The Tongfu Inn.
Seeing the "Closed for Business" sign hanging on the door, Lu Yu was taken aback.
What was going on?
Business was so good yesterday, and now they’re closed?
Thankfully, the door was open, so Lu Yu, without hesitation, walked in.
He saw the innkeeper Tong and the others in the lobby, seemingly discussing something.
"Not doing business today?"
Lu Yu asked curiously.
"Little Lu, you came to deliver the fish, right? Just leave the fish in the fish tank in the kitchen, and tomorrow we'll be closed for a day. Come back the day after.
Otherwise, we won't be able to finish the fish in the tank for a while."
Innkeeper Tong said.
"Okay."
Hearing that they were taking a day off tomorrow, Lu Yu had no objections.
Before, he needed to rely on this job to make a living, but now he's financially secure. A few dozen coins a day wouldn't make much of a difference to him.
"I'll take you there!"
Seeing this, Huang Rong immediately stepped forward and took Lu Yu to the kitchen.
"What's happening at the inn?"
In the kitchen, after Lu Yu placed the fish, he inquired curiously.
"Everyone is helping Li Da Zui cover up a lie."
"Cover up a lie? What lie?"
"Didn't Li Da Zui go back home yesterday? His mother was seriously ill, so he lied and said that he passed the imperial exams and became a martial arts champion. As a result, his mother was so happy that her illness miraculously disappeared. Now, she wants to come and see his champion’s mansion.
Li Da Zui had no choice but to sneak back during the night and ask everyone for help. We discussed it and decided to work together to fool Li Da Zui's mother and make her feel at ease.
This morning, we started planning and preparing.
I also got a role, I'm the cook the Emperor bestowed upon the champion."
Huang Rong said with a grin, seeming to be very satisfied with her role.
Lu Yu suddenly understood and then laughed, "You're helping out because you think it's fun, right?"
"Hehe, yes. Otherwise, I would have gone to find you this morning. I took advantage of the morning hours and prepared myself properly."
Huang Rong was excited.
This kind of thing was truly new to her.
"Then you guys have fun, I'm going now."
"Ah? Aren't you staying to play?"
Seeing Lu Yu leaving, Huang Rong was surprised.
"I'm not good at acting. Besides, I just met a fishing buddy and I'm going back to fish with him."
"Oh, alright. I'll come find you after I finish this act."
"Okay."
Lu Yu left from the backyard and happened to see Li Da Zui and his mother as he left.
He looked at their backs, his eyes narrowed.
Li Da Zui's mother was once a famous figure in the martial arts world, known as the "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan."
Her gambling skills were truly divine. She dominated the gambling world for more than ten years, losing only once.
But that one time, she lost a finger.
From that day forward, she retired from the martial arts world and never appeared again.
To be honest, Lu Yu felt quite a bit of admiration for the "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan".
The top gambler in the world could simply quit gambling. That kind of willpower was beyond ordinary people.
Lu Yu's "Gazing Technique" swept over her, but he didn't sense any golden light of fortune, and his interest waned.
But the "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan" sensed Lu Yu's scrutinizing gaze, and she immediately stopped walking and turned around.
Although she had been blind for over thirty years, her senses were incredibly sharp.
"Mother? What's wrong?"
Li Da Zui asked in confusion.
"It feels like someone is watching us."
The "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan" whispered.
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Li Da Zui turned his head to look and happened to meet Lu Yu's gaze.
"It's Little Lu, my friend."
"I see."
Hearing this, the "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan" felt relieved.
Seeing Li Da Zui looking over, Lu Yu smiled, "Big Brother Da Zui! Busy, huh?"
Li Da Zui was afraid that Lu Yu would see through the lie, so he hurriedly said, "Yeah, I'm taking my mother out for a walk. I'll come find you later to play."
He winked at Lu Yu, signaling him not to ask further.
Lu Yu understood and simply replied in a low voice, then turned to leave.
Seeing Lu Yu leave, Li Da Zui finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mother, this is my champion’s mansion. Let's go inside and take a look."
Li Da Zui continued.
"Okay."
Lu Yu had no interest in participating in this farce.
Because he could tell that the "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan" knew Li Da Zui was lying to her from the beginning.
Let's not talk about anything else, the "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan" couldn't have been unaware that Li Da Zui didn't learn martial arts.
How could someone who didn't learn martial arts pass the imperial exams and become a martial arts champion?
Moreover, even if someone became a martial arts champion, they still need to pass written exams, testing things like military tactics and strategy.
Li Da Zui couldn't even recognize a few characters, how could he pass such a demanding written exam.
If the "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan" was just an ordinary blind old woman from the countryside, she might not know this, but she was once a legendary figure in the martial arts world, how could she not know this?
Therefore, in Lu Yu's opinion, the "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan" was just trying to see where Li Da Zui was living now and to understand the kind of people around him.
A mother's worry travels a thousand miles. The "Broken Fingered Xuanyuan" knew that her son was no good, so she could only worry about him in this way.
Lu Yu shook his head slightly, dispelling these thoughts from his mind, and started walking home.
It was almost noon, and his stomach was rumbling.
Thinking that he would have to cook dinner when he got home, Lu Yu decided to eat out.
As he passed by a street vendor, Lu Yu's nose twitched, sniffing out a fragrant aroma.
"Meat-stuffed buns! Delicious and affordable meat-stuffed buns! Only five coins each! Young man, want two?"
Seeing those slightly burnt buns and the tempting meat, Lu Yu felt a little hungry.
"They look good, give me eight! Pack them separately!"
"Alright! Eight meat-stuffed buns. I'll give you a discount. Thirty-nine coins! If you like them, come back again!"
The vendor was good at business, even though the discount wasn't much, it still made Lu Yu happy.
"Definitely."
Lu Yu took the eight neatly wrapped meat-stuffed buns and went home.
On the way, Lu Yu couldn't resist eating one.
"So fragrant! Still the original flavor is the best. No fancy stuff."
In a short time, Lu Yu finished a meat-stuffed bun.
By the time Lu Yu reached home, only five meat-stuffed buns remained.
If he hadn't felt full, he would have wanted to eat more.
"You're back."
Just as Lu Yu reached his door, Mu Wan Qing came out from the neighboring house. She seemed to have been waiting for him.
"Good afternoon, Miss Mu. How's your injury?"
"It's recovering well."
"That's good. I bought some meat-stuffed buns. Do you want some?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll give you two to try. These meat-stuffed buns are quite filling, two should be enough to fill you up."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, they are for sale."
Lu Yu laughed.
Mu Wan Qing took the meat-stuffed buns, still able to feel the warmth from the buns.
She didn't pay much attention to Lu Yu's words.
"Then you eat slowly, I need to go out to get something. What do you want to eat tonight? I'll buy it on my way back."
"Whatever you think is good. I'm new here and don't know what to eat."
"Okay, we'll talk about it later."