Chapter 115: Deformed Wings Beating at High Speed
More than that caught their eye.
Several patrons tilted their heads back, peering past the newly expanded restaurant.
Within the perimeter of white light, were those… other structures?
Set against the roiling dark clouds and driving rain, red-brick buildings with timber-pitched roofs and a quaint little smokestack rose in the distance.
Sprawled behind the Chinese Restaurant, a self-contained estate of lush farmland, chicken coops, and pigpens came into view.
The white light served as an absolute dividing line.
Beyond it raged a violent storm, suffocating and grim.
Within it lay a tranquil, cozy sanctuary, reminiscent of an otherworldly paradise.
“Boss… did you set up these rain canopies because you knew the rainy season was coming?”
A customer stepped into the main dining hall, asking Boss Ling as she sat behind the counter enjoying her breakfast.
Boss Ling simply offered a faint smile and a slight nod, offering no further explanation.
Just as we thought!
No wonder the higher-ups knew the rainy season would hit ahead of schedule!
It really was thanks to the Chinese Restaurant all along!
The woman was simply formidable—there was no other word for it.
…
What was the best thing to drink on a rainy day?
“Warm ginger and jujube tea, without a doubt!”
A diner lounging comfortably beneath the rain canopy chimed in, cradling a paper cup in her hands.
A roasted sweet potato in one hand and the steaming jujube tea in the other, she savored every sip as she watched the sheets of rain pour outside the awning.
It was pure, unadulterated bliss.
“If you’re talking practical benefits, nothing beats the mint and lemongrass tea. Heh, a single cup keeps the mosquitoes and bugs away! Once I finish this, I’m heading right back to the fields to harvest more wild greens!”
“I prefer this chrysanthemum, goji berry, and tangerine peel tea. It has such a lovely, delicate aroma—so refreshing!”
Lina and Lilin sat together on the wooden bench, sipping their chrysanthemum tea to the rhythm of the torrential rain.
In the past, the sound of rain had been a death knell for wasteland survivors.
Yet within the perimeter of the Chinese Restaurant, they could leisurely sip hot drinks, snack on warm food, and peacefully listen to the storm.
A steady stream of survivors continued to trickle in from Seed City, arriving soaked to the skin, visibly rattled and haggard from the perilous journey.
Yet the moment they stepped beneath the Chinese Restaurant’s awnings, the atmosphere shifted entirely. Guests eagerly pulled back the hoods of their rain capes and began savoring the restaurant’s latest selection of drinks.
“I honestly never thought… I really thought we’d be trapped inside once the rainy season started.”
“Same here. I tossed and turned all night, kicking myself for not stockpiling more roasted potatoes. Thank goodness we can still make the trip out today.”
“Hah! Name a single rainy season where we weren’t running from those mutant beasts like scared dogs. Even behind the walls, we lived in absolute terror. Compared to that, this is the good life.”
“Who could have ever imagined sitting under an awning, eating hot food while watching the rain fall?”
“Seriously. The outside world is a death trap right now. Where did all those mutant monsters go anyway? Why can’t we see a single one out there? It’s like they’re terrified of the boss’s protective barrier.” Someone peered beyond the white light, cradling their cup.
“Even if they showed up, what’s there to fear? They can’t cross the threshold anyway.”
A regular customer offered a cool, nonchalant reply.
Step foot into the Chinese Restaurant, and peace of mind was guaranteed. Period.
Gentle lamplight glowed beneath the canopies. Clutching cups of steaming hot tea, the patrons chatted and ate, their warm chatter standing in stark contrast to the oppressive gloom lingering just beyond the barrier of light.
Inside the main dining hall, the atmosphere was just as lively.
Following the expansion, the main floor had been rearranged entirely with two- and four-seater dining tables.
Caicai scurried back and forth across the ground floor, serving bowls of the newly introduced hot soups to the diners.
Upstairs, Wangwang busied itself on the second floor.
Tender mutton slices were laid into white ceramic bowls, bathed in a ladle of rich, milky-white broth, and seasoned with salt, finely ground white pepper, minced scallions, and a tiny dash of vinegar.
A piping-hot bowl of mutton soup was placed before a customer.
No unnecessary seasonings or heavy spices.
The diner who ordered it scooped up a spoonful, blew on it gently, and took a sip—the mutton had been simmered until meltingly tender without turning dry or stringy, its delicate fibers melding seamlessly with the velvety broth.
The broth tasted purely rich and clean, without a trace of gamey funk. The white pepper was blended to perfection, offering a soothing, gentle heat rather than a sharp bite, coaxing a warm sweat from the skin.
It was exceptionally effective at breaking a chill.
The lamb offal soup was equally exquisite.
Built upon the same rich, milky broth, it was packed with springy strips of tripe, tender loops of chitterlings, and delicate slices of liver and lung. Emerald scallions floated on the surface, and a single mouthful sent a soothing wave of pure comfort coursing through the entire body.
None of the new soups were expensive.
[Mutton Soup (Increases stamina and physical recovery rate by 10% for 10 hours post-consumption) — 18 City Coins
Hot Soup Attribute: Grants resistance against low-temperature environments for 6 hours post-consumption (duration halved in sub-zero environments), maintaining normal body temperature.]
[Lamb Offal Soup (Increases auditory and olfactory acuity by 50% for 10 hours post-consumption) — 12 City Coins
Hot Soup Attribute: Grants resistance against low-temperature environments for 6 hours post-consumption (duration halved in sub-zero environments), maintaining normal body temperature.]
Others opted for the Five-Ingredient Mushroom Soup.
The “five ingredients” referred to its medley of five nourishing staples.
The rich, earthy umami of woodland mushrooms had thoroughly infused the broth, balanced by the gentle starchy richness of Chinese yam for a mellow, comforting texture.
A clear, amber broth, fragrant and appetizing.
A bowl like this cost a modest fourteen City Coins.
Five-Ingredient Mushroom Soup — 14 City Coins.
(Purges 3% toxins. Gradually clears pathogens, heavy metals, and radiation residue from the bloodstream for 10 hours post-consumption, enhancing resistance against them for 4 hours.)
Hot Soup Attribute: Grants resistance against low-temperature environments for 6 hours post-consumption (duration halved in sub-zero environments), maintaining normal body temperature.
Throughout the main dining hall, plenty of patrons sat sipping hot soup, expressing profound relief that they could still reach the Chinese Restaurant.
Lively chatter filled the room, wrapped in a rare and tranquil warmth.
…
“Did you guys hear that?”
A patron sitting beneath the outdoor awning spoke up, frowning.
Hearing the remark, several nearby diners tilted their ears to listen.
There was indeed a sound.
A sharp, rattling clatter, like objects violently pelting down from the heavens.
“Hail?!”
Someone pointed toward the ground just beyond the awning.
Sure enough, stones of ice were crashing down, ranging wildly in size.
The smaller pellets were no bigger than soybeans, while the largest were the size of hen’s eggs!
“Sweet heavens…”
A few folks craned their necks to inspect the underside of the canopy.
Outside, the ice pummeled the earth with violent clatter, yet it barely made a whisper against the taut fabric of the awning above.
The canopy was astonishingly sturdy. It not only deflected the rain and hail with ease, but dampened nearly all the noise.
The lamp hanging dead center remained rock steady, showing not the slightest hint of a tremor.
“Thank goodness we came to the restaurant… Look at the size of that hail.”
“The weather gets worse with every passing year. Not only are the mutants growing more terrifying, but now the rainy season brings hail down on our heads.”
“It’s unnatural…”
The sudden squall of ice had stopped a few scavengers in their tracks, delaying their plans to earn coin.
Fortunately, the hail passed as quickly as it had arrived.
After a few minutes of violent pelting, the ice tapered off, leaving only the steady sheets of rain behind.
A few men tentatively stepped toward the edge of the awning, intending to head over to the abandoned farm plots.
Just to test the waters.
“Wait, look over there.”
The man’s companion reached out, grabbing his arm.
He pointed a finger toward the murky gloom not far away.
—A cloud of pitch-black shapes surged out from the flooded marsh grass.
Beelining straight toward the perimeter of white light.
As they drew closer, the shapes resolved into a swarm of mutated mosquitoes.
Twenty to thirty in total.
Each was the size of a grown man’s fist, their abdomens grotesquely distended while their legs stretched spindly and long.
Their proboscises were as long as a human palm, warped by severe mutations.
Some were lined with jagged, needle-sharp barbs; others split into multiple writhing needles.
Buzzzzzzzzz—
Deformed wings beat at high speed.
With two—or sometimes multiple—compound eyes of pitch black, the mutated mosquitoes glared fixedly at the living humans gathered within the white light.
