"He went to the market to buy groceries, and Li Yi and Xiao Yi went with him. They haven't returned yet."
Hu Lemei said, taking a bottle of water from the refrigerator and handing it to Hu Qi.
"How's your leg feeling? You look so thin lately."
"It's nothing, much better!"
Hu Qi didn't know what to say for a moment, only nodding in response.
He hadn't actually lost weight; on the contrary, due to Cultivating Comprehensive Fighting Technique and eating large amounts at every meal, his weight had even increased.
It was just that because he was wearing a jacket, and the fat on his body had decreased due to exercise, his muscles had become firm, and his Physique had been shaped, making him appear a bit thinner than before.
The two chatted back and forth.
Not long after, the table of customers who had been eating stood up, paid their bill, and left.
After a while longer.
A small, red-painted tricycle stopped at the entrance.
"Xiao Qi is here!"
A middle-aged man, somewhat resembling Li Yi, walked in carrying several bags of groceries.
The man had a simple, honest face and was burly, looking more like a butcher who slaughtered pigs and sold meat.
This person 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 second button from the top fastened, perfectly showcasing her slender neck.
The cuffs of her shirt were neatly rolled up, giving her a capable and sharp appearance.
She paired it with dark blue straight-leg jeans, slightly rolled up at the ankles to reveal her slender ankles, and white sneakers on her feet.
Her entire demeanor exuded a capable and sharp aura.
Upon seeing Hu Qi, Li Yi simply gave a faint nod.
Hu Qi was not surprised by this.
According to the original owner's memories, although Li Yi was only one year older than the original owner, she was mature, academically successful, and had always been the "child of another family."
She looked down on the original owner, her cousin, who hadn't even attended university.
Coupled with the original owner's eccentric actions before, it undoubtedly reinforced her view.
And the original owner, facing this cousin who had entered a key university at a young age with a bright future, felt inferior and always felt a step below her.
This was also one of the reasons why the original owner didn't particularly like visiting his aunt's house.
However, this was nothing to Hu Qi; he nodded with a normal expression.
He called her "cousin" and said no more.
This attitude, however, surprised Li Yi a little.
The other person's demeanor seemed different from the former Hu Qi.
But she didn't think much of it; she had heard about what had happened to him recently and simply assumed he might have suffered some setbacks, leading to a change in his mindset.
Unfortunately, old habits die hard.
She scoffed inwardly.
After a brief greeting, Li Zhenguo went to the kitchen on the second floor to get busy.
Hu Lemei gave an instruction and also went into the kitchen to help with preparing the dishes.
The restaurant was usually run by Hu Lemei and Li Zhenguo; the former was responsible for serving and billing, while the latter handled the kitchen affairs.
Only during the busiest hour or two at meal times would they hire a few hourly workers to help out.
However, due to the rise of street stall culture in the past two years, restaurant business had been difficult, and the couple could barely manage on their own during normal times.
Li Yi walked over.
"Qi Ge, come on, let's play a game together."
He grinned, pulled out his phone, and showed a tower defense game that was loading.
Hu Qi had nothing else to do, so he agreed.
He had downloaded and played a couple of rounds when he was bored at night before, and it was quite playable.
...
"Qi Ge, hurry, the opponent is almost dead!"
Li Yi shouted excitedly.
"No, this is what you call 'almost dead'?"
Hu Qi looked speechlessly at the three full-health guys who popped out of the bushes and KO'd him, feeling very helpless.
"They were almost dead, it's just that you were too slow, Qi Ge, and they might have regenerated health."
Facing this situation, Li Yi pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and stubbornly defended himself.
The two had only played one round when customers arrived at the store.
Subsequently, customers came in twos and threes, continuously entering the establishment.
Most of these people were workers from nearby garment factories, wearing dark blue and white-gray uniforms, while others were residents living nearby.
Before long, the store was full of people.
Due to the summer vacation, the usual college student hourly workers were naturally not present.
At first, Li Yi and Li Yi could manage, but then too many customers arrived at once.
Hu Qi also had to roll up his sleeves and start helping.
Because he had Cultivated Fighting Technique and his Physique had strengthened, Hu Qi's movements were very quick when working.
This scene made Hu Lemei feel somewhat surprised.
One must know that when he came before, at most he would only help with accounting.
During this time, through conversations among customers, Hu Qi realized that today was the Xi Ya Federation's Harmonious Reunion Festival.
The meaning of this festival is family reunion, auspiciousness, and harmony. Generally, on this festival, people gather with relatives and friends to share a meal.
Therefore, it also explained why the store was so busy today.
Soon, it was 8:30 PM.
By this time, customers had gradually left.
When most of the customers had left, only one table was still drinking.
Hu Qi and the others also gathered around the table and began to eat.
On the table, there was grilled fish, local pot chicken, several plates of stir-fried dishes, cold dishes, and barbecue.
The aroma was overflowing, and it was very rich.
"Xiao Qi worked hard today. If you hadn't come, we might not have been able to manage today.
Come, have a piece of braised yellow eel. This was brought from our hometown; it's wild and very nutritious."
At this moment, Hu Lemei spoke, bringing a plate of braised yellow eel and placing it in front of Hu Qi.
In the pristine white porcelain plate, a dish of braised yellow eel looked exceptionally tempting.
The reddish-brown, thick sauce coated the curved eel segments, glistening with an oily sheen.
The eel segments were thick and evenly cut, slightly charred at the edges, yet tender and juicy inside, with firm and elastic flesh.
On top, it was garnished with some vibrant green chopped scallions and finely minced garlic.
Hu Qi thanked her and picked up two pieces to put in his bowl.
"Xiao Yi, Li Yi, you two eat too."
Hu Lemei greeted Li Yi and Li Yi.
The former only took one piece, while the latter, Li Yi, shook her head with a look of distaste.
"This thing looks too scary, I'll just eat something else."
"You child, you're so picky, no wonder you're so thin..."
Hu Qi watched this scene without saying much.
He picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
In his previous life, he had been a chef for over a decade; there was nothing he hadn't eaten.
Lizards, snakes, toads, he had cooked them all.
Since he was cooking, tasting the flavor was naturally necessary.
His mouth closed, teeth gently pressing, and after some chewing, an eel bone was spit out from his mouth.
However, the moment he swallowed the eel meat in his mouth, Hu Qi's movements stiffened slightly.
Immediately after.
A surge of disbelief and ecstasy welled up deep in his eyes.
Thank you to man, the emotional Mr. Hand, Dao Master of the Son of Heaven, Li Hen Tian Yi Er, Xiao Luo, Xu Mi Jue, Zhu Zhu Shao, and all the other big shots for the Qidian coins, as well as all the big shots for their monthly and recommendation votes, thank you!