Chapter 183: Family

Hah—

Jiang Xia lightly covered his mouth with his hand and gave a small yawn.

The morning sun poured down from the clear blue sky, giving the originally idle restaurant a touch of liveliness.

Rixia Bu Xi at the restaurant entrance wore a red apron and a shirt with red stripes, holding chalk and writing something on the blackboard before the door.

She had just finished writing when she heard a yawn from inside the restaurant.

"Were you tired yesterday?"

Rixia Bu Xi, seeing Jiang Xia yawning, said softly.

"Last night I had a bit of trouble sleeping; maybe I was a little excited."

Jiang Xia waved his hand, then picked up the apron hanging on the wall and put it on.

Rixia Bu Xi's motion paused slightly, "Excited?"

"Let me help you."

Rixia Bu Xi set down the items in her hand, stood behind Jiang Xia, and skillfully tied the apron around his neck and waist.

Jiang Xia picked up the utensils nearby and began today's preparations.

Last night he stayed in the Earth Library all night, and using his clone to continuously search various knowledge, it was mentally draining, but the results turned out unexpectedly not bad.

"Delivery."

Jiang Xia put down the knife, walked to the entrance, and a worker in blue clothes carried down from the truck several parcels made of white plastic boxes.

"Is this the place?" he glanced at the sign.

"Sal Restaurant, correct, the Songhua fish."

"Put it here."

After a quick look at the quality, Jiang Xia learned everything about these fish's lineage up to eighteen generations.

It was indeed custom-made to his standards, no mistake, but the price was very high.

It's simple: just deduct it from Kagami's part-time wages, after all he personally said he would send the premium bluefin fish.

Jiang Xia is now the manager; taking charge of a team's authority is his old specialty.

The restaurant is the same; now he's the one who pays the wages.

For the manager, not taking a salary is reasonable; just taking a commission on sales is enough.

"Good morning."

Kagami first saw stacked in front of the door foam boxes as tall as a person.

"Kagami, come help organize the ingredients; this is bought with your wages," Jiang Xia said.

"?"

Kagami lifted the middle of the box, after carefully checking the label on it, he turned his head to glance at Jiang Xia.

Then he could only honestly move each item to the back kitchen.

Having his wages deducted on the first day of work didn't affect Kagami's good mood at all.

He didn't care about the wages here; working was just an excuse to come here.

Of course, because of this matter having his wages deducted, he was very willing; this is the premium bluefin fish gift for Xiao Xi.

Jiang Xia was holding a knife, while processing the premium bluefin fish, and chatting with Kagami about ZECT.

Soon the doorbell rang, and a girl in white clothes with baby fat on her face pushed the door open and entered.

"Good morning... ahhh."

Tian Dao Shu Hua looked at the person cooking in the kitchen; her originally lively greeting voice was completely overwhelmed by surprise.

"Divine Lord, how are you here!"

Tian Dao Shu Hua quickly ran to the window, using her bright, clear eyes to stare straight at Jiang Xia.

Her eyes, like stars, seemed full of starlight, sparkling with curiosity.

And the gemstone always hanging from her neck thus popped out from her collar.

"Long time no see, Shuhua, you're here to get the bluefin fish, right? Tiandao guy calculated the time," Jiang Xia said with a smile.

"Divine Lord?"

In the eyes of Rixia Bu Xi and Kagami, a hint of doubt flashed simultaneously; they had never heard this title before.

"I want to call my brother and say I won't come back to eat today."

Tian Dao Shu Hua quickly pulled out her phone and said: "I want to stay at Saer Restaurant to have breakfast."

Clang!

Heavenly Dao Chief, who was cooking at home, hearing his sister's words, almost knocked over the teacup placed aside.

"Shuhua, what did you say?" Heavenly Dao Chief's voice trembled as he asked in disbelief.

"Brother, I want to stay at this restaurant; I want to eat the Divine Lord's cooking every day," Tian Dao Shu Hua said excitedly.

"That's it, bye-bye, brother."

That Heavenly Dao Chief guy would probably go crazy; Jiang Xia, hearing Tian Dao Shu Hua's call, just imagining him going crazy made him want to laugh.

"Wow, smells great, Divine Lord, can I have this portion?"

Tian Dao Shu Hua looked at the bluefin fish gradually turning golden-yellow, still emitting an enticing sheen; she couldn't help swallowing her saliva and begged Jiang Xia.

"Of course."

"Thank you, Divine Lord, to actually be able to eat the Divine Lord's homemade dish, it's truly blissful."

"Hey hey, who is this girl, and why do they call you Divine Lord?"

Kagami looked at Tian Dao Shu Hua, sneaked up to Jiang Xia's front, and asked in a low voice.

Rixia Bu Xi also showed a hint of curiosity.

"She is Tiandao's sister; I just performed magic for her." Jiang Xia shrugged, "Xiao Xi, this portion is yours."

Speaking, Jiang Xia handed another breakfast to Xiao Xi, but compared to Tian Dao Shu Hua's portion, the flavor was slightly different.

"Hey, Jiang Xia, what about mine? This was bought with my wages."

Kagami forced himself not to look at Rixia Bu Xi holding that tempting breakfast.

Let's have the next serving.

"Hey, anyone else want to eat?" Kagami asked.

"Coming." Jiang Xia didn't even lift his head.

"Brother, how did you come?" Tian Dao Shu Hua, who was enjoying the meal, looked at the person walking in and asked doubtfully.

"Tiandao, this is yours."

As someone who dotes on his sister, how could he possibly feel at ease letting Tian Dao Shu Hua eat outside?

Moreover, it's during the most important breakfast time of the day, yet he actually wants to stay outside and not go home.

This was almost a severe blow to Heavenly Dao Chief's confidence; no, he simply couldn't believe such a thing would happen.

Heavenly Dao Chief rushed over at the fastest speed of his life, transforming.

As soon as he entered the door, he heard Jiang Xia's words, and saw a Bluefin Fish that looked extremely tempting and had just been made.

Seeing Shuhua eating so happily, Heavenly Dao Chief gradually calmed down, and he said:

"From now on, brother will also stay here, and we'll make delicious food for Shuhua together, how about that?"

"Mm, brother, double happiness." Tian Dao Shu Hua exclaimed excitedly.

"Ha." Heavenly Dao Chief exhaled a breath and took the breakfast Jiang Xia had prepared for him.

And he seriously glanced at Jiang Xia once.

This guy, he even calculated this, huh?

Seeing Heavenly Dao Chief looking at him with that gaze, Jiang Xia just smiled.

No need to even guess.

At this moment, Kagami and Jiang Xia's own portions were also ready.

Or rather, they were basically made at the same time, just with different flavors and timing of being taken out of the pot.

The five of them began eating the breakfasts customized to their own tastes together.

Together they enjoyed this quiet, brief moment.

Rixia Bu Xi ate this extraordinarily delicious food, looking at Jiang Xia sitting beside her, as well as Kagami voraciously eating nearby, and Heavenly Dao Chief taking care of his sister; these made her eye sockets unnaturally moist.

Family, she once again felt the presence of family.

A warm surge welled up in her eye sockets, crystal-clear tears like overflowing emotion and joy from deep within her heart.

She lightly blinked, and those tears left a transparent trace on her cheeks—not sorrow, but rather being overly happy.

"Everything is in the past, it's fine." Jiang Xia gently smoothed the tears at the corners of Rixia Bu Xi's eyes, comforting her.

This strong emotion infected everyone here.

Everyone here, to some extent, has family problems: Heavenly Dao Chief's parents were affected by Mimicry, and Rixia Bu Xi's parents were killed by a meteorite falling.

Jiahemei Xin lost his younger brother, and would rather work outside than go home.

As for Jiang Xia, needless to say, he's an orphan.

The only one relatively better off is Tian Dao Shu Hua, because Heavenly Dao Chief has always been by her side protecting her, leaving only her grandmother as a relative.

"Brother, we'll always be together, right?" Tian Dao Shu Hua saw Rixia Bu Xi tearing up, and her eye sockets also turned red.

"Of course, Shuhua will always be with me."

"Brother, this form of address really brings back memories." Kagami sighed upon hearing Tian Dao Shu Hua's way of addressing Heavenly Dao Chief.

"How so, you also have a sister?"

"No, I have a younger brother." Kagami watched this scene and slowly recounted his interactions with his brother.

(End of chapter)