"He went to the market for groceries. The kids went with him and haven't come back yet."
Hu Lemei said as she took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and handed it to Hu Qi.
"How's your leg feeling? Look at you, you've gotten so thin recently."
"It's fine, much better!"
Hu Qi didn't know what to say for a moment, so he just nodded in response.
In truth, he hadn't lost any weight. On the contrary, his weight had even increased. Because he was cultivating Mixed Martial Arts, he was eating massive amounts at every meal.
It was just that he was wearing a jacket. In addition, the fat on his body had decreased from exercise while his muscles had firmed up, sculpting his physique. That was why he appeared a bit thinner than before.
The two of them made small talk.
Before long, the table of customers that had been eating got up, paid their bill, and left.
A little while later, a small, red-painted three-wheeled vehicle pulled up to the entrance.
"Xiaochi is here!"
A middle-aged man who bore a slight resemblance to Li Yi walked in, carrying a few bags of groceries.
The man had an honest, simple face and a burly build; he looked more like a butcher.
This was none other than Hu Lemei's husband, Li Zhenguo.
Following behind him were Li Yi and a young woman.
The woman had a fair complexion and shoulder-length black hair.
She wore a plain white shirt with the top button undone, perfectly showcasing her long, slender neck.
The cuffs of her shirt were neatly rolled up, giving her a capable and sharp appearance.
She paired it with a pair of dark blue straight-leg jeans, the cuffs slightly rolled up to reveal her slender ankles. On her feet were a pair of white sneakers.
Her entire demeanor exuded an air of competence and efficiency.
Upon seeing Hu Qi, Li Yi merely gave a faint nod, her expression indifferent.
Hu Qi wasn't surprised by this.
According to the original owner's memories, this Li Yi, despite being only a year older than him, had a mature personality and was a successful student—always the model child others were compared to.
She looked down on her cousin, the original owner, who hadn't even gone to college.
Coupled with the original owner's previous bizarre behavior, her opinion of him had only worsened.
And the original owner, facing this brilliant older cousin who had gotten into a top university at a young age with a bright future ahead of her, felt inferior and always seemed to shrink in her presence.
This was one of the reasons the original owner didn't much like visiting his aunt's home.
But to the current Hu Qi, this was nothing. He nodded back with a normal expression, offered a simple greeting, and said nothing more.
This attitude, however, took Li Yi by surprise.
His current demeanor seemed different from the Hu Qi of the past.
But she didn't dwell on it. She had heard about what had happened to him recently and just assumed he might have had a change in mindset after suffering a blow.
'Too bad a leopard can't change its spots.'
She scoffed inwardly.
After a simple greeting, Li Zhenguo went up to the second-floor kitchen to get busy.
Hu Lemei gave a word of instruction and also went into the kitchen to help prepare the ingredients.
Normally, Hu Lemei and Li Zhenguo ran the restaurant themselves. The former handled serving and billing, while the latter was in charge of the kitchen.
They only hired a few hourly workers to help during the one or two busiest hours at mealtimes.
However, with the rise of street stall culture in the last two years, the restaurant business had become difficult, and the couple could just barely manage on their own most of the time.
Li Yi came over.
"Brother Qi, come on, let's team up for a game."
He chuckled, pulling out his phone to show a tower defense game that was loading.
Hu Qi had nothing better to do, so he agreed.
He had downloaded it and played a couple of rounds one boring evening before; the gameplay was pretty good.
...
"Brother Qi, quick! They're super low!"
Li Yi yelled excitedly.
"Seriously? This is what you call 'super low'?"
Hu Qi was speechless, watching three full-health enemies jump out of the bushes and KO him. He felt utterly helpless.
"They *were* super low. Maybe you were too slow, Brother Qi, and they healed."
Faced with this situation, Li Yi pushed up the black-framed glasses on his nose and stubbornly defended himself.
The two of them only played a single round before customers started arriving at the restaurant.
After that, customers began to stream in, one after another, in twos and threes.
Most of them were workers from a nearby clothing factory, dressed in dark blue or light gray work uniforms, while others were residents from the neighborhood.
Before long, the restaurant was full.
Because it was summer vacation, the usual university students who worked part-time weren't around.
At first, Li Yi and his sister, Li Yi, were able to manage, but soon, too many customers arrived at once.
Hu Qi had no choice but to roll up his sleeves and start helping.
Thanks to his practice of the Fighting Technique, his Physique had improved, and Hu Qi's movements were remarkably swift and efficient as he worked.
This sight couldn't help but surprise Hu Lemei.
After all, when he had visited before, the most he would do was help with the bills.
In the meantime, by listening to the customers' conversations, Hu Qi realized that today was the He Yuan Festival of the Xia Federation.
The festival symbolized family reunion, good fortune, and harmony. Typically on this day, people would gather with friends and family for a meal.
This also explained why the restaurant was so busy today.
Soon, it was eight-thirty in the evening.
By this time, the customers were leaving one after another.
When most of the customers had gone, only one table remained, still drinking.
Hu Qi and the others also gathered around a table and began to eat.
On the table were grilled fish, chicken stew cooked in an iron pot, several stir-fried dishes, cold appetizers, and barbecue.
The fragrant aroma filled the air; it was a magnificent feast.
"Xiaochi, you worked hard today. If you hadn't come, I'm not sure we would have managed.
Here, have a piece of this braised eel. It's from our hometown—wild-caught and very nutritious."
Hu Lemei said, picking up a plate of braised eel and placing it in front of Hu Qi.
On the clean white porcelain plate, the braised eel looked exceptionally tempting.
A thick, reddish-brown sauce coated the curved segments of eel, which glistened with a rich sheen.
The eel segments were thick and evenly cut, slightly charred at the edges, yet tender and juicy inside, the flesh firm and springy.
The dish was garnished with a sprinkle of vibrant green scallions and finely minced garlic.
Hu Qi said his thanks and picked up two pieces, placing them in his bowl.
"Xiaoyi, and you too, son, have some," Hu Lemei said, gesturing to her children.
The former took just one piece, while the latter, Li Yi, shook her head with a look of disgust.
"That stuff looks too scary. I'll just eat something else."
"Honestly, child, you're such a picky eater. No wonder you're so skinny..."
Hu Qi watched this scene without saying a word.
He picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
'In my past life, I was a chef for over a decade. What haven't I eaten?'
'Lizards, snakes, toads—I've cooked them all.'
'When you're a cook, tasting the food is just part of the job.'
His mouth closed, and his teeth bit down gently. After a few chews, he spat out a small eel bone.
However, the very instant he swallowed the eel meat, Hu Qi's body stiffened slightly.
Immediately after, a look of disbelief and wild joy surged from the depths of his eyes.