Before transmigrating to the Marvel world, Shi Xiaolei had worked several jobs.
First, he worked as a security guard in a residential area, and later as a porter in a seafood market... Because of his fierce appearance, he often scared children and customers. Out of necessity, he had to give up those jobs. Through the introduction of a kind fellow villager, he went to a construction site, where there were almost no female creatures, and dealt with cement, bricks, and rebar every day.
He was tall and strong. Bricks that others had to carry in two trips, Shi Xiaolei could handle in one. Because his work efficiency was significantly higher than others, he was more effective than a donkey in a production team, and Shi Xiaolei naturally gained the foreman's appreciation. Coupled with his honest nature, he never played cards during breaks and never left the construction site to seek entertainment. He was someone who knew how to save money and live frugally... The foreman uncle found him more and more pleasing to the eye, and even thought more than once about introducing Shi Xiaolei to girls from his village.
At some unknown point, Shi Xiaolei had already become one of the 'insiders' in the foreman uncle's eyes, and in his daily life, he gradually received more preferential treatment and care.
For example, he learned to cook thanks to the foreman uncle. If it weren't for his help in putting in a good word, the restaurant owner who delivered food to the construction site wouldn't have been so patient in guiding Shi Xiaolei. Additionally, being able to take the time to go and learn cooking from the restaurant owner was also due to the foreman uncle's approval.
"Locke, order for table 2." Holding a slip, 2B pushed open the kitchen curtain, poked her head in, and said to Shi Xiaolei, who was busy at the stove, "Two portions of shrimp and egg fried rice, one of them without diced carrots."
"Alright!" Shi Xiaolei answered, scooped the freshly fried rice noodles into a plate, and handed it to 2B. He casually asked, "Just two portions of fried rice, right? Nothing else?"
"Mm, for takeout."
"Okay, I got it. You pack the side dishes, the fried rice will be ready soon."
It wasn't a high-end restaurant; it focused on small profits and quick turnover. To control costs, Shi Xiaolei's small shop offered fewer than ten dishes—fried rice, fried rice noodles, fried noodles, a few simple rice bowls, and only two rotating options of tomato or seaweed egg drop soup. That was all.
Even though the dishes were simple, the shop's business was quite good.
Affordable prices, above-average taste, generous ingredients, large portions, fast serving speed, coupled with the popularity of the sign-board lady, Miss 2B, and the 'Beauty and the Beast' visual effect they created together, were all contributing factors.
In short, Shi Xiaolei's days were very fulfilling. On any day the shop was open, he basically worked from morning till night.
However, constantly working from morning to night, day in and day out, focusing solely on running the business, was somewhat tiring.
It's not that his body couldn't handle it. To be honest, even without integrating the barbarian bloodline, Shi Xiaolei's original good physique would not have been exhausted by the work at the shop. As for Miss 2B, his work partner, there's even less to say; she has a highly efficient energy conversion core inside her, which can convert all ingested food into energy with zero waste. In terms of endurance, Miss 2B could work until the end of time.
The main issue was mental fatigue.
Barbarians are also human; no matter how thick-skinned or resilient their personalities, there will always be a moment of mental exhaustion.
Moreover, Shi Xiaolei had only recently integrated the bloodline and had not undergone the baptism of blood and fire like his 'compatriots' on the Arreat Plateau... To be fair, although he already possessed the strength to clear the first difficulty, in terms of mental fortitude, Shi Xiaolei was only slightly better than an ordinary person, far from meeting the standard of a 'qualified barbarian'.
Plus, now with Miss 2B, who goes by the alias Sylvia, and the little girl Kanna by his side... As the head of the household,
Shi Xiaolei felt it was necessary to set aside some time to be with them, allowing them to fully experience everyday life in the human world and enjoy more of its beauty.
The weekly business hours only lasted until Saturday noon. From 3 PM on Saturday, the moment Kanna returned from her violin class, the shop would close.
In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday again.
"I'm home~!" 2B had just parked the car and hadn't even had time to fully apply the handbrake when little Kanna, unable to wait, jumped out of the car, wiggling her short legs, and excitedly ran into the shop.
It was a little later than last week, and when she returned, there were only two customers left in the shop who hadn't finished eating.
Ignoring the two customers sitting in the corner, Kanna, like a happy little frog, leaped as soon as she entered the door, bouncing into Shi Xiaolei's arms, who was sitting on a chair by the counter, resting.
"Oh, my~." Shi Xiaolei clumsily caught the little girl, rubbed her head, and a fatherly smile appeared on his face: "Kanna's back. Did you have fun today?"
Clutching Shi Xiaolei's clothes, she found the most comfortable position and sat in his arms.
"Fun~!" Kanna answered, taking the small bowl Shi Xiaolei had prepared earlier, and gently scooped a small spoonful of pudding into her mouth.
The flavors of egg and sweet milk spread in her mouth. Kanna blissfully narrowed her eyes, her small face full of enchantment: "Mmm~~~, so delicious~!"
"It's good, isn't it? I added a little condensed milk to today's pudding. Isn't it a bit sweeter and more fragrant than usual?"
"Mm." Kanna nodded vigorously, scooped up a spoonful, and turned to offer it to Shi Xiaolei's mouth: "Xiaolei, Xiaolei, you eat too."
Calling him by his name was a custom in the US, but the name she uttered was Shi Xiaolei's Chinese name... It wasn't because Kanna was too young and mixed English and Chinese daily, confusing the address. In fact, the little girl called him that on purpose; in her words, it was her exclusive address.
"I've already eaten." Shi Xiaolei smiled and leaned back. Seeing 2B walk in, he casually greeted her: "Sylvia, there's pudding in the fridge."
"I'll eat it later." Holding up the violin case she was carrying, 2B replied with a smile: "I'll go back first and put this away."
"Okay, you go." Remembering something, Shi Xiaolei reminded her: "Oh, by the way, find Kanna's doll costume. Didn't we agree yesterday to go for a walk in Central Park after closing? Later, put that outfit on Kanna, dress her up cutely, and take some photos as a memento."
"Okay."
"Are we going for a picnic?" Kanna looked up at Shi Xiaolei's big face above her.
"That's right." Shi Xiaolei extended a finger, which was thicker than an ordinary person's, and gently wiped away a tiny drop of caramel Kanna had accidentally gotten on her nose. Looking into the little girl's eyes, he said with a smile: "Weren't you clamoring to go?"
"Oh~~~! Xiaolei is the best~."
"Hehe, hurry up and eat. After you're done, go change your clothes, and we'll set off early."
"Mm-hmm~."