Ch 8: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Yuan Wei stood at the entrance to the bathroom, inspecting it from top to bottom. “The door is a bit low, but the bath is big enough. Sharing it will save some hot water.”

The Twilight Moon season was harsh for little people, marked by food scarcity and the rarity of luxuries like hot baths. Especially during travel, when meals were meager, and rest was in the open air, their last bath had been before leaving home.

A chance to bathe was something they cherished deeply.

When Yuan Wei encountered Gan Li on her journey and heard about the inn’s hot water in the rooms, she was determined to take a bath.

The inn’s understated, traditional Chinese-style design, from the brick exterior to the room’s layout, was novel to the little people but also aligned with their aesthetic sensibilities.

The suite’s bathroom was spacious and divided into three areas by glass doors with paper-cut designs and plain shower curtains: the sink area, the toilet, and the bathing area.

The bathing area featured both a shower and a large wooden tub for soaking, just like the rooms on the lower floors.

The miniature soap, stored in a small wooden box, had a delightful fragrance and lathered quickly when applied. Yuan Wei and Zhu Zhou scrubbed away their travel grime in amazement, then filled the tub to the brim with hot water and sank in, reluctant to move.

The warm water enveloped them like a soft blanket, easing their fatigue from days of travel and dissipating any unease about staying at the inn. It brought a contented sigh from them both.

Lu Yao knocked on the door to inform them that dinner was ready.

Yuan Wei opened her eyes, stood up decisively, and emerged with her skin flushed red below her neck. “Gan Li said the food here is delicious. I’ll give it a proper try.”

Gan Li’s exact words had been, “Even the finest dishes of the Xiaguang Tribe can’t compare.”

Yuan Wei was known for her skillful hands and had been famous in the Xiaguang Tribe.

Her smoked jerky and sugar blocks were always of superior quality, and her everyday meals were widely praised for their exceptional flavor.

When Zhu Zhou first met Yuan Wei, he had been captivated by her cooking and couldn’t stop thinking about her since.

In Zhu Zhou’s mind, no matter how delicious someone else’s food was, it could never surpass Yuan Wei’s dishes.

With the mindset of “The room is undoubtedly comfortable, but the food needs to be scrutinized,” the two headed downstairs.

…

First-floor Dining Area

Yuan Wei and Zhu Zhou sat across from each other, with two identical meal sets in front of them: rice, black pepper roasted beef cubes with roasted vegetables, pickled cucumbers, and winter melon shrimp ball soup.

The rich, slightly tangy aroma was tantalizing. Yuan Wei decided to start with a roasted cherry tomato next to the beef.

The meal not only smelled amazing but was also visually appealing, with its vibrant color combinations.

Zhu Zhou couldn’t resist the roasted beef—its presence on the plate was simply too dominant. One bite turned into another, and he couldn’t stop.

What kind of roasted beef was this?

How could it be so charred and fragrant on the outside, yet soft and tender inside? Each bite released a subtle milky aroma that made it increasingly addictive. Zhu Zhou found himself unable to stop.

This little side dish, thin and unassuming, looked ordinary but had a crisp texture. Mixed with rice, it tasted even better than the meat.

Yuan Wei tried everything in turn—the roasted vegetables, the roasted meat, and the side dish. Finally, she lifted the soup bowl and savored the soft, sweet winter melon and the springy, subtly sweet shrimp balls.

After a long pause, she let out a deep sigh. “I hate to admit it, but it’s truly delicious.”

The roasted meat was charred and flavorful, the vegetables fresh and crisp without a single flaw. The side dish was salty and fragrant, and the shrimp ball soup was light and sweet. The preparation and seasoning were unlike anything she had ever encountered, confirming that Gan Li’s praise hadn’t been exaggerated.

Yuan Wei and Zhu Zhou exchanged a glance, their earlier intent to be critical vanishing completely. They buried their heads in their bowls, eating voraciously, and eventually raised their empty bowls in unison: “Shopkeeper, another serving!”

Lu Yao had already prepared additional portions, but even then, the pair’s appetites exceeded her expectations.

Yuan Wei finished two meal sets, while Zhu Zhou devoured three, plus an extra serving of roasted meat.

After the meal, both were too full to stand and sat in a daze.

When Lu Yao finished tidying the kitchen, she joined them, pulling up a chair to chat.

She got straight to the point: “You met Gan Li?”

Yuan Wei leaned on her elbows. “Yes, she gave us a map of the inn. I saw that there might be heavy snow tonight, and staying outside wouldn’t be safe. So we came here and found Thorn Valley completely transformed.”

Lu Yao explained, “Gan Li mentioned the paths in Thorn Valley were difficult to navigate, so I cleared the thorns.”

Yuan Wei nodded approvingly. “That’s a good thing. I imagine many people will want to come this way now.”

Lu Yao asked, “Why’s that?”

Yuan Wei replied, “Thorn Valley is a shortcut to the Shenmu Tribe. But because of the dense thorns and deep paths, it’s easy to get lost. People used to avoid it and take the long way around. Now that the path is clear, more will be willing to pass through.”

According to Yuan Wei, once the news spread, little people would surely take the shortcut through Thorn Valley, and the inn’s business would improve.

The effort spent clearing the path hadn’t been wasted, and Lu Yao felt pleased.

“You’re heading to the Shenmu Tribe too?” Lu Yao asked.

Yuan Wei lowered her head and suddenly looked bashful. “Yes, we’re going to request a seedling.”

Sitting beside her, Zhu Zhou remained silent, though his ears turned red.

A seedling?

From Yuan Wei’s explanation, Lu Yao learned about the little people’s completely different method of reproduction compared to humans. If they wanted children, they had to visit the Shenmu Tribe to request a seedling from the descendants of the divine envoys.

The little people who lived in the Shenmu Tribe were descendants of the divine envoys who once served the gods. Only they knew how to cultivate seedlings.

The little people were strong and had an average lifespan of 300 years, but reproduction was difficult. Without a seedling, there would be no children.

Yuan Wei and Zhu Zhou had lived together for over a decade. Now, they wanted to settle down and have a child, so they packed their belongings and set out on this journey.

Yuan Wei was chatty, while Zhu Zhou remained quiet.

When Yuan Wei spoke, Zhu Zhou would listen attentively and occasionally chime in to add a detail or two.

Yuan Wei told Lu Yao that the first little people she encountered seemed quite young and small, likely just reaching adulthood. Even Gan Li, who had not yet reached 100 years old, would still grow taller over time.

Reportedly, adult female little people were typically around 10 cm tall, while males ranged between 10–15 cm, though those exceeding 13 cm were rare.

Lu Yao measured Zhu Zhou with a tape measure and found he was nearly 12 cm tall, making him quite large among adult little people. Yuan Wei, by comparison, was 9.5 cm tall.

As the night deepened, Yuan Wei yawned, stretched, and stood up, waving to Lu Yao. “I’m full now. We’ll head to bed.”

Zhu Zhou helped Yuan Wei up, and the two of them made their way upstairs together.

…

Meanwhile, Lu Yao couldn’t sleep, preoccupied with the realization that all the doors in the block hotel were too short.

Monk was around 6–7 cm tall, and Lu Yao estimated that Gan Li was about 8 cm.

When she designed the block hotel, she had set the door height at 10.5 cm, assuming it would suffice. Now, she realized every door would need to be adjusted.

For someone as tall as Zhu Zhou, even the beds in the rooms might be too short. With a headache looming, Lu Yao decided she would need to order a batch of larger beds from carpenters in Great Wu.

She also noted that Zhu Zhou had worn his own clothes earlier, likely because the inn’s pajamas didn’t fit. She’d need to prepare larger-sized sleepwear as well.

Lu Yao measured the walls’ actual heights, revised the dimensions on her blueprints, and began working on adjusting the doors that night.

The doors would now need to be at least 12.5 cm tall. Any higher would look disproportionate.

Using leftover solid wood planks from a cabinet project, Lu Yao cut them to size, smoothed them with sandpaper, drilled holes for connectors and locks, and reinforced them with soundproofing magic.

Although she typically preferred to varnish furniture, which would require a month or two of airing before use, Lu Yao didn’t have that kind of time. The magic reinforcement she applied not only strengthened the doors but made them look as polished as varnished wood, without any of the unpleasant odors.

She decided to leave Room 401 untouched for now since it was occupied, but she replaced the three small doors under the inn’s main entrance, the guest room doors on the third and fourth floors, and the elevator door downstairs.

…

“Clang-clang-clang!”

A sudden loud noise outside interrupted her work. Yuan Wei had mentioned the possibility of snow tonight, but this didn’t sound like snow.

Lu Yao opened the window and discovered it was hailing.

But wasn’t this supposed to be the Twilight Moon season?

To Lu Yao’s understanding, the Twilight Moon season corresponded to winter, and hail was rare in winter unless specific conditions were met. Even then, it was uncommon.

Then again, with three moons and a world inhabited by little people, Nitean’s natural climate couldn’t be judged by conventional logic.

The hailstones on Nitean were frighteningly large, pounding the roof and windows like stones.

Lu Yao reached out to catch a few, each nearly as large as her fingertip and painfully cold.

Remembering her unfinished door repairs, she quickly set the hail aside, closed the window, dried her hands, and returned to work.

…

Outside Thorn Valley

A four-person team of little people huddled tightly under a tree, shielding themselves from the sudden hailstorm.

What Lu Yao perceived as fingertip-sized hailstones were deadly projectiles for the little people.

Unfortunately, the barren branches of the leafless tree provided little shelter in the desolate Twilight Moon season.

Thankfully, their diminutive size allowed them to press close to the trunk and avoid getting hit.

The hailstorm lasted nearly twenty minutes before gradually stopping.

The team leader, ears perked, cautiously stepped out from under the tree, confirming that the hail had ceased. He looked up at the sky. “Let’s gather our things and find somewhere safe to stay. There’s likely to be heavy snow tonight.”

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