Meanwhile, over with Makoto.
As everyone worked tirelessly, time quickly passed from day to night.
After a day of hard work and busy schedules, the villagers had already exhausted their energy and were starving.
To address this, Makoto specially invited Chef Mao of Wanmin Restaurant and other master chefs to prepare meals for everyone, helping them regain their strength.
Anyway, with the Talents of 'Wealth Scattered, Yet Returns', Makoto would never lose out no matter how he spent money; he could even increase friendship in the process.
Indeed, when the villagers saw the master chefs from Wanmin Restaurant arrive in their village to cook, they were all stunned.
They had only heard that Chef Mao of Wanmin Restaurant was a skilled cook, but they could never afford to eat at Wanmin Restaurant.
They never expected that Makoto would directly invite the chefs from Wanmin Restaurant to cook for them.
This was truly extravagant.
Instantly, the villagers' hearts were filled with gratitude towards Makoto.
"The Immortal is truly beyond words to us. Thank you, Immortal!"
"I originally thought I'd never be able to afford a meal at Wanmin Restaurant in this lifetime, but I never expected the Immortal to give me this opportunity. Thank you, Immortal!"
"This kindness from the Immortal, we will never forget!"
The villagers were incredibly emotional.
They all bowed to Makoto to express their gratitude.
Ningguang's large, watery eyes also blinked rapidly.
It was her first time seeing such joyful smiles on the villagers' faces.
Even during the Lantern Rite in previous years, the villagers hadn't seemed this happy.
Brother Makoto is very gentle; he truly takes everyone's feelings into account.
Thinking this, the little girl suddenly felt very fortunate.
Fortunate that she chose to become Makoto's little secretary back then.
Because that way, she could always stay by Brother Makoto's side.
....
As the villagers successively finished work, Wanmin Restaurant also began its busy period.
Chef Mao and the other master chefs cooked very quickly.
Before long, the aroma of the food had already permeated the air.
"Ahahaha, chicken soup is here!"
A chef came out carrying a large bucket of chicken soup.
The chicken soup had a rich aroma, with a golden sheen on its surface, and the chicken meat within was exceptionally tender.
These chefs from Wanmin Restaurant truly achieved perfection in color, aroma, and taste.
The villagers, looking at the golden, delicious chicken soup, subconsciously swallowed their saliva.
They were already starving, and seeing such tempting food, they naturally couldn't sit still.
However, even so, there was no chaotic rush or scramble for food.
On the contrary, the villagers all stood in place; no one stepped forward.
Makoto found this situation strange, so he couldn't help but say, "Drinking chicken soup is such a wonderful thing, why aren't you drinking it?"
Old Zhang, the village blacksmith, stepped forward and respectfully said, "Immortal, it's because everyone is waiting for the Immortal to start eating first."
"Because if it weren't for the Immortal, we wouldn't be able to taste the craftsmanship of Wanmin Restaurant."
"Therefore, we hope the Immortal can have this first bowl of soup."
The villagers also nodded in unison: "Yes, please, Immortal, have the first bowl of soup!"
Upon hearing this, Makoto was deeply moved.
These villagers were clearly starving and looked very eager to drink chicken soup.
But even so, they didn't fight or scramble, offering the first bowl of chicken soup to Makoto.
Because in the villagers' eyes, Makoto's ability to let them eat the food from Wanmin Restaurant was already an immense grace.
How could they dare to do anything disrespectful to the Immortal Master?
If Makoto didn't start eating, they would absolutely not dare to.
Although these villagers lived frugally, they had hearts full of respect and gratitude.
The simple folk customs warmed Makoto's heart.
At this moment, Ningguang also served Makoto a steaming bowl of chicken soup.
She was worried the chicken soup might be too hot for Makoto to enjoy, so she gently blew on the surface of the soup a couple of times.
The little secretary not only shared Makoto's work burden but also went to great lengths to provide services for his daily life.
After a while, after confirming that the chicken soup was no longer too hot, Ningguang then handed the chicken soup to Makoto with both hands, while softly saying, "Brother Makoto, please have some soup~"
"Ningguang controlled the chicken soup's temperature; it's not hot anymore!"
Makoto reached out and rubbed Ningguang's small head, his eyes very gentle: "Ningguang, you've worked hard."
"Ningguang hasn't worked hard,"
Ningguang gently shook her head, then put her hands behind her back, urging with an expectant look: "Brother Makoto, quickly taste it and see if the chicken soup is good."
Makoto took a small taste, then nodded: "It's delicious; Chef Mao of Wanmin Restaurant's skill is naturally beyond words."
He paused, looked at the villagers, and said loudly, "Alright, everyone, start eating too, otherwise the food will get cold and won't taste as good."
After Makoto took the first sip of soup, the villagers also successively started lining up for chicken soup.
And Ningguang, as Makoto's little secretary, naturally took on the management responsibilities, keeping everything well-organized.
Soon, the villagers were all eating hot, steaming meals.
Everyone was chatting and laughing, the atmosphere was very joyful.
Anyone who didn't know might have thought it was the Lantern Rite today.
During this process, Makoto also specially saved a portion of food for Ningguang.
The little girl ensured that every villager received a fair portion of food.
This also meant that Ningguang was the last person to eat.
Makoto also didn't want Ningguang to eat leftovers, so he specifically instructed Chef Mao to prepare a separate meal just for the little girl.
Since he had decided to take care of Ningguang, he definitely had to give her the best.
He couldn't let the little one feel sad or suffer any grievances.