It was almost evening, and under the guidance of Gypsophila, a group of four people visited the seemingly inconspicuous hotel next to a small road.
The hotel is a small two-story building that is not too big. It is made of cypress wood, which is common in this continent, as the main material. The surface of the wall panels is coated with paint used for anti-corrosion and insect infestation, showing a glossy light brown.
It was gilded with a touch of gold by the setting sun. An old wooden plaque hung above the door, which read the name of the hotel: The destination of the heart.
Gypsophila opened the door first and walked into the hotel with the crisp sound of the wind chimes. Yuffie then stepped inside and looked around everything in the house with exploration.
The air is filled with the fragrance of wood and a unique sweet smell - not medicine or magic materials, but more like freshly baked food. The store is quite quiet, with only one customer sitting in the corner, reading in a thick book
He kept recording something in his notes. Occasionally he picked up the cup placed aside and took a sip of the crystal clear liquid in it.
"Welcome." As if he heard the voice, the owner walked out of the kitchen on the side and stood behind the bar with a warm smile, "Long time no see, Mantianxing, did you bring new friends this time?"
He was a seemingly middle-aged man with a yellowish complexion and a fairly good-looking face, but his facial structure was somewhat different from other Yinil people she had seen. He was wearing a cleanly washed apron and dark brown hair.
His hair was neatly styled, and he looked more like a chef serving nobles than the owner of such a roadside inn. However, considering the situation of "Asan" and his acquaintance with Gypsophila,
, everything I saw seemed natural.
Perhaps for some reason, there are still many people who choose to live in seclusion on this continent. Yuffie noted this speculation and planned to find out the reason at a more suitable time.
"You can think so, Musk." The doll girl bowed lightly to the shop owner, "They are the guests that Mother wants to invite. Of course, they are also my friends."
"Ms. Luo Zhen's guest...it's really rare." The hotel owner touched his chin and sighed, then walked out of the bar, handed water and written menus to several people, showed a confident smile, "Please sit down.
Whether it’s food, drinks or accommodation, our hotel will definitely satisfy you.”
Yuffie thanked the other party and sat down at a round table near the center. Lin and Anya leaned next to her on the left and right, flipping through the menu on the table together. During this period, the stars were all over the sky.
Walking to the bar, she seemed to have whispered a few words with the boss, but Yuffie didn't care about that.
She believed that Gypsophila would not harm them, and the owner of the hotel was also a trustworthy person.
Several people quickly decided on their dinner. Yuffie chose a food called "fried rice". Judging from the ingredients and description, it seemed to be somewhat similar to the risotto in the El continent; Lin was interested in a variety of rice dishes.
Porridge made from cereals and some kind of rice cake - probably because it was sweet; as for Anya, she read the menu carefully and chose a mixed dish that looked very warm.
This situation makes Yuffie a little nostalgic. The way monsters handle food is mainly simple, and she and Lin have long been accustomed to cooking their own food on the road. Sitting quietly in the hotel like this, waiting for the ready-made warm food.
I haven't experienced hot meals in a while.
"When we have time to return to the academy, let's go see the owner of that tavern, right?" Lin whispered to her, "I hope he is still there."
"Teacher Aaron's letter said that not only is he still there, but he also has a good lover." Yuffie pursed her lips, "Maybe they will be married by the time we go back."
In terms of results, the dinner at this hotel did not disappoint them. The "fried rice" was not as moist as the risotto she had eaten, but it did not appear too dry. The rice as the main ingredient was slightly elastic, and the other vegetables
, the meat and sauce blended together to create a wonderful flavor. Beside her, Lin and Anya tasted the food, both showing satisfaction.
Of course, the food - and even the subsequent accommodation - was only part of the reason why she was interested in this place. The other part was the shop owner who the doll girl could call her 'old friend'.
She put down her spoon, stood up, walked to the front of the bar, and responded to the middle-aged man's gaze with a smile, "Can I ask you a few questions, Musk?"
"I'm happy to oblige." The store manager bowed slightly and gave her a courtesy that belongs to the Kamal people. "If I can answer it, I will definitely tell you everything."
The word used by the other party was "can answer" rather than "know". If this was not a slip of the tongue, it might mean that the other party had "unanswerable" questions. Yuffie secretly judged and planned to start with simple questions first, "
Musk, how long have you known Man Tianxing?”
"Probably close to sixty years." A flash of nostalgia flashed across the middle-aged man's face, "I was still a child at that time. One time I ran outside to play and accidentally lost my way. I accidentally hit him.
So I walked into Ms. Luo Zhen’s workshop. The first person who received me there was Man Tianxing... She was exactly the same as she is now."
"From then on, I would visit Ms. Luo Zhen when I had time, and learned all kinds of interesting knowledge from her." The boss showed a satisfied smile, "Later, I wanted to open a store of my own, and I got it.
They helped a lot - including the hotel itself and the food you ate today."
The shopkeeper's answer proved that Gypsophila's age was no less than sixty years old, which was of course nothing surprising. Yuffie nodded to express her understanding and continued to ask, "Then, why did you open the shop here? With the quality of your food
Quality, if it were Xin'an City or other more prosperous places, the business should be better, right?"
"This is my own choice." The innkeeper smiled, "Compared to the noisy pub, I prefer a quiet environment where guests can enjoy the food in peace. Moreover, thanks to those repeat customers and their help in publicity
, there are quite a lot of customers here, at least it’s enough to maintain the store.”
While the two were chatting, two more teams of seven people walked into the store. They greeted Musk in a familiar manner and chose their favorite food. The middle-aged men smiled and agreed to their requests.
Then he walked into the kitchen and waved to Yuffie, "Come here, if you still have any questions."
She followed in obediently and watched as the shopkeeper skillfully chopped up the ingredients, put them into a pot to stir-fry or stew, and then used various spices to season them. After a moment, she asked softly, "Musk, before I asked
The etiquette you used when you asked—" She imitated a Kamal bow.
"Oh, that." The man shrugged as if he had expected it, "It was also taught to me by Gypsophila. It was said to be a 'lost' thing in our family. I thought it looked quite similar, so I
It's used to greet guests." He smiled, "Not many people here care about this, but you're not the only one who asked me this question."