Ch 48: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Under the eaves, the small people noticed the approaching big human and grew restless. Those standing at the edge paced anxiously in place.

Lu Yao walked closer, carefully watching her steps to avoid stepping on them. She also noticed a few familiar faces among them.

Liyan from the Red Pig tribe stood at the entrance with several senior members of the hunting team. Beside him were guests from the Blackrock and Xiaguang tribes. The elderly chieftain and two senior team leaders had already been inside the inn for some time.

Lu Yao squatted at the bottom of the steps. “Liyan, why are you all standing outside? Come in and sit.”

The Blackrock tribe members, seeing Lu Yao suddenly, went weak at the knees but mustered their courage to shout, “Isn’t it enough to abduct the little ones from our tribe? Now you want to trick us inside too?”

Lu Yao’s brow twitched, her expression odd. “We run a proper inn, providing meals and a place to rest for passing travelers.”

A member of the Xiaguang tribe, trembling, retorted, “Still denying it? You tricked the little ones from the Red Pig tribe into taking ours away.”

Liyan pressed his fingers to his brow in frustration and stepped forward to explain. “Last night, Monk returned from hunting and told the little ones about the inn. Before dawn, he brought them here. The Blackrock and Xiaguang tribe guests have misunderstood the inn.”

A member of the Blackrock tribe shouted loudly, “Misunderstanding? The big human is a wicked creature! She even dared to touch our unborn children!”

In their rage, this little person inadvertently revealed their deepest fear of Lu Yao.

The Red Pig tribe members had explained countless times that Lu Yao truly didn’t eat small people, but the guests refused to believe them.

Lu Yao stood up and stepped directly over their heads.

The enormous, terrifying shadow swept over them, and the little people crouched down, covering their heads in fear.

Moments later, Lu Yao emerged from the inn, holding over a dozen small people in her hands. She gently placed them on the ground.

The little ones and leaders from the three tribes were all returned, but their posture was strange—bent over with hunched backs.

The Red Pig tribe’s elderly chieftain still had a sesame seed stuck in his beard, his face as red as a tomato.

Members of the Blackrock tribe hurriedly supported their leader, who seemed barely able to walk, and anxiously asked, “What happened to you?”

The chieftain and leaders looked skyward, pretending not to hear.

Monk blurted out, “They’re stuffed.”

Monk was immediately scolded, feeling aggrieved that he had only told the truth and didn’t expect so many people outside.

The atmosphere turned awkward.

The elderly chieftain and the two leaders’ faces burned with embarrassment.

Initially, they had rushed into the inn intending only to retrieve the mischievous little ones.

But the inn was far too dangerous!

Upon entering, they were immediately drawn by a mouthwatering aroma. The big human staff led them to the dining area.

Before Monk and the little ones from Blackrock and Xiaguang tribes were large bowls of dipping wontons and pan-fried buns the size of their heads, eaten with greasy enthusiasm.

The elders marched in and promptly scolded their little ones, but something strange happened. Delicious food, freshly cooked, appeared on the table beside them. The tantalizing aroma filled their nostrils. They sat down and began to eat.

After finishing a bun larger than their faces and a bowl of wontons, Monk claimed he was too full and needed to walk it off.

The elderly chieftain’s group, cheeks slightly flushed, also thought they should take a walk.

Heici suggested visiting the spacious Rose Garden House nearby. They toured the glass greenhouse, entertainment rooms on the first floor—music, reading, and painting rooms—and finally the tea room.

The tea room was exquisitely decorated, with several tables already occupied.

Each table held a “dessert tower,” with different treats on each layer, emitting a sweet and inviting fragrance.

As an old regular, Monk rang the bell and ordered desserts without hesitation.

The elderly chieftain and leaders couldn’t explain how they had allowed it.

After eating the desserts, they found themselves stuffed again.

The Xiaguang tribe’s little ones were curious about the inn’s hot spring pool, so the group planned to try it out.

That’s when Lu Yao returned and grabbed them all, leading to the earlier scene.

Outside the door, a Xiaguang tribe member suddenly asked, “The desserts at the inn were fragrant, weren’t they?”

The team leader nodded reflexively but then froze abruptly, raising his voice: “It was… just average!”

The little ones protested, “Liar! Leader Qingyi ate a lot!”

Qingyi turned his back, his ears burning red. “…”

Lu Yao squatted by the threshold and spoke calmly: “The inn never forces guests to do anything. Big people have no appetite for small people and do not abduct or deceive guests. If you don’t trust us, you’re free not to visit, but please refrain from spreading rumors.”

Her tone was as steady as usual, and her expression remained untroubled. The previously outspoken little people lowered their heads, their faces and ears flushed with embarrassment.

The rumor about Blackrock Tribe’s unborn children was absurd, and no matter how much Lu Yao thought about it, she couldn’t fathom how such a misunderstanding had arisen.

At its core, mutual understanding is inherently difficult—more so between two vastly different species.

Lu Yao wasn’t particularly upset or angry. As someone who’d run shops in various worlds , she’d encountered all kinds of situations.

Running a shop and selling goods meant dealing with the realities of business—it couldn’t always be sunny spring days or poetic fairytales.

However, sometimes she felt compelled to gently remind naive customers about the importance of trust and integrity in commerce.

Monk climbed up to the threshold, stretched on his tiptoes, and tugged at Lu Yao’s finger. “Lu Yao, don’t be mad. It’s the fault of the chieftain and the guests!”

Lu Yao extended a finger and lightly poked Monk’s little head. “I’m not mad. I have things to do. Your people are returned; you can all leave now.”

The inn’s doors closed, and the little people lingered at the entrance, feeling inexplicably anxious.

The Nitean little people, simple by nature, tried to think it through but ultimately gave up, letting it go.

They had arrived in grand style but left dejected.

Before they departed, they spotted a peculiar settlement beside the inn—stone cave houses, treehouses, mushroom cottages, boat-shaped homes. The ground was paved with small, smooth stones, fenced off and adorned with fresh berries, leaves, and flowers.

Zhuang Yu explained, “This is the tribe of foreign little people. Lu Yao allows them to build houses and live on her land.”

After walking a while, Monk called out to Zhuang Yu and some companions, shouting, “Chieftain, we’re going hunting in the mountains today and will take the inn’s cable car. You all go on ahead.”

Monk, puffing with anger, turned and walked off after speaking.

The little people stopped in place, watching as a group of young ones climbed up to a high platform.

Before long, a massive dandelion-shaped cable car appeared. Monk and his companions climbed inside and ascended the mountain.

The little people seeing the dandelion cable car for the first time were stunned, their faces lifted in awe like sunflowers chasing the sunlight.

The Xiaguang Tribe’s team leader blurted out, “You can go straight up the mountain in that?”

A team member said enviously, “If only the big people’s inn was on Xiaguang Mountain.”

The little people of the Xiaguang Tribe loved living in the mountains, especially in treehouses.

They migrated two or three times a year but rarely left the Xiaguang Mountain area.

The mountain was lush, offering shade from the three suns during the hot season and abundant food resources from its plants.

But the drawbacks were equally apparent—wet areas full of snakes and insects, and the rugged mountain paths made climbing up and down extremely challenging.

Liyan, tempted by the sight of the cable car, directly suggested to the chieftain, “Why don’t we take a ride too?”

The elderly chieftain tried to maintain his composure.

The little people of the Red Pig Tribe were more easygoing, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to sneak off to visit the inn in private.

Liyan asked, and when the elders interpreted his silence as agreement, they didn’t offer any excuses. Instead, they turned and dashed toward the cable car station.

The giant dandelion-shaped cars were too fascinating—they simply had to experience it immediately!

The Red Pig tribe members took off running, and soon the Xiaguang and Blackrock tribes couldn’t resist either, shuffling quickly on tiny steps. By the time their team leaders noticed, the little ones were already in line.

After some adjustments, the cable car system now parked five dandelion cars at each terminal at the start and end of the day, allowing for passenger pick-ups in both directions during peak hours. A full round trip took half an hour, but the little people surprised everyone with their patience as they lined up and boarded.

The enormous dandelion cars ascended and descended along the cable. Lu Yao stepped out to film some footage of the scene.

The elderly chieftain and two team leaders also boarded a cable car, sitting across from three little ones.

A young Blackrock tribe member pleaded, “Can’t we go to the inn again?”

The Blackrock team leader stayed silent for a moment before replying in a low voice, “We’re leaving soon. We can go when we return.”

The little one lit up. “Then I want to try the hot springs next time!”

A Xiaguang tribe child turned to their leader. “What about us?”

Qingyi glanced away and replied casually, “Once we’re back from the Shenmu tribe, we’ll stay at the inn too.”

The elderly chieftain, recalling something his tribe members had secretly told him, asked the Blackrock leader, “Did one of your unborn children get involved with the big human?”

The Blackrock leader fell silent for a while, then began explaining the situation involving Qianlang and Beibei.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao returned to the inn, took a bath, and sat down by the windowsill to eat breakfast.

Xiao Zheng had prepared thumb-sized pan-fried buns and fresh pork-crab roe-shrimp wontons with a side of spicy chili dipping sauce—deliciously fresh and fiery.

As Lu Yao ate, her nose began to sweat.

The little people in the inn peeked out cautiously from behind a mug.

Lu Yao chuckled. “Are you afraid of me too?”

Heici walked out carrying beef cube, grabbed Lu Yao’s left hand, and placed the little wolf in her palm. “You can play with beef cube for a while.”

Yuanwei and Zhu Zhou brought over a pot of freshly brewed sweet soup.

Hudie and Jiexiang stepped out awkwardly, hand in hand. Hudie spoke up, “Lu Yao, we saw the notice at the entrance. We want to come stay at the inn.”

A’dai and Jinjin followed them. “We do too!”

Lu Yao raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Staying at the inn means getting involved with the so-called ‘evil big human.’”

Hudie replied, “There’s nowhere else for us to go—we’ve been homeless for a long time.”

Jiexiang added, “You’re not an evil big human.”

A’dai chimed in, “Lu Yao is wonderful—it’s them who are not!”

Jinjin, not good with words, nodded vigorously. “A’dai is right!”

Lu Yao smiled. “Alright, then. The inn is open to all of you. As long as the hot spring inn stands, it will always be your home.”

Hudie and Jiexiang, along with A’dai and Jinjin, had already been staying at the inn for some time and were familiar with its operations.

Jiexiang stayed in the small kitchen, teaming up with Yuanwei. Jinjin began learning how to operate the train, while Hudie and A’dai took shifts at the cable car station.

Heici, still a young boy, had a more flexible arrangement. Lu Yao and the little couples decided together that beyond his work shifts, he could learn various skills from the adult little people in the area. He would also venture out to hunt occasionally.

With the hot spring rooms, cable car, inn safety passages, and small people’s housing mostly completed, Lu Yao began focusing on constructing the final guest room area to expedite the ultimate mission.

This final guest area was highly artistic in design. Even Bai Lu couldn’t help but praise the innkeeper’s creativity.

However, it was tedious and detailed work. After spending half a day on it, Lu Yao often found herself stepping out to clear her mind.

Her way of relieving stress even amused the human staff.

Lu Yao had cleared an area in the open space of Thorn Valley. She tilled the soil, collected manure from nearby animals, burned deadwood and soil to create natural fertilizer, and planted pieces of stone yams—essentially treating them like potatoes by burying the cut sections in prepared ground.

Yes, Lu Yao was attempting to start farming on the Nitean continent.

If she could figure out the growth patterns of stone yams and develop the corresponding cultivation techniques, the Nitean little people could finally leave behind their centuries-old nomadic hunting lifestyle.

Lu Yao found it curious that the little people possessed the skills to domesticate animals, produce sugar and salt, and mine resources, yet had never mastered farming.

She transplanted soapberry plants and wild bean sprouts from nearby areas, and she also planted a few of the recently rewarded sesame seedlings.

Dividing the land into sections, she diligently observed and recorded the growth every day.

Several days passed quickly. Sitting by the windowsill, Lu Yao spent half an hour stacking blocks. In just two more days, the final guest room would be nearly complete.

She stretched her neck left and right, grabbed a jacket, and headed outside.

In the vegetable garden, the stone yams hadn’t sprouted yet, but the soapberries, wild bean sprouts, and sesame plants were growing well. However, the Nitean sun was particularly harsh. By midday, she would need to build a shade structure to prevent the seedlings from being scorched.

It was said that the sun during the peak sunshine season was even more brutal, with longer daylight hours and more intense sunlight. The little people could only venture out for hunting in the early morning or late evening.

Lu Yao privately considered installing solar panels on the inn’s roof. With such abundant sunlight, it would be a shame not to harness it.

Suddenly, Heici ran in from outside, disheveled and tearful, bursting into sobs upon seeing Lu Yao.

Lu Yao was heartbroken but had no idea what had happened. She reached out and picked up the little one.

His right cheek was swollen like a small steamed bun.

Lu Yao was shocked. “What happened to you?”

Between sobs, Heici explained what had occurred.

During the sunshine season, life flourished, and snakes, mice, insects, and birds became more active. Little people often encountered nature’s bounty while hunting.

Heici had discovered a beehive and wanted to sneak some honey but got stung. This wasn’t his first attempt—he succeeded eight times out of ten, though he occasionally got stung.

But this time it hurt more than usual, leaving him feeling aggrieved and on the verge of tears. Naturally, he ran back to Lu Yao to seek comfort.

Lu Yao conjured a small point of light magic with her fingertip, soothing Heici’s swelling and pain. While doing so, she considered how valuable wild honey could be.

At the edge of Thorn Valley, the Shenmu tribe’s elderly chieftain, elders, and thirty knights stood on a hillside, staring in astonishment at the valley in the distance.

The chieftain squinted. “Is this Thorn Valley?”

The knights shook their heads, uncertain.

Jianlan exclaimed excitedly, “Last time we came, it didn’t look like this! Why are there giant dandelions floating in the air?”

The knights visiting the inn for the first time were speechless.

This wasn’t just an inn—it was practically a city.

A loud whistle echoed—woo-woo-woo!

The small train appeared, winding along its tracks.

One knight fell to the ground in shock. “What’s coming this way?”

Jianlan burst into laughter. “It’s the inn’s train, coming to pick us up!”

Seeing such a grand sight for the first time, the knights suddenly felt a bit self-conscious. The outside world was changing so quickly.

The Shenmu tribe, reliant on their fetal seed, usually obtained everything they needed for survival through trade. They focused solely on protecting their sacred tree, rarely concerning themselves with external affairs or worrying about food and clothing. For generations, they had lived near the sacred tree without the need to migrate.

But now, an inexplicable sense of being left behind by time, disconnected from the era, washed over them.

The small train stopped at the gentle slope, and Jinjin poked her head out from the driver’s cabin. “Staying at the inn? Hop on!”

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