For Xu Milu, it had only been a little over a year since she and Nanako parted ways, but for Nanako, a full ten years had passed in the Gourmet World.
"My goodness, I can hardly believe it. It's amazing to actually see Miss Milu in Pearl City."
Nanako was both surprised and delighted, and pulled the young siren beside her to introduce them:
"Ah Hai, this is Miss Mi Lu, the one I introduced to you before, the chef in the Land of Honey who used mandolin peppers to make the worst dish! My goodness, this is unbelievable!"
Sirens have an average lifespan of over two hundred years. Nanako was able to recognize Xu Milu at first glance because she had left a deep impression on her.
The male siren, called "Ahai," was still somewhat bewildered, but upon hearing the word "mandolin," his eyes lit up and he clenched his fists.
"Are you the food hunter Milu, who was praised by 'Food Magazine' for 'discovering the fifth flavor'? I have carefully studied all the chili dishes you left behind, especially your invention of Mandolin Boiled Swift Rabbit and Spicy and Sour Lemon Jelly Shrimp, which are very popular among diners in Pearl City!"
Xu Milu didn't expect to be featured in a food magazine, but she still patiently explained:
"Really? But it wasn't me who discovered spiciness; it was the food hunter Missy who cultivated these precious ingredients, and I was just making use of them."
"Ms. Missy has received the honor she deserves, being called the best food cultivator of this century, but I think Lady Milu's courage in standing up against the seven elders of the Mandolin and bringing delicious food to everyone is even more worthy of praise!"
A Hai's fair face flushed with excitement, making him look just like a fan chasing after a celebrity.
He couldn't help but get excited. He rummaged around behind the counter and found a somewhat old magazine with a hand-drawn portrait on the cover. The portrait featured a black-haired, golden-eyed man in mercenary attire with a small turtle perched on his shoulder—clearly Xu Milu's features.
"Ah, I still remember the taste of the food Miss Milu cooked herself at that hearing ten years ago—spicy peony jelly fish, spicy lemon jelly shrimp, spicy chicken giblets stir-fry, and pure spicy flaming beef cubes—yes, that was truly the best thing I've ever tasted in my life!"
Nanako looked at the magazine, a look of reminiscence on her face, and sighed again:
"Miss Milu, it's so good to see you again! We haven't had any definite news about you for ten years. If it weren't for the fact that the Aomori Trading Company still had your wristwatch record, we would have thought..."
"My watch records? Besides the people from the Aomori Trading Company, is someone else looking for me?"
Xu Milu keenly grasped the key point in Nanako's words and couldn't help but ask.
Xu Milu already knew that Aoki was looking for her, but she was used to being alone and had no interest in accepting Aoki as her personal knight.
Fortunately, Aoki had a vague idea of what she was thinking, but he kept transferring money to her business card without disturbing her.
Xu Milu purchased a lot of seeds on the new route during this period, so it's not surprising that Aoki would have the wristwatch purchase record.
The watch is linked to her personal identity and cannot be misused. Over the past ten years, the information on her watch has been updated periodically, which can be considered Aoki's alternative way of confirming that she is still alive.
Nanako laughed:
"Elder Lola of the Gourmet Association has been inquiring about your whereabouts. She was the one who retrieved the wristwatch records from the Aoki Mercenary Group and the Aomori Merchant Guild. I heard that Elder Lola went to the Dark Forest last month to look for glowing blueberries. That place is half a Gourmet New Journey route away from here. It's such a pity. Elder Lola will be very happy to know about you!"
"It's all my fault. I was busy with other things and forgot to contact her. I'll contact her at the Food Association once I'm done with things in Pearl City."
Xu Milu rubbed her forehead. She only remembered that elves had long lifespans, but forgot that in Lola's eyes, she was just a pitiful, helpless, and short-lived "human" who might encounter some danger at any moment.
No wonder Lola wanted Aoki to check her spending records; it turned out she wanted to see if she was still alive.
The Gourmet Dimension is vast, and although there are "signal bugs" similar to telephones, they cannot cover the entire Gourmet Continent, let alone the Dark Forest area. If she wants to find someone, she can only wait for Lola to return to the Gourmet Association.
"It's been ten years since we last met! Even your pet, Miss Milu, has grown so much, but Lady Milu is still so young!"
Nanako smiled, leaned against Akai, intertwined her fingers with his, and wore a blissful expression.
"Miss Milu, this is my husband, Ahai. Don't let his current position as an apprentice at Grandma Purple Tail's restaurant fool you; he'll be the greatest chef of all time!"
"Nanako...don't say that! I'm still just a culinary apprentice!"
Ahai scratched his head shyly, looking a little embarrassed, but he didn't let go of Nanako's hand.
"Really? Ms. Nanako is married? Congratulations!"
Xu Milu suddenly realized why the two seemed so affectionate; they were husband and wife.
The commotion had already attracted a lot of attention. Some people seemed to recognize Xu Milu and Nanako and tried to approach them, but were politely asked to leave by Ahai.
Upon hearing that Xu Milu hadn't found a place to stay yet, Nanako warmly invited Xu Milu to stay at her home:
"After I married Ah Hai, I opened a shallow-sea pearl farm in Pearl City. Is this Miss Mi Lu's first time visiting Pearl City? Let us give you a good welcome!"
Haizhu Aquaculture Farm?
Xu Milu immediately pictured a scene of rolling pearls in her mind, and she sighed silently, never expecting that Nanako was actually a hidden rich woman.
This is like opening a money printing factory!
...
...
When Xu Milu saw the "shallow sea pearl farm" that Nanako had mentioned, she realized that this "pearl" was not the same as that "pig".
The white sand beach meets the deep blue sea, with waves crashing against the shore from time to time. Tall coconut trees are laden with bunches of green coconuts, and every now and then, a crab the size of a fist crawls by, leaving a string of indistinct footprints on the beach.
The sun was shining brightly, its warm rays filtering through the coconut leaves and casting a dense patch of shadows on the ground. The beach was dotted with seashells, and occasionally a few strangely shaped fish would leap out of the water, breaking the tranquility.
Meanwhile, in the seawater, a group of round, chubby white pigs, looking like animated creatures, were leisurely enjoying themselves. Some were floating on the water sunbathing, some were surfacing to breathe, and some were diving into the water to chew on seaweed, completely carefree.
Xu Milu opened her mouth slightly.
Who's raising pigs like fish?!
Pig and fish?
Fish and pig?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
