My Hotel Is Famous All Over the World

Chapter 67

Peng En was a giant python, naturally lazy. Ever since the delivery service was introduced in the orc world, he hardly ever left his home. He’d coil up into a circle in his own space, eating when he wanted, sleeping when he wished. Isn’t that wonderful and comfortable? Why bother going outside to suffer?

However, this kind of thinking underwent some changes recently, or rather, a slight shift. While staying indoors was certainly good, there were some things he couldn’t get there, such as the food from the Three Thousand Food House.

In the past, Peng En had heard about the Three Thousand Food House, but that was mainly due to its unique location and… infamous food. However, he didn’t know when it began, but the online reviews about the Three Thousand Food House gradually changed. By the time Peng En paid attention to it, the internet was filled with praises for the Three Thousand Food House.

This was a bit strange. The food from the shop used to be quite terrible, but suddenly, the food became delicious. Later, he learned that it was because the owner had changed. If it weren’t for any unexpected events, Peng En’s attention would have stopped there. After all, what difference did it make to him whether the food was tasty or raw? It all served the purpose of filling his belly. As long as he could eat his fill, he didn’t really care what he consumed.

However, later on, even the Divine Race started showing up at the Three Thousand Food House. Not only that, but the leader of the Divine Race was also from the Feng family! Subsequently, after the renovation of the Three Thousand Food House, news about grabbing reservations for the restaurant became a trending topic on the internet every now and then. Amidst these waves of information, Peng En’s interest was successfully piqued. He was willing to make an exception and leave his home just this once to taste the food from the Three Thousand Food House.

Peng En’s plan sounded good, but when he actually considered going to the Three Thousand Food House, he encountered a problem. Well, the thing was, he didn’t grab, he didn’t realize, but as soon as he tried, he was left shocked. The reservation slots for the Three Thousand Food House were incredibly hard to secure! He waited on the internet for ten days, but he couldn’t even grab a single slot!

What was even more frustrating was that he came across this kind of message online:

“#ThreeThousandFoodHouse Opens Cafeteria in Temporal Battlefield, Free for All Soldiers!#”

Was this even fair? How was this fair?! Wasn’t it just a battle? Just killing a few Stonekin? He could just coil up and wrap around them, and yet, he couldn’t even secure a slot for the Three Thousand Food House meals that he had been trying to grab for ten days straight? This world was just too unfair. Peng En got into a spat in the comments section:

【Killing a few Stonekin is all it takes to eat the Three Thousand Food House meals for free every day. It’s so unfair!】

Someone replied: 【Unfair? Are you out of your mind? They’re risking their lives to protect the safety of the Three Thousand Worlds. Now they’re just having some Three Thousand Food House meals, so what’s the big deal? I think it’s reasonable, even think it’s not enough!】

Peng En sneered: 【You’re the one with the problem in your head. Unfair is unfair. Killing a few Stonekin doesn’t require risking their lives to such an extent. If they die at the hands of the Stonekin, it’s their own weakness!】

The other person: 【Oh, look at that. What a statement. If you’re capable, why don’t you step up? You’re just mouthing off under the protection of others. Truly something special!】

Peng En: 【Alright, I’m stepping up!】

Exiting the interface, Peng En, full of indignation, found the interface for recruiting soldiers for the temporal battlefield and immediately signed up.

Not many people had extreme views like Peng En, but there were quite a few who had a lot of confidence in their own abilities. In the eyes of many, the reason they didn’t go to the temporal battlefield in the past was because it was too remote and they had few vacations. But now, with the prospect of getting paid for fighting the Stonekin in the temporal battlefield and also enjoying Three Thousand Food House food every day, many were tempted. Remote location and limited vacation time didn’t matter as long as they could eat Three Thousand Food House dishes every day. These were no longer issues, so many people started signing up.

In the temporal battlefield, the place responsible for recruiting new soldiers, a soldier was checking recruitment information on the Communication Network. As soon as he opened the interface, he was almost overwhelmed by the dense array of registration information. There were just too many! He had been here for five or six years and had never seen so many people signing up! What had happened? Did the temporal battlefield conduct some kind of publicity?

He reported the registration situation to his superior, and even the superior expressed surprise. The temporal battlefield had never been an attractive option, and the number of willing recruits had always been low. There had been no recent publicity efforts, so why were there suddenly so many more people today? Besides, even when they did conduct publicity before, they didn’t get this many people!

The officer took out his Communication Device and checked. He saw the message that was gaining tremendous attention:

“#ThreeThousandFoodHouse Opens Cafeteria in Temporal Battlefield, Free for All Soldiers!#”

Officer: “……” So, just introducing a restaurant could lead to such an increase in the number of sign-ups? If he had known it was this simple, he would have brought in Three Thousand Food House earlier.

….

At the Three Thousand Food House, which was currently not yet open for business, Bai Xianzhi was observing the situation in the Huaguo branch. The apprentices were each focused on their tasks, and the situation wasn’t too bad. Just at that moment, an elderly lady entered the shop. Bai Xianzhi hurriedly went forward and greeted her with a smile, “Grandma Zhao, why have you come?”

Ever since the last time Bai Xianzhi helped the Three Thousand Food House dispel superstitious rumors, Grandma Zhao hadn’t visited the place. Furthermore, the elderly generation from Wutong Lane rarely came to the Three Thousand Food House to begin with. Seeing her sudden arrival, especially when it wasn’t during business hours, Bai Xianzhi was also curious about her purpose.

“Grandma Zhao, please have a seat,” Bai Xianzhi offered her a glass of water, “Have some water. Is there something you need?”

Grandma Zhao took a sip of water, “Little Bai, are you busy? If you are, you can go about your tasks first, and I’ll wait for you.”

Bai Xianzhi smiled, “It’s alright, Grandma. I’m not busy right now. If you have something to discuss, feel free to let me know.”

Looking around and noticing that the shop was adequately staffed, Grandma Zhao felt reassured. She motioned for Bai Xianzhi to sit across from her and said, “Sit down, sit down. We can talk.”

Bai Xianzhi sat down across from Grandma Zhao, not understanding the reason for her visit. Grandma Zhao smiled with her eyes squinted as she looked at him. “Little Bai, this old lady and your uncle have known each other for a long time. We often play cards together. Your uncle has shared a lot about you. He even talked about your childhood. He said you were a well-behaved child from a young age. You started cooking in elementary school, and your dishes kept getting better in taste. He also said you did well in your studies, eventually making it to college. You brought honor to him!”

Bai Xianzhi felt a bit embarrassed. He had never known that his uncle talked about him this way to others. He scratched his neck and chuckled awkwardly, “Haha, it’s not like that. My exam scores weren’t that great to get into a top-tier university.”

“Oh?” Grandma Zhao’s face slightly darkened. “What kind of talk is that? Getting into a college is already impressive! Look at you, taking over your uncle’s shop after graduation, and now your restaurant is flourishing. Many people from out of town are eager to dine at your place. All of this is due to your abilities!”

Bai Xianzhi chuckled awkwardly. This was the first time he had been praised so straightforwardly face to face. It made him feel quite uncomfortable. Moreover, he found it odd that Grandma Zhao came to see him just to praise him.

Grandma Zhao smiled and changed the topic. “Speaking of which, there’s a niece on my maternal side. She graduated from college this year. She’s been an obedient child since childhood and loves cooking. She even wanted to attend a culinary school before going to college. But since there isn’t a culinary school nearby, she studied finance instead. Now, she’s found a job in our city and has been working for two months. Her career is thriving, and she’s doing very well.”

Bai Xianzhi had a faint suspicion, thinking to himself: Could it be? Could it be? Could it be? However, he maintained a smiling demeanor and responded, “Haha, yes, it’s quite impressive to find a job in the current job market.”

Grandma Zhao laughed heartily. “That’s exactly what I think. Jobs are hard to come by these days. The fact that Fengfeng found one means she’s capable. Moreover, young people these days face a lot of pressure. If they can’t find jobs, the pressure only increases.”

Bai Xianzhi nodded in agreement. “Yes, yes, you’re right.”

Grandma Zhao continued, “Little Bai, I can see that you’re managing this restaurant on your own, and you’re raising two children. You’re busy all the time, and there’s no one to share the load with you.”

Bai Xianzhi quickly replied, “No, no, Grandma. We have many employees in the restaurant. I’m not overwhelmed.”

Grandma Zhao disagreed, “Nonsense! I’ve lived for decades. Do you think I wouldn’t know? For children from ordinary families like ours, the further they go, the harder and tougher it gets. Even if you’re not physically exhausted from work, can you escape mental exhaustion? Now that your uncle has also passed away, you’re alone in this world. You still need someone who understands you, who knows when you’re cold or hot, someone to support you when you’re tired. Having someone to care for brings hope.”

Bai Xianzhi responded, “Grandma, I have two children. They’re my support.”

Grandma Zhao sighed, “Children? Little Bai, you need to remember that children are children, and a life partner is a life partner. When children grow up, they have their own lives. As an elder, you should step back. If you continue to intervene, they’ll resent you. Only a life partner can accompany you to the end.”

Bai Xianzhi fell silent. Grandma Zhao’s words struck a chord with him. After graduating from college, he fared well compared to his classmates. Taking over his uncle’s shop after graduation and using his culinary skills to build Three Thousand Food House reputation, he was financially secure. However, at his current age, many questions began to surface. It wasn’t just about money; it was about how to live the rest of his life.

During his university years, Bai Xianzhi hadn’t had a girlfriend. He had poured all his energy into studying culinary arts and his studies. Now that his career was taking off and he had the company of his two children, he didn’t feel lonely at all. However, he was also starting to understand certain things. For instance, he now understood why there were news reports of people choosing suicide after losing all their family members. Could they not choose suicide? For some people, their family was their biggest motivation to keep going. The healing process required people to gather together, comfort one another, and start mending their wounds. Only when wounded individuals had the warmth of human connection, and someone to lick their wounds, did they find the motivation to continue their journey through the hardships of society. But now, the only place that provided warmth, the only place to rest their eyes, was gone. The person who would comfort their wounds was gone as well. Naturally, they lost the motivation to continue living.

Because of the presence of his two little ones, Bai Xianzhi always had pillars of support in his heart. Although they were small in stature, they carried great strength in his heart. Still, what Grandma Zhao said was true. The two children were independent individuals, and they would have their own lives. As they grew up, they would inevitably leave him.

However, Bai Xianzhi wasn’t as pessimistic as Grandma Zhao’s words might have suggested. Finding the right person was indeed wonderful, but if he didn’t find them, living alone wasn’t bad either. In his view, life itself was a journey of experiences.

“Grandma, you’re right, but I haven’t really thought about these things yet. Once the business at the restaurant stabilizes, I’ll consider it.”

Grandma Zhao waved her hand. “It’s not as simple as you think. Tomorrow, I’ll bring Fengfeng to the restaurant to have a meal. You can meet each other and get to know one another. I’m not asking you to get married. It’s just a chance to meet and see if you like each other. If you do, you can talk; if not, that’s okay too. If you don’t even give fate a chance, then you’ll miss out.”

“But Grandma—”

“It’s settled then. Just a meeting, it won’t hurt anyone!”

“Grandma!” Watching Grandma Zhao briskly walk away, Bai Xianzhi sighed in resignation. This was practically being forced upon him. She didn’t come to discuss; she came to make a decision. Well, whatever. He would just explain things to the young lady tomorrow.

—–

Author’s note: =3=

Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or gave me nutrient solutions between 2020-08-23 14:37:19 and 2020-08-24 14:57:07~

Thanks to the little angel who triggered a landmine: White Peach Oolong Duck (1 item);

Thanks to the little angels who provided nutrient solutions: Draco’s Green Tea B*tch (20 bottles), Mu Nian, Lin Xiao E (10 bottles), Matcha Milk Cap (8 bottles), W March (7 bottles), One Big Orange (1 bottle);

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ”