"What's wrong with Xiaochi? Don't tell me he got a bone stuck in his throat?"
Hu Lemei watched Hu Qi's reaction and asked, full of worry.
"Serves him right for eating so fast."
From the side, Li Yi muttered under her breath.
"I'm fine. Uncle's cooking is just so good, I accidentally bit my tongue."
Hu Qi's expression returned to normal. He automatically ignored his 'dear' cousin's sarcasm and gave Hu Lemei an embarrassed smile.
"I'm glad you like it. Eat more, but slow down. No one's going to fight you for it!"
Li Zhenguo shot Li Yi a glare before turning to smile at Hu Qi.
As a chef, there was nothing more pleasing than having one's food praised as delicious, and he was no exception.
"Thanks!"
Hu Qi lowered his head and glanced at the eel meat in his bowl.
Hu Qi was so shocked not because the eel was incomparably delicious.
This braised eel tasted good, to be sure.
But it wasn't enough to make him lose his composure like this.
The real reason was the panel that had appeared before his eyes.
He stared at the Crimson Modifier that had automatically materialized on his retina.
His gaze swept quickly over the panel, landing directly on the last column.
Modification Point: 0
The Modification Point value was still zero.
But as Hu Qi's gaze focused on it…
a line of fine text slowly materialized behind it.
(8%)
Seeing this, Hu Qi picked up an even larger piece of eel and put it in his mouth.
He repeated the process, and once he swallowed the eel meat…
The next second,
the value in the Modification Point column changed again.
0 (17%)
It had increased by 9% in one go.
'It worked!'
Hu Qi was shaken to his core.
After so many days, he had finally found the source of his Modification Points.
It made him feel an urge to burst into tears.
But who would have thought the source of Modification Points would be eating eel?
'No, it can't be that simple. There must be a reason for this that I don't know.'
Hu Qi reined in his thoughts and nonchalantly picked up another piece, placing it in his mouth.
Then he picked up his glass and stood up.
His gaze swept around the table.
"I'd like to propose a toast to Aunt, Uncle, Xiaoyi, and Sister Yi. Happy Reunion Festival! And thank you for taking care of me while I was in the hospital!"
"It's what we should do."
Li Zhenguo smiled.
"You silly child, why are you being so polite today? We're family!"
Hu Lemei said with a hint of reproach.
But she still raised her glass.
Li Yi did the same.
But when it was Li Yi's turn…
she looked up at the others.
"I don't drink!"
With that, she went back to eating on her own.
"It's fine, Li Yi doesn't drink. Let's toast…"
Seeing this, Li Zhenguo's face showed some displeasure, but he didn't say anything more.
He explained, then raised his glass and clinked it against Hu Qi's.
...
A few rounds of drinks and several courses later…
Hu Qi was, naturally, nothing like the previous owner of his body.
Thanks to Hu Qi's deliberate efforts to be agreeable, this meal was a far cry from the awkward, silent atmosphere of the previous owner's visits.
It was undoubtedly a very pleasant time.
If Hu Lemei hadn't been watching from the side, Li Zhenguo would have been ready to call Hu Qi his sworn brother.
How had he never noticed before that the kid was so easy to talk to?
As for the plate of braised eel, it had been moved right in front of Hu Qi.
Except for the first few pieces…
…the rest of it had almost all gone into Hu Qi's stomach.
And the result of all this…
was that the Modification Point column now read: 2 (21%)
"Xiaochi, you've changed so much!"
Li Zhenguo reached out and patted Hu Qi's shoulder.
His face was flushed, a clear sign he'd had a lot to drink.
Hu Qi heard this.
He shrugged.
"What can I say? People have to learn to change and grow, don't they?"
He couldn't keep acting like the body's previous owner forever. Change was necessary.
"Haha, you're right! To think a kid like you can say something so profound. Looks like you really have grown up a lot."
Li Zhenguo laughed heartily.
By now, both Li Yi and Li Yi had finished eating and left the table.
Meanwhile, Hu Lemei had gone to the kitchen to prepare more dishes for the customers.
Now, only Hu Qi and Li Zhenguo were left.
Seeing that the time was right…
Hu Qi's expression shifted slightly, and he asked, feigning curiosity.
"By the way, Uncle, where did you catch this eel? It seems bigger than any I've seen before."
While eating earlier, Hu Qi had noticed.
The pieces of eel on the plate had clearly been cut from the middle of a much larger one. By a rough estimate, the whole thing had to be at least as thick as an arm.
"I bought it at the market when I went back to my hometown for a wedding banquet. I saw two of them, and they were as thick as pythons.
I guessed they might be Exotic Beasts, so I bought them…" Li Zhenguo explained.
"Exotic Beasts?" Hu Qi's eyes flashed.
He recalled his memories on the subject.
Exotic Beasts.
They weren't like the animals with special powers you see in novels or movies.
It was just a name for creatures that were different from their own species in size or appearance.
Such creatures were generally more nutritious than their ordinary counterparts.
'Could it be related to that?'
"Uncle, you said you bought two. Is the other one still around? Can you sell it to me?"
Hu Qi asked.
"It's mainly because the eel tastes really good, and I want to try cooking it myself at home."
"What's this about money? If you want to eat more, just come over again tomorrow and I'll make it for you. It's a hassle to prepare at home anyway."
Li Zhenguo waved his hand dismissively.
"That would be too much trouble. I can cook it myself," Hu Qi said with a smile.
"Alright then. I'll wrap it up for you in a bit."
「A dozen or so minutes later.」
Watching Hu Qi's retreating back as he left, bag in hand…
Inside the restaurant.
Li Yi's expression was very ugly. She snorted coldly.
"Eating here and taking food to-go. How shameless…"
"What nonsense are you spouting, you brat."
The smile on Li Zhenguo's face vanished.
His brows furrowed, and he glanced out of the corner of his eye at his wife's own unpleasant expression.
Then he looked at his "darling" daughter.
"If you ever speak with that sarcastic tone again, see if I don't give you a thrashing."
Li Zhenguo was not a man of many words.
He was the quiet, reserved type.
But when he lost his temper, he commanded absolute authority.
Although Li Yi wanted to retort, she ultimately kept her mouth shut.
"Mom, Brother Qi left some money here."
Just then,
Li Yi, who had gone to the counter to get a charging cable for her phone, spotted a stack of red bills held down by a bottle opener and called out.
Hu Lemei took it.
She gave it a quick count. Exactly one thousand yuan.
She looked up toward the street where Hu Qi had already disappeared from view.
Her eyes grew a little red.
She sighed.
"That child… why is he being such a stranger…"
"Isn't that how it should be? We had to pay for it too."
Li Yi snorted.
Li Zhenguo, who had been standing to the side, saw this.
He felt his heart ache for his wife.
Now, hearing his daughter's words, his anger flared up from out of nowhere.
He pointed a finger at Li Yi, his face turning completely grim.
"Shut up! Look at you. Is that any way for an older sister to act?
When your uncle and aunt were still around, they were good to you, weren't they? When did they ever visit without buying you snacks and toys?"