Chapter 193: Fermented Yogurt

"The Shangfang Sword is the personal sword used by Shengzu. If the time this Square Body was unearthed dates back to ancient times, then the Shangfang Sword would certainly have been recognized at that time as the most precious artifact among all those unearthed in the entire Square Body, bar none. Of course, it is also incomparably precious now; it is a top-tier national treasure." Chen Shu stood before a glass case, gazing at the magnificent sword in front of him. "This sword witnessed the birth of the first unified dynasty in our country's history, witnessed Shengzu creating this brilliant and resplendent civilization, and our country's five thousand years of history and civilization thereafter all stem from it."

"This one is also a replica, right?" Zhang Suannai's tone was very certain.

"Of course. The power of the original is too great; what the news says about it being able to split mountains and sever rivers is not an exaggeration," Chen Shu said. "You should also know that the design philosophy for Artifacts of that era was completely different from those of later generations. Artifacts of that era had high requirements for the user, a high performance floor, and a low ceiling. No matter who the user was, the power was restricted to a narrow range. Later Artifacts, however, are basically power amplifiers that magnify the user's own strength."

"Our sect used to be like that."

"Yes."

Chen Shu knew that the Sword Sect was the sect that had persisted with the Middle Ancient period's Artifact philosophy the longest. It wasn't until after the Royal Court became independent that the Sword Sect was forced to change, because if they didn't change their traditions, they really wouldn't be able to keep up with the times.

Even now, the Spirit Sword of the Sword Sect still possesses certain characteristics of Middle Ancient Artifacts—Spirit Swords often come with a portion of power of their own and can be passed down through generations. When later descendants use them, they can release this power at necessary moments to achieve the effect of using external force to cheat.

"Why is it called the Shangfang Sword?" Zhang Suannai asked again.

"Regarding that..." Chen Shu revealed a smile. "Because the Xia Dynasty is too distant, much of its history has been lost to time and war. And since Daoist cultivators are forbidden from tracing history related to Shengzu, if one wants to look for it from the sidelines, there is nowhere to start. So, we still don't know the reason to this day and can only make guesses."

"What guesses?"

"Professor Shi of Yujing Academy guesses that 'Shangfang' might be the name of the person who forged this sword, which fits the naming customs of that time. Professor Liu of Ling'an Academy thinks it might be a noun representing something like 'the Heavens,' while my father thinks it is more likely a place name," Chen Shu said with a beaming smile.

"Then what do you think?" Chen Banxia occasionally played the role of her younger brother's little fan, looking at him with glowing eyes; what her brother said was the only truth.

"I don't know." Chen Shu continued to smile.

"Guess, hurry up and guess!" Chen Banxia urged.

"I guess it might be the name of an official office or a Government agency."

"Why?"

"Just a wild guess!"

"Oh..."

"Let's go, let's go..."

Chen Shu walked in the lead to look at the next item.

The little girl followed honestly behind him, listening intently. Qingqing walked side-by-side with Chen Shu, quietly observing his expression. Chen Banxia also followed the tour guide with small, quick steps. Zhang Suannai, having fallen slightly behind, ended up walking with the many tourists who were tagging along for the explanation. She glanced back and saw that the number of people had grown larger and larger. What made it even harder for her to accept was that listening to this dorky 'Green Vegetable' explain everything from the first floor to the fifth, he seemed to have an understanding of every single artifact. She already felt a little bit like their intelligence was not on the same level.

Although only a little bit.

"..."

Zhang Suannai's expression was sour.

Beside her, a young child, egged on by their parents, asked in a crisp, clear voice: "Uncle, how do you know so much?"

Zhang Suannai was speechless—

Did he buy you candy or something? Why are you being so cooperative?

"Sigh..."

Zhang Suannai sighed powerlessly.

Today was a day of having her confidence crushed.

Seeing that the time was getting late.

When the group walked out of the Square Body, it was dusk in Bai City. The clouds in the sky were slowly being dyed pink, and the long Jinghai below reflected the light of the sky. Zhang Suannai, exhausted from being crushed, still couldn't help but take out her Mobile Phone at the sight of this beautiful scenery, taking dozens of identical photos in a row.

That's right—

This place is not only for visiting artifacts, but also an excellent spot for overlooking Jinghai.

It is especially suitable for watching the sunset.

The sun sets right behind the mountain across from Jinghai.

Thanks to the Square Body; if not for it, people wanting to overlook Jinghai and the sunset of Bai City from this angle would have to buy a ticket and take the cable car up Beauty Mountain. Now, one only needs to climb the stairs to the Square Body platform halfway up the mountain.

Chen Banxia raised her hand and said, her voice sweet and soft but full of energy: "Let's go eat dinner together tonight, my treat!"

"Okay!"

Zhang Suannai responded first.

Only then did Chen Shu follow.

Both sisters indicated their agreement with silence.

The five of them slowly walked down the mountain.

The air conditioning had been running in Chen Jiaoshou's vintage car. Because Taozi could not enter the museum, the group had left it in the car earlier. Chen Shu opened the car door first to feel the temperature inside; it was still very comfortable, so he said to the little girl:

"Does Xiaoxiao want to ride on Qingqing's butt-burning motorcycle, or does she want to ride with us in the cool air-conditioned car?"

The little girl silently took a step to the side, stood next to the small car, and quietly peeked at her sister.

Qingqing remained completely unmoved.

Taozi barked, wanting to jump out of the car window to sit in the sidecar of the motorcycle, but was caught by Chen Shu and thrown back into the car.

"Let's go!"

Chen Shu got into the car.

They returned all the way to Ning Qing's home, parked the car, and set off on foot to a restaurant not far from Ning Qing's house called "Grandmother Dishes."

The group requested a private room.

Chen Banxia didn't know where she had fished out two bottles of liquor, and said excitedly to them: "You guys order the food, you guys order! I'll open the liquor first. This liquor has a stronger kick than what we drank before; let's not stop until we're drunk!"

"I'm not drinking," Chen Shu said, handing the menu to Zhang Suannai first. "I have to drive back later."

"I'm not drinking either," Ning Qing said.

"Forget it if you aren't drinking, Suannai and I will drink."

"Exactly, exactly."

As Zhang Suannai replied, she lowered her head to look carefully. She didn't recognize most of the dishes, but given her personality, now that the menu was in her hands, it was impossible for her to hand it back without ordering a couple of dishes.

"Order the fried bamboo worms, and another order of dragon fruit stir-fried shredded potatoes." Zhang Suannai specifically picked two bizarre dishes.

"Unique taste."

Chen Shu took back the menu and opened it again.

Ning Qing sat on his left, Xiaoxiao sat on his right, and both of them leaned their heads over.

"Order a few specialty dishes for your roommates to try," Chen Shu said.

"Lemon Ghost Chicken," Ning Qing said.

"Old Granny Potato," Xiaoxiao said.

"..." Chen Shu really couldn't find any fault with that; they were indeed all specialty dishes. He pondered for a moment, checked off the Vegetable Wrapped Fish, Wrapped Paste Tofu, Wrapped Roasted Chicken Feet Tendon, and Steam Pot Chicken on the menu, then handed the menu to the waiter.

Chen Banxia also happened to open two bottles of wine.

The fragrance of wine mixed with osmanthus drifted out.

Zhang Suannai sniffed and asked curiously, "Does this restaurant allow you to bring your own wine?"

"Yes," Chen Shu said.

"Usually they allow it," Chen Banxia said. "According to relevant laws and regulations, it is illegal to prohibit bringing your own wine."

"That's no fun," Zhang Suannai said, a bit disappointed. "The restaurants in Jianzhou always forbid bringing your own wine. Every time I go out to eat at a restaurant, I have to find a supermarket beforehand to buy a big bottle of soda or soy milk, pack it in my schoolbag, and take it out after they serve the dishes. That way, I have a little entertainment program before eating."

"..." Chen Shu was speechless.

"Why wait until the dishes are served to take it out?" Chen Banxia asked curiously.

"I'm afraid they'll spit in my food," Zhang Suannai said. "So I go to a different restaurant every time."

"Professional!" Chen Banxia praised, picked up a wine bottle, and stood up. She poured wine for Zhang Suannai first, knowing that Zhang Suannai was also a wine lover, while the others at the table were not her fellow enthusiasts. "Just the two of us drinking tonight, let's drink our fill!"

"Okay!"

Zhang Suannai smacked her lips and sniffed, smelling the wine fragrance wafting in front of her, and began to look forward to it.

The waiters served the dishes one after another.

Zhang Suannai took a careful look and saw that these waiters really didn't react at all to them bringing their own wine, so she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Added to the frustration of having her intelligence compared unfavorably this afternoon, she picked up her wine glass first and took a small sip.

"Ah~~"

She let out a long sigh.

The taste of the Spirit Wine was just good; it wasn't bitter, spicy, or astringent, only having the scent of osmanthus and wine, and it even tasted slightly sweet, making it easy to get drunk if one wasn't careful.

Zhang Suannai was very satisfied.

Chen Banxia, sitting opposite, saw this and asked with a smile, "Good, right?"

"Good!"

"The last one was good too, right?"

"Also good!"

"You can always trust my taste in wine!"

"You got it!"

"Eat, eat! The bamboo weevils you ordered!"

"You got it!"

Zhang Suannai reached out with her chopsticks.

In the era without pollution, bamboo weevils were a common insect in bamboo forests, growing up by eating bamboo shoots; they had shells, could fly, and their bodies were full of meat. As food, the appearance of bamboo weevils might scare many young girls, but she was not an ordinary person after all, and she popped it into her mouth quite readily.

The deep-fried bamboo weevil shell was crispy, and the meat inside was very fragrant, a flavor that common meats could not provide.

Added to the salt and pepper on the outside, the texture was excellent.

Zhang Suannai couldn't help but take another sip of wine, then began to taste the other dishes.

After tasting them, she found that every dish was quite good; they might not be as delicious as what Chen Shu made, but at least they were much better than the food in Yujing and Jianzhou.

Zhang Suannai couldn't stop eating.

Chen Banxia sat next to her, and the two of them drank cup after cup, bite after bite, having a great time.

With food and drink, the frustration of the day gradually dissipated.

By the time Zhang Suannai went out to the restroom, her mind was already a bit unclear. Fortunately, she was a Sword Cultivator, so she could walk steadily, yet she insisted on not being accompanied, stubbornly headstrong.

Chen Banxia grinned foolishly behind her.

Apparently, she was also a bit drunk.

Chen Shu picked up an empty wine bottle and looked at it—

It was still Spirit Wine prepared for an Intermediate Cultivator, only he heard it was more potent than the two times they drank before. A large amount might even intoxicate a Sixth Stage, and both of them were only Fifth Stage, so with one bottle each like this...

Chen Shu looked at Chen Banxia beside him, estimating that he would have to carry her home later.

He would have to ask her for a hardship fee tomorrow.

Chen Shu calculated while eating.

Ten-plus minutes later—

Chen Shu poured all the chicken soup from the steam pot to drink and looked at the private room door in confusion: "Why hasn't she come back yet?"

Ning Qing was quietly tasting the Lemon Ghost Chicken.

The little girl was focused on eating the stir-fried potato shreds with dragon fruit.

Chen Banxia was sprawled on her chair, happy and cheerful.

"!"

Chen Shu suddenly remembered something and quickly turned his head to ask: "Did Zhang Suannai hit anyone before you came over today?"

The little girl looked up: "No."

"..."

Chen Shu looked at Qingqing again, having an ominous premonition: "When does she hit people?"

Ning Qing glanced at him; she had originally not wanted to answer, as once she spoke, the World Prediction Line would be disrupted, and the time required for it to correct itself again was unknown, while before it corrected, she would have to rely on herself to predict the future. But she remained silent for a few seconds, then still extended three fingers.

"Three? What does that mean?"

Ning Qing retracted one finger.

"Two?"

Ning Qing retracted another finger.

Chen Shu fell silent.

"Knock knock!"

The private room door was knocked upon.

A waiter opened the door directly and poked half their body in: "Excuse me, is that lady who is drunk outside from your private room?"

"……Which one?"

"The one who is tall, very pretty, and has a great figure……"

"What happened to her? Did she hit someone?"

"Yes! That lady just hit a female customer and a male customer, and after hitting them, she shouted that she still wanted to hit ten more!"

"That must be her……" Chen Shu's expression was complicated, "What is the reason this time? How is she now?"

"It seems that because she went to use the restroom and stood at the entrance, and because our restaurant's restroom signs are rather…… personalized and artistic, she didn't know for a moment which was the men's restroom and which was the women's. While she was hesitating at the door, a female customer felt she was wearing too little and standing there attracted her husband's gaze, so she made a couple of mocking remarks, which led to a quarrel. Then that female customer started pulling at her, so she beat up that female customer and her husband who came to mediate, and even said she wanted to call her junior fellow apprentices from the Sword Sect to come over and level their club."

"……She deserved to be hit."

"We have persuaded her now, and those two have indicated they won't pursue the matter, but she wants to go to the restroom again."

"Then why don't you just take her to use it?"

"Because she mistook the restroom and almost walked into the men's restroom; fortunately, we stopped her." The waiter looked troubled, "But after we stopped her, I don't know what happened, but she suddenly changed her tune and insisted that she is a man, and that she must go to the men's restroom! That going to the men's restroom is the right thing to do! That it was wrong for us to stop her! Now she insists on going to the men's restroom! We can barely hold her back!"

"……"

"Please go take a look!"

"……"

Chen Shu stood up silently and walked out.

Qingqing also put down her chopsticks and followed behind him.

Xiaoxiao also subconsciously stood up, wanting to follow, but turned her head to look at the paralyzed and silly Banxia sister beside her, and sat back down.

Don't let the name of this restaurant make it sound like a small eatery; it is actually quite large, and business is very good. Once out of the private room, it was noisy. On the way over, Chen Shu saw two customers with bleeding faces, limping, one man and one woman. Walking two more steps, he heard Zhang Suannai shouting.

"Why won't you let me go to the restroom?

"I can't hold it anymore!

"Nonsense! I am a man!

"If I, a man, don't go to the men's restroom, should I go to the women's restroom? I won't do that!

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

Chen Shu was silent for a few seconds, took out his Mobile Phone, turned on the recording mode, folded his arms across his chest while clamping the phone there, and aimed it forward.

Only then did he walk over.

Zhang Suannai happened to spot them. She seemed to have seen a savior, immediately walked over, pulled on Ning Qing's sleeve, and pointed at the few waiters, saying: "Come, come, come! You tell them! Am I a man or a woman? They insist on saying I'm a woman! I clearly am not! Ow?"

After finishing, she even had a very certain look, introducing to the group of waiters: "This is my roommate and her boyfriend whom she isn't dating; what they say definitely won't be wrong, right?"

"Then what do you think?" Chen Shu twitched the corner of his mouth.

"What do I think about what?"

"Are you a man or a woman?"

"I'm definitely a man!"

"Who is your roommate?"

"Your girlfriend whom you aren't dating!" Zhang Suannai had an expression that implied this didn't even need to be asked, what an idiot.

"You are roommates with my girlfriend, so how could you be a man?"

"Eh?? That's right!"

Zhang Suannai was stunned for a moment, falling into self-doubt.

Chen Shu watched her silently from the side.

The remaining waiters also breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Zhang Suannai's eyes lit up; her eyes, already exceptionally bright from the drunkenness, burst forth with a luster that was particularly eye-catching: "Oh, I get it!"

She let go of Ning Qing's sleeve and instead grabbed Chen Shu's sleeve: "I remembered wrong! You are my roommate!"

Chen Shu: ……