Ch 35: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

After a long journey through rainstorms, the little people finally arrived at the inn, exhausted, cold, and starving. They queued up for the fragrant meals, sat on the ground, or leaned against their red pigs, and began devouring their food with gusto.

Once full, drowsiness set in. Some little ones finished eating and immediately curled up in the paper boxes nearby, pulling a soft blanket over themselves and falling asleep in seconds.

Others didn’t even finish their meal, their eyes closing mid-bite, chewing slowing, and their small bodies gradually toppling over onto the ground. They were utterly spent.

Monk and his friends, after distributing all the food, noticed some scraps left in the pot. Not one to waste, they scooped it out with a small spoon and shared it amongst themselves, one bite at a time.

Stepping outside, they saw their tribespeople scattered all over, curled up and unconscious. Pairing up, they began carrying them into the paper boxes.

As the work dragged on and fatigue set in, impatience grew. Eventually, they gave up carrying and started rolling their tribespeople directly into the boxes.

Their tribe was tough—deep sleepers, undisturbed even when being unceremoniously bundled into the makeshift beds.

At first, Lu Yao didn’t dare step outside, worried about accidentally stepping on one of the tiny figures.

Once Monk and his group cleared part of the “battlefield,” making more space, she finally ventured out. With a paper box lined with dry towels at hand, she carefully picked up the sleeping little people and placed them inside, like collecting eggs.

The hunting team formed a circle around the old clan chief and the elders under the eaves. After two back-and-forth trips, the hunters were utterly drained. Even sitting upright required effort, and while they wanted to help, they lacked the energy.

The old clan chief, along with the three elders, was visibly worn out. The long migration had taken a toll on their aged bodies. Watching Lu Yao swiftly lift and place the tribe members into boxes, the old chief recalled how, during each Twightlight Moon season, they would similarly carry woven grass nets into the mountains to gather fruit.

Lu Yao’s movements were quick and efficient. With Monk’s team, she soon managed to gather all the scattered little people into the paper boxes, leaving only the old chief and the hunting team under the eaves.

Under the light, shadows flickered, and Lu Yao remained vigilant, wary of any accident.

Carefully squatting about a foot away from them, she spoke gently, “There’s a hot spring in the inn. Many of the little ones took baths earlier tonight.”

Fuxue, a member of the hunting team, opened her eyes, visibly tempted.

After being drenched in the rain earlier, her clothes were still damp, and now, with sweat sticking to her skin, the night wind made her feel sticky and uncomfortable.

The thought of soaking in a warm bath, especially after a hearty meal, was pure bliss.

Some female hunters felt the same. But with the chief silent, no one spoke up.

Lu Yao extended her hand, palm open in invitation. “You’ve worked hard on this journey. Let me take you inside for a hot bath before bed. You’ll feel more refreshed tomorrow.”

Her voice was soft, but the atmosphere grew inexplicably tense.

The old chief, leaning on his wooden staff, shakily stood and approached Lu Yao’s outstretched hand.

The others quickly followed.

With over ten little people in her hands, Lu Yao carefully carried them into the inn.

The shallow tubs used by other little people earlier in the evening were still in the warm spring pool. Lu Yao placed her new guests at the edge of the tubs, filled each with water, and gently helped them in.

To avoid accidents, the tubs were shallow, with only five centimeters of water. Using building block-like parts, she had added steps with handrails on either side for easy access.

To the Nitean little people, these small tubs were as grand as luxurious bathing pools.

Outside the tubs, she had installed miniature shower hoses and provided soap, towels, and all necessary items.

Liyan and several hunters who had stayed at the inn before were already familiar with the bathing tools and needed little instruction from Lu Yao.

After ensuring the men’s tub was settled, Lu Yao moved to the women’s side, where Fuxue and a few other hunters she didn’t recognize were happily scrubbing themselves clean.

Lu Yao paused for a moment before slowly turning around and saying, “My apologies.”

“Hahaha!”

Behind her, the little people burst into laughter.

Fuxue teased loudly, “Lu Yao, why don’t you join us?”

Turning back, Lu Yao found the little ones smugly grinning, as if they’d uncovered a fun weakness.

The large hot spring room had been built primarily for humans, featuring a warm pool nearby. The bath itself was framed with alternating black and white stones and half-filled with steaming spring water, mist curling invitingly above.

Lu Yao raised her hand to lightly massage her sore neck and nodded smoothly. “Sure. Just wait a moment—I’ll take a shower first.”

Beside the warm pool was a row of frosted screens, behind which were the washing and changing areas.

Lu Yao took a bamboo basket stocked with a towel and hair ties. The gentle sound of running water began to trickle from behind the screens, causing the little people to curiously crane their necks, though they couldn’t see anything.

Fuxue, mischief glinting in her eyes, ran barefoot behind the screen. Moments later, she returned with a stunned expression.

Her companions asked, “What’s wrong?”

Fuxue shook her head, still wide-eyed.

“So white.”

When Lu Yao finished showering, the little ones were already in the bath, splashing happily. They seemed like natural swimmers, moving effortlessly through the small bathwater. Hearing Lu Yao’s footsteps, they popped their heads up curiously.

Lu Yao greeted them briefly and stepped into the warm pool beside them. The slightly hot water enveloped her like a comforting blanket, easing her exhaustion.

The little people lowered their heads, examining themselves, then glanced enviously at Lu Yao in her expansive pool.

“This isn’t fair,” someone muttered.

Fuxue leaned on the edge of the basin and called out, “Lu Yao, I want to soak in the big pool too!”

Lu Yao rested a hand on the edge of the pool and looked down. “Alright.”

She reached into their bath. Fuxue jumped onto her hand and clung to her wrist, prompting the others to do the same.

Once in the deep warm pool, the little ones showed no fear, happily treating Lu Yao like a floating raft.

After twenty minutes, Lu Yao got out, dressed, and returned to find the little people wrapped snugly in towels, fast asleep.

She spotted their dirty beast hides tossed aside, gathered them into another bamboo basket, and carefully placed the bundled little ones—towels and all—inside. With their dirty clothes in hand, she left the room.

The male bath was empty; those little people had already finished and gone to bed, leaving only Liyan standing guard with the old chief outside.

Seeing them, Lu Yao walked over and spoke softly, “It’s late. Go rest. Anything else can wait until morning.”

If they stayed up any longer, dawn would break.

The chief stepped forward and looked up at her. “Why are you here?”

The tribe had heard tales of this human’s kindness and gentleness, so unlike the fearsome humans depicted in their cave paintings. Still, the chief couldn’t completely trust her and couldn’t fathom her motives.

Lu Yao tilted her head in thought, a hint of confusion in her eyes. “I’m not entirely sure why I’m here either.”

In previous new store openings, Lu Yao would gradually sense subtle abnormalities, but this Nitean world was completely devoid of any such signs. She had no clue what ultimate mission might await her.

The old chief had imagined many possible responses from this human but had not expected such a nonchalant answer.

Humans had long disappeared from the Nitean continent. Her arrival surely foretold some looming disaster—yet it seemed even she wasn’t aware of it.

Snorting in frustration, the old chief turned and stomped away. “Forget it. I’m going to sleep.”

Liyan gave Lu Yao an apologetic nod before hurrying to catch up with the chief.

Lu Yao threw Fuxue and the others’ dirty clothes into the laundry room, washed and dried them, and returned them to the hot spring room. Finally, yawning, she retired to her room for the night.

The next morning, before dawn, Lu Yao woke and headed to the kitchen to start cooking rice. Once it was steaming and filling the air with its aroma, she returned to her room to wash up and change.

By the time the rice was ready, the staff and guests staying at the inn were also beginning to wake.

Lu Yao decided on rice balls for breakfast—quick, convenient, and delicious.

The steamed rice was cooled slightly and divided into three portions. One portion was mixed with seaweed, meat floss, and salted egg yolk; another with minced beef and vegetables; the last with crab roe and shrimp.

Lu Yao had been experimenting for a while and realized that preparing meals for her little guests shared similarities with making baby food.

After browsing online, she purchased some cute, small molds designed for baby meals.

In the morning, she didn’t need to hand-roll the rice balls; instead, she filled the molds with spoonfuls of seasoned, well-mixed ingredients. Once unmolded, each rice ball was just the right size for a one- or two-year-old child’s bite—coincidentally, also a suitable portion for the little people.

The rice, seaweed, meat floss, salted egg yolk, beef cubes, and shrimp were all processed to an appropriate texture—neither too coarse to swallow nor overly fine and lacking texture.

As Lu Yao worked on the rice balls, a curious group of little people gathered around her cutting board to watch: the three little couples staying at the inn, Yuanwei, Heici, Fuxue, and her friends.

Lu Yao set aside a failed attempt on a small dipping plate and pushed it toward the group. “Want to give it a try?”

Jiexiang eagerly stepped forward, pinched a piece, and took a bite, nodding enthusiastically. “Delicious!”

She didn’t forget to pinch another piece and stuff it into Ziye’s hand.

The small rice ball was quickly devoured as they shared it, one pinch at a time.

By the time Xiao Zheng arrived at the inn, Lu Yao had already finished the rice balls for her guests, and the soup was simmering on the stove.

Lu Yao said, “I saved some rice. Breakfast for us is up to you.”

Xiao Zheng donned an apron and gloves, skillfully hand-shaping larger rice triangles for humans. The little people’s attention quickly shifted to him.

Lu Yao placed a plate of little rice balls next to the larger human-sized ones and snapped a photo to share online:

“Today’s inn breakfast: three-flavor rice balls, seaweed mung bean soup, spicy beef sauce, and mayonnaise.”

Within ten minutes, her post was flooded with comments from staff “ordering” their breakfast.

That morning, no one wanted food from the snack shop or pet cafe—they all wanted the inn’s rice balls.

With the internal network system fully operational, even though there weren’t many users yet, this new way of sharing moments brought a fresh vitality to Shopping Street.

…

Outside the inn, the Red Pig tribe’s little people woke up feeling refreshed after a night of rest.

Waking to the aroma of breakfast, they instinctively lined up at the door for rice balls without any need for reminders.

They had thought last night’s tomato meat sauce pasta was the pinnacle of gourmet food, only to find this morning’s rice balls offered another level of deliciousness.

The only challenge was choosing from the three flavors, leaving them completely torn.

By the end of the day, the consensus among the little people was unanimous: the inn’s food surpassed even that of the Xiaguang tribe.

…

After breakfast, the old chief urged the tribe to set off and had the little people bring out items like beast hides, oil stones, and sugar blocks, piling them in front of the inn like a small mountain. It seemed the old chief was keen to sever any ties with the inn.

Despite the younger members’ confusion, they followed his orders, leaving no room for negotiation.

Lu Yao accepted the goods and called Zhu Zhou and Heici to see the tribe off.

The journey from Thorn Valley to the Red Pig tribe’s new territory would take about half a day. With their large numbers, heavy luggage, and herding the red pigs, even crossing the valley’s boundary would take considerable time.

Zhu Zhou drove the new green train around to the front, and Heici leaned out of the window with a miniature megaphone, shouting, “Get on! We’ll take you to the boundary!”

The little people had noticed the strange rails crisscrossing Thorn Valley earlier but hadn’t known their purpose. Now, seeing the green train, their eyes practically popped out of their heads.

The bolder ones ran over immediately, hauling their luggage into the carriages.

The train had ten carriages, each equipped with exterior racks for cargo. It could carry dozens of passengers in one trip—faster than walking and infinitely more exciting.

The little people quickly fell in love with this peculiar mode of transportation. Those who didn’t get a spot on the first trip loitered nearby, waiting for its return.

The old chief watched the scene with a sour expression:

“That human is definitely up to no good.”

Once the large group of guests departed, the inn returned to its usual quiet.

Lu Yao sorted the Red Pig tribe’s offerings into her system storage: beast hides, sugar blocks, oil stones, and even a growing collection of red pigs.

Amid the more practical items, two lone treasures—Yangju and Acorus—each occupied a slot, appearing almost extravagant.

Lu Yao took out the Yangju fruit, turning it in her hand. She still had no idea what it was for.

From his seat in the first-floor dining area, Ziye noticed the fruit in Lu Yao’s hand. His expression shifted subtly, and he walked over.

“How do you have that fruit?” he asked.

Lu Yao countered, “You know about Yangju?”

Ziye frowned. “It’s a medicinal fruit. Don’t you know that?”

Medicinal?

Lu Yao shook her head. “I came across it by chance but don’t know its purpose.”

Ziye looked puzzled. “But Yangju grows only in the forbidden garden behind the sacred temple of the Shenmu tribe. Only they can access it.”

Moreover, the last Yangju tree had withered seven years ago. Despite the temple elders’ efforts, it could not be saved.

Yet, the Yangju in Lu Yao’s hand looked as fresh as if it had just been picked from the tree.

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