Of course, I didn't know that FIRE had almost recognized me just now, because my attention was focused on the snack shops on both sides.
"Lin Fan, do you know the origin of Guanqian Street?" Murong Shanshan asked with a giggle, and seeing me shake my head, she continued, "The name of Guanqian Street comes from the Xuanyuan Temple in the street's scenic area. Like Shanghai's Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street and Nanjing's Fuzimiao, it's a bustling urban commercial area. Moreover, Guanqian Street also has a mythical legend."
My interest was piqued, so I asked, "What mythical legend?"
Murong Shanshan smiled proudly, then continued, "Legend has it that in the late Qing Dynasty, there was a small shop selling cold dishes and braised dishes on Guanqian Street in Suzhou. The owner's surname was Lu. Because business was poor, he often dozed off at his table. One time, he accidentally fell asleep again and dreamt he saw an old beggar, a familiar face who often received alms from Boss Lu. The old beggar told Boss Lu, 'I am no ordinary person; I am leaving now. The straw mat Boss Lu gave me is still under the bridge where I reside. You can retrieve it; it will surely be of help to you in the future!'"
I suddenly burst out laughing. Murong Shanshan was quite amusing when she spoke ancient Chinese with a serious, pretty face, especially dressed in pure white clothes walking in the falling snow. She indeed gave off that 'I am no ordinary person' feeling, and it was no wonder the young people by the roadside all cast admiring glances.
Murong Shanshan said somewhat angrily, "Don't interrupt, I'm not finished yet!"
I smiled, "Alright, alright, you continue, I'm listening!"
"En, after that Boss Lu woke up, he indeed found the straw mat under the bridge. He carried the straw mat back, thinking it was useless, and threw it into the stove to burn. At this moment, a miracle occurred: strange aromas filled Suzhou City. Boss Lu quickly retrieved the unburnt part of the straw mat and preserved it in a lacquer box. Thereafter, every time he braised meat, he would take out a straw mat and throw it into the stove. Coincidentally, each time he threw in a straw mat, it made his braised meat much more fragrant than other shops, and his business gradually grew larger."
Murong Shanshan finished speaking, blinked her eyes at me, and said, "Do you know what moral this mythical story conveys?"
I shook my head, completely not understanding... "Hmph hmph, it means that three parts are skill and seven parts are fire. Everything is like this; you need to know when to stop. Do you understand this principle?"
I smiled, "Of course I understand, my elementary school teacher already told me."
Murong Shanshan turned, facing my face, and said word by word, "No, you don't understand. I've calculated it; you get a maximum of 6 hours of rest per day on average, and all your other time is spent online. If this continues, your body will eventually break down. Do you understand my painstaking efforts in asking you to come out for a walk now?"
I was stunned. Perhaps Murong Shanshan's words had some truth to them, but there was no need for her to talk about painstaking efforts.
"Let's go, I'm hungry too. Today I'm treating you to hotpot!"
...It was already past 8 o'clock when we returned. Walking along the edge of the residential area, I suddenly thought that I should have bought something for Lu Xuehan. After all, she was indeed very good to me, and for a beautiful and lovely Little beauty like Lu Xuehan, no one would believe me if I said I had no ulterior motives towards her.
After much consideration, I still walked into the supermarket downstairs to buy some things for Lu Xuehan and Xin Yu to eat. Girls all love to eat, so buying snacks should be fine... This supermarket wasn't small, and its most famous feature was a very flirtatious salesclerk who was quite renowned within a ten-mile radius. Many boys from nearby XX would painstakingly come here to buy things, just to catch a few glimpses of that salesclerk's magnificent chest and perky buttocks. I had seen her a few times too, but Xin Yu always forcibly dragged me away, so I never had the chance to appreciate her fully.
I scanned the supermarket but didn't find that flirtatious salesclerk. I had no choice but to buy some snacks and head to the checkout. When I got near the counter, I suddenly noticed a special counter selling chewing gum. After eating such spicy food with Murong Shanshan just now, I should buy some chewing gum to neutralize it. So I walked in, and did something that made me regret it for a week—
"Miss, do you have any Green Arrow here?"
I didn't even look up, my gaze sweeping over the small boxes in the counter. Huh? Why was the chewing gum packaging here so strange? There were even passionate images on the boxes. Could it be that chewing gum while doing 'it' would be more stimulating?
"Handsome, what kind of chewing gum do you want? Tell me, what's your size?"
A charmingly seductive voice came. I looked up and was instantly dumbfounded. A salesclerk in a suit uniform was smiling at me. In the middle of winter, she was only wearing a coat and a fuzzy undershirt. The neckline of the undershirt was very low, and a deep cleavage was faintly visible in the dim light, exceptionally alluring.
"I just want to buy a box of chewing gum..." My voice trembled slightly. This 'milk cow MM' must be the legendary Supermarket Peach!
The woman puffed out her trembling chest and said with a seductive smile, "Don't be shy. The most important thing for a man is to be responsible. It wouldn't be good if you got your girlfriend pregnant. Come on, let big sister see your size!"
I didn't know how she intended to check my size, but I saw her extend a fair, delicate hand towards me. There was no one else around; it was like a small cubicle, and people buying things outside couldn't see clearly inside, only blurry figures through the glass partition.
"Big sister, I really just want to buy chewing gum..."
She chuckled charmingly, pointed behind me, and said, "The chewing gum is over there, help yourself. Oh, by the way, are you really not buying? Do you want big sister to leave you her phone number?"
I hastily fled in a panic. Did this woman act so flirtatious whenever she saw a refined-looking handsome guy? En, if I were to get involved with her, I might as well just go back and surrender to Xin Yu. At least Xin Yu's figure wasn't worse than hers, and her face was much prettier.
After checking out, I carried the things back. Everyone should still be playing the game. I opened the door and directly divided the items in my hand into two portions: one for Xin Yu and Xu Lin's room, and the other placed on Lu Xuehan's bedside. I also casually stroked her snowy, delicate cheek. I didn't know if she noticed before I returned to my own room.
After entering the game, I appeared on the East Gate Bridge in the city. Xin Yu and Lu Xuehan had probably already gone to level up. Murong Shanshan hadn't come online yet. After repairing my equipment, I decided to go to Wild Horse Plains to check out the new map; there might be new quests.