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Chapter 8
Freezing, Shen You put her roast duck down. She couldn’t eat with someone watching her like that.
Xie Guanrong looked at the glowing light tubes on the ceiling fearfully.
What place was this? The underworld?
But books described the underworld as dark and terrifying, while this place was as bright as day.
On the table was a shiny, golden roast duck. Just smelling it seemed to restore some strength to his body, which was nearly collapsing from hunger.
Seeing his condition, Shen You was afraid something might happen in the shop that would be difficult to handle.
So she picked up a plastic lid, placed her freshly wrapped duck on it, and pushed it across the table.
“I—I don’t have any money.” Xie Guanrong said nervously.
He looked at the wrapped pancake, unable to take his eyes off it.
“It’s free.” Shen You said, reaching for a disposable cup, filling it with water from the dispenser, and placing it next to the plastic lid.
Hearing this, Xie Guanrong’s expression immediately brightened. “Really? I can eat it?”
Shen You nodded.
Xie Guanrong stretched out his thin arm, but hesitated just before touching the food.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world— he couldn’t believe such good fortune existed.
Outside the city were refugees fleeing famine everywhere. Even a piece of bread and clean water were precious resources, let alone such fine roast duck.
But in his current state, apart from his worthless life, what else could anyone want from him?
Caught between starving to death or taking a risk, he hesitated for a moment before choosing the latter.
He picked up the warm wrapped pancake, inhaling its aroma, his hands trembling slightly.
It was real food! Not a hallucination from his starving mind.
Taking one bite, the crispy skin, tender duck meat, refreshing cucumber combined with sauce instantly conquered his taste buds.
He had never eaten anything so delicious. Could it be that he had really met an immortal!
Xie Guanrong looked at Shen You somewhat awkwardly. He didn’t want to finish it all at once, but was afraid of displeasing the immortal.
Shen You placed a box of roast duck in front of him. The takeout came with two boxes, and she couldn’t finish it all herself, so she might as well do a good deed.
A boy his age in modern times would still be sitting in a classroom doing exams.
“These are for me too?” Xie Guanrong asked, overwhelmed by the kindness. “Is there anything I can do for you? I’m strong, I can do any work, and I’ve had some education.”
Shen You looked at his frail frame that seemed like it would topple in a breeze, and considered, “Then why don’t you write a few characters for my shop? The wall could use some decorations.”
She took out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from a delivery box under the counter.
The package had arrived earlier that day and hadn’t been organized yet. She had bought these supplies in case customers needed them.
“Eat something first. You need to be full to write well.”
Xie Guanrong nodded to Shen You gratefully, treating the roast duck slices with utmost reverence.
Shen You asked a few questions, then confirmed that the boy had entered through a pavilion near the official road outside the city.
This didn’t surprise her, as the shop entrance wasn’t fixed to that alley.
What’s more she hadn’t closed the random portal, as she was curious about how this function worked.
Hmm, it was like a roaming NPC merchant in a game. Interesting.
Xie Guanrong had finished writing, and his calligraphy was indeed good.
Thinking that he was a refugee and that one box of roast duck might not be enough, Shen You took rice cakes from the refrigerator that she hadn’t eaten in the morning, heated them in the microwave, added a package of lotus leaf pancakes, and put everything in a plastic bag.
“These are for you too.”
Xie Guanrong held the rice cakes and lotus leaf pancakes through the plastic bag, feeling inexpressible gratitude. “Thank you, shopkeeper.”
He never imagined that he would taste such soft, sweet, and delicious food again.
Xie Guanrong savored the sweetness of the rice cake carefully, afraid to waste even a bit, and then tucked the remaining food into his clothes cautiously.
“May I keep some to take back for my family?”
“Of course, but don’t keep it too long or it will spoil.” Shen You replied.
Before he left the shop, Shen You added one more reminder: “It’s best not to tell others about coming here.”
The people who had been banging on the door a couple of days ago looked like officials. Ordinary people should avoid such trouble.
“Thank you immortal for the advice, I will remember it. Today’s great kindness will never be forgotten.”
With that, he was about to kneel and kowtow to Shen You.
“No, no, no.” Shen You stopped him hurriedly. “There’s no need. I received your calligraphy, so it’s an equal exchange.”
In her homeland, apart from worshipping at temples, people usually only knelt and kowtowed when someone died, during funeral rites.
It was inauspicious to have someone bow to her like this.
Xie Guanrong didn’t dare defy the immortal and abandoned the idea of kneeling.
After leaving the shop, he looked back to see moonlight filtering through the gaps in the pavilion roof tiles, falling on the stone steps.
Not far away was only the mud-built stove of a teahouse. There was no trace of that glowing wooden door.
His mouth opened in astonishment as he hid the plastic food container and remaining half of the rice cake in his clothes, quickly heading in the opposite direction.
They were refugees who had fled famine, without travel permits, unable to enter the city. They could only spend nights in abandoned temples, and sometimes, with bad luck, not even that.
Ordinary people could only walk on the sides of the official road, but definitely couldn’t sleep on it directly. In such cases, they could only camp in the wilderness near the road.
For safety, refugees traveled in groups. Families without able-bodied men would be bullied, and theft often occurred.
He needed to hide his food well and quickly return to where his family was resting!
The thin figure looked around vigilantly, confirmed that no one was nearby, then ran to an even younger, similarly ragged child immediately.
“Brother, where did you go?”
Xie Guanrong covered his mouth, signaling him to be quiet. “I found food. Come with me.”
The two children tiptoed to a hidden spot behind a tree, where Xie Guanrong finally took out what he had been hiding.
The rice cake was somewhat deformed from being kept in his clothes, but the roast duck in the box was unchanged.
Opening the steamy lid to reveal the golden, oily roast duck inside, Xie Hua couldn’t help but swallow.
“I just met an immortal. This is what she gave me. Eat quickly.” Xie Guanrong said. “Don’t tell anyone.”
“Mm! Brother, you eat too.”
Xie Hua eagerly grabbed a piece of roast duck and stuffed it into his mouth. Food from an immortal was indeed different. It tasted so good he could hardly believe it was real.
“I’ve already eaten. You have more.” Xie Guanrong pushed the roast duck toward him, taking a lotus leaf pancake to eat dry.
But with all this they were also afraid that the aroma would attract others, so they finished the food as quickly as possible. Even the oil in the box was used as dipping sauce for the pancakes.
On the refugee road, oil was also extremely precious, so not a bit could be wasted.
Shen You looked at the “Transaction Successful, Operating Value +2” prompt on the counter system and fell into thought.
Based on her observations, operating value was related to the transaction content and the value of the items.
Was the boy’s calligraphy that valuable?
With calligraphy and paintings, quality was one aspect, but what mattered most was who created them.
Famous artists could sell works for high prices with just a few strokes and a seal, while ordinary people’s works might not sell for even 50 yuan.
Shen You thought for a moment, clicked on the transaction record, but found no indication that the other party had any special identity.