Chapter 413: The Arrival of Mu Liufeng
Although completing Side Quest 7 and receiving his rewards had made Qi Han quite happy, after a long day of work, drowsiness quickly crept over him. The excitement of obtaining three new 3 Star recipes faded just a little.
Leaving the system space, he flopped onto his bed and was fast asleep within moments.
"Meow~"
Only after Qi Han had fallen asleep did Pururu softly jump onto the bed, curling up comfortably in the crook of his arm.
Before long, the gentle rhythm of one man and one cat's breathing filled the room.
In the blink of an eye, it was the next morning.
Even though he had already completed Side Quest 7—meaning he could, in theory, stop running the breakfast and late-night shifts—Qi Han chose not to. He continued to keep both time slots open as usual.
Although breakfast had existed on the Douluo Continent before, most people were used to eating only two meals a day. But ever since Han Shi began serving breakfast, people gradually realized that having something to eat in the morning made them feel more energized throughout the day. Before long, eating breakfast had become a healthy habit for many.
As for the late-night menu, it had become a favorite among cultivators who liked to stay up late—earning widespread praise and loyal patrons.
To suddenly close down those services now would be cruel to his customers.
So, Qi Han decided he'd just work a little harder—at least until Ye Lingqing could master all the breakfast dishes.
Once he did, he could rest more and still let his customers enjoy their morning meals—a win-win situation, truly delightful.
He had originally planned to purchase a few new 1 Star breakfast recipes later, but for now, he decided to set that plan aside.
The current menu was already satisfying the customers quite well. Adding too many new dishes would only make Ye Lingqing's training harder.
'Yes… I'm such a thoughtful teacher,' Qi Han thought to himself, 'definitely not because I want more time to slack off.'
…
A plain-looking carriage came to a halt before the grand gates of Shrek City. The coachman glanced around before turning toward the carriage interior and speaking respectfully.
"Sir, we've arrived at Shrek City."
"Alright."
The curtain lifted, and a man stepped out—a middle-aged gentleman with shoulder-length hair and a refined air about him, his sharp features softened by an intellectual grace.
If Qi Han were here, he would have recognized the man instantly.
It was Mu Liufeng, chief editor of Food Critique Magazine from Star Luo City.
This time, his visit to Shrek City was mainly to meet with the city's Culinary Association to discuss potential collaboration—hoping to expand the magazine's influence and perhaps have Shrek's merchants participate in the next Food Critique Magazine.
Of course, that wasn't his only reason for coming.
Tasting the new dishes at Han Shi was just as important.
The last time he had been in Shrek City was during the Food Festival, which had already been two months ago.
While the Han Shi branch in Star Luo City still served delicious dishes, Mu Liufeng couldn't help but miss the craftsmanship of its owner, Boss Qi.
He wondered how the restaurant had changed in the past two months.
Have new dishes appeared on the menu, perhaps?
The thought brought a glimmer of anticipation to his eyes. Taking out his pocket watch, he checked the time before striding quickly toward the city gates.
If he headed there now, he'd arrive just in time for lunch.
As for the meeting with the Culinary Association… that could wait until after he'd eaten.
This wasn't his first time in Shrek City, and he remembered exactly where Han Shi was located. After walking for a short while, he arrived before its familiar entrance—only to see a crowd already lined up outside.
A look of surprise crossed Mu Liufeng's face.
It seems the line's even longer than before.
It was only half past nine—still a full hour and a half before Han Shi opened.
Back during the Food Festival, whenever Mu Liufeng arrived around this time, the front of the restaurant would be practically empty. But now… there was already a line forming.
'Wait a second… did they expand?'
Mu Liufeng blinked in surprise. The Han Shi before him looked noticeably different from what he remembered—taller, broader, and grander. In fact, its size now rivaled, if not exceeded, that of the Star Luo branch.
If it weren't for the bold, familiar calligraphy of the "Han Shi" sign hanging proudly at the entrance, he might have thought someone else had taken over the place entirely.
'Seems quite a lot has changed in the two months I've been gone…'
With that thought, Mu Liufeng made his way to the end of the line, patiently taking his place among the waiting crowd.
In front of him stood two young disciples from the Tang Sect, chatting idly to pass the time. Mu Liufeng hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but their voices carried clearly enough for him to catch the topic—an animated debate over which dish was better: oil-splashed noodles or lamb pao mo.
That piqued his curiosity.
"Pardon me," he said with a polite smile, "I couldn't help overhearing. These oil-splashed noodles and lamb pao mo… are they new dishes here at Han Shi?"
The young man in front—Tang Zi—turned his head toward his debating partner, Zhou Long, who had just been arguing at full volume like a man possessed.
After a moment, Tang Zi looked at Mu Liufeng again. The stranger's face seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
With a grin, he replied, "You must not have been to Han Shi in a while, right? I'd guess… at least a month?"
Mu Liufeng nodded. "You're right. It's been two months, actually."
"Ah, that explains it!" Tang Zi laughed, clearly pleased with his guess. "Well then, about those dishes—you see, it all started about a month ago—"
And since there was nothing better to do while waiting in line, Tang Zi quickly abandoned the still-fuming Zhou Long and launched into an enthusiastic explanation.
He told Mu Liufeng about how Han Shi had begun serving breakfast and late-night meals, how those services had already been running for a month, and how they'd introduced a whole lineup of new dishes.
By the time he finished, Mu Liufeng was utterly stunned.
So it was true—the restaurant had indeed expanded within the last two months, even outgrowing the Star Luo branch.
And in that same period, Boss Qi hadn't just introduced new dishes… he'd started two entirely new business hours?
And apparently, the hotpot they served in Star Luo was now available here too?
Oh, and there was even a story about customers holding a 7-vs-7 Spirit Fight to determine whether sweet or savory tofu pudding tasted better?!
Two months… all of that happened in just two months?
For a moment, Mu Liufeng began to question reality itself.
'Why does it feel like I've been away for two years instead of two months?'
Back in Star Luo City, he'd been living like a contented salted fish—reading newspapers, sipping tea, occasionally lining up at the local Han Shi Hotpot for a meal. And yet, in that short span, the Shrek branch had undergone a full-blown culinary revolution.
It was clear now—he'd have to stay in Shrek City for a while.
Originally, his plan had been simple: discuss a collaboration with the Culinary Association, taste a few new dishes at Han Shi to satisfy his cravings, and then head straight home.
But that plan is gone now.
Just listening to Tang Zi's descriptions of over a dozen new breakfast items—especially that notorious tofu pudding that caused a full-scale brawl—was enough to make his mouth water.
Not to mention the 361 varieties of skewers, the golden fried chicken, the pure rye lager, and all those different shrimp dishes…
Leave?
Leave after hearing all that? Absolutely not.
At this rate, he figured he'd need at least ten days to try everything.
With a sigh both helpless and amused, Mu Liufeng glanced up at the signboard once more—but this time, his gaze carried a trace of mock resentment.
He just hopes his wife and kids back home won't hold it against him when he doesn't come back for a while.
<+>
if you want to see more chapters of this story and don't mind playing $5 per month to see my latest update, please go to my Patreon[1]
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed[2]
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 446: Pheasant Soup[3]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-148427641[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-148427641
[4] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-148427641