Chapter 110: Wu Xingyu’s Frailness

“Very good, here’s a big meaty bone as a reward.” Right then and there, Yun Qimu pulled out a rib from a Jingjing Beast and handed it to her.

Delise’s face flushed with delight. She rubbed her hands together nervously. “R-Really? Is it really for me?”

Then she lowered her head shyly, fiddling with her fingers. “But I didn’t do a very good job today, Village Chief Yun. You don’t need to pity me. Agu Lai also killed some monsters today and got some meat, so I’ll have something to eat too.”

Yun Qimu couldn’t help but laugh at her. “Just take it. Consider it a gift for your first day of business. Besides, this is Jingjing Beast meat—top quality stuff, way better than ordinary meat. Take it home and make soup or roast it, either way, it’ll taste amazing.”

“Oh, right. You and Agu Lai didn’t bring anything with you when you came, right? You’ll need a pot to cook the meat. If you don’t have one, come borrow one from my place.”

Yun Qimu had a particularly good impression of this noble lady who’d dared to follow her father into exile on this planet. It reminded her a lot of how little Yun Xiaoyu had secretly snuck onto the ship to follow them back then, so Yun Qimu couldn’t help but feel a bit more protective toward her.

She was more than happy to lend a hand with these little things.

“N-No need, we have a pot,” Delise quickly waved her hands, shaking her head. At the mention of this, her face lit up with excitement. “Agu Lai is a wind-type ability user. He was really fast today and picked up a bunch of metal from the junkyard, then got a metal-type user to make a pot out of iron. He even chopped off a branch from a Danmu tree and made a few big wooden bowls and chopsticks himself.”

“This afternoon, he made fish soup with the pot, and it tasted amazing! The only thing missing was a bit of salt. Agu Lai wasn’t lucky enough to get any salt from the treasure chests, but he’s already taken some meat to the Tiangou Tribe to trade for salt. Tonight, our fish soup and roast chicken are going to taste even better!”

Her eyes sparkled with admiration and adoration for Agu Lai.

A noble lady with zero survival skills and poor hands-on ability had met someone who was skilled and resourceful—and he treated her well, too. That was her good fortune.

Yun Qimu smiled, not wanting to waste any more time. After handing the meat to Delise and telling her she could go home and rest, she was dragged away by Yun Xiaoyu and Xiao Zhuzhu back to the little wooden house she’d chosen as the textile base.

Inside, Ku Ke and the others were still hard at work. The thirty people assigned to farming hadn’t left either—some had come in to help, and those who couldn’t squeeze inside were chatting and watching the snow at the door.

Everyone’s faces, though smudged with dirt, looked relaxed and happy.

“Alright, everyone, you can clock out now. Work’s done for the day!” Yun Qimu clapped her hands and called everyone over with a smile.

Aunt Meifang, who had just finished sewing a garment, quickly put down her needle and thread, grabbed Hualan and her husband, and was the first to rush out excitedly.

“Oh, Village Chief Yun, you’re back! I heard you went up the snowy mountain to rescue someone. How did it go? Did you save them? Were you hurt?” Aunt Meifang asked with passionate concern.

“We’re fine, not a scratch on us.” Yun Qimu instinctively took a small step back from her overwhelming enthusiasm—only to bump right into Wu Xingyu, who’d been following closely behind her.

Aunt Meifang’s gaze shifted to Wu Xingyu, her eyes a little wary. “So this is the handsome young man who got trapped on the mountain, huh?”

Then, looking pained and earnest, she began to lecture him. “Young man, this won’t do! Look at you, all skinny and frail. Sure, you’re good-looking, but you’re not a girl—no one’s going to take care of you just because you’re pretty. Listen to your auntie: you need to toughen up. I’m not saying you have to be as strong as my son, but at least be able to run fast. That way, you can save your own skin when it counts!”

Yun Qimu was so stunned by her sudden words that she was left speechless.

Wu Xingyu—skinny and frail?

“Pfft—”

She couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Aunt Meifang laughed along, her eyes squinting into slits. She was just a harmless old lady, after all—she was only speaking the truth, not bragging about how strong her own son was.

Wu Xingyu’s face, on the other hand, turned dark. His pitch-black eyes glared coldly at the old woman, his anger practically radiating off him.

Aunt Meifang’s laughter faltered, and she grew uneasy.

Goodness, why is this skinny, pretty boy so scary?

Yuan An and Yun He, who had followed behind and heard every word of Aunt Meifang’s “amazing” speech, hurried over and grabbed Wu Xingyu by the arms, one on each side, worried their third brother might lose his temper and hit a woman.

After all, this village valued respect for elders and children. If anyone got in trouble, it’d be them who’d end up as the scapegoats, not the old lady.

Yuan An quickly tried to smooth things over. “Third Brother, don’t be mad. Auntie just didn’t realize that beneath your refined looks, you’re actually really strong.”

“Exactly, exactly,” Yun He chimed in, then turned to Aunt Meifang and started defending Wu Xingyu.

“Auntie, you’ve got our third brother all wrong. He only looks skinny in clothes—take them off and he’s all muscle! You can’t judge a book by its cover. Our third brother is the total package, inside and out!”

Having experienced Wu Xingyu’s strength firsthand, Yun Qimu nodded in agreement.

Yuan An added, “And about the rescue, that was a misunderstanding. Our third brother didn’t get trapped because he was slow—he found a huge cave and stayed behind to fight monsters.”

“That’s right! By the time we got there, he’d already cleared out almost all the monsters in that cave. He got a total of 381 treasure chests!”

The loot inside wasn’t all that great, but there was no way they’d admit that in front of this auntie who looked down on their third brother.

Sure enough, Aunt Meifang was stunned, her mouth hanging open. “Three hundred and eighty-one? Goodness, this handsome young man is amazing!”

Then she muttered, conflicted, “My son only managed to kill three monsters… There’s just no comparison.”

This was classic “my son is the best” mentality.

Now, the most handsome young man around Village Chief Yun was this cold but strikingly good-looking fellow. If she were thirty years younger, she wouldn’t be able to resist either! She felt a strong sense of crisis—what if Village Chief Yun was charmed by this pretty boy? Then her own daughter-in-law’s chances would be gone for good!

Seizing the opportunity, Aunt Meifang couldn’t help but try to put Wu Xingyu down a little in front of Yun Qimu, hoping to give her own son a better shot.

But she never expected that this pretty boy would actually be so capable—far more so than her own son! Now her son’s chances were practically nonexistent.

Aunt Meifang was torn up inside.

Good night, good night~"

"**Chapter 111: Investing in a Restaurant**

Aunt Meifang had been feeling down ever since her son failed to measure up to others. Her usual enthusiasm for stirring up trouble and joining in the fun had completely fizzled out.

Yuan An and Yun He both breathed a sigh of relief. They were worried that this oblivious aunt might also experience the humiliation of being turned back into a toddler for three minutes. For someone her age, that would be a real blow to her dignity. They were afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle the shame and might even do something drastic to prove a point, which would be a real problem.

Unfortunately, while they guessed the beginning, they didn’t see the ending coming.

One day, Aunt Meifang accidentally witnessed Wu Xingyu using his time-reversal ability to turn someone back into a little kid. Instantly, her spirits soared. She started visiting every day, bringing food and drinks, trying her best to get on Wu Xingyu’s good side—all in hopes of convincing him to turn back the clock for her by a few decades, so she could return to the beautiful days of her youth at eighteen.

Her tireless efforts and constant concern were even more attentive than a real mother. Wu Xingyu, who was usually cold and aloof, couldn’t keep a straight face anymore. Every time he saw Aunt Meifang coming, he’d turn and run, leaving everyone who knew his true nature stunned. Who would’ve thought this guy would ever try to avoid someone? Hahaha!

Ahem, but let’s set that aside for now and get back to reality.

With Aunt Meifang, the “troublemaker,” finally quiet, Yun Qimu took the opportunity to hold an outdoor staff meeting.

At the meeting, she called out several employees who had made significant contributions—like the burly Tengu who worked hardest at clearing land, Cook, who improved the loom and boosted weaving efficiency, and Hualan, who was a skilled seamstress.

Yun Qimu praised them as “model workers” and gave each of them a reward.

Cook, who contributed the most, received a Jingjing Beast rib, a sharp dagger, and a bolt of cloth.

The other model workers each got some Mengji meat and a piece of cloth.

As for everyone else, Yun Qimu didn’t let them leave empty-handed either. She grabbed a handful of Danmu soft candies from her storage space for each person as encouragement.

After this round of rewards, the workers became even more motivated, and Yun Qimu’s reputation as a generous boss was firmly established, laying a solid foundation for recruiting more workers in the future.

Yun Qimu’s eyes curved with a smile as she looked at Hualan, who stood out in the crowd with her quiet elegance and gentle smile. An idea began to take shape in her mind.

“Alright, let’s go home for dinner!”

After the staff meeting, everyone happily headed home. Yun Qimu took Yun Xiaoyu by the hand and, along with Father Yun, made their way back to their little wooden cabin.

“What do you want for dinner tonight?” she asked with a smile, her boots crunching through the snow as they walked.

Yun Xiaoyu looked up at her, eyes sparkling. “Can we have pumpkin? Daddy wants to drink sweet pumpkin soup.”

Yun Qimu tapped his little nose with a grin. “I think you’re the one who wants it.”

Yun Xiaoyu turned his face away, a bit guilty. “No, Daddy really likes it too. Last time, he drank more than half the pot! Right, Daddy?”

Father Yun held his soft little hand and, meeting his son’s expectant gaze, flashed a big, goofy grin and nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

Yun Xiaoyu was satisfied, then shot Yun Qimu a triumphant look, as if to say, “See?”

Yun Qimu smiled warmly at the little guy. “Alright, there’s just one pumpkin left. I’ll make pumpkin soup for you two.”

Yun Xiaoyu’s face lit up with a huge smile. He bounced excitedly and raised his hand. “Today, Al and I learned a new dish from Brother Tang En called ‘White Cut Chicken.’ He even gave me a bowl of dipping sauce!”

“Did you learn how to make it?”

Yun Xiaoyu puffed out his chest proudly. “I did! I only had to watch once—it’s super easy. I even made it for Daddy at lunch, and it was delicious, wasn’t it, Daddy?”

Father Yun chimed in with his usual goofy support. “Xiaoyu is the best. The white cut chicken was delicious.”

Yun Qimu laughed too, happy to encourage the little one’s enthusiasm.

“Alright, then you can make white cut chicken for dinner. I got some really tasty meat from a monster today—Jingjing Beast ribs. I’ll make braised pork ribs, stir-fry some greens, and with your chicken and the pumpkin soup, that’s four dishes. How does that sound?”

“Sounds great!”

The three of them happily turned into their little cabin and got busy with their respective tasks.

Father Yun peeled the pumpkin, Yun Xiaoyu washed the vegetables, and Yun Qimu cleaned the pots and prepared the other ingredients. The cabin quickly filled with warmth and lively energy.

Meanwhile, Wu Xingyu and his group were left standing outside the wooden fence, peering in enviously at the happy family.

Wu Xingyu shot a disdainful look at Yun He, Yuan An, and Pei Yu. “That kid only had to watch once to learn how to make white cut chicken. What about you guys?”

Pei Yu, Yun He, and Yuan An: Sorry, we’ve let the grown-ups down.

The four of them lingered outside the fence for a while longer, reluctant to return to their own cold, lifeless cabin.

“Let’s go find Tang En,” Wu Xingyu said, finally tearing his gaze away from Yun Qimu’s cozy yard. With his usual cold expression, he strode off toward the neighboring cabin.

The other three followed along. That’s how they’d been getting by these past few days—eating at Tang En’s place.

The food was good, thanks to quality ingredients and Tang En’s cooking skills. The only downside was that Tang En’s cabin was too small, and the table couldn’t fit them all comfortably.

“If only we had a restaurant,” Pei Yu grumbled. “It’d be so much nicer to eat out than crowding into Tang En’s place every day.”

That offhand comment caught Wu Xingyu’s attention.

The next morning, the heavy snow had just stopped, and a warm light shone down from who knows where. It looked like it was going to be a good day.

Yun Qimu looked out at Wu Xingyu, who was standing tall and striking outside the fence. He wore a black, neatly pressed cotton jacket—plain, but incredibly stylish and handsome. It made him look even taller and more imposing, highlighting his proud aura.

Yun Qimu was momentarily dazzled, but quickly shook her head and got back to business. “You said you want to invest in a restaurant?”

“Yeah.” Wu Xingyu’s beautiful face was cold and expressionless as he nodded.

“But why? Opening a restaurant isn’t profitable right now. The villagers are just getting started and don’t have money to eat out.”

Yun Qimu was puzzled. She knew Wu Xingyu was a money-minded businessman, and a restaurant clearly wasn’t the most profitable venture at this stage. It would require a lot of investment up front with little return. Why was he suddenly willing to lose money?

Wu Xingyu’s face was blank, but his reason was simple and strong: “Because I want to eat.”

Yun Qimu: “Aren’t you all eating at Tang En’s place?”

“It’s inconvenient.”

“Aren’t you worried the restaurant will lose money?”

“I’m not worried. It’ll make money in the future.”

In other words, even if it doesn’t turn a profit right away, it will eventually. As long as they have good chefs and staff, customers will come.

Food, clothing, housing, and transportation—food is always one of the most profitable industries. As an experienced businessman, Wu Xingyu understood the potential for profit.

“Alright then, since you’ve thought it through, I’ll let you invest.” Yun Qimu beamed with joy at the prospect of opening another shop."