A square table, one person on each side.
Zhou Li supported Zheng Zhilan as she sat down beside him.
Miss Zheng glanced at Baozi, feeling a bit embarrassed, and said to Zhou Li, "It's okay, I won't fall."
Zhou Li merely hummed in response.
Baozi chose the side of the table where she could manage the hot pot, which was directly opposite Zhou Li, and handed him the menu.
Zhou Li sat close to Zheng Zhilan and told the waiting waiter, "It will take us a while to order. You can attend to other things first. We'll give you the menu once we're ready."
After some discussion, they chose a mandarin duck pot, medium spicy.
Then Baozi watched as Zhou Li quietly read the menu items to Zheng Zhilan, from top to bottom. Baozi said nothing, merely lowering her head to observe Zheng Zhilan's eyes discreetly. But, as if sensing she'd been noticed, she quickly averted her gaze.
Baozi remained composed.
Zhou Li then turned his head to Zheng Zhilan and asked, "How about some crispy meat? Let's see if it's as delicious as yours."
Zheng Zhilan replied softly, "They're professionals running a business; how could I compare?"
Zhou Li responded, "That remains to be seen."
With something like crispy meat, culinary skill certainly affects the taste, but the quality of ingredients also plays a very large role. Homemade crispy meat often disregards cost. However, some restaurant versions, when held up to the light, look translucent, like amber—how could that possibly taste good?
Baozi still did not say a word.
Zhou Li ordered the crispy meat and continued reading from the menu.
This also saved her (Baozi) and Huai Xu the trouble of looking at the menu.
Indeed, that was the case. Zheng Zhilan rarely voiced an opinion, while Huai Xu, on the other hand, listened intently, calling out whenever he heard something he wanted to eat.
It's worth mentioning that he wanted to eat everything.
"Is that all? Oh, that's so much..."
"Do you guys want anything else?" Zhou Li asked.
"Oh! Oh!" Baozi was startled by him; she seemed to have just been lost in some strange state. "I'm not ordering anything else."
"You only ordered lettuce."
"Huai Xu already ordered what I wanted to eat."
"Oh, I see. Alright then."
Zhou Li then took the menu to find the waiter.
Afterwards, Baozi watched as Zhou Li took Zheng Zhilan to prepare the dipping sauces. He was very meticulous and considerate, slowly explaining things to Zheng Zhilan, holding a spoon before her eyes for her to discern its size, and asking about her taste preferences. He acted as her eyes and hands, spending a lot of time.
Baozi had already prepared her own sauce and had also picked up a plate of watermelon.
After a moment's thought, she handed a slice of watermelon to Huai Xu. "What's wrong with her eyes?"
Huai Xu took the watermelon. "It seems she can't see clearly."
"She was born that way."
"Zhou Li and I met her when we went hiking back in our hometown. She came over this time for some business, so we're keeping her company for a few days."
"You met her together?"
Little Cousin watched as the waiter brought the hot pot base and lit the fire. If that's the case, then it's much more reassuring, she thought. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel·fiɾe·net
She then sneakily glanced at Huai Xu, who was munching on his watermelon, oblivious—or perhaps indifferent—to the seeds stuck to his face. Indeed, the task of looking after Zheng Zhilan could only fall to Zhou Li.
"What are you two talking about?" Zhou Li had returned.
"Nothing much," Little Cousin said airily. "I haven't had hot pot in ages. Have I lost some weight?"
"Hmm... doesn't look like it, eh."
Zhou Li carefully studied Little Cousin's 'Baozi' face—soft and chubby, exceptionally cute, and seemingly getting even cuter. This made him quite envious of Brother Nan, who often got to pinch Little Cousin's cheeks.
"Have I gained weight then?" Little Cousin asked.
"Then it must be from eating too much dog food," Little Cousin said lightly.
The group then engaged in small talk.
Apparently, Little Cousin had bought two camera lenses during the Singles' Day sale, paying in installments, so she had been "eating dirt"—strapped for cash—lately. After that, the conversation was mostly between Zhou Li and Huai Xu. Zheng Zhilan spoke very little, and Little Cousin mostly observed in silence.
When the water boiled, Little Cousin took the initiative to add the ingredients to the pot.
Once the food was cooked, Little Cousin turned down the heat.
Before long, she announced she was full and took on the roles of managing the heat, adding more ingredients, and fetching fruit. She would occasionally pick at a little food with her chopsticks, making one wonder how her 'Baozi' face came to be.
「Two in the afternoon.」
Zhou Li arrived at the driving practice area, reeking of hot pot. He looked around and spotted a figure by the flower bed.
He saw Brother Nan squatting on the ground, poking at the soil with a broken branch she must have picked up from somewhere.
"What are you doing?" Zhou Li asked.
"OH!" Brother Nan was startled. She whipped around, and seeing it was Zhou Li, she asked, "Was the hot pot good?"
"Why aren't you still accompanying your friend?"
"Came to practice driving."
"TCH! Not very sincere of you. She came all this way to save you; you should be pledging your life to her in gratitude." Brother Nan then asked, "So, is Huai Xu accompanying her now?"
"Yes. I told Huai Xu not to come to practice today and to keep Zheng Zhilan company instead. Guess how he responded?"
"I couldn't care less." Brother Nan continued poking at the soil. About ten seconds later, curiosity got the better of her, and she turned her head again. "He didn't want to?"
"No, it wasn't that."
"Then how did he respond?"
"He said... 'What for? I already know how to drive!'" Zhou Li paused. "That Old Monster has gotten really arrogant lately."
"PFFT... You got looked down on by a Demon!"
Zhou Li watched Brother Nan laugh, and he laughed too. After a moment, he added, "You know, that friend of mine has some vision problems. Everything is blurry to her, except for Demons, Heavenly Masters, and other special individuals, whom she sees a bit more clearly."
"Guess what you look like in her eyes?"
"I must be dazzlingly radiant!" Brother Nan declared confidently.
Close enough, Zhou Li thought, too lazy to correct her; exposing her delusion wouldn't benefit him and might even cause trouble. "Speaking of which," he said, "she hasn't seen many people clearly in her entire life. I plan to take her for clear soup goose tonight. Want to join?"
"Is that the same clear soup goose you promised to treat me to last time?"
"..." Zhou Li thought for a moment. "Then let's have sauerkraut pork knuckle instead."
"Has the instructor not arrived yet?"
"Not yet." Brother Nan steered the conversation back. "That girl seems very gentle and quiet. I like girls like that."
"How long is she staying here?"
"She'll probably be heading back soon."
"Why don't you have her stay a few more days? Show her around Chunming, take her to Jinbi Square to 'check in' or something!" Brother Nan reproached.
"It can't be helped..."
Miss Zheng has many small animals to look after back home.
There are cows, sheep, pigs, and now even a horse;
chickens, ducks, and quails;
the Yin Yang Temple Dog Gang!
Although the Dog Gang is extraordinarily intelligent—the border collie can even go down the mountain to buy soy sauce—she can't be away for too long.
Before long, the instructor arrived.
The four of them got into the car and began their Subject Three driving practice.
Their practice route was a public road highly similar to the actual test course. It had very little traffic because the area was remote; even the official test site had wide roads and few cars, making it relatively easy.
All four of them picked up the Subject Three skills quickly.
On the very first day, the instructor announced that Zhou Li and Brother Nan could take the test almost immediately without much issue, aside from the vehicle light operations.
Su Jue had slightly more significant issues; he was too timid. Anything unexpected appearing on the road would easily fluster him, and he tended to veer off course significantly when driving in a straight line.
These days, Zhou Li would occasionally chat with Su Jue, without being pushy. Initially, Su Jue was reluctant to talk much, but gradually, he began to see Zhou Li as a kindred spirit. He would sometimes ask Zhou Li questions or share some of his past experiences.
This young man is fundamentally kind-hearted, Zhou Li observed.
Zhou Li learned that Su Jue was actually the type of Heavenly Master with very poor innate talent, making him somewhat of an anomaly in the early days of this new era.
He was somewhat like Zheng Zhilan, only he couldn't see Demons clearly.
To him, Demons appeared as faintly blurred, illusory figures, and their voices could only be heard if he listened very carefully. Consequently, his childhood was always filled with various indistinct shadows and echoes. He couldn't even distinguish them, leaving him only with pervasive fear.
In the afternoon, Zhou Li arrived with Brother Nan, and Huai Xu with Zheng Zhilan. They all met up on the commercial street.
When it came to sauerkraut pork knuckle, the commercial street by the school was unbeatable—it was cheap and delicious.
Upon seeing Zheng Zhilan, Brother Nan waved her hand in front of her. "I'm Li Nan. We met this morning, remember?"
Zheng Zhilan nodded, indicating she remembered.
After a slight hesitation, she also greeted, "Hello, Brother Nan."