Chapter 75
Neither Ji Mingqing nor Bai Cangze realized one thing, that is, Ji Mingqing had never told Xiaowan how he came to the fairyland.
However, neither of them seemed to think there was anything wrong. This question seemed to be a perfectly normal one between them. Bai Cangze even pretended to be casual and asked, "Did you learn this skill specifically?"
Ji Mingqing nodded. "Yeah, my mom was very busy at work and didn't have much time to cook. Eating out was also too expensive, so I learned to cook. Later, when our family became better off, I started learning to bake cakes." Ji Mingqing's face flashed with nostalgia. "Back then, my mom worked two jobs to support me, so I couldn't be too poor."
Ji Mingqing turned around and looked at Xiaowan. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Do you know how to use a formation? Please help me take a look at it later."
Ji Mingqing had set up the formations of Yuantaopo Restaurant himself. He had wanted to ask someone for help before, but then he thought, he would have to learn the formations sooner or later anyway, so he might as well start practicing now.
It turned out that setting up the formation was not difficult. He followed the steps in the jade slip and arranged it bit by bit. After trying twice, he was able to completely arrange the formation, which was similar to creating a small space.
"It would be great if creating a formation was as easy as setting it up." Ji Mingqing said with regret, all the 28 formations needed for the restaurant have been prepared.
Hearing that Ji Mingqing had set up this formation himself, Bai Cangze nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad."
"Why are you acting like the dean again?" Ji Mingqing said with a smile. "Take this sign and walk to the center of the formation to be teleported directly to the designated room."
Ji Mingqing got the sign and hung it around Xiaowan's neck. "Let's go. Take me to experience it."
Bai Cangze activated the formation helplessly. It was obviously Ji Mingqing who set it up, and he acted as if it was his first time here.
Bai Cangze was also happy to play along with him, "Just follow me."
Ji Mingqing happily followed Bai Cangze into the room. After entering the room, he found that it was pitch black.
"This is..." Bai Cangze had never seen such a scene before and he couldn't continue acting.
Seeing this, Ji Mingqing clapped his hands, and several beads shining brightly lit up around the room. On the dining table in the center, three candles were placed in a triangle in the middle of the table, lighting up with bright candlelight.
Even though the lights in the room were on, the light was still dim. The night outside was heavy, and the moonlight pouring into the room only added a touch of hazy beauty to the place. Bai Cangze looked around, thinking that the pearl light was just decoration, and asked, "Why don't you turn on the lights?"
Ji Mingqing took Xiaowan to sit on both sides of the table and explained, "I did it this way on purpose. Don't you think it's easier for two people to open up and talk when the lights are dim?"
"Dating requires communication between two people, and look at how good the atmosphere is." After Ji Mingqing finished speaking, he patted the edge of the table again, "If you really don't like it, just pat this side." Sure enough, after he finished speaking, the whole room was lit up again. Ji Mingqing's eyes were dazzled by the lights on Zhou Ran. He squinted his eyes and said a little embarrassedly: "Hey, I'm not ready."
Bai Cangze raised his claws and waved them, and Ji Mingqing felt a coolness in his eyes. Before he could thank him, he heard Xiaowan's voice from the opposite side.
"You've been here for so long, but you still don't know how to use your spiritual energy at the first opportunity." There was some helplessness in his tone.
Then he patted the place where Ji Mingqing had just patted, and the room suddenly became dark again. "Next time, remember that you are already a god."
Ji Mingqing kept smiling, "Although I am a forgetful god, I still have you," Ji Mingqing said without further ado, and quickly pointed at the formation on the table, and a dish immediately appeared in front of the two of them.
"Look, it's so convenient! We don't need any help at all. We can do it all by ourselves. We just need to find two people to receive the dishes from Lao Yang. We don't even need to cook. We can save manpower."
"What kind of dish is this?" Bai Cangze didn't care about Ji Mingqing's excitement. Instead, he wanted to see Xu Yihe's expression when he knew that Ji Mingqing didn't need much manpower.
He knew everything about the relationship between Xu Yihe and Cui Ding, but the competition between the two occurred in a situation that was beneficial to Ji Mingqing, so he was happy to watch.
"This is a special offering from Yuantaopo, the sour golden spirit fish that's only available in Yuantaopo." Ji Mingqing placed the fish in front of Xiaowan. "Try it. It's grilled first and then stewed. The skin is crispy and the meat is tender. The vegetables around it are also soaked in the broth. I'm sure you'll like it."
Bai Cangze took a bite and nodded reservedly, "Not bad."
Ji Mingqing said happily: "I knew you would like it. As for why it was not caught from the river here, it is a high-grade spirit fish that I bought from Zhao Yu." Having said that, Ji Mingqing and Bai Cangze mentioned their plans.
"I think it's not a good idea for us to always use the fish that the Palace Master sends us every month. He can't guarantee that he'll catch any... species of seafood. Although he gives us a lot, the variety is too diverse and it's really unreliable."
"So what are you going to do?" Bai Cangze asked.
"I want to build some fish ponds, as well as shrimp and crab ponds. It's not a good idea to always fish from the river. We didn't have many customers before, so the river was able to supply us. Now it's gradually becoming insufficient." Ji Mingqing rested his chin on the table. "What a sweet worry."
"How difficult is that? I can dig a pond in no time. But where do you want to put it?"
"Let's put it in the east." Ji Mingqing had thought about it long ago. "There are so many fairy plants growing there. We can find a place to dig a pond nearby. It will be perfect for a farm stay."
“What is a farm stay?”
"It's a place where people in the city want to relax in a different environment and experience rural life. We can also raise chickens and ducks."
Ji Mingqing slammed the table and said, "Yeah, how could I have forgotten about this? I've been so busy lately."
I originally thought that buying things from Zhao Yu was just a transition. I originally wanted to be self-sufficient in the future, but I got so busy that I forgot about it.
"It's not too late to think about it now, but you'd better build it bigger, as the demand in the future will definitely be huge."
"That's what I thought." Ji Mingqing planned with Xiaowan while eating, "These spiritual fish and shrimp are not easy to raise. I'll ask Xu Yihe if there is anyone who knows about this."
"I think it's better for you to do it yourself." Bai Cangze reminded gently. He didn't know whether Ji Mingqing knew about his talent, but Ji Mingqing had thought of a solution early on.
"It's okay. I've thought about it a long time ago. I'll just sprinkle some fish food on them from time to time. That should be fine." Ji Mingqing said with some trepidation.
"I didn't take good care of those immortals, but they grew so well. This fish should be no different." Ji Mingqing faced Xiaowan and lowered his voice in this confined space, speaking in a volume that only two people could hear.
"I think it's because I'm a descendant of Yan and Huang. After coming to the fairyland, my bloodline was activated, so I can raise anything I want." After Ji Mingqing finished speaking, he looked at Xiaowan and asked, "Do you know my fellow townsman?"
"I don't know him." Bai Cangze didn't expect this person to be able to justify himself. "If anyone asks, you can say this to others in the future."
Ji Ming nodded as he listened, then lowered his head and sent all the other dishes over at once.
"I originally wanted to follow the way people do in other countries and serve one dish after the other, but I really can't wait." After serving the dishes, Ji Mingqing dimmed the candlelight on the table.
This candle is made of high-quality natural wax that Ji Mingqing specially asked Zhao Yu to buy. It has no smell and no smoke when lit, but it has the effect of calming the mind.
"Xiao Wan, have you ever had a candlelight dinner before?" After asking, Ji Mingqing muttered to himself, "You definitely haven't, you don't even have a girlfriend."
"Who said I haven't had it before?" Bai Cangze snorted coldly, "I've had candlelight dinners with many people."
It's not just candlelight dinners, he's also had starlight dinners and campfire dinners. When he goes out to fight, he has to replenish supplies in the wild every day and eat around the table. What's so new about that?
"Okay, okay, you've had candlelight dinners with many people." Ji Mingqing coaxed with a smile. Why was this little cat still angry and embarrassed?
"It doesn't matter if you've eaten it before or not, you're eating it with me now." Ji Mingqing considerately peeled a shrimp and placed it on Xiaowan's plate. "What happened before doesn't count. Let's start from today, okay?"
Bai Cangze lowered his head and looked up at Ji Mingqing's hand, which was still as white as jade even in the dim light.
For convenience, Ji Mingqing rolled up his sleeves to his forearms. Bai Cangze realized at that moment that although Ji Mingqing looked slender, she was not frail. But how could such a person be so light when held in his arms?
Bai Cangze's thoughts couldn't help but drift away. Seeing that he was in a daze, Ji Mingqing cut the meat on the plate and then exchanged their plates.
"Eat this of mine."
Bai Cangze raised his head and looked into Ji Mingqing's smiling eyes. His claws moved unconsciously. Ji Mingqing saw that he had scratched a mark on the table in front of him and whispered.
"Don't you want to eat what I cut for you? I'll switch it over now." After saying that, he stretched out his hand, wanting to return the plate in front of him to its original position, but the next moment, Ji Mingqing felt a furry touch pressing on his hand.
"No, this is fine."
Ji Mingqing smiled and said, "I knew it!"
Bai Cangze lowered his head to eat the food Ji Mingqing had cut for him. Listening to Ji Mingqing's words, he commented in a gentle voice, "This environment lacks some style."
"Of course!" Ji Mingqing said complacently, "This kind of environment is quite common back home. Young couples on dates love it. They don't even need a separate room. In the dimly lit hall, with someone playing the piano in the middle, it's very romantic for two people to share a table."
"Plus, those kinds of restaurants are extremely expensive. A steak costs 198 yuan, and with the side dishes, a meal for two people costing 700 to 800 yuan is not uncommon."
Ji Mingqing was afraid that Xiaowan had no idea, so he added, "My mother only gives me 1,500 yuan a month for living expenses."
"Have you eaten with others?" Bai Cangze asked in a deep voice. Ji Mingqing felt it was a bit strange. Why did the question have such a dull tone?
"Of course not. I used up half a month's living expenses on just one meal. I only know this because my roommate took his girlfriend out to eat and took pictures." Ji Mingqing felt that he was wrong. "His family is well-off. I learned a lot of things from him. It really broadened my horizons."
"You know, he once brought me a piece of ham. I thought, it's just a piece of meat, why did he bring it to me specially? Guess what happened." Ji Mingqing paused, put down his chopsticks, looked at Bai Cangze with bright eyes, wanting Bai Cangze to give him some reaction.
Bai Cangze looked at Ji Mingqing's bright and expectant smile, so he had no choice but to go along with him and give him the response he wanted.
"So what's going on?"
"That piece of ham cost two thousand yuan. I almost vomited it after eating half of it!" Ji Mingqing swallowed and recalled the taste.
"I took the first bite as if it were just ordinary ham. After one bite, there was still half left. After I knew the price, I wanted to eat every last bit of it."
"But I didn't taste anything special about it. I think it doesn't taste as good as bacon. But maybe I'm not used to it because I've never eaten it before. My roommate said he brought it to me because he thought it was delicious."
"Did he only give you one piece?" Bai Cangze asked.
"Yes, there was only one slice. He said there were two slices in the dish, so he ate one and brought the remaining one back to me." Ji Mingqing reminisced at this moment, "My mother was sick and hospitalized at the time, and he helped me find the chief physician... He's a doctor with a relatively high status in our area. If it were me alone, he wouldn't come to treat my mother."
At this point, Ji Mingqing felt a little lost. "I don't know if my mother will still be around when I go back. She worked too hard when she was young, and now she's old and in poor health. She'll definitely be very sad after I die. I don't know if she can hold on."
Ji Mingqing lowered his head, but Bai Cangze still saw tears in his eyes. In the dim candlelight, the drops of water from the corners of his eyes seemed to be an embellishment on his face. Bai Cangze was briefly distracted by the sight of Ji Mingqing like this.
Ji Mingqing, who had always been positive and optimistic in front of him, and even only wanted to fight angrily when encountering injustice, occasionally revealed a hint of vulnerability, which made him a little overwhelmed.
"You won't be so disappointed. I heard that Kunze Palace will be selecting new people in a few days. You can go and watch. Maybe you will have the chance to meet the Lord."
"Really?" After hearing this, Ji Mingqing's eyes lit up. The tears that had just overflowed from the corners of his eyes, which he had not had time to wipe away, made people unable to look away at this moment.
"Of course it's true. Every selection period of Kunze Palace is a big event in the fairy world. You can rent a stall near Kunze Palace. During the selection period, you can make money and get the news from Kunze Palace at the first time."
"What message will Kunze Palace send out?" Ji Mingqing didn't understand. It was just a selection competition. Kunze Palace would at most give a reply to the participants. What message could it send out?
"After every selection, Kunze Palace will quickly announce the date of the next gathering. Generally speaking, there is a gap of about fifteen years between the gathering and the selection."
"Fifteen years!" Ji Mingqing thought that before he left Anding Palace, Lu Jiyao seemed to have mentioned it to him vaguely, but he didn't take it seriously at that time. Now that Xiaowan mentioned it, he remembered it.
"Will we still need to select a temporary guard team at that time? I see Lu Jiyao has already started preparing early."
"Indeed, Kunze Palace selects official personnel every fifty years. These people will follow our... our Lord into battle, so the selection process is very strict."
"But the guards are different. As long as they have the strength to ensure the safety of the market, they'll be fine." Xiaowan said, then snorted coldly, "I don't think anyone in the fairy world would dare to act recklessly at that time."
"Of course, who would dare to attack the Lord when he is so powerful?" After seeing that Xiaowan had eaten all the food on his plate, Ji Mingqing picked up another plate for him.
"By the way, Xiaowan, you have connections, can you help me find out what the Lord likes? Does he really like beads?"
"It's not the beads, he likes..." At this point, Bai Cangze was stuck. He suddenly realized that there was nothing in this world that he liked. But seeing Ji Mingqing's expectant eyes, he could only coax him, "How can we, the Lord, find out what he likes?"
Seeing Ji Mingqing's mood sinking, Bai Cangze turned his neck irritably, scratched the table, and assured him, "Don't worry, I will definitely help you find out."
Ji Mingqing's heart went up and down following Xiaowan's words, but after hearing Xiaowan's assurance, he felt guilty and wondered if he was forcing her.
"It's okay. It doesn't matter if I don't know. At most, I can spend more money and send a few more things to the Lord."
"Let's not talk about that for now. The meal is almost over. Tell me, is there anything here that needs to be changed?"
What changes have been made? Bai Cangze couldn't say.
The light was too dim, the space was too small, and the two people were too close to each other. These three conditions combined could actually change the rhythm of one's breathing.
"The lighting was dim, but even the lowest-ranking immortal could clearly see the other person's face. Although the space was small, it didn't feel crowded with two people in the same space. The distance between us at the dinner table was so close that we could clearly hear every word of each other."
"Overall, I think your place is nice."
Ji Mingqing didn't expect that the Xiaowan family would give him such a professional evaluation just because he asked without any hope.
He had never heard Xiaowan say so many words in one breath!
"The food tastes good too. I don't think there's anything that needs improvement. You can ask Xu Yihe and Cui Ding to come over and take a look."
"Let them come by themselves when the time comes. If they have any suggestions, just tell me directly and I won't eat with them." Ji Mingqing raised his head slightly and said with some complacency, "Only Xiaowan is worthy of my eating and drinking with him."
A short joke actually made Bai Cangze feel a secret joy in his heart.
After leaving Yuantaopo, Bai Cangze found an opportunity to find Xu Yihe and gave him an order that Xu Yihe felt was the most baffling order he had ever received.
"Publicly announce that I love to eat sour golden fish."
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