Su Han showed a thoughtful expression. After a moment, he said, "I seem to have some impression, but not too much. I only remember that he is also traveling."
"Really? Then where did you see him?"
Lumine immediately became excited. She hadn't expected to find news of her brother so soon after arriving in Mondstadt. This was simply too wonderful.
"Probably somewhere in Mondstadt. I don't remember clearly. But since he is also a traveler, I believe you two will meet one day. As it happens, my shop is short of staff lately. Do you want to stay and work for me?"
"How do you calculate the pay? A big boss like you definitely won't mistreat us, right?"
"Food and lodging included, and ten thousand Mora per day."
"Wow, that much! Lumine, what do you think? This price sounds amazing."
"Mm, I'm willing to stay. But I won't be able to work every single day. I still need to go out and look for information."
Since she now knew her brother had appeared in Mondstadt, Lumine didn't want to just be a part-time worker. Once she saved enough travel funds, she would leave immediately.
Su Han didn't mind at all. He even told them that whether in Mondstadt or Liyue, they could always come to his store whenever they needed money. The rate would never go down, and if they worked hard, he might even give them a raise.
Paimon said at once, "From now on, we are the excellent employees of the manga shop! Don't worry, Boss Su, we will definitely work hard."
Lumine nodded as well, expressing she would work diligently.
At this time, Hu Tao walked over and asked, "You're done talking, right? Then shouldn't you taste my tea now?"
"Of course. I'm thirsty anyway. Let me see what kind of tea it is! I heard people say that the tea from Liyue Harbor is very famous."
"Is that so? Then I want to try too."
Hearing Paimon's praise, Lumine became curious as well, and after talking for so long, she was indeed thirsty.
Seeing that everyone was giving her face, Hu Tao turned to Su Han and asked, "Do you want some?"
Su Han's smile stiffened instantly as he said, "Ahem, Hall Master, you wouldn't want me to miss the latest manga updates, right? You know my stomach is fragile. If I…"
"Stop, stop, stop. Fine, I won't make you drink it. Just don't stop updating the manga."
Compared to her experiment, Hu Tao cared far more about the manga. If she couldn't read the newest issue, she would be restless all night.
Paimon and Lumine exchanged a look. Something felt off. Why would drinking tea involve stomach issues? As they hesitated, Hu Tao brought over the hot water.
"I've named this first pot: 'Fragrant Night Wander.' The base is Qingxin Village's tea leaves, with Small Lamp Grass, chrysanthemums, lizard tails, and fireflies."
"Wait, what do you mean fireflies?! Can that even be drunk?"
Paimon turned pale at the recipe. No matter how she thought about it, insects shouldn't be used for tea. She immediately regretted chasing that ten thousand Mora reward.
Lumine also looked terrified. She wasn't afraid of sleeping outdoors, but using bugs to brew tea was too strange.
Hu Tao puffed up her cheeks, dissatisfied. "What do you know? In Liyue, many herbal medicines contain insects. When I went to grab Qiqi from Bubu Pharmacy, I saw Doctor Baizhu add powdered insects into medicine with my own eyes. Don't worry, this Hall Master has researched it."
The originally fragrant tea turned pitch-dark once the fireflies, Small Lamp Grass, and chrysanthemums were added.
Paimon said nervously, "Lumine, you drink first."
"No, let's drink together. We're sharing the Mora."
"Ugh, fine, but don't trick me."
The two raised their cups and drank. They lasted barely a second before spitting everything out.
Paimon stuck out her tongue, feeling like she had swallowed bitter herbs. She complained, "So bitter! And such a weird smell. Hu Tao, are you trying to kill us?"
"Looks like the first recipe failed. It's fine, I have the next one."
Hu Tao shrugged, poured the tea out, and began preparing a second version. This time she added Cecilia flowers, dandelions, and a little rock sugar. Thinking it would still be dark cuisine, Paimon reluctantly tried it, then her eyes widened.
"Huh? This one is much better! If there were less dandelion, it'd taste amazing. Right, Lumine?"
"Mm, it really is delicious. I think you can add honey too."
Hearing their evaluation, Su Han was surprised. "Unbelievable. You actually created something good?"
"Listen to you. This Hall Master is a prodigy! Experimenting with tea is nothing. I plan to create a few recipes and sell them near your manga shop. Since the queue is always so long, people get thirsty and hungry. There's definitely demand."
Watching her smug face, Su Han realized she really had matured. At least when it came to business, she was quick to grasp opportunities.
Even if she liked causing trouble, she was now using her energy in the right direction.
Glancing at the table full of flowers, Su Han suggested, "Hall Master, you didn't forget what I told you, right? Adapt to local conditions. Instead of researching tea in Mondstadt, why not try their usual drink, coffee?"
"Hm? You have a point. Just like how my Wangsheng Funeral Parlor made changes, Mondstadt residents love alcohol and coffee. How did I forget that? I'll change my research direction. You two wait here while I buy some coffee beans."
Hu Tao was all action. Soon, she returned with a large amount of coffee. With Paimon and Lumine giving suggestions and taste-testing, she unexpectedly developed several new drinks. The best of them was the Coffee Lemon Tea. Even Su Han praised it, saying it could make a fortune.
Hu Tao grinned proudly. "Hehe, this Hall Master has officially opened a new business path. Wait and see, tomorrow I'll put it on sale. If we make money, I'll definitely share profits with you two!"
"Thank you, Hu Tao."
"Oh, no need! I'm always generous to friends."
Night deepened, and soon it was late.
During this time Su Han checked on Eula. Seeing she was still asleep, he didn't disturb her. Meanwhile, there was still no news from the Knights of Favonius.
Looking out at the nightscape, Su Han murmured, "I wonder how things are going over there…"
The next morning.
The manga remained incredibly popular, more than yesterday even. Many couples wanted a collector's set of Fox Spirit Matchmaker, while some adventurers preferred Wind and Cloud and Under One Person.
But today was different from before. A new sign appeared at the store entrance:
[Refreshing Coffee Lemon Tea, Only 450 Mora per bottle!]
The customers queuing were curious. What exactly was this so-called Coffee Lemon Tea?
A blonde girl walked up to the stall and said, "I'm really thirsty. Please give me one Coffee Lemon Tea."
"One cup, 450 Mora."
"Thank you."
She took a deep sip and immediately exclaimed, shocked, "Wow, it's cold and refreshing, so delicious! There's the fragrance of lemon, plus the aroma of coffee and tea. And it's only 450 Mora? That's amazing!"
People nearby became tempted after hearing such praise. Soon the stall was surrounded.
After leaving the scene, Lumine found Paimon. Smiling, she asked, "How was my acting?"
"A little exaggerated, but extremely effective. Look, everyone's attracted already."
"Then let's go handle the next task. I remember Su Han told us to deliver manga to Springvale to sell. We get a 100-Mora commission for each copy."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go! Tonight I want to eat a big meal at Good Hunter!"
Hearing there was commission, Paimon's eyes turned into Mora symbols. If they managed to sell a thousand copies, they'd earn a hundred thousand Mora just from commission. Who could resist that kind of temptation?
With money in hand, Lumine also became bold. She waved her hand confidently and said, "No problem. Tonight we're going to eat at Good Hunter until we're full!"
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