A Chance Encounter, A Barbecue Meal

System: "This system is the Cultivation System. All items related to Wood Magic will be sold at a discounted price, which is why the prices for the Dew Technique and Soil Tilling Technique are their true prices."

"...I'd have to be a ghost to believe you." Ron muttered to himself.

You didn't arrange it sooner or later, but you chose to display these two prerequisite magic items only after I redeemed the Seed Germination Technique. If that isn't deceptive consumer practices, then what is?

Hmph!

I'd rather die than buy these two spells from you!

Ron cursed and stood his ground in his heart.

Though he said that, even if he really wanted to redeem them, he couldn't afford them for the time being anyway.

It's infuriating!

Why didn't he think of this earlier...

Although Ron had read some books like Magic Beginner over the past few days, they mostly covered the basic knowledge of the three major magic categories. He hadn't really delved into advanced topics like composite magic.

The three major magic categories are divided into White Magic, Cyan Magic, and Black Magic.

Water Magic and Earth Magic belong to branches of Cyan Magic.

Wood Magic belongs to the composite of Water and Earth magic, making it a sub-branch of Cyan Magic.

The related knowledge is bound to be profound and difficult to understand, which is why Ron hadn't studied it in depth.

He had assumed that since the system provided the Seed Germination Technique, it would be like the Meditation Method—something he could use immediately after an instant infusion of knowledge.

As it turned out, he had redeemed such a scam of a piece of trash.

It was like solving a math problem: a complex problem requires two basic formulas to derive a composite formula, and only by using that composite formula can you find the answer.

The problem now is that you only know the composite formula, but the requirements of the problem dictate that you must derive it through the basic formulas to use it; otherwise, you get no points.

It's simply infuriating.

Ron sat down on his recliner, thinking he should take a step back and calm down.

But the more he endured, the angrier he got; the more he stepped back, the more he felt he was losing out.

It was just like being scammed online, where the scammer says you need to pay 100 yuan to get a prize, but after you pay, the scammer says you need another 500 yuan as a security deposit.

At that point, you can only call yourself an idiot while deleting the scammer.

And then curse the scammer to have no descendants.

The current system gave Ron exactly that feeling.

Unfortunately, the system couldn't have children.

Ron strongly condemned the system, and after calming down, he checked the time and realized it was nearly five o'clock, so he closed the shop and headed toward the Barbecue Shop next door.

Might as well eat some barbecue to comfort himself...

Passing by the alley, Ron subconsciously glanced inside.

The trash can stood alone in the dark, and there was no sign of anyone.

Ron walked into the Barbecue Shop and ordered his usual favorite meat skewers, though he specifically ordered an extra portion this time.

Lyle walked over curiously: "Are you expecting another friend?"

Ron shook his head with a smile.

Lyle didn't press further, chuckling: "A lot of people have been coming to eat barbecue by reputation these past two days. Business is getting better every day, and that's all thanks to you."

Ron had been heading straight back to his shop after eating these past few days, so he wasn't quite aware of the specific situation at the barbecue shop.

It seemed to be doing quite well.

Before long, the barbecue was served, and Ron finished his own portion first.

After eating, Ron said goodbye to Lyle, took the other portion of barbecue, and walked out of the shop to the entrance of the alley.

By now, the sun in the west had gradually set behind the Manchester Mountains, and the sky in the east was already shrouded in the veil of night.

Using the remaining glow, Ron saw a somewhat familiar, thin, and small figure in the alley, rummaging through the trash can for food.

The thin figure had sharp instincts; despite having his back to Ron, he turned his head the instant Ron's gaze fell upon him.

A pair of light black pupils looked at Ron.

Then, without a word, he immediately bolted toward the other side of the alley like a startled rabbit.

"Hey! Wait!" Ron called out, walking to the entrance of the alley and placing the oil-paper-wrapped skewers on the ground. "We've met several times already. Let me treat you to some barbecue."

Ron specifically used his hand to peel back the oil paper, letting the aroma of the barbecue drift out and fill the entire alley.

The thin figure stopped at the exit on the other side of the alley, paused, and turned around, his eyes filled with surprise and vigilance.

In the glow of the setting sun, Ron could barely make out the other person's face.

However, that small face was covered in dark mud stains, making it impossible to see his original features.

It looked as if he had deliberately dirtied himself.

Ron had no ill intentions; he simply smiled, pointed at the skewers on the ground, and then headed back to his shop.

This child was clearly someone with a high sense of vigilance; as long as Ron didn't leave, he wouldn't come over, no matter how tempting the aroma of the meat was.

The thin, small figure hesitated on the spot for a while, the rich scent of roasted meat drifting from that end of the alley to this one, lingering at the tip of his nose.

So fragrant...

Grumble, grumble...

His stomach began to growl.

He had been halfway through rummaging in a trash can earlier and hadn't managed to find any food yet.

He hadn't eaten for a whole day.

So, after hesitating for a moment, he took a step forward and cautiously approached the roasted meat, glancing warily at the street to find that Ron had indeed returned to the shop.

Only then did he relax slightly, crouching down to peel back the oil paper.

The pungent aroma instantly permeated his entire body.

It really was so fragrant...

He immediately reached out, grabbed a skewer, and wolfed down the entire portion of roasted meat in one go.

The fusion of pepper and cumin with the savory scent of the meat ignited a delicious bomb in his mouth in an instant.

"Mmph..." He swore he had never eaten food this delicious in his life.

Even the half-piece of steak he had once snatched from a restaurant trash can didn't taste as good as this roasted meat.

The two were completely incomparable.

And so, in just half a minute, most of the skewers had already entered his stomach.

"Cough, cough!" Because he had stuffed too much meat into his mouth, he accidentally choked on the seasoning powder.

Clatter.

A glass of water was suddenly placed beside him, giving him a start.

Ron chuckled as he watched the thin, small figure flinch, then stood up after setting the glass down, stepping back to show he had no malicious intent.

The thin, small figure glanced at Ron a few times, and upon seeing the other's appearance at close range, was momentarily stunned by his good looks before quickly lowering his head again.

He hesitated for a moment, picked up the glass, and took a small sip.

It was just ordinary water, but it tasted very sweet.

"Thank you," he said in a low voice.

There was a hint of crispness in the tone.

Ron was a bit surprised, feeling that this voice... didn't sound much like a boy's...

Perhaps he was just going through puberty...

He looked the thin, small figure up and down; the body wrapped in a tattered robe looked empty and unremarkable inside.

Poor little boy...

Ron sighed inwardly, offered the thin, small figure a smile, and returned to the shop.

He didn't ask any nonsense like where his parents were.

They were just strangers passing by; what would be the point of asking such things?

Perhaps it was the inexplicable sense of loneliness he felt after transmigrating that made him occasionally overflow with kindness.

In any case, it was just a meal of roasted meat; it didn't amount to much for him.

So, once he returned to the shop and sat in the study to start reading, he cast the matter to the back of his mind and didn't give it much thought.

Failure Diary:

Big Shot: Had a few more trolls today, gave them the mute package immediately.

Me: Sob, sob, still no comments today.

Big Shot: I've found that if a chapter is 4,000 words, the average subscription rate grows a bit faster.

Me: Sob, sob, what should I do if I haven't signed a contract yet?

Big Shot: The app's recommendation slots are working pretty well; I gained 1,000 followers today.

Me: Sob, sob, I only gained 3 followers today, and they were just friendship follows from my friends.

Big Shot: ...I don't think there's much for us to talk about.

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