan Hot Spring with me?"
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