C3 The Restaurant Reopened

In just a brief moment, he had racked up two hundred Experience Points, leaving him a mere hundred points shy of the next level.

Chung Yuan replanted fresh pumpkin seeds in the soil and picked up one of the pumpkins he had just harvested before stepping out of the Super Farm space.

Now, he just had to wait for these pumpkins to mature and harvest them, after which the Super Farm would be ready for an upgrade.

"Dad, are we having pumpkin tonight?"

Chung Yuanyuan watched her father enter the kitchen with a pumpkin and bounded after him.

As Chung Yuan turned on the faucet to rinse the dirt off the pumpkin, he said, "You love pumpkins more than anything, don't you, Yuanyuan?"

"Hehe," Chung Yuanyuan giggled sweetly, "Brother loves them too."

"So while Tuantuan is busy with her homework, what are you up to?" Chung Yuan shifted the conversation.

Chung Yuanyuan's large, dark eyes twinkled mischievously as she grinned, "I'll do it tomorrow."

Tomorrow, huh?

He'd have to see it to believe it.

Chung Yuan couldn't help feeling a bit exasperated.

His eldest, Chung Tuantuan, was obedient and studious, while Chung Yuanyuan was her polar opposite, preferring to spend her days in leisure and play.

Knowing he couldn't force her to study, Chung Yuan resolved to find time to gently steer her in the right direction.

Having been a chef in his past life, Chung Yuan had a few culinary tricks up his sleeve.

Once dinner was ready, the family of three sat down together at the table.

The golden pumpkin soup wafted a tempting aroma as it simmered in the pot.

Chung Yuan ladled out two small bowls for the children and a generous portion for himself.

He let the soup cool down a bit before inviting the siblings to eat, to avoid any burns.

The rich scent of the soup was intoxicating, making it hard to resist diving right in.

"This is delicious!" Chung Tuantuan exclaimed with a look of pure bliss after taking a small sip, "Dad, your cooking has gotten so much better!"

Chung Yuanyuan, encouraged by her brother's reaction, eagerly took her turn to sip from her bowl.

Watching his children savor the meal, a gentle smile played at the corners of Chung Yuan's mouth.

He had already sampled this soup before.

The secret to its exquisite flavor? Truth be told, his culinary skills were responsible for a mere ten percent.

The remaining ninety percent was all thanks to the pumpkin itself.

It must be said, the pumpkins harvested from the Super Farm were unequivocally ten times more delectable than the average pumpkins found in the Real World.

With that realization...

Chung Yuan's eyes sparkled with inspiration.

Could these exceptional pumpkins be the key to reopening his restaurant?

Two months prior, Chung Yuan in this world had ceased operations at the Reunion Restaurant to care for his ailing wife.

Following her passing, he had lost all motivation to restart the business.

In essence, one could say the Reunion Restaurant had effectively shut its doors for good.

But closure didn't have to be permanent.

After all, wasn't it his dream to run his own restaurant?

Now, the chance to revive that dream was right before him.

Chung Yuan's fists tightened, a resolute glint in his eyes, as he firmly decided in his heart.

Tomorrow, the restaurant would reopen!

...

"Reunion Restaurant..."

The next day, under the blistering noon sun, a middle-aged man drenched in sweat and dressed in his work uniform stood bewildered on the street outside the restaurant, gazing up at the signboard.

"Wasn't this place closed down? How come it's suddenly open again today?"

He was filled with both astonishment and curiosity.

After enduring months of grueling work, he was finally ready to unwind and had set out to treat himself to a satisfying meal at a nice restaurant.

But the day's heat was unbearable. With the sun beating down mercilessly and not a breeze in sight, the world felt like a giant steamer.

He had trudged down half the street without settling on a place to eat, his clothes clinging to him, soaked as if he'd taken a bath in his own sweat.

"Now that it's reopened, I wonder if the food has improved... I remember hearing that this restaurant had a terrible reputation, with food to match."

The middle-aged man pondered, skepticism creeping into his thoughts.

But he couldn't bear the thought of walking any further.

This infernal weather!

Damn it! Why did it have to be so hot?

As he eyed the restaurant's air conditioning and the cold drinks in the fridge, his craving intensified.

Forget it!

With a determined heart, the middle-aged man strode into the Reunion Restaurant.

A blast of cool air hit him, and it felt like all 36,000 pores on his skin opened up at once, leaving him with one thought: exhilarating.

"No matter how it tastes, the air conditioning and a cold drink alone mean I, Liu Lang, won't be at a loss!"

With that in mind, he chose a seat and settled down.

Meanwhile, Chung Yuan, busy in the kitchen, wiped his hands on a towel before coming out with a welcoming smile.

Since the morning's reopening, half a day had passed, and now the first customer had arrived. Chung Yuan felt a mix of joy and anticipation as he greeted, "Hello there, would you like to dine with us?"

Liu Lang appraised Chung Yuan, noting the restaurant owner's neat appearance, around 28 or 29, with tidy short hair and a warm, inviting smile that made him instantly likable. His first impression of Chung Yuan was quite favorable.

The restaurant's interior was simple and tasteful, a perfect backdrop for a culinary experience.

Liu Lang had never eaten here before, only hearing rumors of subpar food and a less-than-stellar reputation.

But now, seeing the renovated space and meeting the proprietor, he was pleasantly surprised and curious whether the food would be equally satisfying.

"Yes, I'd like to have a meal. What's good to eat here?" Liu Lang inquired with courtesy.

"The menu's on the table. Please, take a look," Chung Yuan directed, pointing to it.

Liu Lang glanced over and picked up the menu with his calloused right hand.

His eyes widened in surprise.

The large menu had just a single line of small text in the upper left corner; the rest was blank.

He squinted at the small print, silently reading, "Pumpkin fried rice, one yuan per serving."

"Only one yuan?"

Liu Lang blinked in disbelief, wondering if his vision was blurred from sweat. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, confirming the price remained: Pumpkin fried rice, one yuan per serving.