Chapter 38: Grand Opening
Chapter 38: Grand Opening
The restaurant's pricing was also reasonable, considering that most of its customers would be neighbors or ordinary low-level rogue cultivators who didn't have a lot of money. By keeping the prices affordable, they could at least treat themselves once in a while, and the restaurant could aim for a high sales volume.
The restaurant's signature dish was still beef, priced at two spirit stones per dish. While this wasn't cheap for a lone cultivator, it was an extremely good deal compared to spirit meat or other restaurants that served beef.
The beef noodles were even cheaper. A plain noodle dish cost only three pieces of crushed spirit stone, and adding beef brought it to six pieces.
An ordinary scattered Qi Refining cultivator would earn about one spirit stone per day, maybe a little more. To afford a dish of beef, they would have to work hard for two days. It could be a rare treat, but there was no way they could afford it every day.
However, being able to eat meat for just two spirit stones was unheard of in all of Xiantian City, and this restaurant was the only one offering it. Even if one just wanted to satisfy a craving, a bowl of beef noodles would only cost six pieces of crushed spirit stone.
Not long after the grand opening, the number of customers began to increase.
Although the nearby scattered cultivators couldn't afford to eat meat every day, there was always someone who wanted to treat themselves to a good meal.
Some were relatively well-off scattered cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, who could afford to eat there every few days. Others were fellow cultivators who met up and wanted something neither too extravagant nor too simple, so they would order a dish of beef with some side dishes and chat over drinks.
There were also parents who brought their children who had made progress in their cultivation to treat them to a spicy beef noodle dish to satisfy their cravings.
Occasionally, there would be traveling merchants passing by who, tired from their journey, would hear about the restaurant serving meat. Tempted by the offer, yet embarrassed by their meager funds, they would hesitate to place an order.
But when they heard that a whole dish of beef cost only two spirit stones, their eyes would widen in surprise.
They would still have their doubts, wondering if the meat could be any good at such a low price.
Then they would think that the restaurant seemed to be doing good business, so the food probably wasn't bad. So, they would finally give in and order a dish.
And from the first bite, they would be hooked.
From then on, traveling merchants who passed by regularly would always make a stop at the restaurant for a dish of meat and a few cups of wine. Even those who hadn't stopped by before would now make it a point to do so, to enjoy the beef and have a chat.
Some merchants would even go out of their way to pass by the restaurant just to get a taste of that beef and relieve the fatigue of their long journey.
After all, within a hundred miles, this was the only place where one could get such delicious meat at such a low price.
As the number of customers gradually increased, the restaurant became busier. Dahur and the other two would come to help out, working the whole day, and then they would satisfy themselves with a big bowl of beef noodles before happily taking some beef home with them.
However, with the upcoming start of the school term at Tongxian Gate, they would all need to enter the sect for cultivation, and the restaurant would be short-staffed again.
Mo Hua, not wanting his mother to overwork herself, suggested hiring someone to help out. Mo Shan, also concerned about his wife's health, agreed.
After discussing it with his wife, Mo Shan hired a relative of someone from the demon-hunting team to work at the restaurant for a monthly wage of thirty spirit stones.
The next day, a young-looking woman with a shy demeanor arrived. She carried a basket containing fresh wild vegetables still dewy from the morning's harvest in the mountains.
Mo Hua learned from his parents' conversation that the woman's surname was Jiang, and her given name was Yun.
Her husband's surname was Chu. He had been attacked by a wolf demon during a demon hunt, his chest torn open by its claws. They had used all their savings to treat his injuries, barely saving his life. However, his severe injuries meant he couldn't continue demon hunting, leaving the family without an income.
Jiang Yun had a poor spiritual root and had only cultivated to the fourth layer of Qi Refining before leaving her sect. A few years later, she married and had a child. After her husband's injury, she wanted to find work to support her family, but her low cultivation base at the fourth layer of Qi Refining meant she couldn't earn much. The odd jobs she took on provided meager earnings and were unstable, and with a young child to care for, life was difficult.
Now, having a stable job at the restaurant with a monthly wage of thirty spirit stones was a rare opportunity.
Jiang Yun finally relaxed and listened to Li Ruhua's instructions. She was diligent and meticulous in her work, and while she learned slowly, she was very dedicated. Li Ruhua couldn't help but favor her.
After closing the restaurant for the night, Li Ruhua packed several bowls of noodles with extra meat into a food container and asked Jiang Yun to take them home.
Jiang Yun hastily refused, her face reddening as she insisted she didn't need it. "Sister Li, you've already been so kind to me. I can't accept this."
Li Ruhua insisted that she take it.
"Take it for your child," Li Ruhua said.
Jiang Yun could no longer refuse. Her child had gone hungry for days, let alone had any meat to eat. She took the food container, wanting to express her gratitude, but her tongue-tied nature only allowed her to repeat the same few words of thanks.
Li Ruhua simply comforted her, saying, "Don't think too much about it. It's getting late. Go home and take care of your child."
Jiang Yun carefully carried the food container and started walking home. As she passed by a corner, she stopped and stood there, her silhouette revealing that she was sobbing. After a while, she quietly wiped her tears with her sleeve and continued on her way home.
Mo Hua stood at a distance, watching her figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
His family wasn't wealthy either, and they struggled to make ends meet. But in Tongxian City, there were countless rogue cultivator families who were even more destitute and impoverished than his own.
If only cultivators in this world didn't have to endure the hardships of making a living.
Mo Hua thought to himself.
The successful opening of Li's Restaurant kept Li Ruhua busy, and she seemed to have lost some weight, but her complexion was rosier, and she looked healthier.
Running the restaurant allowed her to experiment with various dishes, and she could also save up spirit stones for their son's future cultivation and marriage. Li Ruhua felt content, and a smile often graced her face.
Seeing his wife's current state, Mo Shan felt relieved.
And Mo Hua was delighted to be able to eat more delicious food.
With the restaurant's income, their supply of spirit stones increased, and they no longer had to worry about their daily necessities as they had in the past. By the time school started at Tongxian Gate, the restaurant had made a total profit of over 200 spirit stones.
Li Ruhua gave all the earnings to Mo Hua, asking him to choose a suitable cultivation technique at the sect and reminding him not to neglect his training.
Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
The next day, the summer break ended, and Tongxian Gate opened its mountain gates to welcome its disciples back.
Mo Hua waved goodbye to Li Ruhua, who had come to see him off, and then he stepped into Tongxian Gate.
As the disciples returned, the once quiet Ling Peak gradually became lively again.
However, after a two-month-long summer break, many disciples had their hearts set on play rather than study, and their cultivation had suffered as a result. They now returned to school with apprehension.
To refocus their attention, Yan Jiaoxie announced a temporary formation assessment.
The lingering summer heat was completely doused by this unexpected announcement, and many disciples wore expressions of despair.
This was an impromptu assessment, and they couldn't take it home or try any underhanded tactics.
But Mo Hua was fearless.
He could already draw five formation patterns, making him an experienced apprentice. These basic formation assessments posed no challenge to him.
Moreover, during the latter part of the summer break, he had practiced formations day and night, pushing his spiritual sense to its limits. Through this constant pressure and training, his spiritual sense had grown stronger.
Mo Hua was brimming with confidence, certain that he could ace this minor assessment.
However, when the assessment papers were distributed, Mo Hua was stunned.
He double-checked several times and finally confirmed that the assessment wasn't on individual formation patterns but on a complete formation that incorporated six formation patterns!
(End of Chapter)
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